Take a Winter Nature Walk!

Here is a nature 'treasure hunt' and some easy and fun activities that can be done right here on base with almost no preparation:

Things to find/see:

* A tree that has lost all its leaves (deciduous)
* Buds on trees
* Something with thorns
* Fungi or moss on a tree
* An evergreen tree
* Some dormant grass or other vegetation
* A nest in a tree
* A bird

Things to feel/collect:

* A tree with rough bark
* A smooth rock
* Something slimy
* A sharp needle on a tree
* Pinecones

Related Activities:

* Paint the smooth rock, pinecones or other collected items
* Draw pictures of deciduous and evergreen trees, bark, leaves or other observed items
* Get some birdseed or bread crumbs and feed the birds

Check out Tiger World!

If you haven't been to Tiger World, check it out! It's a bit of a trek but worth it!

On one floor is an indoor snow skiing/sledding hill (my husband took our 9-yr old--perfect for a beginner) and on another floor is an indoor waterpark/spa. We have been to the waterpark/spa three or four times and plan to go back another couple of times before we leave.

When grandparents were here, our 9-yr old chose Tiger World over everywhere else to take them. The waterpark side is nice (little kids' area, wave pool, lazy river, slides, lap pool), but we spend the majority of our time on the spa side (through the food court).

The spa side has several pools with varying temps, saunas, a pool bar (no alcohol served, but that is where we eat our Dippin' Dots ice cream!), a large pool with a mushroom fountain and water jets along the edges, outdoor hot tubs, and the famous Dr. Fish pool (something like 3,000 Won for 20 minutes--worth the experience, even our 3-yr old tried it).

You get a bracelet when you check in which serves as your 'key' for your locker and also serves as your credit card. You place everything in your locker (wallet included, but keep out your towels and/or cooler) and you charge everything while you are there with a swipe of your bracelet. You pay on your way out.

We eat at the food court (the kids like the pork cutlet set), but we supplement with our own fruit and crackers (drinking water is free).

It's on the way to the airport and it's about 75-90 minutes away depending on traffic.

Here’s how to get there:

• Take Big 1 North to 50 West (opposite Everland on 50, might say towards Ansan)
• Take 15 North (under 5 minutes' time on 15N) to 100 West/North towards Incheon Airport. Tiger World is on your left--huge blue and gray odd-shaped building.
• Exit at the Jungdong Interchange and make a couple left turns and look for the signs.
• Parking garage is underneath Tiger World.

Bring and show your military ID for a discount!!

The website shows what it looks like www.tigerworld.co.kr/eng/ Click on the 'About Facilities' button at the top and then on 'waterpark/spa' for some great photos. Enjoy!!

Linda, Guest Blogger

Winter destination ideas from Osan Parents

Question: What is there to do around here when the Winter comes?

Answer:

• In the shopping mall where Lotte World is in Seoul, there's also a large indoor ice skating rink. Just DON'T GO THERE on weekends or Korean holidays. Weekdays / US holidays are best.
• There's a modest aquarium at COEX Mall.
• In late Dec / early January, there will be some artificial snow sliding areas in Seoul.
• There are indoor water parks such as Ocean World - Vivaldi Park (ski resort and indoor water park) in Hongcheon. The trick is to find a Korean friend who can get a discount rate at the hotel. They can be very pricey, even for modest accommodations.
• One of the best known ski resorts - now indoor water park too - is Phoenix Park. Korean winters tend to be rather drab and dry. Much of the snow falls in Gangwon-Do Province - to the east / northeast of Seoul. That's where most of the ski resorts are.

Answer: You could start with Lotte World (indoor/outdoor amusement park) and Tiger World (indoor waterpark/spa and snow hill).

Answer: E-Mart and Lotte Mart both have indoor play areas for the kids while you shop. The supervisor at E-Mart usually speaks enough English to understand what you need.

Answer: Everland has seasonally appropriate activities. The CoEx Aquarium is a decent place to spend the morning. Just get there early or there will be lots of people. It reminds me a little bit of a Korean Manalay Bay (Las Vegas) aquarium. It is definitely an interesting cultural experience. Not just fish!

More Cold Weather Indoor Fun

Before we know it, even colder days will set in, and you might not be inclined to take (or let) your children outdoors to play. How do you keep them entertained during the interminable days that seem to run into one another?

Here are some suggestions (stock up quickly!):

Play-doh

Markers

Water colors and/or tempera paints

Crayons

Construction paper

Coloring books

Brown paper bags

Cardboard boxes (for coloring, cutting, or making forts)

Glue

Scissors

What to do with all that stuff? Try That Artist Woman (http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/) for both seasonal and general crafts.

For particularly educational board games, try Guess Who, Cadoo, Hullaballoo, and Guesstures, which require children to speak in full sentences. Puzzles, bead kits, and other handiwork are great ways to work on fine motor skills for younger and older children.

For some indoor physical activity, try Twister, Kids Yoga DVDs (just search at Amazon and you will find a wide variety), or even Wii Fit.

And, you may even want to allow pillow fights and plenty of blanket-and-dining-room-chair forts to break up the monotony.

Also, remember that when you do go outdoors, skin protection is still important. Don’t forget sunscreen on exposed skin (at least moisturizer with SPF for your face) and sunglasses, even in the winter!

Inside fun for those cold winter days at Osan!

Brrrrrr, no one wants to go to the playground, right? But the kids are driving you nuts, and you're watching too much television again; sound familiar? Here are some ideas for inside fun that aren't TOO messy and only a little bit dangerous:

Sack races! Give them each a pillowcase or a reusable commissary bag and have races up and down the halls.

Paper skating! Paper (wax paper is extra good but regular paper works fine) slides really well on smooth Korean floors; give each kid a piece for each foot and have them practice for the Olympics.

Have a backwards day! Eat spaghetti or pb&j for breakfast and pancakes for dinner; wear your pj's all day; have a bubble bath in the morning.

Read a chapter book! Even little kids can enjoy 'Ramona the Pest', 'Charlotte's Web', 'The Mouse and the Motorcycle' or 'The Littles'. Here are some more recommendations for early chapter books.

Make your own movie! Have the kids do their best tricks for the video camera: sing, dance, dress-up, whatever they want to do. Then for quiet time, put it on the TV and pop some popcorn.

Make a pinata! Okay, this one is a little messy, and it's a two-day project. On the first day, put them in the tub with a bowl of liquid paste made out of flour and water (in approximately equal amounts; it should be more liquid-y than paste-y) and an inflated balloon. Cut strips of scrap paper and put them in a separate bowl. Dip the paper strips into the paste mixture and cover the entire balloon with several layers, leaving only a small uncovered area where the balloon is tied. Put the balloon into the laundry room to dry and hose the tub and kids off. Have them scrub it down while they're at it. The next day, when the pinata is dry, pop the balloon and pull it out. They can paint it or put stickers on it. Put some treats in it, tie it up in an open door and let them whack it to their hearts' content. If you live in the towers, there is probably a bar at the top of your laundry room door, or use the rod in a closet or the bathtub.

Cook! Even small kids like to mix and stir, and there are tons of things they can easily make. Click here to see just a few.

Clean! Give them each a small spray bottle filled with vinegar water and a cloth and let them spray and wipe the bathtub, the balcony door, the refrigerator door or the cabinets. Many little ones will happily do this for a long time.

Have a picnic! Lay a blanket out on the living room floor and have a picnic lunch: lemonade, sandwiches or other picnic fare.

Play Little House on the Prairie! Read one of the 'My First Little House' books, turn all the lights out, and pretending you're living in the little house with the Ingalls. Do a sewing project; even a three year old can handle a big needle and stitch two pieces of fabric together.

Do an internet search for more ideas, or check out one of the many kids' activities books available in the OPN parenting library in the front room of the community center. Share your own winter fun ideas in the comments!

Babywarming

Winter is almost here! It's hard to believe when it's been so beautiful, but the cold weather is probably only a few weeks away. And if you haven't been here for a winter yet, you might be surprised by how cold and windy it gets. If you wear your baby on your back, you can keep him or her warm for practically free with a do-it-yourself toasty baby sack. The instructions below were originally posted last winter and several of our Osan moms loved them!

Maybe you’ve seen Anna Jane and Jane tooling around lately in a fabulous new black and green coat. What you might not know is that Anna Jane made the coat during a single naptime with a coat she got at the thrift store! The thrift store will be open this Saturday, and there are plenty of coats still available, as well as fleece jackets and pants that can be cut up to add the baby sack. Choose a contrasting color for a fun visual effect, or make it match. Veteran Osanites tell me we’re probably in for weeks or months of bundling up weather, so don’t worry about having to put your coat away too quickly.

Here is a link to the directions, and here are Anna Jane’s tips after successfully completing the coat:

• Definitely use a coat with a silky lining so the baby slides through easily!
• Measure out where your baby's head will actually come out of the coat. I pinned it a few spots and tried it on without Jane, but with the "image of where she'd be" in my mind until I got the hole for the head in the right place.
• Make sure the fleece "stretches" width wise not length wise so that the baby is hugged when you put it on.
• Stretch the top panel taut when you sew it so that the back of the coat is more snug.
• Stroll around ‘town’ showing off your toasty tot and your sewing skills!