The Culture Club had a wonderful time visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo and viewing the beautiful zoo lights.

Winter Health Tips

Good hand washing technique is easy to learn, and it can help keep you and your family healthy:

1)      Wet your hands with warm running water.

2)      Add soap, and then rub your hands together making a soapy lather. Wash front and back of hands, between fingers, under nails and even go up towards the wrist area for at least 20 seconds. You can sing “happy birthday” to help you keep time.

3)      Rinse your hands well under warm running water.

4)      Dry with a paper towel. Then use another paper towel to turn off the water and dispose of towel in proper receptacle.

Eat fresh basil: Basil is a delicious powerful herb that has been used for centuries to counteract and regulate mucous production. Try to incorporate fresh basil into your family meals. Add basil to tomato sauces, or try adding pesto to pizza.

Get Out and Play: Encourage your child to go outside to play for at least 20 minutes after school. It is a great way to get fresh air and get their bodies moving. The more kids sit around and play video games all afternoon, the less they activate their lymphatic system, which is responsible for moving toxins out of the body.

Bundle up: On colder days, insist on your child wearing a hat and gloves to keep them warm. They may say that they feel hot, but if their sweat freezes they are more likely to get cold and become sick.

If your child usually washes their hair before bed, change the time to before dinner.  This gives plenty of time for your child’s hair to dry. Going to bed with wet hair, especially in the winter, weakens their immunity and often leaves them with a stuffy, clogged nose in the morning.

Outdoor Safety: Winter days can feel much colder than the actual temperature.  When deciding how long to play outside safely the wind-chill factor is the most important.

Green Comfort Zone: 30° F and higher

If shivering bring indoors to warm up even if they insist that they are fine. It’s a good idea to come inside every 40 minutes or so, just to warm up.

Yellow Caution Zone: 20° F- 30° F

Be cautious. Expect to see signs of chill sooner.  Take short indoor breaks every 20- 30 minutes. It’s especially crucial to layer older children’s clothes, since they may ditch their coats if they get sweaty and need more than just a shirt on underneath.

Red Danger Zone: Below -20° F - Stay indoors.

Wind Chill Factor:

30° F = Chilly

15° F - 30° F = Cold

0° F - 15° F = Very cold

-20° F - 0° F = Bitter cold, significant risk of frostbite

-60° F - -20° F = Extreme cold, frostbite is likely to occur.

-60° F = Frigid, exposed skin will freeze in one minute.