Chris Sherwood

Here are a few ideas for you during your off hours to keep things going especially during the winter months.

1. Join a sports league. Volleyball, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, badminton, whatever you like. 

2.Take a class. Think of something you have always been interested in but haven't learned yet. Cooking classes are a great way to learn a new style of cooking, meet new people and be ready to cook something special for your wife or date. Learn to dance. Photography, furniture making or re-finishing, auto care. Check out local colleges, adult high schools, or community centers and see what they have to offer.

3. Write. Wether it be poetry, song lyrics, short stories or even a novel. Set up a comfy spot at home free of distractions or find somewhere you like to be, a local coffee shop, restaurant (during non-peak times), pub, park, wherever. Bring a pad and paper and set your mind free to write.

4. Take up a new hobby. Learn how to tie flies for fly fishing, build models, workout, try a radio-controlled boat or plane, build birdhouses, start a collection. There are plenty of ideas out there. Ask your friends what they like to do in their spare time.

Just because it is winter doesn’t mean you can’t get outside and have fun with your kids. Okay, I can almost hear some of you groan. Brrr, it’s too cold! Well it doesn’t have to be if you dress properly (kind of like the way we dress our children). Besides, trying to keep up with your kids will probably keep you plenty warm. So here are a few ideas for you all to enjoy.

Skating: Outdoor rinks are in full swing many with two sides, one for hockey and one for casual skating. Don’t forget helmets for the young ones even if they are not playing hockey.

Sledding (or tobogganing): Wherever there is a hill, big or small, you will find kids of all ages out on their sleds, toboggans, Crazy Carpets, even on garbage bags or pieces of cardboard. If it slides, then woohoo! Bet some of you parents haven’t been sliding down a hill in many years. So jump on with your kids and have fun.

Snow Forts: Cut chunks of hard packed snow and build a snow fort. Better yet, build two a short distance away from each other then have a snowball fight.

Go on a Hike: A winter hike on a trail can be great fun. Bring along some snacls and a Thermos of hot chocolate. Look for tracks in the snow and have the kids guess what animal made the tracks. Bring a tracks guids or look them up when you get home and see how many they got right.

Winters Fairs: Many cities have winter fairs or carnivals. See if yours or one near you is hosting one.

Ice fishing: This one takes more planning but can be great for kids who enjoy fishing. If you don’t have the equipment, check with your local tackle shops and see if anyone provides ice fishing lessons or rents out equipment. Remember to check the weather forecast and dress well. Bring extra mitts and socks and pick up some mitt and boot warmer inserts just in case. Also bring along food and drinks. You will be spending a lot of time out on the ice, so the better prepared you are the more fun you will all have. As for ages, well my youngest is started when he was five and he enjoyed it but I kept it short for his sake. Older kids can spend more time.

Ice Sculptures: No I’m not suggesting you go out and carve some ice (though if you can, all the power to you), but many cities hold ice carving competitions or simply decorate parts of the city with carvings. Go and see them. They are a touch of winter magic that everyone will enjoy.

So get outside and have fun this winter!

A great way to let kids express themselves and get an idea of how they see the world is to get them started in photography. With today's digital cameras, it is easier than ever. Ever notice when you take a picture of a child with a digital camera, they run right over and ask to see the picture on the lcd screen. They get even more excited when the camera is in their hands and they can instantly see the results of their picture making efforts.

Most children just naturally enjoy being creative. Give them crayons or paint and some paper and watch them go. Put a camera in their hands and show them the basics of how to use it, and the same thing happens. They can even start as early as three years old. And thanks to digital cameras, you can let them be creative without spending a fortune on printing to see the results the way you would with a film camera.

A basic digital camera with 5 or more megapixels is sufficient to get them started. This will allow you to print from 3 1/2 x 5 up to 5x7, just perfect for a child's first photo album.

Take them out on photo hikes. They can be in the city or in the woods. Or send them out in the backyard and see what they can find. Granted you may get a lot of pictures of the patio stones, the back wall of your house, or maybe 20 pictures of an out-of-focus ant. The idea is just to let them be free to shoot whatever they want to. Eventually, you can teach them to look for things that they find meaning or beauty in. Some kids may automatically find their own niche and just want to focus on animals, their friends, or sports. Remember that you can point things out to them but let them decide if they want to photogaph it or not.

Most computers now come with a basic image editing software installed. If not, you can purchase software relatively cheaply. These programs can remove red-eye, let you crop the image and perform various other image adjustments. You can delete images in camera or wait until you download them onto your computer. Then sit down with your child and go through the images with them and decide which ones should be printed. Photo printers range in price but if you only want to print small pictures for albums there are some printers that are strictly for 4x6 prints. In the long run, having your own printer will save you time and money. But if you prefer, once you have edited the pictures and saved them on a disc, you can take it to the printers and have them print the pictures for you.

Once you have printed the photos, leave them on a flat surface, not stacked together, to dry fully overnight. Make sure you have an album for your child or better yet, let them pick one out. If they're young, help them put the pictures in and then put their album somewhere they can always get it.

Photography can be a lifelong hobby and by starting a child when they are young, they will have a lifetime of memories as they grow up.