Enjoy Spring with Your Family!

Greetings from the Campus Women's Center! 

Spring is officially here, so why not get outside to enjoy it?

     According to the National Wildlife Foundation, spending time outdoors not only increases your level of vitamin D, but also your level of fitness, appreciation for community and close relationships, and even reduces stress.

Here are five fun ideas for you and your family to try outside this spring:

Go Biking

     Going for a bike ride is not only a great way to exercise, but it’s also fun! Madison is well-known as a biker friendly city, with numerous paths available for family friendly rides. For example, the Lakeshore path (that extends from Picnic Point to the Memorial Union) allows you to experience nature at its finest, and completely avoid dangerous traffic and intersections. And if your littlest ones are still too young to ride alone, a bike trailer or ride-behind bike attachment are great options so they can enjoy biking and the outdoors as well.

Visit a park

     Madison offers a huge number of parks with different features like playgrounds, soccer fields, lakes and more! For a complete list of parks or to find a park near you, visit the City of Madison Parks website.

     The City of Madison even provides a couple of Dog Parks available for pet owners to bring their dogs to enjoy a large enclosed space unleashed! All that you need to do is purchase a $5 dog park daily permit, and your dog can enjoy playing with others and their owners in a friendly, safe space.

Have a Picnic

     Even if you only travel to your front yard, pack up your lunches for the day, grab a blanket, and have a family picnic outside! It's a fun and easy way to experience nature, while at the same time enjoying the company of one another. When packing a picnic, simplicity is key. Finger foods, sandwiches, juice boxes, and pre-cut veggies are a couple of good options.


Blow Bubbles

     One of the cheapest and most fun activities for kids to do outside is blowing bubbles. All you need to do is purchase some bubble soap at the store, or make your own bubble blowing soap! The kids will love learning how to blow bubbles and will eventually be able to make them bigger and bigger.


Chalk Drawings

     Another fun and cheap outdoor activity for you and your children to try this spring is drawing with sidewalk chalk. All you need is some colorful chalk (purchased at any convenience store) and some concrete to draw on! Drawing with chalk can help promote creativity by allowing kids to express themselves. One fun activity is to have your child lay on the ground while you or others trace their whole body, and then draw a silly face and clothes on them.

--Holly

     Hi my name is Holly Krawza, I'm a sophomore studying Social Work and Spanish, and a Family Resources Intern at the Campus Women’s Center. I love all kinds of music and play cymbals in the UW Marching band, and I play drumset for my church. I enjoy working with children and families and hope to eventually have a career as an adoption and foster care social worker.

Welcome to the UW-Madison Family Blog!

Hello UW-Madison Families!

     Hello and welcome to the UW-Madison Family blog! This blog will serve as a useful stop for parents on and near the UW-Madison campus. Check back frequently for information about resources on campus for student parents, local events and activities for campus families, and fun activities to do at home with your family.

     This blog will be updated by the Family Resources Coordinator and the Family Resources Interns at the Campus Women’s Center. The CWC is committed to serving all students on campus, including student parents. We do our best to recognize the specific needs of student parents, and work hard to meet those needs. The CWC’s mission is as follows:

     “The Campus Women’s Center was founded in 1983 to confront the multiple oppressions woman-identified individuals face. We work toward this goal by providing a variety of support services, educating the campus community on a number of women-centered issues, and serving as a resource and referral center for all students. We affirm and celebrate women’s power to create social change by challenging and transforming institutions and relationships that oppress women.

     Serving every student who walks through its doors, the CWC is committed to valuing each person, irrespective of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, ideas, ability, class, age, health, legal status, education, family structure, or any other aspect of one’s identity.”

     The CWC provides many resources for UW parents including family resource referral and counseling, a lactation station for parents who need to breastfeed or pump on campus, a weekly program that offers three free hours of childcare to student parents (Kids Time), and an exclusive monthly event for the Eagle Heights Community (Kids Night Out).

     UW parents wishing to find out more information about these services may contact the current Family Resources Coordinator at: cwc.familyresource@gmail.com, call the CWC at (608) 262-8093, or visit the center which is located on the 4^th floor of Memorial Union (through the summer of 2012, after which we will be located in the Student Activity Center (SAC), 333 East Campus Mall).

     Please visit the CWC's website for more detailed descriptions of our services, as well as the website of the UW Office of Child Care and Family Resources for further resources on campus. If you have ideas for programs that can better serve student parents, please do not hesitate to contact us. We value the opportunity to collaborate with you and to better serve our community!

--Abby

Family Resources Coordinator