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Chewing- All dogs find chewing things rewarding and fun. They all need to satisfy their chewing needs. If you don’t provide them with some thing to chew on they will find something; a shoe, the leg of your dining room chair...most likely something you won't want them to damage. So help your dog or puppy out and provide a lot of things a dog can chew on: a squeaky toy, nylon bone, or rawhide. The only problem with rawhide is that some dogs can not process it and it is not good for the intestines.

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Paging Dr. Gupta writes, "Even as first lady Michelle Obama continues her "Let's Move" campaign to fight childhood obesity, many American schools still don't have adequate physical education for their students.

That's according to a new report, by the American Heart Association and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. The report, "The 2010 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA," found that although there have been some improvements in making PE a requirement in schools, more than half of all states (32) are taking advantage of loopholes that give students a chance to "skip" PE, with waivers and exemptions for other activities, such as band or cheerleading."

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Yarn ball Toss. Provide students with a ball of yarn. Each student must hold onto the end of the strand of yarn and throw the ball. How far does the yarn ball go? Measure the yarn from the student's hand to the spot where the yarn ball lands. At the award ceremony, recognize the longest throws by boys and girls at each grade level.

Ping Pong Ball Blow. Set up a track using boards; or mark a track on pavement using chalk, or on grass using lime. The width of the track should be no wider than a foot. Provide each student with a ping-pong ball and a plastic straw. Students blow through the straw to move the ping-pong ball from one end of the track to the other without moving it outside the borders of the track. At the primary grades, recognize at the award ceremony all students who complete the track. For older students, recognize the fastest times.

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Hula Hoop Frisbee Throw. Spread on the ground -- or hang from a tree or clothesline -- a number of Hula Hoops. Give each student five chances to toss a Frisbee into (or through) one of the hoops. You might vary the game for older students by assigning each hoop a different point value. Students add up the points they earn for their five Frisbee tosses. Students who get the most Frisbees into hoops or the most points are recognized during the award ceremony.

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Diving for Eggs

Drop into a plastic wading pool a large number of different colored eggs; the eggs should be glued shut so they don't come apart during the activity. There should be the same number of eggs (6-10) of each color. Cover the eggs with Styrofoam packing peanuts, popcorn, or sand. Arrange students around the pool. Assign each student a different color. Then give students a time limit (maybe 2 minutes) to uncover as many eggs as they can of their assigned color. If a student uncovers an egg of a different color, he or she should rebury the egg so the student who is looking for that color will not be able to grab it from the surface of the pool. At the end of the time limit, count the number of eggs each student uncovered. At an award assembly, recognize students who found the most eggs.

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Croquet Golf. Tons of Fun!

Set up a series of croquet wickets. Make sure wickets are set at natural angles to make the course flow smoothly. You might use lime to mark the direction of the course. Provide each student with a croquet mallet and a ball of a matching color. How long does it take each student to hit the ball through the course? If you have a group of parents to supervise this station, multiple students can play at one time. Establish rules appropriate for the age of students. Following are some suggestions:

• Time each student. No re-shooting allowed. If a student misses a wicket, he or she keeps going, but receives a 15-second penalty.
• Award a point for each wicket the ball goes through on the first try.
• Add up the number of strokes it takes a student to make it through all the wickets. To keep the game going smoothly, do not replay missed wickets; instead, missed wickets earn a 2-stroke penalty.

Field Day Activities

Balance Beam/BeanBag Walk. Students place a beanbag on their heads. How many times can a student walk the length of the balance beam without letting the beanbag fall? Each student who can walk the beam five times (up, back, up, back, and up again) is recognized during the award ceremony. Younger students might need to walk the beam fewer times.

Basketball Free Throws. Set a different line for students in each grade level. A student stands at the line and has five chances to get a ball in a hoop. Count the number of baskets each student makes. Students who score the most baskets are recognized at the award ceremony.

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