Bur Bur and Friends™ hosted a national product launch at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., on July 21, 22 and 24. The weekend activities included book readings, the Bur Bur and Anna characters, activity stations, music, entertainment and more!

Bur Bur and Friends book characters represent fun kids who enjoy an active lifestyle. Our product line also includes hats, sport bags and T-shirts. Our kid-approved products are now available online through this website.

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By Kakie Fitzsimmons, Vice President and founding partner, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series

My son began playing soccer at five years old. At this point we were about two years into writing multicultural children’s literature about sports, outdoor exploration and active play. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Little did I know we were both at the beginning of a metamorphosis in our lives that taught us both some key lessons.

At first, I observed he intentionally would stay back when all of the kids were running after the ball. It was as though he was waiting for permission to get in there. He didn’t know any of the other children and wasn’t sure how to jump in and participate.

At all of the practices, nobody was officially keeping score or even talking about who was winning or losing. Instead, everyone was cheering on all of the kids regardless of whether they missed kicking the ball, fell down or didn’t block the goal.

Parents were shouting from the sidelines comments like; “Nice work!”, “Good save,” “Good try,” “Get in there,” etc. One of the greatest things about watching kids as they begin to play sports is when you see the little victories by the smiles on their faces. Especially the ones where they are trying to play it off as no big deal, but you can tell inside they are about to explode with pride.

It was fun to see the kids grow throughout the months of games and practice. My son eventually figured out how to get in there and run with the ball along with his teammates. As the season came to a close, they were cooperating, jumping in there to participate and working together as a team. They figured out how to follow the rules, the importance of good sportsmanship — and to get back up when they fell.

They also learned the dynamics of how to engage other kids and develop social skills. For many of them, sports will become a lifelong passion. More importantly, they learned how to belong and be a part of something larger than themselves.

As for me, it was a lesson in letting go and allowing my son to figure things out for himself. Sometimes I think parenthood teaches us little lessons along the way of how to let go and trust in a process. The time seems to be passing along so quickly. I want to soak in every moment I can while I still have it because I know soon it will be a memory.

As parents, it is up to us to lay the foundation for them so they can learn the power and importance of making the right decisions. Then we simply do our best to point them in the right direction and hope for the best.

Please share some experiences about the lessons participation in sports has taught you, other parents and or with kids!

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By Kakie Fitzsimmons, Vice President and founding partner, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends Book Series

When we wrote the book, “Bur Bur Throws out The First Pitch” it was based on a real story about JoAnne’s son who got to throw out the first pitch when he was 2 1/2 at a professional baseball game opener. It got me thinking about my first experience sharing baseball with my son and something that will keep me smiling the rest of my life.

I took my little guy to his ‘first’ Minnesota Twins game at the age of five. He has this obsession with trains, so I thought it would be fun to take the light rail from the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., to the Metrodome stadium. At each stop, more and more people hopped on until it was standing room only. I could see many of the men watching my child with smiles and a spark in their eyes that took them back to their own childhoods. Then one of them looked at me with a smirk and asked; “First game?” I nodded with a grin.

My son had brought a little fanny pack stuffed with small happy meal toys. As we passed through the gates, one of the guards wanted to look inside the pouch for security purposes. When I opened it he laughed and also said, “Oh, first game” It was comical. He then gave a big smile, put his hand on top of my son’s head and said, “Welcome to the world of baseball young man.”

It was like a rite of passage to something he very well may become passionate about for the rest of his life. We made it through the 5th or 6th inning clapping, cheering, buying mini-doughnuts and enjoying one another’s company.

My hope for him is that it a day he remembers for the rest of his life. I know I certainly will treasure it forever.

I would love to hear from you memories of taking your kids to first time sporting events. Reply to this post and tell us about it!

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By JoAnne Pastel, President and founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions co-author Bur Bur and Friends book series

I love soul food. It is an important part of my heritage and something that I am excited to introduce to my bi-racial son. In fact, having him try a diverse array of foods is becoming a fun adventure. He loves edameme and tempura at our favorite sushi restaurant; and recently tried gyros. My husband is part Scottish, but I will admit that haggis will NOT be on our “must try” list!

Soul food recipes have been passed on through generations, including dishes like black-eyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, ribs and more. Here are two recipes that have been passed along in my family that are winners.

These recipes are healthier, lower calorie versions of traditional soul food favorites – and they have passed my son’s taste test.

Feel free to share other ethnic favorites from your family here!

Peach Cobbler

Filling Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs. ripe peaches (6-7 medium peaches)
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch of salt

Biscuit Topping Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1/3 cup plain, whole milk yogurt.

1. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 425◦.

2. Peel the peaches and then halve and pit each one. Using a small spoon, scoop out and discard dark flesh from the pit area. Cut each half into 4 wedges.

3. Gently toss peaches and sugar together in a large bowl; let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times.

4. Drain peaches in a colander set over a large bowl. Whisk ¼ cup of drained juice, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt together in a small bowl. Toss peach juice mixture with peach slices and transfer to an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until peaches begin to bubble around the edges, about 10 minutes.

5. In a food processor, combine the flour, 3 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Ad the butter and process in about 10 quick pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl; add yogurt and toss with a rubber spatula until a cohesive dough is formed (don’t overmix!).

6. Break the dough into 6 evenly-sized mounds and set aside.

7. After the peaches have baked for the 10 minutes, remove them fro mthe oven and place the dough mounds on top. Sprinkle each mound with a portion of the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling, approximately 15 to 17 minutes. Cool cobbler on a wire rack until warm. Serve the warm cobbler with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 6 servings/Approx. 190 calories per serving

Buttermilk Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
Vegetable cooking spray (canola oil-based)
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon canola oil
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup white or yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425◦. Coat two mini-muffin tins (24 muffins) with vegetable cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the buttermilk and oil until blended.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder until blended. Add the buttermilk mixture and stir until smooth.

4. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn onto a wire rack and cool.

Makes 24 muffins; approx. 40 calories per muffin

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Like duck-duck-goose or a game of tag, some games are classics – they are simply FUN!

Here are three games that Bur Bur enjoys with his friends Anna, Mateo, Connor and Lily. They get the kids moving, laughing and best of all, enjoying active play.

Scavenger hunt
For ages 2+
Number of players: 2 or more
Draw a list of simple items for the kids to search for throughout the yard or park area (i.e., simple drawings of birds, a unique tree, a flower, a barn, or other distinctive landmarks). Give each child a list and encourage them to find each item and check it off with a crayon or marker. Whoever finds all of the items receives a special award or treat for their accomplishment!

Shadow tag
Number of players: 4 or more
For ages 3+
Decide which child will be “it.” When “it” steps on your shadow, you become “it” and try to capture another player’s shadow in turn.

Shark
Number of players: 4 or more
For ages 3+
Place towels, mats, hula hoops or some other flat objects on the ground to serve as “home base” for all of the “fish.” One child is designated as the “shark.” When the shark calls, “Fishie, fishie, cross my sea,” the fish have to move to a different base. If they are tagged while moving across the sea, they become a shark as well. The last remaining fish becomes the first shark in the next round.
Variation: Parents or caregivers can remove mats to make it more challenging and requiring the kids to share space if needed on one mat.

If you have any other great active preschool games, we’d love to hear about them…

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