My kids are precious to me, so of course they get decorated with pedestrian safety reflectors and they love it! We live along a busy highway and need to walk along the sidewalk a couple of hundred feet before we can turn into a quiet street where the school bus stops. Winter mornings are dark, so the reflectors are a great way to tell drivers that there are kids around.
You see them. Do they see you? All school kids should wear some safety reflectors on their jackets and/or backpack for increased safety when waiting for the school bus early mornings or coming home after dark.
Kids Need More Than One Reflector!
At minimum, a pedestrian should wear two reflectors; front and back or left and right. That way the chances for a driver to notice you from any direction are pretty good. Optimal height is 2-4 feet above ground where the car lights are the strongest. Also, the more the reflector dangles, the more attention it creates.
Child with safety reflectors left, front and right for optimal surround visibility.
Our reflector tags come with ball chains to make them easy to attach to clothes and bags. On the front, the jacket zipper pull is the #1 choice. Jean jackets don’t have zippers, but in most cases the button hole on the front pocket works very well since it is rarely used for anything else.
Horse and heart safety reflectors on school backpack. Most backpacks have enough zipper pulls to hang several reflectors on.
The back is trickier on jackets, but backpacks, sling or messenger bags frequently have enough zipper pulls, buckles or other places to stick the ball chain through. Normally, we hang two reflectors on each bag, but when my kids are in “collect & trade” mode, there can be many more.
Side pockets of fleece jackets and windbreakers are perfect places to hang safety reflectors for kids! They also dangle nicely to create more attention.
Some jackets have side pockets with zippers so the reflectors can go left and right. Those are also good for getting the reflectors in the optimal height for the car lights and for dangling nicely below the hem. One of my daughter’s jackets has a clasp meant for ski gloves which instead came in handy for attaching the reflector.
Elisabeth
This winter jacket has a clasp for attaching ski mittens to. Perfect for the reflector!
The weather has finally gone back to “normal” in the Chicago area, so I’m enjoying the outdoors again. Being outside is amazingly refreshing for both body and soul, and there are so many ways to do it; taking walks in the neighborhood, enjoying the backyard, picking apples, biking to school, walking or biking to the subway/commuter train etc. Having grown up with the Swedish attitude that “There is no bad weather, just bad clothing,” means that being outside often is just part of life.
Girl climbing big maple tree outdoors
Kids Need Time Outdoors
This year, there has been quite a bit of buzz about kids needing to get outside more. Even yesterday afternoon’s Arthur show on PBS kids was about logging out from the computer in favor for a camp-out with roasted marshmallows. The most visible campaign is Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” , launched in June, but there are many others out there as well. Being in tune with nature and using all our senses to follow what’s going on with plants and animals is so relaxing. It also has so many health benefits. Exercising without even thinking much about it is the obvious benefit, but did you know it also improves vision and cognitive abilities and boosts your energy level?
Bring a picknick to the park is a great way to enjoy the fall and extend the time outdoors.
The easiest way to get outside is to simply take a walk. If you can’t do it where you live, find a beach, forest preserve or a park that you like and follow it throughout the seasons. A short walk is better than none at all, so keep it at a level that fits your day. You might not call it “nature” but urban and suburban environments often have enough trees and flowers with birds, squirrels, chipmunks or other small animals to follow through the seasonal changes.
Outdoors in Your Back Yard
Do you care about nature and the environment? It is more likely that your kids turn into dedicated environmentalists if you let them loose to play in the forest or along a creek. If it is not close enough to home you can bring a picnic blanket and take a rest. Do you know how relaxing it is just to watch the trees or clouds above you? If you can’t relax, bring the book “Free Range Kids.” The concept offers some ideas on how to teach kids to explore their surroundings safely by themselves. Pick one idea at a time and see how they grow!
The suggestions below and the web sites listed under “Outdoor Activities” in the right margin offer some ideas on what to do if you are interested in getting your kids and yourself outside more often.
Be lazy and let the perennials go to seed and find out which of your backyard buddies likes what.
The eartheasy site has lots of ideas. Especially intriguing is the article about making your backyard more wildlife friendly. Not only is it a great outdoor project to transform your yard, but most likely you will enjoy spending time there later. With a good choice of bushes and plants, the smallest garden can attract birds, squirrels and butterflies.
Outdoor Activities
Get together with some other parents and create an outdoor play group. Polarn O. Pyret, a Swedish line of children’s clothing has a great collection of outdoor clothes made for all weather and will sponsor new groups in the US with some free gear.
If you happen to be in the Chicago area on September 25th, you can let your kids get to know Mulle. Mulle is a Swedish fictional character who has taught many, many Swedish children (including my brother and his friends) how to enjoy and appreciate nature and outdoor life. The Swedish American Museum is organizing a “Mulle’s Outdoor Andersonville Adventure” which is open to the public. Reservations are necessary, www.swedishamericanmuseum.org or 773-728-8111.
Do you feel inspired? In case you search the web for outdoor daycare for your kids, put “outdoor preschool” in the search engine! Otherwise you might only find a place to send your dog for outdoor fun.
The Swedish saying “Kärt barn har många namn” (“A beloved child has many names”) could be turned around to “A beloved name is used for many children.” That is certainly the case for the name, or rather symbol, “Tre Kronor,” which means “Three Crowns.” What other name could you find that is used for so many vastly different phenomena as an ice hockey team, a tall ship, a soap opera, a restaurant, a former royal castle and much more? The only common denominator is that it has something to do with being Swedish or of Swedish origin. Of course, we also have Three Crowns safety reflectors in our Globetrotter Collection!
Al Johnson in Sister Bay, WI, announces their Swedish heritage with a “Tre Kronor” coat of arms. Photo by Gunilla Perry. “Sverige” means “Sweden” (in case someone would not guess that from the design) . Three crowns safety reflector has a Swedish flag on the backside.
History of “Three Crowns”
“Tre Kronor” is one of the oldest national symbols that is still in use. It was first used in the seal of the Swedish king in 11th century and became a more common symbol for the kingdom of Sweden over the next hundred years. At that time, the three wise men were popular as patron saints. Pilgrimages were frequent to the Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, where the Shrine of the Three Kings was kept and said to contain their bones. The greater and lesser coats of arms are still used by the royal family as well as government officials.
“Three Crowns” Design Still Popular
Spending some time in Sweden this summer, we noticed quite a few people wearing T-shirts with various three crowns designs. We picked up the pajamas shirt (photo above) at a Kappahl store.
If you are more curious or hungry, follow some of the links above. If not, just enjoy the cheerful design on some fashion forward clothes and accessories! We have found a few shirts with some interesting crossover between Swedish and American style available here in the US: a baseball shirt with “Tre Kronor” and a T-shirt with three monkeys wearing crowns 😉 .
As always in August, I’m in the back-to-school aisles of the big stores wondering what backpacks to get my kids for this school year. Since my third grader uses his backpack as something between a discus and a curling stone, it is pointless paying for “quality.” No matter what, it will look dirty and worn in a couple of weeks, so I end up buying him a generic gray and blue one.
At pickup at day camp this summer, my son discovered that he didn’t have his own backpack, but an identical one. My son’s had been grabbed by another kid, so we ended up going to his house to exchange them. The night before we had removed the reflectors that are normally on my son’s backpack for a much-needed wash. In the morning rush, we of course forgot to put them back.
Had I only followed my own advice that the reflectors are not only for safety, but also a great way for the kids to personalize their bags and jackets… Tomorrow morning it’s time to head for the school bus and my kids have not only picked their school supplies but also some funflector® safety reflectors to make sure they will come home with their own backpacks. They even decorated their lunch bags with safety reflectors!
Beth is our inspiration for the heart and peace sign safety reflector. Beth is a mom in my neighborhood and was one of the first ones I had the good fortune to get to know soon after we moved in. After a couple of years of chatting on school mornings after the kids took off with the bus, we know each other pretty well. She is friendly, helpful and always in a good mood. With those qualities, it is not too surprising that she knows and is liked by almost everyone in town. I’ve often thought that if everyone was as friendly and helpful as Beth, the world would certainly be a more peaceful place to live in. Beth, who always signs off her emails with “Love & Peace”, has inspired our newest funflector™ shape with the same name.
“Love & Peace” peace sign and heart safety reflector
The Peace Sign and Promoting Peace
The peace sign was created in 1958 by Gerald Holtom for the British Nuclear Disarmament movement. The “peace dove footprint” was inspired by the semaphore letters N and D for Nuclear Disarmament. It was brought to the US where it became a symbol for the anti-war movement in the 60’s. Eventually it became so popular that it was used for pure decoration as well.
As it was in the sixties, the peace sign is today also a fashion statement and found on everything from backpacks, notebooks and clothes to diamond rings and garden decoration. Googling “peace symbol fashion” gives over 24 million images to view…
The least one can hope is that the peace signs seen every day on clothes and accessories will remind people to be a little bit more like Beth. If you are friendly and patient with people around you and inspire them to do the same, the world can only get better—right? The next step is to buy fair trade food and other items. People who get paid for their work have money to buy food for themselves and their families don’t need to become violent to get it. If you want to get engaged even more, there are many organizations working for peace in different ways that would love to take you on board. Whatever you do, don’t loose sight of the peace dream!
“Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” – John Lennon
The “Love & Peace” funflector™
The “Love & Peace” reflector will be available in pink and turquoise and be here just in time for you to wear on the International Day of Peace, September 21. That is also the time of year when the days gets a lot shorter every day and you suddenly find yourself out and about in the dark. With a reflector or two hanging on jackets and backpacks, you’ll be safer when that happens.
Beth and her 7th grade daughter have been waiting patiently since they saw the first sketches by our designer back in May and they will certainly be the first ones to get our newest reflector!
Elisabeth
P.S. Check out some of these web sites if you want to learn more about the peace sign and work done for peace or just want to enjoy some creative expressions of the peace sign:
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
Name
Domain
Purpose
Expiry
Type
lp_eu_agree
funflector.com
LegalPages EU cookie
7 days
HTTP
wpl_user_preference
funflector.com
WP GDPR Cookie Consent Preferences
1 year
HTTP
tsrce
paypal.com
PayPal tracking cookie
3 days
HTTP
ts_c
paypal.com
PayPal tracking cookie
3 years
HTTP
ts
paypal.com
PayPal tracking cookie
3 years
HTTP
akavpau_ppsd
www.paypal.com
PayPal tracking cookie
52 years
HTTP
YSC
youtube.com
YouTube session cookie.
52 years
HTTP
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
Name
Domain
Purpose
Expiry
Type
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
youtube.com
YouTube cookie.
6 months
HTTP
Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
Name
Domain
Purpose
Expiry
Type
IDE
doubleclick.net
Google advertising cookie used for user tracking and ad targeting purposes.
2 years
HTTP
Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
Name
Domain
Purpose
Expiry
Type
l7_az
paypal.com
---
Session
---
x-cdn
paypal.com
---
52 years
---
Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
