Finally opening their second floor for the first time in 23 months for a full re-opening, the Children’s Creativity Museum lives up to their name by encouraging and fostering creativity. From the way children think, the emotions they have, how they communicate and how they express themselves—all of it is investigated at this incredible museum. It’s time for little creative thinkers to get busy and explore!
Christine Lai
First Floor
Through September, a special exhibit entitled XOXO: An Exhibit about Love and Community is in residence on the first floor. This exhibit invites kids ages two through 12 to engage in hands-on activities to share emotions, play and spark conversations.
Christine Lai
Some of these activities include creating silhouettes, speaking into tone phones that change the tone of the voice and writing down negative thoughts and then shredding them using a large shredder (therapeutic for adults, too). There is also a community wall in which questions about love and community (“what makes you feel safe?”) can be answered and shared on the wall.
Christine Lai
We loved the beautifully decorated and cozy Storybook park with its welcoming bean bags, plethora of books and creative sensory alphabet signs. Next door, a set of see-saws were also very popular in which we worked together on creative balance.
Christine Lai
Have expressive littles? The Early Childhood Zone is suited for the five and unders and encourages play through soft blue blocks, train tables and will soon have painting at the outdoor patio.
Christine Lai
Second Floor
At the Making Music Studio, kids can make musical instruments with their own creativity or by following cards with inspiring ideas. Little percussionists will love performing their musical pieces and marching to the beat of their own tune at the Drum Pad and Sound Effect stations—headphones included!
Christine Lai
Next door is home of the Animation Studio where kids can try their hand at stop-motion animation and produce an original animated film. Figures and scenes are created with LEGO bricks with interchangeable back drops to match and the completed film can even be emailed to share with friends and family.
Good to know:
Thursday and Friday hours are from 10 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. for preschool playtime on the first floor only (reservations not required). Saturday and Sunday hours are from 10 a.m.- 4.p.m. (reservations recommended).
The LeRoy King carousel is open on weekends from 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. $5 for nonmembers, $3 for members.
Stop by the amazing Yerba Buena playground next door to complete the epic day
Metered street parking is difficult; consider using Spot Hero to find a nearby garage
Raising girls in an education-friendly home can help create lifelong problem solvers. When girls are encouraged to ask questions, experiment with their ideas, and explain their thought process, they develop skills that will help them excel in life in general, but especially in subjects such as science and math—ones that rely heavily on strong problem-solving skills.
Around the ages of 8-14, girls’ confidence levels are proven to drop by around 30%, not only physically but also educationally. Around this same time, many girls lose interest and motivation in STEM subjects, and the pandemic has only propelled their disinterest and self-esteem issues.
The good news is that even if you’re not a whiz at math or science (yet!) you can still help boost your daughter’s confidence and empower her to return to school with new knowledge and excitement about exploring the world around her.
1. Expose Her to Role Models
Exposing your daughter to the powerful women of the world through books, movies, television shows, etc. can help her gain confidence in being a girl and inspire her own story. By being able to picture herself accomplishing the same amazing things, she’ll feel powerful and inspired to put herself out there and try new things. These are a few amazing female role models in some of our favorite books and movies:
2. Wonder & Solve Problems Together
Be curious together. It doesn’t matter how much you do or don’t know about science or math—learn together. If there’s a question or problem she’s stuck on, look it up together; or encourage her to research a topic she’s wondering about then have her come tell you about it. She’ll absorb your sense of wonder and desire to learn and likely come to internalize it as her own. She’ll also be empowered to search for answers to her questions instead of having them spoon-fed to her. This will help her not only at home but also in the classroom. With the confidence to ask questions and let her teacher know when she needs help, she’ll be able to better understand subjects that she didn’t feel too confident about before.
3. Do Educational Activities Together
The best way for children to learn is by doing hands-on activities. Intentional adult-children interactions can help extend this learning, so finding way to enjoy education can make a huge difference in her confidence levels. For science especially, there are amazing resources to help facilitate these interactions and make learning a positive experience.
Visit your local science museum! You can use this directory to search for science museums in your area.
There are so many free online resources such as Yellow Scope’s blog page, which describe experiments you can do at home with supplies you probably have in your cupboard. This is a great family activity for a rainy day or during summer when kids are looking for something fun to do with friends. Set them up in the backyard and let them experiment!
Purchase science, math, engineering kits then set aside family time, mother-daughter time, or father-daughter time to work on them together! Award-winning Yellow Scope science kits are perfect for that 8–12-year-old girl in your life; check out A Mighty Girl’s website to search for age-specific math activities; or delve into circuitry and electronics with Little Bits’ electronic building blocks.
4. Embody a Growth Mindset
According to Stanford researcher Carol Dweck, how students perceive their abilities has a big impact on their motivation and achievement. Students with a “fixed” mindset believe intelligence and abilities are “fixed” or unchangeable, whereas those with a “growth” mindset believe these traits can be developed. Students with a fixed mindset are more likely to shy away from challenges and asking questions for fear of not looking smart. By contrast, those with a growth mindset tend to ask more questions and seek out challenges – seeing them as opportunities for growth and development. In fact, in study after study, students who learned to embody a growth mindset performed better when challenging material was presented; they also earned higher grades and took more challenging classes!
Here are some phrases that adults can use to can help encourage a growth mindset:
“When you learn how to do a new kind of math problem, it grows your math brain.”
“That feeling of science being hard is your science brain growing.”
If possible, try to avoid suggestions that students (or you!) aren’t good at specific subjects like:
“I can’t do math.”
“That’s okay, maybe science isn’t one of your strengths.”
Note: If you slip (as we all sometimes do!) and accidentally find yourself using one of these phrases, add “yet” to the end.)
When she makes a mistake, help her think of it as a great learning opportunity.
5. Give Her Time to Explore & Think on Her Own
Children learn science best when they experiment, make mistakes, make observations, re-try the experiments, and then think about what’s happening. This process can take time. Give her the time and space to explore and discover on her own before jumping in with the “correct” answers. Providing support while she’s struggling with a question, problem, or idea can let her know you’re there for encouragement, but still allows her to problem-solve and get the answer herself.
Marcie Colledge and Kelly McCollum Co-founders of Yellow Scope
Yellow Scope co-founder Marcie has a PhD in neuroscience from UNC-Chapel Hill, over 10 years of teaching experience and 15+ years of experience in academic science. Co-founder Kelly has an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from JHSPH, a decade of teaching experience and 10+ years of experience conducting data analyses for publication in peer-reviewed studies.
It’s active, builds core muscles, improves balance, and gets kids excited to head outdoors. That’s right: It’s time to hit the decks! Whether your kid has been skateboarding since they were in diapers, or they’re a total newb, we found an NYC skater spot for them. Read on for NYC’s best skateboarding lessons and classes for kids, skate shops in the city and NYC’s best skate parks where kids can test their skills.
Where to Deck Out: Uncle Funky Boards (and others!)
While there are lots of totally rad places to shop for that perfect board, there's one place that really caters to the groms, or young skaters, especially those that are just starting out. That place is Uncle Funky Boards in Manhattan.
The shop prides itself on helping not just the pros, but also those who are new to the sport. For basic “suiting up,” suggestions from the staff include helmets, knee, elbow and wrist guards to protect from any spill. You’ll also need a complete skateboard, which consists of a deck, two trucks, four wheels and eight bearings.
Besides Uncle Funky Boards, other NYC shops with devoted clientele include Skate Brooklyn at 78 St. Marks Pl, Labor in Chinatown and Sideshow in Middle Village.
Uncle Funky Boards 128 Charles St. West Village 646-895-9943 Online: unclefunkysboards.com
Skate Yogi is both a shop where you can buy everything you need for your skateboarding adventures, and a space for learning and practicing your skills. You can register your kids for a series of weekly lessons.
Students are taught in groups of about 8-10 kids with two instructors per group, and same ages are generally grouped together (within the age groups of 5-7, 7-13 and 12-17). You can sign up for 60-minute, 90-minute, or three-hour lessons. Want an even longer session? Skate Yogi suggests that students simply sign up for consecutive time slots. While a majority of every lesson takes place outside, Skate Yogi also has a well-ventilated indoor space.
Kids are required to bring pads and helmets (though you can also purchase them directly at Skate Yogi) but you don't need a skateboard — boards will be provided to students who don't have their own skateboard.
If you enjoy learning with Skate Yogi, they also offer summer camps and private one-on-one and group lessons.
$49 and up per session Skate Yogi 140 Empire Blvd Franklin and Bedford Aves Prospect Lefferts Gardens 718-484-9777 Online: skateyogi.com
Substance Skatepark is an indoor skating facility built by people passionate about the sport. The vast 15,000 square feet of the park span across two indoor spaces and feature a ramp, halfpipe, indoor street course, and other courses that are regularly updated. Substance is someplace you can go if you just want to skate.
A $20 day pass allows you to come and go as you please in its two spaces. But if you want something more regular for your kids, Substance also has camp and afterschool options. Camp is held every year and spans from 8 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, while afterschool is available 2-6:30 p.m. either on a pay as you go basis, or in batches of 12 weekly sessions.
Depending on the group size, both camp and afterschool are taught by 2-6 instructors, to ensure that every child gets individual attention throughout the session. One-on-one and group classes are also available (though group classes must be booked via email).
And best of all, you can give a bit back to the environment as your kid learns to skate — Substance Skatepark donates 1% of their sales to plant trees.
$80 for a private lesson, $65 for a group lesson (purchase via email); $20 for a day pass; prices vary for afterschool and camp Substance Skatepark 314 Scholes Street Williamsburg 917-721-5707 Online: substanceskatepark.com
For an Empowering Experience: Skate Everything School
Pixabay
Can't find a skating option near you? No problem! Although Skate Everything is based in Harlem, their lessons take place across the entire city, from Central Park to Domino Park in Brooklyn, Macombs Dam Park in the Bronx, and many more locations.
The school places an emphasis not just on teaching kids to skateboard, but also on empowering them to stay fit, both physically and mentally. The school teaches different types of skating, and customizes lessons for each child's individual needs, ensuring that every child gets the most out of every lesson. Students are also taught about the different parts of a board, safety procedures, and generally everything they'll need to know if they want to continue skating on their own.
One-on-one lessons are available to purchase in packs for kids ages 4-17, and you don't even have to own a board—just let Skate Everything know prior to your lesson. But all students must bring their own knee and elbow pads, wrist guards and helmet. It's also possible to set up group lessons if your kids want to learn to skate with their siblings or friends.
$50 per hour for a 1-on-1 lesson No centralized location: Skate Everything meets at multiple locations throughout the city Online: skateeverythingschool.com
When your kids have mastered the rookie stage but aren’t quite yet vets, Homage Skateboard Academy is a great place to continue working on honing those board skills. Homage runs a skateboard academy that offers programs for kids in an indoor training facility that’s challenging, but not too intimidating. The space has stationary and movable ramps that can be adjusted for different levels of learners.
Recent safety precautions require everyone to bring their own equipment, including the skateboard. This means that, although Homage offers lessons for all levels, it’s a good option for kids who already have their own boards. In addition to skateboards, helmets are mandatory for all students, while pads are required for kids 6 and under.
During lessons, teachers show kids how to control the boards and introduce special methods to help kids gain confidence on the board quickly. Private, group, weekend and after-school lessons are available, as is a summer camp and the option to create private pods.
Homage also has an online shop, so if you don’t have a skateboard yet, you can get one now. (In fact, at the time of this writing, Homage is celebrating its 15th year with a special collaboration with USA Olympic Pro Skateboarder Alexis Sablone!)
$95 and up per session, plus $50 for each student (up to 3 people can sign up together for a private lesson) Homage Skateboard Academy 615 Degraw St. Gowanus 718-596-8151 Online: homageskateboardacademy.com
SURE stands for “Skateboarder’s Urban Riding Environment,” and promotes skateboarding as a way to get around the city. SURE offers open group skateboard lessons in various locations in Manhattan.
If you have a little one who just wants to give skateboarding a try, they also have drop-in Sunday classes — just bring a helmet and skateboard. These open group lessons consist of no more than 12 students, and are for all levels, from the newbie who is getting on a board for the first time to the skater that wants to brush up on some skills.
Private lessons are also available by request via email.
$20 for group Sunday lessons, $30 for all others; private lessons can be scheduled via email Various locations in the West Village, TriBeCa Skatepark, and Seward Park SURE Skateboards 917-538-4084 Online: sureskateboards.com
For Riding the Streets and the Waves: Locals Surf School
Did you know that skateboarding has its origin in surfing? Well, Locals Surf School is keeping the link alive by offering surfing and skateboarding lessons! The school's youth skate camp provides a three-day instructional experience for kids ages 7-14 at the beginner to intermediate level. Every day of the program from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., kids will be introduced to the fundamentals of cruiser or trick skateboards. Groups are no larger than nine students each, with one instructor for every three kids.
The camp makes it easy to join and partake — all equipment, including skateboards pads and even sunscreen — are provided. The school also ensures that kids aren't baking in the sun all day, by setting up umbrellas and other cover for shade. Skateboarding lessons will be broken up by fun games and activities, to keep things fresh and interesting.
5050 Skatepark is a custom-built 8,000 square foot facility for skaters to expand their skills in a creative and safe environment. The owners ask for kids' input on designing the ever-changing landscape of ramps and courses. It's also a haven for hard-core celeb skaters; you can often find Little Wayne flipping and popping during one of the park’s regular sessions.
All visitors must sign a waiver and have a helmet, and kids under 11 must have a parent accompany them.
The park is currently closed to the public due to covid. We've reached out to the park for a projected reopening date and will update this post once we have more information.
Daily sessions starting at $14, $20 for an all-day pass; lessons, camps, private parties, and more available at various prices Currently closed due to covid 5050 Skatepark 354 Front St. Stapleton 347-857-6007 Online: 5050skatepark.com
Best Skateparks for a First Official Run: Astoria Skate Plaza (and more!)
When your skater is ready to hit a skate park, the Astoria Skate Plaza is a great place to give it a shot. Located right under the RFK Bridge, this 21,500-square-foot concrete park features enough open space for skaters of all skills to stay out of each other’s way. However, skaters say the best time for kids to get in some practice without crowds is a weekday morning.
The largest skatepark in the city is in Highbridge Park at the northern tip of Manhattan. Built in 2014, it is located under the Hamilton Bridge and constructed on a hill to provide extra momentum to skaters.
Astoria Skate Plaza Astoria Park South 21st St., Hoyt Ave., Ditmas Blvd., East River Astoria Online: nycgovparks.org
Bonus: Tony Hawk's MasterClass lessons
Pixabay
Ok, this isn't a local option. But beginner-friendly video lessons from the name synonymous with skateboarding in the mainstream? It was too good not to mention. This course has 16 (short) lessons on everything from the basics, to nailing an ollie, to a glimpse at the future of skateboarding.
Starting a $15 a month (for all lessons on the site) Online: masterclass.com
Spring has sprung, and that means Easter fun is on the way! Looking for Easter gifts that aren’t going to come with a costly trip to the dentist? We have your back and are in love with the coolest kid-tech on the block—Osmo!
Osmo is an educational (but they don’t need to know that) game system that’s fun, academic, confidence-building and creative. This leading-edge tech uses tangible pieces to create a hands-on learning experience second to none. Osmo is an engaging and lovable character that connects with your child, as he can magically “see” how your child is coming along with activities and respond in real-time! A true one-on-one learning experience transforms how kids learn, combining tactile exploration with innovative technology. Bottom line—you won’t find another learning system out there like this, and your kid will keep coming back for more! Read on to learn more about the Osmo kits (and be sure to let the Easter Bunny in on your favorite for the big day!).
This Osmo kit is packed with preschool fun. With four games that touch on core subjects, your little genius will work on building letters with squishy colorful lines and rings, building vocabulary and reading skills. They’ll foster their creativity and drawing skills, watching their creations come to life. With Costume Party, they’ll experiment with clothes and colors watching their new friends react! ABCs helps kids gain confidence in letter recognition, vocabulary, construction, and phonics. Squiggle Magic helps foster creativity and pre-drawing skills. And with Stories, they can work on problem-solving as they navigate stories with their newly dressed up friends. This starter Osmo kit will spark their imagination, teach critical skills, and entertain for hours of fun with these four games!
The next step in the uber-cool Osmo universe, the Genius Starter Kit, includes everything your kids need to experience hands-on STEM learning and digital fun in five different ways. Playing Tangram is a great way to exercise spatial and visual problem-solving skills—start thinking with shapes! Words will have them zooming letter tiles around, spelling creating and having fun, while Numbers will show kids there are multiple ways to solve a problem—making math creative and fun. With Newton, physics meets creative problem-solving as your kid guides falling on-screen balls into targeted zones and avoids a catastrophe! Next, take a picture of anything and Masterpiece will transform it into simple outlines so kids can draw it to perfection. The bottom line with this kit: STEM learning can be creative and fun.
The Coding Starter Kit builds coding skills in an easy-to-learn way, by building in a progression with three hands-on learning games. Watch your kid learn to code (and maybe pick up a thing or two yourself) as they connect colorful blocks of code to chart the adventures with Osmo and friends on their screen. The first step is with Coding Awbie, building problem-solving and logic skills while learning the basic concepts of coding. Is there a DJ in the house?! With Coding Jam, kids arrange coding blocks in patterns and loops to create their own music. The third and most advanced step is Coding Duo, where kids solve advanced side-by-side puzzles on their own or with a friend for double the fun and challenge.
This crafty kit blends kids' real-life doodles with on-screen Osmo action so they can invent, explore and play! Watch your kid's creativity and communication skills bloom as they dive deep into a world of endless imagination. With Monster, they will be amazed as their doodles come to life in Osmo’s hands—it's pure magic! Draw obstacles to get balls to land on target with Newton, and with Masterpiece, any picture is broken down into traceable lines so your kid can practice creating their own works of art.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—Girl Scout cookie time! We know how delicious those cookies are but did you know just how much good they do? Fun fact: The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. The Girl Scout Cookie Program prepares girls in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana area with the business smarts they need to take on the world!
When you buy your Samoas® from local Girl Scouts, you’re helping fund unique and unforgettable experiences for girls, their troops and your local community, like learning coding, creating art or identifying insects. The experiences broaden their worlds and instill in them essential skills to prepare a lifetime of leadership. Read on to learn more about how one lil’ Thin Mint® can do so much, and why you should sign your daughter up ASAP!
The Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana cookie program is not only drool-worthy but a critical source of funding for local Girl Scout councils to deliver essential programming to girls. This funding also supports the council’s focus on ensuring equitable experiences for all through financial assistance and other resources. These are cookies on a mission: a mission to help girls learn essential skills for leadership, success and life.
With each box of Trefoils® sold, these mini entrepreneurs are learning how to set goals and make decisions on how they'll run their cookie sales. Throughout the rest of the year, Girl Scouts set goals and make decisions around which badges they want to work toward and how they'll use their earnings from cookie sales to benefit their troop!
Selling Tagalongs® also sets girls up to practice important life skills from a young age. Each Girl Scout manages her own cookie sales, which helps her learn money management, budgeting and the responsibility and honesty needed to run a business! Girl Scouts also use this time to practice their people skills with their customers, and gain confidence through creating relationships and finding their voices. One box of cookies can set girls up with skills that last a lifetime!
Before becoming a mom, I was simply an observer of moms. Mostly in a passive kind of way, not giving much critical thought to what it actually meant.
I am a daughter of a mom that made it look easy. And she was a daughter of a mom that made it look even easier. I traveled as a passenger with my mom in the “mom lane” for most of my life. Knowing how lucky I was to have her while also, as daughter’s do, pushing back against pretty much anything I could at times. Because she was my mom.
I wanted to be my own person. I wanted to experience the world through my own eyes. My mom encouraged that and loved me through it all—good times and bad. Even when my choices for how I experienced the world were different than those she would have liked, she was there. She listened, she cheered me on, and she reminded me that better days would come when all I could see were dark clouds. And little by little I became me, not just my mom’s daughter.
My path through life has always been full throttle. I had plans and goals and places I wanted to go to. Becoming a mom, for me, was something I always thought about in the future tense—even as I entered my 30s and the timeframe for becoming a mom was closing in. I couldn’t imagine not being a mom, but that feeling of urgency was never something I experienced.
Then I got breast cancer and any thoughts of becoming a mom were sidelined (at best) or (at worst) possibly taken out of the game.
But then it happened. Eli entered the world. And suddenly after 40 years of being just an observer of moms, I became one myself. Then a short while later, Leo made our little family complete. I was no longer a passenger in the mom lane, I was the driver.
I’m a mom.
Becoming a mom for me was overwhelming, to say the least. In ways I never expected. Suddenly, simply by virtue of having a child exit your body, you have something in common with everyone in the world that has experienced childbirth. People, that otherwise, you have zero in common with.
And the advice about sleeping regimens and developmental timeframes for when your baby should rollover started feeling like the loudest voices I’d ever heard. Unlike any other time in my life, I struggled to filter it out and carve my path through it all.
It’s taken me years to find my stride. And, if I’m honest, finding it has been nothing short of an uphill battle for me. Prior to being a mom, I always felt confident about my choices and centered about who I was. But something about having full responsibility for keeping another human alive combined with the never-ending input from the world about how to do that uncovered an insecurity in me that I never knew was there.
But somewhere between feeling bad about putting them to bed without an undershirt on and realizing that it’s ok to have cupcakes for dinner, I found my stride. I started to gain confidence in my own way of doing things. I started to accept that my version on mom-ing is far different than the vision I previously held and it’s for sure different than the world’s view that stifled me in the early days.
I realized that being a mom, in my way, is about moving through life with these little humans and making sense of it all. It’s about knowing that, for this short window in their life, no one knows them better than me or loves them more than I do. And because I have been loved by a mom who was also loved by a mom in exactly that way, I know they will be just fine.
You see, I’m not just a mom. I’m their mom. And that’s the only type of mom I need to be.
The world has changed. We have changed. Our daily routines have changed. Where does that leave our kids? Many are feeling stressed and anxious about what the world is going to look like and be like for them. As we all navigate new information and new ways of living, now, more than ever, we need to help our kids feel healthy, happy, and confident. To do this, let’s focus on helping them become rooted (in who they are), resilient (to changes and challenges), and ready (for whatever is coming next).
How to help your kids be rooted: Rooted is being grounded, feeling certain and secure, and having an inner knowingness. It’s the “This is who I am, what I can do, and what I want” confidence. When kids are rooted, they feel strong and healthy. Why? This is because they believe they have value and worth and they know their qualities, their talents, and strengths, and they see how they are learning and growing. When kids aren’t rooted, they not only feel insecure but also they are so easily influenced, pressured, or rattled by mistakes, comments, or conflicts. When I am talking to kids about becoming rooted, I explain that when they have two feet firmly placed on the ground, they are standing on a solid foundation, unwavering and unshakeable. Conversely, when they are only standing on one foot, they are not stable, and they feel “wobbly” and as though they may fall over. We need our kids to be rooted. But how do we make that happen?
Tip: Try asking them to describe themselves. They may come up with: “I am kind”, “I am creative”, or “I am athletic.” Then, ask them for examples. “How do you show this quality?” Let’s have them gather evidence as a way to prove to themselves, they own these qualities. You can try the same for their skills. “What do you know how to do?” Kids underestimate what they view as “easy” like posting on social media or baking a cake. Let’s help them see their skill set as unique and important. Finally, talk to them often about what they want. “Let’s set a goal for this month—what would you like to learn about or accomplish?” They may suggest reading a book or creating a playlist. Let them choose and help them break goals into smaller steps, reminding them that, yes, they can do anything, if they are willing to put in both the time and effort.
How to help your kids be resilient: Resilient is all about bouncing back: from mistakes, disappointments, and setbacks. Life can be tough such as the shutting down of playgrounds, community centers, schools, events, and socializing. Yet, life also presents kids with opportunities for triumphant comebacks. Resiliency is essential because when young people learn to not give up, they also gain confidence. Working through challenges builds up their resiliency muscles. How do we nurture and then champion resilience?
Tip: We let them struggle and we let them fail which is one of the most difficult parts of parenting and caregiving and yet, one of the best ways for kids to learn. Try not to be the “snowplow parent” aka clearing the path to make your child’s journey easy or the “lawnmower parent” where you pave the way for them. Instead, try to be the periphery parent. This means empowering them to stand in the center of their own circle, rooted, as you take a few steps back to assure them you are there for them but you are doing the tough stuff like asking a teacher for help or ordering at a restaurant, for them. Your role is still active, as you learn to observe, ask questions, and provide guidance and support, but you give them the necessary room to try, to make mistakes, to try again (or try differently), and to cheer them on as they work their way through problems. Kids feel much better about themselves when they are supported at a distance and not micro-managed up close.
How to help you kids be ready: Ready is about preparation and action for what is to come. Feeling ready comes with expectation and hope that life will change and that we can be part of designing our dreams. Yes, “readiness” is a tricky word these days; it’s hard to think about next week, let alone next year. Yet, here is what I have been teaching kids: Steps they take today towards creating their future can bring them a sense of energy and optimism. There is no greater time to get ready than now, since many kids are not as busy with extra-curricular activities and school, and they have extra time. Where to start?
Tip: Have conversations about future goals in a playful and curious way. You discover a lot about kids when you ask big and open questions such as: “Where do you see yourself working when you are older?” Be the “dream booster” not the “dream buster.” In other words, as silly or unrealistic his or her ideas may be, follow their ideas. Interested in science? Start experimenting. Want to be a Starbucks barista? Start brewing coffee at home. Invest the time into listening to them and then take action to support their ideas. This could mean discussion, researching online, talking to people in the community, and actually developing a skillset (whether this is technology, drawing, coding, or cooking; the possibilities are endless). Remind them, as well, that you believe in them!
Yes, we are living in an extraordinary world; let’s use this as an opportunity to help our kids be extraordinarily rooted, resilient, and ready.
For more, check out Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years andRooted, Resilient, and Ready now available on Amazon and Audible and the website Bold New Girls.
I am a girl advocate and girls champion; the founder of Bold New Girls, teaching and coaching for girls and their parents. As well, I am the author Growing Strong Girls and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready (available on Amazon and Audible). I am an international speaker and an instructor with Udemy.
For working parents of school-aged children, spring break (Mar 23-27 for PPS) can present a logistical challenge. Even though school’s out, you still have work, and your kids still need to be cared for and engaged in meaningful activities. That’s where this long list of awesome spring break camps in Portland comes in! We’ve scouted out the best offerings. Read on to take your pick, and enroll early, as camps fill quickly.
Some of the most affordable and high-quality camps are offered through community centers throughout the city, run by Portland Parks & Recreation. These camps combine a mix of active play, games, and crafts, sometimes with a specific art or sport focus. Browse the online catalog and register in advance. Scholarships are available. Most camps are half-day, with select locations offering full-day camps. Aftercare availability varies by location.
Another popular option, Trackers Earth leads kids on full-day excursions to natural areas and studios, where they learn hands-on practical skills in archery, parkour, woodworking, and even blacksmithing. Younger children can enjoy themed outdoor play: fairies, elves, and baby dragons anyone? Camps are full-day, and aftercare is available.
Let your kids connect with animals during half-day and full-day experiences at the zoo. Each camp provides age-appropriate themed games, tours, stories, songs, animal visitors and take-home art projects. Combining active outdoor play with hands-on indoor exploration of scientific technologies in the zoo’s conservation centers, campers will have fun while learning to care for the natural world.
Have a budding movie-maker in your family? Immerse them in the world of animation and movie-making! Kids as young as five can choose from Stop Motion, Lego Animation, and Movie Maker, with multiple attendance options. Sign up for mornings only, single full-dar, or attend full days all week!
Hosted by Waverly UCC
3300 SE Woodward St
mrdavidfilm@gmail.com
Age: 5-14
Online: mrdavidfilm.com
Let your curious kiddo loose! At the Portland Children’s Museum’s full-day spring break camp, children get the chance to explore the hands-on exhibits, enjoy outdoor play and organized games, and express themselves with creative materials. Campers can enjoy drawing, painting, printmaking, clay, and exploring natural materials.
Welcome spring amidst the quiet beauty of outer East Portland’s beloved Zenger Farm. Campers get to explore wetlands, tend chickens and other farm animals, prepare garden beds for first crops, hunt for bugs, and take part in making a meal from farm-fresh food! Sign up for one or multiple full days, with extended care available. Each day has its own theme. A sliding scale is available to make this camp affordable to all families.
The play’s the thing! Let your little thespians take center stage with the NW Children’s Theater spring break programming, designed to introduce even the littlest actor to stage arts. Younger campers gain confidence and engage narrative skills with a Pete the Cat themed half-day First Stage camp. Full day camps allow older campers to put together shows like The Paper Bag Bandit, The BFG, and Sleeping Beauty in the City. Plan to attend the final performance on the last day of camp! Before and after care available.
1819 NW Everett St.
503-222-2190
Age: 6-11
Online: nwcts.org
Hit the trails with skilled naturalists and educators, and discover the magic of the forest at Tryon Creek! Short hikes, crafts, games, and songs help campers engage with the forest using all of their senses. Half-day camps are available for younger children, with full-day experiences for kids up to age 12.
This full-day camp introduces children to the Audubon Society’s learning center in Forest Park, as well as excursions to other wild areas. Younger campers will enjoy a different theme each day, learning about animals through games, art projects, and searching for animals in the wildlife sanctuary. Older campers can explore the natural world through nature photography, learning from wildlife veterinarians, and birding. Aftercare available.
This dynamic gymnastics facility has created an action-packed spring break camp curriculum that includes open-gym time, organized games, skill-building activities, crafts, and more. Introduce your child to a range of skills drawn from martial arts, parkour, creative athletics, and gymnastics. Their unique padded play area offers equipment designed for open-ended play. Tucker them out with active fun! Half days and full days available in both single- and multiple-day packages.
Trackers Earth operates under the assumption that kids are bright, clever, and able to handle a lot more than we give them credit for. Letting them get outside to get messy while exploring nature and their own abilities makes for one heck of a spring break. They can learns the arts of stealth and archery, or romp through meadows pretending to be wizards and ninjas. They day camps are open to kids as young as 4, and each one is perfectly tailored to a specific age group. The camps are always a hit with kids!
4617 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland (HQ) 503-345-3312 Online: trackerspdx.com
Give your child a chance to explore and get messy for a whole week at the Portland Children’s Museum! Their spring break camp is full of imagination, offering kids the chance to become artists, inventors, and scientists with all the supplies they need to create masterpieces. And you don’t have to clean up anything! They’ll get the chance to play in the exhibits, explore outside, and use paint, clay, and more to create.
The NW Children’s Theater is open to all kids ages 6-11, with plenty of options for the littlest to the oldest. Every child can shine in the way they do best with a range of camp options. Fun stories and wacky adventures are only the beginning as your child gains the confidence to get out on stage and wow the audience–or themselves!
1819 NW Everett St. 503-222-2190 Online: nwcts.org
Join the Audubon Society for a variety of nature-based camps aimed for grades 1-8. Your kids will find something to interest them in the options of classes, from Gorgeous Geology to Hidden Superheroes of the forest. Some classes are onsite at their beautiful learning center in Forest Park, while others head out into the wild for on-location scouting. Day and weeklong camps are available.
The Children’s Gym offers everything your child needs to feel strong and adventurous! They’ve got bars, rings, beams, tumbling equipment and even a vaulting table, and their coaches and instructors are fantastic. Your child can focus on gymnastics in a supportive environment, or take a class on bouldering, dance acrobatics, and more! Spring Break offers a whole week of strengthening skills through group games, open gym time, and one on one instruction.
In an effort to get more families to unplug and get outdoors, REI has teamed up with Basecamp Hospitality to launch a series of educational programs at select state and national parks just in time for National Camping Month.
The classes, which will be featured in a pilot program at 15 parks managed by Basecamp Hospitality, will include topics like how to pitch a tent, kayaking, campfire cooking and fishing basics. The program will launch on June 23-24 at Lake Camanche, California and will later roll out to Lake Gregory, Angel Island and Lake Chabot in California in 2019 and expand to Silver Falls, Katherine Landing at Lake Mohave, Big Basin and others in 2020.
photo: Courtesy of Basecamp Hospitality
“We’re aiming to make it easy and fun for beginners to learn about camping so they can gain confidence and create incredible memories they’ll talk about their whole lives,” said Basecamp Hospitality CEO and Chairman John Koeberer. “The goal is to create new ambassadors for camping that will inspire other beginners to get out there and create their own adventures.”
The launch program at Lake Camache will include classes for groups of four who rent a tent site, or participate in the Rent My Tent program, where the tent and campsite are set up for you. The REI-led classes will include camping basics like tent set up at “Welcome to Basecamp Basics Class” and “How to Build a Campfire” among others.
Packages start at $285 for two nights including a tent or $224 if you bring your own tent. For more details on the programs available and to sign up check out the site here.
When it comes to picky eaters, parents will try almost anything to get some sustenance into their little ones. Whether it’s getting sneaky with veggies or all out-bribery, mom of one and actress Melissa Rauch has been there.
That’s why she’s partnered with House Foods on her very first book, “The Tales of Tofu.” The e-book is a combination of soy-based and kid-friendly recipes combined with a sweet story about a shy tube of tofu, and your kids are going to love it!
Told with beautiful colors and amazing artistry, main character Tofu and his fruit buddies are on a mission to gain confidence after being cast in the school play. Tasty and healthy recipes are interspersed through the story and reinforce the tale at every turn.
Rauch tells Romper that she loves to introduce her own daughter to new things by storytelling and books, and wanted to share the magic with other families as well. It’s her hope that The Tales of Tofu will help reinforce the importance of family mealtime while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
