Category Archives: Activites

Preschool Playdate: Chinese New Year

We used to host a great group called “Peas & Pods” that met every other week.  It was for parents (mostly moms) and Sweet Peas to get together, meet other families, and support each other on the parenting journey.  Then one of our alums started hosting a breastfeeding group at her home, and another alum started offering parenting classes…so our group seemed redundant.

After seeing Dr. Harvey Karp speak about the importance of toddlers being socially stimulated on a regular basis, I decided to offer an opportunity for our alums with toddlers to get together.  This was a need that wasn’t being met by the other groups, and after teaching childbirth classes for almost four years, there were toddlers amongst us (including our own!).

Thus, the weekly Preschool Play-date was born!  We started doing these in September 2014, but I didn’t think to start documenting with pictures until February 2015.  I am looking forward to sharing some of the themes we did last Spring with you.  My hope is that they will inspire you to get creative with your own Sweet Peas.

We started with Circle Time:
— Welcome Song where every child found their name and placed it on the Name Table
— Spanish Welcome Song that reinforced each child’s name so that the Sweet Peas could get to know each other.
— Story Time
— Squiggle Activity – something to get the wiggles out!

Every week, I planned at least four different centers:
— Letter/Writing/Literacy
— Math
— Arts & Crafts
— Discovery

Some weeks, we would have other activities as well – it would depend on how much I could find around the house to fit the theme.  I purchased very little outside of craft supplies and paper.  You can definitely do these themes on a shoe-string budget!

Story: “The Ivory Wand” from Stories From Around the World – Usborne Children’s Books

Circle Time: Talked about the Chinese Zodiac and shared that 2015 was the Year of the Sheep according to the Chinese calendar

Now for the center activities:

LETTER/LITERACY/WRITING ~ Make+Take:
One thing I remember from living in Taiwan is that people exchanged red envelopes on Chinese New Year.  I wanted to incoporate that idea with an activity that would allow children to recognize their name letters and organize them in order, because when you get an envelope, it ususally has your name on it!

So I used red card stock, and printed a good wish that I found HERE.  Then I programmed an index card with each child’s name, used punch out letters I picked up from the Tuesday Morning craft section, and put them in an envelope with the name clipped to the outside.

When the Sweet Pea participated in the center, first they had to find the right card with their name.  Then they pulled the letters out of the envelope, organized them in order, and glued them to their sentiment card.
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MATH CENTER:
This math center is one of my favorites.  The Sweet Peas get to use their motor skills as well as their ordering.  Each tee-shirt was programmed with a number and correspodinging dots.  The child could either hang them on a “laundry line” that we tied up between two chairs, or simply clip the clothepins to match the number on the shirt.

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ARTS & CRAFTS ~ Make+Take:
This craft idea came from Enchanted Learning.  I used the red paper I had on hand, plus craft sticks and a print out of a dragon’s head and tail on card stock.  I took a line drawing found in the Internet, cut off the tail and head that I wanted, and then enlarged it so it would look somewhat balanced.

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DISCOVERY TABLE: Sounds
We filled old prescription bottles with five different fillers that made distinct sounds: dry rice, dry beans, seeds, bells, and beads  We covered them with contact paper, and also made them self-correcting so that a Mother-Toddler pair could move ahead without waiting for me to check their matching.

150219 PP04 150219 PP05Thanks for taking a peek into our “Chinese New Uear” theme! Until next week when we share what we did to celebrate Black History Month.

 

Coming up: Bradley Day Family Festival

Counting down…two days until the big event I have been working on.  I keep telling myself that after this weekend, life is going to get back to “normal”.  It has been an interesting season – sleeping more, writing less, putting a focus on the Sweet Peas first; allowing all other pulls on my time to roll away so that they have Peaceful Mama mothering and schooling them.  Late nights of blogging while the children are asleep is the “normal” I speak of…and after this season of Peaceful Mama reigning supreme, I may be re-evaluating that.

I won’t lie – this last week it has been hard to keep Crazy Mama at bay.  My default when I am stressed is to yell.  I had a great session with Jennifer Hoperich (Moxie Meditation) yesterday.  We talked through default reactions and “pie-in-the-sky” solutions.  She helped me articulate what would I like to happen instead of my default actions if all things were possible.  It was so neat to talk about best case scenario proactions – I had never thought about it that way before.  I am good at identifying what I do not want to do.  I cannot believe I missed the part of identifying behaviors to do “instead of” and focusing my gaze in that direction.

My whole intention these last few months was to allow my children to feel love, calm, and peace from me despite the pressures that come with planning a public outreach event.  In order to support that goal, after Jennifer and I did the processing work, I had hypnotherapy for the first time in my life yesterday.  All I know is that when I walked out of my session with her, I felt like 50 pounds of pressure had been lifted off of my shoulders – I felt lighter and unbelievably positive about my ability to handle the pressures of this weekend, and still being able to walk in “Peaceful Mama” mode all the way through until Monday morning.  (It’s easy to be Peaceful Mama when there are no pressures; it has been a whole different story when I am stressed.)  Today, I really believe I am going to be able to fulfill that intention and arrive on Monday with Sweet Peas that have been honored, loved, and treated with peace and calm in spite of the swirl of activity.

You can see the announcement for the event I have been planning at the top of the page.  It is shaping up to be A.Ma.Zing.  The event was imagined with the vision of celebrating Dr. Bradley and raising awareness of The Bradley Method®.  To that end, we have invited Rhondda Hartman, RN and author to be our keynote speaker.  She was Dr. Bradley’s colleague fro 25 years, and she created the exercise program we teach in Bradley Method® classes.  In addition to her keynote address on the life and times of Dr. Bradley, she is going to be teaching her exercise program.

You can read more about the event HERE – you will find links to the seminars, family activities, and raffle prizes on the blog.  If you can join us, please stop by and say hi.

Wherever you move through this weekend, walk in love and peace, friends.  I will be setting my intention for the same course – see you on the other side of Sunday.

Otteroo: The water tool you need

UPDATE 7.7.15  RECALL NOTICE
It is advised that consumers immediately stop using the recalled inflatable baby floats and contact the firm to receive a free replacement.

READ MORE ABOUT THE RECALL HERE
http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/Recall-Alerts/2015/Otteroo-Corp-Recalls-Inflatable-Baby-Floats/

I was fortunate enough to attend the Club MomMe Spring Family Fest in Orange County at the beginning of June.  There were so many amazing vendors there – here is one that fits best on our family blog since it is a great tool after the Birth-Day.

Otteroo is a float designed to be used with infants 8 weeks and up through the time when a child is acclimated to the water and able to support their own weight without tipping over – that is different for every Sweet Pea.  At first, I wondered how comfortable I would be with allowing one of our Sweet Peas to have something attached around their neck.  After seeing it in person and reading about all the research and effort that was taken to make sure it was safe, I felt like this is definitely a product I wanted to share with you.

See Otteroo in action HERE

otteroo baby 1 copy

Creator and Founder of Otteroo, Tiffany Chiu, provided us with this information to share with you.  She sent me the Q&A that they have developed for media.  She has been kind enough to provide our readers with a coupon code – thank you, Tiffany!

How important is it that very young children are comfortable around water? How does your product help with that?
Infants start to “pick & choose” activities and objects that they like and do not like, at around 6 months old by familiarity and how they feel with it. With otteroo, infants and babies find that water play is fun, they become familiar with how to move their arms and legs in water, and also navigate their way around the tub on their own. We believe that this will eventually promote a sense of confidence and independence in water for the infant. The transition to mommy-and-me swim classes that usually start around six months, or swim classes later on, should be much less dramatic when the baby already loves moving around in the water.

Is the bath and beach market growing as baby swimming lessons become more popular?
We have seen a lot of energy and focus being directed toward children’s bath, beach and pool markets, which is great, but we saw a gap in the array of swim lessons and water familiarity building tools for infants under six months of age in the USA.  We came to the conclusion that parents who wanted their babies to love and enjoy the water and interact with it in a positive, fun way, didn’t have much help from the marketplace aside from bath toys and various infant bath tub options.  We wanted to answer to this demand by encouraging babies’ natural love for being buoyant and freely moving their arms and legs in the water as it allows them the gravity-free like sensation that they can not get on dry land.

What is the most common water-related concern that parents face? (safety? kids hating bathtime?)
For all parents, the greatest fear related to water is what could happen in the split second that they are not watching the child by, or in the water.  And we could not agree more.  Like with all child bath and pool floating devices, we make sure that parents know that they must watch the infant within an arm’s length the entire time the infant is in the tub.  Our customer service is very personal and hands on so that we can ensure that parents have inflated the dual chambers, and are also using the floatie properly.
Not so much a concern as it is a tiring hassle for parents is when the child hates taking a bath and puts up a fight; or if you have twins.  To this, we feel that otteroo is a revolutionary bath time essential as it makes bath time fun, something to look forward to, for the baby, and it allows the parent’s arms to be free to wash the infant.  You will be able to bathe the twins simultaneously while they have fun with being in the water together.

DESIGN FEATURES

  • Otteroo features a cushioned chin rest and rounded smooth edges at every touch point to ensure the baby’s comfort.
  • Our patented design allows the floatie to stretch out horizontally rather than vertically, making it easy for parents to place on and off the baby.
  • The two circular openings also allow the floatie to comfortably expand as the infant grows and naturally drains any splashed up water.
  • The new click-in strap design makes it a snap to secure.
  • Softest, highest grade, toxin-free and latex-free plastic for a lick-safe, smell- and rash-free experience for the infant. No ink is used on any exposed surfaces.


Tiffany has been kind enough to provide SPF readers a 20% off coupon code that expires 9/30: Enter 20KB2014 at check out to receive 20% off of your order

For more information on the Otteroo story, please check out
http://otteroo.com/pages/about-us

SOS: Help! It’s HOT! Going crazy inside!!

Posted by Krystyna Bowman

This was originally posted last July, but as many of you are probably finding yourself at the end of your patience with these high temps & lack of indoor activities we thought it would be helpful to revisit a few ideas!

July August is here, and the heat of Arizona is officially upon us!! Even if you are not living in AZ, you may also be in need of indoor play ideas in your part of the world. Since the temperature is only going up, I want to share some ideas to enjoy the summer with your family and not get overheated.

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Do you like to be outdoors?  The Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens offer earlier open times – maybe the one in your area does, too.  We have always enjoyed going early in the day when the mornings are under the 100F mark.  The city parks are opening their splash pads – check out your city’s website and find out locations and hours.

If you have a little room in your budget, you can sign up for classes in your child’s age group.  Here are some ideas: music, gymnastics, swimming lessons, summer camps held at churches or dance schools.

Are there any museums in your area?  You can see if they offer special programming for children, and ask if they offer group discounts.  Maybe you can get some friends together for a discount while having a museum playdate!!  In addition, check your local museums for Family Free Days over the summer months.  We have found that arriving right at opening time, or going a couple of hours before closing helps to avoid the crowds.   Museums let us enjoy some time out of the house and out of the sun while allowing our little explorers all kinds of growth opportunities.

If you are on a tight budget, pick some different places to go out every day.  You can still find plenty of ways to learn and grow – you just have to get a little more creative!  Here is a money-saving idea:  Let your destination pay for air conditioning!  Make it a point to leave the house while your kiddo and you are fresh and rested.  Here are some free places that you can go for a walkabout:

  • Shopping malls – be brave and drive a little farther. Go to one that isn’t in your neighborhood and you get A/C time coming and going as well!  While you are there, explore the children’s stores that have toys out for the kiddos to sample.  Our favorite place is Pottery Barn Kids.  I don’t like having the big playsets in our home, however, it’s great to have the kids go there and enjoy them, and then get to leave them behind!  Many shopping centers open early for mall walkers – it’s a great time to go to the children’s play areas before the stores open and the mall gets more crowded.  The story times/ mall activities listed in this month’s newsletters (activities in the Chandler, AZ area) all start between 10:00 am and 10:30 pm – depending on how your child naps, you might be able to do both, and then head home and get some chores done while your tired baby sleeps.
  • Big super-stores like PetSmart, Walmart and Target.  I like PetSmart and Walmart because they have lots of fish tanks+ with live fish to explore.  Here are the kiddos and Bruss playing with the fishing poles at Walmart – all the fun, none of the clutter 🙂Blog4 1375
  • Bass Pro Shop – they have a fish pond where the kiddos can learn to fish, plus lots of other things to see and explore.  Kiddos can enjoy some of the displays – Bruss says some of them are climbable!
  • Bookstore – Barnes & Noble has a great kids area with a reading area plus a different selection of books than you might find at the library.  You can look over on the “meetings and groups” list to find the monthly listing for their story times.
  • Grocery Store – instead of making a mad dash through the place with your list, go with the time and the intention of walking up and down all the aisles.  There are lots of foods to explore in the produce section, you can take your time and look in all the display cases, you can touch the doors in the frozen food section, and take in all the colors as you talk about how things are sorted, grouped and why your family makes the food choices that they make.  There are lots of smells to identify, with the added bonus of sensory items to touch in the pet aisle.
  • Office Buildings – does coach, or another family member or friend work in a high rise?  How about going to visit them?  While you are there, ride the elevator and look at some of the artwork along the different floors of the building.  You can get off at the different floors and observe the different views that you see at different heights.  You can check your local listings to see if there is a top deck restaurant that offers a 360 degree view of your city while you are dining.

You can also take advantage of the public libraries.  Pack yourself plenty of water, a couple of portable snacks, and head over to the stacks to hang out for a while before and/or after library activities.

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Need a day at home?  How about doing some sensory play?  One of our best investments was a sand and water table we bought when our oldest was a toddler.  We lost the lid a long time ago, however the base is still sturdy and usable.  You can do all water, or a mix of sand and water, or all sand.  Get out the stackable cups and measuring spoons you already have around the house and let your kids measure and pour to their hearts content!  You can hide toys in the sand.

We have also set up a water station in the kitchen.  We lay out a few towels first, and then fill different size pots with varying amounts of water.  If you are so inclined, you can set out some rice, beans, or pastas for the kiddos to “cook” with.  Let them spoon, measure and pour and get nice and wet.  As an added bonus, you can get a chore done by breaking out your mop when it’s time to clean up!

Do you have a “safe” place for your kiddos to play in the kitchen?  Maybe you can set up a drawer, a cabinet and a pantry shelf that are “safe” for them.  Ask them to look in the different places for different things – maybe a mini-scavenger hunt for all the items they will use at their water station!

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How about a fort?  Here is a fort we made using a kit the kiddos got for Christmas.  However, there is nothing wrong with taking a sheet and hanging it over a table, or taking some chairs into the middle of a room and hanging a sheet over those.  It’s great fun to play peek-a-boo, or create a temporary reading nook with a new twist.

HERE is a list of other sensory ideas that you can easily set up at home when your kiddos are tired of playing with their regular toys and walking through the house has become an exercise in futility.  My favorite on this list is freezing toys into a block of ice and then letting the kiddos carve them out with spoons.  That would feel really great when it’s 117F outside!

Send us your pictures of indoor fun!  What is your family’s favorite indoor, beat the heat idea?

Disclaimer:
The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.

Thursday Tips: Summer Bucket List

I was inspired by Jessica at Little Baby Garvin to do a Summer Bucket List a little while back and I thought I would share here!

nothing says sweet summer like ice cream on the beach!

nothing says sweet summer like ice cream on the beach!

Now that my T baby is over 2 he is much more aware of what we are doing each day, has his friends (seriously SO cute), loves certain activities, doesn’t love others, tells me what he wants, doesn’t want, etc. and is making me very excited to share some summer fun with him! We live on the central/northern California coast so the temperatures don’t really warm up here as they do in other places where there is no escaping that it is sweet, sweet summertime so I figured planning some out of the ordinary activities would help us get into the summer groove and really live it up these next few months before the crazy-ness of the fall & winter holidays hit!

Go to a Giant’s Game: T loves watching the big kids play baseball at the local baseball field and often hits baseballs with myself or his dad, I am not sure about sitting through a whole game but I think he would love it nonetheless!

Make Homemade Ice Cream: I have had my eye on this machine for awhile now, I think I should just pull the plug and we can get to creating our own healthy and delicious versions.

Swimming Lessons: check! We signed up for lessons that start July 2nd, a local outdoor pool that is heated is having them twice a week for four weeks, bonus – it is at the beach!

Take a Vacation: Our good friends recently moved to Seattle, a city I have been dying to visit for some time now. Summer would be the perfect timing weather wise, even though we live in an idealistic vacation destination it is always nice to try and escape the hustle and bustle or routine of daily life sometimes.

Celebrate the 4th of July: Last year we were moving on the 4th of July so no celebrations ensued, this year it is the one year anniversary of us living in this amazing place and I really want to celebrate! We don’t have fireworks near us either so going all out on a party, BBQ or something sounds exactly like what we need. T also has this adorable shirt a friend got him for his birthday that we have been saving for the 4th, so he definitely needs some fun activities to match his festive outfit.

in all his America glory :)

in all his America glory 🙂

We had a fun time! Nothing epic – but we wore cute outfits, visited a park with live music and had lots of fun and celebrated with great food, friends and family.

Go Kayaking: Kayak rentals here require that any children on board are at least 5 years of age, so we need to scope out a cheap kayak to buy or borrow. We have been wanting to do this forever and this summer seems like the perfect time to get in gear and make it happen.

Grow some more things: We currently have one planter box growing cilantro, tomatoes, strawberries and sugar snap peas. We planted them on Mother’s Day and they have yet to really take off. I would like to dedicate some time to mixing up the soil, adding some compost and really get some more things growing in the next month or so. T baby loves watering the plants and is even more obsessed with picking the fruits, we need some more for him to harvest!

Visit Friends: It has been a year since we moved from our brief stay in Sacramento, we have many friends and family there though and it would be nice to make a visit before everyone is busy with holiday plans.

Go Camping: My husband has been wanting to go camping forever, and we have yet to take our little T! He loves being outside and his current obsessions include rocks, sticks and things to do with dirt. He would be right at home. We really need to make a trip happen soon!

sticks & stones, the way to this kid's heart!

sticks & stones, the way to this kid’s heart!

And of course, last but certainly not least, go to the beach as much as possible! It was 70 degrees and sunny today so that is where you could find us. I plan on us trying to soak up as much sun as possible and the days the fogs burns off the beach compares to no other.

What are you plans with your Sweet Peas for summer? Does summer seem busier than normal or is it a time you try to relax? I would love to hear what everyone else is up to and even get some more ideas!

Tuesday Tips: Tablets

You may be looking at the chart above and laughing your pants off.  Am I crazy?? What are we supposed to do without our little digital babysitters when we need to get things done??

The chart is from THIS article on the Huffington Post that gives 10 reasons why hand-held devices should be banned for children under the age of 12.  WHAT?!?! Now you are calling me names.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood was on my radar a few years ago…after reading today’s linked article on screen time, plus a recent study out of Taiwan that the blue-light from smartphone screens change our children’s eyes – literally…we will be getting more involved with their Screen-Free week (May 5-11, 2014).

Seriously, we gave Puma a tablet for Christmas in 2012…so we can’t go back and take it away.  We do ask her to do certain things before she can use it every day, and after reading this article, I am going to have a tablet collection at night and ask the Sweet Peas to earn their time with them, making a more specific effort to limit time.

We are also in the habit of allowing Night Owl and Charger time with two other tablets we have in the house…boy, is their world going to be rocked when I limit their time even more!

I know it is not for everyone, and we all have our reasons why tablets serve our needs.  We try to remember to ask our children to do these things we ask our children to do to earn “tablet time”.  Basically, all these things “should” be done before they can use their devices:

  • Complete their schoolwork
  • Practice their piano pieces
  • Practice dance/tumbling
  • Walk the dogs

What I am going to post up on the wall as alternatives to “tablet time”.  We are definitely instituting a new expectation that time is limited.  Once the timer rings and their time is up here are some options:

  • Sensory bin
  • Play with their toys *gasp*
  • Play with modeling clay
  • Play outside on the swing set
  • Play outside with balls
  • Set up and run an obstacle course
  • Painting with finger paints or water colors
  • Draw/cut/paste
  • Read (to themselves for the ones that can; be read to if they are learning)

All the alternatives we have mean that we have more interaction with our children.  We are setting-up and/or supervising, and even engaging with them…all the things we lose when we hand them a tablet and ask them to go away so we can do whatever we are doing (on our computer, tablet or smartphone?).

It will mean I have to be a better time manager so I can be available to them and not on the computer when they are awake.  It will mean getting Coach Bruss on board so that we are a united front on limiting screen time.

Where are you with this whole screen time thing?

What do you do with your Sweet Peas if you are limiting screen time?

Tuesday Tips: Safe Sledding

This meme is making it’s way around facebook these days – so true for me!  In all seriousness, though, there are some considerations for child-safety if you are living in the snowy, frozen areas of the world.

THIS article came across my desktop today – it raises the question if children should wear helmets when they are sledding.  What?! “I went sledding without a helmet, and I turned out fine,” I can hear the protesters crying right now.  I would like to think when we know better, we do better.

Actually, the CDC (HERE) and the State of New York (HERE) both have current guidelines that call for helmets if you are sledding, snowboarding, or skiing with children.  A news station in Daytona has published THESE guidelines that don’t call for helmets.

  • Sled down in a feet-first position.
  • Make sure there are no obstacles, especially at the bottom of the hill.
  • Dress your children in layers
  • Make sure their hands and feet stay dry (to avoid frostbite)
  • When the temperature is around freezing, make smaller children come in for a break every 15 minutes.

While these are practical tips, they don’t account for the fact that once your child sustains a head injury, the damage is permanent.  If it was me and there was any chance of our children suffering a head injury, helmets would be part and parcel of our snow gear (assuming we ever spend time in the snow!!).

Another consideration for cold weather residents – safe car seat practices.  Here are some starting points for you to do your research from Consumer Reports and The Car Seat Lady.

What are some of your winter safety tips for families with young children?

Tuesday Tips: Learning At Home

Just in time for Tuesday Tips, I pulled out this great card from a shopping bag – yeah!!  I thought it would be fun to show you how we incorporate these principles in our home…forgive the mess in the background – we live at Sweet Pea House, not a catalog!!

In case you can’t read the fine print in the photo – here are principles plus photos of how we put them into action:

1. Space. Make sure you have a comfortable, well lighted spaces for your children to read, including space in their bedrooms and shared rooms.

We bring our chairs out here for some reading in the green space - a real luxury in AZ!

We bring our chairs or blankets out here for some reading in the green space – a real luxury in AZ!

Here is another outdoor space we enjoy - also a part of the courtyard. I have our sand & water table in this area as well.

Here is another outdoor space we enjoy – also a part of the courtyard. I have our sand & water table in this area as well.

Puma's reading corner

Puma’s reading corner

2.  Books, books, and more books.  Having a variety of age-appropriate books available ensures there’s always something fun to read nearby.

Books that are in our room for a peaceful family training at the end of the day...we hope the ideas seep in over night!

Books that are in our room for a peaceful family training at the end of the day…we hope the ideas seep in over night!

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Books in our family room – took some of the niches and turned them into bookshelves! On the top is part of the lending library for our students.

Here is a close-up of the bottom shelf...more going to bed books!

Here is a close-up of the bottom shelf…more going to bed books!

Book basket in the family room - I try to remember to rotate these out so there are always new treasures!

Book basket in the family room – I try to remember to rotate these out so there are always new treasures!

Puma's bookshelf

Puma’s bookshelf

Playroom bookshelf

Playroom bookshelf

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Schoolroom bookshelf with books, art supplies, and manipulatives.

3.  Creative writing.  Encourage your children to develop writing skills by stocking a variety of colorful writing materials and creating bright and airy space to write and draw.

Each kiddo has a pencil case of one kind or another with the basics...they usually have scissors and a magnifying glass in there, too! Will have to do a treasure hunt for Charger's I guess...

Each kiddo has a pencil case of one kind or another with the basics…they usually have scissors and a magnifying glass in there, too! Will have to do a treasure hunt for Charger’s I guess…

Our writing corner in the schoolroom - paper and lots of things to write/draw with :)

Our writing corner in the schoolroom – paper and lots of things to write/draw with 🙂

Even our youngest has the opportunity to practice her writing!! This is what the look of an almost-two year old looks like at our house.

Even our youngest has the opportunity to practice her writing!! This is what the “writing” of an almost-two year old looks like at our house.

4.  Play!  Make sure you have lots of props for pretend play, and play with your child.  The words you share through play help grow your child’s vocabulary.

Puppet basket

Puppet basket

Costumes

Costumes

Play food we mostly use to play farmer's market, picnic, and S'mores!

Play food we mostly use to play farmer’s market, picnic, and S’mores!

5. Read.  If your kids see you reading, they’ll learn that reading is a fun and valuable way to spend time.

On Coach Bruss's side of the bed - he also keeps a couple of books to read in the car while he waits.

On Coach Bruss’s side of the bed – he also keeps a couple of books to read in the car while he waits.

Books on my side of the bed.

Books on my side of the bed.

How do your incorporate these ideas into your family’s space?

 

Family Fun: August 10-11, 2013

Looking for something to do with your family this weekend?  Cassandra and I are going to start posting events and classes in our respective geographic areas…look for us…maybe we will see you there!!

Do you have an event that you would like to add to our upcoming events calendar?  Please email me at krystynabowman {at} gmail {dot} com.  Any event that is in line with our family philosophy and/or parenting styles will be considered for listing.  Disclaimer: Inclusion in our listing does not imply endorsement by Sweet Pea Families.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2013
ARIZONA
Gilbert Farmer’s Market
7:00 am – 11:00 am
222 N. Ash St
Gilbert 85234
480-583-0101

Roadrunner Farmer’s Market
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
3502 E Cactus Rd
Phoenix 85032
623-848-1234

Payson Farmer’s Market
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
816 S. Beeline Highway
Payson 85541
602-524-0352

Train and Carousel Rides
Come out for a day of old-fashioned fun at the railroad park.  Enjoy the shade provided by the park’s many large trees  Kids can play at various play area including a covered playground with water sprays.  Train and Carousel Rides $2.00/each; free for kids under 3 with paying adult.
McCormick-Stillman Railroad park (http://www.therailroadpark.com/) @ 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
7301 E Indian Bend Rd
Scottsdale 85250
480-312-2312

Splash Pad Fun
Kids can cool off at this fun spray pad
Jaycee Park @10:00 am – 7:00 pm
817 W 5th St
Tempe 85282
80-350-8625

Dad & Toddler Storytime
Dads can enjoy stories with their favorite toddler
Mustang Library @10:30 am – 11:00 am
10101 N. 90th St.
Scottsdale, 85258
480-321-7323

Make and Take: Dusty
Bring your kids to Lowe’s for some high flying fun this weekend! Your child will love building Dusty from Disney’s Planes-In Theaters in 3D August 9th.
Your Local Lowe’s Store @ 10:00 am
Find your store HERE http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/default.aspx

Water Park Fun in Chandler
Enjoy the zero-depth pool area with interactive play area, water vortex, current river and two water slides.  Cost is $2.25 for adults and $1 for children ages 2-17
Hamilton Aquatic Center @ 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
3838 S Arizona Ave
Chandler 85248
480-782-2630

Free Crafts for Kids
Lakeshore Learning Store @ 11:00am – 3:00pm
Pet Fish Puppet
Ocean adventures await…with this colorful, kid-crafted puppet!
Find your store HERE

Family Swim at Nozomi Aquatic Center
Cost is $2.25 for adults; $1.00 for children 2-17
Nozomi Aquatic Center @ 11:am to 6:00 pm
250 S Kyrene Rd
Chandler 85226
480-783-8621

Back-to-School Beauty Bash & Bella Thorne Celebrity Appearance
Beauty Bash
Join us for Arizona’s must attend back to school shopping experience.
Featuring fashion, music, beauty, food, giveaways and BASH-tastic special offers.
Location: Macy’s Court @ 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Meet Bella Thorne from Disney’s TV Show Shake It Up
Sears Court @ 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Chandler Fashion Center
3111 W Chandler Blvd
Chandler, AZ 85226
(480) 812-8488

Fish Feeding
Come see an 18,500 gallon freshwater aquarium that offers an up-close view of trophy-sized catfish, bass, striper and blue gill.  Feeding includes an informative presentation about the fish.  Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm and Tuesdays at 6:00pm.  Also, everyday kids can help us feed the trout in our Trout Stream at 1:30pm.
Bass Pro Shop Trout Stream @ 1:30 pm
Bass Pro Shop Aquarium @ 2:00 pm
1133 N Dobson Rd
Mesa 85201
602-606-5600

Prowl and Play at the Phoenix Zoo
https://www.facebook.com/events/632218363460515/
The Phoenix Zoo’s summer evening event, Prowl & Play, will let guests experience the Zoo in a whole new light…or dark! This event offers unique and exciting activities which allow guests to explore, see and hear the Zoo differently than a daytime visit. Join us for magic, music and fun during the evening hours at the Zoo.
Animal viewing is limited during Prowl & Play.
Visit link for more information and ticket prices.
Phoenix Zoo @ 6:00 pm – 9:30pm
455 N. Galvin Parkway
Phoenix 85008

Free Outdoor Concert
Bring the family out to enjoy great live music performed by a variety of musicians.  Choose from two stages of entertainment
Tempe Marketplace @ 7:00 pm
2000 E Rio Salado Pkwy
Tempe 85281
480-966-9338

Free Outdoor Concert
Bring the family out to enjoy great live music performed by a variety of musicians.  Choose from two stages of entertainment
Desert Ridge Marketplace @ 7:00 – 9:00 pm
21001 N Tatum Blvd
Phoenix 85050
480-513-7586

CALIFORNIA
Pacific Grove Prenatal Yoga
http://www.seasideyogasanctuary.com/OurSite/prenatal-yoga
Seaside Yoga Sanctuary @ 10:30-11:45
170 Central Ave
Pacific Grove, CA

Organic Strawberry U-Pick
(https://www.facebook.com/events/547374708633186/)
Come on out and pick your fill of delicious organic berries! The strawberry patch is full of ripe fruit. Make amazing desserts, jam or just freeze a bunch for smoothies.
Cost: $1.75/lb. Bring your own containers if you can. We’ll have empty flats available too.
Redman House Farmstand @ 11 AM to 5 PM.
200 Lee Rd.
Watsonville, CA

SUNDAY, AUGUST 11, 2013
ARIZONA
Ahwatukee Farmers Market
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
4700 E Warner Rd
Phoenix, 85004
602-919-0914

Train and Carousel Rides
Come out for a day of old-fashioned fun at the railroad park.  Enjoy the shade provided by the park’s many large trees. Kids can play at various play area including a covered playground with water sprays.  Train and Carousel Rides $2.00/each; free for kids under 3 with paying adult.
(http://www.therailroadpark.com/)
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park @ 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
7301 E Indian Bend Rd
Scottsdale 85250
480-312-2312

Family Swim at Desert Oasis Aquatic Center
Zero-depth pool area with kiddie slide, rain drop and spray whale, 112 ft. figure 8 water slide, shade ramadas, concession stand and sand volleyball court.  Cost is $2.25 for adults, $1.00 for children ages 2-17
Desert Oasis Aquatic Center @ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
1400 W Summit Place
Chandler, AZ 85224
480-732-1061

Water Park Fun in Chandler
Enjoy the zero-depth pool area with interactive play area, water vortex, current river and two water slides.  Cost is $2.25 for adults and $1 for children ages 2-17
Hamilton Aquatic Center @ 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
3838 S Arizona Ave
Chandler 85248
480-782-2630

Fish Feeding
Come see an 18,500 gallon freshwater aquarium that offers an up-close view of trophy-sized catfish, bass, striper and blue gill.  Feeding includes an informative presentation about the fish.  Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm and Tuesdays at 6:00pm.  Also, everyday kids can help us feed the trout in our Trout Stream at 1:30pm.
Bass Pro Shop Trout Stream @ 1:30 pm
Bass Pro Shop Aquarium @ 2:00 pm
1133 N Dobson Rd
Mesa 85201
602-606-5600

Make and Take: Dusty
Bring your kids to Lowe’s for some high flying fun this weekend! Your child will love building Dusty from Disney’s Planes-In Theaters in 3D August 9th.
Your local Lowe’s store @ 2:00 pm
Find your store HERE: http://lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/default.aspx

CALIFORNIA EVENTS
Sunday Blues & Art in the Park
Celebrate a Seaside tradition of Blues and Art in the Park with free Sunday concerts during in July and August. Bring the whole family (but leave the dogs at home…they are not permitted in the park!). Bring a picnic and enjoy performances by Fry-Wright Band and Mingo Fishtrap’s Blues Band. For more information, click here or call (831) 899-6800
http://www.mbaykids.com/happenings.asp
Laguna Grande Park @ 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Canyon Del Rey Boulevard
Seaside, CA

Organic Strawberry U-Pick
(https://www.facebook.com/events/547374708633186/)
Come on out and pick your fill of delicious organic berries! The strawberry patch is full of ripe fruit. Make amazing desserts, jam or just freeze a bunch for smoothies.
Cost: $1.75/lb. Bring your own containers if you can. We’ll have empty flats available too.
Redman House Farmstand @ 11 AM to 5 PM.
200 Lee Rd.
Watsonville, CA