501 Kids Winter 2021

Early Spring

2021

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Hey 501 Kids!

Want to Win Four Tickets to Magic Springs?

Hidden somewhere in the pages of this edition is a sight you are sure to see at Magic Springs - the state's only theme and water park! Once you find it, send us a Facebook message or email us at info@501lifemag.com.

Tell us what you found and what page you found it on. One winner will be drawn from all the correct entries to win 4 Free Single Day Tickets to Magic Springs. Include the child’s name and an adult’s contact name and phone number. Good luck!

On the Cover (story page 4)

Scraped Knees vs.

Spongy Surfaces Have we made play too safe?

As a child, the best birthday gift I

received was on the day my Dad took me to the Western Auto and allowed me to choose a bicycle. Quickly, I picked one with sparkles in the blue paint and a rainbow, banana-shaped seat. It represented freedom and independence and, at six, I was ready to hit the open road.

At that time, the "open road" meant our yard and the street that ran in front of our house. Like many homes and places of my youth, it now seems much shorter than I remembered.

My bicycle escapes taught me a lot about life. My parents laid ground rules and trusted that I would follow them — which I mostly did since I'm a textbook rule-follower. Also, I knew that they would follow-through with consequences if I didn't mind them.

Several scraped knees and an occasional flat taught me how reckless I could be on my bike. A similar concept is at the heart of a broader discussion currently playing out on playgrounds across America: are "safer" playgrounds making children less safe?

"What the spongy surface

playgrounds don't do is teach kids that there is a consequence to falling and they won't learn anything from it," said play:groundNYC Executive Director Rebecca Faulkner in an interview with Boston's local NPR afiiliate, WBUR, this past year.

The other consequence of not allowing children to experience life is that it can create cautious adults who always play it safe. Curiosity may have "killed the cat," but it has also resulted in marvelous inventions and fuels innovative thinking and problem-solving.

Parents have a lot of decisions to make about raising great kids, but allowing them time to play alone (away from video games) is an important life skill that makes for well-rounded adults.

One last lesson: tying a wagon to your bike with a jump rope is fun while you're moving forward, but when you hit the breaks for tree roots, the wagon handle could get stuck in your spokes and throw you over your handlebars. You may even bruise your collar bone and tear the cartilage in your wrist. But you won't do it again!

McKenzly Sandefur competes in Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship EDITOR Stefanie Brazile PUBLISHER Jeremy Higginbotham FOUNDERS Donna Spears, Sonja J. Keith ASSOCIATE EDITOR Levi Gilbert BRAND AMBASSADOR Don Brazile FINANCE DIRECTOR Debbie Flowers ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Spears

CONTRIBUTORS

Kellie Bishop Dwain Hebda Meagan Lowry Chloe Short James Skelton

501 KIDS EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Angie Betancourt Leslie Burrows Dr. Sher Craig Stephanie Crockett Brittany Gilbert Gloria Massey Nicole Rappold Lanette Rogers Amy Routt Stephanie Worthey

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Make the Jump Media, LLC 920 Locust Ave., Suite 104 Conway, AR. 72034 501.327.1501 info@501lifemag.com

501 LIFE Kids is published monthly by Make the Jump Media, LLC (920 Locust Ave., Suite 104, Conway, AR 72034, 501.327.1501) owned by Jeremy Higginbotham and Stefanie W. Brazile.

The contents of 501 LIFE Kids are copyrighted and materials presented may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publishers.

Articles should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by 501 LIFE Kids.

Photos Courtesy of Food Network

Food Network

Super Star

Conway student wins place on Kids Baking Championship

By Stefanie Brazile

It wasn’t her sweet smile that won a spot on a televised national baking competition, it was her creative cakes. Conway’s McKenzly Sandefer won a place in the heart of Food Network judges and competed on Season 9 of the popular program Kids Baking Championship.

“If there’s a dream that you want, don’t give up on it and keep on pushing through,” the young star said.

The program invites 12 talented young bakers for friendly competition, leading to a whopping $25,000 and a spot in Food Network Magazine, according to the website. They go through several challenges meant to test their abilities. Challenges come with various themes, such as sweet and savory, rainbow cakes, 4 | 501 LIFE KIDS Early Spring 2021

specific ingredients, animals, dessert imposters and more.

McKenzly, now 12, dreamed of being on the show from a young age. “I would always help mom and grandma bake something,” she said. “I always watch Kids Baking (Championship) and one day I decided to try out. We created a video of how I love to bake and all my interests. We were shocked when I was chosen!”

After eight months of video and skype calls, during the summer of 2020 the network hosted a boot camp and 3 people got cut.

Ultimately, 12 kids, and a parent, were flown to Los Angeles, Calif., for a month to compete.

“It was really awesome meeting all the kids that have the same passion that I do,” the Carl Stuart Middle School student said. “I

can be a little messy and one of the best parts is someone to clean up after you. I had my own kitchen and, in the pantry, they have every ingredient you can imagine!”

A daughter of Jeri and Jason Sandefer, McKenzly said she was nervous during the first episode, but felt comfortable after that.

“My favorite one was episode two when we made the gardening cakes,” she said. “It was fun for me to get creative and make my own mini garden.”

There are two judges: Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman. “Duff was my favorite,” she said. “He was super nice and super fun to talk to!” Although it was hard to be away from her family and friends, she felt very supported by fans in Conway. Season 9 premiered Dec. 28 and ran through mid-February. Her church held a watch party for every episode McKenzly was in.

Besides expert training from her mom and grandma, Gayle McIntyre, when she was 10 McKenzly attended a baking camp at Pulaski Tech which she said was very helpful. For some time, she has baked and sold cakes locally.

“I want to do more shows and want to do more baking,” the creative girl said. “Don’t give up on your dreams.”

The Sandefer family includes McKenzly (from left), Jason, Jeri, Caden and Eden. Photo by Baylie Kilian Photography.

You can find more photos of McKenzly’s creations and contact her with an order on Instagram at: Mckenzly_@littlemisssweettooth

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Conway gymnast shows no medical malady can slow you down when you're

By Dwain Hebda

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here are few things that Malia Ibarra loves more than gymnastics, a sport that provides a means for exercise, a chance to compete, and a way to make friends. In fact, besides her family – parents Tim and Angela, older brother Hayden and little sister Madelyn – gymnastics might be her most favorite thing in the world.

“I have been doing gymnastics since I was 6,” said the precocious, well-spoken 9-year-old from Conway. “I like it because you can be very flexible and it can help you get stronger.”

Despite her tender age, Malia is a gymnast seemingly without fear, equally adept at flying through the air on floor exercises as she is at swinging gracefully on the bars, or landing softly on the beam.

“I like to do back handsprings and I like the bars and floor,” she said. “My back handsprings and some of my handstands and cartwheels on beams are things I do well.”

However, Malia recently experienced something that would shake the faith of even the bravest tumbler. While on a trip to Memphis with her family last October, she started experiencing strange muscle spasms on her left side.

Malia Ibarra, post-surgery. She was treated for a brain abscess last fall and was able to return to training after Christmas.

“One minute she’s a completely fine, healthy kid, and then she started having a spasm out of nowhere,” said Angela.

“I wrapped my arms around her to hold her, and my hand went on her bicep and it was just pulsing, like contracting. It didn’t last very long, and we were just kind of like, ‘That was weird.’ We went along with our day and then it kept happening.”

Malia never lost consciousness and remained coherent, but the strange muscle contractions continued. The family made two emergency room visits in Memphis, armed with smartphone video of the spasms for doctors to review. They were stumped.

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“I got first place on my bar routine,” she said. “In the next meet, I got first on bars, first on the beam and first place all-around.”

- Malia Ibarra, post surgery

“Nobody was sure what was going on,” Angela said. “I finally told them, ‘We’re from Arkansas.

When we get home, we’ll just go to Children’s and go from there.’”

The spasms continued after they arrived home, and Angela took Malia straight to the emergency department of Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock. The mother-daughter tandem barely got settled when a startling chain of events began to accelerate. A CT scan revealed something in Malia’s brain, either an abscess or a tumor. What the family thought were muscle spasms were, in fact, mini seizures brought on by whatever was lurking in little Malia’s head. It would take an MRI to pinpoint exactly what doctors were dealing with.

“We were only waiting there about an hour and a half,” Angela said. “It all happened so fast.

I honestly don’t think I even had enough time to process it, so maybe that was a good thing.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only one parent could accompany a child inside the hospital, and when they wheeled Malia away, Angela was left in the hallway to await whatever was to come. She 8 | 501 LIFE KIDS Early Spring 2021

was by herself, but because of prayer warriors across social media, she wasn’t alone.

"We had people and churches in several different states who were praying for us,” she said. “It was Sunday, and this was right around Sunday evening services, so we were reaching out to everyone, saying, ‘Hey, she’s in her MRI right now. Please pray that it won’t be a tumor.’”

To those collective good wishes, Angela added her own special mama prayer. “I prayed, ‘Lord, she’s your child. She’s yours. If it’s a tumor, just give me the grace to handle it,’” she said. “That was just the main thing. It was all up to him at that point.”

A couple of hours later, Malia was back in her hospital bed and the verdict was in – an abscess on the right side of her brain. The long-term prognosis was much better than if it had been a tumor, but the infection caused by the condition would have to be handled quickly. By the next morning, Malia was in surgery.

“Well, it definitely was something new,” Malia said, describing the process by which they drained the abscess through a nickel-sized hole.

“It didn’t really hurt much, but it kind of felt a little bit weird there.”

She healed like a champ over the next two months, and on Christmas Eve, the family got a great present – a clean MRI that showed she was back to normal. And that meant getting back to the sport she loved most. After just three practices with her Silver Team at Sonshine Academy, she had her first meet post-surgery.

“I got first place on my bar routine,” she said.

“In the next meet, I got first on bars, first on the beam and first place all-around.”

With the medical ordeal over, the family had time to reflect on the many people whose expertise and faith restored the little girl with the big dreams of becoming a gymnastics coach one day. Asked what she would say to her doctors and nurses, as well as her well-wishers at the family’s home church, Grace Baptist Church in Conway, and across the nation, Malia lit up, shiny as a gold medal.

“Thank you very much!” she proclaimed.

Let them play!

Benefits of music lessons for kids Why start young?

It is now widely accepted that there are direct correlations between musical study and verbal competency, motor and auditory skills, reasoning abilities and problem solving — essential abilities that children take into adulthood.

Musical experience promotes brain development.

A 2009 study featured in the Journal of Neuroscience showed for the first time that musical experience, for as little as 15 months in early childhood, leads to structural brain changes and results in improvements in motor and auditory skills.

Music contributes to academic success.

By James Skelton

James Skelton is the executive director/ owner of the Conway Institute of Music which was named the 2017 National Music School of the Year. He is also the best-selling author of the book “The Ultimate Guide to Music Lessons.”

Researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital worked with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and found that early musical training enhances the areas of the brain responsible for executive functioning. Children with at least two years of private lessons showed enhanced cognitive control with aids in information retention and behavior regulation.

“Musical training may actually help to set up children for a better academic future,” said senior investigator Nadine Gaab, Ph.D., of the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience. A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs, regardless of socioeconomic disparities among the schools or school districts. Johnson compared the concentration that music training requires to the focus needed to perform well on a standardized test.

Aside from test score results, Johnson’s study highlights the positive effects that a quality music education can have on a young child’s success.

“Schools that have rigorous programs and high-quality music and arts teachers probably have high-quality teachers in other areas. If you have an environment where there are a lot of people doing creative, smart, great things, joyful things, even people who aren’t doing that have a tendency to grow up and do better,” said Mary Luehrisen, executive director of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation, a not-forprofit association that promotes the benefits of making music.

Being musical is a process.

Music can improve your child’s abilities in learning and other nonmusical tasks, but it’s important to understand that music does not make one smarter. The many intrinsic benefits to music education include being disciplined, learning a skill, being part of the music world, managing performance and being part of something for which you are proud.

While parents may hope that enrolling their child in a music program will make her a better student, the primary reasons to provide your child with a musical education should be to help them become more musical, to appreciate all aspects of music, and to respect the process of learning an instrument or learning to sing, which is valuable on its own merit.

Playing music is fun!

Playing music is just fun to do and one of the most important benefits of music lessons. There is nothing more captivating or engaging than blasting a song through your headphones or jamming with friends or bandmates. Even when you’re just getting started, playing some basic songs is super fun. No matter how simple, there’s nothing better than to say, “I just made music!”

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alt Disney World is known as the Happiest Place on Earth. For those of us who grew up with the magic of Disney, it's not hard to see why.

So, when my family had the chance to visit the Happiest Place on Earth after one of the hardest years we've lived through, we jumped at it. We packed our Minnie Mouse headbands and coordinating shirts and eagerly awaited Orlando.

I'll be honest, I was a little apprehensive about visiting Disney while the world is still dealing with all that COVID-19 has changed. But like anything else, I knew that if I spent enough time researching and making sure my family was well-protected, I felt like we could make it happen.

As soon as we flew out of Memphis, I let out a huge sigh of relief. The airports were virtually empty at the time of our travel, and everyone respected the guidelines.

The first thing Disney has done to cut down on face-to-face contact is established hotel check-ins on their app. You check-in online, and then when you arrive on the property, you are assigned a room. Your phone or magic band then acts as your room key.

This seemingly small change has made a world of difference in the attempt to space out guests even further.

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From the second we arrived at Disney property, I felt extremely safe. Disney now requires you to wear a mask at all times when you are in public spaces unless you are stationary and actively eating or drinking.

I thought we'd struggle with not being able to grab a snack or drink on the way to our next adventure, but I found that this rule simply allowed us to take small breaks throughout the day. And with the capacity at Disney World only set to 35 percent, you don't feel the need to rush anywhere.

Disney has also implemented keeping groups 6- feet apart at all times, and you'll find physical spacers on the ground at the entrance of every ride and show.

Don't get me wrong. Disney isn't able to offer all the magic they previously could. At this time, there are no character meet-andgreets, no firework shows, no parades, no live shows, and no dining plans.

As with all things Disney takes on, they have gone above and beyond what was simply required of them to reopen. In all honesty, I felt safer at Disney World than I often do at our local grocery stores.

To some, those things are a gamechanger, but my advice is this: For all the things that Disney is currently missing, they've somehow found a way to make up for it. We thoroughly enjoyed the pop-up cavalcades. We'd see our favorite characters from a distance and were even able to snag socially distanced photos with them.

While the crowds were so low each day, we found things at every park that we've missed in the past.

Last year was hard on all of us, and if we can find small moments of happiness and create beautiful memories with our families, we should jump at those chances.

If 2020 taught us anything, it's that life is fragile. Grab some magic while you can!

If you are at all able to go to Disney World, I highly recommend going while park capacity is so low. You'll never feel crowded or rushed, and you can take in all the magic Disney has to offer in a way you'll never be able to again.

Zak, Lennox and Meagan Lowry enjoy a socially distanced trip to Disney World.

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Don’t Miss the Arkansas Quiz Bowl state finals April 24!

High school students from across the state will showcase their intellect in “Arkansas Quiz Bowl 2021” Saturday, April 24, beginning at 9 a.m. on Arkansas PBS and streaming at myarpbs.org/watchlive A total of 14 teams in seven conferences will compete in the state finals, which for the first time ever are being recorded virtually to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Quiz Bowl” is a celebration and recognition of scholarship that has been an Arkansas PBS tradition since 1985. In a series of questions, players must display their knowledge in literature, math, science, history, art, music and economics.

Let the story writing begin!

All kids in kindergarten through third grade are invited to write and illustrate a story for a chance to win cool prizes like this PBS KIDS Playtime Pad!

Submit stories to Arkansas PBS by

Friday, April 9, 2021

For more information, including rules and entry forms, visit:

myarkansaspbs.org/writerscontest 12 | 501 LIFE KIDS Early Spring 2021

Arkansas PBS invites you to a virtual community summit on literacy Tuesday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m.

FEATURING

n Dr. Charlotte Green, executive director for Arkansas Imagination Library and founder of Arkansas Preschool Plus. n Sandy Aguirre, early childhood director for Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA). n Jasmin Williams, senior project manager of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop.

REGISTER NOW myarkansaspbs.org/ssic Upon completion of the workshop, caregivers will receive one hour of PDR credit.

Sesame Street in Communities provides easyto-use tools for community providers and caregivers on the toughest issues children face, particularly on topics where there are few resources for young children. Since launching in 2015, Sesame Street and Communities has supported families on topics ranging from parental addiction to family homelessness – giving children the tools they need to build resilience and grow smarter, stronger and kinder. The resources, which include videos, storybooks, digital interactives, games and professional development resources, are available for free – in English and Spanish – at sesamestreetincommunities.org.

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Teamwork makes the

Dream Work

by Kellie Bishop

ur society is one of fast-paced, day-to-day schedules.

There are many more tasks to accomplish than there are hours in the day for most of us. The hustle of daily life often leads to a mentality of “I will just do it myself” because we do not have time to wait and see if someone else does something correctly.

However, when it comes to our children, it is crucial that we slow down and allow them to participate in the family’s daily tasks. As is the case with most important principles, the concepts of hard work and responsibility begin at home.

Most families now include working parents. Therefore, our children see us get up and go to work every day. Our children are watching everything we do and use our actions as the framework for what is appropriate adult behavior. Whether you work from home, outside the home, or are a stay-at-home parent and work within the home, it is critical to take pride in what you do and demonstrate integrity for your child. Although you may not be excited about work every day, it is important for your child to see you put in the work, have a good attitude and regularly perform to the best of your ability as this teaches them to work hard and be responsible — even when it is the last thing you want to do.

The primary job for a child should be school. The teacher is the child’s boss and the assignments given are their job tasks.

Encourage your child to keep up with their own work and do their best. Of course, as the parent, you should also know what is going on with your children’s schoolwork, but making your children feel as if it is their job to keep up with it gives them a sense of control, independence and builds their understanding of responsibility.

All jobs involve some type of teamwork. Even if you work at home by yourself, there is usually someone with whom you collaborate. Teaching teamwork from an early age is important and can be accomplished by encouraging your child to engage in team sports or other extracurricular activities that involve working with other children. In our current socially distanced culture, you can teach this concept within your home. How often have you told your child to go clean their room, only to find them playing with toys they started to put away an hour ago? Children are easily distracted, so helping your children, especially those of young ages, with tasks around the house will show them that teamwork is ok in accomplishing work.

I think all parents have reached the point of bribery at one point or another. You have told your child to put their laundry away what seems like a million times, so you finally say, “If you will put your laundry away, you can have an extra hour of screen time tonight.” We are probably all guilty of this and it is due in large part to our tendency to have too many things to accomplish in a day. While this tactic may work in the moment, over time we teach our children to perform work to obtain an award instead of for the sake of work ethic. Instead of bribing children, explain the importance of the work to them. We fold and put away our laundry so that we have clean clothes to wear. We wash dishes so that we have clean dishes from which to eat our next meal. This ideology will help teach children real-life motivation and instill the concept that work is necessary whether there is a reward or not.

We live in a busy, task-oriented society and are raising them in a region where they can aspire to any career they desire. These are just a few of the ways that we can instill good work ethics and teach kids about responsibility. These concepts can lead to what we all want our children to be: independent, hardworking adults who are productive and work with integrity.

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Keep kids active & healthy during COVID-19

By Chloe Short

Parents want the best for their child

when it comes to their overall mental and physical well-being. The recent pandemic increases these concerns for many parents regarding their children's development.

Gathering in large groups and interacting with those outside the immediate family causes risks to not only parents, but also their children. In times when meeting others face to face becomes risky, changes to typical life spur innovation.

Matt Spicer, a counselor at Central Arkansas Counseling, recommends children connect over FaceTime or other video chatting apps with cousins, friends, grandparents, and family members. He said this will benefit a child's social wellbeing greatly. Spicer said that his family explored their creative side when they chalked the driveway for a birthday, and they stay active twice a week by going on walking trails.

Spicer suggests parents “use technology as much as they can to keep their kids connected, to get their kids outside as much as possible, and really focus on being able to play with their kids.”

With numerous family outings being

canceled or restricted, many parents seek ideas on how to keep their restless children entertained. Children sitting in front of the television for lengthy amounts of time or staring at their digital devices need ways to express themselves creatively and athletically. These changes in typical life lead to innovative ways to maintain children’s amusement without technology.

Haven Betts, program director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Saline County, says basketball, soccer, and painting keep children in the program entertained and stimulated mentally and physically while following the CDC guidelines set in place.

Betts offered ideas for parents wanting to bond with their kids. “DIY STEM projects and DIY art projects [are activities] they can do as a family,” she said. “Parents enjoy it because it’s a way to connect with their kids. They are really easy to do at home with household items.”

Allie Nottingham, co-owner of The Painted Pig Studio, says getting kids off the screens and expressing their innovative side helps their mental well-being. Her studio allows parents the chance to engage their children through various crafts

offered in the shop or at home with their to-go kits.

“The pottery activities are definitely our most popular,” Nottingham said. “Within that medium, money banks and boxes are the most popular, as well as coffee mugs for mom and dad.”

Wellness checkups are a priority now more than ever due to COVID-19 limiting physical play and social interactions among children. Parents wanting a full assessment of their child’s development, both mentally and physically, need to request a wellness visit with their child’s next doctor's appointment.

“The wellness check includes a complete physical of the child, a complete head-to-toe exam and screenings about development and parent-child interactions,” said Teresa Kelley from The Children’s Clinic of Greenbrier. “We also do immunizations if they need those at that time.”

Kelly said many parents' concerns revolve around what they should do if they or their child must quarantine. She suggests following the CDC guidelines and taking necessary precautions when social distancing.

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