Staying Cool, Feeling Adventurous

Exploring our list of family favorites

when I start to solidify plans for family visits. Who Thanksgiving at our house? Will we be making an 18-hour Christmas? Last year threw all of those joyous of disconnect. Holiday traditions went by the stay safe and make it through without engaging me, it was a lot of watching bad Christmas rommy family get-togethers.

It finally feels like summer, as I’m now writing this letter in my office with the hum of our window-unit air conditioner (installed today) in the background. I don’t know about you all, but my summer is completely booked. Aside from a very long summer road trip, I fully plan on taking our little guy to visit some of the places and activities that won our 2022 Family Favorites! In the past, Townes and I have worked through lists of local places to visit like all the Toledo Metroparks, all the library branches and now I want to compile a list based on the best local to-dos as determined by our readers. Take a look at the winners, and let us know how your family enjoys these local adventures.

Townes, Matt and I enjoying the Crocodile Creek ride at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. You’ll find this story in our online series, “ Road Trips from Toledo” at toledoparent.com.

ASSIGNMENT EDITOR

Erin Holden (toledoparenteditor@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

WEARING UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS.

STAFF WRITER

Adams Street Media Co.

by Kimmie Rose

(July 23-August 22)

Jeff McGinnis (mcginnis@adamsstreetpublishing.com) reclaiming that connectivity with our family. In this about maintaining family ties, like our Digital app that promotes togetherness through cookIn addition to our annual Holiday Happenings pages with hopeful stories, including the feature builds community among mothers. help you navigate tough decisions that moms about, including the “breast is best” topic, with lopoints of view, plus resources to get you through postpartum adjustment.

This issue also announces the winners of our Disability Friendly Awards. See the results in our Exceptional Families column. For this year’s Maternity Guide, we focused on the oh-so-timely health concerns of moms-to-be and postpartum mamas with two of our features, and we also include a celebration of a local new mom, WTOL’s Zeinab Cheaib. From our food review and lists of new Toledo area family-friendly businesses to our exploration of the APA’s guidelines on social media use, it’s an issue full of helpful tips.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of this beautiful Midwest summer!

XOXO,

Erin Holden

Assignment Editor Toledo Area Parent

for tools to help you on your parenting journey know you’ll find inspiration in our November/

Wiggle Wednesday Kids’ Club is a completely free event held at the Franklin Park Mall from 11am-12:30pm in partnership with Toledo Area Parent. Featuring different forms of entertainment each week (the first one was hosted by STEAM-focused Snapology), it is a fun event that I look forward to sharing with Townes.

C11 Products is a cleaning product brand owned by a local entrepreneur. I discovered their sprays (safe for kids and pets) while at the Perrysburg Farmer’s Market a while back, and I have been loving their all-purpose cleaner in the scent Lemony Lavender. Browse their website, c11products.com, to learn more.

This month brings out the passion and creativity in your mysterious and sometimes quiet Scorpio child. Do you ever get that feeling that inside that mysterious mind is a creative genius? This is the blessing of being the parent of a Scorpio. Get closer to them by watching them discover their talents through experience. This month, Scorpios will illuminate their inner passions. Here’s a suggestion: pick up an art canvas, colored pencils, stencils, an apron, a table cover, paint, brushes and a sponge. Put the tablecloth over your table, and set up a creative space for them to express themselves. Scorpio children love to explore new things. Tell them that you just wanted to have some fun drawing, painting and that they can too. Leave it set up for a week and you will see them (on their own time) delving into their inner expression.

SEEING MY NIECES SMILE WHEN THEY OPEN PRESENTS!

Did you attend summer camp as a child? If so, where?

DIGITAL MEDIA Nate Light (digitalmedia@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Publisher/Editor in Chief Collette Jacobs (cjacobs@toledoparent.com)

NO. TRENTON, OHIO WASN’T A MECCA OF CAMP OPPORTUNITIES.

ICEBALL FIGHTS.

Co-publisher/Chief Financial Officer Mark I. Jacobs (mjacobs@toledoparent.com) CAMP STORER.

DIGITAL MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA Margot Jacobs (margot@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

WRAPPING PRESENTS.

Editorial Assignment Editor: Erin Holden (toledoparenteditor@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sagittarius

Happy birthday to your precious little Leo child! This will be an interesting time as your child will be bursting with energy. Have a birthday party that gets the energy moving so they can sleep well. This is a great time for physical activity, so a birthday party that involves tossing the balloons, tug-of-war or anything physical will help your child feel full of joy. WIth the beautiful weather in Northwest Ohio, there are so many outdoorsy activities that you can do right now. Another suggestion is a carnival party. This will surely be an exciting day for your little Leo. You can keep the party cost-efficient by going to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, where they have toys that you can pick up for gifts for less than $2!

Taurus Aries

November 22 to December 21

YES! I WENT TO A SLEEPAWAY CHURCH CAMP EVERY SUMMER, AND I ALSO ATTENDING BAND CAMPS (NO JOKES, 90S KIDS).

Copy Manager: Riley Runnels (riley@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

YES! MY HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT COUNCIL WENT TO CAMP STORER FOR BONDING.

Erin Holden, Amelia Roberts, Taylor Viers, Autumn Vasquez, Jeff McGinnis, Kimmie Rose, Kiera Jacobs, Julie Pompa, Mary Rose Kulczak, Lisa Alleman, Kimberly Feldkamp, Emily Remaklus, Laurie Bertke, Erin Schoen Marsh

Contributing Writers: Laurie Bertke, Erin Holden, Olivia Johnson, Sneha Kamath, Andrew Kersten, Kim Krieger, Mary Rose Kulczak, Penny Tullis Meeker, Julie Pompa, Emily Remaklus, Kimmie Rose, Riley Runnells

Advertising

SALES

Leo Virgo

(August 23-September 22)

Capricorn Aquarius

Suzanne Bell (sbell@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Advertising Sales Coordinator Libby Cassidy (sales@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Pisces

PREPARING ALL THE FAVORITE FOOD FOR FAMILY MEALS Gabrielle Huff (ghuff@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

I WENT TO BAND CAMP ON KELLEY’S ISLAND - SLEPT IN A CABIN BUNK BED AND EVERYTHING!

Account Executives: Amy Sheetz (amy@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

DECORATING OUR CHRISTMAS TREE AND HAVING CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH MY FAMILY Bonnie Hunter (bhunter@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Gemini Cancer

I DID SUMMER ART CLASSES AT THE TMA AND CAMPING WITH GIRL SCOUTS AT CAMP LIBBEY AND CAMP STORER. Gabbi Huff (ghuff@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

WATCHING MOVIES.

Jenny Leach (jleach@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

DECORATING OUR CHRISTMAS TREE WITH THE KIDDOS WAS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE! ALL GROWN NOW, SO MISS IT!

YES, AT UT’S REC CENTER. Bonnie Hunter (bhunter@ adamsstreetpublishing.com) CAMP STORER. Jenny Leach (jleach@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Art/Production

NO - WE WENT CAMPING BUT NOT SUMMER CAMPS.

Art/Production

Production Manager: Imani Lateef (imani@adamsstreetpublishing.com) CAMP STORER.

Lady-Comp Fertility Tracker - Ladies: since 2017, I have used this fertility monitor to both not get pregnant, and then to get pregnant. You take your temperature every morning with it, track your periods, and it will learn your individual cycle to a T. It’s not cheap, but I can attest to its effectiveness. More people need to know about it!

Shrinking (Apple TV) is one of my new favorite shows. Starring Jason Segel as a therapist who recently lost his wife in a car accident and is struggling to connect with his daughter. It’s a tragicomedy that will make you laugh until you cry, and sometimes you’ll just cry.

Your Sagittarius child was born with a curious mind and will always want to explore beyond Mom and Dad’s limits; however, they also want direction from Mom and Dad about what is, and what isn’t, good for them. They are the future teachers, scientists, researchers, and explorers. This month will offer you and your child the opportunity to grow together as they will be attached at your hip, watching everything you do and wanting to try it!

The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael - I picked this up at the Maumee library on a whim and couldn’t put it down. Raphael is a very thorough journalist who picks apart the unsavory practices of some in the booming wellness industry. Some supposed cure-alls often leave women feeling even more lost — and unwell — than they were before the words “self-care” and “wellness” entered our collective zeitgeist. Read it before you buy yet another salt lamp!

Also publishers of:

This month your Virgo child is going to want to tap into their intuition. I suggest some imagination exercises because imagination is the key to developing intuition. When planning your child’s birthday, let them feel with their mind! As parents, make an invitation list to teach them to connect with the people they feel the happiest with rather than the people they feel obliged to invite. An exercise for kids called “Love your Child’s Imagination” takes five minutes each day for three days doing an imagination exercise. Have your child lie down on a blanket with you, then ask them to close their eyes and imagine they are at their next birthday party and have them imagine that it is full of shapes and colors. Ask them what shapes and colors they are seeing, then ask them to sense them. Do they feel them? Do they smell anything? Do they hear anything? What do they taste, and what are the colors telling them? They will let you know, for instance, what they were chasing and you’ll know what kind of food and cake to have. Loving your Virgo child’s imagination is key to helping them develop future creative skills, and the party will be perfect because they created it with you.

Senior Designer: Leah Foley (leah@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

NO. MY PARENTS SHIPPED ME TO CALIFORNIA TO PLAY IN THE SUN AND SURF.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Imani Lateef (imani@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE.

Digital Media: Nate Light (digitalmedia@adamsstreetpublishing.com) CAMP MIAKONDA.

Web Manager: John Borell (jborell@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

SENIOR DESIGNER

Leah Foley (leah@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING .

Digital Marketing and Social Media: Margot Jacobs (margot@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

YES. I WENT TO AN ALL GIRLS SUMMER CAMP IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

Administration

Capricorn Aquarius

Libra Pisces

Administration Accounting: Robin Armstrong (rarmstrong@toledocitypaper.com) CAMP STORER.

Scorpio Sagittarius

ACCOUNTING

Robin Armstrong (rarmstrong@toledoparent.com) OUR FAMILY OUTING TO CUT DOWN A FRESH CHRISTMAS TREE.

Distribution: Karena Adams (distribution@toledocitypaper.com)

I WENT TO DAY CAMP AT ERIE MASON SCHOOLS

DISTRIBUTION

Karena Adams (distribution@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

Advertising/General Info

For advertising and general information, call 419-244-9859 or fax 419-244-9871. E-mail ads to adsin@ adamsstreetpublishing.com. Deadline for advertising copy 2 p.m. Friday before publication. Toledo Area Parent subscriptions are available by mail for $30 per year at Adams Street Publishing, 1120 Adams St., Toledo, Ohio 43604. One copy free per person per week; extra copies $1 each. Persons taking copies for any reason other than personal use are subject to prosecution.

Letters to the editor must be limited to 300 words, are subject to editing, and should include the writer’s full name and phone number. Any letter submitted to the editor or publisher may be printed at the publisher’s discretion in issues subsequent to its receipt. Entire contents © 2021 by Adams Street Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without written permission of the publisher.

ADVERTISING/GENERAL INFO For advertising and general information, call 419/244-9859 or fax 419/244-9871. E-mail ads to adsin@adamsstreetpublishing.com. Deadline for advertising copy 2 p.m. Friday before publication. Toledo Area Parent subscriptions are available by mail for $30 per year at Adams Street Publishing, 1120 Adams St., Toledo, Ohio 43604. One copy free per person per week; extra copies $1 each. Persons taking copies for any reason other than personal use are subject to prosecution. Letters to the editor must be limited to 300 words, are subject to editing, and should include the writer’s full name and phone number. Any letter submitted to the editor or publisher may be printed at the publisher’s discretion in issues subsequent to its receipt. Entire contents © 2023 by Adams Street Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without written permission of the publisher.

Audited by in Levis Commons.The Perrysburg location will teach students guitar, drums, bass, piano and vocals, while featuring classes for songwriting and performing. It also has several rehearsal spaces and two drum rooms. Perrysburg’s School of Rock classes follow a structure of one weekly private lesson combined with one group rehearsal. School of Rock Perrysburg, Chappel Dr. 567-698-7625 schoolofrock.com —SK

UToledo’s Ritter Planetarium reopens

Toledo Zoo introduces twin polar bears

On Friday, April 28, the Toledo Zoo introduced twin polar bear cubs, Kallik and Kallu, to the Arctic Encounter exhibit. Kallik and Kallu, two male cubs born November 11, 2022, are with their mother Crystal. According to Michael Frushour, curator of mammals, the cubs stand out among their counterparts and “may be some of the most fun and rambunctious cubs we have ever had here at Toledo Zoo.” The cubs can be visited daily from 10 am to 5 pm, or viewed on the Zoo’s YouTube channel. Toledo Zoo, 2 Hippo Way. 419-385-5721. toledozoo.org —SK

The Olander Park System Rebrands

Early this year, The Olander Park System changed its name to Outdoor Sylvania Community Parks to better reflect the five parks welcoming the community: Olander Park, Fossil Park, Sylvan Prairie, Whetstone Park and Southview Oak Savanna. The organization’s new tagline, “Explore more,” is accompanied by new branding colors and logo but the mission is the same. Outdoor Sylvania Community Parks allows the community to go outside and explore all the outdoors have to offer. For more information, visit outdoorsylvania.com. —OJ

DeWine proposes new Department of Children and Youth

On March 31, The University of Toledo reopened Ritter Planetarium to the public and introduced its new Digistar 7 state-of-the-art digital projection system. With this new system, the Planetarium is able to offer visitors an upgraded viewing experience, featuring higher quality, 4K imagery, as well as live-streamed events and shows from around the world.

Dr. Michael Cushing, a professor of physics and astronomy and director of Ritter Planetarium, shared the new possibilities afforded by the technology, stating, “now we have the ability to do things like fly through the rings of Saturn or take a tour of the Pleiades star cluster.”

The Ritter Planetarium experience includes a live guided tour of the Toledo night sky, an immersive, fulldome show, an open-ended Q&A session, and (weather-permitting) a visit to the Brooks Observatory to use UToledo’s Celestron 14 Edge HD Telescope. Ritter Astrophysical Research, 2855 W Bancroft St. 419-530-2650. utoledo.edu.. —SK

Maumee Valley Country Day School’s Lower School receives Eco Award

The Eco Elementary School Award reflects a school’s efforts to integrate nature into education and extracurricular activities and is presented by the Science Alliance for Valuing the Environment (S.A.V.E.) a nonprofit organization at Lourdes that develops sustainability programs for the Toledo area. According to Susan Perzynski, a S.A.V.E. board member, Maumee Valley was selected for the award based on several program aspects, including its commitment to ensuring students spend multiple hours outside each week, integration of outdoor and traditional classrooms, leadership opportunities for students and partnerships with local businesses and organizations such as Metroparks Toledo, Toledo Grows, Nature’s Nursery, MacQueen Orchards, area farms and the Butterfly House. Several individual teachers have also been recognized for their dedication to enforcing the Forest school philosophy, which is implemented in schools that consist of nature-based communities focused on learner-led outdoor play to encourage curiosity and exploration. To learn more about S.A.V.E. and Maumee Valley’s selection as an award winner, visit sciencealliancesave.org. —SK

This new department proposal is expected to be created in July 2023, and will help “reduce duplicative programs in state government while also increasing service delivery and administrative efficiency.” To execute these plans, the new Department of Children and Youth will combine resources from six existing state agencies including: Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), The Department of Education (ODE), Department of Health (ODH), Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Department of Medicaid (ODM) and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (ODMH).

The DeWine Administration has also clarified the new department’s three primary goals: (1) supporting Ohio families, (2) preventing child abuse and neglect and (3) preparing and educating children to ensure readiness for school and beyond. The budget for the proposed department will be sourced mostly from federal funding. Medicaid in particular will be an important funding element for the new department which will enhance the focus on children and the new department’s role in paying for healthcare services for more than 3 million Ohioans. Visit communitysolutions.com to learn more about Ohio’s new Children and Youth Department. —SK

The Imagination Press, an interactive art and apparel workshop, is now open at the Shops at Fallen Timbers. The store offers on-demand screen printing services and can produce a range of products from canvas prints to clothing. Guests can schedule special events for creative group experiences or to incorporate augmented reality (AR) with their printed creations. 3100 Main Street, Suite #1137, Maumee. 567-202-3150. Theimaginationpress.com —TCP

Just Toledo, a zero-waste community endeavor that helps people access cleaner products and make lifestyle changes to support a healthier environment, has opened a location downtown! Structured according to the “milk man model,” it is set up so that the price of each product includes a $3 refundable deposit that is repaid to customers when they return product containers. The environmentally conscious approach of Just Toledo applies to more than just its packaging and delivery methods—all products are made in small batches using natural, biodegradable ingredients. Just Toledo, 909 Jefferson Ave. justtoledostore@gmail.com justtoledo.net —SK

Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo Introduce Exergame Equipment

Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo recently introduced “Exergame” to its members, who now have the option to participate in this program that combines digital technology with physical exercise. The Exergame program features six stations that are appropriate for all ages and levels of fitness. Additionally, each of the Exergame stations help participants develop different exercise-related skill sets like hand-eye coordination, balance, strength-training and more. Members of the Homer Hanham Club (located at 2250 N. Detroit Ave.) will have daily access to Exergame equipment, while members of seven other club locations will schedule field trips to use the equipment. bgctoledo.org. —SK

Local Roots Juice Co. coming soon to Sylvania

Local Roots Juice Company is a healthy smoothie/ juice/food company built on the philosophy that “life is too short to not choose the donut.” Regardless of which foods you may prefer on a regular basis, you can count on them for healthy options that range from juice cleanses and superfood smoothies, to bowls and toast. In addition to their Perrysburg location, Local Roots Juice Co. is excited to announce the new Sylvania location at 5441 Main Street, which is expected to open by Fall 2023. localrootsjuiceco.com. —SK

The Mental Health Collaborative brings services to Toledo

On March 13, The Mental Health Collaborative opened to provide therapy and medication management services to the Toledo area through in-person and online treatment options. Co-founders

Chelsea Alberding, M.D., and Leah Reed, LPCC, have established a care team that consists of counselors and psychiatrists who are trained to help manage various mental health concerns. Mental Health Collaborative, 4041 W. Sylvania Ave., Ste. 202. 419-504-5624. Thementalhealthcollaborative.com —SK