April/May Valley Parent 2023 by Columbus and the Valley Magazine

Valley

Parent THERAPY DOGS HELP R E L U C TA N T READERS

SUMMER CAMP Guide W H AT T O DO WITH

Plastic Easter Eggs ENTER OUR

Fresh Faces Cover Contest

FREE April/May 23

YOU R LO CAL PA R E NTING R ESOU RCE

PAC K I N G F O R

Day Camp

Valley Parent 2 P A R E N T Parent

s the mother of two teenage daughters, my days of organizing their summers feels like an age away. Finding that happy medium between activities and downtime was a juggle with requests to sleep in in the mornings in high demand—they still are. I spent several years working at local schools and heading up the summer day camp activities. My summers went by fast and were filled with time spent with young children both familiar and new to me who arrived, for the most part eager, ready for the week’s activities. On the other end of the age range, I enabled teenagers to work as camp counselors giving them their first opportunities to manage groups of campers who were running on either high energy excitement or feeling out of sorts. I saw many young leaders emerging as they cajoled and encouraged their young charges to make the most of their day. Check out our camp guide and article on “What to Pack for Day Camp” to ensure that your camper is ready to go! I take exception to the adage, “never work with children or animals.” I can’t think of anything better. The phrase was coined by a film star not concerned with the potential antics, energy and potential chaos involved, but with the knowledge that animals and children will naturally draw attention and take away from the adult leading star. Our meeting and photoshoot with Jim Frokjer and his dog Zack at New Mountain Hill Elementary School prove that there’s immense value in animals working directly with children. While adults were present, their involvement was minimal and there to encourage the readers. Zack is a gift to the children and will leave them with memories of interacting with him and opening their minds to the wonderful world of books. Speaking of stars of the screen, we want your child to be OUR star! Our Fresh Faces Contest deadline is April 29. Every entry to date has me declaring everyone is a winner! Our judges will have a dilemma choosing six winners to feature on future issues of Valley Parent. Keep those entries coming in. See the ad on page 1 to learn how to enter. A big thank you to our readers for your support of our magazine. A big shout out also to our advertisers who enable us to provide this magazine free in print and online. The end of the school year is coming up fast. Happy planning for summer!

Jodi Saunders Editor & Publisher Like us on

Valley Parent Magazine

@ValleyParentMag

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM @ValleyParentMag

Editors/Publishers JODI & GERALD SAUNDERS jodi@columbusandthevalley.com

Advertising Sales KATHLEEN MITCHELL kathleen@columbusandthevalley.com MARGIE RICHARDSON margie@columbusandthevalley.com JULIE JERNIGAN, sales assistant salesassistant@columbusandthevalley.com

Graphic Design SIXTY TWO GRAPHIC STUDIO

Contributing Writers TANNI HAAS JULIE JERNIGAN JOHN ROSEMOND MEAGAN RUFFING

Photography RITCHIE WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

__________________________ P. O. Box 229 Columbus, GA 31902 706-324-6214 • fax 706-324-6216 www.valleyparent.com __________________________ VALLEY PARENT MAGAZINE is published monthly by Valley Life Ventures, LLC, dba COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZ INE, P. O. Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. The cover and contents are fully protected and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE. We are not responsible for loss of unsolicited inquiries, manuscripts, photographs or other materials. They will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage. Editorial contributions and letters should be addressed to VALLEY PARENT MAGAZINE, Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902. Copyright ©2023 by Valley Life Ventures, LLC trading as COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE. Subscriptions are available by mail for $25 per year. Call 706-324-6214 to subscribe. Postmaster: Please send address corrections to: Post Office Box 229, Columbus, GA 31902.

Member

Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, East Alabama Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau of West Georgia and East Alabama and Georgia Chamber of Commerce

Valley

t n e r a P

S E C A F H S E R F ntest o C r Cove

Want to be sure the judges take notice of your child’s photo? Here are a few helpful hints:

1. The cover of Valley Parent always prominently features a child’s

face, so be sure your child’s face is clearly visible in the photo you choose, i.e. no icing covered faces, no hats or masks that obscure the face, no strange facial expressions, no profile shots, etc.

2. The photos that readers send in are used for judging purposes only. The photos themselves will not be used on the cover, so do NOT choose a photo based on the interesting background, funny pose or artsy flair. None of those aspects will be considered. The judges look for a winning child, not a winning photo.

3. Send in a photo file large enough for print. File should be close to or over 1 MB (300 dpi for you techy types out there). Small photos are hard for the judges to see and impossible to print.

4. The judges know that the children chosen will need to do a photo shoot, so avoid shots that make your child seem brooding or shy.

Scan here to enter

5. Professional photographs are accepted, but not preferred.

In summary, send us a snapshot that allows the judges to see your child’s bright, cheerful face. It is the Fresh Faces Cover Contest, after all! Good luck and thank you for entering!

Send in y snapshot fo our child’s cover shot. r a chance at a We will cho ose six winners to a covers of V ppear on future alle online at V y Parent. Enter a or mail a p lleyParent.com hoto and th e form below. We can’t wait to see all you r cuties!

OFFICIAL RULES

To enter Valley Parent’s Fresh Faces Cover Contest, complete this form and send it along with ONE recent photo OR e-mail the following information • Send only ONE recent photo per child, age 13 and under. along with a digital photo. Sorry, photos will NOT be returned. Additional photos will not be considered. __YES! My son or daughter wants to be a Valley Parent Fresh Face! • Only one child per photo unless multiples. Twins, triplets, etc. Child’s Name _____________________________________________ should appear together. Child’s Birthday _______________________________ Age _________ • Prints or digital photos will be accepted but must be accompanied by Parent/Guardian Name _______________________________________ completed entry form. Photos should be 1 MB or larger. Address _________________________________________________ • Entries must be postmarked or received by e-mail by April 28, 2023. ________________________________________________________ Enter online at: Phone______________ e-mail address_________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ___________________________________ OR Children attend (circle one) public school private school homeschool MAIL ENTRY & PHOTOS TO: # of adults in household___ Mother works: full time part time at home Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, Fresh Faces Cover Contest • Valley Parent Magazine Father works: full time part time at home # of children in household___

ValleyParent.com

PO Box 229 • Columbus, GA 31902

April/May ‘23

VOLUME 18 NO. 2

D E PA R T M E N T S Birthday Party Guide John Rosemond Lessons Learned Family Fun Calendar VP Locations Valley Smiles

4 6 6 12 12 13

F E AT U R E S Therapy Dogs Help Relunctant Readers

Canines helping children gain confidence

What to Pack for Day Camp

Ensure your camper is all set to go.

Summer Camp Guide

Camp options for your child

Plastic Easter Eggs Get New Life

There are many options to use eggs beyond Easter.

ON THE COVER

On th

e Go?

Read every Valley Pa rent wher mobi e on your le de vices . Zack the dog, along with owner Jim Frokjer, assists New Mountain Hill Elementary students, Cervantes Bozeman and Emma Fogt with their reading. photos by Ritchie White Photography 2

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

Therapy Dogs HELP RELUNCTANT READERS

Jim Frokjer, Zack and Cervantes Bozeman look on as Emma Fogt reads out loud.

by Julie Jernigan • photos by Ritchie White

ake a step back in time and remember those early school days where your teacher would call on you to read in front of the entire class. Was that ever stressful or embarrassing for you? Praying you wouldn’t stutter over a word or mess up the pronunciation in front of your friends. What if you had a furry friend to lend a hand? Retired Army helicopter pilot and public school teacher Jim Frokjer had that same thought when he brought his dog at the time, Boomer, to see his friend in hospice care. A nurse approached him and asked if he had ever thought about training his dog to be a therapy dog. “I had no idea at the time what that term meant,” Frokjer said. “I had just retired from New Mountain Hill Elementary, where I taught fifth grade for 12 years, and I started doing research into how beneficial this could be in other places besides hospice.” He then joined Therapy Dogs International (TDI), the oldest therapy dog organization in the United States. Founded in 1976, TDI is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for

the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed. The organization was founded by a nurse named Elaine Smith, who noticed a visiting chaplain and his golden retriever making their rounds in the hospital. She noticed they gave out less pain medication and heart rates were lower when the dog visited. Thus, her idea formed. The organization continues today certifying over 24,000 dog-handler teams in all 50 states. There are 13 tests in the evaluation that dogs must pass. Some of the tests include being touched from nose to tail, lifting each leg and seeing how they react when separated from their handler. Growing up, Frokjer struggled with dyslexia—a learning disorder that makes it difficult to read. He thought it would be a great idea to return to his old stomping ground, New Mountain Hill, in 2007 to help students feel more comfortable reading with his furry friend, something he would have benefitted from in school himself. “Third grade is a pivotal time for reading,” he said. “From pre-k to third grade they are learning to read and fourth grade and up is MAY 2023 | Valley Parent

reading to learn. If they haven’t learned to read by then, they’re falling behind, and it will only get worse from there.” Several studies have found that students feel less anxious and more comfortable when reading with a therapy animal. They help confidence levels, reduce heart rate, blood pressure and improve reading comprehension. Frokjer has only ever used golden retrievers. As he puts it, they have two purposes: to make you happy and to spread hair everywhere. He started out training his dog Gus, who is 8, but is now showing signs of refusal lately. “He hides under the table in the dining room when it’s time to go, and I respect his decision because you don’t want to push them,” Frokjer said. Now, it’s normally just two-year-old

Zack that visits the school on Tuesdays and Thursdays with him. “He knows what day we see the children and gets so excited to leave,” he said. “He likes making his rounds to his favorite ladies in the office for treats and pets.” Frokjer begins each school year by just talking with students and deciding whether they would like to read with Zack by themselves or with a partner. It’s his goal by Christmas to have them read with a partner, though. “Most of them agree to read with a partner because as they put it: ‘I get to pet Zack for 10 minutes,’” he said with a laugh. Letting them work through word pronunciation is important to Frokjer. “I never critique, and I don’t step in to help unless they ask me to,” he said. “I’ll help them sound out the word, or they

The Perfect

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

A R

T Y

E D G U I

“Most of them agree to read with a partner because as they put it: ‘I get to pet Zack for 10 minutes.’” will do it without me. It’s such an epiphany to them to notice at the end of the year that they don’t need my help at all.” According to Frokjer, it’s recommended that students who participate in this program, read 10 minutes a week. By 10 weeks, their test scores will have increased by 10 percent at the minimum. Some parents were skeptical at first, but Frokjer lets Zack speak for himself. “Sometimes they wonder how a dog can teach their kid to read,” he said. “They’ll say, ‘My daughter has trouble reading, and a dog is the best thing you can do for her?’ I like to pull out Zack’s flashcards I’ve taught him and give a little demonstration because they’re smarter than you think they are.” Frokjer is a true volunteer who only wants to see the students succeed. “I don’t cost the county a penny,” he said. “My only paycheck is getting to see their faces light up when they can read on their own. I would recommend this program for other schools to adopt.” When Frokjer is not at the schools, he also visits Covenant Woods Retirement Community on Wednesdays with his dogs.

It’s where he can routinely go over the tests and evaluations to keep them up to date. You can also usually find him at Dog Gone Good Treasures in Pine Mountain on Fridays. If you want to learn more about therapy dogs, how to get started in a training program or see if there’s a chapter in your area, visit Tdi-dog.org. vp

MAY 2023 | Valley Parent

A F F I R M AT I V E PA R E N T I N G

Living with Children by John Rosemond, PhD Q: When we reprimand our 34-month-old daughter for something, anything, she begins to wail like we’re beating her. Whether we firmly redirect or simply say, “No,” she begins to wail like a banshee. The wail is piercingly loud, like a full-blown tantrum. She has now started screaming if one of us even looks disapprovingly at her. Shouldn’t she have outgrown this by now? Why is she doing this and what can we do to stop it? A: I have no idea why your daughter is wailing like a banshee when you correct her other than to say she has not yet learned to control her toddler nature, which is what “growing up” is all about. Some toddlers, by their third birthdays, have developed fairly good emotional control and some have not. (You may have noticed that even some 50-year-olds have not progressed beyond toddlerhood when it comes to their emotions.) Furthermore, children do not “outgrow” this sort of behavior; rather, their parents discipline such that they learn to stifle it. You can help your little one learn to put a lid on her tantrums by sending (or taking) her to her room or, better yet, some “neutral zone” in the house (e.g. a bathroom) when she has one of these

bipolar episodes. Simply tell her she can come out when she stops. Initially, she will probably emerge before she has stopped in which case you simply put her back with a gentle reminder. Calm persistence on your part should persuade the bipolar demons to leave and find another host. Q: Our 15-month-old eats well but shares his meal with the dog. He throws food over the side of his highchair just to watch the dog snarf it up. This is funny, actually, but he is tossing the dog lots of food, giggling the entire time. It’s like a hilarious circus act. We are also concerned that the dog will become overweight. Even though it’s hilarious (we try not to laugh, however), it needs to stop. How should we do that? A: The research, most of which has been done at the Little Rascals Institute for Worser Learning, finds that “feeding the dog behavior” facilitates bonding between child and dog. On the other hand, no harm will come of not allowing the dog in the dining area when the child is eating, and that will certainly be helpful in controlling the dog’s weight. As an option, consider letting your son feed chunks of dog food (or several gluten-free, non-GMO doggie treats) to the dog from the highchair; then, when sufficient fun has been had by both son and dog, remove the dog and feed the son. vp Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, parentguru.com. Copyright 2023, John K. Rosemond

Lessons Learned

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

WHAT TO PACK FOR

DAY CAMP by Tanni Haas, PhD

ou’ve found a great day camp for your kids, signed them up, and are getting them ready for all the fun ahead. But what should you pack for them every day? Drawing on my own experiences as a seasoned parent of day campers, I’ve compiled the following list of things to pack.

BACK PACK Buy a lightweight yet durable and roomy back pack, like fabric or nylon. It’s useful if it has many compartments, so that you can put different items in different places, including an outside pocket for the water bottle.

FOOD & SNACKS Kids need lots of energy for the many camp activities. Pack one or two sandwiches and some healthy snacks in case they get hungry before and/or after lunch. Put all the food in a thermal bag so that it stays cool and fresh all day.

SUNSCREEN

PLASTIC OR ZIPLOC BAGS

Sunscreen is important to protect your kids from sunburn. Teach them how to apply it properly. As with insect repellent, you don’t want them to get it in the eyes, ears or mouth. Apply it in the morning before they leave for camp and encourage them to reapply during the day.

Pack a couple of plastic bags or, even better, Ziploc bags. These are great for any wet items like swimsuits or towels.

BASEBALL CAP & SUNGLASSES

WATER BOTTLE Pack a reusable water bottle, ideally in an easily accessible compartment. Put the bottle in the freezer overnight so that it stays cool and fresh all day.

WINDBREAKER

It can get hot, especially if they’re spending much or all the day outside. Shades and a hat will keep them cool and comfortable.

It can get chilly later in the day, even if it starts out warm and sunny. Pack a lightweight windbreaker or a hoody. Both will protect your kids against any rain.

PLAYING CARDS

INSECT REPELLENT & ANTI-ITCH CREAM

Sometimes, the campers will spend an hour or more on a bus en route to a destination. Playing cards can help your kids connect with other campers and pass the time in a fun way.

A day in the park or in woods can be a nightmare if they don’t have insect repellent. If they get bitten, anti-itch cream will help relieve any discomfort. MAY 2023 | Valley Parent

HAND SANITIZER & WET WIPES Let’s face it: Kids get dirty, especially if they’re spending a lot of time outside. Pack some hand sanitizer and wet wipes and instruct them on how to use it properly and frequently.

SWIMMING GEAR Many day camps include weekly trips to the pool or the beach. Always have swimming gear packed: bathing suit and cap, goggles, a towel and water shoes.

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION If your kids are young, give the camp counselors any prescription medication to carry. If they’re older, they most likely would want to carry the medication themselves.

...AND A LITTLE SURPRISE Once you’re done packing, put a little surprise item (a favorite snack, an I-love-you note) in a place where you know your kids will look, like in the lunch box. It’ll put a smile on their faces and ensure they have a great day. Finally, label all of their things including their lunches. Day campers are often asked to take out their lunches and put them in a communal box, which is carried by one of the camp counselors. It can be difficult to tell which lunch belongs to who if it’s not labeled. vp

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

2023 CAMP GUIDE BTG LEARNING READING AND MATH CAMP Cost: $115 per week 762-208-5048

Ages: 4 to 12 years old Dates: May 24 – August 4 btglearning.com/camps/summer-break-camp

A fun filled day camp with hands-on activities that make learning fun. This academic learning program teaches children that each subject has a real-world value and demonstrates using the skill in your child’s daily life.

JUST BREATHE FOR KIDS SUMMER CAMP Cost: $200/session Ages: 5+ Dates: June 5 – 23 706-804-0505 justbreatheforkids.com/summer-camp There are three different sessions of this mindful day camp. Each day will be themed with activities and projects that will be specifically designed in alignment. Children will practice in a nurturing, supportive, non-competitive space where they are inspired to strengthen their bodies and minds while working individually and within groups to be the best versions of themselves.

NIM KIDS SUMMER CAMP Cost: $175-200 Ages: 6-14 Dates: June 5 – July 14 706.685.2614 NationalInfantryMuseum.org Day camp filled with great activities designed to promote teamwork, teach Army values and have fun. There are five weeklong sessions for campers of varying ages and experience.

SPRINGER THEATRE ACADEMY Cost: $145-$595 Ages: 5-18 Dates: June 5-August 4 SpringerOperaHouse.org/Summer-Academy-2023 This day camp is a safe place for kids to imagine and express themselves. At the Academy, the subjects they teach naturally provide an opportunity for students to develop skills such as cooperation, resilience, confidence and self-discipline. The skills needed to be successful onstage nurture the skills needed to be successful in life. They offer age-appropriate instruction based on the most recently completed grade level of new and returning students.

ST. ANNE-PACELLI CATHOLIC SCHOOL’S CAMP VIKING Cost: $150/week

Ages: 3 years old through 8th grade Dates: May 30 – July 28 706-561-8232 BeAViking.com/Summer-Camps

Come along a Viking voyage at Camp Viking. Enjoy weekly themes that incorporate arts and crafts, fitness, games and more. This day camp offers parents flexibility—kids can attend all eight weeks or just the weeks you need. Participants do not have to be St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School students.

MAY 2023 | Valley Parent

PLASTIC EASTER EGGS GET NEW LIFE

by Meagan Ruffing

pril showers bring May flowers, right? Well, yes, but the month of April also brings a ton of plastic Easter eggs that somehow make their way from our kids’ Easter baskets to every crevice of our homes. We love them when they’re all wrapped up in pretty cellophane and in one place (on the store shelves), but after they’ve been filled with candy, hidden, hunted and played with, what’s next for these kid-loving plastic eggs?

USE EMPTY EGGS AS COUNTERS. Grab 10 eggs (or more) and write the number one on the bottom part of the egg and the number one on the top part of the egg. Follow this pattern all the way up to number 10 (or higher if you use more eggs). Separate the eggs and mix them up. Have your child match the tops and bottoms together by numbers. (One goes with one, two goes with two, etc.) This fun game helps with number recognition and fine motor skills. The snapping together of the two shells allows your child to use their hands to ensure the egg snaps together. You could also try this with the alphabet for letter recognition.

MAKE YOUR OWN MARACAS. Grab a bunch of eggs and fill each one with something different. For maracas, think of filling two eggs with dried beans. Be sure to run a piece of tape around the egg to stop beans from flying out when your little one starts shaking them. For a longer lasting set of maracas, use a hot glue gun to seal the top and bottom of the egg together.

PLAY A FUN GUESSING GAME. Put rice in one egg, peanuts in another egg, skittles in another, cotton and basically anything small that can fit inside. Shh! Don’t let your child see what you’re hiding in the eggs. Have them shake them to try and guess what’s on the inside.

EMPTY PLASTIC EGGS MAKE GREAT BATH TOYS. Think about it. They’re cheap, easy to clean, and what kid doesn’t like filling things up with water while taking a bath? Throw a couple of eggs in the tub at the next bath time and watch your child’s eyes light up. Their imagination will go wild with turning their eggs into submarines or even rocket ships. They can pour water from one half of the shell into the other and for younger kids you can reiterate the words, “empty” and “full” 10

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

depending on whether or not there is water in that half of the egg. These eggs will also float so the next time Barbie decides to take a dip during your daughter’s bath, tell her that Barbie needs to hang onto the ‘life raft,’ aka ‘egg’ to stay afloat! To clean the eggs after a couple of bath time adventures, spray them with a little bleach water and let dry.

FILL THE EGGS WITH CLUES Who says egg hunts have to be about Easter? Gather up those eggs and fill them with clues. Each egg will hold a piece of paper inside with a note to find the next egg. For example, “Go to the place where you hang your backpacks up.” Fill and hide as many eggs as you’d like and fill the last egg with something special like a quarter or a handmade ‘IOU’ for a Happy Meal. Your kids will get a kick out of running around the house like investigators, and you’ll enjoy watching them work as a team to solve the next clue. You could do this in the house on a cold and rainy day or outside in your yard on a beautiful summer day. Instead of dreading the number of eggs your kids will inevitably collect over Easter, use these ideas to make fun memories with your children. You never know, your kids might also come up with some of their own! vp

MAY 2023 | Valley Parent

Calendar APRIL 8, 15, 22, 29 Presidential Explorer Excursion Train

Passengers ride in air-conditioned vintage train cars from Georgia Veterans State Park to Lake Blackshear to Plains and Archery, Georgia. In Plains, explore President Jimmy Carter’s hometown, go shopping and sample peanut butter treats. From there, the train travels to President Carter’s boyhood home farm at Archery. Coach, Deluxe and Premium seats are available on all trains. Info and ticket packages: SamShortline.com

8 Astronomy Night at Providence Canyon with the Coca-Cola Space Science Center

Beginning at 8:30 p.m., Dr. Rosa Williams will open with a presentation highlighting spring constellations and interesting celestial objects. Then (weather permitting) they will move to set up around the field to take a closer look at planets Venus and Mars, as well as “dark-sky” objects like the Orion, Cone and Owl Nebulas; the Beehive and other “open” star clusters; and globular cluster M3. Cost: Free Info: CCSSC.org

29 Chattahoochee Valley Libraries Book Festival

The Columbus Children’s Book Festival returns to the Chattahoochee Valley with five best-selling authors and illustrators of children’s books. This family-friendly literary event takes place at the Columbus Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost: Free Info: CVLGA.org

MAY 7 Midtown Getdown

A Sunday afternoon park concert at the Lakebottom Band Shelter, featuring local musicians, food and fun. A great family outing! Cost: Free Info: MidtownColumbusGa.org/midtown-get-down

12, 13 Uptown’s RiverFest Weekend

To kick off the 2023 RushSouth Whitewater Park season, Uptown Columbus is hosting RiverFest weekend. The entire community is invited to participate in weekend-long events. Festivities will be held in Woodruff Park and along the Dillingham Street Bridge. It brings 50+ food, beverage and arts vendors to Woodruff Park, along with live music acts throughout the weekend. Cost: Free Info: AlwaysUptown.com/riverfest

6-13 A Superhero For All Seasons presented by the Springer

Twins Shadow and Shine are celebrating their birthday with their favorite Superhero Seasons—winter, spring, summer and fall. But when the twins disrupt the natural order of things to try to celebrate during their favorite time of year, Earth can’t orbit, the Sun doesn’t know whom to warm and none of the seasons make sense! Presented in partnership with Columbus State University’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center in the Omnisphere Theater, this production will introduce young audiences to the science of seasons and help us remember that everything has its own time and place. Cost: $12 children over 3; $15 adults Info: SpringerOperaHouse.org

20 Barks and Blues Music Festival presented by Paws Humane

This festival will feature live entertainment to include five local and regional bands, food trucks, beverages and arts and crafts vendors. Cost: Free Info: BarksandBlues.com

31 Memorial Day Mini Camp at the National Infantry Museum

Join the NIM for an afternoon full of games, hands on activities, fun facts, tours, refreshments and more. For ages five to 11. Cost: $10 Info: NationalInfantryMuseum.org/nim-kids

See more local events at ValleyParent.com 12

Valley Parent | MAY 2023

Valley

Parent THERAPY DOGS HELP R E L U C TA N T READERS

SUMMER CAMP Guide

FREE April/May 23

YOUR LOCA L PA R EN T IN G R ES OUR C E

PAC K I N G F O R

Day Camp

Pick up your copy of the latest Valley Parent at one of these convenient locations:

W H AT T O DO WITH

Plastic Easter Eggs

Imagination Station Too International Friendship Ministries Joyful Journeys Childcare Academy Dance Center Just for Kids Acute Care Express Kool Smiles All About Kids Learning Center Mark Lawrence, DDS Devica Alappan, MD La Bella Party and Tea Angel Academy Lil’ Rascals Resale & Boutique Aranas & Stitt, OB/GYN Little Angels Child Dev. Ctr. Bare Ware Pottery Little Paws Preschool Basilio Pediatrics James Lopez, DMD Behavioral Health Partners Thomas Malone, MD Bluebelle Artist Market Mathnasium The Blushing Brunette Boutique Mica’s Child Development Ctr. Julie Braddy-Roberts, MD Mickayla’s Place Regina Carpenter, MD Midtown Medical Center Center Pharmacy Midtown OBGYN Central Christian Church Mildred L. Terry Library Central OBGYN My Gym Chambers OB/GYN Necco Foster Care Ritu Chandra, MD North Columbus Library Chick-fil-a Bradley Park Northside Recreation Center Childcare Network (Hamilton Rd) OBGYN Associates Clement Arts Lirio E. Palmos, MD Columbus Children’s Dentistry Panvelkar & Panvelkar, MD Columbus Clinic Pastoral Institute Columbus Museum Pediatric Rehab Columbus Pediatrics Pediatrics at Brookstone Ctr. Columbus Public Library Phenix City-Russell County Library Columbus Regional Family Practice Pierce Chapel Methodist Preschool Columbus Roberts Center Polka-Dots Early Childhood Dev. Ctr. CSU Elizabeth Bradley Turner Ctr. Preppy Pets Curves for Women (Phenix City) Project Launch Curves for Women (Veterans) Puddle Jumpers Child Enrichment Ctr. Dinglewood Pharmacy Rising Star Child Development Ctr. Divine Childcare Learning Ctr. Rivertown Pediatrics James Dorchak, MD Russell County DHR Easter Seals Second Avenue Animal Hospital Miranda Y. Edwards, MD Jeffrey Serff, DMD Fairview Baptist Preschool Smile Doctors The Family Center Smiths Station Baptist Church Family Physicians of Columbus Smiths Station Pharmacy First Baptist Church Child Dev./PC St. Francis Gift Shop Foot & Ankle of West Ga. St. John AME Church Fort Benning Housing Services St. Luke Early Learning Ctr. Fountain City Coffee St. Mark UMC Child Dev. Ctr. Generations Knowledge & Care Ctr. Lisa Alexander Strickland, DMD Goo Goo Car Wash (Manchester Exp) Summerville Baptist Preschool Great Beginnings Child Care Sylvan Learning Center Greystone Falls Nora Tan-Ngo, MD Greystone at Columbus Park Toni’s Dancing Studio Greystone Inverness TSYS Childcare Center Growing Room Uptown Pediatrics Growing Room Too West Georgia Pediatrics Hollywood Connection Wynnton UMC Pre-school Imagination Station ZÖe Pediatrics Distribution sites committed at press time.

ENTER OUR

Fresh Faces Cover Contest

Valley Smiles Send your photos and captions to ContactUs@ValleyParent.com. Connor Regan, 10, and Amelia Regan, 7, went to the Stranger Things experience in Atlanta for Connor’s birthday.

Lola Beth James and Noah ManningHunter competed in the IKC Challenge Martial Arts Tournament. Lola Beth placed in sparring, forms and weapons. Noah placed in forms and sparring. They both attend Won’s Martial Arts Academy.

Pepper Taylor with parents Jenn and Zak celebrated her first birthday with a “Pretty in Pink” themed party.

Vinya Sri Renjarla, 2, liked her family’s visit to Toccoa Falls.

Sallie Ann Singer, 6, donned her party dress and wrist corsage for the Daddy-Daughter Dance at Calvary Christian School with her dad, George. Adriti Shrivastava was excited to celebrate 100 Magical Days of School.

Mikaela, 9, Noey, 10, Vivian, 10 months, Jack, 7 and Wilkes Myers, 3 meet their new cousin, two-month-old Clara Riddle.

Amelia Regan, 7, was on all dressed up for the DaddyDaughter Dance at Harris County High School.

MAY 2023 | Valley Parent