Columbus Parent Magazine June 2010

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june 2010 free copy Central Ohio’s trusted resource since 1988

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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Creature Facts

Education Corner

• Manatees are marine mammals; they breathe air, have hair on their bodies and drink milk from their mothers.

• Manatees live in the warm waters of Florida and the surrounding area.

• Manatees love to eat plants! They spend up to 8 hours a day eating and will eat 60 different kinds of plants. Make a list of how many different foods you eat in one day.

• New at the Zoo: Guided Walking Tours Ask at the front gate for details • Teacher Workshops -Exploring Adaptations -Endangered Species For more information and to register email: teacher@columbuszoo.org

Meet the 4 new manatees at the Columbus Zoo’s Manatee Coast exhibit.

Bartlett, Hamilton, Fraulein, Tippecanoe The Columbus Zoo helps manatees in the wild. To learn about our new manatees and how they were rescued visit “Your Zoo Around the World” at www.columbuscreaturefeature.com

More, • Teachers: For Classroom Activities & m re.co eatu tureF Visit: www.ColumbusCrea

Manatees

Upcoming Zoo Events

Home Activities

• Father’s Day: June 21

• Mystery Animal Puzzle • Map Riddle • Manatee Trading Card

• Enrichment Day: June 26 • Military Family Free Days: June 28-July 4

Find these activities and more at

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Find the 4 basic things that Manatees and all living things need in their habitat.

S F T H Z WB Y P O B H A L E A F T B F M Y E L G T E T Z S I I N L WE C V P S M U F K T R D A WD D O O F K E C Y F Z N D P O A E R I F H L M Q M Q S Y Z Y J D Y V V S V O U Q W F O J R A C L V T L

Color the Manatees

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For More Creature Feature Fun, Games & Activities Visit:

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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June 2010

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june 2010 free copy Central Ohio’s trusted resource since 1988

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Viewpoints

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Pediatric HealthSource Summertime safety

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Plugged in Parent Computers and camp

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Family Getaways Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands

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Making the Grade Summer school blues

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The Dad Files If I had to do it over

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Sports Doc Ask kids open-ended questions

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The BAG Lady Laurie’s picks for summer fun

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Fast Food Vegetarian-friendly soup

In our community 47

Out & About Family calendar

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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Editor’s Note It’s time for summer fun

Short takes 8

Seen & Noted Trends, tips and resources

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In the News A briefing for busy parents

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Family Media Great reads from the Columbus Metropolit an Library

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Newest & Neatest Fun and functional reviews for families

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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editor’s note | staci perkins

It’s time for summer fun!

Summertime. The kids are out of school for threeeeeeee looooooong months. Uh oh, now what do we do? Don’t fear — our annual Summer Fun Guide is here!

This issue is packed with budget-friendly places to go, things to see and do, and ways to keep your sanity until school begins again.

Math in the sun anyone?

Let’s start the month by celebrating dads! Take a look at the one on our cover. As co-host of the number-one rated Morning Zoo on WNCI, Dave Kaelin makes his living by telling funny stories about his family — among other things.

Every morning when I drive to work, my radio is tuned into the Morning Zoo radio show. I can’t think of a better way to start the day than by laughing hysterically.

Awhile back, Dave’s cohost Jimmy pulled a stunt on the entire Kaelin family by bringing a live turkey into their home. Funny as a listener, but if I was D ave’s wife Carrie — trying to get the lunches packed, kids

dressed and out the door — I’d be having words with him later. Which we learned on the show the next day, she did.

And that’s why I love him. The Kaelins are a normal family. They look for ways to keep their sanity while struggling with the everyday havoc of raising teens. A perfect story for Father’s Day. Also in this issue, we’ll take a look at a misunderstood and often misdiagnosed affliction called selective mutism (SM). This heartwarming story told by the mother of a child with SM will clarify what it is, how it’s treated and how families and teachers can help children overcome it.

So, yeah, this issue’s a keeper. Plan your summer vacay, give Dad a good read, look for fun stuff to do in your own backyard. It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy.

june online at columbusparent.com Monday

Tuesday

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The Morning Zoo’s Dave Kaelin

Does anyone have an experience with surrogacy?

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What is selective mutism?

Thursday

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Fun on the cheap

Friday

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Summer Fun Guide features

June’s issue online: Log on ever y day for new stories! + Summer travel

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5 steps to a more rewarding summer with teens

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6 ways to teach kids to live fearless, authentic and successful lives

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Kids’ consumption of medications for chronic illness on the rise

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Life in the slow lane: Find peace and comfort at home

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Is handwriting history?

Looking for a job?

Websites are goldmines

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5 financial baby steps for expecting and new parents

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Make travel a breeze this summer

11 Family strengthens bond through Habitat for Humanity

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When mean girls go digital

+ Summer travel

10 ways to stay sane on a family vacation

Summer tips from a teen advocate

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Go on an unplugged road trip

What moms are s aying ...

Wednesday

Students recognized at Penny Harvest year-end event

Top 10 internships in the U.S.

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Plan now for your next job opportunity

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Understanding your child’s bad mood

Summer safety tips

ONN’s Parenting Project Watch an article come to life! Tune in to ONN’s Parenting Project each Wednesday and log on to our w ebsite for extended web interviews.

Log on and speak up!

Go online and enter to win items marked with the WIN icon!

Have something to s ay? E-mail ColumbusParent@ThisWeekNews.com 6

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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june 2010 Volume 22 | Issue 6

Published by ThisWeek Community Media editor | staci perkins retail & online sales manager | veronica lynagh design and production | annie steel retail account executive | theresa kauser (740) 888-6021 retail account executive | karen laney (740) 888-6022 marketing coordinator | alexis perrone dicken (740) 888-6075 online production | liz warren classified advertising manager | doug abdelnour (740) 549-2200 classified account executives | louann taylor, brittiny dunlap & paul krupa (740) 888-5003 circulation | (740) 888-6100 special thanks | margo bartlett

Columbus Parent Magazine 7801 N. Central Dr. Lewis Center, OH 43035 fax: (740) 888-6001 columbusparent@thisweeknews.com www.ColumbusParent.com

Columbus Parent Magazine is available free of charge at more than 800 locations in central Ohio, including libraries and Kroger stores.

The opinions and views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Columbus Parent Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts, press releases, etc.

Columbus Parent Magazine has been registered with the state of Ohio. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content is prohibited.

All real estate advertising herein is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familiar status or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis.

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seen and noted | staci perkins

Restaurant reviews from a mom’s point of view

KidsEatOut.com is an informative new website that offers restaurant reviews on the Columbus dining scene from a “mom’s point of view.”

The site is the creation of stay-at-home mom Dawn Scheurle who loves her life at home, but enjoys having meals at family-friendly restaurants. “Loving dining out is one thing. Loving dining out with kids in tow, now that’s another!”

KidsEatOut.com was created to help get the most out of dining out by answering questions such as, does the restaurant have changing tables? Highchairs? Kids’ menus? Healthy options? At KidsEatOut.com, visitors can browse restaurants in the Columbus area, select one, and see just how kid-friendly it really is.

In a section of the site called KidsDealDays, is an extensive list of restaurants,

sorted by days of the week, that offer discounts and free kids’ meals in the Columbus area. A section that reviews places to go for a coveted date-night or girls’ night out also is on the website, with information on patio seating and happy-hours. Sign up for their newsletter and get updates when new restaurants are added.

Skate for Hope For the past three years, Pickerington resident and Tussing Elementary student Molly Frey has been involved with Skate for Hope, an annual figure skating show that has raised more than $275,000 for breast cancer research. On Saturday, June 19, at the Nationwide Arena, 100 local skaters will join current national champion and Olympic figure skaters to present another beautiful and inspirational show. In addition to performing in the annual event, 10year-old Molly has raised awareness of the disease and funds for breast cancer research. Almost immediately after her friends told her about the event, Molly began to focus on how she could help. “I like participating in Skate for Hope because it allows me to support an effort that I believe in with my love for figure skating,”

Molly said.

According to Molly’s mother, Renee, “Skate for Hope has been an incredible experience for our entire family. Molly dedicates her performance to her great-aunt Sandy, a 20-year breast cancer survivor. We didn’t realize how much we would grow and learn from this experience. It has truly been a team effort.”

Molly skates at least twice a week throughout much of the year. “Molly just lights up on the ice,” Renee said. “But even so, Skate for Hope has really instilled in her an understanding of the severity of breast cancer.” Skate for Hope aims to put the disease on ice, permanently. To purchase tickets and for complete information, visit www.skateforhope.org.

Program addresses childhood obesity Stretch-n-Grow is the world’s leading fitness and nutrition program for kids.

Its goal is to help parents and educators lay a foundation for healthy lifestyles and positive attitudes toward well-being. They strive to teach as many children as possible the fundamentals and benefits of exercise and nutrition at a

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

young age — before most habits are formed.

Erika and Carlos Jimenez are parents and the owners of Stretch-n-Grow of Columbus. They are both certified youth fitness instructors, educated in exercise for young children.

Both Erika and Carlos have a genuine love for children and are dedicated to

improving the quality of life for future generations. They brought Stretch-n-Grow to Columbus in November, 2008, and are dedicated to getting as many children involved in this program as possible. For more information, visit www.Stretch-nGrowColumbus.com.

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Start summer with family and fitness The Family & Fitness 5K walk will be held in H illiard on Sunday, June 27. Step and Stride will be organizing this event with a focus on exer cise and fun! The goodie bags will be over the top with samples, T-shirts, water bottles and coupons. After the walk will be music, L uke the Juggler showcasing juggling and balloon sculptures, plenty of food and Romeo’s Pizza will be ser ving up pizza.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Walkers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items that morning to fill the available boxes.

Step and Stride is always encouraging young people and families to exercise. As always, the fee for those y ounger than 18 is only $5. The cost for adult walkers is $25. Visit www.stepandstride.com for more information.

Photo courtesy of Family & Fitness 5K walk

K.I.S.S. Your Kids (Kohl’s Is Sold on Safety)!

For the second year, Nationwide Children’s Hospital presents K.I.S.S. Your Kids (Kohl’s Is Sold on Safety!), an award-winning safety campaign, supported

by Kohl’s Department Stores. K.I.S.S. Your Kids provides free books with safety games and puzzles, plus tips to help prevent injuries and leading causes of death for kids.

Activity books are available free at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Close to Home Centers, central Ohio Kohl’s stores and the Nationwide Children’s website. Kids can enter to win prizes through quarterly coloring contests ( June, September and December remaining in 2010). Coloring pages are found in Columbus Parent Magazine, ThisWeek Community

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Newspapers, Kohl’s stores and on the website during contest months.

Find more information at www.NationwideChildrens. org/KISS, contact the program coordinator at KISS@NationwideChildrens. org or (614) 355-0679.

Send press releases to: June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

I Know I Can promises nearly $300,000 in financial aid to nine outstanding Columbus City Schools (CCS) seniors in its inaugural I Know I Can Founders’ Scholarship.

For over 20 years, I Know I Can has been providing students with financial aid in the for m of $1,200 grants, averaging a total of $1.3 million per y ear.

While these important grants will continue, this first ever I Know I Can Founders’ Scholarship will award up to $10,000 to cover unmet financial needs for college to select CCS college-bound seniors. The scholarship is renewable for four years.

One hundred sixty students applied for the scholarship, and nine recipients, representing seven high schools, were chosen based on select cr iteria, including their demonstrated financial need for college.

Since 1988, I Know I Can has provided students from Columbus City Schools the advice, counsel and financial support they need to achieve their dr eams of earning a college degree. For more information about I Know I Can, visit www.iknowican.org.

ColumbusParent@thisweeknews.com. Please submit releases by the fifth of the pr eceding month.

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feature | melissa kossler dutton

The Morning Zoo’s Dave Kaelin: Laughter and limits

T

he Kaelin household is loud, silly and a little crazy.

It’s a bit like the Dave & Jimmy morning radio show on WNCI (97.9 FM). That’s no surprise since Dave Kaelin has a lead role in both productions.

Kaelin, a father of three, works hard at both places

ColumbusParent.com

to keep the laughs coming.

But at home, he also dedicates himself to raising his children — Abigael, 20, Emily, 17, and Jacob, 15 — with his wife, Carrie.

Despite his demanding schedule and unusual job, Kaelin said his family is not that different from any others in the neighborhood. “I don’t feel any of our experi-

ences are any different from anybody else’s,” he said. The kids “don’t care (about my job) until a good band comes to town.”

Even then, his son Jacob isn’t all that impressed. “I don’t get any perks out of it,” Jacob said. “I don’t like concerts.”

Jacob said he and his sisters try to distance them-

selves from their dad’s job and don’t discuss his career with friends. “None of us bring up our father,” he said. “We try to keep him away from our social lives.”

It’s not that they’re not proud of him. They just want to do their own things, Abigael added. “We all pretty much found our own ways,” she said. “They

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

raised us to just be ourselves.”

Although bits and pieces of their lives make their way into the radio show, the Kaelin kids said they don’t worry about what their dad will say. “Nothing really embarrasses me anymore,” Abigael said, but she still has not forgotten the time that her dad talked

about separating her from a “cute boy” while chaperoning a school dance.

Often when he talks about fatherhood, Kaelin said he “takes a grain of truth and turns it into something that will be embellished with steroids.”

Although he’s occasionally recognized when he’s out in public, he tries to

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keep his family life as normal as possible. That normalcy is often challenged by his radio show partner Jimmy’s tendency to play practical jokes on the family. Past pranks have included painting the Cleveland Browns logo on their front yard, letting a turkey loose in their house and sending radio staff members to ring their doorbell in the wee hours of the morning.

Still, Kaelin attends his kids’ school events and sports matches just like any other dad. Carrie is a regular volunteer at school.

The kids are not regular listeners to the show, they said. Carrie recalls tuning in while driving the kids to school. When the kids were younger, she would change the station if the discussions became inappropriate. “I kept my finger on the button,” she said with a laugh.

Kaelin tries not to let his job impact his family life, said longtime friend Jim Augur. “The kids are just kids,” said Augur, who has two daughters. “Are they perfect? No. Are my kids perfect? No.” Kaelin downplays the celebrity aspect of his job, said Augur’s wife, Kandi. “He’s not the radio personality when he’s at home or you’re out with

Columbus Center

— DAVE KAELIN

them,” she said.

People who come to the house expecting the zaniness of the radio show are disappointed, Carrie said.

“It’s pretty boring. I think there have been friends (of the children) who thought it would be different,” she said. In fact, Carrie and Dave are the kind of parents who call other parents to check up on their kids and forbid their teenagers to ride in cars with friends who have just gotten their licenses.

“Mom and Dad are not the cool parents,” Abigael said. You can’t be their friend, Carrie explained.

“You’ve got to be parents.

You’ve got to set boundaries.”

“Mom and Dad are very good at their job,” Emily added.

That’s not to say that there’s not a lot of joking, laughing and ribbing going

on in the house, Emily said.

“There’s a fine line,” she said. “We know not to cross it.”

The family spends as much time as they can together. They like family dinners, watching movies and traveling. And they do get loud and silly, Carrie said. “I’m just always embarrassed.”

An outing with the Kaelin family is always a fun time, Kandi Augur said.

“They’re all extremely creative people. There’s never a dull moment.”

Melissa Kossler Dutton has worked as a reporter for more than a decade. She's a frequent contributor to a variety of Ohio publications. She lives in Bexley with her husband and two sons.

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“I don’t feel any of our experiences are any different from anybody else’s,” he said. The kids “don’t care (about my job) until a good band comes to town.”

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feature | jill c. gross

Selective mutism:

When the words won’t come out I will never forget the day I realized why my 7-year-old son Jacob stopped speaking.

He was diagnosed with the social communication anxiety disorder known as selective mutism (SM).

He was not choosing or “selecting” not to speak, he physically could not speak.

He once told me he felt that the words were stuck in his throat and couldn’t come out.

When Jacob was home, he was loud, funny and active.

It broke my heart every time I dropped him off at school and a boy stepped out of the car who was so frozen with fear and anxiety that he could not speak.

For the next eight hours he became a mime who would shake his head yes or no, write questions in a notebook, and if he got hur t he would “act out crying” but not a sound would come from his mouth. This went on for two years.

Family and friends would come over, people with whom he used to speak freely, and the words were stuck. As soon as our company would leave, I had my son back. Well-wishing people would try to bribe him, force him and beg him to speak. I later learned that if a selectively mute child feels an expectation to speak, this only heightens the anxiety and makes it worse.

My mother and I attended a conference on treating selective mutism in Jenkintown, PA., held by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum, president and director of the Selective Mutism Anxiety Research and Treatment Center (SMart Center).

When I returned home I was so excited to put what I learned into practice.

We were very blessed with two amazing teachers who were Jacob’s guiding hands during school hours. Brenda Haddox and Susan Martin,

Bookshelf The Ideal Classroom Setting For the Selectively Mute Child, by Dr. Elisa Shipon-Blum My Friend Daniel Does Not Talk, by Sharon Longo Selective Mutism Resource Manual, by Maggie Johnson and Alison Wintgens

Websites: www.selectivemutismcenter.org www.selectivemutism.org

ColumbusParent.com

A drawing and excerpt from Jacob’s story ab out himself titled “The Kitten Who Lost His Purr.” both teachers with Pickerington schools, were incredibly patient and understanding — which is crucial to SM recovery. They paid close attention to Jacob’s progress and didn’t pressure him to speak.

Jacob viewed himself as “the kid who didn’t speak,” which is how many SM children are comfortable and why they stay in this patter n if left untreated. They learn to adapt through non-verbal communication. Parents and teachers can enable this behavior if they do not encourage the next step. I’m talking about encouraging, not forcing. The selectively mute child needs to feel in control.

My son’s journey began with whispering to his teacher, provided they were the only two in the r oom. As the year progressed, he began to whisper in her ear while other people were in the classroom. She became his “verbal intermediary.”

By the end of the second grade, he felt very comfortable with Mrs. Haddox. It was crucial for her to help Jacob with the transition to third grade. She introduced Jacob to his third-grade teacher, Susan Martin, at the end of second grade to help ease the anxiety.

Susan created a Star Wars talking club and even created club cards. As Jacob felt more comfortable with his teachers and classmates, he would take them individually outside the classroom and whisper to them. Once he was able to do this they w ere in the Star Wars club. This gave Jacob a sense of accomplishment and his peers cheered him on.

Eventually he was able to whisper loud enough to be heard by his teacher and classmates. During that same year, I wanted Jacob to use his voice inside the classroom, but I knew he wasn’t ready to speak in front of a live audience. He agreed to video tape himself

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

reading his oral report and show it to the class.

However, it was crucial that his peers not embarrass him by making a big deal about his talking. While the video was playing he looked uncomfortable, but was smiling because it was one step closer to speaking.

According to recent studies, roughly one in 1,000 children has been referred for SM mental health treatment. The true number is possibly much higher because of the families who don’t seek treatment.

Unfortunately, many children are misdiagnosed with autism, mental retardation, or labeled as being “just shy.” The lack of awareness and knowledge of this disorder is profound and is leaving many parents frustrated.

More importantly, it leaves many children silent.

When looking for a therapist or a pediatrician, ask about his or her treatment philosophies and goals. If a doctor responds by saying

her goal is to make y our child speak, keep looking. If a doctor’s goal is to determine what is causing the anxiety, to increase your child’s self-confidence and to focus on the whole child, you may have found someone who “gets it.”

To interact with an SM child, have the child shake his or her head to answ er yes or no. Give him or her tools to communicate (pen and paper or whiteboard).

Take the focus off the child by talking about something with which he or she is familiar. “Tell me about your pet,” for example.

Rehearse asking questions. Write them down so your child can read them to someone if he or she feels comfortable. Ask a younger child what sound a cow makes. The more the child interacts, the more the child believes in himself.

Selective mutism is different from person to person and setting to setting. For example, your child may

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YOU COULD WIN!

Summer Coloring Contest June 1–30, 2010

…when you K.I.S.S. Your Kids with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Kohl’s Department Stores! K.I.S.S. (Kohl’s Is Sold on Safety) is a seasonal safety program that features Coloring Contests and FREE fun Safety Activity Booklets.

®

HOW TO ENTER: The 2010 SUMMER contest runs June 1 – 30, 2010.

1. Color in the picture and neatly fill out the entry form.

2. Take your picture/entry form to any central Ohio Kohl’s Department Store Customer Service Counter by June 30.

4. You will be given a participation ribbon and a free, fun Activity Booklet at the Customer Service Counter, while supplies last!

5. Entries will be judged in the month following the contest deadline. Prizes will be awarded to entries from each store. Nationwide Children’s Hospital will notify award-winners.

PRIZES: First: $25 Kohl’s Gift Card and a Free Bike Helmet. Second: $10 Kohl’s Gift Card and a Free Bike Helmet.

Third: a Free Bike Helmet.

Helmets must be picked up at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and fitted for safety.

HOW TO GET A FREE ACTIVITY BOOKLET WITHOUT ENTERING: Activity Booklets will be available to anyone (regardless of entering) at Kohl’s Customer Service Counters throughout 2010, as well as at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Close to HomeSM Centers, while supplies last!

4366

"

Name of Artist: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Age: _________

FOR MORE INFO: about safety, this contest, or to obtain an Activity Booklet in a foreign language translation, go to: www.NationwideChildrens.org/KISS or contact KISS@NationwideChildrens.org or call (614) 355-0679.

Parent or Guardian: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________ State __________________________________________Zip Code _________________ Phone Number: ( ____ )

Email: ________________________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: All pictures become the property of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We cannot be responsible for lost or illegible entry forms, so please write neatly!

®

Date_____________ Parent/Guardian Signature ____________________________________

14

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

speak to you at home, but not in a restaurant. Your child may speak to his sibling, but if another child to whom he hasn’t spoken enters the room, then he may not be able to speak.

On the last day of third grade, Jacob, Jacqualyn (his twin sister), his brother Jordan and I were the only people in the hallway of his school. I knew Jacob was ready because he told me so.

I said “Jacob, do you want to say ‘hi’ right now?” He smiled and for the first time his voice was heard in the hallway. He has never stopped talking since!

Jill C. Gross is a single mom going to school for graphic design. She lives in Pickerington with her three children: Jacob (9), Jacqualyn (9) and Jordan (7).

Suggested activities Go to ColumbusParent.com for suggested activities for parents and children struggling with selective mutism.

Photo courtesy of the Gross family

Jacob’s “frozen” look in second grade.

Photo courtesy of the Gross family

Jacob with his second and thir d grade teachers, Brenda Haddox and Susan Martin, of Pickerington schools.

The Key To Your Child’s Future Did you know that there is a positive association between music lessons and higher school grades and scores on achievement testing in mathematics, spelling and reading?

The Conservatory of Piano offers introductor y classes for preschool ages 3 to 6, beginners ages 7 to 10, and adults; private lessons for all ages are always available.

register by july 9 for summer sampler classes! excellence in piano instruction is our only business.

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209 north hamilton road, columbus 614.755.2424 60 old west wilson bridge road, worthington 614.436.6076 www.conservatoryofpiano.com

ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

15

pediatric healthsource | nationwide children’s hospital

Summertime: Having fun while staying safe Playgrounds, swimming pools, playing at the park — summer comes with many outdoor activities for kids.

While it’s important to encourage kids to live an active lifestyle outside, it’s equally important for parents to understand how to keep their children safe and avoid injuries. The same places where children have fun can pose risks for danger if they are not supervised properly. Understanding where these risks are will help parents take the proper steps to keep their child safe.

Swimming is a summer favorite. Unfortunately, 800 children die each year from drowning. Therefore, it’s imperative that proper safety precautions are taken around the pool. Children should always be supervised by an adult when they’re swimming. The adult should be within arm’s length of young children and nonswimmers to reach them

quickly, and should always give their full attention to the child in the pool.

Playgrounds are another great place for children to play. Most injuries at playgrounds are the result of falls; the most common injuries are broken bones, bruises, cuts and sprains.

Parents should avoid playground equipment that is installed on hard surfaces such as concrete, blacktop or grass. Instead, play equipment should be installed on softer surfaces like wood chips, rubber surfacing or sand. Parents also should fix areas where children might trip, like tree roots, and check for spaces where a child’s head could get stuck. Spaces should be smaller than 3.5 inches, or larger than 9 inches in width and length.

Here also are a few home safety tips that parents can Parents should not mow learn to keep their child safe in his or her own back- lawns while children are outside. Objects like rocks yard: or sticks can be ejected from the mower, causing injuries. Children should be older than 12 before they are allowed to mow lawns, and they should be superSM vised.

Children should not be allowed near barbecue

Watch Pediatric HealthSource at 5 p.m. on Thursdays on 10TV News HD. Pediatric HealthSource shares the latest treatment and research advancements from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

16

Skin protection

As the weather warms up, most of us are spending more time outside. And although some people enjoy soaking up the sun’s rays for a summer glow, a tan actually means the skin has cellular damage. Long-term effects of tanning include wrinkles, leathery skin, brown age spots and skin cancer. It’s important for parents to understand the damage that tanning can cause and teach their children proper skin care practices early.

Sunscreen should not be applied to infants younger than 6 months. Babies must be kept out of the sun whenever possible.

■ For children 6 months and older, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 that protects against UVA and UVB rays.

■ Sunscreen should be applied about 30 minutes before a child goes outside to ensure that a layer of protection forms over the skin.

■ Reapply sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours. Also reapply after a child has been swimming or sweating.

■ Sunscreen should be applied even on cool, cloudy days. UV rays can travel through clouds and cause unexpected sunburns.

■

Dealing with a sunburn grills. An adult should always stand by the grill while cooking.

Summer is an enjoyable season that brings opportunities for many fun activities. Families can enjoy the outdoors while reducing the risk of potential injury — ensuring the summer season is both fun and safe.

Nichole Hodges, M.P.H., C.H.E.S., is the coordinator for the Home Safety Program at the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She is a certified health education specialist and has a master’s degree in public health from The Ohio State University.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

When kids get sunburned, they may seem fine during the day, but develop an “after-burn” later. They usually experience pain and may even feel sick. The skin may begin to peel a few days after the sunburn. Remember, sunburns can and should be avoided, but in the event of a sunburn, here are a few tips:

Do not scratch or peel off loose skin or pop blisters — the skin underneath a sunburn is vulnerable to infection.

■ A child should be kept in the shade until the sunburn is healed. Additional sun exposure will only make the burn worse.

■ Apply pure aloe vera gel to the areas that are sunburned. It relieves pain, cools the skin and helps it heal more quickly.

■ A topical moisturizing cream can be applied to the skin to rehydrate it and help reduce swelling.

■ If the sunburn is severe and blisters develop, call your doctor.

■

ColumbusParent.com

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ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

17

in the news | dispatch media group

Trying to foster change

The leader of the county Foster Parent Association wants to broaden the group by breaking away as a nonprofit

By RITA PRICE The Columbus Dispatch Sit in Gregg Oberlander’s kitchen long enough and he might make you cry. “There’s just a ton of stories up there, and I like to tell them all,” the Reynoldsburg father said, nodding to a wall busy with the framed photographs of more than two dozen children. Given the time, “I never fail to have people in tears,” he said with a smile.

But Oberlander doesn’t just aim to pull emotional strings. He wants to tug hard enough to make change.

And foster parenting — not its heart, but its structure — could use some new direction, Oberlander thinks.

That’s why he and his wife often are willing to try emerging, and occasionally controversial, approaches, such as opening their home to the biological parents of a foster child so everyone can work together. And that’s why he wants the Foster Parent Association of Franklin County to work differently, too.

Oberlander is now the president of the 46-year-old association, which, according to its bylaws, is open only to foster providers who are licensed through Franklin County Children Services. That leaves out more than two-thirds of the foster homes that care for Franklin County’s abused and neglected children. The majority of foster parents now work through private agencies that contract with

Courtney Hergesheimer | Dispatch

Gregg Oberlander watches as his adoptive son prays before lunch in front of a backdrop of photos of some of Oberlander’s past foster kids. the county.

Oberlander said he thinks the association should include them all and become a nonprofit organization that can raise money and operate independently, forging a less-cozy relationship with Children Services.

He envisions a thriving support group that could someday include camps for the kids, workshops for parents, retreats and education.

“There’s just a lot that foster parents can learn from each other,” he said. “But we’ve become an organization that no one is happy with.”

But Children Services, and some association members, are wary about the creation of a broad-based association. Members who work for different agencies naturally would compare notes

about pay rates, perks and policies, they say. And the agency likely would rethink its financial support if the association were open to members who work through other foster organizations.

Children Services now pays for the association’s annual banquet, provides child care during meetings and sponsors some conference attendees. “If they were to branch off and become, for lack of a better word, a company, then our responsibility to them would change,” Children Services Executive Director Eric Fenner said. “I want them to proceed cautiously.”

Others agree that Franklin County needs an organization devoted to education and support for all caregivers, who are dealing with

a fast-changing and difficult field. “Adoption, kinship, respite, foster — we’re something different than we ever were,” said Dot Erickson, a longtime foster parent and trainer who serves on the board of the Ohio Family Care Association, a policy organization. “Families are really isolated from each other, and they don’t have a good advocacy picture,” she said. “There’s a big proprietary issue with agencies.”

For the Franklin County association to change, members would have to approve new bylaws. Melvin Gravely, a member who also has served with the National Foster Care Association, said there’s no consensus yet.

“We have a common mission,” he said. “The question is putting it together.”

Social-networkers can be easy targets

By CHUCK STRICKLER WBNS-10TV Social-networking websites have been a godsend for many groups: college students eager to maintain ties with family and friends back home, hobbyists seeking to connect with those who share sometimes-obscure interests, business owners looking for prospective employees and new customers. And, unfortunately, scammers.

Facebook user Elana Rivel said she was stunned to find out someone was impersonating her online. A friend from college tipped her off. “He said that someone had sent him a chat message from me on Facebook and through my e-mail account that said I was in London with my family and I had been held up at gunpoint,” Rivel said.

The friend suspected that Rivel’s account had been hacked and that her plea for money was fraudulent.

Because he immediately contacted her, Rivel was able to close her Facebook and e-mail accounts before further damage could be done. Others aren’t so lucky.

Within the past year, 9 percent of those who use Facebook or another social-networking site have experienced some form of abuse, including identity theft, online harassment or a malware infection, according to Consumer Reports’ recent “State of the Net” survey. Many of the problems appear to have stemmed from user naivete. As a result, the magazine came up with a list of common Facebook mistakes: ■ Using a weak password: Avoid simple names or words you can find in a dictionary, even with numbers tacked on the end. Instead, mix upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols.

■ Leaving your full birth date in your profile: It’s an ideal target for identity thieves, who could use it to obtain more information about you and gain access to a bank or credit-card account.

■ Overlooking privacy controls: For almost everything in your Facebook profile, you can limit access to only your friends, friends of friends, or yourself.

■ Posting your child’s name in a caption: Don’t use a child’s name in photo tags or captions, and, if someone else does, delete it.

■ Mentioning that you’ll be away from home: That’s like putting a “no one home” sign on your door. Wait until you get home to describe your awesome vacation.

■ Letting search engines find you: To help prevent strangers from accessing your page, go to the Search section of Facebook’s privacy controls and select “Only Friends” for Facebook search results. Be sure the box for public search results isn’t checked.

■ Permitting youngsters to use Facebook unsupervised: Although Facebook limits its members to ages 13 or older, younger children do use it.

The Dispatch Media Group is committed to keeping you up-to-date on the latest parenting trends, pediatric health developments, and childsafety issues. Here, we summarize in-depth reports recently produced by The Columbus Dispatch, WBNS-10TV, ThisWeek Community Newspapers, and ONN—the Ohio News Network. Count on these news organizations—along with Columbus Parent Magazine—to provide the information you need to make smart parenting decisions in an increasingly complicated world. To see the full versions of the stories in this section, go to ColumbusParent.com.

18

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

MAKE IT A WOW! FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!

Save the Date

What A Movie!

August 14, 2010

with Buzz Fitzgerald

Learn how to unlock all of your child’s potential at the annual Columbus NAACP sponsored event:

Back to School Stay in School.

You’ll receive: • Inspiration from a Renowned Speaker • Informative Workshops • Food • A Family Fun Day Event • School Supplies w/book-bag • A Special Gift

For more information or to RSVP call

614.464.1108 or visit

Check Out Reviews Of Current WOW! OnDemand Movies!

www.columbusparent.com/calendar REVIEWS COMING UP IN JUNE:

www.columbusNAACP.org

Shutter Island June 2-8

When in Rome June 23-29

The Wolfman June 9-15

Alice in Wonderland June 16-22

Hot Tub Time Machine June 30-July 6

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Don’t have WOW? Go to wowway.com or call 1-888-715-4719 today!

ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

19

Teens report on bad habits

By CHARLIE BOSS The Columbus Dispatch There may be trouble on the horizon for Franklin County’s eighth-graders: More are regularly drinking alcohol, and fewer are exercising or learning outside of school than they were three years ago.

The results are part of the 2009 Primary Prevention Awareness, Attitude & Use Survey released last month.

“We probably can see across the country that it’s a struggle for middle-grades students,” Columbus Superintendent Gene Harris said. “I think (the reason is) really simple: ‘I’m between. I’m growing physically and psychologically. I’m trying to grow up, and I also have tendencies to want to be pr otected.’ It’s really a struggle in those middle grades.”

Officials can’t tell whether eighth-graders’ responses to the survey are a blip in the data or a tr end. Only eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders were surveyed this time because of a drop in donations and federal grants last year.

Students in grades six through 12 had participated in the survey — administered every three years — since 1988.

Nearly 32,700 students throughout Franklin County took part in this year’s survey. Highlights include: ■ Regular alcohol consumption has dropped to 21 percent for sophomores and 37 percent for seniors, drops of

3 points and 1 point, respectively. Drinking among eighth-graders, however, is at 8 percent, up 0.4 point from three years ago.

■ Cigarette smoking slid to 11 percent for sophomores and 17 percent for seniors, down more than 1 percentage point for each group. Five percent of eighth-graders said they’ve smoked — up 0.3 point fr om three years ago.

■ Marijuana use among eighth-graders remained the same at 5.5 percent. It rose to 15 percent among sophomores and 22 percent for seniors. Those are 1 point and 3 point increases for those grades.

Bob Bowers, CEO of the Education Council, also noted results that showed students involved in extracurricular programs were less likely to use dr ugs and alcohol. “The big message is that the prevention programs do work,” he said. “If you teach kids early and continue to wor k with them on the dangers of dr ug, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana, the amount of regular use will continue to decline.”

The council runs the Safe & Drug Free Schools Consortium, which oversees the survey.

The report released last month gives total results from students in 16 public districts and 28 private schools, but each system received a breakdown about its student body.

All responses were anonymous. Officials at several districts said they are reviewing the results.

At Grandview Heights, fewer eighth-graders reported regular use of drugs and alcohol in 2009 compared with previous years, Superintendent Ed O’Reilly said. But more 12th-graders are drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana and cigarettes than in previous years. “When you’re a small school district, when you have classes under 100, percentages get skewed quickly,” he said. “But when half of your (12th-grade) class is reporting regular use of alcohol, that’s something we have to talk about with the community.”

The district has revamped policies and rolled out programs in response to past surveys, including an annual camp for seventh-grade leaders that promotes a “no use” message. Chase Parrier, now a senior at Grandview Heights High School, attended the Winners Choice camp about five years ago and can still recall the messages from high-school and college students. “It makes a big impact, especially in middle school where you are so influenced by everything,” he said. “That’s that time of your life when you are trying to fit in whenever y ou can. ...

“It is a much bigger impact when someone 18 or 22 talks about their experiences about drugs and alcohol, whereas where you hear it from a teacher or guidance counselor, you kind of tune it out.”

Ohio credit unions to b oost student loans 11 institutions unite to commit $1 50 million to offer options for financing educ ation

By TIM FERAN The Columbus Dispatch Eleven Ohio credit unions have formed an alliance to commit $150 million in affordable student loans to college-bound Ohioans. The alliance, Ohio Student Choice, has a combined membership that covers the state. The credit unions have committed at least 1 percent of their assets to student lending.

“The lack of private student lending in the market is forcing Ohio’s future leaders to delay or even v acate their goal of earning a college degree,” said Paul Mercer, president of the Ohio Credit Union League.

“As lending institutions with capital on hand, credit unions cannot sit idly by.”

Over the past 15 years, the gap between what

20

scholarships and federal loans cover and the actual cost of college has increased, says the College Board, a not-for-profit association. In 2010, the average college student will receive $7,800 in federal loans while attending a public institution, the College Board said.

However, the average cost of tuition is $15,200. To fill that gap, college students take out additional loans. In 2009, such loans added up to $112 billion, and the total is expected to rise to $135 billion by 2012.

But many banks are expected to scale back on their lending in the next few years after a federal law takes effect that will end government subsidies to banks and other institutions that process student loans.

Although the law will

expand the amount that the federal government allots directly to student loans, a gap between tuition and students’ ability to pay is likely to remain, creditunion officials said. “With many lenders pulling out of the secondary market, credit unions started asking themselves, ‘Where are these students going to turn?’” said Sharon Custer, CEO of BMI Federal Credit Union.

It’s not the first time that credit unions have gotten involved in student loans, said student-loan expert and college-planning author Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the FinAid website. “It’s probably going to be an ongoing trend.

Even though students are better off borrowing from federal loans first, there is

lot of demand for student loans, currently outstripping supply.”

The credit-union loans could be a good addition to federal loans, but “always plan on federal loans first,” Kantrowitz said. “Federal loans are easier, they’re cheaper and (they) offer a lot of options if you run into financial difficulty.”

“There’s always been a myriad of places to borrow money,” said Ryan Fleming, a member of the National Association of College Funding Advisors who works at Eagle Financial Solutions in Gahanna. “This is another factor, and I like that they are trying to give people other options. In every case, I would encourage people to understand the terms and conditions and to start planning for the

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

costs as soon as possible.”

Ohio Student Choice officials say that loans will feature competitive interest rates, no origination fees, flexible repayment options (including deferment while in school), the ability to secure financing throughout a student’s undergraduate career, and electronic loan delivery and disbursements directly to the schools.

“We’re looking forward to it,” said Mike Dorsett, senior vice president of lending at KEMBA Financial Credit Union, one of the 11 members of Ohio Student Choice. “To say we were not in student lending before would not be true, but it was on a very small scale.

With this program, we will commit $15 million over the next three years, beginning

this year. We’re very optimistic that this is needed.”

Credit Union Student Choice, a credit-union service organization based in Washington, D.C., will assist the credit unions with loan processing. Students will deal directly with participating credit unions. “We hope these young adults will enjoy the benefits of credit-union membership and remain members throughout their lives,” Dorsett said.

More credit unions might join the alliance, he said. “I think demand will dictate that. I wouldn’t be surprised if other credit unions down the road jump on and want to help as well.”

ColumbusParent.com

2010

summer

fun guide ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

summer fun guide | melissa kossler dutton

Columbus is full of opportunities for inexpensive fun Photo courtesy of Easton/Steiner + Assoicates

Kids play in the fount ain at Easton Town Center.

Interested in livening up your summer vacation? Look no further. Columbus Parent Magazine has your guide to fun on the cheap.

We interviewed travel experts, moms and bargain hunters to help you find ways to have a gr eat time without going broke. Locating the best deals and fun oppor tunities requires a bit of research, the experts said. But it’s time well spent.

The experts recommend reading newspapers, reviewing event calendars and visiting the w ebsites of area attractions. Here are suggestions of where to start looking for good times in town.

Membership has its privileges: Consider buying a membership to the C olumbus Zoo and Aquarium, COSI or other central Ohio attraction. The more you visit, the more you save. Most organizations also offer members special discounts, free parking or other perks. Plus most have reciprocal agreements with similar attractions in other cities or states — allo wing you to visit those sites for free or at a reduced cost.

Check the calendar: Many central Ohio organizations have event calendars that list hundreds of free or inexpensive family activities.

ColumbusParent.com

Travel specialists recommend visiting the calendars often because new events are added daily.

Can’t miss calendars: http://www.columbusparent.com/live/content/calendar.html http://www.experiencecolumbus.com/eventcalendar.cfm http://consumer.discoverohio.com/calendarsearch.aspx http://www.ofea.org/events

Become an in-town tourist:

ances. The free programs are open to all children. http://srclub2-prod.columbuslibrary.org/ http://events.columbuslibrary.org/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp?Lib=ALL&dt=sd

Explore area parks: The Columbus Metro Parks also offer a wide v ariety of free programs. Activities include walks and hikes, lessons about wildlife and craft projects. Many parks also feature shelter houses for picnicking or lodges for explor ing and learning about nature. http://reservations.metroparks.net/programs/

Visit your local convention and visitors bureau and pick up fliers geared for tourists. Let your children select attrac- Check out neighboring towns: tions that appeal to them. F ind special bargains geared to Most central Ohio cities offer interesting one-time and visitors by logging on to Experience Columbus’ website ongoing programs for residents through their recreation (www.experiencecolumbus.com), clicking on Play Here and departments. Non-residents can often participate as well. then selecting Special Offers.

Visit the websites of cities near you to find out what activities are offered. Activities range from sports teams to sports Head to the library: lessons to craft classes to drop-off programs for older children.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library offers hundreds of Be sure to check out cities like Westerville, Dublin and activities every summer in conjunction with its S ummer Reading Club. During the program, which runs from June 5 Groveport that have recreation centers. http://www.dublin.oh.us/recreation/ to July 31, the library branches offer events ranging from http://www.westerville.org/ animal visits to science experiments to musical perform-

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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Photo by Will Shively

Kidspace at COSI Columbus. http://www.groveportrec.com/

Visit a factory:

Central Ohio is home to several manufacturing plants that offer tours of its Find festivals and facilities. You and your famifairs: ly can watch workers make Join friends and neighAnthony-Thomas candy, or bors in celebrating the whistles at the American tomato, banana splits and Whistle Corporation in much more at some of Columbus. Other tours are Ohio’s many festivals. available within a short Almost every weekend durdrive. ing the summer you can find http://factorytoursusa.co a festival or fair within a m/ short driving distance from http://www.americanColumbus. Most cost little or whistle.com/index2.html nothing to attend. http://www.anthonyhttp://www.ohiotraveler.c thomas.com/ om/Ohio%20Festivals%20an d%20Events.htm

Pick your own:

Hang out at a playground:

Take the kids to a far m to pick strawberries, blueberries or other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Kids will love to sample warm fruit fresh off the vine (just be sure to pay first).

Visit community parks and neighboring schools to see what fun stuff is on the playgrounds. Have your kids keep a log of the playgrounds they visit and devel- Go bargain hunting: op a ranking system of the Give the kids a few dollars best equipment. and take them to neighborhood garage sales. Have the

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

kids pull out a map and locate the sales. Then ask them to plan your driving or biking route. The exercise will teach them the value of budgeting and reusing items.

Get wet: Check out area parks and places with water features for kids to play in. O ur moms-in-the-know recommend Easton Town Center, Ballantrae Park (6350 Woerner Temple Rd. in Dublin) and Earlington Park (5660 Dublinshire Dr. in Dublin) It’s also fun to check out community swimming pools in neighboring cities.

Most pools sell day passes for non-residents.

Host goofy Olympics: Ask your kids to help come up with a list of silly sports challenges and invite the neighborhood kids over to participate. Have kids

ColumbusParent.com

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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25

JOIN THE ADVENTURE!

One-Week Sessions for Campers Grades 1-5 Our goal for each camp session is to create an awareness and connection with nature in the urban setting. Experience woodlands, fields, mudflats, wetlands and discover fascinating wildlife throughout this Scioto Greenlawn Important Bird Area (IBA).

Learn about ways to restore and conserve the environment in your own communities.

Abby King Camp Director

• • • • • •

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YOUR OHIO HISTORY Welcome to

Visit us at the Ohio State Fair

Coming this summer to Ohio Village:

July 28–August 8

NEW! Saturdays in the Village

Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival

Saturdays, June–July On the hour from Noon–3 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, September 4–5 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

This summer, spend a Saturday in Ohio Village where special programming translates to family fun. Interact with fascinating people from Ohio’s past as they share their entertaining tales during Echoes in Time Theatre and among the historic, sometimes peculiar, treasures of Ohio Village.

Take in two days of family fun at the largest vintage base ball gathering in the country. More than 25 clubs square off to celebrate a more dignified base ball “the way it was meant to be played.”

FREE with museum admission.

Glorious Fourth: Independence Day Celebration

FREE admission.

Sunday, July 4 1–5 p.m.

Have you ever partied like it was 1885? Ohio Village comes to life with sack races, a pie-eating contest, tug-of-war, a concert by the Ohio Village Singers, Muffins base ball and much more—all in honor of our nation’s independence.

Admission: $12/adults, $9/youth (ages 6–12); $10/OHS adult members, $7/OHS youth members

GREAT NEWS! The Ohio Historical Center will now be open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays beginning in July!

O H I O H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y 1982 Velma Ave. (I-71, exit 111) | Columbus, OH 43211 | 800.686.6124 | www.ohiohistory.org/ohiovillage

26

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

Photo courtesy of Franklin Park Conservatory

Franklin Park Conservatory. make medals to hand out at the end of the day. http://www2.scholastic.c om/browse/article.jsp?id=14 04

Play games: Visit the websites of area bowling alleys, miniature golf courses and arcades to see if they are offering any specials. If nothing’s online, call to ask if they have any coupons in area papers.

drop-off events designed to entertain the kids while Mom and Dad enjoy some grown-up time. Prices range from free to $10-$40 per child. Organizations like the YMCA, kid and adult gyms, recreation centers and churches are good places to find these programs.

Look for live entertainment:

Some organizations present plays and musical perCool off at the formances meant for kids at wallet-friendly rates. It’s a movies: Several area theaters offer great chance to expose kids summer movie series or dis- to the arts without worrying counted tickets for children. that they will interrupt the Check local listings and visit show. Here are some places to check out: the theater’s website.

The Abbey Theater of CAPA, Dublin, http://www.capa.com/ http://www.dublin.oh.us/re Drexel Theatres http://www.drexel.net/beta/ creation/theater/ PBJ & Jazz, index.php?option=com_con http://www.jazzcolumbus.c tent&task=blogsection&id=1 om/pbj-jazz-returns-to-lin0&Itemid=59 coln-theatre-with-markflugge-kelly-crum-delaveris/ Parents’ night out: Columbus Children’s Some area kid-oriented Theatre, businesses will host evening http://www.colschildren-

ColumbusParent.com

stheatre.org/

Go geocaching: Take your children on a real treasure hunt using your GPS. Called “geocaching,” the activity involves programming coordinates of a hidden box or container into your GPS, traveling to the location and walking around the area searching for the item. Geocache enthusiasts hide the treasures and post their locations at www.geocaching.com. The boxes contain a logbook in which finders record the date that they located the treasure.

Many also include trinkets that you can take — as long as you replace it with a similar item.

Melissa Kossler Dutton has worked as a reporter for more than a decade. She’s a frequent contributor to a variety of Ohio publications. She lives in Bexley with her husband and two sons.

Sailing at the Central Park Boat Pond Saturdays and Sundays Through August 29 Noon­6:00 PM Central Park Boat Pond, North District

Come sail a lifelike miniature sailboat! Free for ages six and up.

Donations to the Easton Community Foundation are welcome.

Follow Me! 5k & Fun Fit Family Day Saturday, June 19, Town Square Registration: 8:30 AM 5k Walk: 9:00 AM­10:00 AM Family Day: 10:00 AM­4:00 PM

This summer, following a healthy lifestyle is fun for the whole family with Easton’s “Follow Me!” Summer Series.

Join us as we kick off the festivities with a 5k walk. Then head to the Town Square for our Fun Fit Family Day full of interactive games, activities, entertainment and much more!

Family Busker Series Weekdays, through August 31 Various times and locations

Buskers tailored specifically toward children roam the streets of Easton Town Center during the weekdays this summer. The roaming buskers include magicians, jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon artists, and costume characters.

Kids Corner at the Easton Art Affair Sunday, June 27, Noon­4:00 PM Town Square

Imaginations welcome!

Children of all ages can express their creativity with fun hands-on activities and crafts.

For more information call (614) 337−2200 or visit www.EastonTownCenter.com

Photos provided by Experience Columbus. Find local events and attractions at www.ExperienceColumbus.com.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

27

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28

Frugal summer fun

Saving money doesn’t mean you need to compromise family frolic. Plenty of summer events are going on in central Ohio to make it a fun-filled season without breaking the bank.

No matter how much (or how little) time you have, you can find something going on that’s sure to bring your family closer together. There is no shortage of fun in an Ohio summer!

Register Now!

PREMIER PARTNERS

the BAG lady | laurie dixon

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Did you know the zoo offers year-round half-price admission promotions? On Tuesdays, seniors over age 60 receive half-price admission — a perfect day to take the grandparents. On Wednesdays, Franklin County residents are admitted for half price. Valid ID must be presented at time of ticket purchase.

Jazz and Rib Fest. This highly anticipated summer tradition (admission is free!) runs July 23-25. Enjoy internationally known jazz music while rib connoisseurs gather to sample a wide variety of grilled goodness. Held in the Arena District and North Bank Park. For more information, log on to hotribscooljazz.org.

Dublin Irish Festival. On August 6, 7 and 8, take part in the celebration of all things Irish. Enjoy the best of Irish music, food, spirits, art and culture. For more information visit dublinirishfestival.org.

Children 12 and younger are free. Ages 13-59: $10.

Seniors: $7.

If you have a day:

If you have a weekend:

Zoombezi Bay. Take a day and visit the water park next to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The park boasts water rides, slides, a wave pool and two lazy rivers along with a “dry” park, Jungle Jack’s Landing.

General admission: $29.99. Children 2-9: $24.99. Pick up discounted tickets at Kroger stores.

Cedar Point Amusement Park and Resorts. Located in Sandusky, the amusement park sits on the sandy beaches of Lake Erie. It’s a roller coaster-lovers heaven, but there are plenty more fun options for the entire family.

People young and old will have fun at Soak City Water Park, Challenge Park, Planet Snoopy, rides, shows and more.

Seniors age 62 and older get into Cedar Point for only $19.99 all season. Adult and child pricing varies. For more information visit cedarpoint.com.

The Ohio State Fair. July 28-August 8.

Enjoy a fun-filled day with big-name entertainment, antiques and historical exhibits, five stages of free acts, a trio of air-conditioned sit-down restaurants, and a midway with more than 70 rides — all part of this 150-year-old tradition. Kids younger than 5: free. Ages 5-12: $8. Ages 13-59: $10. Seniors: $8. For discounts and promotions, log on to ohiostatefair.com.

Tecumseh. June 11-September 4. Witness the epic life story of the legendary Shawnee leader as he struggles to defend his sacred homelands in the Ohio country during the late 1700s. The outdoor historical drama takes place on the stage of Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe. Take a tour behind the scenes with cast members as your tour guides. Adults: $ 22.95. Children 6-10: $ 15.95. Not recommended for children age 6 and younger, due to some violent content and loud battle scenes. Reserve tickets online at tecumsehdrama.com.

Olentangy Indian Caverns. Take a trip through the historic caverns in Delaware, Ohio, that re-create the thrilling days of lost Indian tribes and pioneer explorers.Five informational audio stations are in different areas of the caverns. Learn about how the caverns were formed and how they have been used for the past 200 years. Take guided tours or explore on your own. Children 6 years and younger are free with a paying adult. Children 7-16: $5. Ages 17 and older: $8.50. For more information visit olentangyindiancaverns.com .

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

Kings Island. With more than 80 rides and attractions, Kings Island is one of the Midwest’s largest amusement parks. Feel the rush and let out a shrieking scream on one of the 14 world-class roller coasters. Let kids experience a world of fun and adventure in the award-winning children’s area, or cool off on a warm day in Kings Island’s 15-acre waterpark (entry into waterpark is free with park admission).

Ticket prices vary. Buy tickets online for less than the door price. For more information, go to visitkingsisland.com.

Great Wolf Lodge. Great Wolf Lodge is the official resort of Kings Island, located in Mason, Ohio. It’s an all-suite property featuring a 79,000-square-foot indoor water park, full-service spa, restaurants, arcade and much more. All suites include water park passes. Visit greatwolf.com and click PLAN for great values, or call (800) 913-WOLF. Laurie Dixon is central Ohio’s original BAG Lady and Sunny 95’s Savvy Shopper! Read her blog every day on TheBAG.com. Get savings tips on everything from food to fun.

Learn to shop smart and save money!

ColumbusParent.com

ADD 1,000 ACRES OF FUN TO YOUR SUMMER Exhale. Delight. Giggle. Play.

Ever wonder where you can navigate endless miles of pure adventure by raft or bike... or find the nation’s #2 kid’s park? Closer than you think, the Laurel Highlands will leave you wishing for more hours in the day. Come for a weekend, stay the entire week. With a variety of perfect accommodations, toe-tingling rides at Idlewild and SoakZone amusement park, thrilling class-IV rapids on the Youghiogheny River, and 100s of miles of beautiful vistas on the Great Allegheny Passage, the Laurel Highlands offers more than you imagined.

www.laurelhighlands.org | 800.925.7669

ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

29

summer fun guide | michele ranard, M.Ed.

Math in the sunshine

Sharpen math skills this summer without a workbook! little pile next to the paper, and they can reward themselves with one chew for each completed “family.”

■ SUV math. Even for short commutes, give your child mental math problems to solve. You could ask, “Can you name a few ways to make seven?” Or “How many cookies will I have if four friends each give me two?”

■ Guess the digit. This can be played anytime and almost anywhere. Think of a number, give kids a range, and then let them ask yes or no questions for clues (Is it even? Is it greater than 7?).

■ Kitchen floor geometry.

Drag out the can of wooden blocks and let kids have at it. Seriously! Visual discrimination and geometry skills will be sharpened and they may have forgotten about the joy of building. quantities in the recipes. Let them do the measuring and Older students quiz them (How many cups ■ Play the unplugged in a quart? Quarts in a gallon? Ounces in a quarter way. Think of this as a rare technology-free opportunity pound?).

■ Rip, review and snack. to connect with your kids.

Yahtzee, Uno, Othello, Top It, Find a used textbook comMancala, Connect Four, parable to the one from Pentago, cribbage and black- school (try eBay or Amazon) and tear out the end-ofjack are a few possible chapter “reviews” or “tests.” games to play.

■ Middle school girlyYounger students Sometimes the answers are ■ Fruit chews and fact in the back. Why tear them math. Check out Danica McKellar’s book series, Math out? A single page won’t families. Skip the flash overwhelm like the full text Doesn’t Suck, from the cards! To practice math can. Assign one test per facts, break out the crayons, library. Her creative week, pair it with your kids’ approach to engage tween markers, fruit chews and favorite snacks, and superand teen girls may expand scratch paper. Have them vise (you could straighten practice their fact families by your daughter’s vision of kitchen cabinets or clean the math. writing four colorful sen■ Pull a Bobby Flay (or fridge while kids work at the tences for each fact (2+4=6, counter).

4+2=6, 6-2=4, and 6-4=2).

Rachel Ray). Cook or bake The fruit chews can sit in a together, discussing the

I can see it now. That first morning of summer vacation, my sons will come rushing down the stairs for breakfast pleading, “Math!

Sweet, dear, fractions and decimals! Please, mom! CAN WE SOLVE EQUATIONS ALL DAY?” It could happen! Or not.

Funny thing about math it doesn’t elicit quite the same excitement as, say, a trip to the water park or the sound of the ice cream truck. No one seems to miss regrouping or finding place value when school’s out and the Slip ‘n Slide beckons.

And when September rolls around, many students dread math. Memory for the facts or long division may be rusty, and the rules for simplifying fractions could be history (like the ice cream truck).

As a math tutor, I have found the key to helping kids stay sharp during the summer is to stay INVOLVED. If you simply toss a workbook in front of them and disappear, chances are, it will collect more dust than completed pages. Need some ideas for the summer?

30

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

All ages Drill, baby drill.

Together, check out websites such as www.aaamath.com, where you can click on grade levels for appropriate drills. It’s fun, interactive and painless!

Remember, the summer is actually a wonderful time to explore math with your kids. The stress of exams and report cards no longer hangs over them, and they can even work outside in the sunshine. Make the summer days COUNT! ■

Michele Ranard is passionate about helping kids feel good about math! She loves doing math in the sunshine. She is a math tutor, professional counselor and freelancer with a twisted blog at www.cheekychicmama.com.

ColumbusParent.com

newest and neatest | staci perkins and rachel nebozuk

Hot fun in the summertime

Soft rock Little ones can nod off while listening to Rockabye Baby!, a CD of gentle, instrumental versions of some of Journey’s greatest hits like Faithfully, Only the Young and Don’t Stop Believin’. The soothing sounds of glockenspiel, vibraphone, mellotron and harps, as well as the familiar melodies, are sure to be a hit for kids and parents alike. Rockabye Baby! has other harmonic renditions of songs by the Beatles, Nirvana, the Rolling Stones and many more. Available on Rockabyebabymusic.com for $16.98.

I’m goin’ to Disney World!

Just in time for summer vacations, The Complete Walt Disney World 2010 has arrived. This guidebook sums up every new attraction right at the beginning, followed by tips for planning each day of the trip, the best rides for children of all ages, and how long the lines will be at different hours of the day. Included is a directory of shopping, dining and anything else you may need during your magical stay. Available on Coconutpress.com for $24.95.

Fab five

In this imaginative storybook. Meeow and the Pots and Pans by Sebastien Braun, Meeow the Cat rounds up his animal playmates to create an orchestra using colorful kitchen items.

With Woof the Dog on the frying pan, Moo the Cow on the mixing bowls, Baa the Lamb on the lids and Quack the Duck on the measuring cup, the wacky fivesome explore colors and sounds.

Available on Sterlingpublishing.com for $12.95.

Chocolate Factory

School‛s out!

ES 060109 527589901-1

Free Summer Tours Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

No appointment necessary. www.anthony-thomas.com

ColumbusParent.com

Disney’s Stitch Jam for Nintendo DS takes pintsized video-gamers all over the galaxy — from the tropical beaches of Hawaii all the way to outer space. At various levels of the game, players must help Stitch complete musical, rhythm-based missions and ultimately defeat Dr. Hamsterviel in an epic galactic showdown to save his girlfriend, Angel. With a special download, this game can be played by two, making it even more exciting.

Available on Disneystore.com for $19.99.

Products with a WIN icon are up for grabs on ColumbusParent.com!

Click on Contests.

I am Iron Man Iron Man 2: The Video Game is a third-person action adventure that lets players be Iron Man or War Machine as they battle villains as tall as skyscrapers to save the world. The video game features the voices of Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as an exclusive track from the band Lamb of God. Available on Ironman2game.com, prices vary by game system.

We Are Going

He’s such a stitch

at Galaxy!

Golf & Gym Combo Pack costs only

5

$ 99

Monday-Thursday $6.99 Friday-Sunday

Come have some fun playing our new 9 hole FunGolf course and, cool off inside in our huge 3 story FunGym

www.galaxygamesandgolf.com

614•351•8400 3700 Interchange Rd.

Located west of Wilson Rd. just south of Route I-70 (turn at the McDonald’s)

Home of the OSU Equestrian Team.

Convenient location.

Buy One Golf Get One FREE!

Not valid with any other offer Offer expires June 30, 2010

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

31

summer fun guide | malcolm and laura gauld

5 steps to a more rewarding summer with your teenager

Humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “Being a kid at home in the summer is a high-risk occupation. If you call your mother at work 13 times an hour, she can hurt you.”

As summer nears, the thought of your teen being home for 10 weeks can raise feelings of excitement or trepidation in both of you.

Some things may not be in your control as a parent – for example, your work schedule, the economy, or whether your teen will find a job or a hobby.

But some things do remain within your control. The dif-

CHILDREN’S THEATRE PROGRAM

Acting classes for children & teens of all ages.

• Original performances based on the classics & class imagination • Each child can find their theatrical interest, including play writing, directing, acting and much more!

SUMMER ACTING WORKSHOP JULY 10 * AGES 4-16 * ONLY $5 For locations, class schedule and more info

www.mouthofthewolfproductions.com • email: gleason.tina@gmail.com

at the

Topiary Park Jazz for Kids and Families

Free Concerts following family storytime at the Main Library!

11 - 11:30 AM: Storytime Noon - 1 PM: Concert 1 - 2 PM: Hands-on Art Activity

June 12 Rachel Sepulveda

Jennifer Michael Keefer Memorial Fund At

August 14 Yumbambé

Latin Jazz

July 10 Derek DiCenzo & Friends

September 11 New Basics Brass Band

HANDY IS COMING TO AHA! JUNE 1, 2010 Handy likes to play and he wants you to come play too!

One of Handy’s favorite games is Hide and Seek.

When you come to AHA! you can try to find him.

He may be hiding in the blocks or inside a pizza box!

Wherever he is, if you find him, you can enter a drawing to win weekly and monthly prizes!

STOP IN ANY DAY MONDAY - SATURDAY 10:00 - 4:00

New Orleans

The Topiary Park is located at 480 E. Town Street in Downtown Columbus.

Rain Site - Main Library.

Bring a picnic and a blanket!

32

parenting expert and coauthor with his wife Laura of the parenting book The Biggest Job We’ll Ever Have (Scribner) and The Biggest Job parenting seminars. His advice: “Parents, think ahead — plan to make a difference

AND FIND HANDY!

“Disney Does Jazz”

Caribbean

ference in how you feel – and what your teen recalls – about summer 2010 may depend on how you approach it as a parent.

“There’s an old saying — if you fail to plan, then plan to fail,” says Malcolm Gauld,

in your kids’ lives this summer.”

“Many parents will be working,” adds Laura. “So time spent together can be limited. Still, you can make sure that this time is enriching and memorable.”

Summer programs and camps are ideal for social and intellectual stimulation and simple carefree fun.

While there are a lot of great programs out there, not everyone is able to afford them. Don’t despair.

The Gaulds offer these five simple things that parents can do to make the most of family time as well as boost

AHA! A Hands-on Adventure A children’s Museum 315 S. Broad Street Lancaster, OH 43130 (740) 653-1010 www.aha4kids.org

GAME ENDS SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

their kids for their return to school: 1. Take time out every week to create and build on family traditions. The big picture of raising children is done with the actions, routines and practices that make up a lifetime of memories and habits. The value of these actions often is seen looking back at one's upbringing.

Whether it's a weekly walk on a trail or to the park, sharing the preparation of a special meal in which everyone has a part, or a family visit to the local animal shelter to volunteer, these activities will make lasting memories and add to your kids’ positive attitude.

2. Hold weekly family meetings. Let everyone share ideas, thoughts, fears, challenges and stories. Regular communication that touches on deeper issues than where the socks are, or when dinner will be served, remain very important throughout the relaxed summer months. It brings the family closer together and also helps to teach kids to communicate in group settings, an important life skill.

3. Assign family jobs.

Everyone in the family needs to own a part of the responsibility of creating a clean, welcoming and organized home.

And as members of the family, teens are no exception.

One of the best lessons in life parents can teach their children is that being a member of a family or group means being a contributor to the betterment of that group. It also gives teens an opportunity to learn something new – painting, repairs, gardening, etc.

4. Mandatory fun.

Determine a time when the family comes together to do something downright fun

ColumbusParent.com

teenager. You’re probably going to hear it this summer … the comments about your hair style, your swimsuit, your high rise tube socks …

It’s all right. Demand respect, but let the comments your teenager makes roll off.

“Maintain a sense of humor about yourself and remember to take things lightly,” says Malcolm. “Focus instead on the principles of good parenting – honesty, good attitude, flexibility, responsibility and sharing.”

• Summer Horse Lovers’ Camp • Riding Lessons • 4-H Academic Show Team • Birthday Parties • Scout Programs

Blacklick • 614-864-9500 | www.FieldOfDreamsEquine.com

VISIT THE ORIGINAL

CUPCAKE BAR!

and silly. Sure, teens may be resistant to this at first, and may even act as though the whole thing is a waste of time, but teenagers still need and yearn for deep connec-

tions – and the positive effect of laughing for 30 straight minutes cannot be overestimated.

5. Remember not to take things personally with your

For more information about Malcolm and Laura Gauld, their work and the summer programs they offer teenagers, contact Rose Mulligan at (207) 8379441, by e-mail at rmulligan@hyde.edu or visit their blog, greatparenting101.com.

Pick Your Cupcake • Choose Your Icing Add Toppings • Enjoy!

No Appointment Needed • Tues.-Fri. 11-6 • Sat.- 10-4 • Sun. 12-4 Also Featuring

Parties • Summer Camps • Classes Cakes, Cupcakes and Cookies for all occasions!

www.ourcupcakery.com 16 N. High St., Dublin 614-659-1555

9th Anniversary!

JUNE 12-20, 2010 School-Age Summer Program June 7th thru August 23rd

SUMMER QUEST is an 11 week program packed with curriculum based activities and field trips, some of which include COSI, The Abbey Theatre, the Columbus Clippers, and weekly visits to the pool and local parks.

COSI invites you to get behind the wheel and operate equipment that builds roads and buildings! Come explore the science and technology of construction by trying it out firsthand in a variety of activities and learning with real engineers. From small hand tools to big equipment, you’ll discover how big jobs get done.

Full and Part-time Available • Space is limited

Radiant Kids

Providing care for children 6 weeks to 12 years

www.radiantkids.org 7055 Avery Rd., Dublin, OH 43017 614-889-8369 • Mon-Fri 7am-6pm

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

333 W. Broad St. Columbus, Ohio 614.228.2674 www.cosi.org

C R E AT E D AND MADE POSSIBLE BY PRESENTED BY

M E D I A PA RT N E R S

33

SUMMER FUN EXPLOSION PACKAGE from Columbus Parent Magazine Visit ColumbusParent.com and register to win!

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34

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

summer fun guide | terreece m. clarke

5 ways to create the perfect family playlist Every year, summer road trips are planned, bags are packed and families pile into the car.

As the family heads toward the highway, a parent turns on the radio or pops in a favor ite CD. Protests mount from the back of the car. A few fumbles later, the radio lands on a “cool” station and out blasts a string of hyper-sexualized, possibly violent lyrics, super-teen manufactured pop music, or worse — endless renditions of Mary Had a Little Lamb sung by an eager, if not talented, chorus of kids.

The kids are in heaven. And the parents, well, a place further south.

Avoid the radio tug-o-war with a little prep work. By creating a playlist before a trip, parents can find music everyone enjoys while filtering out any questionable or cheesy music.

1. Play music that is upbeat and fun.

It makes the trip go faster and keeps the dr iver awake.

2. Mix it up.

Music from different genres will not only satisfy everyone’s tastes, it will help foster an appreciation for all kinds of music.

3. Keep it clean.

While it may be your new favorite song, think about whether it’s good for the little people. Seems obvious, and while the 2-year-old may not understand what the lyrics mean, she will be sure to repeat them to everyone, often, and in public. Does Grandma really need to hear Sex Therapy coming from the mouth of her precious beubulah?

4. Ask. Ask your kids about their favorite songs. Take care to not show signs of annoyance. This is an opportunity for discussion, especially for teens and preteens. “What do you like about the song?

Do you understand the lyrics? What do they mean to you?”

5. Give it a test run.

Don’t spring the highly researched, painstakinglycrafted songlist of the century on the cross-country trip to Wally World. Give it a test drive around the block and on trips to the grocery store. If the car is groovin’ you’ve got a hit. If the car is miserable, you’ve got time to revamp.

Go to ColumbusParent.com for fun links, including song lyrics websites.

TV The Fresh Beat Band Yo Gabba Gabba School House Rock

Old school wonders Parents’ suggestions

The Beatles Bob Marley Michael Jackson Temptations James Brown Mamas and the Papas Diana Ross and the Supremes Bee Gees

Joy to the World, by Three Dog Night Sledgehammer, by Peter Gabriel Rock Me Amadeus,

by Falco Elizabeth Mitchell Stevie Wonder Call Me, by Blondie 70s station on Sirius Radio

Smooth, by Santana featuring Rob Thomas Cowboy Take Me Away, by Dixie Chicks Boom Boom Pow, by The Black Eyed Peas The Climb, by Miley Cyrus Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,

by B.J Thomas

Grown-up bands sing kids songs Here Come the 1.2.3s, Here Come Science, and more, by They Might Be Giants

Mary Had a Little Amp, by various artists including Maroon 5, R.E.M, Bonnie Raitt

House Party, Smile, Smile, Smile, by Dan Zanes

Leadbelly Sings for Children, by Leadbelly

Snack Time, by Barenaked Ladies

Catch the Moon,

by Lisa Loeb

Hip hop hungry

Rapper’s Delight, by Sugar Hill Gang Jump on It, by Sugar Hill Gang/Apache Now That We Found Love and Nuttin’ But Love,

by Heavy D and the Boyz The Choice Is Yours, by Black Sheep Parents Just Don’t Understand,

by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Terreece M. Clarke has been a freelance writer since 1999 for a variety of websites, magazines and newspapers. Terreece lives in Columbus with her husband and three children.

ColumbusParent.com

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

35

ES 060109 527614901-1

36

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

plugged in parent | sharon miller cindrich

Can computers and camp coexist?

Q: Are there summer technology camps designed for kids? If so, how can I find them?

A: More than 6 million kids will attend camp this summer, and along with the traditional campfires, canoeing and arts and crafts associated with a traditional camp experience, computers are now being thrown into the mix.

While you don’t want your child cooped up in front of a computer all summer long, a week of tech camp can actually be a great complement to your child’s summer experience. Kids don’t just play video games — they program their own games, design

robots, learn how to build websites and try new technology, like geocaching or photo-retouching. Plus, camp environments are learning- and communityoriented. Unlike an hour on the home computer, these programs are designed for a community of kids and mentors who are learning together, solving problems, and sharing their creativity and ideas.

Kids who are ready to login this summer can check out these resources to find a tech camp with a good fit:

that will teach them to build a website or create their own podcast. (microsoft.com/about/diversity/programs/digigirlz) Look for other local tech camps. Many area schools and recreation departments use community computer resources in the summer for technology camps. Check with your park and recreation department, school district, or local university for techthemed camps for kids.

GiantCampus.com Gaming, robotics and web design are just a few of the camps offered at over 50 locations across the country through Giant Campus.

Courses designed for kids as young as 6 to teens over 18 combine fun, innovation and tech skills. (giantcampus.com) ACA accredited. iD Tech Camps With weeklong camps for kids ages 7-17, this organization includes programs in gaming, film and graphic arts. iD Tech Camps are held at 60 universities nationwide, including Northwestern, MIT and Stanford. (internaldrive.com) ACA

first-hand. Sponsored by Microsoft, these camps are free and offered around the DigiGirlz High Tech Camp These camps are designed world to high school-aged to give girls a glimpse into the girls. Camp not offered in tech industry and allow them your area? Kids can find two self-directed courses online to experience technology accredited.

Sharon Miller Cindrich is the mother of two, a columnist and the author of E-Parenting: Keeping Up With Your TechSavvy Kids (Random House, 2007). Learn more at www.sharoncindrich.com, or send questions to Sharon@ sharoncindrich.com.

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

37

making the grade | rashaun james

Summer school blues Dear Mrs. James, Should I send my son to summer school even though he “passed” the grade (but just barely)? He had two Fs and two Ds. The school said it is up to me. He’s in seventh grade and I feel like I should give him another chance. I don’t want to ruin his summer. I was thinking I could tell him that if he does this next year then he’s definitely going to summer school and I’m not going to be playing around. What is your opinion?

Sincerely, Sasha Westerville Time out. Did I just hallucinate? Did you just tell me that your son had two Fs and two Ds and that you don’t want to ruin his summer? Did you then remind me that “he did in fact pass the grade” after you told me he got two Fs and two Ds? Are you trying to make my head pop off?

Sasha, let me help you.

This is what I would tell one of my students’ parents as well as any of my relatives about their children if they were in this same predicament. You’re right. You shouldn’t be trying to ruin his summer. You should be trying to ruin his LIFE! Two Ds and two Fs mean that he has done absolutely nothing all year with no concern about the consequences.

You definitely should send him to summer school.

Definitely. Without a doubt.

I’d ground him too. It’s not about the fact that he technically passed the grade. It’s about the principle. It’s about the teachable

38

SEND YOUR QUESTIONS! Rashaun James says the sooner you start working on a learning problem, the sooner it gets resolved. What are you waiting for? If you have a question, e-mail ColumbusParent@ thisweeknews.com.

Grade-approriate workbooks are an excellent way to keep brains working over the summer months. moment. It’s about the lesson that you’re teaching your son that he will remember for the rest of his life.

What do you want your son to remember? What attitudes and values do you want him to develop? What type of work ethic are you trying to cultivate in his personal belief system?

Send him to summer school, Sasha. He may hate you for a while, but then thank you when he’s older.

You also are more likely to see a change in his academics next year, since he knows what the consequences will be if he doesn’t change. If you don’t, next year will probably be worse because he may learn that there are no real consequences for his academic misbehaving.

Either way, you will be teaching your son an invalu-

able lesson. Let me know what happens. I know you’ll make the right decision.

Love, Mrs. James Dear Mrs. James, My daughters will be going into sixth grade next year. I don’t want to overdo it (or make you threaten to slap me!), but I definitely want to still work with my girls over the summer.

What’s your opinion? If you agree, what books or other materials do you suggest?

Thanks! We love your advice!

Kerri Underwood (No, not the singer) Hello Miss-Not-theSinger-Kerri-Underwood!

Thanks for writing me! No slapping here. I actually think you’ve got it just right and I agree wholeheartedly.

Keeping your children academically stimulated during the summer is extremely important. Think of it this way: whatever is taught during the last nine weeks of fifth grade is a prerequisite for the first nine weeks of sixth grade – and most teachers do not review the previous year’s material.

Many children who do not practice their academics over the summer tend to forget what they learned at the end of the last school year, which makes them underprepared for the following year. Follow me?

I think you should purchase a grade-appropriate workbook and require your girls to complete at least one worksheet every other day.

My fellow science and social studies teachers might slap ME for this one, but I think

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

it’s a good idea to focus mostly on reading and math.

This will keep their little brains stimulated so they can maintain the knowledge needed to be successful during the upcoming school year. You’d be surprised, but it really does help. A little bit goes a long way.

Whatever you do, don’t overdo it! You’re so right in having that mentality! You want this to be something fun and not too demanding for your girls. Remember, so many situations can be opportunities for learning.

Purchase a Leap Frog game that the girls can play. On family game night, play Scrabble or Monopoly. Ask the girls to help you with cooking and measuring ingredients. They’re all opportunities to learn.

Over the summer, let them have as much fun as possible, but keep them learning at the same time! Email me if you have more questions! Until then ...

Keep up the good work!

Love, Mrs. James Dear Mrs. James, I want to know what you do over summer vacation.

Sincerely, Myshenique Thomas Fourth grader

OMG! Aren’t you the cutest cutie pie!? This is officially my first letter EVER from a kid. Aww! How sweet of you!

Well, Myshenique, lots of teachers teach summer school because they can’t stand to be away from their darling students for three long months! Some go on vacation, hang out at the pool every day, or even go back to school. I have a couple of friends who do volunteer work and enjoy the hobbies that they don’t always get to do during the school year.

I plan to do some traveling, read as many books as I can, spend some muchneeded time with my family, hang out with my dog and sleep in every day! Holla!

Have a great year!

Love, Mrs. James

Rashaun James is the founder and owner of Mrs. James' Learning Club. As a successful and innovative middle school teacher, one of her many professional achievements includes the OCTELA Teacher of the Year Award. She lives in Columbus with her husband.

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family media | columbus metropolitan library Granny Gomez & Jigsaw

Hide-and-Seek Duck

By Cyndy Szekeres Duck and Little Bunny are playing hide and seek.

Duck finds a lot of other animals before he finally finds Little Bunny. Ages 0-3.

The Ever Breath

By Deborah Underwood Granny Gomez is lonely in her big house all by herself, and decides she needs a pet. Granny ends up with a pet pig that becomes a good friend and it enjoys everything Granny enjoys.

Jigsaw the Pig is just what Granny needed in her life.

Ages 4-7.

By Julianna Baggott Truman and Camille are twins living an ordinary life until their father disappears and they find out there is a magical world called the Breath World — which has fabulous creatures and enchanted happenings. Truman and Camille must help their grandmother and her twin in Breath World.

Someone has taken the Ever Breath and if it is not returned, both their world and the magical world will be no more. Ages 8-12.

I Love Bugs!

By Emma Dodd This colorful book is filled with all kinds of bugs that a little boy loves. A great book to share with a child and talk about all of the different kinds of bugs in the world. Ages 1-4.

The Day of the Pelican

By Katherine Paterson Meli Lleshi lives in Kosovo with her family until they are forced from their home by Serbian oppressors.

First, they go to the country to live with relatives, but then both families become refugees along with most of the Albanians around them. They are forced to leave everything behind and walk away from all that they have ever known. Meli and the rest of her family no longer have a place to call home. What will happen to them now?

They must stay together no matter what. Ages 9-13.

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Written by Amy Hay, Librarian 1 at the Gahanna Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Visit ColumbusParent.com to see past reviews and links to recommended websites.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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41

Commit To Be Fit Kids Club Summer Spectacular

the sports doc | christopher stankovich, ph.d.

Get out, Get active and Get outside Free adventures for kids 6 to 12 From June 12 to August 14 kids can enjoy fishing, hiking with rangers, scavenger hunts, playing in the creek and other fun activities.

Go to www.10tv.com/committobefitkidsclub or www.metroparks.net for a schedule of activities and also to download your Ranger Rita or Ranger Riley to color and take with you to the parks.

Kickoff is June 12 from 10 to noon at the Big Meadows Picnic Area at Highbanks Metro Park.

Use open-ended questions for better relationships with kids Parents who create a rapport with their kids usually do so by listening and creating an overall warm climate for relationship building.

These practices also will maximize a child’s overall sport experience.

One way to create such a climate is to use open-ended questions regularly. An openended question prompts the child to answer in more than one-word responses. For example, take the following closed-ended questions and see how easily they can be turned into more interactive questions: “Did you win tonight?” (closed-ended) “Tell me about the game tonight.” (open-ended)

Ranger Rita and Ranger Riley

“Do you like the coach? (closed-ended)” “Tell me how you feel about the coach.” (open-ended) The way in which you ask a question will determine the length and depth of the response. In closed-ended

42

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

questions the responses are likely to be yes or no, while open-ended questions prompt the child to talk about how he or she feels.

So why is this important?

It builds trust and rapport, helps with problem solving, and allows your child to vent when things aren’t going so well. The key is to first ask important questions using the open-ended method, then remain quiet and listen closely to what your child says. Unfortunately, some parents do a good job of using open-ended questions, but fail when it comes to allowing their child ample time to respond.

Here are some quick pointers on how you can improve communication with your child: Whenever possible, use open-ended questions when inquiring about your child’s practices and games.

After you ask an openended question, stop talking and give your child ample time to think through and respond to your question fully (this means allowing her

to finish, too!).

As your child responds to your questions, maintain a positive, healthy body language that allows for an open atmosphere. Head nods and “uh-hmms” can show you are tuned in.

If you are unclear about what your child is saying, or if you need additional information, try clarifying, summarizing, or paraphrasing.

When it comes to youth sports, especially with some of the inherent risks involved (i.e. sports burnout, supplement abuse, etc.) it’s important to develop strong communication skills with your child. Open-ended questions will help you build stronger relationships and help you prevent (or quickly address) potential problems your child may be experiencing.

Dr. Chris Stankovich is an expert in sport and perfor-mance psychology. He offers a wide variety of educational training seminars for student-athletes, coaches, parents and league officials.

Visit www.drstankovich.com, or call (614) 561-4482 for more details.

ColumbusParent.com

fast food | robin davis

Vegetarian-friendly soup If you have family or friends who are trying to eat meatless, it might seem like soup is a great way to go. No meat equals meatless, right?

Not necessarily. Most soup recipes use beef or chicken stock to cook the ingredients.

But there are substitutions you can make to have vegetarian-friendly soups.

The most obvious is vegetable broth or stock, now available in many brands.

But vegetable juices such as tomato juice or even V8 can work, too. To keep the sodium content in check, it’s best to use the low-sodium variety and to thin it out with some water.

Here is a recipe for minestrone that’s completely vegetarian, but completely delicious, too.

Truly Vegetarian Minestrone Makes 10 servings This recipe is from Desperation Dinners, a column that runs occasionally in the Dispatch Food section.

JUNE 11-SEPTEMBER 4

Call 866.775.0700 or visit www.tecumsehdrama.com 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste 1 cup frozen peas 10 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and 1 tablespoon olive oil carrots. Cook, stirring fre8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms, quently, until the carrots are coarsely chopped crisp-tender and the mush1 cup thinly sliced carrots rooms begin to lose their 2 garlic cloves, minced liquid, about 2 to 3 minutes.

2 cups low-sodium V8 juice Add the garlic, vegetable 4 1/2 cups water juice, water and pasta to the 1/2 cup ditalini or orzo pasta pot and raise the heat to 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, high. Cover the pot and rinsed, drained bring to a boil, stirring occa1 can (15 oz.) red kidney sionally to keep the pasta beans, rinsed, drained from sticking.

1 can (2 1/4 oz.) sliced black When the soup boils, olives, drained reduce the heat to medium2 cans (14 oz. each) firehigh. Add the tomatoes with roasted tomatoes with juices their juices, chickpeas, kid1 teaspoon dried Italian seaney beans, olives, Italian soning seasoning, sugar and black 1 teaspoon sugar pepper. Stir frequently, adjusting heat if necessary

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to be sure the soup maintains a vigorous boil. Cook until the pasta is just tender, about 5 minutes. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, stir in the still-frozen peas.

Serve at once, garnishing each serving with a teaspoon of Parmesan.

Robin Davis is food editor of The Columbus Dispatch. She oversees the Food section, published each Wednesday, which features recipes, question-and-answer columns and reviews of cookbooks, wines and local eateries.

PlayNationOhio.com • 740-756-7050 June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

43

family getaways | michele zavatsky, the Family Travel Mom

Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands: Where spectacular scenery meets old-fashioned fun North of the thriving metropolis of Pittsburgh, just one hour into the countryside, sits Laurel Highlands — an area consisting of 10 state parks and forests that bloom with different colors from March to October.

But a beautiful countryside and bountiful blossoms don’t wow kids as much as The Big Mac, a storybook forest, a resort zoo or French and Indian War forts!

So, let’s take a look at some notes I took dur ing a recent family trip to the Highlands: 1. Nemacolin Located in the scenic Laurel Highlands on 2,800 acres, the 335-room resort features an enormous variety of amazing activities.

Did you know it has a wildlife academy? Just east of the main entrance, folks can schedule nursery tours

Photo courtesy of Nemacolin

Wildlife habitat features and safari tours highlight a visit to Nemacolin. or safari tours for a fee, or just a pop-in visit near the habitats of wolves in the wild, dozens of horses or even a panther.

On the resort property, you’ll see special wildlife habitats (black bears, zebras, elk, bison and moose have habitats scattered around the golf course). Visitors can take the shuttle around, walk the

property (maybe walk off that huge banana split from the soda shop) or dr ive and park near the featured stops in the woodlands or around the links. Admission required for guided tours.

(Farmington, U.S. 40, www.nemacolin.com) 2. Forts The visitors center is the best place to begin your.

Suggested lodging and dining: DiSalvo’s Station Restaurant. An early 1900s train station has been restored and decorated with railroad memorabilia. Visitors enter the rest aurant through a tunnel over whic h trains pass. Feel and hear the rumble! Once through the tunnel, you may be seated in the atrium (formerly the train yard) with fount ains, greenery and a full-size railroad dining car .

Most families are seated in the original main concourse room with a continuously running model train above. A children’s menu is offered. Reservations strongly suggested. Moderate to fine dining. Latrobe, 325 McKinley A ve. Latrobe Train Station, (724) 539-0500 or http://disalvosrestaurant.com.

The Tavern at Nemacolin. Come see the world’s largest freest anding cylindrical saltwater aquarium and enjoy a wrap-around breakfast bar . Look for the gold bar from the sunken Spanish galleon S anta Margarita. The menu has casual, American fare with offerings like homemade potato chips, root beer floats and pizza. You’ll also find little ‘streetside’ shops and whimsical sculptures, but the kids especially like the ‘5 0s soda shop, the arcade and the candy and toy shops.

Ramada Inn Historic Ligonier. The inn, the closest family-friendly lodging to Idlewild, sits across the street from Fort Ligonier. Cozy double suites to spacious king suites at reasonable prices. Enjoy meals at the casual bistro, see the sites, or relax by the heated outdoor pool. Ligonier. 216 W. Loyalhanna St., entrance off of U.S. 3 0. www.ramadainnligonier.com.

44

Photo courtesy of Fort Ligonier

Fascine Artillery Battery at Fort Ligonier.

After a quick movie introduces you to the story, sight and sound experiences engage the kids to listen closely as they enter exhibit spaces.

Fort Necessity: We got caught in crossfire and later, characters talked at the roadside rest while we pulled up a seat and listened in. Whose story of how the war started do you believe?

Outside is a soft play for t and Conestoga wagon with mini slides, photo opportunities and short 1/5- to 1/2mile trail walks to a small fort with a 3.5-foot wide gate. Kid-sized fun.

Admission required. (U.S. 40, Farmington, www.nps.gov/fone).

Fort Ligonier: The visibly sharp wooden pickets can be seen from the road. You’ll be able to view gun batteries, the master’s store, a home, hospital and the commissary. Because you’re free to roam in and out of buildings within the fort, it’s ideal for antsy or playful children. Admission required. (U.S. 30, Ligonier,

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

Photo courtesy of Idlewild & SoakZone

Idlewild and SoakZone is wet fun for sc hool-age kids.

Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, the Jumpin’ Jungle, Soak Zone, Hootin’ 3. Big Mac Museum Holler and Olde Idlewild.

Restaurant School-age kids can ride Say “cheese” in front of almost every ride in the park the world’s largest Big Mac replica and have a big bite of and families can bring picnic baskets and grills. If you fun in the state-of-the-art don’t want all that fuss, jungle play place. While Hootin’ Holler offers reasonyou’re there, pull up a seat and enjoy a Big Mac with the able prices and provides entertainment while you eat. inventor, sing the world Admission required. (U.S. famous tongue twisting 30, Ligonier, recipe jingle, or just look at www.idlewild.com) the classic memorabilia on If you need to get away display. The Big Mac was from your hometown or the first prepared at a big city for some family fun McDonald’s in Fayette this summer, the Mountain County. (North Huntingdon Laurels may be calling you.

Township, U.S. 30 just off And they’re only a 3.5-hour the P.A. turnpike at exit 67) drive from Columbus (take I-70 east the whole way).

4. Idlewild Park & Soak Zone Story Book Forest is timeless. You can meet Michele Z, the Family Travel Goldilocks, Snow White, the Mom and co-author of the Kids Love Pennsylvania guidebook Old Woman Who Lived in a knows where to take the kids on Shoe, and even get a lollythe cheap. Michele and her famipop from the Goodship cap- ly have been to 5,000 places tain. This village is like being around the country testing destinations for kid-friendliness - on a zapped into a giant stor ybudget. Take a look at www.kidbook. Once the young ones slovetravel.com or visit your are happy, walk around the favorite book retailer and let your next family adventure begin! rest of the park to visit www.fortligonier.org)

ColumbusParent.com

the dad files | joe blundo

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If I had it to do over: Tips for summer fun If I could go back to childhood and re-experience one thing, it would be summer vacation. Ten weeks off with no responsibilities? It seems like an unfathomable luxury to anyone older than 18.

What would I do with that much time if I were a child again? I’ve given it some thought. Here are the things I think a kid must do to have a good summer vacation: Build something.

We built a tree house one summer. This is the kind of thing that if you did it now, someone would call the police, the zoning authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency. So do it in secret if possible.

We had the tree house well under way before any adults took notice. Eventually, it brought several dads out of the house to offer construction advice.

The moms stayed inside and worried.

Pick blackberries.

Blackberries taste like summer. I think they’re the finest things a kid can pick.

Plus the thorns lend an element of danger. I remember coming home with a bucket of berries and fine scratches all over my arms. I was

ColumbusParent.com

proud of both.

Ideally, the berries will be found not on a “you-pick” farm, which is too easy, but somewhere in the woods where you have to hunt for them a little.

Make up a game and play it obsessively.

It’s okay to take an established game — say baseball — and modify it to the point that it’s barely recognizable.

I recall a game in which the pitcher stood on one side of a house, and the batter on the other. The pitcher would throw the ball over the roof and the batter’s challenge was to hit the ball before it reached the ground. He had to do this without breaking a window, stepping in flowers or falling into a window well.

And they say real baseball is a difficult game.

Spend all day reading a book.

You have to do this when you’re a kid because most adults can’t read for more than 20 minutes without falling asleep.

The key to a good reading binge is location: change it frequently. Read on the couch, read in the grass, read in a tree. If you can find a place to read

while hanging upside down, try that, too. Acrobatic reading is one of those things a kid can do without suffering social disapproval.

Work on an impossible project.

One I recommend is digging a hole to the other side of the world. As you dig, stop to examine rocks.

One of your friends will take one, clean it with spit, discover that it has a crystalline structure and insist that it’s a diamond.

Later, you’ll find gold, too.

Your friend will estimate its value at 18 bazillion dollars, and you’ll spend a few hours planning how to spend it.

You’ll never get the hole more than three feet deep, but your imagination will have roamed for miles.

That’s not a bad way to spend a summer day.

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newest and neatest | staci perkins and rachel nebozuk

Daddy-oh!

Survivor: New dads

Martyn Cox’s New Father’s Survival Guide will help dads prepare for their first bundles of joy. This simple, to-thepoint book will direct new fathers from pregnancy to the big day and life after the baby comes home. Complete with pictures, this guidebook teaches everything from holding the baby and installing the car seat to changing dirty diapers. Available on Rylandpeters.com for $14.95.

Silly hippos Award-winning author Bob Shea’s picture book Oh, Daddy! illustrates the joys of a simple, everyday routine when it is shared by a father and child. From getting dressed, to eating lunch, to giving hugs, this loveable hippopotamus dad and child are laugh-out-loud silly while learning lessons from each other. Available on Harpercollinschildrens.com for $16.99.

It’s a snap

Daddy’s little girls What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To and Letting Go of Their Daughters is a candid collection of essays written by single dads, stepfathers, gay fathers and everyone in between. Their heartfelt stories show that raising daughters of all ages is equal parts satisfaction and sheer terror. What I Would Tell Her speaks volumes about the irreplaceable, intimate bond between father and daughter.

Edited by Andrea N. Richesin.

Available on eHarlequin.com for $13.95.

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Filled with colorful artwork and catchy rhymes, Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug is a special story to share on Father’s Day. With a different animal or insect on each page, this adorable board book reminds little readers that there are all different types of daddies in the world, each with a special name and place in his heart for his “Doodlebug.” Available on Robincoreybooks.com for $7.99.

Traveling tunes

Go bananas Bananagrams began with a simple idea: An anagram game that is so fast it will drive you bananas! The game starts with 144 letter tiles in a banana-shaped bag and captures all the fun of crosswords and word games like Scrabble and Boggle. Banangrams for Kids is the perfect treat for kids who love puzzles and wordplay — great for road trips, too! Ages 8-11. $8.95 on workman.com.

The Traveler Series from idox is designed to keep your iPod Nano, iPod Touch or iPhone stationary and upright to more easily enjoy videos, web content, photos, apps, games and more. No buttons, bells or whistles to figure out or weigh you down. Whether at home or on the go, idox makes it easy for kids to enjoy their favorite videos or games.

Parents can even use it with educational apps for a quick lesson on the go.

The idox Traveler is compatible with the 4G iPod Nano ($24.95), the 2G iPod Touch ($34.95) and the iPhone 3G and 3GS ($34.95). For more information, or to purchase, visit www.idox360.com.

A bug’s life

The Memorex Foldable Travel Speaker is the perfect music solution for families on the go (and a great Dad’s Day gift idea!).

With the ability to play and charge your iPod at any summer travel destination, the system keeps the sounds coming wherever you are.

Available for $59.99 at Target and Target.com.

Hey, Coach!

Welcome to the next generation of flag football, Nerf style! Forget fumbling with traditional “flags” and footballs that can’t keep up with your game. The Nerf Weather Blitz Flag Football Set comes with a junior football and 16 clips which act as “flags,” offering 4-on-4 play in almost any conditions. The new clip system is convenient and easy to use, letting kids and their teammates stay focused on the winning play. Available at most major retailers nationwide and HasbroToyShop.com for $19.99. Ages 8 and older.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

family calendar | staci perkins, alexis perrone dicken and alexandra anne cousino

OUT&ABOUT JUNE 2010

Submit your event

To add an event to Columbus Parent Magazine’s Out & About calendar, submit information by e-mail to ColumbusParent@ThisWeekNews.com or online at ColumbusParent.com.

Please submit calendar events by the first Friday of the preceding month.

Ongoing Baby Boot Camp Polaris Mall Meet other moms and get fit with this program for pre/postnatal women and their children, presented by Danielle Duerksen. 8:309:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Polaris Mall, 1500 Polaris Pkwy. First class free. Call (614) 226-2594, or go to BabyBootCamp.com, click on Ohio.

Baby Boot Camp Rite Bite Wellness Center Meet other moms and get fit with this program for pre/postnatal women and their children, presented by Danielle Duerksen. 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Rite Bite Wellness Center, 171 Green Meadows Dr. S., Lewis Center. First class free. Call (614) 226-2594, or go to BabyBootCamp.com, click on Ohio.

Barnes & Noble Weekly Story Time Preschool-age children and

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their adult friends will enjoy hearing favorite stories told by Barnes & Noble storytellers. 10:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at Barnes & Noble Easton, 4005 Townsfair Way. For more information call (614) 4768489.

COSI Family Friday Night COSI is open late the last Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m. COSI Columbus, 333 W. Broad St. Cost is $7 per person after 5 p.m. and includes all of COSI plus an Extreme Screen movie.

Parenting workshops also are available. (614) 228COSI, or COSI.org.

Craft Day at Sprout Soup Each Tuesday we do a new craft geared toward children age 2 and up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the craft is available throughout.

This free event is at Sprout Soup, 4310 N. High St. For more information visit www.Sproutsoup.com or call (614) 267-7768.

Culinary Couples Night Out

Touch of Gourmet at 7 p.m. on the second Friday of every month. 3931 Trueman Blvd., Hilliard. $59. (614) 876-9452.

Dads’ Coffee Twice a month on the first Saturday of the month at 10 a.m., working and stay-athome dads can connect.

Bring the kids out to play and socialize with other fathers. This free event is at Sprout Soup, 4310 N. High St. For more information visit Sproutsoup.com.

The Gadfly Café Comedy Improv Workshop for Teenagers Learn the art of improv like you’ve seen on Whose Line is it Anyway, while mingling with our professional improv troupe. No one over 19 will be admitted without a teenager. 6 p.m. every Wednesday at the Gadfly Cafe, 1126 1/2 N. High St. Free.

Kids Lit Circle Every third Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. bring your child’s favorite book to share and leave with a list of new favorites. This free event is at Sprout Soup, 4310 N. High St. For more information visit Sproutsoup.com.

Latin American Literature in English Translation Book club for teachers of English and the Columbus community, presented by OSU’s Center for Latin American Studies. 10 a.m. on Saturdays at Barnes & Noble, 3280 Tremont Rd. (614) 459-0920 or BN.com.

Mocha Moms Support group for stay-athome moms of color. For more information email columbusmochamoms@ yahoo.com Mommies of Miracles M.O.M is a growing Ohio support community of mothers who have children (of any age) with complex medical issues or disabilities. Our mission is to eliminate the isolation mothers of exceptional needs children experience on a daily basis by providing an extended network of confidential and compassionate emotional support. Join us for monthly meetings, fun family events, couples’ enrichment activities, and advocacy initiatives. For more information on events, resources and more go to mommiesofmiracles.com Mommies Time Out Online Support Group A fun group of moms who provide support and social activities for stay-at-home and working moms in the Columbus area. Includes playgroups, play dates, meet-ups, moms’ nights out, message boards and more. MommiesTimeOut. Proboards105.com.

MOMS Club of Clintonville A fun social and support group for stay-at-home moms and their children.

Playgroups, field trips and monthly moms’ nights out.

10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

Ohio Tourism Multicultural Day The Ohio Tourism Division celebrates Multicultural Tourism Day with this family affair. Come out to the zoo and Zoombezi Bay! Enjoy a performance from Britni Elise, meet radio personalities and win prizes! June 5.

Zoo Night with the Columbus Clippers at Huntington Park Join Jungle Jack Hanna and the zoo for a wild night of baseball! Cheer on your Columbus Clippers as they take on the Rochester Red Wings at 7:05 p.m. at Huntington Park. Enjoy live animal displays, character ambassador meet-and-greets and game time zoo activities for a night of fun. Purchase tickets at www.clippersbaseball.com. June 8.

Zoofari The zoo’s adults-only premier fundraising event celebrates its 40th year. Guests “graze” their way through the zoo with live entertainment. Proceeds benefit the zoo’s conservation and education programs. For more information, call (614) 724-3472. June 19. General Zoofari: 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. $95 through June 7; $115 after June 7; $150 day of Zoofari.

Father’s Day Come see all the exciting new attractions and experiences the zoo has to offer! All dads get in free with child’s paid admission. June 20.

Enrichment Day Learn how the zoo uses enrichment programs to increase the animals’ levels of activity and promote natural behaviors. Visit activity tables set up throughout the zoo and see enrichment in action as animals play with, eat or crush different enrichment items. June 26.

www.columbuszoo.org 47

Savings Train!

All Aboard Upcoming Summer Events:

June:

5th-6th Chugga Charlie Meet & Greet 5th – Chalk on the Walk 12th-20th – Father’s Day Gift with Purchase 19th – Chugga Charlie Meet & Greet 20th Rock the Rails Summer Concert Series 25th-27th Side Walk Sales

Buy 2 Train Tickets, Get 2 Train Tickets FREE! Now through June 30, 2010 Disclaimer: Must be 18 or older to redeem. All children must be accompanied by an adult. One coupon per family, per visit.

Some restrictions may apply, see Guest Services representative for details. Valid through June 30, 2010 only.

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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(locations vary). For membership information contact Carrie at (614) 447-0567, email clintonvillemomsclub@yahoo.com, or visit our website http://clintonvillemomsclub.yolasite. com.

MOMS Club of Delaware A fun, social support group for stay-at-home moms and their children with playgroups, field trips and monthly moms’ nights out.

Meets at 10 a.m. the first Monday of every month.

For membership information email at momsclubofdelaware@hotmail. com.

MOMS Club of Dublin Central Support group for stay-athome moms. 9:45 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Vineyard Church, 5400 Avery Rd. Contact Mandy Skinner at amandaskinner2@gmail.com, or (614) 940-9392. Or go to Geocities.com/momsclubdublincentral/.

MOMS Club of Dublin West MOMS Club of Dublin West offers a variety of activities each month including a monthly meeting, mom and tot activities, play groups, parties, and a moms’ night out. For more information, call (614) 873-9672 or e-mail momsclubofdublinwest@ gmail.com MOMS Club of Dublin Southeast Support group for stay-athome moms and their children. Playgroups, monthly calendar of events, moms’ night out, service projects.

Contact Membership VP at momsclubofdublinse@ yahoo.com for more info.

MOMS Club of Gahanna East Support group for stay-athome moms. Call Cathy at (614) 759-6137.

MOMS Club of Gahanna West Support group for stay-athome moms.

Gahannamoms@yahoo.com.

ColumbusParent.com

MOMS Club of Hilliard Northeast A social and support group for stay-at-home and parttime working moms and their children. Playgroups, field trips and moms’ nights out. 9:45 a.m. on the first Thursday of the month at Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church, 4343 Dublin Rd. mchilliardnorth@yahoo.com.

MOMS Club of Hilliard of Northwest MOMS Club of HilliardNorthwest is a social and support group for stay-athome and part time working moms and their children.

We offer playgroups, field trips, mom’s nights out and much more. A general business meeting is held the first Wednesday of each month.

Please visit our website at www.momsclubhilliardnorthwest.org or email www.momsclubhilliardnorthwest@yahoo.com for more information.

Mothers of Preschoolers Meeting Join our MOPS group the first Tuesday of every month, September through May from 6-8:15 p.m. at the Beechwold Christian Church, 280 Morse Rd. Come for dinner, listen to a speaker and join a small discussion group to share your ideas, thoughts and experiences with other moms. Call Beechwold Christian Church at (614) 888-1734, or visit gobcc.com for more information.

Kids Fair 2010 at the Park Street Festival June 12 Come enjoy this free family activity on June 12 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Part Street area of the Arena District. There will be children’s book reading and autograph signing with Mike Vrabel, bounce houses, face painting, a magician and a petting zoo.

Have fun while learning at the COSI Science Spots, visit the Columbus Parent Magazine booth and spin the prize wheel, plus enjoy food, music and prizes. For more information visit wwwparkstreetfest.com.

yahoo.com or www.lewiscentermomsclub.org.

MOMS Club of New Albany Support group for stay-athome moms. Contact NAMOMSclub@yahoo.com.

MOMS Club of Northwest Columbus & Upper Arlington Support group for stay-athome or part-time working MOMS Club of Lewis Center moms. Meets on the second Northeast Wednesday of each month.

A social and support group for stay-at-home moms and Call (614) 388-9410, or go to ColumbusMOMSClub.com. their children. Activities include playgroups, moms’ MOMS Club of night out, service projects Pickerington North and more. The original Support group for stay-atchapter has since split to home moms. Also serves accommodate the great Reynoldsburg and Pataskala. number of stay-at-home E-mail Rachel at moms in our area. We are argillaspie@yahoo.com. actively seeking moms living MOMS Club of within the designated Pickerington South boundaries east of S. Old Support group for stay-atState Rd., south of Lewis home moms living south of Center Rd., north of Orange Refugee Rd. in Pickerington Rd., and west of Africa Rd. or Canal Winchester. 10 a.m.

For membership informaon the fourth Wednesday of tion, call Liz at (740) 657each month at Peace United 1473 or visit http://lewisMethodist Church, 235 Diley centermomsclubne.org.

Rd. Go to MOMS Club of Lewis Center PickeringtonMoms.triSoutheast pod.com.

A non-profit support group MOMS Club of Powell for stay-at-home moms.

Support group for stay-atActively seeking new memhome moms. E-mail Stacie bers who live south of at powellmoms@yahoo.com.

Orange Rd., east of S. Old MOMS Club of Sunbury State Rd., and north of Lazelle Rd. For membership A social and support group for stay-at-home moms and information contact Gail at their children. Meets for Moms_Club_Membership@

business the last Thursday of each month. Monthly activities include play dates, local outings, cooking club, book club and moms’ night out. Contact Amy at (740) 513-6267, or sunburymomsclub@yahoo.com for more information.

MOMS Club of Westerville South Support group for stay-athome moms. We have play groups, craft days, and a monthly moms’ night out.

Meetings are at 10 a.m. on the last Thursday of each month at Grace Lutheran Church, 100 E. Schrock Rd., Westerville. Contact momswestervillesouth@yahoo.co m for more information.

MOPS Newark Fellowship and support group open to all moms with children ages birth-5.

Meets at 9:30 a.m. on the second Friday of each month at First United Methodist Church, 88 N. Fifth St. Call (740) 349-7020, or e-mail mops@firstumcnewark.org.

Mothers Swapping Skills Group Online notice board helps bring moms together who would like to exchange skills and services such as cooking, tutoring, babysitting, cleaning, carpooling and coaching. Group is actively seeking women leaders for guidance. Register at Groups.google.com/group/ mothersswappingskills.

“My” Food-Allergy Support Group MOPS Upper Arlington A group for parents of chilLutheran Church dren dealing with life-threatA wonderful opportunity to ening food allergies. We offer meet other moms with monthly meetings, occayoung children. The group sional non-food family meets every first and third activities and a private eTuesday at 9 a.m. at the mail group for additional Upper Arlington Lutheran support, sharing of conChurch, 2300 Lytham Rd. cerns, successes, coping The cost per meeting is $5 and childcare is $2 per child. strategies, resources and tools. E-mail Dena Friedel at MOMS Club of Worthington For more information call dfriedel@insight.rr.com.

(614) 451-3736.

Support group for stay-atMothers & More Chapter 51 New Moms’ Group home moms. Meets on the An opportunity for new Non-profit dedicated to third Tuesday of the month mothers and their babies to at Worthington Presbyterian improving the lives of mothmeet others and share inforChurch. E-mail prospective- ers through support, educamember@worthingtontion and advocacy. St. John’s mation. Meets from 1-2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the moms.org for more informa- Episcopal Church, 700 N. Elizabeth Blackwell Center, tion.

High St.,Worthington. Call Janet at (614) 888-4702, or e- 3635 Olentangy River Rd., MOPS Dublin Columbus. Free. (614) 566mail Fellowship support group 4446. tsalmon11@yahoo.com. for moms with newborns Nisonger Center Dual through kindergarten. The Mothers of Multiples East Diagnosis Clinic first Thursday of every Columbus month, meet at Radiant Life Support and social group for This clinic provides mental Church from 6:30-8:30 p.m. mothers of multiples. 7 p.m. health diagnosis, medication recommendations and on the second Thursday of and the third Thursday is psychological assessments each month. Church of the moms’ night out. For more for people of all ages who Redeemer United information call Lindsay at Methodist, 235 McNaughten have both a developmental (614) 571-2995. disability and a mental illRd. ECMom.org. ness. The Ohio State

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

49

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University Nisonger Center, 357 McCampbell Hall, 1581 Dodd Dr. Call Diana Boggs, (614) 292-9780, or e-mail boggs.59@osu.edu.

Online Nanny Group An online group for Columbus-area nannies that helps to grow friendships and makes play dates. Go to groups.yahoo.com/group/ ohionannies/.

Perinatal Outreach & Encouragement (POEM, Inc.) We are moms who have survived prenatal or postpartum depression (PPD) so we understand like no one else can. POEM is the Ohio Coordinator of Postpartum Support International (PSI), the leading authority on perinatal mental health. For more information call (614) 315-8989 or www.poemonline.org.

Columbus Arts Festival June 4, 5 and 6 The Columbus Arts Festival presented by Time Warner Cable will be held on June 4, 5 and 6. Check out the hands-on arts activities for kids and parents: have fun throwing a clay pot, making a print, glass beads, wooden boats and more. The Greater Columbus Arts Council will showcase the Photo courtesy of Columbus Arts Festival Children’s Gallery on Saturday and Sunday. The Horizon Science Academy Elementary, COSI, the Columbus Museum of Art, artists from Glass Axis, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are just some of the organizations on hand with fun arts and crafts. Festival hours are 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, June 4, and Saturday, June 5.

Hours on Sunday, June 6, are 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, call (614) 224-2606 or visit www.ColumbusArtsFestival.org.

read over the summer by joining the Kids’ Summer Reading Club at the Grandview Heights Public Library. This program will encourage your child to read over the summer by earning Gardeners Summer If you enjoy cultivating your fun and exciting prizes. green thumb then this is the Registration begins Monday, Ongoing perfect volunteer opportuni- June 7. For more informaBe a Volunteen ty for you. Join the Stratford tion call (614) 486-2951.

Teens can volunteer to join Ecological Center, 3083 Volunteer Receptionist the Youth Services staff at Liberty Rd. in gardening and Weekdays and Saturdays the Grandview Heights maintaining the vegetable Volunteer your time at the Public Library to help with gardens including the chilStratford Ecological Center the Kids’ Summer Reading dren’s garden, field gardens, by answering the phone, Club, for grades 7 and highgiving garden, as well as directing visitors to activier. For more information call greenhouses and landscape ties, assisting with trails and (614) 486-2951. gardens. Visit u-pick areas, as well as sellFarm and Nature Guides StratfordEcologicalCenter. ing farm products.

Volunteer weekdays at the org.

Volunteers are welcome Stratford Ecological Center Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 Get Involved to help children and adults Share your unique volunteer p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 understand the relationp.m. The Stratford perspective at the Stratford ships between living things Ecological Center is located Ecological Center by joining and their environment. The at 3083 Liberty Rd. in the get involved group of Stratford Ecological Center Delaware. For more inforvolunteers that meets biis located at 3083 Liberty Rd. mation visit monthly. This group meets in Delaware. For more inforwwwStratfordEcological to build community, share mation visit Center.org. expertise and work as a www.StratfordEcological team to ensure the future of Saturday Farm and Nature Center.org.

Guides Stratford. Be sure to save Farmer’s Helper Volunteer at the Stratford time for a nature walk after Come volunteer at the Ecological Center on the the meeting. The Stratford Stratford Ecological Center Ecological Center is located third Saturday of the month and become a farmer’s to give family tours of the at 3083 Liberty Rd. in helper! Farmer’s helpers will Delaware. For more inforbeautiful farm. The Stratford assist with an abundance of mation visit Ecological Center is located activities such as animal at 3083 Liberty Rd. in www.StratfordEcological chores, carpentry, fence Center.org.

Delaware. For more inforbuilding, preparing and Kids’ Summer Reading Club mation visit maintaining the fields. The wwwStratfordEcological Encourage your child to Stratford Ecological Center is located at 3083 Liberty Rd. in Delaware. For more information visit www.StratfordEcological Center.org.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

Center.org.

Teen Summer Reading Club Join the Grandview Heights Public Library for the teen summer reading club to win prizes for reading. The club is designed to encourage those in grades 6-12 to further their education in the summer. Sign-up starts Monday, June 7, and continues through August 7. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Trail Maintenance Come join other volunteers at to help maintain the enchanting trails of the Stratford Ecological Center, 3083 Liberty Rd. For more information visit wwwStratfordEcological Center.org.

Tuesday 1 Grandview Heights Public Library Concert Series Bring the entire family to enjoy a free concert on the lawn by Billy Zenn & The Ringers. The concert is from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Friday 4 Columbus Arts Festival Come to the Discovery

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Pre-Service Foster Parent Training Sponsored by Starr Commonwealth, this training class will give all the necessary information to become a foster parent.

Ranging from support inhouse to out-of-home care, this session will allow you to gain knowledge to help a child in need. This free training session is located at 301 Obetz Rd. from 6-9 p.m.

For more information call (614) 491-5784.

massage techniques to help alleviate discomfort associated with gas, teething and other issues. Due to a small class size, registration and pre-payment are necessary and cancellations are appreciated. $20 for one adult and one infant. $25 for two adults and one infant. This session is located at 4310 N. High St. from 12:30-1:30 p.m. For more information contact Melissa Weaver at Melissa@melissaweaverlmt. com or call (614) 581-5893.

Zoo Night with the Columbus Clippers Come join the Clippers as Monday 7 they take on the Rochester Kick-Off Concert Red Wings with your favorite Come celebrate the first day animals from the Columbus of Summer Reading Club Zoo and Aquarium. with outdoor activities and Huntington Park, 330 W. kids music by Tom Sieling.

Nationwide Blvd. Fun for the This free concert will be held entire family. The game from 11-11:30 a.m. at the begins at 7:05 p.m. and tickGrandview Heights Public ets are available for purLibrary at 1685 W. First Ave. chase at the gate. For more For more information call information call (800)745(614) 481-3778.

3000 or visit www.columbuszoo.org.

Outside the Lines First Anniversary Celebration Come celebrate the first anniversary of Outside the Lines from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

There will be food, projects, giveaways, fun and much more. There is no cost to attend and will be held at the studio at 5236 Cemetery Rd. in Hilliard. For more information call (614) 5277752.

outdoor family fun for all ages. Bait will be provided, and a limited amount of fishing equipment will be available for loan on site.

This fun family event is held from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at Rotary Lake in Fryer Park, 3899 Orders Rd. in Grove City. For more information call (614) 277-3060 or visit www.grovecityohio.gov.

Preschoolers: Redwigglers Learn about worms and discover how these slithery creatures help the soil. Meet at Cedar Ridge Lodge on June 5 at 9:30 or 11 a.m. Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, 1775 Darby Creek Dr., Galloway.

Nature Kids: Space Invaders Learn about invasive plant and animal species and what can be done to keep them from crowding out our native species. This program is for ages 6-12. Meet at the nature center on June 14 at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. at Blacklick Woods Metro Park, 6975 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg.

Sing a Song of Summer Try our gourmet marshmallows and other campfire treats. Feel free to bring your own goodies to cook.

Meet at the Cherry Ridge program area on June 6 at 7 p.m. at Blendon Woods Metro Park, 4265 E. DublinGranville Rd., Westerville.

Turtles and Snakes See live turtles and a black rat snake and learn about their lives.

Meet at the nature center on June 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. Highbanks Metro Park, 9466 U.S. 23. N., Lewis Center.

www.metroparks.net District to appreciate the different artists from all over the country. Whether you enjoy painting, woodworking or blown glass, this festival is sure to have pieces that you will love. The threeday event is held in the areas surrounding the Columbus Museum of Art and CCAD. For more information and festival hours call (614) 2242606 or visit columbusartsfestival.org.

Parks & Recreation.

Purchase gently used maternity clothes, children’s clothes, toys and furniture for children ages 6 and younger. The event is from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Bring a nonperishable food item for entry. The boutique will be held in the Westerville Community Center, 350 N. Cleveland Ave. For more information call (614) 9016500.

Saturday 5

Columbus Arts Festival See June 4.

Baby Bargain Boutique Find great bargains at the Baby Bargain Boutique sponsored by Westerville

ColumbusParent.com

Family Fishing Day Come join Grove City Parks and Recreation’s Family Fishing Day to experience

Sunday 6 Columbus Arts Festival See June 4.

Tuesday 8 Grandview Heights Public Library Concert Series Bring the entire family to enjoy a free concert on the lawn by Arnett Howard’s Band. The concert will be held from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Public Library at 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Wednesday 9 Open Gym Nights at Integrity Gymnastics Integrity Gymnastics and Cheerleading is inviting all children to tumble, jump and laugh with friends during open gym night.

Experience and play on all the gymnastics equipment from 7:30-9 p.m. for $8.

Integrity Gymnastics and Cheerleading is located on 8185 Business Way in Plain City. For more information call (614) 733-0818.

Saturday 12 Art Explorations Join OSU Urban Arts Space for an afternoon filled with hands-on, family-friendly art making for children ages 5-12. Featuring artist Jenny Fine who explores the power of art to preserve family stories and memories, this event is held from 1-3 p.m. at 50 W. Town St. RSVP by emailing uas@osu.edu or call (614) 292-8861.

PBJ & Jazz at Topiary Park The Jazz and Arts Group of Columbus is returning to Topiary Park to perform a one-hour interactive outdoor jazz concert for children. The concert is designed to introduce your child to the wide array of jazz and American music.

The concert is free and begins at 12 p.m. Topiary

Park is located at 480 E. Town St. For more information call (614) 294-5200.

Sunday 13 Mission Squad North Broadway United Methodist Church is inviting all 5th, 6th and 7th grade students to join in on fellowship and fun. The group will work on community service projects throughout Clintonville. This free event provides dinner and is held from 5:30-8 p.m. at 48 E. North Broadway. For more information call (614) 2688626.

Vacation Bible School North Broadway United Methodist Church is hosting a free vacation bible school class for children in grades 3 and 4. There will be bible stories, crafts, recreation, dinner, music and much more. This exciting opportunity is held from 5:30-8 p.m. at 48 E. North Broadway. For more information call (614) 268-8626.

Tuesday 15 Grandview Heights Public Library Concert Series Bring the entire family to enjoy a free concert on the lawn by The Randys. The

Barnes & Noble Storytime This free event invites all children to join in a storytime circle with Clifford the Big Red Dog. Beginning at 11 a.m., this children’s story is a favorite that is guaranteed to be a hit with your child. Barnes & Noble is located at 4005 Townsfair Way in Easton Town Center.

Introduction to Infant Massage Caregivers are invited to bring their infants, (precrawling) to learn full-body

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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concert is held from 7:308:30 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Kids Cook Day Camp: Breakfast Kids Cook Breakfast will inspire your child to become a chef by allowing him or her to taste and cook with local seasonal ingredients in a fun exploratory environment. This is a two-hour day camp from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., for 3- to 6-year-olds. The price is $75 and is located at Sprout Soup at 4310 N. High St. For more information call (614) 267-7768, e-mail Rachel Tayse at Rachel@houndsinthekitchen.com, or visit www.houndsinthekitchen.co m/events/summer-2010special-events.

Movie Day Bring your child age 5 and older to enjoy a free movie at the Grandview Heights Public Library. This is a great opportunity to meet new friends and laugh along with the movie. 2-4 p.m. at 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 481-3778.

Skate for Hope June 19 Skate for Hope is an annual figure skating show held each summer at Nationwide Arena. Skate for Hope is a unique breast cancer fundraising event that has raised over $233,000 to help find a cure, while uniting generations of women. Show begins at 5 p.m., doors open at 4:15 p.m.

Tickets start at $15. Visit www.skateforhope.org for more information.

Summer Stories on the Lawn Come bring your child to enjoy a free, fun and relaxing morning of children’s stories on the lawn at the Grandview Heights Public Library beginning at 10 a.m.

The library is located at 1685 W. First Ave. For more infor- the Grandview Heights mation call (614) 481-3778.

Public Library. The stories are from 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Wednesday 16 and are free. The library is located at 1685 W. First Ave. Baby Games For more information call Come enjoy storytime with (614) 481-3778. your 6-to 17-month-old at

Kids Cook Day Camp: Breakfast See June 15.

Thursday 17 GreekFest This three-day festival will include film, performances, parties, games, visual arts and more dedicated to everything Greek. There will CAPA: Nickelodeon’s be events for the whole famStorytime Live ily for $5 and takes place at Watch the characters from Wild Goose Creative, 2491 Dora the Explorer, The Summit St. For more inforBackyardigans, The Wonder mation and festival hours Pets!, and Ni Hao, Kai-lan visit www.wildgoose come to life for a fun theatricreative.com cal event. Hosted by Nick Kids Cook Day Camp: Jr.’s Moose A. Moose and Breakfast Zee, this event will be a hit See June 15. with your child. Tickets can be purchased online at Lunch Bunch www.ticketmaster.com and Join the Grandview Heights start at $15. The event will Public Library, 1685 W. First take place at the Palace Ave., for an exciting afterTheatre, 34 W. Broad St. at 4 noon with your 2- to 5-yearand 7 p.m. on Wednesday old. This free event is held and 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. on from 12-1 p.m. and will Thursday. For more informa- include a multitude of stotion call (800) 745-3000, ries, activities and fun. For (614) 469-0939, or visit more information call (614) www.capa.com.

481-3778.

Family Concert Series Endless Recess Providing entertainment for the whole family, this free event includes a magician, a storyteller, puppet show and local youth acts. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Everal Barn at Heritage Park in Westerville will house this event located at 60 N. Cleveland Ave. This concert is part of a series that will be held every Wednesday evening in June, July and August. For more information call (614) 901-6500.

Family Story Time on the Lawn Bring your blanket to the Grandview Heights Public

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Library for a relaxing and enjoyable evening of adventurous stories with your 2-to 5-year-old on the lawn. The stories are from 7-7:30 p.m. Free. The library is located at 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 481-3778.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

Friday 18 Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival Come listen to the notes of the best blues and jazz music in all of Ohio. For the small price of $3, the entire family can enjoy the 60 hours of entertainment, Jog for Jazz, Sunday Jazz Brunch, Musical Discovery Zone, amusement rides, vendors and great food. Located in Olde Gahanna and Creekside Plaza, visit www.creeksidebluesandjazz.com for more details and festival times.

GreekFest See June 17.

Juneteeth Ohio Festival Join in on the longest-running, fastest-growing event in the central Ohio African American community.

Commemorating the signature of the Emancipation Proclamation, this festival includes a wide variety of activities such as a cultural marketplace, soul food, jazz and gospel music. The festival is in Franklin Park. For more information and festival times visit www.juneteenthohio.net.

Movie in the Park This free event will showcase the family-friendly film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, in Thomson Park.

The movie will begin at dusk and will be displayed on a 24-foot screen. Thomson Park is located on McCoy Rd For more information call (614) 583-5300 or visit www.uaoh.net.

Play Safe Day Washington Township Parks and Recreation and Giant Eagle are sponsoring this free event that will teach your family about health and safety. Entertainment is assured for the entire family by playing games, jumping in the moon bounce, taking a tour of Sparky’s Safety House, watching the dive team do a demonstration, and even visiting with the EMS bike patrol. You can also ensure safety while riding your bike this summer by bringing your helmet to get it fitted. Play Safe Day is from 10:30-11:30 a.m. For more information visit www.wtwp.com.

Saturday 19 Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival See June 18.

Follow Me! 5K & Fun Fit Family Day Embrace the summer season at Easton Town Center for a day dedicated to having fun

ColumbusParent.com

SUMMER GROUPS TO ENHANCE YOUR CHILD’S LEARNING!

Big Machines returns to COSI June 12-20 Bulldozers, dump trucks and backhoes converge in downtown Columbus for COSI’s annual Science of Big Machines. Get behind the wheel and operate equipment that builds roads and buildings! For more information, log on to www.cosi.org.

Small groups sizes with qualified therapists!

• Groups offered beginning June 22 • Savvy Social Language Skills • Handwriting Helpers • Sensory/Speech Sensations • Oral Motor Madness • Tell me More! (oral and written language) • Articulation • FUN-ctional Fluency • Literacy Exploration Check out our website for more information and to register:

www.ColumbusTA.com

Photo courtesy of COSI Columbus

outdoors. The day will kickoff with a 5K walk/run/roll and will be followed with entertainment, inflatables, vender booths, Buckeye Championship Sports Tour, face painting and COSI on Wheels. This day of outdoor fun is from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and is free. For more information call (614) 416-7000 or visit www.eastontowncenter.com.

GreekFest See June 17.

Juneteeth Ohio Festival See June 18.

Math Monkey: Games-aPalooza All families are welcome to join Math Monkey in their second annual Family Games-a-Palooza from 3-6 p.m. There will be challenging games and puzzles that your kids are guaranteed to enjoy. Free. Math Monkey is located at 9681 Sawmill Rd. in Powell. For more information call (614) 792-MATH (6284) or visit www.mathmonkey.com/powell.

Cemetery Rd. in Hilliard.

The camp is for children ages 6 and older and is $30 to attend with snacks and drinks included. For more information call (614) 5277752.

Worthington Art Festival Come to the Historic Downtown Olde Worthington Business District, at the intersection of Routes 23 and 161, for a wide array of artistic talent.

The art ranges from clay, watercolor and oil to jewelry, photography and media.

This event is for the whole family and is held from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information call (614) 891-6293 or visit www.owba.net.

See June 19.

Tuesday 22 Grandview Heights Public Library Concert Series Bring the entire family to enjoy a free concert on the lawn by the Sean Carney Band. The concert is held from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Public Library at 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Summer Stories on the Lawn See June 15.

Wednesday 23

Beginning at 6:30 p.m.at the Everal Barn at Heritage Park in Westerville, 60 N. Cleveland Ave. This concert is part of a series that will be every Wednesday evening in June, July and August. For more information call (614) 901-6500.

Family Story Time on the Lawn See June 16.

Thursday 24 Lunch Bunch See June 17.

Friday 25

Color My World Preschoolers and parents are invited to a morning of color fun. Enjoy games and Captain Max & Splash activities as well as learn Magic and play with the colors Your child is guaranteed to Sunday 20 around us. The price is $3 enjoy this free magic show Creekside Blues & Jazz and is from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Festival This event is held at 60 N. Public Library from 2-2:45 See June 18. p.m. There will be tricks that Cleveland Ave. in the Everal Father’s Day Carriage Rides will leave you and your 3- to Barn at Heritage Park in Westerville. For more inforSpoil your dad on Father’s 12-year-old child amazed. mation call (614) 901-6500.

Day and take him for a luxu- The library is located at Sparks are Flying rious horse drawn carriage 1685 W. First Ave. For more Popcorn Pops: Rain, Rain Reserve a spot for your kids ride at Easton Town Center. information call (614) 481Go Away to unleash their creative side Pickup will be in the North 3778.

Come enjoy three fun family at Outside the Lines Creative District from 3-7 p.m. $10. concerts by the Columbus Family Concert Series Studio. This fun camp will For more information call Symphony at 8 p. m.

The Columbus Zoo allow your child to create (614) 416-7000 or visit Popcorn, face painting, art their very own Fourth of July www.eastontowncenter.com. Providing entertainment for projects and playing with the whole family, this free plate that can be displayed musical instruments are all Juneteeth Ohio Festival event includes a magician, a for the entire family. The included with your $12 See June 18. storyteller, a puppet show creativity is from 2-4:30 p.m. admission. The concerts are and local youth acts. and is located at 5236 Worthington Art Festival

ColumbusParent.com

Baby Games See June 16.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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held on the lawn of Chemical Abstracts Service located at 2540 Olentangy River Rd. For more information call (614) 228-8600 or visit PicnicWithThePops. com.

Powell Festival This outdoor event will showcase live music, local merchants, arts/crafts, educational stations and visits from animals and mascots.

This family-friendly festival is held from 5-11 p.m. on Friday, and 12-11 p.m. on Saturday at Village Green Park, 47 Hall St., in Powell.

For more information call (614) 396-3336 or visit www.visitpowell.com.

Powell Festival See June 25.

Library at 1685 W. First Ave. For more information call (614) 486-2951.

Sunday 27

Summer Stories on the Lawn See June 15.

Family Day Workshop Children of ages 6-17 will thoroughly enjoy this opportunity to work with local artist Talia Shabtay.

This free workshop will allow your child to express their creativity by writing their own original poetry.

Held from 2-4 p.m. at Ohio Arts Council’s Riffe Gallery, Riffe Center, 77 S. High St. For more information call (614) 644-9624 or visit www.riffegallery.org.

Sparks are Flying Reserve a spot for your kids Saturday 26 to unleash their creative side at Outside the Lines Dublin Kiwanis Annual Creative Studio. This fun Frog Jump camp will allow your child Come to Dublin’s oldest to create their very own summertime event. There will be a multitude of athlet- Fourth of July plate that can ic frogs waiting for your be displayed for the entire child to become their jockey family. The creativity is from 1-3:30 p.m. and is located at and race them to the win5236 Cemetery Rd in ner’s circle. Whether you Hilliard. The camp is for bring your own frog or rent children ages 6 and older one, spectators will be and is $30 to attend, with cheering from the stands. snacks and drinks included.

This one-of-a-kind event is For more information call from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Coffman Park, 5200 Emerald (614) 527-7752.

Pkwy. For more information call (614) 889-2211, 1-800Tuesday 29 245-8387 or visit www.dublinkiwanis.org.

Arts & Crafts Preschoolers and parents Eric Carle-Style Art are invited to share creative Program time together doing arts Alongside artist and Columbus School of Art and and crafts. For a small price of $3, your child will be able Design professor Carrie to express their creativity Bowman, your child is using all of the supplies proassured to create a mastervided. This event is from 6piece. There are only two 7:30 p.m. at the Westerville sessions to attend, both Community Center located, with 15 participants, so reg350 N. Cleveland Ave. For ister fast! The first session more information call (614) will be held from 10:30-11 a.m. and the second session 901-6500.

is scheduled for 11:30-12 p.m. Both sessions are located at the Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685 W. First Ave. Sign up in youth services or call (614) 481-3778.

54

Grandview Heights Public Library Concert Series Bring the entire family to enjoy a free concert on the lawn by The Conspiracy Band. The concert is held from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Grandview Heights Public

Introducing ColumbusMomstyle.com

T-Shirt Reconstruction Allow your child in grades 5 and up to unleash his or her creative side and create a new fashion. Bring an old shirt to the Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685 W. First Ave., to transform into a cool new fashion trend. This event is from 34:30 p.m. and space is limited. For more information call (614) 481-3778.

Wednesday 30 Baby Games See June 16.

Family Concert Series Juggler Matt Jergens Providing entertainment for the whole family, this free event includes Matt Jergens and his juggling acts for your entertainment.

Beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Everal Barn at Heritage Park in Westerville will house this event located at 60 N. Cleveland Ave. This concert is part of a series that will be every Wednesday evening in June, July and August. For more information call (614) 901-6500.

Family Story Time on the Lawn See June 16.

Here, another mom knows how to keep kids happy on a rainy day As a mom, you know how rewarding and challenging raising kids can be.

Now there’s a site made just for you.

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So stop by the new hometown website entirely dedicated to the world’s greatest – and most challenging – job.

Real moms. Real women. Go us!

And for the most up-todate listing of what’s happening across central Ohio, turn to the Weekender section in The Columbus Dispatch each Thursday.

Learning. Laughing. Growing.

June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

ColumbusParent.com

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KID’S TOUR

Birthdays, field trips or any special occasion.

Kids get to make their own pizza after a group tour of our kitchen with Chef Jason. The cost is $8.99 per kid, including a beverage. Reserve your group today by calling (614) 237-3305.

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Petting Zoo

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Creatures of the Night Educational presentations with live demonstrations 614-425-3599 or ncharlenegreg@columbus. rr.com

• Candy themed games • Decorating cupcakes & ice cream • Candy art with Pucker Powder • Favor bag for each guest plus balloons and drinks

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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June 2010 | Columbus Parent Magazine

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