JULY/AUGUST 2018
The Free Press MEDIA
SMILE
Smile with us...we care!
Mankato 507-387-4078
New Ulm 507-354-8943
SPECIALIZED care for your child
www.kidswillsmile.com
Cover kids
C
s t n e t n o
B reckyn
6 Peeps
Fardousa Jama
7
Say What
What is Your Favorite Ice Cream Treat?
8 Summer
Food Programs
14 Money
Jaxson
Give Your Grad the Gift of Financial Education
15 Be Healthy
Summer of Healthy Habits
16 How Do You Do It?
Rachel Carpenter
18 Mental Health
Creating A Predictable Schedule in the Summer Reduces Everyone's Stress
20 Historical Feature
Backyard Archaeologist
22 Supa Dupa Comics
Photography by: Cliff Coy
30 Healthy Kids
Healthy Summer Eating is Within Your Children’s Reach
32 The Children’s Museum
38 DIY Craft
Giant Bubbles
Did you say something?
24 Kid Writer
Laughing Gas
28 hOMie
Lotus Pigeon Half Lord of the Fishes 2 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
SPECIAL THANKS Hazel and Sam Fisher and Carson and Cohen Brelje
48 Meet the Author
Nancy Loewen
50 Happy
Birthday Tacy!
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
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HOME TREATMENTS FOR ALL BUDGETS July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 3
JULY/AUGUST 2018 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 PUBLISHER Steve Jameson
Hello!
“Summertime, summertime, sum, sum summertime.” The Jamies, 1958. For many young folks, summertime is the best time of the year. No school, family vacations, swimming, biking and long summer days to explore. But summer isn’t everyone’s favorite time of year. For kids and families that rely on school lunches to help chase away hunger, not having that daily meal can be a challenge. Thank goodness the area school districts and food shelves have recognized the issue and are ready with prepared meals all summer long. You can learn more about it in our main story this month. Also in this issue, you’ll find great advice to make your summer healthier, you can learn all about the summer programs at The Children’s Museum, find out how to be an amateur archaeologist from the folks at the Blue Earth County Historical Society and even learn how to create your own giant bubble wands. This issue is also chock full of puzzles, games and crafts. Normally, through a partnership with the school district, we hand Kid Oh! out in the schools. But with school being out, we decided to send it out in The Free Press so we could try to reach some new readers. We hope you’ll take some time to see what we have to offer, or share it with a Kid-oh in your life. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful summer! See you back at school!
EDITOR/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Jordan Greer-Friesz CONTRIBUTORS Mayo Clinic Health System The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota Gena Heminover Blue Earth County Historical Society MN Valley Federal Credit Union Marianne Carlson E. Madelyn James Heather Fisher Mankato Clinic Health System Friesen's Bakery & Bistro Julie Schrader Rachel Carpenter Jessy Shouler PHOTOGRAPHERS Inspired Portrait Photography Cliff Coy PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING SALES Joan Streit Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Marianne Carlson Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Barb Wass ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Christina Sankey Sue Hammar CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Justin Niles
Steve Jameson
Kid-Oh! Magazine is published by The Free Press Media bi-monthly at 418 South Second St., Mankato MN 56001. For editorial and advertising inquiries, call Jordan Greer-Friesz 507-344-6337, jgreer@mankatofreepress.com To be included in future Kid-Oh! mailings, call 507-625-4451, ext. 7
4 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 5
a s u o d r Fa Jama Occupation: Executive director for Somali Community Barwaaqo Organization.
What is your favorite part of your job?
How long have you lived in Mankato?
Helping others and being involved in the community I live in, and I’m a people person and so just interacting with people is something I look forward to in my job.
Since 1997 but I moved away 2004 and moved back 2009. My family and I have lived here for 21 years.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I thought I would be a police officer helping people or a business woman with my persuasion and people skills. These both manifest in my job today because I get to help my community while putting my persuasion and people skills to work best of worlds.
What is your favorite thing to do in Mankato for fun? I like going to the lake I like going to the park. Nature obviously Mankato is beautiful. Calming relaxing. Christmas lights.
About Me: My name is Fardousa Jama. I was born and raised to Somalia. I moved to the united states in 1995. We lived in Tennessee first and moved to Mankato in 1997. I cofounded the Somali barwagoo org in 2014. I love my job because I get to work with people from people from different cultures. All around I’m a people person. I love relaxing with friends and family around Mankato’s many beautiful parks and spaces. One of my hobbies is teaching people about my culture, so next time you meet a Somali and you want to say how are you, you can say siday tahay. 6 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
We Asked some Kid-oh’s..... What is your favorite ice cream treat?
Macey
Age: 12 Cookie Dough Blizzards from DQ WEST are my favorite.
Jaxson
Lake
Age: 9 Ice Cream Blizzard, Peanut butter Cup.
Age: 4 Freezies.
Adam Age: 7 Push-ups.
Liliana Age: 7 Cotton candy ice cream.
Nora Age: 4 Chocolate ice cream.
Hayden
Age: 7 Mint Oreo Blizzards are my favorite.
Amelia Age: 7 Ice cream sandwiches.
Anna
Age: 11 Ice Cream Drumsticks.
Breckyn Age: 6 Ice Cream Drumsticks, Chocolate.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 7
SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMS Feeding our Community By Marianne Carlson 8 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
for the BackPack Food Program which is funded by grants and community donations. The BackPack Food Program provides a weekend's worth of healthy, wellbalanced meals in small bags. The bags are given to the students' teachers every Thursday to be discreetly placed into the child's backpack on Friday.
What About Summertime?
Ashlyn & Claire Huettl stop in for lunch at West High School with their nanny before heading to the park.
W
hen people think about child hunger, they often imagine war-ridden countries far away from here. The truth is, 40% of the student population in Blue Earth County receives free and reduced lunch and breakfast. Right now, nationwide, it is estimated that 48.8 million Americans, including 16.2 million children, live in households that lack the means to get enough nutritious food on a regular basis. That means,
approximately one in five children go hungry. It's called food insecurity, and it's a metric designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to track how many households struggle to provide food for their families. The non-profit organization Feeding America found that food insecurity exists in every county and congressional district in the country. During the school year, students who receive free and reduced school lunch and breakfast are also eligible
According to the experts at the USDA, summer is the the time of year when a child is most likely to go hungry. As a way to combat this situation, the USDA started the Summer Food Service Program. “Anyone under the age of 18 can eat breakfast and lunch for free … every single day in the summer,” Tom Sager, Director of Business Services at ISD 77 in Mankato said. “Last year, we served 47,000 meals in three months at 10 different sites in the district including ACES, Youth Enrichment & Summer School.” This year, the district has selected eight sites to serve free breakfast and lunch and Sager said, that there is no income requirement for this program and everyone is welcome. “All kids under the age of 18 eat free but adults are welcome too,” Sager said. “Adults just have to pay $3.65 for their meal. I don't know if you have tried school lunch lately but it is nothing like it was in the old days. There is no mystery meat. The food is a lot more nutritious and delicious.” In 2010, the legislature passed the The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. This was the first time in over 30 years that the USDA had an opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children. Even the way the food is placed on students' plates has changed, according to Sager. “Veggies and fruit are served first and starch and protein are served last,” Sager said. “It is really a shift in mentality. We still serve some of the kids' favorites like french fries but they are baked not fried. And I'm telling you, they are really good.” Both middle schools and both high schools have wonderful salad bars, but Sager said his favorite is the Build Your Own Taco Bar. July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 9
“It's just like Chipotle,” Sager said with a smile. “You can make yourself tacos, burritos or even a taco salad. It's terrific.”
What About Kids Who Live In Rural Areas?
2018-2019 Dance Season - classes start 9/4 Wee Dancers Ages 2-3
Designed to introduce music and movement through basic dance and creative movement activities. Black ballet shoes required
Tiny Ballerinas Ages 3-5 Pink ballet shoes required
Preschool Movement Ages 2-3
Develop motor skills, socialability while giving a fun, hands-on introduction to the world of dance. Black tap and ballet shoes required
Toddler Tumbling Ages 3-5
Tuesday 4:30-5:00 Saturday 10:00-10:30 Tuesday 5:00-5:30 Saturday 10:30-11:00 Tuesday 5:30-6:00 Saturday 11:00-11:30 Saturday 11:30-12:00
Combo A Ages 5-6
Hip Hop 1-2
Combo B Ages 7-8
Hip Hop 3-4
Monday 6:00-6:45 Wednesday 5:00-5:45 Tuesday 7:00-7:55 Wednesday 5:30-6:25
Combo C Ages 9-10
Thursday 5:00-5:55
Tap/Jazz 1-2
Thursday 7:00-7:55
Tap/Jazz 3-4
Thursday 7:00-7:55
Monday 5:00-5:55 Tuesday 6:00-6:55 Thursday 8:00-8:55
Beginner Ballet
Thursday 4:00-4:55
Intermediate Ballet Thursday 6:00-6:55
Boys Tap/Jazz
Wednesday 6:00-6:55 $25 per Month
Boys Hip Hop
Wednesday 7:00-7:55 $25 per Month
For Full Schedule, Visit DCSMDANCE.COM
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507-625-2005 10 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
According to Kevin Concannon, USDA Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, “One of the biggest challenges is low-income kids who live in rural areas because those yellow buses are not moving in the summertime.” That is where Echo Food Shelf 's Summer Feeding Program comes in, said manager Deisy De Leon Esqueda. This program is free for families with school age children, ages 5 – 18. When kids start school at age five that is right around the time that WIC Food and Nutrition Service (Women, Infants & Children) benefits drop off, De Leon Esqueda explained. “It doesn't matter if you have one child or five children, we will give you everything you need for breakfast and lunch for an entire week,” De Leon Esqueda said. “The idea is to make the meals nutritious but also kid-friendly so they are easy to prepare. Right now we have, pancake mix that you simply add water to, cereal, peanut butter, eggs, milk, bread, meat, fruits and veggies. And a treat. Every kid needs a little snack, something special.” The food pyramid has been retired and is no longer the standard for good nutrition, De Leon Esqueda said. “It is all about 'My Plate' which shows what kinds of foods kids should be eating as well as portion size,” she explained. De Leon Esqueda said she works with a dietician that is on the board of directors and with her assistant manager who studied nutrition, in order to make sure they are providing a balanced diet for families. “There is no income criteria to participate in the Summer Feeding Program,” De Leon Esqueda said. “And it only takes you five or 10 minutes to sign up.” The fact that families can come once a week, pick up food and take it with them is what makes this program different than other summer food programs.
Erin, Mark & Lizzy Dunn stopped at West High School for lunch after finishing church activities at St.Joseph the Worker.
Kids from the YMCA Day Camps take advantage of the free USDA Summer Food Service Program
Mankato Area Public Schools
Free breakfast and lunch will be provided for any child (age 18 or younger) at no charge and served Monday through Friday. NOW through August 24. BREAKFAST: 7:30am - 8:30am LUNCH: 11:30am - 12:30pm East High School, 2600 Hoffman Road, Mankato Families can pick up groceries for the Summer Feeding Program from 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. “Time is always an issue, especially when parents work,” De Leon Esqueda said. “So if there is a teenager in the family that drives, they can come in and pick up groceries for all the kids in the family. It helps them take ownership of their meals. They get to participate in meal prep and decide what they are going to eat.” Food is a basic necessity and everyone should have access to it, De Leon Esqueda said. “We understand that depending on your situation, this is probably the last place you want to be,” De Leon Esqueda said. “But we are here to help everyone who needs it.”
West High School, 1351 South Riverfront Drive, Mankato Bridges Community School, 820 Hubbell Street, North Mankato Franklin Elementary School, 1000 Broad Street, Mankato Hoover Elementary School, 1524 Marie Lane, North Mankato Kennedy Elementary School, 2600 East Main Street, Mankato
6 Startling Facts Childhood Hunger in the US 1. 16 million American
kids struggle with hunger each year. 2.
62% of teachers say children in their classrooms are coming to school hungry.
3. Children facing hunger are
twice as likely to
repeat a grade in elementary school. 4. Nearly half of all food stamp
recipients are children. 20%
Rosa Parks Elementary School, 1001 Heron Drive, Mankato
5. of food-insecure families are not eligible for government assistance.
Roosevelt Elementary School, 300 West Sixth Street, Mankato
6. Black and Latino children
For more information contact food services staff at 507-388-7442
experience hunger at
double
the rate of white children
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 11
CONCORDIA CLASSICAL ACADEMY
Early Childhood to Grade 8 • Christ centered education • Strong classical academic curriculum • Small classes, personal attention • Affordable Tuition & District 77 busing 2101 Lor Ray Drive, North Mankato CCAMankato.org • 507-388-4336 Call for a personal tour
Summer Session: June 4th- August 27th *Gymnasts may join at any time for a pro-rated fee!
MAGSGymnastics.com 507.625.6260 magsisfun@aol.com
Authors and Appetizers Gala
Celebrating Minnesota Authors & Books
October 12, 2018
Deep Valley Book Festival October 13, 2018 10 - 5pm
5:30pm
Mankato Event Center, 12 Civic Center Plaza, Suite #10
Where
Author Keynote
andvik
Lorna L
readers and authors meet
$40 At the door $35 Advanced
Tickets include delicious appetizers, wine & tea tastings, music by The Frye, David Geister (in costume) live sketch and Lorna Landvik’s comedy show, “Letting It Fly.”
Festival is FREE Key note Saturday!!! Illu D
str avid u Meet Authors, Geis ator ter Illustrators & Publishers u Book Sales & Signings u Speakers and Programs u Used Book Sale u Raffle u Young Writer & Illustrator Contest Awards
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Fun For All Ages! For more information
www.deepvalleybookfestival.com 12 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
SPONSORED BY:
Volunteers Michelle Lemus stocks the shelves while Eyden De Leon Esqueda helps families pick up their week of groceries for their school age children. De Leon Esqueda said that books are always a treat for all members of the family.
ECHO Summer Feeding Program ECHO Food Shelf offers groceries to families once a week during summer break. Blue Earth County and North Mankato families with children age 5-17 years old can register for the program by calling (507) 345-7508. Phone lines are answered 90 minutes before opening hours. Pick up kid-friendly breakfast and lunch items Monday, June 6 through Friday, September 2, at 1014 S Front St, Mankato, during food distribution hours:
Monday 12:30pm - 4:30pm Tuesday 12:30pm - 4:30pm Wednesday 12:30pm - 4:30pm Thursday 10:30am - 7:00pm Friday 12:30pm - 4:30pm July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 13
Submitted by Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union
Give Your Grad the Gift of
Financial Education
G
raduation is here, what are you planning to give your child to celebrate? Why not give the gift of financial education. Here are four financial concepts you can teach your graduate before he or she is off to college:
How checking accounts work
Every graduate needs a checking account. If you haven’t set one up already, now’s the time to do so. This way, you can answer any questions your graduate may have and go through the terms, conditions and fees on the account. Explain how to make a deposit and a withdrawal, and the importance of balancing their checkbook every month. And, tell them how to use a debit card properly and safeguard their information.
14 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
How to budget
A budget may not always be popular, but it’s necessary – especially for students with limited income. Explain the difference between income and expenses, and how expenses should never exceed income. You could create a budget together and compare how you both do at the end of a month. This way, you can show how to make necessary adjustments and why. With a little competition, it can be fun!
How to use credit cards and why
Teach your graduate everything you know about credit cards – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Use personal experiences to explain how they work, what an interest rate is and why they should avoid paying interest at all costs. Encourage them to use their card for emergency expenses only. Help them understand that too much debt can limit what they can do in the future.
How to create a savings plan and why
Teach teens how to set up a savings plan. They may tell you they can’t save in college or when starting a new job, but they can. Tell them it’s easy to save a little every paycheck – especially if it’s done automatically. Even if you’re planning to pay their bills through college, they still need to know what things cost and where that money is coming from. Maybe give examples of how saving has helped you get through emergencies. As a parent, your most important priority is your children. Send them off into the world with as much information as you can about their finances. Answer any questions they may have and show patience when they mess up. The more they know, the better they’ll be in the long run.
Summer of S
healthy habits
ummer may be one of the most challenging times of the year to adopt or maintain healthy habits. Schedules are different, kids are up past the usual bedtime, there seem to be endless gatherings — often with unhealthy food options — plus, vacations, road trips and maybe a move to a new home, community or school. Jennifer Johnson, D.O., a family medicine physician with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, has these ideas for keeping healthy habits topof-mind this summer.
What tips do you have for eating healthy on the go, or during vacations or road trips?
Plan ahead! Often, when families are in a hurry, they tend to grab the easiest food, which is often highlyprocessed and full of salt and sugar. One thing we do on days when we need to go straight from work to soccer is have an extra lunch bag packed with things like string cheese, an apple and hummus with cut up veggies. If you are headed to a tournament for the weekend, pack a cooler with fruit, water, sandwich ingredients and proportioned snacks, such as nuts, in baggies. Be sure to have your kids help brainstorm what they would like to eat, too.
What are some tips for reducing anxiety?
Sometimes we get so busy trying to fit in all the fun stuff of summer that we forget to take time to just be. Allow for downtime, and encourage your family to take time each day to enjoy the longer, warm days. Lay on Jennifer Johnson, D.O., your back and watch the clouds go by. Ask is a family medicine physician with your kids what sensation they would bottle Mayo Clinic Health System in up and save for a winter day — the smell Mankato. She’ll spend her summer of fresh-cut grass or the warm sun on your keeping up with her 3-year-old son and face? two step-daughters, ages 15 and 20. If there is a change coming — a new school, a new home or friends moving How can I get my kids active and away from devices? away — ask your kids questions about the When kids are home for the summer, it’s tempting to stay inside and binge situation and take time to listen to their watch TV or play games on devices. Kids and adults should aim for 60 minutes answers. We all want to have our fears of physical activity each day. Remember, there are lots of ways to be active, and heard and validated — keeping this in mind doing a variety of activities helps get the entire family motivated and keeps can help kids learn to cope with stress in a things interesting. healthy way. • Get outside and go for a hike — When one of my daughter’s friends was we love Minneopa Falls or Seven Mile Creek Park. moving away over the summer, she told • Walk to the playground or take a ball outside and challenge the me she wanted to do as much together as kids to a game. possible before the move and her biggest • If you really want to stay inside, turn on music and dance. Your kids may be worry was her friend feeling lonely at her surprised to know you know all the words to some of those songs! new school. We honored that and tried to • Go to the pool. let them spend as much time as they wanted • Get the neighborhood involved in a kids-versus-parents kickball game. together. When her friend moved, my • My older kids love to ride bikes on the trails around Mankato, and my daughter gave her a handmade friendship younger guy likes to ride along in his carrier on my bike. bracelet in hopes she wouldn’t feel so alone Don’t forget the helmets! on the first day in her new school. July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 15
HOW DO YOU DO IT By Rachel Carpenter
D
espite our constant quest for figuring out the whole “work-life balance” thing, there is still no clear definition of what that means or how to how to achieve it. You could literally search the internet for hours and still be confused about how to achieve work-life balance. That’s because the definition is something different for everyone, it changes depending on what stage of life you are in, and our lives are in a continual state of growth and change. The right balance for you today, will look different tomorrow, a week from now, a year from now, and so on. For me, work-life balance is more about a mindset. It’s about learning to accept what you cannot change, embracing the life you live, and being grateful for all of the beautiful chaos that is your life. aul, husband, My life is full of Clockwise: P Rachel William and beautiful chaos
16 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
and I wouldn’t change it for the world! I have a wonderful husband, two awesome little boys (Paul, 8 and William, 4), and a supportive circle of family and friends. I have three jobs – yes three – that I enjoy very much, and I’m involved with various things
in the community that are important to me. Throw in my Type-A personality, and Anxiety Disorder to boot, and you’ve got a recipe for one frazzled Mom! So I try to shift my mindset. I think about how grateful I am to be this busy! I think about how fortunate I am to have had so many wonderful opportunities in my life that have brought me to where I am today! I think about how lucky I am that all three of my jobs are amazing, fulfilling, and flexible! And most importantly, I think about how blessed I am to have a super great husband, and two awesome little
boys! One of the best nuggets of wisdom I’ve ever received came from my wonderful Mom. I remember venting to her about how busy I was, how life was so crazy, and I felt like I just needed a break from everything. She stopped me and said, “Be careful what you wish for”. She then went on to explain that she too once felt this way, when she was raising me and my four little sisters, and also working. My Mom was talking to her sister one night about how busy she was, how hard it was keeping up with 5 little girls, and both her and my Dad working outside of the home. She (half-jokingly) said “I wish life would just slow down”. Well the next day, it did. One of my younger sisters was involved in a horrible car accident and suffered life threatening injuries. For the next 6 months, my Mom’s life slowed down, but not in a way that she had ever wished for. All of those things that she was stressing out about, all of the commitments she had made, and everything she was involved in didn’t matter anymore. Thankfully my sister recovered from her injuries, and she is now a successful business woman and mother of two beautiful kids! I think of this story often, when my “inner too-busy-mom voice” starts complaining about all the things she has to do and how busy she is. My Mom’s story serves as a reminder for me, a sort-of mantra to whisper to myself when I am feeling overwhelmed. A lot of coffee and a glass of wine now and then helps too! Every Mom needs a story, a mantra or a phrase that resonates with her, and helps her to stay in a mindset of gratitude and blessings. Our kids and our lives are constantly in motion, constantly growing and changing, and life is really good at throwing curve balls at us. We may not be able to master the work-life balance thing, but we can sure make the most of it. We can do our best and stay positive, and that is more than enough my friend. What is your favorite “Mom Mantra”? I would love to know! Send them to me at: rcarpenter5481@gmail.com
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July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 17
Creating A Predictable Schedule in the Summer Reduces Everyone's Stress
T
By Jessy Shouler | Owner of Adult, Child & Family Services
he summer is here! Warm weather, beautiful sunshine, no school. Wait, what? No school? That’s right. The summer brings fun and the sun to us here in greater Minnesota, but if your child has mental health difficulties, school break can be very challenging. Change in scheduling and a typically less structured schedule can be very difficult for children, teens, and families who depend on structure and routine to keep mental health issues in check. It is normal for children and adolescents with mental health issues including attention-deficit disorder, anxiety, depression, and autism to find themselves floundering a bit with the summer schedule change. A parent may see more frequent behaviors including increased anxiety, oppositional behavior, irritability, and tantrums. Know that you are not alone! Some ideas for managing your child’s mental health during the summer months include maintaining a routine schedule, making plans ahead of time, getting outdoors, minimizing time on electronic devices, creating a rewards/ consequences system, finding support from other parents/ resources, maintaining a sense of daily routine, and working with your child’s strengths and interests. So what do these ideas look like? Maintaining a daily routine of some sort may include having a regular time each day your child goes to bed and wakes up, mealtimes, and play time with friends. This makes it more predictable for your child and planful for you which reduces everyone’s anxiety! It can be tempting to get lax with staying up late and sleeping in but know that you may have a rough time managing behaviors if your child is tired. A predictable schedule makes sure the child is getting adequate rest as well as the comfort of knowing
18 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
what each day will entail for you and your child, and planned mealtime increases the likelihood that your child will get adequate nutrition. To make sure everyone is aware of the schedule, post it visibly where the whole family can see. The calendar/schedule can be fun and colorful. You can even decorate the calendar together with your child so they can share their creative talent with you! Part of your daily schedule should include both structured and unstructured play time outside! For children who have sensory issues, home feels safe and extra sights and sounds outside may feel overwhelming. But, getting outside is so healthy and allows for very beneficial physical activity and expression of energy. For all of us, movement helps us better deal with stress and makes us more resilient. Ideas for physical activity and movement include going for a bike ride or walk, swimming at the pool or lake, playing tag, throwing a ball around, sidewalk chalk, blowing bubbles, or visiting the park. Children may act like they want to be the boss, but the truth is that they are comforted when they know exactly what is expected of them and the rewards that come from good behavior. Choose two or three positive behaviors to really hone in on, nurture, and positively reinforce this summer break. You can track it on the calendar with stickers or fun colors, and come up with creative rewards with your child ahead of time in preparation for reaching their goals. You and your child can make a verbal agreement that you both understand of the consequences and rewards for specific behavior. Set the boundaries of the consequences for poor choices and make sure to follow through without letting your emotions get the
“Butterburgers and Frozen Custard” What a Combination! Greater Mankato Area Culvers
CALL FOR ENROLLMENT Sign up now for Fall Preschool Program openings! We still have a few Full-time Preschool openings too!
625-2141 300 Madison Ave. mankatolittlestars.com better of you! Now…where do you find support as a parent? Parents of children and adolescents with developmental, emotional, or behavioral issues may easily feel isolated and defeated. Allow yourself grace! Plan to take time to chat with other parents, close friends, or family. We all need support! Parent swap- take another families’ child for an afternoon and they do the same for you! Check into day camps, summer school, volunteer opportunities, and community recreation opportunities in your area that your child might enjoy. You can meet other parents for socialization and it is a great socialization opportunity for your child as well! Choose activities and opportunities that peak your child’s interest and are geared toward their individual strengths! Remember… there is no right or wrong. Using some of the above mentioned tips increase the likelihood that your summer experience will be positive and memorable for the whole family!
Adult, Child & Family Services.
Adult, Child & Family Services is here to walk with you and your loved ones through the journey towards emotional health. We offer: • individual therapy • couples counseling • family therapy • therapeutic skills support for children and adults of all ages. • rehabilitative group therapy for individuals in the legal system.
1400 MADISON AVE SUITE 610, MADISON EAST CENTER , MANKATO (507)387-3777 • WWW.ACFSMANKATO.ORG July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 19
Backyard Archaeologist
Discover archaeological finds at the Blue Earth County History Center!
Learn how Native peoples lived in Blue Earth County from American Indian stone tools.
Do you like to dig things up, put the pieces together, figure out what the object was, and imagine what it was used for in the past? Maybe you are a kid archaeologist! Archaeologists solve mysteries and tell stories about times past by carefully digging for artifacts with many different tools. Archaeologists research and write about the artifacts they find, then gather and preserve them in a collection. Artifacts can tell us stories of how people lived in the past. On these pages are photos of many artifacts you can see at the Blue Earth County History Center.
Are you an Archeologist?
Do you know what this is? Hint: This is like a refrigerator, it is underground and was used for preserving food by the first people, the Dakota. ______________________
ARCHEOLOGIST TOOLS
STONE TOOLS
CACHE
What are the objects you see below? How were they used? What can they tell us about a story? After you look at the pictures and discover how they were used, write their names below.
What are these artifacts? Hint: The first people, the Dakota made and used these to hunt, farm, cook, prepare their food and make their canoes. What are these and what are they made out of?
______________________________
What are these? Hint: These objects are used to dig artifacts. Do you know what these are? Do you have any at home? ____________________
Blue Earth County History Center is located at 424 Warren Street, Mankato
Find your own artifact Are you an Archaeologist? Archaeologists find artifacts (objects made by humans) and ask many questions about the objects to find their story. Who made them, who used them, what are they made of, how were they used and why? Archaeologists use many tools to dig for objects including shovels, picks, and brushes. They record the object’s history in a Field Journal by describing the artifact with words, numbers, drawings and maps. Have you found something cool in the dirt? Use this Field Journal to document your artifact.
YOUR ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD JOURNAL Archaeologist’s Name: ____________________________________________________________________________ Artifact Observation: Examine the artifact completely and record your observations in the spaces below: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Observations: Date artifact was found: _______________________________________________________
Place artifact was found: _______________________________________________________________________ Description of artifact (shape, color, other, characteristics): ______________________________
DID YOU KNOW? Shelley Harrison is an Anthropologist and Archaeologist who takes care of artifacts for the Blue Earth County History Center and Historic R.D. Hubbard House. (An artifact is an object made by a human, like this stone arrow straightening tool.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Materials (what’s it made of): ________________________________________________________________ Measurements: Height: _________________ Width: __________________ Length: _________________ Drawing: Use the space below to draw your artifact: Front
Back
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Visit the Blue Earth County History Center. Have fun in the Discovery Lab, Museum or view the current traveling exhibition Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BlueEarthCountyHistory.com
507-345-5566
At the Museum Shelley is called an Archives & Collections Manager. She says every object has a story to tell about our past and uses history to solve mysteries about artifacts. Some artifacts are given to the Museum without a story. Archaeologists like Shelley help solve the mystery by finding information and writing stories about them. Come to the Blue Earth County History Center to see artifacts and meet Shelley!
Supa Dupa Comics By Kasyn Zuehlke, age 11)
"DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?"
echo SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM
PICK UP KID-FRIENDLY BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ITEMS WEEKLY NOW UNTIL THE END OF SUMMER:
Blue Earth County and North Mankato families with children age 5-17 years old can register for the program in person or by calling. Phone lines are answered 90 minutes before opening hours.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. & Thursdays 10:30 a.m. - 6:45 p.m.
(507) 345-7508 | WWW.ECHOFOODSHELF.ORG | 1014 S FRONT ST, MANKATO
www.hodgepodge-house.com
SUMMER
ARTS AND CRAFTS
CLASSES July 20 - 31, 2018
Ages: 8-12
Twin Rivers Council for the Arts 523 S. 2nd Street Mankato, MN 56001
Acrylic Paintings on Canvas Class July 24th and 25th - Painting Project 1: Self Portrait July 26th and 27th - Painting Project 2: Landscape *$80 for 4 Days *$40 for 2 Days (Must be consecutive days, for example: July 24th and 25th) We will interpret a subject through colors on canvas.
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To Sign Up for Classes email Tanya Lee at tanlee21@gmail.com or call 661-644-1159 Pillow Art Class July 20th and July 23rd *$40.00 for 2 days We will create a piece of artwork that will be turned into a keepsake pillow. Feather Mobile Class July 30th and July 31st *$40.00 for 2 days We will decorate feathers to create a wall hanging or mobile.
ALL CLASSES ARE 9:30-11:30 AM.
Color Me
Make your own comic about your SUPERDOG.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 23
Laughing Gas By E. M. James
T
he door opened slowly and Prissy, Walt, and Anderes walked into the somewhat empty dentist office. The receptionist looked young, about 17, with lime green headphones blaring rap music into her large ears. “Mah toof hurts!” Anderes winced through layers of bloody tissue. “What!?” The receptionist yelled, removing one of her headphones. “He said his tooth hurts.” Prissy, feeling her twin’s tension, sent him a telepathic message saying, “I know, right?” and stepped on his foot at his reply. “Oow!” he said, his voice muffled through the gauze. Walt paid almost no attention to the twins. He had his eyes fixed on the large jar of Bit-O’-Honey on the desk. The receptionist had her back turned to him, so he grabbed the bowl and ran to the couch and plopped down with the twins. He offered one to them, but they both gave him a look that clearly stated they were too busy for candy. Prissy went to get a stack of clean tissues, 24 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
which Anderes gratefully took. He threw the bloody ones in a trash can nearby. “Anderes?” A little old lady said, standing in the doorway of the office. “Mmm…” Anderes groaned. “Right this way, young man!” She said, excitement in her voice. Anderes got up, his lips exploding with red tissues. Prissy followed, her eyes fixed on the lady. “Sorry, dear, but only patients and dentists allowed beyond this point.” Prissy smartly crossed her arms and glared for a few seconds at the sign next to the door, which said, “Dr. Petrosa”, and then left. When she returned to the couch, Walt had already passed out, a mountain of candy wrappers on his lap. “Oh, geez.” Prissy rolled her eyes, and took a piece of candy. She took the squishy caramel out of the wrapper and put it in her mouth. Then she took a few more. Then a few more. Then a few MORE. Within minutes, she’d eaten half the bowl. She began to feel a little drowsy. She took a piece out of a wrapper, and closed her eyes as she chewed, and then… ...total darkness... Prissy opened her eyes and saw a very brown, very wet wall around her. Atoms flew around her head, and a few brain cells crossed her path. “Walt?!” She looked around. “Anderes?!” She turned. “Mmm…” A noise below her caught her attention.
Consciousness took over her and she collapsed within seconds of hearing the noise. She fell, and fell, and fell... Walt snorted in his sleep and Prissy awoke, the receptionist and her lime green headphones at the desk, an old man that was there when they walked in was reading a fashion magazine, and she heard the sound of a dentist drill coming from the room her twin was in. Prissy looked at her hands, knowing if her hands were real, she had probably just dreamed it. Her hands, according to her eyes, were very real. She grabbed the chair. It was also real. She took a deep breath… A few minutes later, Anderes walked out of the room, a smile on his face, and a butterscotch lollipop in his hand. The tissues had gone, and he sent a message to his twin, knowing exactly what she was thinking. They thanked Dr. Petrosa, and walked out of the office. They decided to stop at their favorite ice-cream parlor, “The Ice-Cream Cat”, and grab themselves a treat, even though Walt and Prissy had eaten an entire bowl of caramel already. Prissy ordered a large chocolateraspberry cone with peanuts and whip-cream, Walt got a bowl of lemon italian ice with an extra helping of sprinkles, and Anderes asked for a large vanilla cone with chocolate sauce and pistachios. When they sat down, Walt took out a pair of scissors. “What are those for?” Prissy asked.
“For cutting the tension,” Walt put the scissors back in his pocket and chuckled. “So, what happened while I was napping?” Walt winked, knowing that none of it was conscious. Prissy and Anderes looked at each other and smiled. Anderes told his story first. “She put the mask on my face, and… and I saw her old, wrinkled face fade away. She… was… smiling at me. It was really dark, and then there was, like a big elephant in front of me, it was like, really weird, and then…” passerbys and parlor residents starred as Anderes told the story of how him and the elephant galloped through a world of color and cactus fruit, and how he saved a kangaroo princess with a long piece of orange cardboard from a death of falling into a cup of boiling hot tea. He continue on with the story, adding in a new friend, a large candy-cane with arms and no legs. He said that the candy-
cane, the elephant, the kangaroo princess, and Anderes all went to a cloud castle, and ate cotton candy, roast chicken and potatoes, and chocolate pudding cups. The parlor shook with laughter and clapping when he’d finished. Prissy was getting ready to tell her story. “I was unwrapping a Bit-O’-Honey, I was feeling a little sleepy, and I sort of… fell. It was really dark for a minute, and then I opened my eyes, and saw, like, atoms and brain cells and molecules. It was like I was inside your head, Anderes.” She paused to lick her icecream cone, and continued. “I heard the same sort of groaning sound that you made when Dr. Petrosa asked if you were Anderes. I felt really dizzy, and then it all went dark again,” “Then what?!” Walt dropped his plastic spoon on the floor, which he didn’t even notice. “Then I woke up, and saw you sitting on the couch, passed out like I’d left you.” Walt and Anderes didn’t seem as interested as before, but they looked weirded out, for sure. “Whoa. So, then Anderes walked out with the lollipop and the clean smile, and then we left?” Anders and Prissy had always had a little telepathic connection, and they’d always enjoyed it. They could send messages to each other, and say whatever they liked. The farthest they’ve ever been apart having a conversation was 1,900 miles, while Prissy was in Hawaii for a mathlete meeting, and Anderes was at home, watching her on television.
Prissy received her brother’s message, and laughed. “What’d he say?” Walt leaned forward, his shirt nearly dipping into his melted lemon ice. “He… said… haha… hee… he said he just thought of stuffing the candy-cane with arms in a sandwich!” Prissy and Anderes burst out laughing. Walt giggled through sips of his lemon ‘ice’, though it was more like slush. They laughed until they’re stomachs ached, though they didn’t really know what was so funny. The parlor had almost emptied, and the only ones left were the three of them, and a pair of girls they went to school with, Opal and Cecilia. The three were sitting and chatting, finishing off the last lick of their ice-creams, and eating their waffle cones. “We should probably head home, Prissy.” Anderes nudged his sister’s arm with his elbow. “Yeah, we should. You mind if we get ourselves outta here, Walt?” “No problem. I’ve got enough to get myself a taxi. See you at school tomorrow, guys!” Prissy and Anderes grabbed their bikes and rode home. When they got there, their parents weren’t home yet. They both worked at a company for bottling milk, so they made a lot of eggs and cakes at their house, which they helped themselves to a piece of now. It was 7:30 when their parents got home. The twins were so excited they could hardly stop talking as they hugged their parents. And, boy, did they have a lot to tell them!
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 25
Special Thanks to all the kids for submitting the end of Naheed’s story.
Follow Request
N
AHEED WAS THIRTEEN when she posted her first PictoLife photo. She knew her dad wouldn’t approve of the picture she took, (her and her friend Alizah at the public pool), especially without her hijab! She knew she couldn’t swim with her hijab, obviously, but she was so excited that her over-protective parents had finally let her go on social media! That afternoon, she got home from the pool and was prepared to face her parents, and she did… “This is a disrespect to Allah! You must wear your hijab at all times, young lady!” Naheed’s dad said to her over dinner. “You’re pop is right, Naheed. It’s very disrespectful to go in public without your hijab. But, she was at the pool, Aadam. She’s only thirteen.” “I will not have that kind of
26 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
behavior in my house, Naheed! And that’s final!” With that, Naheed’s father stood up, and walked away. “Oh, Jaabid, will you clean that up for me, please?” Mother asked. Naheed’s brother, Jaabid, (big, fat), was nothing short of his name! He was not too fat, but he was ‘as big as Allah’s fist’ momma would say. “Yes, Jaabid! Clean it up for me!” Naheed handed her brother her dirty dishes and drank her water. “Why did you go to the pool with Alizah? And why did you make your username on PictoLife.. ehem… bruh_itzzz_ naheed?” Naheed’s mother was never angry, never. But she would get confused and upset sometimes, and this time, it was both. “Everyone’s using that as their username nowadays, momma! They use the, bruh_itz_... but I just added two extra z’s and my name in lowercase letters.” •• “Nori?” Naheed asked her older sister when they were sitting in front of the T.V. set watching ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ for the third time in a row that week. “Mmm?” Nori answered. “Have you ever been ashamed of your hijab?” Nori looked at Naheed and said. “Naheed—“ PAUSE!!
Ending #1 Nori looked at Naheed and said. “Naheed I used to be ashamed, but I’m used to it now. Why do you ask?” “Well I get ashamed sometimes. I’m afraid people will judge me.” “It doesn’t matter what people will think. You don’t fit in, thats what makes you special. Now quit whining.” They both laughed. Naheed decided to follow her sisters advice. She went to her room to try on her hijabs. She chose the prettiest one for school tommorow. She thought she needed to go tell her Dad that she will keep wearing her hijab. She saw her dad and told him her decision. “Thank you so much habibti.
Winner of the $20 Gift Card from Target
Winner of the $10 Gift Card from Target Sorry I got upset earlier.” “Its okay pops. I think I made a mistake.” “ Alhamdulillahi, I got such a forgiving daughter. Well its getting late you should go to sleep. Good night”. They hugged eachother. She went to her bed and looked at her PictoLife profile and deleted her picture. She is now happy, she made the right choice.
Ending #2 “Nope! My dear, when I wear my hijab I feel strong to so what I want. When you see what I allow you to see that’s my freedom. I know that Hijab is Faith not fashion. It is a symbol of modesty,: said Nori. Naheed smiled and said, “And modesty is the best jewel for a girl.” Nori exclaimed. “So wear it proudly wherever you go!” Naheed’s face lit us. She said, “Now I’ll wear it proudly wherever I go. Hijab My Choice My Right My Life!” And from that day she wore hijab happily ever after. Musa Sethi Bridges, Age 8
Habon Abdalla July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 27
Yoga Gena Heminover:
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and mother of two girls, Elea age 6 (pictured) and Ava age 3 (not pictured). Teaches yoga at Fitness For $10, private lessons and at other places in Mankato. Specializing in Kids Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa and Advanced Yoga. Find me on Instagram at ‘Gena Heminover Yoga’ and Facebook at ‘Gena Heminover Wellness’ https://www.facebook.com/ genaheminoverwellness Website: GenaHeminover.com Or email: heminoveryoga@yahoo.com
TIPS FOR KIDS: If they are old enough have them help you count to 10 while holding the pose.
Kids naturally have a short attention span so keep each pose under 30 seconds. Allow your child to play around with their body positioning in each pose. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it should be
28 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
FUN!
Lotus Start by sitting on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee bringing your right foot to the crease of your left hip so the bottom of your right foot faces the up. The top of your foot should rest up by your hip. Then bend your left knee, crossing your left ankle over the top of your right shin. The bottom of your left foot should also face upwards, and the top of your foot and ankle should rest by your right hip. Sometimes one side works better to do first then the other, so play around with which foot you pull in first.
Benefits of Lotus Pose: • Calms the brain • Stimulates the pelvis, spine, abdomen, and bladder • Stretches the ankles and knees
Pigeon Begin on your hands and knees. Bring your right knee forward, open the knee to the right and lay your right leg down on its side. Your right foot should be near your left hip and your right knee near your right hand. Slowly slide your left leg back behind you extending your leg and straightening your left knee. Try to keep the top of the left foot on the floor and square your hips down towards the floor. Hands can stay on the floor at your sides with your chest up or you can start leaning forward, relaxing over your front bent leg.
Benefits of Pigeon pose
• Stretches the thigh, groin and hip muscles (especially the psoas muscle) as well as the abdomen and back • Externally rotates the hip outward • Stimulates organs including the gastrointestinal tract • Open the chest and lungs, increasing lung capacity
Half Lord of the Fishes
Start by sitting on the floor with both knees bent, placing the soles of your feet flat on the floor. Then, drop your left knee to the floor. Tuck your left foot under your right leg, resting it alongside your right hip. Then twist your upper body to the right, with your tummy against the inside of your right thigh. Place your left elbow to the outside of your right knee or thigh. Your right hand is on the floor behind you to help you sit up tall. Lastly, look over your right shoulder.
Benefits of Half Lord of the Fishes Pose:
• Stretches shoulders, hips, neck, and spine • Relief from fatigue, backache, and sciatica • Stimulated digestion and metabolism • Stimulated kidneys and liver
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 29
Healthy summer eating is within your
children’s reach S
Photo by Sara Hughes
ummer is an easy time for meal plans to get away from us with impromptu activities, adventures and sports. Having a meal plan is essential and summer is the perfect time to get your kids involved!
an assortment of dips such as hummus, bean dips, and yes, even veggie dip or ranch. Have on hand a variety of cheeses, Greek yogurt, nuts, hard boiled eggs, etc. Keep a fruit bowl stocked on the counter for easy, grab-and-go fruit. Own it: Once kiddos are old enough, Consider mixing fun and fueling foods generally over 5 years of age, you can allow Erin Gonzalez, together such as making apple nachos using each child to have a night they plan the R.D., L.D. apple slices, peanut butter and mini chocolate meal, do the shopping, and make the meal. Mankato Clinic chips. Find creative Popsicle recipes using The more kids are involved in the process, Diabetes and Nutrition Greek yogurt and frozen fruit for a refreshing the more likely they are to improve the Education Department snack! To create a snack with staying power, variety of food they like. aim for all snacks to use two to three food groups. Plan B: Keep quick, easy meal options on hand for nights that don’t go as planned. We regularly Fun foods: Find ways to include fun foods. Part of our stock pre-cooked frozen meat. Skinless, diced chicken job is helping kids learn how to find balance in eating can be quickly reheated and turned into quesadillas, decisions. Choose one to two fun foods per week with added to stir-fry or placed atop a salad. Buy steamer your kids. Consider making a fun food limit per day, bags of vegetables and rice for meals in less than 15 but let them choose the food and when to have it. If minutes. they reach their limit and want more, reassure them by saying “X food is really yummy and how about we find Breakfast: Kids can help by making and freezing a time soon to have that?” This reduces the likeliness batches of egg muffins which is simply beaten eggs of sneaking food. placed into a sprayed muffin tin with any add-ins you enjoy and baked for 15 minutes. They freeze well Stay hydrated: Fill a pitcher with water and let your and reheat in 15 seconds in the microwave. You can kids add fruits or veggies for a fun twist. Keep the also prep ahead smoothie packets. Include a healthy pitcher in the fridge. fat (chia seed, ground flax seed, avocado, peanut butter) and protein (Greek yogurt, milk) to help your Watch for boredom grazing: Kids are used to being youngster stay satisfied. occupied and may grab food when they are bored. Help kids differentiate between hunger and boredom Fueling foods: As a family, work toward making and together create a list of activities (ideas which fueling foods just as quick and easy as fun foods. Try include inside, outside, big, small) that they would like purchasing a weekly veggie tray or precut veggies and to do over the summer. place at eye level in the fridge. Encourage eating with
30 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
RENOWNED AND RENEWED: RTJ TURNS 25
Acclaimed as one of the world's great golf destinations, Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail invites you to celebrate its 25th year by offering fantastic deals. Unlimited golf packages are easy on your wallet. All of the original RTJ Golf Trail sites have been renovated and are ready for your arrival. Celebrate our silver anniversary while saving some silver yourself.
» Plan your visit to the RTJ Golf Trail by calling 1.800.949.4444 or visiting rtjgolf.com.
facebook.com/rtjgolf
twitter.com/rtjgolf «
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 31
Summertime at the
224 Lamm Street, Mankato www.cmsouthernmn.org info@cmsouthernmn.org
507.386.0279
Daily admission: $8 per person; free for children 12 months and under Membership packages start at $9 a month.
Hours:
Open 7 days of the week throughout the summer.
32 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
New this summer!
Visit the Museum every Monday and get an extra day of play. Explore indoor and outdoor galleries and learn something new seven days a week. Open on Mondays, 9 am – 4 pm, through August 27.
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is a wonderful destination for summer adventures! No matter the weather, there are so many things to do and see. On hot and steamy days, enjoy the cool air as you explore the indoor exhibits. In the Grow It Gallery, you may learn how we grow our food, and then prepare a feast for your family and friends. Climb the humongous Mankato Clinic Tree of Forts, or participate in STEAM-themed activities in Cecil’s Imagineering Loft. The Children’s Museum offers endless hands-on opportunities for children of all ages! Make sure to step outside and enjoy the Museum’s seasonal, outdoor exhibits, too! The Dotson Back 40 is always ready for fort-building, climbing on logs, or rolling down the hill. Don’t miss the alwayspopular water play area, where you can pump water and pour it into buckets, then manipulate it through series of bamboo chutes and different water tables. Outdoors is also the Alltech Farm Animal Experience, an exhibit that gives a home to a variety of farm animals throughout the summer. Some animals stay at the Museum the whole season and some come for a visit from many area farms. Watch the Museum’s Facebook, website, Instagram, and newsletters for notifications of new animals coming in. If you look around, you will see numerous garden beds and crop plots, all of which represent local agriculture. Look for signs around the garden beds—it will say when fruits and vegetables need time to grow, and when they are ready for sampling.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 33
Have you met
Peppa and George?
The two pigs living in the Alltech Farm Animal Experience this year are Large White Landrace and Duroc cross. They have been named Peppa (stand-up ears) and George (floppy ears). Peppa and George were born on March 26 and they will reach their market weight in the fall. Watch their growth on the big chart on the front of their pen.
Learning about Museum chickens on a hot summer day.
Monarch Metamorphosis Mid July through mid August, learn how a tiny egg on a milkweed plant turns into a beautiful monarch butterfly. There will be hands-on activities, such as handmade models and a variety of books, and you may see monarchs get released after they hatch.
The monarch butterfly may be the most familiar North American butterfly and is considered an iconic pollinator species. A monarch’s wings feature an easily-recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 3.5 - 4 inches. Did you know that monarchs migrate from Minnesota all the way to Mexico? Some scientists refer to it as one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world. On Tuesday, July 17 from 10 - 11 am, stop by the Museum for a special program with Scott Kudelka, Minneopa Area Naturalist, to take a look at ways we can help ensure the survival of the monarch and to learn some interesting facts about this incredible butterfly. 34 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
Composting is Cool
Did you know that over one third of our trash is made up of organic waste that could be composted? Composting food waste creates a nutrient-rich product that can be added to your garden soil to grow healthier plants and help retain water and control erosion, all while putting less into our landfills. Learn more about composting and play some composting games with Zero Waste in a “Composting is Cool” program on Friday, August 17, from 10 am – 12 pm. In the Museum’s AgLab, from July 16 – August 13, explore composting using an Envirocycle Mini Composter and one of the worm composting bins with “red wiggler” worms.
Automation Station
Have you played in this interactive exhibit that explores the world of automation, robotics, and assembly from the perspective of a manufacturing environment? Be a design engineer, maintenance technician, or production worker, gear up with safety equipment, then pour molten metal, hoist scrap metal, or assemble a circuit board. Automation Station will be available through August 2018.
Inspired by Play
The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is all about play. Read about how play inspires young, creative minds in our community. Sam was a member of the Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Senior Design team that created a prototype junkyard robot named Kota for the Children’s Museum. Sam just graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and hopes to run his own business when he grows up.
What did you like to play as a child?
When I was young, I took apart my game cube to just look at what it was made of. I wanted to get an idea of what went into making a game system. Unfortunately, I did not successfully reassemble it and got in trouble by my brothers… I also took apart my (broken!) Xbox 360 in order to obtain a crystal that was inside of the disc reader, to make a laser. I also loved building tree forts and inventing different things out of wood, such as giant skateboards or something to pull my friends on my bike. I had many Lego sets and different tinker kits.
What experience/person/event shaped your interest in mechanical engineering?
It was mainly my interest in wanting to invent, tinker, and problem-solve for people. I also have a weird fascination for untangling things, like knots in chains, yarn, or anything else many people might find to be frustrating.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to read more! I think reading is a great gateway to any learning in general.
Why is play important?
Play is important because it allows you to start thinking creatively. You can learn how to start problem-solving through your own failures, and also how to think outside the box.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 35
Ally Grabianowski Ally Grabianowski showed her dedication for play by selecting the Children’s Museum as her charity of choice when she won a prize from Newman’s Own Foundation in the Super Snack Challenge. Ally submitted her recipe for a healthy gameday snack and traveled to Minneapolis to attend the Kids Tailgate Party during the 10-day Super Bowl Festival.
Ally during the 10-day Super Bowl Festival in Minneapolis. My name is Ally Grabianowski and I will be a sophomore at Mankato West High School. I play hockey and golf for Mankato West and I’m involved in Student Council and Link Crew. In September of last year, we saw on Facebook about the Super Snack Challenge and decided to submit a recipe. A couple months later, we found out I had been selected as one of the top fifty contestants. Later on, I was chosen as one of the top ten, which then led me to Minneapolis, to prepare my snack for the judges. For being one of the top ten contestants, I received $1,000 from Newman’s Own Foundation to give to my local charity of choice.
Why did you pick the Museum as your charity of choice?
I like it that the Museum is for kids – I like to do things for children and I’ve spent a lot of time there. Having the money from Newman’s Own Foundation go towards the Magnetic Wall at the Children’s Museum sounded like a great, fun idea. It’s nice to see children play with it!
Why is play important?
You learn a lot when you play. It makes you use your creativity.
36 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
Ally’s Recipe for the Super Snack Challenge Stuffed Peppers Serves 8
Ingredients list: 4 red peppers 1 cup quinoa 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup corn 1 ½ tsp paprika 1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning blend 4 tbsp olive oil Your favorite shredded cheese Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut bell peppers in half and core. Rinse quinoa and pour it into a medium pan with 1 ¾ cups of water. Bring to a boil, covered. Lower heat, keep covered, and cook until liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes). In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, black beans, and corn. Toss with spices and olive oil. Fill peppers with this mix, cover with shredded cheese, and bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
Mayo Clinic at the Museum
Healthy Habits All Summer Long
Stop by the Children’s Museum this summer for fun ideas and tips to help you stay healthy all summer long!
The month of July will be all about moving our bodies to keep our hearts healthy. Every Thursday from 11:30 am - 12 pm, an expert from Mayo Clinic Health System will share activities to get our bodies moving (no event July 5). In August, come explore activities around healthy minds and meet experts from Mayo Clinic Health System’s social work team every Tuesday from 10 - 10:30 am. Each month, you may pick up a challenge card and track your new healthy habits. All completed and submitted cards will be eligible for a prize drawing.
Calling all Grandparents and Grandchildren! Grandchildren, bring your grandparents to the Museum, Monday through Friday, August 20 – 24, and work on a quilt together. Climb into the Loft from 1 – 3 pm and practice your sewing and quilting skills with the help of the Museum’s amazing volunteer sewing team.
Free Admission for Military Members & Families The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is excited to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families (for up to 5 family members), including National Guard and Reserve, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America. Please bring your Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (Dependent ID), or DD Form 1173-1 ID.
Special Needs Accessibility Playtime
Families of children with special needs or sensory challenges are invited to play at the Children’s Museum free of charge on Friday, July 27, from 4:30 – 7:30 pm. This event, sponsored by Downtown Kiwanis, will provide an opportunity for the whole family to explore the exhibits and experience the power of play during a time when a limited number of visitors are present and sensory accommodations are available. To help prepare your child for this playtime, check out the Museum’s Social Story, available on the Museum’s website.
Save the Date! Dig It!
September 22, 2018. An earth-moving event that puts YOU in the driver’s seat.
Harvest Festival October 2018 – A month-long opportunity for making memories as you enjoy the harvest season.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 37
DIYGiant s e l b b Bu
Brought to you by
These giant bubbles are fun for kids and adults of all ages and they are super easy to make! Bring them to your family picnic or your neighborhood park to have hours of summer fun!
Bubble Solution: You will need:
• 1 Gallon of water • 12 oz. dish soap (not concentrate) • 3 Tablespoons baking powder • 1 cup corn starch • 1/2 cup white corn syrup • Deep mop bucket
Bubble Wands: You will need:
• 2 dowels 24” Long • 2 eye hooks big enough for (or whatever size you can find or cut yourself) the string to thread through • 1 metal washer 38 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
• cotton thick string
How to make the solution: Helpful Hint: The bubbles work best if you let it rest for at least 24 hours before using it. Cover with a screen to keep the mixture clean, but do not seal with a cover because exposure to the air improves its performance. Stir gently before use.
Step 1
Slowly add all the ingredients in the order listed to the water.
Step 2
Be very gentle while mixing! Carefully stir to combine ingredients. Do not over agitate and create a foam. The solution will be cloudy and some of the corn starch will settle to the bottom.
How to make the wand: Step 1
Screw one eye hook into the end of one wooden dowel, repeat on the other dowel
Step 3
Feed the washer onto the longest string
Step 4
Step 3
Pour some of the solution into a larger container such as a shallow plastic tote to dip your bubble wand into.
Step 2
Cut 2 pieces of string. The first piece will be 35 inches long and the second piece will be 70 inches long. We wanted big bubbles, but you wouldn’t have to have the string that long. If you would like smaller more manageable string, you can do whatever size you would like just cut the 1st string ½ the size of the 2nd string in whatever dimensions work best for you.
Tie both strings through the eye hooks. Tie the shortest string on top and the longest underneath.
Step 5
Keeping the dowels together, dip the strings into the bubble solution bringing them out, slowly open it up and walk backwards. Creating the bubbles takes some practice but one you get the technique down it’s a crowd pleaser! July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 39
Paper Dolls
Carefully Cut-Out Paper Dolls
40 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
To make your paper dolls more durable: First look in the recycle for an old cereal box and glue the page of paper dolls on the cereal box. Next, when the glue is dry, carefully cut out dolls and outfits. Now you should be ready to play!
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 41
A. Moo Moo’s.
Q
:
Two pickles fell out of a jar onto the floor. What did one say to the other?
Q: What did the Dalmatian say after lunch? A. That hit the spot.
What do cows wear to summer camp in Hawaii?
Q:
A. Dill with it.
Q:
Jokes
Q:
How do you make When does a a lemon drop? Q: joke become a “dad” What’s green and can fly? joke? A. Just let it fall.
A. Super Pickle!
A. When the punchline is a parent.
Q: How does a cucumber become a pickle?
Q:
A. It goes through a jarring experience.
Why do fish like to eat worms? A. Because they get hooked on them!
Q: Why was the baby strawberry crying? A. Because her mom and dad were in a jam.
What did the little corn say to the mama corn?
How do you get a squirrel to like you? A. Act like a nut! 42 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
A. Where is pop corn?
Q
:
Q: And, what is black, white and green all over? A. A pickle in a tuxedo.
Q:
WORK ZONE Use the names below to match the right name to the equipment. BULLDOZER • CEMENT MIXER DUMP TRUCK • EXCAVATOR FORKLIFT • FRONT LOADER HARD HAT • ROAD ROLLER RUBBER TRACK SKID STEER LOADER SIGNS • SKID STEER LOADER TRACTOR • TRAFFIC CONE
—————— ————— ——————— ——————— ————
———— ———
————————— ———— ————— —————— ————— ———— ————— ——————
————— ——————
————————
—————————
————— ———— —————— 44 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
———— ————— —————— Solution on Page 53
Draw what you’re helping make below
SEEK & FIND Can you find the hidden objects in the picture?
46 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
Solution on Page 53
March/April 2018 | Kid-oh! • 47
Meet NANCY LOEWEN By Julie Schrader
Tell us about yourself, Nancy: Loewen: I grew up on a farm near the small town of Mountain Lake, in southwestern Minnesota. I attended the University of Minnesota/Mankato in the 1980s and lived in Mankato for about eight years after graduating. Now I live in St. Paul. I have a son and daughter who are in their early 20s. I’ve been writing for kids a long time and have published more than 130 books for children and young adults. (I often tell people I’m not really that prolific, I’m just old!) What are your hobbies? Loewen: I go on a lot of long walks and often take pictures of whatever strikes my fancy—there’s almost always something that’s funny, or unusual, or beautiful. I also like to read and cook. One of my very favorite things to do is search for weird figurines at thrift stores. Sometimes I buy them; sometimes I just take pictures of them. And here are some things I hope to take up someday: tennis and/or racquet ball; bread baking; beading; and playing acoustic guitar (which I did as a kid). Do you have any pets? Loewen: At the moment I am down to just one cat, a brown tabby named Reggie. He was a stray that my son and I discovered about three years ago. We were walking in front of my old elementary school in Mountain Lake and heard a “mew, mew, mew.” We turned around to find a tiny kitten racing toward us down the sidewalk. We knocked on doors and put up flyers, but no one claimed him, so Reggie became ours. He keeps me from lingering in bed in the mornings, because if I don’t get up and feed him, he bites my toes! What was your favorite childhood book/books? Loewen: My favorite picture book was called Peppermint, by Dorothy Grider and illustrated by Raymond Burns. It’s about a little white kitten who is born in a candy store. Peppermint is the last of her brothers and sisters to get adopted, but she goes on to win the school cat show after jumping into a pan of laundry bluing and turning blue! When I was a bit older, in fifth grade, I loved A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle. I earned it at school by getting 100 percent on a test. The book is signed by my fifth grade teacher; I still have it. (And I still have my well-worn copy of Peppermint, too!) Who was your favorite childhood author? Loewen: I really got into the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. 48 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
Author of
Who is your favorite author as an adult? Loewen: I don’t think I can name one favorite. I tend to dabble. But here are a few contemporary authors I try to keep up with: Anne Tyler, Miriam Toews, Jane Smiley. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on? Loewen: These might not qualify as pilgrimages, but if I’m visiting an area and there are any book-related sites nearby, I do my best to take a look. When my children were little I took them to the Laura Ingalls Wilder pageant in Walnut Grove, and we also visited the actual Plum Creek. I’ve seen the replica of the Thoreau cabin at Walden Pond; the Robert Frost farm in Derry, New Hampshire; the Edgar Allan Poe house in the Bronx; and the Louisa May Alcott house in Concord, Massachusetts. In Concord I also spent a surreal evening in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where many famous writers are buried. Dusk was approaching, the gates were about to close, and we had a hard time finding our way out. How did you get started as a writer? Loewen: I read a lot as a kid and was interested in writing from a young age. When I was in 5th grade or so I started to write a novel. I got about 50 pages into it—but it was probably more like 20 pages because my handwriting was so big and loopy! In high school I enjoyed my English classes (thanks to some great teachers) and then in college I became an English major with a focus on creative writing. Years later I went to Hamline University in St. Paul and earned an MFA in Creative Writing. Why do you like writing for kids? Loewen: Writing for kids forces you to develop some good writing habits: to be concise, vivid, and structured. But it’s not easy. I often think of this quote by Ursula LeGuin: “Sure, it’s simple writing for kids…just as simple as bringing them up.”
What is the name of your first book and when was it published? Loewen: My first book was a biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was part of a series called Great Musicians, published by Rourke Publishing way back in 1989. How do you get ideas for your books and what kind of research do you do to prepare? Loewen: My ideas come from everywhere—conversations, the news, other books, real-life experiences, social media posts, memories. And sometimes an idea will just pop into my head. I try to write down my ideas as soon as possible, because if I don’t, they may well disappear. I’m not writing much nonfiction these days, but it seems no matter what I’m writing I do end up with some very odd Google searches! (I should really keep track of those.) What do you do when you get stuck for ideas? Loewen: I consult my idea file— sometimes just looking at ideas, even if they’re from years ago, will lead to a spark that applies to current projects. But once a piece is underway, sometimes writing problems are best solved NOT in front of the computer. I go for walks, or lie down on the couch, or contemplate while driving. And sometimes I just need to put a piece aside for a while, and when I come back to it, I can spot the solution right away. What do you like most and least about being an author? Loewen: I like the sense of discovery that occurs during the writing process, and how a piece gradually develops its own structure. I find writing to be very hard work; it doesn’t come easily to me, by any means. But if I persevere, it’s also extremely satisfying. And at its best, writing can feel sort of magical, too—you are creating something out of nothing, and that something has the potential to go out into the world and touch other people. What I like least, these days, is the pressure to develop a platform and be all over social media, and to also keep up with what
everyone else is doing. It can be very difficult to shut out all that stuff and simply create one’s best work. I also somewhat bristle at the idea that writers must have an identifiable “brand” if they want to succeed. To me writing should be about exploration and freedom and, at times, taking risks. How long on average does it take you to write a book? Loewen: Oh, I wish I knew. I’ve never been good at keeping track of hours. And my books vary widely, from 75 words to 100-plus pages. It can be a few days or a few months, because I’m usually doing other things at the same time. But one thing is certain: a manuscript will always take far longer to finish than I think it will! Which of your book characters would you like to meet in real life and why? Loewen: I have to go with Polyphemus, a Cyclops in Greek mythology. I recently read The Way EYE See It: Cyclops Tells All (from The Other Side of the Myth series) to several classes of fourth graders in Minneapolis as part of a literacy promotion by Capstone Publishing. My Polyphemus didn’t eat Odysseus’s men because he was a monster—he ate the men because he wanted to be human and he took the saying “you are what you eat” too literally! It was just pure silliness. Sometimes that’s okay. Have you won any awards for your books? Loewen: The LAST Day of Kindergarten and Four to the Pole (co-written with polar explorer Ann Bancroft) were both Minnesota Book Award finalists. A series called Writer’s Toolbox won a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers. Share a Scare: Writing Your Own Scary Story was one of Bank Street’s “Best Children’s Books of the Year.”
Baby Wants Mama was an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio “Best Book.” I’ve also received recognition from The American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Society of School Librarians International. A short story for adults, “Harvest,” won an Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Intro Journals Award and was published The MidAmerican Review. If you didn’t write, what would you do for work? Loewen: Probably a teacher, social worker, or therapist. What is your advice for kids who want to be an author? Loewen: Read and write as much as you can. Experiment. Revise, revise, revise. Know that not everything you write will be wonderful, but the so-so stuff serves a purpose, too, and is part of your growth as a writer. And find a good friend or two, or maybe an adult, with whom you can share and discuss your work. What is your next book about? Loewen: I’ve got a number of manuscripts that I’ve been playing around with a long time, but the next books that will be published are in a new series called Bright Start Board Books, by QED Publishing in London. Feel Better, Daddy and A Thank You Walk are simple stories that are meant to nurture emotional intelligence in babies and toddlers. I’m very excited to be writing for this younger audience! My work in Reading Corps and my own experiences as a reader and a parent have made me a firm believer in the life-changing power of books. You can find books by Nancy Loewen in your local library, bookstore or on Amazon.
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 49
Tacy’s House, 332 Center Street in Mankato. Photo by Julie Schrader
Bick Kenney, 1910, © Estate of Merian Kirchner.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
TACY!
D
id you know that author Maud Hart Lovelace wrote the Betsy-Tacy books based on stories of her childhood growing up in Mankato over a hundred years ago? Although she used different names for the book characters, she told her fans that she is Betsy and her best friend, Frances “Bick” Kenney is Tacy in the books. Many of the book characters are people Maud knew in real life. Frances “Bick” Kenney, was born July 13, 1891 in Minneapolis, MN. She was the sixth of nine children born to Patrick and Rose Kenney. Frances had red hair and her family gave her the nickname “Brick”. Not being able to pronounce “Brick”, she called herself “Bick”. This nickname stayed with her all her life. When Bick was five years old, her father was transferred to Mankato to manage the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The Kenney family moved into a house directly across the street from the Hart family on Center Street. Bick and Maud Hart soon became best friends and remained so all their lives. Maud, Bick and Midge (Betsy, Tacy and Tib) had many adventures 50 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
Story by Julie Schrader
L-R: Frances “Bick” Kenney and Maud Hart, circa 1902. ©Estate of Merian Kirchner
growing up in Mankato (Deep Valley). The girls went to school together and stayed friends throughout their lives. Bick had a beautiful singing voice and sang at many school and church functions. After high school graduation in 1910, Bick moved to Minneapolis and gave voice lessons at the MacPhail School of Music.
Bick married Charles Kirch in 1920 and moved to Buffalo, New York where Charles started a paper goods store. The couple had three sons. After her husband died, Bick ran the paper company. In 1968, at the age of 77, Bick and Maud took a trip to Europe. Among the many places they visited was the royal palace in Madrid, Spain. (Read Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill to find out why Maud and Bick visited Spain so many years later.) Bick died the following year and is buried in Buffalo, New York. Today, you can visit the house where Bick grew up (www.betsytacysociety.org for tour information). It’s hard to imagine a family of eleven living in this charming little white house. In 1961, Maud described Tacy’s house; “The house itself looks much like it used to, but the large back yard where the kitchen, garden, the pump, and the barn and buggy shed used to be was long since cut up into building lots. Two or three houses have been built on what used to be Tacy’s back yard.”
BETSY AND TACY GO OVER
THE BIG HILL Story by Julie Schrader
Betsy, Tacy, and Tib were nine years old, and they were very anxious to be ten. “You have two numbers in your age when you are ten. It’s the beginning of growing up,” Betsy would say.
The fictional Tacy Kelly would become ten first because her birthday was in January, not in July as was Bick’s real birthday. For story purposes, Maud explained that she took the liberty of giving Tacy a January birthday. Marjorie Gerlach, the character of (Tib), was born in March and Maud (Betsy) was born in April. Maud explains that they didn’t have many birthday parties at Tacy’s house because there were too many children. In real life, the Kenney family DID have many children—NINE! Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill By Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrated by Lois Lenski. ©HarperCollins
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill By Maud Hart Lovelace, illustrated by Lois Lenski. ©HarperCollins
Tacy got to be ten first because her birthday came in January. They didn’t have many birthday parties at Tacy’s house. There were too many children in the family. Mrs. Kelly would have been giving birthday parties every month in the year, almost, if every child at the Kelly house had had a birthday party every birthday. But when Tacy was ten, Betsy and Tib were invited to supper. There was a cake with candles on it. Betsy, Tacy and Tib can’t wait to be ten. After all, getting two numbers in your age is the beginning of growing up—exciting things are bound to happen. And they do! The girls fall in love with the King of Spain, perform in the School Entertainment, discover a Secret Lane and crown the Queen of May. For the first time they go all the way over the Big Hill to Little Syria where they meet a Syrian princess. Sure enough, they stood on a part of the hill which was new to them. Climbing a little higher, they left the trees behind and came out on a high rocky ridge. Below spread out in the sunlight, was a strange wide beautiful valley. In the center were one big brick house and a row of tiny houses. “That looks like Little Syria,” said Tib. “It can’t be!” cried Betsy and Tacy together, for Little Syria was a place they went to with their fathers and mothers when out buggy riding on a summer evening. It was not a place one saw when one went walking. Yet this was certainly Little Syria.
Maud wrote in 1952: “From spring to fall we children picnicked and roamed on the hills. We loved to invade Tinkcomville, fascinated by the colorful Syrian colony. There was a rumor which used to enthrall us that one Syrian child was a princess.” Where is the Big Hill and Tinkcomville (Little Syria)? The Big Hill is located behind Betsy’s house. Today it’s known as Sumner Hills and is covered with houses. Just below the Big Hill is a valley once known as Tinkcomville (Little Syria). Today Stoltzman Road traverses this valley now filled with houses, Jefferson Elementary School and Rasmussen Woods. Many years ago the valley became known as Tinkcomville, after James Ray Tinkcom, the man who owned and developed the property. Tinkcom is the character of Mr. Meecham, who built a grand mansion in the valley and had a carriage with a beautiful team of white horses. In the early days of Tinkcomville, many Syrian immigrants settled here. You’ll have fun reading about the summertime adventures of these three friends. If you wrote a story about a summertime adventure with your friends or family, what would your story be? Sources: Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace and Maud Hart Lovelace’s Deep Valley by Julie A. Schrader
July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 51
TIC-TAC-TOE ANYONE?
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Satellite Clinic Main Clinic 150 St. Andrews Ct, Suite 310 Pediatric Therapy Services Mankato, MN 56001 Children’s Health Center Phone: 507-388-KIDS (5437) 1421 Premier Drive Fax: (507) 388-2108 Mankato, MN 56001 General E-Mail: Therapy sessions at Satellite office ptskids@kidtherapy.com are by appointment only. Pediatric Therapy Services, Inc. Making a difference... one child at a time www.kidtherapy.com ptskids@kidtherapy.com 52 • Kid-oh! | July/August 2018
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WORK ZONE Use the names below to match the right name to the equipment. BULLDOZER • CEMENT MIXER DUMP TRUCK • EXCAVATOR FORKLIFT • FRONT LOADER HARD HAT • ROAD ROLLER RUBBER TRACK SKID STEER LOADER SIGNS • SKID STEER LOADER TRACTOR • TRAFFIC CONE
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Blue Earth County’s
HOME to HISTORY
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SEEK & FIND
Can you find the hidden objects in the picture?
Blue Earth County History Center 424 Warren Street, Mankato History Center Hours Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The History Center Museum is filled with hands-on history fun in the Discovery Lab, 1880s Mankato diorama and an interactive pioneer cabin and barn. Self-guided; admission charged.
1918: A Century Later
on display at the History Center July 7 - August 31, 2018. Free.
Historic R.D. Hubbard House Experience Early 1900s Mankato
606 S. Broad Street, Mankato Open Weekends May—September Explore the 16-room mansion of local flour mill giant R.D. Hubbard and his family, completed in 1905. Guided one-hour tours; admission charged. Free living history events throughout summer.
BlueEarthCountyHistory.com | 507.345.5566 July/August 2018 | Kid-oh! • 53
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New providers Jennifer Marr, nurse practitioner, Allie Metzler, physician assistant, and Ken Weimer, M.D., care for children from birth through their late teens. Whether it’s a routine exam or a diagnosis of an illness, they provide exactly the care each child needs.