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C
s t n e t n o
6
Peeps
7
Say What
Cover kid Isaac - 5
Mitz Roberts What would you do if you found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
8 Art for the Kids 12 A Playground for Everyone
16 Money
Authorized Users of a Credit Card
18 Be Healthy
Should kids “clean their plate?”
20 How Do You Do It?
I failed!
22 Nosh
Rainbow Quinoa Soup
31 Healthy Kids
Don’t forget about their eyes
24 Historical Feature
32 The Children’s
26 Kid Writer
38 Powder’s Pages
Clothing Inventions
Museum
Diary of the Mythics
28 hOMie
Headstand Wide Angle Seated Forward Fold - B Upward Bow
Are you not getting Kid-oh and you want to?
30 Flicks
Movies that are books
Photography by: Inspired Portrait Photography
2 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
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March/April 2017 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2
Hello! This time of year is kind of like Christmas for me. That feeling of anticipation. Waiting. Waiting. Waking up in the morning to see if it has come.....SPRING! Everyone who knows me knows that I am not a huge fan of winter. At all. Not at all. I want to live somewhere where it snows for the week between Christmas and New Years, then it’s May for 2 month, August for 6 months and October for 4 months. That said, I am counting down the days until the green grass and sunshine and bugs come back. Tick tock Mother Nature, tick tock. Thank you again to everyone that helped out with this issue and let us tell a little bit of their stories. Dana Sikkila is doing amazing things for the Art community, not only here in Mankato, but in the whole region! If you don’t know her or haven’t been to an opening at the 410 Projet (the funky building downtown with the bees on it!) you should make sure you get down there sometime soon and check it out! You can read a little bit more about what she is working on with some kids in the area that are intersted in Art on page 8. Be sure to check out the awesome plans and the renderings for the new all-inclusive Fallenstein playground that is in the works for Upper North Mankato on page 8. How cool! We hope this is going to be the first of many! Looking for something a little silly? Our kid writer did some super cute stories about some mythical creatures (maybe to go along with all of those leprachans running around lately?) My favorite is the one from the perspective of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster! Thanks again for reading our magazine, the staff here really loves sharing all of the stories and fun with our community!
Happy Spring (almost) Jordan Greer
Acting PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EDITOR/Artistic Director Jordan Greer CONTRIBUTORS Mayo Clinic Health Systems Mankato Clinic, Children’s Health Center The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota Once Upon A Child Gena Heminover Blue Earth County Historical Society MN Valley Federal Credit Union Cliff Coy E. Madelyn James Veda Tonneson Ravi Plath Mitzi Roberts PHOTOGRAPHERS Inspired Portrait Photography Cliff Coy PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey Advertising Manager Phil Siebel ADVERTISING Sales Jordan Greer Marianne Carlson Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Thomas Frank ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Barb Wass ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Christina Sankey Sue Hammar CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Justin Niles 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 507-344-6337, jgreer@mankatofreepress.com To be included in future Kid-Oh! mailings, call 507-625-4451, ext. 7
4 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 5
Mitzi Roberts Occupation: Director, Dance Express
How long have you lived in Mankato? I have lived in Mankato
all my life (that’s 50 years!!)
What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of being a dance teacher is getting to do what I LOVE each and every day! Teaching dance to Mankato’s youth is a blast!
What is your favorite thing to do in Mankato?
Mankato is such an awesome place to live! I really enjoy skiing and snowboarding, hanging out with friends, going to Movies and going to the Lake in the summer months.
Where I work:
What did you want to be when you grew up? Actually, I’ve ALWAYS wanted to be a dance instructor and a studio owner. I would gather up all the neighborhood kids and give free lessons in my basement when I was 12 years old. We would put on neighborhood shows and dress up in all of my old costumes.
So Dance Express is my happy place. I usually arrive to work each day by 9 or 10 am. I spend the day answering emails, paying bills, returning phone calls, ordering costumes and props. Then about 3 pm the dancers start to arrive. It’s amazing how quiet it is and instantly the studio is filled with excited dancers of all ages. From 3 to 9:30 each day the studio has a variety of dance classes offered. Everything from Tap, Jazz, ballet and even hip hop. We have an awesome snack bar and waiting room where you’ll always find kids doing homework, taking a quick break between classes and the dance moms waiting for classes to end. It’s such a fun upbeat place to be. I feel lucky to have a job that I love so much.
6 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
We asked some Kid-oh’s
Adam
What would you do if you found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
Age: 5 I would buy a Star Destroyer.
Breckyn Age: 5 I would be rich and I could buy everything.
Hayden
Age: 5 I would give it away to people who really need a pot of gold.
Jaxson
Macey
Age: 8 Keep it to myself so no one else could have my gold.
Age: 10 I would give it to charity... well, if I’m totally honest, I would probably buy a bunch of lip balm first. I’m obsessed with lip balm.
Flora
Age: 11 I would buy clothes.
Liliana
Age: 6 I would “Spend it on my pet kitty Simba.”
Amelia
Age: 5 I would scream out loud and keep the gold coins to buy toys and share it with people who don’t have any.
Anna
Age: 10 I’ll give some to the people who don’t have money.
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 7
t r A s d i k e h t r fo
K
Story and Photos by Cliff Coy
ids in the Greater Mankato Area are headed to the 410 Project for a collaborative art project to show the community what they love. The children, helped by the volunteers of the 410 Project are putting together a zine for the community. A zine is a small magazine that is usually assembled in an artistic manner. Combining both pictorial and written art and photocopied before it is distributed to its target audience. In this case the audience is the people of the Mankato area.
“Zine is a term from super long ago which is short for magazine,” said Dana Sikkila, the executive director of the 410 Project. “People used to make a lot of political zine’s that were pro this or anti that but they would do them in a very artistic way and then cheaply reproduce them by using a photocopier.” Kids can come in during different workshops. The various workshops teach a variety of artistic skills like how to combine words with images and for kids to figure out how to put their original ideas that are in their heads onto paper. Then they take all of these pieces that the kids create and put them in the collective of these zine’s that can be put out into the community so they can see what are youth are thinking about, things that they are interested in, or just the artwork that they are putting together. “I look at this as an outlet and for a way to give back to the community and share the love of art,” said Teagan Knoblich, a volunteer at the 410 Project. “I think it’s important to instill the love of art early on in a child’s life and I think it will turn about in an appreciation and support for the arts. When it comes time for them to have kids, they will be very supportive of their kids and art. It’s really important because it is therapeutic and super calming and it has a lot of different effects on people and it can be an amazing communication tool. So I think there are a lot of different uses for art and getting kids to start now is all the better.” There were four different workshops scattered through different dates in February. After the workshops are done the kids and volunteers will be coming together to put the zine’s together with a photocopier, like really down to the basics. Then they will be distributed in April for everyone to enjoy. “It’s really about art making and writing put together in collages and kind of a nitty gritty manner and then printing them out and getting them out in masses,” said Dana. “Here we are really focused on making art with our hands and really working within the creative realm as well as having kids work together. We have kids that come from different schools or are home schooled who aren’t even friends and they come here on even ground and they get to work on something cohesively with other kids that they can relate to. So they gain this friendship with people they feel they can connect with.” In 2016 the 410 Project started recognizing kids coming in with a boot program. That was just a generic event with things out on the table where kids could draw or paint something. They started noticing that kids who were coming to the events were looking for a bit more one on one attention when it came to art, either using it for advancing their skills or to deal with anxiety or attention issues. So in 2016 they started a mentorship program that was one-on-one mentoring with kids that were really driven in the arts. Through that they have started doing other programs in the evenings that give kids the opportunity to be a part of something bigger. “So it’s not just kids coming in and drawing a picture and then taking it home for your parents to put up and that is where it stops,” said Dyna. “It’s really giving kids the opportunity to have their drawings seen by the public. It makes them feel like what they did has some quality to it, which only increases self-esteem, confidence and all that stuff.”
Nika Warmka draws on a piece of paper that will eventually be put into the zine that the kids of Mankato and the 410 Project are putting together.
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 9
Top: Children and volunteers from the Mankato area gather at the 410 Project to make art for a zine they are putting together. A zine is a small circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced on a photocopier. Bottom: Veda Plath put together a piece of art for the 410 Projects zine that they will be self-publishing soon.
10 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
They have also been doing writing workshops with kids who are really into graphic novels and creative writing because that’s such a popular thing now. They started doing them and there was an interest so that’s when they decided to put together a zine of all the ideas that the kids came up with and then they could put them out into the community so people could reflect and see what interests the kids in our community. “This space really showed me that art can be in a community and it can be run by people and passion,” said Dana. “This is a total passion project, nobody has to be here doing this. I also teach at MSU in the art department, so that’s my sustaining bit, working part time jobs but then I get to come in here and this is my passion work.” Dana grew up I was from a really small town in Minnesota and there wasn’t really any accessibility for art at a young age. She came to school here in 2004 to do her undergrad at MSU and got into the art department, did her bachelor of fine arts in art and then started volunteering at the 410 Project in 2009 “I think it’s important for kids to have art, and especially to be around other people that are making art too, because they see it more as a hobby at a young age,” said Dana. “I think that typically the more popular thing to do is be in a sport or something like that, so here we provide kids with the ability to come in and see that art is more than just a hobby, that it is something you can do as a grown up. They get to come in here and express themselves, and they can have their art featured in a show or some other project like a zine. It shows them that there is more to being an artist than just drawing on your notebook in school. It’s about being a part of a community and knowing that being an artist is a tangible thing.” “I hope the kids can go home after they are done here and feel good about themselves and for what they did,” said Dana. “We never want a child to leave here thinking that what they did wasn’t the best, we aren’t that kind of system. Here it is the enjoyment about being around a positive community in a creative space and I want them to go home and tell their parents what they learned.”
Top Left: Dana Sikkila, the Executive Director of the 410 Project, watches over Niko Warmka while she draws something for the Zine they are putting together. Bottom Right: Ravi Plath draws on a piece of paper that will be put into the zine that the kids of Mankato and the 410 Project are putting together. Bottom Left: Ethan Leigh tapes some of his art that he is making for the zine down on a piece of paper.
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 11
A For
Playground e n o y Ever
12 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
Story by Cliff Coy
W
hen you think about a playground you probably think about a place with equipment to climb on surrounded by rocks or wood chips. What you probably don’t think about is how difficult it is for children with disabilities to enjoy it as much as others or how tough it is for a grandparent to interact with their grandchildren. March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 13
Entrance Rocks and woodchips are very difficult to navigate if your mobility is not at one hundred percent, and you can pretty much forget about climbing up anything if you don’t have the use of your legs. That is about to change in the Mankato area, and all thanks to an innovative idea thought up by a local organization here in Mankato. “Typical playgrounds, to meet ADA accessibility, have wood chips,” said Wilbur Neuschwander-Frink, a board member of the Miracle League of North Mankato. “Wood chips are considered ADA accessible, however I have friends who use wheel chairs and wood chips are very difficult to access if you roll to get around.” The Miracle League of North Mankato has put together a plan to 14 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
make the dreams of all the people who have only been able to sit on the sidelines and watch their friends and family play. The Fallenstein Playground will be an Americans with Disabilities Act certified playground that will be both inclusive and accessible for all people. “The playground is going to be composed of a lot of different and unique pieces of equipment,” said Eric Sletten the Executive Director of the Miracle League and Fallenstein Playground Chair “A lot of them are specifically designed to ensure accessibility. So we are going to have some pieces of equipment that are wheelchair accessible, so the wheel chair can actually go on that piece of equipment. We have specifically designed swings and
seats that provide additional back support for kids who may have spina bifida and different things of that nature. The key to this playground is going to be the poured in place surface which is a completely flat surface that allows walkers, rollers and strollers on it without any hindrance of wood chips or pebbles.” The playgrounds surface will be made up of a cellulose under surface with a rubberized pebble flex top layer, so when you walk on it, it will give a slight cushion to your walk and have a rubberized texture to the top of it. It is a very unique surface that you don’t see very often on playgrounds, especially around here. “The rubberized surface just creates a flat and easy to move on surface,” said Wilbur. “We have had the chance to tour playgrounds in Minnesota that are inclusive and accessible and there is a beautiful park in Lakeville called King Park, they have an inclusive playground. There was a family there that had brought their grandmother who used a wheel chair. So a typical playground the grandparent would have to sit back and just sort of watch their grandchildren play. But the grandmother was actually able to be on the playground, the family was able to help her move around in her wheel chair and she was able to access pieces of the equipment so she could be right there with her
grandchildren. Really the whole idea is side by side, children and their peers playing side by side and families being able to interact as well.” The playground will be located just north of the Fallenstein baseball field, which is an all-inclusive and fully accessible baseball field that is located on the west side of Caswell Park in North Mankato. “We feel like this is going to be a destination playground,” said Eric. “Families are going to come from all around to specifically go to this playground to utilize the features that it has because it is going to be such a unique playground in our community.” They have a $600,000 goal in order to get this project built and ready for families of the area to enjoy. With the help of some wonderful companies and people in town who have donated in kind to help with the various things that have to go on before they build the playground they are at almost $200,000. With the help of other fundraisers, the Miracle League hopes to have the playground built this year in 2017.
“When we look at that our team really wanted to provide an opportunity for all kinds of people to give money to the program,” said Wilbur. “We are writing grants, so we are able to get larger portions of dollars from grants like the Bremmer Trust Grant that was $75,000.” Their fundraising is comprised of more than just the people on the Miracle League board, they have other businesses, non-profits, and families who are involved. They have fundraisers that are creating great awareness in the community, like the recent bowl-a-thon that was held on
February 11th, or the Builders Club at Dakota Meadows Middle School who chipped in and did a fundraiser to help make this playground a reality. “Play, while it cannot change the external realities of children’s lives, can be a vehicle for children to explore and enjoy their differences and similarities and to create, even for a brief time, amore just world where everyone is an equal and valued participant.” Patricia G. Ramsey, Contemporary American Educational Psychologist.
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March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 15
Submitted by Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union
Adding Kids as Authorized Users of a
Credit Card A
strong credit history opens many doors in life. It can be the key to qualifying for credit, securing a lease and even getting a job. So it’s no wonder that parents look for ways to help their young adult children build credit, sometimes even before they’re out of the house. Many parents have experimented with adding their children as authorized users on longstanding credit card accounts. But does this help a child’s score, and are there any pitfalls? Here are some advantages and disadvantages to keep in mind.
16 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
Pros and cons
Pro: A longer credit history can raise your child’s credit score. Giving kids a head start by adding them to your accounts in their teenage years will, in theory, make them look like more experienced borrowers and help their scores. Con: Not all credit card companies report authorized users to credit bureaus. If that’s the case, authorized user status won’t help kids build a credit history or benefit their scores. Call your credit card company and
ask whether it reports authorized users before you go to the trouble of adding your child. Also, be aware that even if your card issuer does report authorized users, it won’t raise your kids’ score as much as having their own accounts. Pro: As authorized users, your children will have credit cards linked to your account. This gives you a chance to help them learn about the responsible use of credit. You can monitor their spending, ask them to contribute toward paying off their purchases and make sure they’re not getting into trouble. That way they’ll have some experience when it’s time to open their first solo credit card account. Con: Since it’s your account, you’re legally on the hook for any charges made by any authorized user. If your son or daughter overspends and doesn’t pay you back, you still have to cover the purchases or ruin your own credit by defaulting on the debt. And one last word of caution:
Does your child need specialized care? When certain health issues arise, a medical specialist is often the best option to help manage your child’s care. That’s why Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato offers an array of pediatric and adolescent specialty services, including: • • • • • •
Allergy Audiology Cardiology Clinical Nutrition Ear, Nose and Throat Gastroenterology
• • • • • •
General Surgery Infectious Diseases Orthopedics Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Neurology Urology
Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato Call 1-877-412-7575 (toll-free) to schedule an appointment.
Is your credit history good enough to share?
If you make a late payment or max out your card, this may reflect badly on your child’s credit history. Authorized user status will only be a boon to your child if you are an impeccable credit card user yourself. On-time payments are crucial, but it’s also important not to use too much of your available credit. Try to keep your balance on each card below 30% of the credit limit.
4.95”x4.95”
Kid-Oh! Magazine March 2017
The bottom line
Adding a child as an authorized user may not magically give him a perfect credit profile, but it might help him or her a little. If you pay your bills on time, trust your child to handle a credit card responsibly and have a card issuer who routinely reports authorized users to the credit bureaus, then go for it. It can’t hurt, and it certainly might help.
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 17
Raising healthy eaters: Should kids “clean their plate?”
A
s parents, it can be tempting to control the types and amounts of food that children eat, but these well-intentioned actions can sometimes create feeding problems such as overeating, rebellious eating and secrecy eating. Grace Fjeldberg, a registered dietitian with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, says raising kids who are healthy eaters starts by becoming familiar with some typical eating behaviors of children. “Picky eating, eating the same food every meal, and changes in portions from meal to meal are all normal eating behaviors for children,” Fjeldberg says. “It takes 12 to 17 times to introduce a food to a child before they’re even interested in trying it.” Fjeldberg doesn’t recommend pushing children to eat 18 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
all the food on their plate or for parents to enforce the “one bite” rule. Instead, she encourages parents to let children learn to eat in their own way. “Children’s appetites will change based on how fast they are growing. At times, it will seem like you can’t keep them full, and other times they won’t eat more than one bite.” The same is true of food types. Fjeldberg says parents may be concerned about their kids not eating meat at one meal or only eating bread at another. She says pushing kids to eat food they don’t want to eat could make them rebellious and choose to not eat it at all. “I’ve watched children be forced to eat veggies, and they often cry and may even gag. This experience has likely taught the child that veggies are not pleasant and may limit their desire to try them in the future,” Fjedlberg says.
Reminders for raising healthy eaters: • Offer at least three of the following food groups at each meal and snack: fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy or lean protein/legumes.
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• Ensure there is always one food offered with each meal that your child will eat, while not catering to likes and dislikes. • Give your child the responsibility in choosing how much and whether he or she wants to eat at a meal time. • Create an environment that allows your child to explore, touch, and experience different foods and textures at their own pace. • Minimize meal time distractions such as the TV or toys at the table. Enjoy conversation with family instead. • Take charge of meal times by providing consistent meals and snack times.
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• Model healthy eating behaviors in front your children as they learn best from you. While most children have normal eating behaviors, Fjeldberg says that if a child starts to gain or lose too much weight, a meeting with your provider or dietitian to determine possible reasons for the change can be helpful in supporting appropriate growth. “Over the course of a day, week or even a month, children will likely rotate through a variety of food groups to meet their growing needs,” Fjeldberg says. “Just remember that most children will gradually learn to eat what their parents eat.”
Grace Fjeldberg is a registered dietitian with Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. She has a special interest in working with pediatric diabetes and nutrition.
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March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 19
How do You do it By Jordan Greer
S
o, confession......This page is supposed to be written by someone else. It is supposed to be written by a local mom; someone with a story to tell, someone with a unique take on parenting, someone who is not me. But, this month I completely and totally forgot to have someone do it. I failed. I feel like I’ve felt like that a lot lately and I don’t think I am alone. I think as parents today we are all, collectively, too hard on ourselves. We see failure in forgotten dentist appointments, remembering at the last minute that you were supposed to send pre-packaged gluten/vegan/dairy free cupcakes to school with one kid and the other one needed a bagged lunch for a field trip, forgetting the early morning meeting at work or to respond to the email you checked while you were in the process of making dinner and only glanced at before you had to get back to the stove and not burn dinner. Again. OMG yes. I have been there. I think we all have.
I failed
One time, when my kids were in elementary school, I left work and went to pick them up. They were not there. No one was there. The parking lot was empty. The doors were locked. I was in a panic. Did something happen at the school? Was there an emergency that I didn’t know about? WHERE WERE MY KIDS? After pounding on the doors frantically, the janitor finally came to the door and cautiously opened it. I am not quite sure what he thought when he found a crazy lady, all sweaty and crying, screaming about what he had done with her kids. He calmly informed me that there was no school that day and that he didn’t know where I had “put my kids.” Then it all flooded back to me.........and I felt like an idiot. I had dropped them off at my mom’s that morning. They were safe, probably full of sugar and popcorn, but they were safe. I felt like I had failed. Again. Between kids, work, home, activities, lessons, pets, schedules, appointments, meals, shopping, errands-suddenly an eight hour day is 14 or 16 or 18. There is no way we are not going to be able to do it all. There is no way we are not going to forget something. There is no way we can make it to every sports game or performance or conference or meeting. There is no way we are not going to fail. Pish posh to that old saying, “Failure is not an option.” Failure is the only option. Failure means that you are trying. Feeling like you failed means you care, that you tried. There is no greater lesson to teach your kids than to try. Just try. Sometimes you fail and sometimes you succeed. And even when you try and fail, you learn from it and it makes the next time easier. And so, hopefully in next issue this page will feature a local parent and their message on parenting. I will try.
20 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
B l u e E a r t h C o u n t y ’s
HOME to HISTORY 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. Admission charged. YOUNG HISTORIANS: Explore Blue Earth County’s Natural History Hands-on History Workshops for Kids 2nd Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Free.
WINTER WONDERLAND Frozen Fun in Blue Earth County
Relax, Open a Good Book
The weather outside may be frightful, but inside a look at winter’s past is so delightful. Explore winter sports and fashions with a special look back at the 1920 Mankato Winter Carnival. Free and open to the public. On display at the History Center until April 1, 2017.
BlueEarthCountyHistory.com | 507.345.5566
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March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 25
Diary of the
Mythics Entry One
The Unicorn
I
March 12, 1250
am a Unicorn. Some say I’m a mythical creature, and can only be found in fairy-tales. Some say otherwise, and call to me and tell me they think I am real. I am fairly fond of these people, the ones who say I’m real and not just a hoax. I am real, if I was not, then I would not be writing this Diary, if I was not writing this Diary, I would not be real like some people say I am. I like writing, but most other Mythics think I should not, on account of people thinking I am a horse with a long horn out of my head. But, sadly they are mistaken. For I am a lovely woman, with dark brown hair and yes, a horn growing out of my head. I have hands and legs as well as any other human-folk would. But, unlike the Brownies, I have no warm clothing. I dress myself in moss and rose petals, and I do not have a permanent home, I live in the forest. The forest is my home. I live off of tree-fruits and the leaves of the Amanoid tree. Everyone thinks I am a klutz, for I am not good at making friends, or cooking, or house-keeping. Which is why I live alone in my forest. Of course, there are Fairies, and Gnomes, and Elves who also dwell in the woods like me, but out of all of them, I am the wisest, and the biggest, and the fastest. Around here I am known as the Great Horse. I am not a horse, as I said before. But human-folk think me as one. I hate it when the other Mythics call me just plain horse. I mean, we are all equals. But it just gets on my mane when Mythics call me horse. I am beautiful, and intelligent, and loving. And yet, Mythics call me horse. I look and talk like a human-folk, and therefore I am one of the only Mythics in the history of civilization that can ever transfer to the Human-Folk Universe! They treat me like dog’s-droppings, and I am one of the most important Mythics around!
26 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
Entry Two
I
The Leprechaun June 5, 1250
just had a run in with a very sassy Unicorn. Seriously, she can’t even understand proper manners! Oh, and before I forget, I’m a Leprechaun. I’m a cobbler. I make and fix shoes. I think that I’m the best Mythic there is out there. I like to play tricks on unsuspecting humans. I played a trick on that vain Unicorn I was talking about. I told her that I would fix her horse-shoe for her, but I actually just threw it in the river to let it rust for a few hours, then I’ll give it back to her. She’s waiting over on a rock over by the old Amanoid tree. She’s examining a large turtle that just crawled out of the brook. Oh! She just saw me writing in her Journal! I’d better go before she comes over here.
Entry Three
The Monofin December 9, 1300
I
is findings this Journal on the river bank while listening to some Jabbers goings on by some other odd things by the old Amanoid tree. I thinks it is a very nice little Journal, and I’ve saws two other entries on the papers behind this one. I is a Monofin. I is a water Dragon livings in an old fallen log in the waters of the Kitch River. Almost nobody sees me when I am in the waters, but when I am out on the rocks, I am mistookin for another Mythics called Merpeople, but we are beings nothing alikes. They do nots have long blue claws like I is having. They do not have a pretty long neck like I is having. They is ugly and is looking like humans people. I is living in Scotland. Here I is beings known as the Lochness Monsters, but my mama calls me Nessi. She is always saying what a pretty creature I is, and that somedays peoples will not think I is a Merpeoples. I will go leave this on the River banks so another Mythics can finds it. Bye-bye!
By E. Madelyn James March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 27
Headstand Start on hands and knees and place your hands flat on the floor a little wider then shoulder distance apart. Put the top of your head down on the floor, slightly in front of your fingers and between your hands. Now tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor. Walk your toes as close as you can towards your head. Try bring just one leg into the air and then maybe the other. Don’t kick into headstand. Another option is to try balancing your knees up on the backs of your arms near your elbows, this will get you use to being on your head and learn to balance. You can practice near a wall if you fear falling over backward.
Benefits of Headstand Pose • • • • • • •
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression Stimulates the pituitary and pineal glands Strengthens the arms, legs, and spine Strengthens the lungs Tones the abdominal organs Improves digestion Therapeutic for asthma, insomnia, and sinusitis
Wide Angle Seated Forward Fold - B Start seated on the floor with knees bent and feet on the floor. Separate the feet and knees a bit. Reach to grab the big toe, feet or ankles, slowly lifting them off the floor. This pose requires some balance on the sit bones. Try not to round your back, because this will cause you to roll backward. Once the legs are in the air, try straightening them as much as comfortable while still hanging onto the feet.
28 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
Benefits of Wide Angle Seated Forward Fold - B Pose: • • • •
Lengthens hamstrings Stretches adductors Calms nervous system Can relieve sciatic pain
Gena Heminover: Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher and mother of two girls, Elea age 5 (pictured) and Ava age 2 (not pictured). Teaching yoga at the Mankato Family YMCA, Community Education and various other places in Mankato. Specializing in Kids Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa and Yoga for Athletes. Find me on Instagram and Facebook at ‘Gena Heminover Yoga’ https://www. facebook.com/AthletesYoga Website: GenaHeminover.com Or email: heminoveryoga@yahoo.com
Yoga Tips for Kids:
• Kids naturally have a short attention span so keep each pose under 30 seconds. • If they are old enough have them help you count to 10 while holding the pose. • Allow your child to play around with their body positioning in each pose. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it should be FUN!
Upward Bow Start lying on your back with knees bent and the feet on the floor. Place your hands up by your ears, palms down and fingers pointing in the same direction as your toes. At the same time, push your hands and feet into the floor picking up your hips enough to get the top of your head on the floor. Beginners and stay here with hips lifted and top of head touching. To move into full Upward Bow pose, continue straightening your arms and lifting your hips to bring your head off the floor. Gently come back down and tuck your legs into your chest to ease out the back.
Benefits of Upward Bow Pose: • • • • •
Stretches the chest and lungs Strengthens the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary Increases energy and counteracts depression Therapeutic for asthma and back pain
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 29
Books that are Movies The Cat in the Hat
Dr, Seuss 1957 & 2003
Two bored children have their lives turned upside down when a talking cat comes to visit them.
The BFG
Roald Dahl 1982 & 2016 A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kind-hearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.
Charlotte’s Web E.B. White 1952 & 1973
A gentle and wise grey spider with a flair for promotion pledges to save a young pig from slaughter for dinner food.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Judith Viorst 1972 & 2014
Alexander’s day begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by more calamities. However, he finds little sympathy from his family and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him, his mom, dad, brother and sister - who all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll 1865 & 2010
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Judi Barrett 1978 & 2009
A local scientist is often regarded as a failure until he invents a machine that can make food fall from the sky. But little does he know, that things are about to take a turn for the worst.
The Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling 1895 & 1967
Bagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to convince a boy to leave the jungle for human civilization. Courtesy of IMBD.com
30 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
The Gnomobile
Upton Sinclair 1937 & 1967 An eccentric millionaire and his grandchildren are embroiled in the plights of some forest gnomes who are searching for the rest of their tribe. While helping them, the millionaire is suspected of being crazy because he’s seeing gnomes! He’s committed, and the niece and nephew and the gnomes have to find him and free him.
The Iron Man (The Iron Giant)
Ted Hughes 1968 & 1999
A young boy befriends a giant robot from outer space that a paranoid government agent wants to destroy.
Mary Poppins
P.L. Travers 1934 & 1964 A magical nanny helps bring the two children she’s in charge of closer to their father through songs and magical adventures.
When thinking about your child’s health,
don’t forget about
Y
their eyes
our child is constantly growing and changing right before your eyes, and their vision develops and changes just as quickly. From the moment your child is brought into the world, the development of vision begins and their sharpness of vision is less than fully developed. You may notice that your baby prefers looking at close objects and gravitates to faces and objects that are brightly colored or of high contrast and moving. By three months old, most babies can easily follow a moving object and can hold their eyes on it even when the object stops. Baby mobiles in cribs stimulate their visual development by having colors, details and moving parts. From ages three to six months, the retina of a baby’s eye is well developed and small details are able to be seen. Your child is able to look from near to far and back to near again. At the same time, depth perception is also being developed. At six months, the eye has reached nearly two thirds of its adult size. By now, both of your baby’s eyes are working together and distance vision and depth perception continue to improve. By the time your child has his or her first momentous birthday, their vision is on its way to full development. You’ll notice that your child has coordination of the hands and eyes, which can be enhanced by games involving grasping, tossing, pointing, placing and catching. From ages two to five years old, your preschooler is actively engaging in drawing and looking at pictures, both of which captivate and help harmonize vision and hearing. Just like well-child visits to their pediatricians, healthy eyes and vision checks are a critical part of kids’ development. Whether or not your child has risk factors or a family history of eye problems, children should have their vision checked at their six month and three-year well-child exams and before first grade.
Vision problems tend to show up during the preschool years and can be detected during a routine eye exam. The most common eye problems in children include: • Amblyopia: Also known as a lazy eye, amblyopia is poor vision in an eye that appears to be normal. If left untreated in childhood, a lazy eye can lead to impairment in the affected eye or permanent vision loss. • Strabismus: Commonly known as cross-eyed, strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes, which causes eyes to wander. This leads to both eyes not aiming at the same object. If one eye is constantly misaligned, a lazy eye could develop in that eye. Healthy vision can be restored by covering the eye with a patch, which forces the misaligned eye to become stronger by working harder. In some cases, surgery or specially designed glasses may also help.
• Refractive errors: Just like in adults, these common eye problems occur when vision is blurry and the eye is incorrectly shaped. Errors include nearsightedness (inability to clearly see in the distance), farsightedness (inability to see up-close) and astigmatism (an abnormal curve of the surface of the eye). Each of these refractive errors can be treated by glasses.
So, how do you know if your child is having vision problems? Look for the following problems in children younger than six: • • • • • • • •
Constant eye rubbing Extreme light sensitivity Squinting Poor focusing Poor visual tracking Abnormal alignment or movement of the eyes Chronic redness or tearing of the eyes A white pupil instead of black
In school-aged children, other signs to watch for include: • • • • • • • • •
Poor school performance Not wanting to go to school Difficulty paying attention Difficulty when reading and writing Trouble seeing information on the white board at school Blurry or double vision Squinting Headaches or eye pain Taking longer than normal to complete homework
If an ophthalmologist or optometrist determines that your child needs glasses, keep these tips in mind: younger kids should have plastic frames for safety, and all children should wear lenses made of impact-resistance plastic. To help your child ease into the transition of wearing glasses, let them choose their own frames, if possible. With so much of the world to see and learn about, it’s important to take the necessary steps when it comes to protecting your child’s vision. Kids’ eye exams are an incredibly powerful tool for overall health and can help Nathaniel Graham, OD shape their future by catching Mankato Clinic any eye problems as soon as Eye Care Center possible. March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 31
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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! Be Your Own
Designer
March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 41
Jokes Q:
What kind of garden does a baker have?
Can bees fly in the rain?
What’s the difference between Thanksgiving and April Fool’s Day?
Q:
A. Not without their little yellow jackets!
Q:
Q:
Does February like March? A. No, but April May!
A. During APE-ril showers
Q:
Q:
A. On one you’re thankful and the other you’re prankful!
When do monkeys fall from the sky?
What did the tree say to spring? A. What a re-leaf.
Q:
Q:
A. A “flour” garden.
How excited was the gardener about spring?
Why are frogs so happy?
A. So excited he wet his plants.
A. They eat whatever bugs them.
Name a bow that can’t be tied. A. A rainbow.
Q: What’s Irish and
comes out in Spring?
Q: What falls but never gets hurt? A. The rain!
Q:
Q:
What goes up when the rain goes down?
A. Umbrellas A. Paddy O’Furniture 42 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
SIGNS OF SPRING WORD SEARCH
Find the words hidden below that have something to so the spring.
BASEBALL BIKES BLOSSOMS BUGS FISHING FLOWERS GARDENING GOLF GRASS KITES RAIN WORMS
E W R A I N A S G M T S S R A O E
R B F R E E U N N G D T M B T N B
T L D M R D I R S H P E R Y U A E
Y O S P F H T S V S O K O S S T S
U S A O S H T O C F L O W E R S F
I S Z I Y S R L G S L F B K F H P
O O F U H T F R B E K A E I I R O
P M X T J A A A L E L L B B B L K
F S C S O S P R K L J S U W J O I
L G V R S G G A R D E N I N G O T
O H B E M H L U P A O U M W K B E
G J N E Q O K G B W O T G N L M S
L K M W E T Y H I Q Z P K U W P C
See Solution on Page 49
44 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
BABY ANIMAL PUZZLE
Spring is here, and baby anmals are everywhere. Can you unscramble the animal names below?
1. A BABY DEER IS A: WAFN ____ 2. A BABY GOAT IS A: DKI ___ 3. A BABY ELEPHANT IS A: FCAL ____ 4. A BABY SWAN IS A: ETGYCN ______ 5. A BABY DONKEY IS A: AFLO ____
See Solution on Page 49
46 • Kid-oh! | March/April 2017
Earth Day April 22
48 • Kid-oh! | March/April January/February 2017 2017
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
SIGNS OF SPRING WORD SEARCH
E W R A I N A S G M T S S R A O E
R B F R E E U N N G D T M B T N B
T L D M R D I R S H P E R Y U A E
Y O S P F H T S V S O K O S S T S
U S A O S H T O C F L O W E R S F
I S Z I Y S R L G S L F B K F H P
O O F U H T F R B E K A E I I R O
P M X T J A A A L E L L B B B L K
F S C S O S P R K L J S U W J O I
L G V R S G G A R D E N I N G O T
O H B E M H L U P A O U M W K B E
G J N E Q O K G B W O T G N L M S
BABY ANIMAL PUZZLE 1. Fawn 2. Kid 3. Calf 4. Cygnet 5. Foal
L K M W E T Y H I Q Z P K U W P C
Mankato Schools Around Town Word Scramble
1. Washington 2. Jeerson 3. Roosevelt 4. Franklin 5. Prairie Winds 6. Dakota Meadows bu|_7-‹ Party -1h-];
7. GarďŹ eld 8. Bridges 9. Hoover 10. Kennedy 11. Monroe 12. Rosa Parks
get your hands
messy
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8 children minimum Special dietary requirements available upon request.
Hom e Goo e d -] y ĹŞĆ? Ć? (-
Ѵ†;
515 N Riverfront Drive • 507-345-4114 info@friesensfood.com Monday-Saturday 6am-6pm; Sunday 6am-2pm "†rrouাm] o†u 1oll†mb|‹Ĵ ˆ;u‹|_bm] ‰; 1-uu‹ bv ruo7†1;7 omvb|;Ä´ March/April 2017 | Kid-oh! • 49