Free Times Parent April-May 2014

parent APRIL-MAY 2014 | ftparent.com

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

Summer Camp, Then and Now Why We Got Away with So Much More Than Our Kids Do

Outsmart Your Kids Summer Camps Keep Kids Learning

Summer Programs

Summer Programs 2014

Hammond offers a broad array of summer programs designed for every age and interest. Whether you’re seeking a full-day camp, interested in junior counselor training programs, or looking for supplemental academics, an athletic workshop, or want to try your hand at an art class, we’ve got something for everyone.

Our programs are available to students ages four years-old through adult. If you’re a Hammond student, or simply interested in spending some time with us this summer, we invite you to apply.

For more information on our Summer Programs, visit our website at hammondschool.org, or contact Kevin White, Director of Summer Programs, at 803•695•8624.

HAMMOND School • 854 Galway Lane • Columbia, SC 29209 • 803.776.0295 • hammondschool.org

contents

parent

APRIL-MAY 2014

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

activities

life

6 Summer Camp, Then and Now 8 Listings

24 Social Media Tools Help Battle Cyberbullying 26 Listings

health 12 Living With Autism 14 Listings

learning 16 Outsmart Your Kids 20 Listings

calendar 22 Events and Programming

family finance 28 Does Your Child Have a Bad Credit Score?

media 30 Music and DVD Reviews 32 Book Reviews 32 App Reviews 34 Listings

Published by Resorts Media 1534 Main St., Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 765.0707

ftparent.com EDITORIAL EDITOR: Dan Cook, editor@free-times.com | ext. 133 MANAGING EDITOR: Laura Haight LISTINGS EDITOR: Jordan Lawrence CONTRIBUTORS: Allison Caldwell, Jason Crosby, Anna Gelbman Edmunds, Heather Green, Amanda Ladymon, Thomas Maluck, Heather McCue, Kara Meador, Kevin Oliver, Anne Postic

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER: Lisa Willis GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Joey Ayer GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Matt Bradley

ADVERTISING ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Kerry Powers kpowers@free-times.com | ext. 128 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Hyatt Drake, Ginny Kuhn, Brian Wingard, Jerry Viles ADVERTISING ASSISTANT: Rachel Kuhnle SALES MANAGER: Cale Johnson

DISTRIBUTION CIRCULATION MANAGER: Davey Mathias DOCK MANAGER: David Alexander

BUSINESS OPERATIONS MANAGER: Jen Coody

RESORTS MEDIA Charlie Nutt, Publisher

FAMILY FUN AT THE CMA Spring Break Workshops Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15 | 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Spring Break workshops engage kids in hands-on learning and spark creativity! Drop-off begins at 9:45.

Please bring a brown bag lunch each day. $90 / $72 for Dual/Family Members and above.

LIONS, TIGERS, AND CRANES, OH MY! Ages 6 – 9 Students create their own art menagerie!

Painting, drawing, and forming their favorite animals inspired by Japan and the Jazz Age.

PRECIOUS PLUMES: FROM PEACOCKS TO PEGASUS Ages 10 – 12

Students travel the galleries learning about the CMA’s winged creatures, then make their own clay creation and learn printmaking techniques.

ONE FORM OR ANOTHER TEEN ACADEMY Ages 13 – 18

Students get inspired by Japan and the Jazz Age, then explore both two and threedimensional design mediums including clay and metal.

Summer Camps June 16–20

• Gladys’ Time Travelers | Ages 4–7 • What’s Your Story? | Ages 8–12 • Drawing 101 | Ages 13–18

July 21–25

• Camp Half-Blood (A Percy Jackson Adventure) | Ages 8–12 • Creative in Clay | Ages 8–12 • Urban Printmaking | Ages 13–18

June 23–27

• Symphonic Safari | Ages 4–7 • Camp Half-Blood (A Percy Jackson Adventure) | Ages 8–12 • Walk Like an Egyptian | Ages 8–12 • Wearable | Ages 13–18

Go Gladys Green! | Ages 4–7 Cartooning Creatures | Ages 8–12 Heroes and Villains | Ages 8–12 Sculpting with Clay 101 | Ages 13–18

July 14–18

• Wild Wild West | Ages 4–7 • Pop-Op-Art | Ages 8–12 • Art Avengers | Ages 8–12

August 4–8

July 7–11 • • • •

July 28–August 1

• Re-Purposed | Ages 8–12 • Photography | Ages 8–12

• The ABCs of Art | Ages 4–7 • Fins, Feathers, and Fur | Ages 8–12 • Project FUNway Re-mix | Ages 8–12

August 11–15

• Mythological Monsters | Ages 4–7 • Go BIG | Ages 8–12

Details and registration at columbiamuseum.org.

See you there!

1515 Main Street in downtown Columbia, SC | 803.799.2810 | columbiamuseum.org

activities

Summer Camp, Then and Now Why We Got Away with So Much More Than Our Kids Do

By Anne Postic | Illustrations by Jason Crosby

S

ome things never change. Camp is freedom, often the first taste kids get. Back at home, parents enjoy their own delicious freedom. We can listen to our music, as loud and as late as we want. We can sleep in without guilt, and enjoy glorious days not nagging anyone to do anything. We don’t have to worry, because the kids’ freedom is tightly controlled and, with activities available every waking hour, they sleep too well to get into too much trouble.

Camp is still a place to grow and change, but back in the day, there was a little more freedom, thanks in part to a lack of technology. All of the following stories are true, though they may have been exaggerated over years of retelling. What’s the fun of a good camp story if you can’t embellish?

Young Love and Poison Ivy Then: Remember those mixers with the boys’ camp across the lake? They were fraught with sexual tension, fueled by bug juice and the sweet taste of independence.

One former camper in her 40s recalled how some girls would sneak onto the boys’ bus after a square dance, riding back to their camp for a few precious moments with a summer love. How did they get back? By walking through the woods, usually with the male suitor’s flashlight, using recently

obtained camping skills to find her way.

Now: Yeah. Probably not gonna’ happen.

Can you imagine what kind of lawsuit a camp could face if the parents heard about this? Besides, why sneak into the boys’ camp when you can just text each other all night with an illicit cell phone? Though many camps are banning them, there are always ways to sneak in forbidden items.

Contraband or Care Packages Then: There were lists of things to leave at home, some understood, some sharply contested by campers. In the ‘80s, legions of pre-teens railed against the unfairness.

“What? No Walkman? How will I listen to my Midnight Star tape?!” And don’t forget the cigarettes of the ‘70s, carefully stashed

Camp Isn’t Cheap, But What Is? What about the cost? Camp is expensive. According to the American Camp Association, the average cost of a week at camp is $690, with some camps charging as much as $2,000 per week (goo.gl/9vEOaL).

Broken down, those fees are not as high as they seem, since they are all-inclusive. After all, kids at home all summer cost money, too.

Child care can cost $10 to 15 per hour, or $80-120 per day. Day camps can cost $150-$800 per week.

Most activity-focused day camps in Columbia, including those at the Columbia Museum of Art, EdVenture and Trustus Theatre, are around $150 per week, but specialty camps, including those with a science focus, can be much more expensive.

Food: Sending a pre-teen to camp could be a deal, given the sheer quantity of food they consume.

Besides, you won’t have to spend time cooking it!

Transportation: At home, parents spend time and money taking kids to various places to swim, hang with friends or just get out of the house.

At camp, these things are included.

A peaceful week alone? Priceless.

in a clay piñata. Candy was smuggled in a hollowed-out Hardy Boys book.

Now: Parents send care packages, and candy is not the taboo it once was. An iPod is a lot smaller than a Sony Discman, so music players are common. And those cigarettes? Nobody smokes anymore, so a camper would never be able to get away with smoking them, even if they could get them into camp.

Snake Bite? Who Knew?

Then: You got sick, and your teenaged counselor walked you up the hill to the infirmary, recalled one camper from the ‘80s.

As far as she knew, her parents were never informed. They didn’t have an answering machine, and snail mail would have been pointless. She relaxed for a day or two, with minimal attention from the camp nurse. It felt like a mini vacation, because the sheets were nicer and there was air conditioning via an ancient window unit. The nurses were nice, but definitely not Mom. Now: Parents are notified immediately if a camper gets sick, and are asked if there are any special instructions. Is it possible we are raising a generation of children who believe the common cold merits major attention?

Maybe.

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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Spring 2014

What did you love about camp?

“I loved falling out of a canoe and holding a chicken and having it poop on me. I didn’t like how cold it was.” — Rowan, 8 “Horseback riding!” — Catie, 7 “Everything!” — Grayson, 13 “Making new friends.” — Cannon, 10

Summer Reading That Wasn’t on the Book List Then: One camper recalled her friends sneaking a copy of Judy Blume’s Forever into the infirmary. Do you remember Forever? It was Judy Blume’s foray into feminist erotica. No, really. Published in 1975, this book was all kinds of dirty, with a responsible nod to birth control and emotional health. Not the most appropriate reading for a 12-year-old, but probably not the worst, either.

Now: Who still has books? How does a kid read dirty books these days anyway, given that anything they download onto an e-reader will show up on their parents’ credit card bill? Also, no way would a sick kid be left alone long enough to read 224 pages of porn.

What Nose Ring?

Then: One 12-year-old camper in the ‘70s ran an ear-piercing clinic, piercing ears right and left all summer long, with no formal training and minimal sanitation, and never got caught. Where did she get the earrings? What about the piercing equipment?

With no way to boil the equipment, why did no one lose an ear? What did the parents do when their daughters came home with pierced ears? Who knows? Adults didn’t pay as much attention back then.

Now: The piercing clinic would be shuttered immediately, as soon as the first girl outed the piercer by posting a pic on Instagram. The renegade piercer would not be invited back to camp, and all of her clients would be treated with antibiotics for potential infection.

for campers to experience the discomfort meant to teach them a life lesson. True story: Some camps have heated pools. Kids today don’t stand a chance.

Without Email and Instagram, a Week Apart Really was a Week Apart Then: Some kids spent six weeks at camp without writing their parents once. The parents had no idea if their own carefully penned letters were received, let alone read and treasured.

Now: Kids still don’t write, even though email is easy. Why? Because they’re having fun. Many camps allow parents to send email, which is great, because they don’t have to sweat writing ahead of time to ensure that their camper hears from them within a day or two of the beginning of camp. Also, many camps post pictures of campers online every single night, so parents can obsess over every nuance of their children’s facial expressions and body language. “Look! He’s smiling!” quickly gives way to, “But honey, aren’t his shoulders a little raised? Doesn’t he look a little tense?”

Of course he does. He’s carrying a canoe over some rocks and trying to keep his feet in flip-flops.

“What I love about camp is the food!

I love walking into the dining hall and finding a fresh, hot loaf of Greystone’s famous bread! I get to meet new people every week at a different table.

Greystone has the best food!”

— Addie, 11 “My favorite thing about Camp Tonawandah is all the activities you can try, like cooking, dance, tennis, archery, princess class, secret agent, and horseback riding! Every day is a new adventure!” — Emma, 11

What Hasn’t Changed The friendships, goofy activities with little practical use, bonding (especially now that cellphones are on the way out at a lot of camps), minimal communication between kids and their parents, the clean, slightly mildewy smell, and the sweet taste of freedom. According to the American Camp Association, the top five activities are still swimming, arts and crafts, challenge and ropes, archery, and lake activities like kayaking and canoeing. The standard songs are the same, consistent from summer to summer and camp to camp.

As a parent, after camp you can still look forward to a trunk with only the top layer of clothing having been disturbed, very little communication from your camper, a box or two of crafts with limited use (lanyard, anyone?), and a kid who feels better about himself than when he left. Even if it is a little sanitized, independence is still the crucial element of the camp experience.

Water Safety Now Means Having a Pool Then: Speaking of mystery infections, does anyone remember those fizzing drops counselors put in campers’ ears when they got out of the lake? The preventative. Why were we allowed to swim in water in the first place if we might contract a mysterious ear infection?

Now: A lot of camps have pools: We can only hope the water is still cold enough

Spring 2014

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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Capital Karate capitalkaratesc.com Develops character, discipline and focus as well as physical conditioning and skills.

Carolina CrossFit 1804 Blanding St., carolinacrossfit.com Offers kids’ Crossfit classes.

Chuck E. Cheese’s 1775 Burning Tree Dr., 772-0435 chuckecheese.com The motto of the nationwide family entertainment center chain: Where a kid can be a kid. Often home to birthdays, play groups and school fundraising events, Chuck E. Cheese’s features games, rides, prizes, food and entertainment for all ages.

columbiasc.net/parksandrec Family-friendly Columbia boasts 52 public parks where your wee ones can run and jump and skip and play, plus a host of community gardens, three swimming pools, one splash pad water park, and a public skate park. The city also offers a host of youth sports and outdoor environmental programs.

Colonial Life Arena 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena.com When Disney princesses and the Sesame Street gang come to Columbia, this is where they play.

activities

Photo by Rick Smoak

W

ith the myriad options for children’s programming on television these days, it’s tempting to plop your kid down in front of the flat-screen to keep him or her occupied. But kids like to be active, and we know you dig that whole quality-time shebang. So we have put together a select list of places where you and junior can play … and play together.

All4Fun Party Rental

Bouncerific

all4funbouncehouses.com Rents bounce houses and slides.

921 Longtown Rd., 865-7939 bouncerific.com No, Bouncerific isn’t a place to send your kid to learn to be a doorman; it’s an indoor party and play center for kids and families. Inflatable bouncers, slides, dress-up, games, more.

Art Smart Academy 732o Broad River Rd., 667-9912 artsmartacademy.com Walk-in pottery and painting, birthday parties and more.

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Columbia Arts Academy 787-0931, columbiaartsacademy.com The largest music school in the state of South Carolina, the Columbia Arts Academy boasts a large and qualified staff to train your kids in electric and acoustic guitar, voice, piano, bass, drums and year-round rock band classes. Has a Lexington location, too.

Columbia Children’s Theatre 3400 Forest Dr, 691-4548 columbiachildrenstheatre.com Professional theater company for young audiences and families.

Columbia Marionette Theatre 401 Laurel St., 252-7366 cmtpuppet.org Founded in 1988 by famed puppeteer Allie Scollon and her son John, the Columbia Marionette Theatre has established itself as a premiere children’s theater in South Carolina. Its mission is to entertain and educate children and adults through the long-standing tradition and artistry of puppetry.

Columbia Museum of Art 1515 Main St., 799-2810 columbiamuseum.org Offers plenty of fun programming for kids, from Family Fun Days, Passport to Art and Gladys’ Gang to its summer camps and school programs.

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

301 Gervais St., 737-8095 www.crr.sc.gov For more than a century, the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum has collected and preserved the military history of this state.

Congaree National Park 776-4396, nps.gov/cong This 22,000-acre park boasts the largest old-growth, floodplain forest on the continent. It’s also an International Biosphere Reserve, a Globally Important Bird Area and a National Natural Landmark. Activities include hiking, boating, camping, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, nature walks and more. Located in Hopkins, 20 miles southeast of Columbia.

Cottle Strawberry Farm

City of Columbia Parks & Recreation

Edventure Children’s Museum

Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum

2533 Trotter Rd., 695-1714 cottlestrawberryfarm.com This 30-plus-year-old strawberry farm tucked in southeast Columbia is open to the public every spring — usually from April through May, and sometimes into June. Mmm … freshly picked strawberries.

CrossFit Vista 1125 Lady St., 600-5134 warriorfitnesssc.com CrossFit Kids is a strength and conditioning program used by many athletic teams, martial arts schools and P.E. programs. A great way to address childhood inactivity and obesity. Also has a location in Blythewood.

Dreher Island State Recreation Park 3677 State Park Rd., 364-4152, southcarolinaparks.com Located 30 miles northwest of Columbia in Prosperity, the Dreher Island recreation area consists of three islands encompassing 12 miles of shoreline on Lake Murray. Especially popular for fishing and boating, Dreher Island also offers lakefront camping, cabin and villa rentals, water skiing and picnicking.

Drew Park Splash Pad 2101 Walker Solomon Way drewwellnesscenter.com Sure, there’s a playground, a jogging track and a gazebo, but you’re coming here to get wet in the gigantic spray pad and lighted fountain. (Many of the city’s public parks offer smaller spray pools, too.)

EdVenture Children’s Museum 211 Gervais St., 779-3100 edventure.org The South’s largest children’s museum, with more than 70,000 square feet of cool stuff to keep the kids occupied.

Frankie’s Fun Park 140 Parkridge Dr., 781-2342 frankiesfunpark.com This Harbison-area entertainment center packs three go-kart tracks,

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Spring 2014

Summer Programs

JOIN US THIS SUMMER! Camps Available from June 2nd–August 1st Full Day and Extended Care Options Heathwood Hall offers an extensive summer program for students age 3 through 12th grade. Whether you’re looking for Adventure, Athletics, Academics, Arts & Science, or just plain fun, you will find a wide variety of educational opportunities to accommodate a broad range of student interests, ages and abilities.

ADVENTURE: Kayaking, Climbing Adventure & Adventures Abound ATHLETICS: Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Archery, Volleyball, Cheer, Dance, Fencing & Football ACADEMICS: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Students, Math Matters, SAT Math Prep, Algebra/Algebra Prep, Chemistry, Study Skills & College Essay Workshop ARTS & SCIENCE: Fancy Friends, Artists in Action, Garden Sprouts, Robotics, American Girls, Mythbusters, Chess, Comic Book Creations, Cake Decorating, Leadership Skills, ABC’s of Etiquette, Safe Sitter, Critter Camp, LEGO City, Storybook Adventure, Video Game Creation, Book Buddies, Graphic Novel Workshop, Video Editing & Graphic Arts

Register online at www.heathwood.org/summer.

Questions? Call 803.231.7710 or email camps@heathwood.org. Come join the fun!

Heathwood Hall • 3000 South Beltline Boulevard • Columbia, South Carolina • 29201 Spring 2014

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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activities three 18-hole mini-golf courses, batting cages, bumper boats, an arcade, a 5,000-square foot multi-tiered laser tag arena and a super-tall drop zone that says “In your face, gravity!” into 14 acres filled with fun for all ages. What, do you hate fun or something?

Flying High Academy flyinghighacademysc.com Dance, tumbling, gymnastics and cheerleading programs.

Harbison State Forest 896-8890 state.sc.us/forest/refharb.htm If you didn’t know it was there, you’d never expect to find 2,177 acres of forest along the sprawling mess that is Broad River Road. But there it is — one of the largest public green spaces inside the city limits of a metropolitan area in the eastern United States. Features more than 16 miles of roads and trails (popular for biking) and a canoe landing.

td@asheland.com | 803.738.2770

A is for

• Painting • Drawing • Sculpting • Printmaking • Mixed Media • Games • Art History • Contests • Plein Air Painting • & more

&

Hands-on Field Trips:

studio projects

• Art Museum • Finlay Park • Art Walk

midlands.madscience.org Offers a wide variety of fun science programs at birthday parties, summer camps, pre-schools and more.

Monkey Joe’s

My Gym 110 Forum Dr., 788-1230 my-gym.com A non-competitive gymnastics and play center keeping children healthy by making fitness fun.

Lexington County Recreation Commission

Owens Field Skate Park Jim Hamilton Blvd.

The 14,500-square-foot custom concrete park, when it opened in 2010, replaced a small skate park many local skaters considered bogus. Ramps, bowls, rails, more.

Palmetto Children’s Music

Lexington School of Music

A

Mad Science

647-960, laughnleap.com Need to buy or rent an inflatable bounce house, water slide, dunk tank or obstacle course? Laugh N Leap has you covered.

lexingtoncountysoccerclub.org Live in Lexington Country? Think your kid’s the next Ronaldo? Sign him or her up with this club team, which offers playing options from recreational to 2:05 elite PM traveling squads.

at

3101 Millwood Ave., 771-8080 mymadplatter.com Art, studies have shown, makes kids smarter. So take your tykes here, a paint-your-own pottery studio, where they can throw clay, paint plates and explore their creative sides.

Laugh N Leap

Lexington County Soccer Club

RT CAMP asheland.com

The Mad Platter

icrc.net The Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission offers kids sports, programs and activities at Crooked Creek Park, Saluda Shoals Park and Seven Oaks Park.

lcrac.com Offers youth sports, programs and activities at parks, playgrounds and activity centers in Lexington County.

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littleloggerheads.net Offers morning, afternoon and evening swim lessons for children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.

171 Newland Rd., 788-1102 monkeyjoes.com/columbia For kids, Monkey Joe’s offers a place to monkey around, with wall-to-wall inflatable slides, jumps, climbing walls and obstacle courses. And for parents, there’s comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, concessions and sports on large, flatscreen TVs.

Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission

Asheland_quartpg_March14_ftparent:Layout 6

Little Loggerheads Swim School

711 E. Main St., 929-7867 lexingtonschoolofmusic.com Offers flexible schedules for lessons on guitar, voice, bass, piano and more.

Little Gym 2005 N. Beltline Blvd., 738-1115 thelittlegym.com The Little Gym is an experiential learning and physical development center offering children’s physical activities centered on movement, music and learning.

palmettochildrensmusic.com Offers Music Together classes, an internationally recognized early childhood music and movement program for infants through 5-year-olds and the grownups who love them.

Palmetto Falls Waterpark 3381 Marion Ave., 751-3475 fortjacksonmwr.com/waterpark/ Tucked just inside of Fort Jackson’s Gate 2 entrance, Palmetto Falls Water Park offers a 10,000-square foot family pool, two water slides, a 600-square foot splashdown pool, a 2,500-square foot kiddie pool, a lazy river stretching 800 feet, and a snack bar. Open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays during the summer.

The Patch 3807 Augusta Hwy., 359-3276 This Gilbert strawberry patch is open for picking during strawberry season, typically April through May.

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Spring 2014

activities Patchwork Playhouse 1508 Columbia College Dr., 333-0372, patchworkplayers-sc.com A long-running children’s theater featuring child-sized puppets and actors.

Plex Indoor Sports plexindoorsports.com There are two locations of this local indoor sports complex franchise: The Sandhills location, by the Village at Sandhill, offers indoor soccer, basketball courts and a skate park; the Irmo location, off the Peak exit on I-26, features a ice rink, an indoor soccer field and an remote-controlled car track.

Both locations offer summer camps, birthday party packages, after-school programs and youth sports.

Richland County Recreation Commission richlandcountyrecreation.com Offers youth sports, programs and activities at parks, playgrounds and activity centers in Richland County.

Riverbanks Zoo & Gardens 500 Wildlife Parkway 779-8717, riverbanks.org It’s a natural fact that kids love animals. And Riverbanks Zoo — one of the nation’s finest, according to TripAdvisor — offers plenty of ‘em, from elephants to gorillas to ibexes to an aquarium and reptile complex stocked with fish, frogs, lizards are more. Riverbanks also offers myriad educational programs, day camps, overnight adventures and other fun kids’ events.

Saluda Shoals Park 5605 Bush River Rd., 731-5208 icrc.net Situated on 270 acres downstream from the Lake Murray Dam, Saluda Shoals features a popular water park, an environmental education center, canoe trips, nature hikes, biking trails, fishing spots, picnic shelters, art exhibits, summer camps, health and wellness programs, meeting facilities and more. Good trout fishing, too, if your wee ones are into that.

Samurai Karate Studio samuraikaratestudio.net Offers classes for children and adults, as well as conducting stranger-danger and anti-bully workshops.

South Carolina State Museum 301 Gervais St., 898-4921 scmuseum.org.

The South Carolina State Museum, named one of the top three museums in the Southeast by readers of Southern Living, offers a wide variety of kids programming, such as camp-ins, birthday parties, summer camps and living history re-enactments.

Talbot Swim School 792-7298, talbotswimschool.com.

Before you can run, you gotta walk, right? Well, before you go to the pool, you gotta learn to swim, and Talbot Swim School offers private lessons year-round. .

Topspin Racquet and Swim Club topspinsc.com Clay tennis courts in Lexington offering family clinics.

Trenholm Little League eteamz.com/trenholmbaseball Fun, intensive baseball league. Parents can choose clinics only or clinics and team play. Fall and spring seasons.

Trustus Theatre 520 Lady St., 254-9732, trustus.org Offers customized acting classes with individualized instruction.

U.S. National Whitewater Center 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy., Charlotte, N.C., 704-391-3900, usnwc.org OK, so the U.S. National Whitewater Center isn’t in Columbia; it’s a little more than an hour north in Charlotte. But it’s worth the trip up I-77. Offers whitewater rafting and kayaking, flatwater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, zip lines and more.

YMCA columbiaymca.org The YMCA in downtown Columbia was one of the first 50 Ys in the United States. It now has five branches — including locations in Northeast Columbia, Lexington, Irmo and Orangeburg —with which to provide childcare, camps and after-school programs.

Sesquicentennial State Park 9564 Two Notch Rd., 788-2706, www.southcarolinaparks.com This 1,419-acre park features a 30-acre lake surrounded by trails, picnic areas and campsites. Also offers boating, fishing, swimming, meeting facilities and trails. Trails include a 6.1-mile mountain bike trail, a 1.9-mile nature trail, and a 3.5-mile walking and jogging trail.

Spring 2014

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THERE’S A CAMP FOR THAT Summer Camp YMCA of Columbia Build a Lego® skyscraper, swim like a dolphin, play soccer like a pro. This year, there are plenty of fun summer camp options are at the Y. Register online or at any area YMCA.

Visit columbiaymca.org for more information.

health

Resources for Special Needs Families

Been There, Done That: Living With Autism

These organizations offer information, support and services.

Able South Carolina able-sc.org Predicated on the idea not of “helping” people with disabilities, but rather on the concept of self-empowerment.

Focused on empowering people with disabilities to live active, self-determined lives.

Advice for Parents, from Parents

By Allison Caldwell

The Arc of South Carolina arcsc.org Provides advocacy, service coordination, person-centered planning, recreational events, health services and more for parents, families and adults with special needs.

Autism Academy of South Carolina autismacademyofsc.com Founded in 2010, this not-for-profit school offers intensive, individualized instruction to students with autismspectrum disorders. Learn more online and arrange a visit to the Columbia campus.

“Autism has changed our entire world,” says Midlands mom Jennifer Jett.

A surprising number of families have had their world changed by autism, the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States. One in 88 children — and one in every 54 boys — falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, according to Autism Speaks. (The CDC estimates 1 in 110.) Despite this prevalence, people with autism and the disability itself are still widely misunderstood, making April’s Autism Awareness Month particularly important.

Common Experiences, Different Perspectives

Autism Speaks autismspeaks.org Leading autism science and advocacy organization.

Bright Start, LLC brightstartsc.com Provides comprehensive services including early intervention, service coordination, speech therapy and more.

Early Autism Project earlyautismproject.com A leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for ages 20 months to 21 years.

Family Connection of South Carolina, Inc. familyconnectionssc.org This statewide network provides parent-to-parent connections and access to community resources including training and support programs.

Parents Reaching Out to Parents of South Carolina, Inc. proparents.org A parent training and information center for families of children with special needs.

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E

verywhere you go, you see families doing seemingly mundane things — going to school, the market, the movies. But for families raising a child with autism, mundane is a goal to be worked toward.

“My son with autism is 7 now; he was diagnosed at age 3-and-a-half,” says Jett, a teacher in Lexington District One. “McLane’s biggest challenges are speech and social interaction. He also has sensory issues with clothing: no collars, tags or zippers allowed. Sometimes it takes some time to get out the door.”

Margie Williamson’s 12-year-old son was diagnosed at 17 months.

“At that age, he wasn’t capable of telling me his basic wants and needs,” Williamson says. “I never knew if he was hurting or if he was hungry. He also was having multiple seizures per day, which were difficult to control.”

“I’ve learned how to love unconditionally, have the patience of a goddess, and be a voice: not only for my child, but for others who face the same situations,” says Williamson, executive director of The Arc of South Carolina, a disabilities support organization.

Susan Kastner’s son, Andrew, was diagnosed at age 4. He’s 19 now, and a high school senior. Kastner is a board member for the South Carolina Autism Society.

“Andrew’s greatest challenge right now is social interaction,” Kastner says. “Poor social interaction limits all other aspects of life: friendships, employment, group activities.”

“Autism helped me learn that a parent has to be firm and direct in communica-

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

tion,” she says. “Autism and parenthood have helped me become a better negotiator, and have refined my priorities and values.

I’m able to live with a little more uncertainty about some situations, because I don’t have immediate solutions.”

Christie Fleming has a 12-year-old daughter with autism, diagnosed at age 3.

“I think the most difficult part of being 12 and being in middle school with autism is that we’re not in an area where it’s OK to be a little bit different,” says Fleming, a program director at The Arc of South Carolina. “Unfortunately, some kids still have a tendency to behave in very cruel ways towards others who are different.”

The Urge to Wander A common manifestation in children with autism is an urge to escape. Some evidence suggests that they are running away from disturbing sounds or sensory overload. But whatever the cause, it is extremely dangerous.

Richland County is a member of the Project Lifesaver program, which has 1,200 affiliated agencies in 45 states. It uses GPS to help to track autistic children, adults with Alzheimer’s and others who may be lost and bring them home more quickly.

But for many parents, the omnipresent fear of their child escaping, hurting themselves or having a seizure is a constant companion.

“PTSD is a real concern for parents of children with autism,” Fleming says. “In the early years, a parent can go weeks, months or even years without a full night’s sleep.”

Parents of autistic children have their resolve forged in fire.

Says Fleming: “I’ve had to learn to rely on myself during hard times and tough situations, and I’ve seen firsthand what the support of a proactive parent can do for a struggling child. If you never give up on them, they learn to never give up on themselves.”

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

Did you know 95% of car seats are not installed or used safely?

Buckle Buddies provides education and community outreach on Child Passenger Safety. Learn how you can: • Get your car seat checked by a nationally certified technician • Attend a general education class on child passenger safety • Access new and safe car seats at a discounted price Visit www.bucklebuddiessc.org to view our calendar of events and learn more about our programs!

bucklebuddiessc.org

bucklebuddiessc@gmail.com

803.434.2955

health

F

or check-ups, vaccines, boosters and general wellness, you need a trusted family practitioner or pediatrician in your life. And there’s a lot more to staying healthy than just having a regular doctor. Here are some resources to get you started.

Ballentine Pediatrics

Child Care Services

City of Columbia Community Gardens

11134 Broad River Rd., 732-0920 ballentinepediatrics.com

scchildcare.org

columbiasc.net/communitygardens

An arm of the Department of Social Services, this childcare.sc.gov is an online hub with information on everything from child-care center licensing to Head Start programs. Also see related site scchildcare.org.

Five-by-12-foot publicly owned plots available for lease to residents and organizations. Cost is $20 per year.

Children’s Dental Group of South Carolina

cpcp.sph.sc.edu/cooking, 576-5636

Christian-oriented practice.

Ballentine Family Dentistry 3533 Dreher Shoals Rd., 732-3001

Camden Family Care 1017 Fair St.,424-1260 camdenfamilycare.com

Carolina Children’s Dentistry 7701 Trenholm Rd., 736-6000 carolinachildrensdentistry.com Serving children from toddlers to age 18.

Carolina Pediatrics Downtown: 2113 Adams Grove Rd., 256-0531 Irmo: 7033 St. Andrews Rd., 376-2838 carolinapediatrics.co

Carolina Teen Health carolinateenhealth.org Questions about sex and STDs answered in a teenoriented format.

7210 K Broad River Rd., Irmo, 781-5141 childrensdentalgroupsc@gmail.com Children’s Dental Group of South Carolina is the fastest growing children’s dental office in Columbia, offering oral conscious sedation for a more pleasant dental experience. We gladly accept insurance and Medicaid for ages 1-21.

Columbia’s Cooking!

Healthy cooking classes for kids 9 and older and adults.

Colonial Family Practice 3930 Devine St., 256-1511 colonialfamilypractice.com Part of a Sumter-based practice group.

Creative Cooking Chapin Family Practice

creativecookingsc.com

1612 Chapin Rd., 345-3414 chapinfamilypractice.com

Classes and camps for children ages 3 to 12.

Children’s Choice Pediatrics 6108 Garners Ferry Rd., 647-1265 childrenschoicepeds.com

Eat Smart Move More South Carolina eatsmartmovemoresc.org Offers events, live training and web training to assist local organizers in creating, managing and maintaining obesity prevention programs.

Chrysostom Family Dentistry 3308 Platt Springs Rd., 350-9124 drdeno.com

Ellis, Green & Jenkins Pediatric Dentistry 8905 Two Notch Rd., 788-9353 wecaredentalsc.com

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

health

Medcare Urgent Care Center

Providence Northeast Family

110 Medical Cir., 509-7316 medcareurgentcare.com

114 Gateway Corporate Blvd., 788-6508 providence-nefc.com

Midlands Orthopedics

Rice Creek Family Dentistry

1910 Blanding St., 256-4107 midlandsortho.com

101 Rice Bent Way, 788-2676 ricecreekdmd.com

Moore Orthopaedic Clinic

Safe Kids Midlands 7 Richland Medical Park Dr., Suite 7186 safekidsmidlands.org

Private family practice group.

Columbia: 14 Medical Park, 227-8000 Columbia: 114 Gateway Corp., 227-8000 Lexington: 104 Saluda Pointe Dr., 227-8000 moorecenter.net

Five Points Pediatric & Walk-in Care

Northeast Children’s Dentistry

Family Medicine Centers of South Carolina Downtown: 1910 Gregg St., 931-0100 Hardscrabble: 300 Rice Meadow Way, 227-7777 Irmo: 7611 St. Andrews Rd., 724-1100 Lexington: 3630 Sunset Blvd., 239-1600 Northeast: 1721 Horseshoe Dr., 788-7884 Southeast: 813 Leesburg Rd., 783-4433 fmcofsc.com

1228 Harden St., 748-7002, ecchc.org Part of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers.

147 Summit Cir., 865-1421 northeastchildrensdentistry.com

Gee Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Palmetto Health

1701 St. Julian Place, 254-6763 advanceddentistrycolumbia.com

palmettohealth.org

Super-friendly, family owned practice led by Dr. Nicholas Gee.

A frequent contender for Best Hospital in Free Times’ Best of Columbia poll.

Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital

Girls on the Run

7 Richland Medical Park Dr. ch.palmettohealth.org

gotrcolumbia.org Inspires pre-teen girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through a fun curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Hutchinson Family Dentistry 209 W. Main St., 359-0566 hutchinsonfamilydentistry.com

Kids First Dental 2700 Broad River Rd., 772-4949 kidsfirstdentalsc.com

The Kids Group 206 Medical Cir., 796-9200 thekidsgroup.com

5422 Forest Dr., 753-8064 mykoolsmiles.com

Lake Murray Pediatric Dentistry 740 Old Lexington Hwy., 345-2483 lakemurraypediatricdentistry.com

Smile Columbia 690A Columbiana Dr., 781-9090 smilecolumbia.com

South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy teenpregnancysc.org Provides information and resources for teens, parents, educators and community organizations.

South Carolina Dental Center

A state-of-the-art children’s hospital with comfortable family-centered spaces, age-appropriate play areas and therapeutic diversions to help reduce stress and encourage healing.

2020 Laurel St., 254-4543 southcarolinadentalcenter.com

Palmetto Health Family Medicine Practices

1223 S. Lake Dr., 520-5580 southlakedmd.com

Harbison: 190 Parkridge Dr., 407-3857 Irmo: 190 Parkridge Dr., 749-0693 Lakeview: 1316 N. Lake Dr., 358-1191 Northeast: 115 Blarney Dr., 736-6262 South Hampton: 5900 Garners Ferry Rd., 695-5450 Twelve Mile Creek: 4711 Sunset Blvd., 356-3609 University: 4311 Hardscrabble Rd., 419-6334 palmettohealth.org Family practice wing of Palmetto Health.

Kool Smiles

Dedicated to decreasing the number of injuries to children. Offers information on safe car-seat practices, product recalls, safety with household products and more.

Palmetto Pediatric & Adolescent Clinic Downtown: 140 Park Central, 779-4001 Harbison: 16 Woodcross Dr., 732-0140 Lexington: 1970 Augusta Hwy., 358-2370 Northeast: 74 Polo Rd., 788-4886 Rice Creek: 300 Rice Meadow Way, 788-6360 palmettopediatric.com

South Lake Family Dental

Sterling Sharpe Pediatric Center 4605 Monticello Rd., 252-7001 ecchc.org Part of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers.

Teen Talk palmettohealth.org/teentalk, 296-2273 Offers numerous resources for teens, including Teen Talk newsletter, peer-to-peer discussions and an askan-expert program.

USC Family Medicine Center 3209 Colonial Blvd., 434-6113 familymedicine.med.sc.edu Offers complete care for children and adults with a focus on prevention.

Affiliated with Richland, Baptist, Palmetto Richland Children’s and Lexington Hospitals.

USC Sports Medicine Center

Palmetto Smiles

Two Medical Park, Suite 104, 434-6812 uscsportsmedicine.com

139 Whiteford Way, 951-9100, palmetto-smiles.com

Open to athletes at all levels — recreational to high school, college and professional.

lexmednetwork.org

Pediatric After Hours Care

Vista Smiles

The Lexington Family Practice network is an umbrella group of the Lexington Medical Center.

114 Gateway Corporate Blvd., 865-4900 Open 6-10 p.m., Mon-Fri; 2-8 p.m., Sat-Sun.

515 Richland St., 779-9666 vistasmilesofcolumbia.com

Lakeside Pediatrics 811 W. Main St., Suite 205 (Lexington) lakesidepediatric.com Led by Dr. Douglas Luberoff; part of the Lexington Medical Center network.

Lexington Family Practice

Lexington Medical Center

Providence Hospitals

lexmed.com

Downtown: 2435 Forest Dr. Northeast: 120 Gateway Corporate Blvd. providencehospitals.com

A frequent winner of Best Hospital in Free Times’ Best of Columbia poll.

Another of Columbia’s top-flight hospital systems.

Dr. Samuel J. Marsh Pediatric Dentistry 2302 Bush River Rd., 798-8675 wemakekidssmile.com

Spring 2014

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Offers full range of family dental services with advancing technology in a welcoming environment.

Wellspring Family Medicine 114 Gateway Corporate Blvd., 865-9655 wellspringfmed.com

Wild Smiles 203 N. Lake Dr., 356-1606, wildsmiles.net

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

15

learning

Ways to Avoid the Summer Slip Harris Cooper, director the Program in Education at Duke University, offers some tips for parents to help their kids keep learning alive through the summer: • Look for academic-related activities. Local libraries have summer-long reading programs for all ages. Local museums, art galleries, zoos, and theaters run one-time and continuing camps and events. Local businesses, television/ radio stations and factories often provide educational tours.

Kids build real rockets, robots and take pilot training at The Challenger Learning Center.

Courtesy photo

Outsmart Your Kids Summer Camps Keep Kids Learning

By Anna Gelbman Edmonds

I

f your kids are anything like mine, they’re looking forward to summer as a cartoon and video game marathon. Outsmart them this year by giving them the opportunity to learn to make their own cartoons and video games. Summer camps aren’t just about crafts and nature walks anymore.

The lazy, hazy days of summer vacation disrupt the cycle of learning, lead to forgetting and force teachers to review old material when students return to school in the fall.

Achievement test scores typically decline between spring and fall. Harris Cooper, director of the Program in Education at Duke

Summer Camps 2014 Visit free-times.com and search “Summer Camps Guide”

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University, says the summer effect is more pronounced for math than reading because out-of-school environments provide more opportunities to practice reading skills than math.

Columbia offers children of all ages a wide spectrum of camps that emphasize fun while mixing in learning.

Who doesn’t want to be an astronaut?

The Challenger Learning Center offers astronaut, rocket, robotic and aviation camps led by certified science teachers. Children in grades 3 through 12 get to build real rockets and robots, take pilot training lessons in flight simulators and visit an e-Planetarium.

Parents have said they feel left out of all

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

• Plan an educational-themed summer trip. If you’re headed to a national park, take advantage of ranger-led geological or historical tours. Have your child read a book about where you are going before you leave. If you’re still thinking about where to vacation, find out what your child will be studying in the coming school year and visit a related site.

• Talk to a teacher in your child’s next grade. Find out what books your child might read over summer to be prepared for the coming year. If your child is an emerging or beginning reader, ask the teacher to suggest books you can read to and with them. Ask what the content of the math curriculum will be and then visit a local teachers’ supply store. these cool activities, so this year the center is offering a family day.

With all that fun, how much learning is taking place? Carolyn Donelan, the center’s lead flight director, says: “Whenever you’re truly learning something, there’s a certain level of frustration. We have kids who struggle building and programming robots and rockets, but we work with them and warn them up front they’ll get frustrated. That’s what science is: figuring out what works and what doesn’t.”

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics offers iTeams, a free four-day computer science, technology and entrepreneurship camp for middle school students. This year they’re adding a musical component where campers will be learn to turn almost any object, such as a banana or a piece of paper, into a musical instrument. Their GoSciTech is a week-long residential summer camp that provides a hands-on experience for rising 8th-, 9th- and 10th-grade science and tech enthusiasts.

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Spring 2014

Columbia Museum of Art offers camps that combine art with subjects such as history, math and science. Courtesy photo dates and battle sites.

Creative thinking and problem solving skills get a workout at The Columbia Museum of Art, which offers several different camps each summer. Language arts, social studies, history, technology, music and geology are all incorporated while addressing different mediums, techniques and art genres. Says Kristin Stafford, education programs coordinator: “We even sneak some math and science in.”

The great thing about art is that it touches on almost every subject in some way. For example, geometry is required to determine human proportions and perspective. Mythology incorporates history, literature, and geography, which students then connect to popular culture.

“Our summer programs are academically challenging and interactive,” says Randy LaCross of the Governor’s School. “We want participants to walk away having learned something while having fun.”

Fun isn’t usually what comes to mind when kids think of history. But Historic Columbia boasts that word-of-mouth referrals result in repeat campers bringing their

Spring 2014

friends every summer. Education Coordinator James Quint says the hands-on and outdoor activities teach kids between the ages of 8 and 12 about life in the area dating from the early 1800s to the 1960s.

Crafts and games related to those earlier periods reinforce the South Carolina and U.S. history lessons this age group receives in school, without having to memorize

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

I

n addition to the camps mentioned above, many schools, colleges, libraries, museums and parks offer fun summer camps that keep both young minds and bodies active. Most camps have fees, but they vary widely. Many camps offer needsbased scholarships, though you usually have to inquire. For a comprehensive look at Columbia-area summer camps, visit free-times.com and search for the Summer Camps Guide or head to tinyurl.com/ltbyerl.

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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summer camps directory LOCAL HAMMOND Summer Programs Hammondschool.org LOCATION: HAMMOND School, 854 Galway Lane, Columbia.

DATE(S): June 2-July 28 Our programs are available to students ages 4 years old through adult. If you’re a Hammond student, or simply interested in spending some time with us this summer, we invite you to apply.

CONTACT: Kevin White, Director of Summer Programs, (803) 695-8624.

Heathwood Hall Summer Programs www.heathwood.org/summer LOCATION: Heathwood Hall, 3000 S. Beltline Blvd., Columbia, SC 29201 COST: Camp prices from $85-$250/week DATE(S): June 2-August 1 Heathwood Hall offers a full array of camps that give children a chance to explore the arts, engage in athletics, strengthen academic skills, and participate in fun adventures! Our camps are open to all children in the community. Whether you are looking for a one week camp or an entire summer of fun, we have programs for all interests and ages. We would love for you to join us!

CONTACT: Valerie Moore, Director, Summer Programs, camps@heathwood.org, (803) 231-7710.

iTEAMS Lexington Technology Center (Lexington County), W.J. Keenan High School (Richland County) COST: FREE! DATE(S): Lexington – July 21-24 Richland – June 23-26, 2014 The Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics is delivering a four-day exploration into computer science, technology and innovation for rising 7th and 8th graders in Lexington and Richland counties. Students will create mobile apps, video games and interactive objects using the latest technologies! Apply online by April 28.

CONTACT: LaChanda Hare, lnhare@gssm.k12.sc.us.

LOCATION:

Opera at USC: Carolina Opera Experience www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/music/ community/summer_programs/ opera_camp.php

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REGIONAL Camp Kanuga campkanuga.org LOCATION: Hendersonville, N.C. Camp Kanuga is a traditional summer camp for boys and girls ages 7-15 located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Campers build independence and selfconfidence while learning the importance of respect towards each other and the world around them. They form lifelong friendships, experience new adventures and explore their faith in a welcoming Christian community.

CONTACT: Director David Schnitzer, (828) 6929136, david.schnitzer@kanuga.org.

Falling Creek Camp

http://www.scgssm.org/iteams

LOCATION: USC School of Music, 813 Assembly Street, Columbia.

COST: $185 (includes $35 nonrefundable

deposit ). A limited number of need-based scholarships are available.

DATE(S): July 7-11, 2014, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Performance is Friday, July 11 at 5:30 p.m.

Campers get an exciting, hands-on experience in the art of opera, and the week ends with a public performance. Kids have fun and make new friends while working with professionals and experiencing the excitement of participating in the performing arts!

Children work with professional-level opera singers, directors and designers as they explore the basics of creating characters with and through music; participate in voice, music reading and rhythm exercises; and learn about set lighting and costume design. Basic knowledge of music and singing is required.

CONTACT: Ellen Douglas Schlaefer, eschlaefer@mozart.sc.edu, (803) 777-5369.

fallingcreek.com LOCATION: Tuxedo, N.C. Falling Creek Camp is a traditional residential summer camp for boys, founded on Christian values. Located in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, we are a community of 312 campers and over 140 dedicated staff.

Sessions range from 1 week to 4 weeks, for boys in grades 1-10.

CONTACT: Directors Yates and Marisa Pharr, 828-692-0262, mail@fallingcreek.com.

GoSciTech www.scgssm.org/goscitech LOCATION: The Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics, 401 Railroad Ave., Hartsville, S.C. COST: $725-750 per week, financial aid is available.

DATE(S): Week 1: June 15-21; Week 2: June 2228; Week 3: July 6-12; Week 4: July 13-19 GoSciTech is the Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics’ residential, week-long science and technology camp for rising 8th-10th graders. Offering the widest range of topics for in-depth study, there is something

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

PA I D A DV E R T I S I N G

for everyone! Apply online by May 9; financial aid deadline is April 1.

CONTACT: Susan Engelhardt, GoSciTech Director, engelhardt@gssm.k12.sc.us/, (843) 383-3901 x3950.

Keystone Camp for Girls keystonecamp.com LOCATION: Brevard, N.C. Welcome to Keystone Camp, the oldest girls summer camp in the Southeast. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a place for girls where friendships bloom, where adventure waits around every bend, where imagination and curiosity flourish, and where summers are sweet and live long in your memory. In this magical place, the only thing you have to be is yourself. Since 1916, Keystone Camp has encouraged and supported girls to become strong individuals. Teaching Keystone campers life-long skills and values in a fun and nurturing environment is the hallmark of the Keystone Camp experience. Keystone camp for girls strives to develop the total girl on an individual basis, offering excellent programs in horsemanship, daily horseback riding, tennis, land sports, water sports on two lakes, gymnastics, arts and crafts, dramatics, rock climbing and hiking in Pisgah National Forest.

CONTACT: (828) 884-9125, office@keystonecamp.com, .

The Mountain Retreat & Learning Centers Inc. mountaincenters.org LOCATION: Highlands, N.C. Nestled atop a granite cliff in western North Carolina, Mountain Camp is not just any camp. We offer a perfect balance between traditional summer camp activities and character development. What our program provides is an investment in your child’s future.

Opportunities abound in a safe environment with professional staff. Spend the summer in a community where shared values make all the difference!

CONTACT: kerry.keys@mountaincenters.org, 828-526-5838 x253.

YMCA Camp Greenville campgreenville.org LOCATION: Greenville, S.C. High atop the Blue Ridge Mountains sits one of the most spectacular Y camps. Amazing staff, strong Christian values and 1,400 mountaintop acres make Camp Greenville a place where futures get inspired! The program options include classic traditional week for 7-15 year olds, one- or two-week adventure programs for 10-17 year olds, equestrian programs for 10-15 year olds and leadership development programs for 15-17 year olds.

CONTACT: (864) 242-1111 x34.

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

parent

COLUMBIA MUSIC FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION PRESENTS

APRIL-MAY 2014 | ftparent.com

t Families Midlands’ Magazine for Smar

Summer Academy Now in its 27th Season, the collaboration between the Carolina Ballet and the Columbia Music Festival Association brings international master teachers:

SARAH HAIRSTON

Principal Dancer - Cincinnati Ballet

Summer Camp, Then and Now

Why We Got Away with Do So Much More Than Our Kids

ur Kids Outsmart YoKids Learning Summer Camps Keep

for a two week intensive program designed for the pre-professional and the professional dancer alike.

JUNE 9 - 13 & 16 - 20 2014 CALL 803-771-6303

Upcoming Issues

For pre-registration/registration information and further details

• July 17 (July/Aug. issue) • Sept. 17 (Sept./Oct. issue) • Nov. 19 (Nov./Dec. issue)

parent Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

Free Times Parent magazine covers activities, learning, health, family finance and more.

Read us online and look for children’s events at

ftparent.com

Follow us on Twitter

@ftparentsc

Free Times Summer Camps Guide 2014 For information on more than 450 local camps, go to free-times.com and search “Summer Camps Guide.”

learning

S

ometimes your kids hit it off with their teachers; sometimes they don’t. Every child learns differently and has different interests, whether those are music and art or math, science, architecture or astronomy. And then there are special situations — struggling learners or exemplary learners — where some additional help might be needed outside the classroom. Here are some resources to get you started.

Aim High Education

Challenger Learning Center

Hammond Plus Programs

My Amigos

4561 Hardscrabble Rd., 788-6894 aimhigheducationsc.com

2600A Barhamville Rd. 929-3951, thechallengercenter.net

854 Galway Lane, 695-8624 hammondschool.org

myamigosbec.org

Customized after-school education programs and tutoring.

The Challenger Learning Center of Richland County School District One is an aeronautics- and space-themed learning program designed to provide interactive learning experiences, integrating science, technology, engineering and math curricula with 21st century life skills.

In addition to being a top college-prep school, Hammond offers a wide array of after-school classes for children and adults.

The Afterschool Zone theafterschoozoneacademy.com Offers afterschool pickup from Lexington/Richland 5 and Richland 1 schools.

Students engage in physical and educational activities.

Aspire Early Learning Academy 1103 B Ave. (West Columbia), 834-4976 aspireearlylearningacademy.com Pre-K program using the Creative Curriculum, a nationally approved curriculum based on the ideas of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Be Great Academy 500 Gracern Road, 231-3100 portal.begreatacademy.com After-school program operated by Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands.

Discovery Program of South Carolina 8807 Two Notch Rd., 419-0126 discoveryprogramsc.org

1400 St. Andrews Rd., 898-2550 A comprehensive school readiness program serving kids 0-5 that has a strong focus on ensuring that they start school ready to learn.

Lango South Carolina

Offers GMAT testing.

Provost Academy South Carolina 400 Arbor Lake Dr., 735-9110 sc.provostacademy A tuition-free, online-only public high school. Live online classrooms give students the ability to includes the ability to participate in discussions and ask questions.

Noted as a program of excellence with the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD), the Discovery Program helps those struggling to learn — whether via learning disabilities or other learning disorders — to become independent students.

facebook.com/langokidssc

The Language Buzz

reachgroup.org

Glenforest School

1921 Henderson St., 252-7002 thelanguagebuzz.com

A support group for Columbia-area home schoolers; provides information and activities, offers information about academic résumés and transcripts.

glenforest.org Works with K-12 students who have not thrived in traditional learning environments, including students with dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder or other developmental challenges.

At Lango, your child will learn another language, make developmental strides, explore other cultures. At various Midlands locations.

A unique foreign language learning center that promotes the early command of languages through language immersion, contextualized learning, and the learning and acceptance of different cultures.

Mathnasium

720 Gracern Rd., 929-1112 brightstartsc.com

mathnasium.com

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Pearson Professional Centers 107 Westpark Blvd., 798-3001

Head Start

Bright Start Provides quality comprehensive services to all individuals with special needs and developmental delays.

Language immersion programs for ages 30 months to 5th grade.

Offers math help for students from grades 2 through 12.

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

REACH

Richland County First Steps 2008 Marion St., 256-7237 rcfirststeps.org Works with kids, parents, schools and childcare providers to promote health, literacy and school readiness in young children.

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

Sylvan Learning of Irmo & Lexington 781-7323 · sylvanlearning.com/irmo

Sylvan Learning of Columbia 741-0999 · sylvanlearning.com/columbia

Camp out with me at 701 CCA Summer Art Workshops June 9 – August 9, 2014 9 am – 1 pm Ages from 6 – 17 Variety of workshops for young artists Drawing · Painting · Ceramics New workshops each week Materials included with each workshop.

All skill levels welcome at every workshop!

For more information and to register visit www.701cca.org Panda by Marius Valdes

Celebrating Young Artists! Festival August 17, 2014 Join us at 701 Center for Contemporary Art for our end of summer festival to celebrate young artists in our community! The event will showcase selected works from each young artist attending our 701 CCA Summer Art Workshops in an exhibition in the Market at 701 Whaley. Come celebrate the arts with art making, games, music and much more!

Calendar

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his is by no means a comprehensive list — institutions like the Columbia Museum of Art, EdVenture Children’s Museum, Riverbanks Zoo, Richland Library and the city and county parks departments offer myriad events for kids on a daily basis. Check the Events section at free-times.com/events and select the Children & Teens category for weekly listings or visit the websites of institutions offering children’s programs.

Ongoing Blooming Butterflies EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org May 4-Oct. 6. A 2,500-square-foot enclosed habitat designed to showcase the lifespan of over 20 species of butterflies.

EdVenture Family Night EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org Second Tuesdays. $1 museum admission between 5 and 8 p.m.

Family Storytime Richland Library richlandlibrary.com Held on various days at all branches of the Richland Library. Call your local branch for meeting times.

Gladys’ Gang Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org Free monthly program includes story time and creative studio activity.

Little Red Riding Hood Columbia Marionette Theater cmtpuppet.org Runs through May 17. With a variety of puppetry techniques and plenty of humor, Little Red Riding Hood is an irreverent take on the classic fairy tale.

Make Your Move EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org Exhibit explores the origins of the world’s best-loved games through oversized game pieces and play areas that give children a chance to explore the fun of strategic play.

Parents’ Survival Night The Little Gym thelittlegym.com/columbiasc Fridays. Parents call it a break from the kids. Kids call it a break from their parents. That sounds like a win-win situation.

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Passport to Art Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org Second Sundays from noon to 3 p.m.

Free open-studio program for families with activities corresponding with one of the museum’s exhibitions.

Toddler Take Over EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org First Monday of every month. Kids ages 1 to 5 play freely throughout the museum with kids of their own size.

EDDIE’s Spring Break Camp EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org April 14. Features exciting activities, games, crafts and hands-on activities that will have your camper learning and loving it. Ages 3-12.

Family on Safari: Spring Fling Edition Riverbanks Zoo riverbanks.org April 11. Overnight adventure. Celebrate spring through animal encounters, behind-the-scenes tours, crafts and more. Dinner, snack and breakfast provided.

Gladys’ Gang Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org April 2: Jazzy Japan. Free monthly program includes story time and creative studio activity.

Homeschool Day Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org April 15. For home-schooled children ages 4 and up and their parents. Combines an exploration of the galleries and a studio project. This month’s theme: Japan and the Jazz Age.

Kid’s Day of Lexington

March

Virginia Hylton Park lexingtonkidsday.com April 26. Free festival educates families on health, safety and environmental issues.

Ringing Bros.’ Legends

Spring Break Zoo Camp

Colonial Life Arena coloniallifearena.com March 27-30. See amazing, aweinspiring feats of daring, spectacles of strength and thrills of wonder. See mythical and mysterious creatures of the past: a unicorn, a Pegasus and a woolly mammoth.

Riverbanks Zoo riverbanks.org April 14-18. Children ages 5 to 9 explore the splendor and significance of rainforests during a week-long tropical safari.

April Backyard Bugs: Wildlife Tracks Riverbanks Zoo riverbanks.org April 3. Explore the different tracks and signs of animals in your own backyard.

Ages 2-5.

Earl Yerrick Memorial Aircraft Static Display

The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales Columbia Children’s Theatre columbiachildrenstheatre.com March 28-April 6. A musical comedy based on the award-winning book of mixed-up fairy tales.

Tales from Beatrix Potter Township Auditorium April 25. You and your child will watch in merriment as characters like Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Peter Rabbit come to life in Carolina Ballet’s adaptation of this favorite children’s classic.

Hamilton-Owens Airport April 12. Military aircraft, vintage military and civilian aircraft as well as public-use aircraft on display. Scavenger hunt for kids 6-18. 771-7915.

May Gladys’ Gang Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org May 7: Chihuly’s Fire. Free monthly program includes story time and creative studio activity. June 4: Let the Fur Fly.

Homeschool Friday Historic Columbia historiccolumbia.org May 2. From butter churning to silver polishing, practice the skills 19th century children needed to prepare for adulthood.

Meet the Maker: The Secret Species Project EdVenture Children’s Museum edventure.org May 3. Marius Valdes, creator of Zoo Valdes, will join EdVenture to teach guests how to create a portrait of their own Secret Species.

Passport to Art: Spinning Fast!

Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org May 11. Learn about thaumatropes as you make one in this free monthly open studio program for families.

(Hint: A thaumatrope popular toy from the Victorian era.)

Shrek the Musical Town Theatre towntheatre.com May 2-24. Your favorite green ogre ... in a musical.

June CMA Teen Academy: Drawing 101 Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org June 16-20. Explore drawing in a variety of different mediums. Topics include a live clothed model, traditional human proportions, perspective, and still-life. Ages 13-18.

The Commedia Snow White Columbia Children’s Theatre columbiachildrenstheatre.com June 13-22. The Spaghetti and Meatball Players are back for a fifth hilarious summer! Join Pantalone, Arlequino, Rosetta, Columbine, and Punchin as take a bite out of the classic tale of forbidden fruit.

Gladys’ Gang Columbia Museum of Art columbiamuseum.org June 4: Let the Fur Fly. Free monthly program includes story time and creative studio activity.

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

©2013 Feld Entertainment

Tickets Start at $15!

MAR. 27 – 30 Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability.

260836

Buy Tickets: LMCtix.com • 855-4-LMC-TIX Lexington Medical Center Box Office inside Colonial Life Arena Columbia Play It Again Sports Stores

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All trademarks shown are the property of their respective owners.

life

Fighting Fire with Fire Social Media Tools Help Battle Cyberbullying

By Kevin Oliver

I

f you’re the parent of a teen or even pre-teen, chances are pretty good that they are active in some sort of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Ask.fm, or, at the very least, oldfashioned text messaging. Just as most of their other offline behaviors have translated to the digital spaces, bullying and harassment have also moved online.

Short of monitoring your child’s digital presence 24/7, what’s a parent to do? And what, if anything, can a child do to prevent or report such unwanted contacts?

For a general understanding of what kids do online and why, the new book It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked

Anti-bullying Goes Viral The same mechanism driving cyberbullying is also one of the most successful weapons against it. Social media videos and campaigns have gone viral themselves, bringing much-needed awareness to the issue.

• One unintentional anti-bullying video is the famous Amanda Todd clip in which the 10th-grader details the bullying she

24

Teens is an invaluable starting place for parents; the book is based on extensive research that examines behavior from teens’ own perspectives.

But for the more specific problem of cyberbullying, there are specific tools. Online social media sites like Facebook have deendured over several years. Shortly after she posted it in the fall of 2012, Todd committed suicide. That clip was used by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine in a powerful bullying edition of their Teens React YouTube series that records teen reactions to various media sources, where it has more than 12 million views. (goo.gl/xtNu8h) • Advice columnist and activist Dan Savage started the It Gets Better series of videos in reaction to the suicide of 15-year old Billy Lucas in 2010 after Lucas was bul-

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

veloped their own anti-bullying tools and a number of mobile apps have also sprung up.

And as the campaign against cyberbullying has grown, social media has played a big role in awareness.

Facebook Tools and Third-Party Apps With more social media choices available, teens are diversifying their habits with sites like Snapchat and Instagram. But they aren’t abandoning Facebook entirely; rather, they tend to just use it less frequently. And, according to the Pew Research Center, it is still the most used site.

Last fall, Facebook announced the AntiBullying Hub as part of its Family Safety Center (goo.gl/AfcznU). In conjunction with lied for being gay. It has evolved into the It Gets Better Project, which includes scores of videos from public figures and celebrities echoing the core theme of support for those coming out and assuring them there is a future for them. (goo.gl/lDJduZ) • The Canadian modeling agency STRUTT Central produced a video called The Cyber Bullying Virus, which highlights the “disease-like effects” of cyberbullying on teenage girls; it has more than a million views. (goo.gl/q6r05B) — Kevin Oliver

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

Snapchat and cyberbullying There’s no real way to know how many users are on Snapchat, their ages or gender, as the company carefully safeguards that information. Somewhere between 5 million a day and 30 million overall users seems a good bet. But one thing is certain: Snapchat is where your kids are likely spending their time on social media.

The immediacy and impermanence of the app is what makes it so popular among kids and, ironically, a hotbed of activity for cyberbullies. Because pictures, messages and videos are only available for 10 seconds, they are gone long before the average teen thinks to grab a screenshot to show to parents or officials. But bullies know what they are doing and are quick to grab embarrassing or harmful content and re-send it.

What’s the answer for concerned parents? Snapchat has a users guide (goo.gl/ rM8DCd) for parents that outlines what your child should and should not be doing with the app and what options (like find by phone number) they can opt out of as a security measure. It’s worth the download. — Laura Haight

Yale and other institutions, it offers helpful tips on actions to take, including ways to report bullying and notify other users of it, as well as ways to delete bullying-related content and filter or block users. Laid out in an easy-to-understand graphic interface that’s kid-friendly but not dumbed down, it’s a welcome offering from the site that can be the source of many cyberbullying incidents.

Third-party developers have stepped in to offer their own ways of combating cyberbullying. SafetyWeb.com has a Find Help app on Facebook that not only allows reporting of violations, but also connects to safety and support organizations that address bullying, suicide, depression, substance abuse and LGBT issues.

For younger children who may just be starting out on social media or other online activity, one useful and even entertaining app is Internet Safety with Professor Garfield. Through a storyline featuring the cartoon cat and his friends, users both “Try” and “Apply” techniques to prevent becoming a victim of cyberbullying.

Blocking the messages and preventing the bullying in the first place is the aim of Word Bully, an Android app that monitors for thousands of words and phrases that might be considered threatening or vulgar, and it allows users to add custom lists of words to monitor and blacklisted individuals so that all of their messages are monitored regardless of content. The app monitors both inbound and outbound communica-

VBS 2014

tion, and using Trick or Tracker technology via GPS you can even locate your child’s physical location any time.

If you’re a parent who just wants help in keeping up with what your child is doing and who they are doing it with, an app such as GoGoStat.com’s Parental Guidance is invaluable. The app notifies parents of status messages with certain keywords that might indicate unsafe activity, shows the age and location of any new friends, photos posted and tagged of your child, and any personal details. There is also an “Emergency Reports” option to print out for law enforcement if necessary, providing key evidence and information in the event of an investigation.

For general iPhone use, the Destructive Issues app provides useful information to both teens and parents in one easy to navigate interface. Covering what they refer to as “the top 20 issues facing youth today,” it is meant as an educational tool, not a reporting or blocking mechanism.

The best mechanism to stop cyberbullying is kids themselves showing zero tolerance and reporting whether it’s directed at them or others. It’s not the easiest thing for a child to speak up to adults and authority figures, but when adults show them trust, recognize the problem, and offer solutions, the result will be a safer, more conscientious generation of cyber-citizens.

Free Summer Fun for kids!

Join us at

SHANDON BAPTIST CHURCH

MONDAY-FRIDAY, JUNE 23-27 9AM-NOON Vacation Bible School is for kids entering 5K through kids who have completed 5th grade.

For more information and to register, visit www.shandon.org/vbs or call (803) 782-1300.

5250 Forest Drive • shandon.org • (803) 782-1300 Spring 2014

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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family finance Does Your Child Have a Bad Credit Score?

By Kara Meador

S

ifting through the mail, you come across a prescreened credit card for your son. It’s disturbing since he’s only 3 years old.

• Why do they need it?

• Is there another identifier you can use or can you submit just the last 5 digits?

• Who will they share it with?

• What policies do they have in place to protect it?

• How long will they keep it?

When a West Columbia woman found herself in a similar predicament, she called the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs out of fear that her child’s identity had been hijacked.

It turned out to be a good call. An identity thief had indeed stolen her child’s ID. “We found a credit report existed for her child,” says Carri Grube Lybarker, an administrator with the Consumer Affairs department. “We will now have to go through the [credit] report with a fine-tooth comb to see all the vendors, so we can start disputing all the accounts.”

hospital, every time you put your kid’s SSN or birth certificate out there, you’re putting them at risk. Unfortunately, a lot of activities require sensitive identification documents to register.

“My sister just had to do that for her kids’ soccer,” Grube Lybarker says.

Grube Lybarker suggested that her sister ask if team administrators would take the last five digits of her child’s Social Security number instead.

Instead of just blindly handing information over, Grube Lybarker says you should ask why it’s needed, how long they will keep it and how they dispose of it. When you send a Social Security number over the Internet, she says check and make sure the site is encrypted.

While computer hacking gets a lot of press, Grube Lybarker warns parents that identity thieves are frequently not high tech — more often, she says, they are the people you know.

“If you have domestic helpers, caretakers, nannies, gardeners, sitters, don’t leave your personal information out and don’t carry yours or your kids’ Social Security numbers in your wallet. If you lose your wallet, it’s all gone.”

ber rity num tity u c e S l ia iden A Soc grail for e state’s ly o h e th is th nd when evenue A . s e v ie th ent of R s Departm in 2012, thieve . ked was hac millions of them d obtaine

Oddly, this Midlands mom is lucky. The problem with child identification theft is that most parents don’t realize it has happened until their kids grow up and apply for a student loan or car loan and are rejected because a thief has trashed their credit.

“In South Carolina, we have an abovethe-national-average amount of children’s identity theft going on,” says Grube Lybarker.

A Social Security number is the holy grail for identity thieves. And when the state’s Department of Revenue was hacked in 2012, thieves obtained millions of them.

But parents are asked to give this sensitive information away frequently. From preschool, to summer camps, to a trip to the

26

Questions to ask before you hand over your kid’s SSN

SC Kids are More at Risk In the case of the West Columbia mom whose child’s identity was stolen, she believes her case could be related to the S.C. Department of Revenue breach, or the breach of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

DHEC was hacked in 2010. Two years later, approximately 3.8 million Social Security numbers, nearly 400,000 credit and

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

• How will they dispose of it?

Other tips • Ask children if they have put their birth dates, address or other personal information on social media sites. If so, remove it.

• When traveling with a laptop, tablet or other device, keep it with you or locked in the hotel safe.

• Keep birth certificates, passports, diplomas, bank information and other important documents in a locked container or file cabinet.

• For more information, contact the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs Identity Theft Unit at www.consumer.sc.gov/consumer/ IdentityTheft/Pages/default.aspx debit card numbers and 657,000 business tax filings were compromised when the state Department of Revenue was hacked.

Grube Lybarker says while child identity theft has been a problem in the Palmetto State for years, the recent breaches put a spotlight on potential problems.

“Now that we’ve had the Department of Revenue breach where that information was stolen ... to where it could get sold on the Internet, it (child identity theft) could be much more of an issue,” she says.

Added Measures A bill is currently under consideration in the state Legislature that would allow a guardian of a minor under the age of 16 to request that credit reporting agencies create a file that contains the child’s personal information and then freeze the credit report until the child comes of age.

Currently, under state law, adults can freeze their reports.

“Why can’t children have a proactive measure to prevent somebody from being able to create a record on their behalf without their permission, without their consent?” Grube Lybarker asks.

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

© Disney, © Disney/Pixar.

Building Bridges through Values and Leadership

Weekly Day Camp June 9 - August 15 Early Drop Off & Late Pick-Up Available JCC Member Discounts* Early Bird & Sibling Discounts*

Dynamic Programs for Campers 3 Years Old - Rising 9th Graders (including leadership training for our older campers)

*Registration Forms Online jcccolumbia.org or Call (803) 787-2023 ext. 206

Tickets Start at $15!

professional staff | safe, nurturing environment daily swimming | youth fitness field trips for older campers

Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability.

APR. 17 – 20

EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Katie & Irwin Kahn Jewish Community Center 306 Flora Drive, Columbia 29223

270909

Buy Tickets: LMCtix.com • 855-4-LMC-TIX Lexington Medical Center Box Office at Colonial Life Arena #DisneyOnIce

disneyonice.com

life

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia

Leadership Institute at Columbia College

bbbs.org

columbiacollegesc.edu/ leadership_inst/

Oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. Serves children ages 6 through 18.

Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands

Lexington-Richland Anti-Drug Abuse Council

bgcmidland.org

Lexington County: 1068 S. Lake Dr., 726-9400 Richland County: 2711 Colonial Dr., 726-9300 lradac.org

Formed in 1959, operates 31 clubs, eight summer camps and a teen center serving youth and families from Fairfield, Lexington and Richland Counties.

Alcohol and drug abuse authority offering a wide array of prevention, intervention and treatment programs, including child and adolescent programs.

Children’s Chance 609 Sims Ave., 254-5996 childrenschance.org Children’s Chance’s mission is to improve the quality of life of children and families who are dealing with the trauma of pediatric cancer.

Children’s Trust of SC 1634 Main St., 733-5430 scchildren.org Aims to promote healthy, nurturing relationships between children and adults — because strengthening families is the best way to prevent abuse, neglect and unintentional injuries.

Christian Counseling Center 1500 Lady St., 779-1995 christiancounseling.ws Offers counseling on a variety of topics; also offers spiritual and religious counseling. Offered by First Presbyterian Church.

Columbia Counseling Center 900 St. Andrews Rd., 731-4708 columbiacounseling.accountsupport.com A Christian perspective on counseling.

Crossroads Counseling Center 130 Whiteford Way, 808-1800 solutionsforlife.org Counseling for adults, adolescents, children and marriages.

Family Connection of South Carolina 2712 Middleburg Dr., 252-0914 familyconnectionsc.org

L

ife is full of tough questions. Is your 4-year-old ready for a sleepover? Should your 12-year-old be on Snapchat?

How do you talk to your 16-year-old about sexting? Teach your children well, or so the song says — and here’s how you can help them learn how to live.

Statewide organization of parents helping parents of children with disabilities, developmental delays, and chronic illnesses.

Family Service Center of South Carolina 2712 Middleburg Dr., 733-5450 fsconline.wordpress.com A multi-service non-profit agency offering adoption services, consumer credit counseling, child dental clinics, an eye care clinic and more.

ASY Counseling Services

Behavior Consulting Services

Lake Murray Counseling Center

1825 St. Julian Pl., 254-1210 asycounseling.com

3227 Sunset Blvd. behaviorconsultingservices.com

7511 St. Andrews Rd., 781-1003 lakemurraycounseling.com

Providing quality mental health services to children and families in the Columbia area.

Serves children with a variety of special needs, including autism spectrum disorders, behavioral difficulties and academic difficulties.

Offering counseling for children’s and adolescent issues.

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Girls Empowered and LEAD residential programs.

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

Mental Health America of South Carolina 1823 Gadsden St., 779-5363 mha-sc.org Assists those with mental illnesses and their families through education and advocacy.

NAMI Mid Carolina 1823 Gadsden St., 20-2916 namimidcarolina.org Local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Palmetto Counseling Associates 1911 Gadsden St., 254-9767 palmettocounseling.com Holistic approach emphasizes not only psychology, but also social, physical and spiritual well-being.

SC Childcare scchildcare.org, childcare.sc.gov Clearinghouse of information on childcare licensing and childhood development programs.

South Carolina Youth Advocate Program 140 Stoneridge Dr., Ste. 350, 779-5500, scyap.com Nonprofit child-placing agency offering training, support and compensation to qualified families who provide a home to a foster child.

Three Rivers Behavioral Health West Columbia: 200 Ermine Rd., 791-9918 West Columbia: 2900 Sunset Blvd., 796-9911 threeriversbehavioral.org Provides comprehensive residential treatment for children and adolescents providing treatment for psychiatric and chemical dependency related illnesses.

University of South Carolina Speech and Hearing Research Center 1601 St. Julian Pl., 77-2614, sph.sc.edu/shc/ Provides a variety of evaluation and treatment programs for individuals of all ages.

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

Let us help your child discover new ways to BE GREAT! April 14 - 18, 2014 *Additional fees apply for early bird care and morning care.

We have multiple locations throughout the Midlands to serve you!

Visit our website for locations and hours.

For details and more information, visit us online at www.portal.begreatacademy.com

No refunds will be issued Payment required to guarantee registration

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands 500 Gracern Road | Columbia, South Carolina 29210 803-231-3300

All information on this publication, to include rates and locations, are only valid for the 2014 Spring Break Camp 4.2014

media Music & DVD Reviews

By Kevin Oliver

Tales From the Monstrosity Scrolls Rainbow Beast and the Rock Band Land Rockers Rock Band Land Records

123s and ABCs Ella Jenkins Smithsonian Folkways The grand matriarch of children’s music, Ella Jenkins’ latest album is her 34th for the Smithsonian Folkways label over a period of 56 years. Her simple style lends itself to music for children. With little more than a gently strummed guitar and a vast repertoire of children’s folk songs from around the world, Jenkins is able to capture the attention and participation of any group of kids instantly.

This new release is a collection of her songs about counting and the alphabet. It’s perfect for young children just starting out with their numbers and letters, as the recording features groups of children accompanying Jenkins, thereby providing plenty of sing-along opportunities for listeners.

There are classic rhymes such as “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” and “One Potato, Two Potato” that many parents will know. Those with diverse cultural backgrounds will appreciate the international reach of tracks such as “Counting in Swahili” or “The Rabbi Teaches ABCs.” Ella Jenkins is a national musical and educational treasure, and this collection will introduce her to a new generation of families.

Kids and music go together so well that sometimes it’s easy for adults who make music for children to forget that, for kids, it is almost never a spectator sport.

Getting up, getting busy, dancing, singing and banging on stuff is all possible when you combine kids and music they enjoy. The members of Rainbow Beast are part of a San Francisco music school program called Rock Band Land, where the students come up with characters, storylines and melodic ideas, and the band hammers out the details for a regular recital that undoubtedly rocks harder than any school band function, ever.

This set gathers together some recent results from Rock Band Land, but it could just as easily be the new Flaming Lips or Of Montreal album — it’s that weird and wonderful. Imagine Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl jamming with Robyn Hitchcock and Jeff Mangum and you’d come close to the absurd psychedelic romp of songs such as “The Little Big Easy” or “Oliver In The Wrong Cast.”

LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles 20th Century Fox With the massive success of The LEGO Movie, the long-running animated LEGO videos like this are sure to get snapped up even more quickly. This DVD is part of a series of episodes combining the Star Wars franchise with the LEGO framework. As in the film, there are plenty of inside jokes for parents to chuckle at, such as a cameo appearance from Billy Dee Williams. And the action is more than fast-paced enough to keep kids’ interest.

There are two episodes included here that originally aired on the Cartoon Network: The Phantom Clone and Menace of the Sith. But that’s about it — no extra content, special features, or anything else on this budget-priced DVD. At least it will help tide the kids over until the Lego Movie sequel comes out.

Rarely does a children’s album rate as high on the hip-ometer with moms and dads as it does with the kids who insist on infinite listening sessions. Now the indierock generation’s next generation has a band they can listen to — together.

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

EdVenture’s Camps

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EDDIE s Camps feature exciting games, crafts and hands-on activities that will have your camper learning and loving it! Spaces are limited!

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Spring Break Camp: April 14-18.

Summer Camp: June 2-August 8.

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WE SPECIALIZE IN FUNDRAISERS Raise $$ for summer camp, trips or events

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Books

Hokey Pokey Jerry Spinelli Random House Children’s Books, 285 pages, $15.99 Ages: 9 to 12

One morning, Jack wakes up and realizes that everything has changed. He blames the feeling on the loss of his beloved bike, Scramjet, to the “girl.” But Jack is determined to make things right. With the help of his amigos, he tries to recover his prized possession and himself. Slowly, though, he comes to understand something essential has been lost and that he may no longer belong in Hokey Pokey. In this novel, Spinelli pays tribute to childhood. Whether it’s Cartoons, where classic cartoons play constantly on a giant TV screen, or Tantrums, a small hut where you can let it all out, he has crafted this world with reverence and care.

Hokey Pokey is a new coming-of-age classic and the perfect title to share with your tween. —Heather McCue, Richland Library

That is NOT a Good Idea!

Sheila Kennan and Nathan Fox Scholastic, 208 pages, $12.99

Mo Willems

Ages: 13 and up

Harper Collins, 48 pages, $17.99

Battlefields require the strictest loyalty, and America’s service dogs have historically been up to the challenge. Sheila Keenan’s three short stories depict American soldiers in World War I, World War II and Vietnam, with each story focusing on a different specialty of dogs of war. From the trenches of Germany to the snow plains of Greenland and the jungles of Vietnam, each narrative covers a lot of historical bases, from the circumstances of returning veterans to the equipment used by soldiers in each conflict. Keenan’s not the only one who did her research: Nathan Fox’s dynamic and colorful artwork is immediately immersive and builds empathy in every detail. — Thomas Maluck, Richland Library

Ages: Baby to 6

It’s no secret that kids and parents alike love Mo Willems. His latest book, That Is NOT a Good Idea!, is destined to become a new favorite. Using the framework of a silent movie, a sinister-looking fox offers to escort an innocent mama goose on a walk into the woods. All the while, her goslings chant: “That is NOT a good idea!” The story continues with the pair stopping by the fox’s kitchen. Finally, the anticipation reaches a fever pitch, but don’t be too sure that you know how this story will end.

— Heather McCue, Richland Library

Apps for Kids Hopscotch: Coding for Kids

Clumsy Ninja

Hopscotch Technologies, Free Ages: 9-12 Hopscotch is one of the best apps that Richland Library’s Tween Advisory Group has reviewed. Using an iPad, children can input their own instructions or code and watch as the instructions come to life on the screen. This app allows 9-12 year-olds to explore logic, sequencing and problemsolving. Since its content is user-driven, there is no end to what your child can create. The latest update also allows you to check out other people’s projects and share your own. — Heather McCue and the Tween Advisory Group, Richland Library

NaturalMotion, Free Ages: 8 and up You are the sensei training the hardest working but clumsiest ninja in the class.

The app uses simulation technology that makes our clumsy ninja incredibly expressive and lifelike. You interact by making him walk, run, jump and eventually setting him on his ninja path. You win points by accomplishing tasks and then spend them on upgrades, or you can — naturally — purchase new clothes and virtual gems (the currency of the game) through in-app purchases.

You get rewarded with a high five when Clumsy successfully completes a task. For iOS devices. — Laura Haight

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Dogs of War

Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

MindSnacks Brain Games MindSnacks, Free Ages: Everyone Although it looks like a child’s game, the programming behind MindSnacks can really help anyone learn the fundamentals of nine languages from Spanish to Mandarin Chinese. Planning a vacation? You and your child can learn some basic language skills together. The game is free and includes your first lesson. After that, lessons are available individually for 99 cents $4.99 for an entire 50-lesson pack. The app adjusts the rate of interactivity based on your pace. If you miss word recognition in a particular pattern subsequent segments highlight the troublesome words. These are startup games designed to work as a supplement, but they can instill an interest in language (maybe even in you!). MindSnacks offers programs in Portugese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese and an SAT vocabulary test prep. For iOS devices. — Laura Haight

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Spring 2014

SPRING into ACTION! ★

Pretty Southern Monogrammed Totes, Boot Socks, Cuff Bracelets and More

New Designer Maternity

★

The Braiden Manor

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Pillows / Interchangible Charms

★

Kyle Smith Pottery

★

New Top Label Handbags

★

★

Would Knots Custom Stool

Decorative Wreaths for all occasions

Necktie Reclamation Project

★

★

Cherry’s Delight Gift Shop

Inspirational Cards

★

★

Handmade Pillowcase Dresses

★

Handmade 100% Soy Candles

★

Sassy Classy

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4 Jewelry Shoppes

★

10171 Two notch roaD • 803.865.7640 daffadeals.childrensshop

3101 MILLWOOD AVE. • 771.8080 • www.MyMadPlatter.com

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Three Age Groups 3-6 • 7-9 • 10 & up Classes Start in June

Open Tuesday-Friday 10a-5:30p & Saturday 10a-5p

media

Chapin: 129 NW Columbia Ave., 345-5479 Gaston: 214 S. Main St., 791-3208 Gilbert-Summit: 405 Broad St., 785-5387 Irmo: 6251 St. Andrews Rd., 798-7880 Pelion: 206 Pine St., 785-3272 Swansea: 199 N. Lawrence Ave., 785-3519 South Congaree: 200 Sunset Dr., 785-3050 lex.lib.sc.us Books are invaluable to a child’s development. The 10-branch Lexington County Library system stocks tons of books for kids, but will also help your child understand them, too. Offers classes, book clubs, homework help, kids’ events and much more.

Manifest 1563 Broad River Rd., 798-2606 From music and games to T-shirts of rock, pop and hip-hop artists, Manifest is always looking out for the latest youth trends.

Papa Jazz Record Shoppe 2014 Greene St., 256-0095 Has your kid been humming Led Zeppelin lately? It might be time to introduce him or her to the wonders of used vinyl.

Rainy Day Pal Books 711 E. Main St., 951-2780 Located on the bottom floor of Lexington’s historic Old Mill, Rainy Day Pal Used Books is known for its wide selection, and it specializes in children’s books.

Richland Library

Y

our kids are surrounded by media — everything from Snapchat, video games and the Internet to traditional media such as books, magazines, comics and movies. It’s your job to help them navigate this ever-shifting landscape, taking the best of what’s out there and avoiding excesses. Visit medialit.org for helpful media literacy resources.

Barnes & Noble

Ed’s Editions

Forest Acres: 3400 Forest Dr., 787-5600 barnesandnoble.com The mega-chain bookstore stocks tons of reading material for kids, sure, but it also hosts kid-friendly events — storytimes, games, etc. — too.

406 Meeting St., 791-8002 edseditions.com This family-owned bookstore carries a wide variety of used books and is a nigh-yearly winner in the Free Times Best of Columbia awards.

The Book Dispensary

Gamestop

710 Gracern Rd.,798-4739 mybookdispensary.com The best books, often, are ones that have been treasured and cared for, and Columbia’s oldest specializes in pre-loved books.

Books-A-Million Forest Acres: 4840 Forest Dr., 782-4475 Harbison: 275 Harbison Blvd., 749-9378 Northeast: 164 Forum Dr., 788-4349 booksamillion.com

gamestop.com When coupled with strong parental and teacher involvement, educational video games can actually improve literacy skills, while other games can improve hand-eye coordination, memory formation and strategic planning. So if junior is doing well in school, it might not hurt to let him have Minecraft.

Heroes and Dragons

The mega-chain bookstore stocks tons of reading material for kids, sure, but it also hosts kid-friendly events and a teen book club.

510 Bush River Rd., 731-4376 Like video games, comic books, too, provide benefits, stimulating the imagination and creativity. So don’t toss your kids’ Avengers comics.

Lexington County Library Main Branch: 5440 Augusta Rd., 785-2600 Batesburg-Leesville: 203 Armory St., 532-9223 Cayce-West Columbia: 1500 Augusta Rd., 794-6791

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Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

Main Branch: 1431 Assembly St., 799-9084 Ballentine: 1321 Dutch Fork Rd., 781-5026 Blythewood: 218 McNulty Rd., 691-9806.

Cooper: 5317 N. Trenholm Rd., 787-3462 Eastover: 608 Main St., 353-8584 North Main: 5306 N. Main St., 754-7734 Northeast: 7490 Parklane Rd., 736-6575 Sandhills: 1 Summit Pkwy., 699-9230 Southeast: 7421 Garners Ferry Rd., 776-0855 St. Andrews: 2916 Broad River Rd., 772-6675 Wheatley: 931 Woodrow St., 799-5873 myrcpl.com.

Like the library system across the river, the 11-branch Richland County Public Library system stocks tons of books for kids, but will also help your child understand them, too. Offers classes, book clubs, homework help, kids’ events and much more. Also check out its Teen Center.

Rolling Video Games rollingvideogamescolumbia.com Rolling Video Games delivers what it promises: a mobile video game theater stocked with the latest titles available for birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, whatever.

Silver City Comics 538 Knox Abbott Dr., 791-4021 Remember what we said about Heroes and Dragons?

Ditto for Silver City.

South Carolina State Library 1430 Senate St., statelibrary.sc.gov The South Carolina State Library is home to the South Carolina Center for the Book, which co-sponsor adult and adolescent literary events, such as the South Carolina Book Festival, the State Library Read-In, Letters About Literature, and many workshops.

Thomas Lee Hall Library 4679 Lee Rd., 751-5589 fortjacksonmwr.com/library Military kids don’t have to go off-post to find a great library.

ftparent.com @FTParentSC

Spring 2014

Give advice.

Get advice.

Free Times Parent presents “Parent Picks.”

It’s your guide to what parents have to say about their favorite places to go and things to do when it comes to kid-friendly restaurants, whole-family activities, programs for kids, pediatricians, dentists and much more.

We’re inviting readers like you to tell us about your favorites, and later this year we’ll share the results of what we hear.

Everyone who participates in this quick and easy survey will be eligible in a drawing for a $100 gift card.

So go to ftparent.com today and give us a piece of your mind.

parent Midlands’ Magazine for Smart Families

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Your Passport to Adventure HTTP://SAEU.SC.EDU/ADVENTURES

2014 This award-winning series was chosen “best program” by the University Continuing Education Association.

Make the University of South Carolina your premier destination this summer and experience a summer camp like no other! Attend fascinating interactive classes and participate in group projects with other academically talented students from across the country. Your journey will include experiencing student life at the university – you’ll reside in a Residence Hall, eat in campus dining and enjoy bowling, movie, trivia and karaoke nights. The one-of-a-kind Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series encourages academic excellence, healthy lifestyles and giving back to our community.

2014 ADVENTURE SERIES COURSES RISING 6TH-9TH GRADERS Adventures in Aviation-Learn to Fly, Be a Pilot Adventures in Robot Programming using Scratch Adventures in Forensic Science Adventures in Physics Adventures in Law & Crime Adventures in Vex Robotics Adventures in Computer Gaming Adventures in Graphic/Digital Design Adventures in Health Sciences/Professions

June 15-20 June 15-20 June 15-20 June 15-20 June 22-27 July 6-11 July 6-11 July 6-11 July 6-11

RISING 9TH-12TH GRADERS Adventures in Pharmacy Adventures in Graphic/Digital Design Adventures in Forensic Science Adventures in Computer Gaming Adventures in Neuroscience Adventures in Aviation-Learn to Fly, Be a Pilot Adventures in Engineering & Computing

June 8-13 June 8-13 June 8-13 June 22-27 June 22-27 July 13-18 July 13-18

RISING 10TH – 12TH GRADERS Adventures in Medicine: Cardiology Adventures in Medicine: Functional Anatomy

June 22-27 July 13-18

sses through and interactive cla Attend fascinating luding demonstrations, inc s tie hand-on activi projects, and building sessions, experiments, labs, much more!

PREPARE FOR THE SAT AND ACT THROUGH SAT/ACT SUMMER INSTITUTES/PREP COURSES USC USC USC USC

Columbia: June 23-26, July 21-24; July 28-31 Sumter: July 21-24; Aiken: July 28-31 Beaufort/Hilton Head Gateway Campus: August 4-7

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Continuing Education and Conferences University of South Carolina Phone: 803.777.9444 Fax: 803.777.2663 Email: pups@mailbox.sc.edu http://saeu.sc.edu/adventures