Back to school!
August 2015
MANAGING TEST STRESS KIDS DRIVING BULLDOZERS DRIVE-IN DELIGHT PAGE 30
(Extreme) birthday parties!
PAGE 48
Summer bucket list!
PAGE 39
Dane, 4, Rosemount
PARTY PLANNING RESOURCES Pag
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e 56
minion party ideas PAGE 52
Mediaspace Solutions - Bayer MNP 0415 H2.indd 1
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VOLUME 30
CONTENTS
30 BACK TO SCHOOL
48 PARTY
Test stress
Kids on bulldozers
Why do Minnesota students have so many tests? And what can parents do about it?
Kids and adults can operate heavy machinery at this 10-acre mega-play site in Hastings.
39 FEATURE
Cinema under Minions the stars madness 52 PARTY
See kid-friendly blockbuster releases outdoors before summer ends.
Your definitive guide to throwing an inexpensive Minions-themed bash.
44 FEATURE
ISSUE 8
14 BABY ON BOARD
Really good reads
When your baby (finally!) starts sleeping through the night, check these out! 16 TODDLER TIME
Play-therapy tools
Our little ones can deal with big challenges and emotions through play. 18 SCHOOL DAYS
Sleep, sleep, sleep
Kids need rest, supplies and routines for a strong start to the school year. 20 TEENS AND TWEENS
Heartbroken
It’s not an easy lesson, but some trophies mean more than others.
Eat together tonight
54 PARTY
Explore tips and tricks for making your family meals mean more.
Party faves Thanks, Facebook fans, for your brilliant ideas.
22 GROWS ON TREES
The best $50 party
Set up fun stations at your home — or a park — for an unforgettable b-day bash. 24 ASK THE PEDIATRICIAN
+ 56 PARTY RESOURCES + 59 OUT & ABOUT
About our cover kid Name: Dane
City: Rosemount
Age: 4½
Mom: Lisa Maurer
Personality: Dane is full of energy, athleticism and playfulness. He is cheerful, imaginative, talkative, curious and incredibly lovable. He has a 1-year-old Golden Doodle he named Chase. Favorite toy: Hockey stick, net and puck Favorite book: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin and Randy Travis Favorite activities: Floor hockey, soccer, baseball, reading and playing with cars and trucks Favorite foods: Spaghetti, broccoli, pizza, strawberries and apples Photos by Jenay Pruse of JuMP Photos, jumpphotos.net
Heavy backpacks
Children shouldn’t carry more than 10 percent of their weight on their backs. 26 IN THE KITCHEN
Chop, chop
Grill up these lamb lollipops in minutes! (Make the salad if you have more time.) 28 BOOKSHELF
Back-to-school reads Boost your kid’s confidence — and kindness skills — before school starts. 66 FROM OUR READERS
Summer fun
Minnesota kids love to bask in pools, slip-n-slides and animal encounters.
mnparent.com • August 2015
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GYMNASTICS TUMBLING TRAMPOLINE
FROM THE EDITOR
Goodbye, summer W
OPENES HOUS 20 & Aug. 17 0 pm :0 5:30 – 8cations} {both lo
Gleason’s Gymnastics School Strengthening children in mind and body through successful gymnastics experiences
hat a strange time of year this is for us Minnesota parents: We’re reluctant to let go of our cherished last few weeks of true warmth — and all the fun that summer brings. And yet, school-supply lists have been out for weeks (or longer). This year my son starts school on Aug. 31, which just makes it feel particularly early. Fortunately, this latest issue of Minnesota Parent is here to get you motivated for the big school year ahead. We have a fascinating primer on standardized tests in Minnesota schools, plus back-to-school tips from a 15-year school veteran — Megan Devine, an elementary school teacher and a mother of four, who Photo by Tracy Walsh / tracywalshphoto.com writes our School Days column. Her advice about sleep really struck me. Even though I’m a mom with a child who’s been in summer care his whole life, I still tend to slack a bit on bedtime in summer. But that must come to an end in mid-August if I want to be smart about it, Megan says: “Even if your child’s been getting up earlier to go to child care or summer events, when your child enters school, he or she will be expected to self-regulate at a different intensity for the length of a full school day, and this can be exhausting.” Indeed, I’ve routinely seen my son tire tremendously during that first week of school. It reminds me of those first few weeks of starting a new job. You’re not just trying to meet everyone and take in your new surroundings, you’re also required to think and do your work. In this issue we also have some great back-to-school books, plus tips from a local pediatrician to help families with school-year concerns, including overly heavy backpacks, asthma and even pink eye. Finally, as is our tradition every August, we’ve also peppered our pages with a variety of stories to help you plan your kid’s next birthday party. (We need to have a little fun, right? Check out our party resources in the back!) You’ll find ideas ranging from extravagant (a $500 bash with appearances by four characters from Frozen) to frugal (stay at home and get goofy for $50 or less). Whatever the year of school (or preschool) brings, whatever you decide to do for your kid’s next birthday bash, we’re wishing you all the best. Now, how about one last s’more?
www.gleasons.com Maple Grove 763.493.2526 9778 85th Ave. N Eagan 651.454.6203 2015 Silver Bell Rd. 10
August 2015 • mnparent.com
Gleason's Gymnastics MNP 0715 V3.indd 1
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Sarah Dorison, Editor
mnparent.com
PUBLISHER Janis Hall jhall@mnparent.com SALES MANAGER AND CO-PUBLISHER Terry Gahan tgahan@mnparent.com EDITOR Sarah Dorison 612-436-4385 • editor@mnparent.com CONTRIBUTORS Megan Baumler, Eric Braun, Starla Clement, Dr. Peter Dehnel, Megan Devine, Shannon Keough, Kelly Jo McDonnell, Amy Sutton, Jen Wittes, Jennifer Wizbowski, Terry John Zila CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dana Croatt dcroatt@mnparent.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Valerie Moe GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amanda Wadeson CLIENT SERVICES Zoe Gahan 612-436-4375 • zgahan@mnparent.com Lauren Walker 612-436-4383 • lwalker@mnparent.com CIRCULATION Marlo Johnson 612-436-4388 • distribution@mnparent.com mnparent.com/find-a-copy ADVERTISING 612-436-4360 • sales@mnparent.com 55,000 copies of Minnesota Parent are printed monthly, available at news stands statewide. Get Minnesota Parent mailed to your home for just $12 a year. Call 612-825-9205 for more information.
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Are you currently pregnant or had a baby during the previous month and interested in participating in a telephone-based health and wellness program? The University of Minnesota is seeking women who are currently pregnant or less than 6 weeks postpartum to participate in a research study examining the effect of exercise and wellness on mood following childbirth
Minnesota Parent (ISSN 0740 3437) is published monthly by Minnesota Premier Publications.
• Participants receive a motivational exercise program or a health and wellness program, which begins after the birth of your baby (participants can sign up for the program during pregnancy)
POSTMASTER send address changes to: MINNESOTA PARENT, 1115 Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403.
• Program delivered to you via the mail and phone
Minnesota Parent is copyright 2015 by Minnesota Premier Publications. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Address all material to address above.
• Must not take antidepressants
• Must be 18 years of age or older; must not currently exercise regularly • Must have a history of depression • You will receive $100 for your time
Call 612-625-9753 or email mompro@umn.edu to see if you qualify for this research study U of M - Kinesiology Dept MNP 1212 S3.indd 1
11/15/12 2:37 PM
mnparent.com • August 2015
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CHATTER
Get out with sKIDaddlers
Courtesy of Pretty Princess Parties
Courtesy of Tiny Diva Princess Party
IN-PERSON PRINCESSES! Princess-themed parties have been around for a long time, but the sensation of Anna and Elsa has given the trend a dramatic boost. Tiny Diva Princess Party offers a variety party options with characters from Frozen, including a single princess for $175, two characters for $300 (Anna and Elsa or Anna and Kristoff) or a cast of four (Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf) for $500. Characters bring music, books, activities and goodie bags. Premium Theatrical Story Time packages ($200 to $450) include singing princesses who retell the story of Frozen, sing-a-long style. Rock-star divas, fairies and other storybook princesses are also available for parties. Tiny Diva performs at events and pageants throughout the region, too. June events included a theatrical show at the Mall of America Hard Rock Cafe and an Enchanted Princess Cruise on Lake Minnetonka. Tiny Diva will be back at the Hard Rock Cafe Aug. 26 with a diva-themed party. Learn more at tinydivaprincessparty.com. Pretty Princess Parties — serving the Twin Cities and the Duluth area, offers a variety of princesses, including the Frozen sisters, as well as Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, Sofia the First, Tinkerbell, Rapunzel, Belle and Ariel. Super heroes such as Spiderman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Ninja Turtles are also available. Parties — starting at $165 per hour — include a birthday gift, stories, songs, games, face painting, tiara decorating, photo opportunities and goodie bags. Pretty Princess Parties will host a Fairy Tale Ball at 5 p.m. Nov. 14 in Medina. Geared toward ages 3 and older, the three-hour event will include sweet treats, music by a DJ, dancing and photo ops. Tickets are $15 to $35. Learn more at prettyprincesspartiesmn.com.
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When Renee Piersa of Bloomington and Erica Myking of Burnsville became parents they quickly discovered the vast array of family friendly activities available in the Twin Cities. It didn’t take long before the longtime best friends — both Apple Valley natives, both moms to two girls, both working full-time — had a list of favorites they wanted to share with other parents. And so sKIDaddlers.net was born. Piersa said the site’s geomapping feature caters to families with younger kids, who might be tied to nap schedules and need something close to home (or need to plan road-trip napping into the trip). It’s also helpful, Piersa said, when trying to set a playdate “somewhere in between” houses. Though neither mama had website-building experience, they’ve become quite handy with open-source coding, thanks to community education classes at Rosemount Middle School. Users can create a profile, save places to favorites and share recommendations. And the site is infinitely sortable with hundreds of categories for easy browsing, plus tabs for festivals, seasonal attractions, top picks and getaways, including suggested itineraries for long weekends. Piersa said: “There are just so many things to do.”
mnparent.com • August 2015
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(Really) good reads “O
⊲⊲The Monster Within
h great,” you’re probably thinking. “Homework.” This is often how I feel when someone insists I read such-and-such parenting book. “When exactly am I supposed to read that?” I want to ask. I have two little kids; I work; I haven’t even started Breaking Bad. However, if you’re a reader like me, there will probably come a time when you’ll want to pick up a book again — when your baby starts sleeping through the night, perhaps, or when you go on a business trip and have three whole hours to yourself on a plane. If it’s “too soon” for a reading list, I completely understand. (And stay tuned for a future column concerning Netflix recommendations.) But if you’re open to suggestions, here are some of the books I think new parents might want to check out.
This book, subtitled The Hidden Side of Motherhood, takes on the topic of ambivalence in motherhood from a psychoanalytic perspective. Using stories from her own clinical practice as well as examples from literature and pop culture, Barbara Almond addresses the roots of ambivalence, how it manifests (from normal feelings to highly disturbed actions) and how women can successfully integrate these feelings into their lives. Just some light beach reading, huh? But seriously, despite the heavy focus of this book, I found it very comforting and eye-opening in its honest approach to the mixed feelings everyone has about parenthood.
⊲⊲Nine Months In this novel by Paula Bomer, the protagonist, Sonia, becomes unexpectedly pregnant with her third child and loses it: She abandons her husband and sons and takes off on a lengthy road trip during which she does all kinds of things forbidden to pregnant women. But what is perhaps most subversive about this story is the fact that Sonia isn’t “punished” in the manner you might expect. It’s an ideal read for those of you who are sick of the wide-eyed, flower-smelling, oh-let’sembrace-the-wonder-of-it-all approach to parenting.
⊲⊲Becoming the Parent You Want to Be Parenting books can be so dogma driven, don’t you think? And unless a book speaks perfectly to your experience and beliefs, the likelihood that a given tome will end up thrown across the room in a fit of postpartum rage is high. (My copies of The Happiest Baby on the Block and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth are likely rotting in a forgotten corner along with my supplemental nursing system.) I really like the process-oriented approach the authors (Laura Davis and Janis Keyser) take in this book, subtitled A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years. From dealing with the disequilibrium of bringing a newborn home (for both the parents and the baby) to helping your baby get to sleep, this book offers strategies, real-world examples and support. Plus, it’s the book that keeps on giving — you’ll definitely be cracking it open a lot during the toddler and preschool years.
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⊲⊲OG Dad
Parenting books can be so dogma driven, don’t you think?
This book wasn’t released until after my deadline, so I can’t vouch for the final product. However, I’ve read every installment of OG (Old Guy) Dad by author Jerry Stahl on The Rumpus, and it’s so, so good. With women dominating the scene when it comes to writing about parenting, it’s refreshing (and information) to read something from a male perspective. And probably the best dude-written stuff I’ve read comes courtesy of Stahl.
BABY STUFF
Swaddler ⊲⊲Fussy babies love to be swaddled, but in summer, there’s always a risk of overheating your baby with too much fabric. The Ollie Swaddle for ages newborn to 4 months is made with a custom moisture-wicking material to minimize overheating, and its elasticity allows for freedom of movement, along with an opening at the bottom that makes it easier to change diapers. $48 • theollieworld.com
His essays include some delightful passages, like this: “So I’m standing in front of the fridge, door open, wondering more-or-less what happened to my life, when I suddenly remember I have an 8-month-old baby in my arms. I close the door before her face freezes, already picturing the visit from Social Services, me trying to explain why the tip of my daughter’s nose is missing — frostbite! — and how one ill-fated fridge loiter does not necessarily make me a bad parent.” It’s so easy to stumble into the black of hole of parenting manuals — books that will instruct you on the “right” way to get your baby to sleep, start solid foods and encourage fine-motor-skill development. You could spend your limited free time reading about the wonders of baby-led weaning or you could fling yourself into bed and read about how it’s OK to sometimes feel lukewarm about parenting. I vote for the latter. Shannon Keough lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two children. Send questions or comments to skeough@mnparent.com.
Big feelings and play therapy P
arenting a toddler can be — at times — tumultuous, exhausting, frustrating, even farcical. And that’s on a good day! They throw tantrums, they poop their pants, they declare independence when — and only when — you’re running late and don’t have time for them to pick out and put on their own clothes. It’s a wild ride, to say the least. What does toddler parenting look like when real troubles arise — beyond the morning power struggle over what’s for breakfast? I wanted milk ON THE SIDE of my cereal, Mommy, NOT on top! Divorce, relocation, loss of a grandparent, loss of a pet. A new sibling, a new school, terminal illness, trouble with friends. Like their snack-packing, lullaby-singing grown-ups, toddlers live in the real world — rainbows, dinosaur bones, disappointments and all. The good news is that children — and toddlers in particular — are resilient. They fight change like crazy and then they handle it like champs. They ask heartbreaking questions about Grandma’s
health or that fight between Mommy and Daddy, but they accept new truths and make new friends and find reasons to get excited about new neighborhoods. While generally adaptable, sometimes young children struggle through pain or transition. Sometimes, as with adults, they’re basically doing fine, but need an outlet for the extra emotions brought on by the extra stuff — frustrations beyond a bedtime set before the next episode of Blue’s Clues or sadness that goes deeper than a dropped ice cream cone.
⊲⊲Don’t solve; listen Shawn Bulgatz, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Twin Cities Play Therapy Center in Eagan, said, “Parents often want to ‘fix’ the problems being presented by our children by saying things like, ‘It’s going to be OK,’ or by offering some solution.” Bulgatz advises parents instead to listen to what the child is saying and make sure the child knows you understand and respect his or her feelings. “If a child does not feel understood, they will often act out, and one may see the anxiety or fear or sadness in behaviors. Or a child may try to stuff their feelings inside, which will likely result in heightened anxiety or the feelings coming out sideways as negative behaviors,” Bulgatz said. The toddler years are an interesting time to cope with big upheavals, changes and tragedies because, while resilient, young children don’t yet have a full vocabulary with which to express their feelings. What’s more, big emotions and realizations about life and death are new experiences for a toddler, with little or no frame of reference for understanding.
⊲⊲Therapy through play Play therapy is a way for young children to work through their feelings and issues. While children ages all the way up to adolescence can engage in play therapy, toddlers in particular benefit from this method because play is their natural first language. Twin Cities Play Therapy Center follows what’s called a nondirective or experiential model: If you give a child the space, the tools and the time, the child will naturally work on what
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TODDLER STUFF
Shoe sizer
Developmental Milestones
⊲⊲Shoe shopping with a toddler can be a total pain. And, yet, you need your little one along with you to get just the right size — or do you? With a Squatchi, parents can measure tiny feet at home. Made of durable polystyrene, the Squatchi can be a keepsake, too, if you write you kid’s size on it every year before the start of school. $19.99 • squatchi.com
needs to be addressed — without the therapist defining what that is or necessarily trying to confront a topic directly. A skilled play therapist knows when to sit back and observe and when to engage. The nondirective form of the practice engages as much as the child allows and is comfortable with. The materials — such as blocks, finger paints, sand, clay and dolls — are intentionally selected and a therapist is there to validate the experience, encourage exploration of certain feelings and provide insight into a child’s behaviors. The emphasis is on working with emotions, rather than fixing a so-called problem. Bulgatz said: “Tolerating uncomfortable feelings that come up with big changes — and finding ways to cope, feel and eventually let go — is an important developmental skill to have for life.” Jen Wittes lives in St. Paul and is a mother of two. She’s helped many Twin Cities families in her work as a postpartum doula. Send questions or comments to jwittes@mnparent.com.
Babies, toddlers and young children grow, learn and change all the time. There are certain things they should be doing by certain ages. These are called developmental milestones. Learn more about your child’s development and how to support healthy growth and learning — and what to do if you have concerns about your child’s development at www.helpmegrowmn.org or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HelpMeGrowMN
Help Me Grow MNP 0815 S3.indd 1
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ATTENTION WOMEN 21-33: Would You Consider Being an Egg Donor?
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Center for Reproductive Medicine MNP 0514 S3.indd 1
4/14/14 12:50 PM
mnparent.com • August 2015
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Back-to-school success! T
BACK-TOSCHOOL BOOKS Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books by Diane deGroat The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Splat the Cat: Back to School, Splat! by Rob Scotton The Berenstain Bears Go Back to School by Stan and Jan Berenstain Timothy Goes to School by Rosemary Wells First Grade Jitters by Robert Quackenbush
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he start of a new school year is fast approaching! This time of year can be a very exciting and joyful time for some, but it can also trigger some feelings of nervousness or apprehension (for both kids and parents). This year will mark my 15th year as an educator, and now, as a parent, I also have a house full of school-aged children — this year with a preschooler, kindergartener, second-grader and fifth-grader. I understand the range of mixed emotions that come with the start of the school year, and — in my experiences of being both a parent and teacher — I’ve learned the value of getting kids off to a good start. Whether you have a child entering school for the first time, entering a new grade level or transferring to a new school, taking a proactive approach to your child’s transition back to school can help alleviate stress and will best help your child adjust and ease into the routines of a new year. What can you do to help your child make a positive transition to school this year? Consider these tips:
⊲⊲Establish routines Soon enough, my children will need to be ready to catch their bus to school by 7:12 a.m. and will be expected to be ready to learn in their classrooms by 8:05. This is going to be a major shift from our laid-back summer mornings in which they might not have eaten their breakfasts by 9 o’clock. It can be extremely helpful to adjust the routine of your family a couple weeks prior to the school year, working to become in sync with upcoming wake-up times, lunch times and even snack times for your elementary-age child. For example, the simple act of feeding your child lunch at home at the time your child will be eating lunch at school may reduce hunger cravings that could be distracting for your child’s learning and school engagement during the first weeks of school.
August 2015 • mnparent.com
⊲⊲Focus on sleep Sleep is SO crucial to school success. From the perspective of a classroom teacher, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of sending to your child to school well rested. This is one of the most important things you can do as a parent to help your child thrive in school. And yes, I know it’s not always easy. Shifting your child’s sleep schedule is hard, especially making the shift while still on summer break, but trust me, it makes a difference. Even if your child’s been getting up earlier to go to child care or summer events, when your child enters school, he or she will be expected to self-regulate at a different intensity for the length of a full school day, and this can be exhausting. Individual sleep needs vary, but according to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, school-age children need about 10 hours of sleep a day.
Calculate when your child needs to go to bed to get enough sleep at tinyurl. com/sleep-needs. Start adjusting sleep schedules two weeks before school starts.
⊲⊲Ease anxieties If you (or your child) are anxious or nervous about the transition to school, make a point to help alleviate these worries by visiting to your child’s school and meeting with your child’s teacher well before school starts. Ask your child’s teacher or principal questions and talk with your child about his or her excitement and acknowledge any worries. Your principal, teacher and school support staff want to help you and your child make as smooth a transition as possible. You can also read picture books with back-to-school themes. There are many beautifully told stories geared toward children that navigate common worries, such as separation anxiety, meeting new teachers and making new friends.
⊲⊲Shop for supplies This year we’re going to continue our tradition of school-supply shopping with some friends. I’m not a big shopper, so this is as much of an incentive for me as the kids! Everyone gets to pick out folders, pencil boxes, glue sticks and Kleenex boxes. Then we go out to lunch. It’s amazing how excitement and anticipation for school can build with a cart-full of new school supplies! Whatever stage you’re at with your children in their educational careers, I wish you a wonderful start to the new school year! Megan Devine is an elementary school teacher who lives with her husband and four children (ages 3 to 10) on the edge of the wilderness in Northeastern Minnesota. Write her at mdevine@mnparent.com and check out her blog at kidsandeggs.com.
Do tweens still want trophies? My daughter sobbed horribly while the winners danced around her. ‘They didn’t even say our name,’ she cried.
A
s a young tween, my daughter participated in a Destination Imagination tournament — an academic, kid-focused, think-outside-the-box program in which teams create creative challenges as well as participate in challenges. Its goals are admirable: Encouraging kids to work together as a team, trust one another’s different gifts and ideas, and improve their critical-thinking skills. As their team leader, I thought it would be good for them to participate in the end-of-the-day award ceremonies. I heard there would be dancing and celebrating. The award itself was the last thing on my mind. Our goal and reward was to learn how to work together.
⊲⊲We-Weren’t-the-Winner woes As a newbie, I didn’t get the memo that only the teams that had been doing this for years — and knew they’d probably be getting an award — typically come to the medal ceremony. The other 50 percent of the teams enjoy the challenges and call it a day. I wish I’d known that! After all of the introductory celebrating and dancing, medals were handed out to the teams. All the teams present were recognized and medaled for something — except ours. The hard part was, our team was in the last category, so our kids really thought they’d not only earned a medal, but that
they’d won first place. The look on their faces when the partying and loud music was taking place with no mention of them was devastating. My daughter sobbed horribly while the winners danced around her. “They didn’t even say our name,” she cried. My daughter was reeling over the DI loss the next day, still teary and upset.
⊲⊲Many golden statues Both my kids participated in recreational sports teams when they were younger. At the end of the season, no matter how good or bad they played as a team, or
TEEN STUFF
Anti-bullying book ⊲⊲Aija Mayrock was bullied throughout middle school and high school. Through it all, however, she learned a lot — and, at the age of 16, she wrote a lively, fun book to help kids age 10 and older not just survive, but thrive in the face of bullying. The Survival Guide to Bullying features tips, personal stories and quick quizzes geared toward tangible solutions for kids, teachers and parents, too. $9.99 • scholastic.com
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individually, they were given a golden statue. My husband and I decided to tell our daughter that the DI medals were for winning, not just for participating. We explained to her that her other trophies on her shelf were for playing the season — not for winning. She was so surprised; she thought those trophies meant something else. While I hated to see her face this harsh reality, I’m glad we had the opportunity to talk about how we don’t get medaled for every good thing we do in life. We live in age where we want to be fair — to encourage our kids. When my kids were younger, I was happy for them to receive a trophy. I guess I could’ve done a better job emphasizing it was for finishing something, completing a season, working hard at practices and supporting their teams.
⊲⊲And then they grow up My daughter recently played in a soccer tournament where her team won first place. “I felt so proud because we earned it,” she said of her medal. I reminded her of that hard day at the DI competition and asked her what she thought about her team not receiving a medal then. She told me, “If someone keeps telling us we are No. 1, when we aren’t, it’s going to be hard when we aren’t No. 1 when we are older.” So I’m glad I had to have that hard talk with her years ago. It made her recent win all the richer. It also helped me see that, despite my efforts to parent perfectly and teach the right lessons, I won’t always get it right. The good news is, she’s growing up through my parenting, imperfections and all. Jennifer Wizbowski lives in Excelsior with her husband, and daughter and son, ages 11 and 14. Send comments, questions and story ideas to jwizbowski@mnparent.com.
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The best $50 party M
y boys are 13 and 11, which means I’ve thrown roughly two dozen birthday parties over the past decade or so (no wonder I’m so tired). I’ve never been a skilled party-giver, but nor am I a fool — in those years of experience I’ve learned a thing or two about birthday parties. And so, if some cruel twist of fate were to subject me to doing it all over again, I wouldn’t even bother with half of the great ideas I thought I had: I’d stick to The One We Got Right.
⊲⊲Characters, bouncy houses Over the course of our birthday-party careers, my wife and I have hired a Spiderman impersonator to teach Spidey skills to a group of preschoolers (recommended but spendy). We’ve armed barely teetering toddlers with plastic swords and propped them up on hippity-hops for a jousting tournament (not recommended — and possibly not even legal). And, of course, we’ve shepherded carloads to trampoline parks, bouncy-castle warehouses and arcade-batting-cage-mini-golf houses of terror — fun, I mean houses of fun. And they might have been fun for the kids, but I’m pretty sure none of them can distinguish one of those parties from another in their memories. (Did Lucy throw up in the bouncy house at Ella’s party? Or Henry’s party? Or was it that kid down the street who moved away?) Like most families, we started each birthday-planning season with a vow to keep costs down. And like most (I hope — tell me we’re not alone here), we eventually panicked at the thought of all those ready-to-be-entertained kids coming over, and we blew past our budget in desperation (see: last–minute call to Spidey impersonator, above). Except for the One We Got Right. That one came in under budget.
⊲⊲DIY party time The One We Got Right was based on a pretty simple idea: Keep the kids as occupied as possible for as long as possible. (Duh.) Use things you mostly have at hand. And build in a
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↑↑Teams at the party had to build something tall and awesome. They also had to give their creations a name and take photos, too.
little friendly competition with interesting rules. Here’s a basic outline for the version we threw. (You’ll notice you can easily modify the activities for what would work in your family — adjusting for age, gender and location.) You can host it inside a house, apartment, rec center or even outside in your backyard or at a public park. You can make last-minute weather-related changes as needed. Best of all, you can spend as little or as much as you want to build out this idea: Divide the kids up into two or more groups. Four to a group is a good number. Depending on how many kids and how old they are, you can assign an adult to each group, or you can have more than two groups. Tell the kids the rules: Each group has to complete a series of activity stations — and take a picture of each successfully completed activity. Oh, and complete all the stations faster than the other team(s). Say, “Ready, set, go!”
HERE ARE THE STATIONS WE USED Mummy making: Mummify one group member using long fabric strips cut from old sheets (or use toilet paper). Human pyramid: Form a pyramid with all group members. Dress-up: Using a pile of collected wacky dress-up and random grown-up clothing, dress one group member in every article. Building: Construct the tallest possible structure using a selection of random materials such as cans, boxes, blocks — or LEGOs if that’s a thing in your house.
⊲⊲Spending is optional You can add as many stations as you like, based on the ages and tastes of your guests (and based on the type of random stuff you have lying around at home). After the stations, gather everyone together for cake and ice cream and view all the goofy pictures on a large screen while eating. This will keep everyone pretty well focused, actually. As for cost, if you used materials you already have at home for the activities, you haven’t spent a dime so far. If you want to, you can spend as much as you want on any one station — if, for instance, you want to work a theme into your party. Otherwise, take your $50, head to the store for a cheap sheet cake or baking ingredients, and enough crackers, popcorn, carrots, whatever, to fill up some snack bowls. Besides the budget, there’s another reason we call this party the One We Got Right: Our son and his friends still remember it. Eric Braun is a Minneapolis-based writer, editor and dad of two boys. He’s currently working on a financial literacy book for young readers. Learn more about his other published works at heyericbraun.com. Send comments or questions to ebraun@mnparent.com.
You can get there. We can help.
Visit www.MN529today.com or call Chris McLeod 952-830-3127
Dr. Peter Dehnel
School-day concerns Our kids’ backpacks get heavier every year. How much weight can a child safely carry? This is an excellent question. Planning for what to put in a child’s backpack is an ideal opportunity to work with your child on effective school and homework planning. A number of health groups recommend that a child shouldn’t carry more than 10 percent of his or her body weight in a backpack. That means an 80-pound child shouldn’t carry more than an 8-pound backpack. In addition, having a backpack with two straps is a good plan. Make sure your child uses both straps and doesn’t just sling it over one shoulder. Purchasing a backpack with straps that are wider and equipped with extra padding is also a good idea. Effective and efficient packing of the backpack — with the heaviest items closest to your child’s body — can also be helpful. Use all pockets and compartments to distribute the weight as evenly as you can. Finally, help your child decide if he or she needs to carry everything throughout the entire day or if some things can be left at home or deposited in a locker at school for most of the day. If the backpack is still too heavy — and especially if your child develops symptoms of back pain, stooped posture, sore shoulders or tingling that radiates down the arms — it may be necessary to work with his or her teachers or doctor to come up with some different strategies.
How can we tell if our 1-year-old daughter has pink eye? This is a common and challenging situation for parents of toddlers and preschoolers. Typically anytime a child has a redder than normal eye — or if there’s any drainage from the eye — he or she is thought to have a contagious form of pink eye (conjunctivitis). The expectation is that before a child can continue to attend daycare he or she must be started on an antibiotic eye drop — or have a significant change in symptoms. Depending on the rules for your daycare, once a child is on a prescription eye treatment he or she
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can often return to daycare within a day or two. These recommendations can help prevent the spread of some forms of pink eye. However, many young children with such symptoms don’t really have bacterial eye infections, but viral infections, which won’t be affected by antibiotic eye drops. A viral infection must go away on its own. Viral conjunctivitis is more common than bacterial conjunctivitis, but it’s not easy to differentiate the two. And sometimes allergies or a blocked tear duct can cause similar symptoms. Talk to your child’s clinician if pink eye is a persistent problem. There may be some alternative treatments to try.
I’ve heard that kids with asthma should start their medications before school starts in anticipation of cold season. What do you advise? Any child with a diagnosis of asthma, especially if the child has frequent or persistent symptoms, should have an “asthma action plan.” Some children are especially susceptible to wheezing when they catch a cold at school, especially in the late fall or winter months. These children usually start their controller medications before the start of the fall and winter respiratory infection season. If your child has a diagnosis of asthma and you don’t have an asthma action plan that’s been updated in the last 12 months, please talk with your primarycare clinician. Your child will likely do better this year in school — especially if he or she is in any sports — if you stick with the plan. It may even help to save you from a late night or weekend trip into the emergency department to urgently treat a severe case of wheezing.
Dr. Peter Dehnel is a board-certified pediatrician and medical director with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Send questions to drdehnel@mnparent.com. This column is intended to provide general information only and not medical advice. Contact your health care provider with questions about your child.
IN THE KITCHEN
Super-quick chops Recipe and photo by Terry John Zila GRILLED LAMB CHOPS 4 large garlic cloves, crushed 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves Pinch cayenne pepper Kosher salt, to taste Âź cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 lamb chops, 1 inch thick Vegetable oil for grilling
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Pulse the garlic, rosemary, thyme, cayenne and salt in a food processor. Pour olive oil in slowly and pulse into a paste. Rub the paste on both sides of the chops and marinate them for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. Let the chops come up to room temperature for at least 20 minutes before grilling. Brush a stovetop grill pan lightly with vegetable oil. Heat the pan over high heat until almost smoking. (You can also cook the chops on a hot outdoor grill.) Sear the chops on one side for about 2 minutes. Turn and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare. Do not overcook.
ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD WITH ISRAELI COUSCOUS 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup Israeli couscous 1½ cups vegetable stock 1 red onion, peeled and diced (½-inch pieces) 1 zucchini, diced (½-inch pieces) 1 yellow summer squash, peeled, seeded and diced (1/4-inch pieces) 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced (1/4-inch pieces) 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 8 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips ½ cup toasted walnut pieces ¼ cup balsamic vinaigrette ½ cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and stir to coat with oil. Pour in the stock and cook the couscous, stirring it occasionally, until all the stock is absorbed. (This will take 12 to 15 minutes.) When couscous is tender, remove it from heat and put it in a heat-proof bowl. Coat all the vegetables thoroughly with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the vegetables evenly on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Drain any liquid by placing the vegetables on paper towels. Combine the couscous, roasted vegetables, tomatoes and walnuts in a large bowl. Toss with balsamic vinaigrette to taste and garnish with basil. Local chef Terry John Zila teaches cooking classes in the Twin Cities and appears regularly on KARE 11 TV. Learn more at johnjeanjuancakes.com.
BOOKSHELF
New for school By Sarah Dorison Is your kid getting ready to go back to school (or maybe to school for the first time)? Ease into it, either way, with these delightful books that inspire confidence, imagination and, best of all, kindness to others.
Ally-saurus & the First Day of School When Ally roars off to her first day of classes, she hopes to meet lots of other dino-loving kids. Instead, she’s the only one chomping her food with fierce teeth and drawing dinos on her nameplate. Even worse, a group of princessobsessed girls won’t let her sit with them at lunch. But as the day goes on and she gets to know her classmates, some surprising truths emerge. Blackand-white illustrations, brightened with colorful shading — and crayon-like embellishments showing what’s going on in each child’s imagination — make this one of our favorite back-toschool finds. By Richard Torrey Ages 3–7 $14.95
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The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade Before embarking on his music career about 15 years ago, Grammy-nominated kiddie-rock musician Justin Roberts used to work as preschool teacher in the Twin Cities. He’s used that knowledge and his longstanding lyrical skills to the fullest in his tale of Sally McCabe who — though small, quiet and often overlooked — takes a brave stand against not just bullying but also rude behavior. Written by Justin Roberts Illustrated by Christian Robinson Ages 3–5 $16.99
Dad’s First Day In this refreshing story of first-day jitters, Minneapolis-based author-illustrator Mike Wohnoutka — the man behind the Little Puppy and the Big Green Monster and the award-winning MOO! — presents us with a complete role reversal for a father and son on the first day of school. Dad just isn’t ready for his son, Oliver, to go to school. They had too much fun over the summer. Dad hides in the closet, insists on putting in just one last puzzle piece and gets tummy aches like crazy. Oliver, fully ready to embrace school, teachers him a valuable lesson. By Mike Wohnoutka Ages 4–8 $16.99
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Maddi’s Fridge Maddi’s fridge is empty. Sofia, her good friend, promises not to tell her secret to anyone. But that proves to be quite challenging — as does sneaking food into school for her friend. Billed as the first picture book to address child hunger in the U.S., this gem was inspired by the author’s childhood memory of opening her friend’s fridge to find only condiments and a school-lunch milk carton (saved from school for her little brother). Playfully illustrated and full of humor as well as heartbreak, this book encourages gratitude for the food we have as well as generosity. Ten percent of profits from the sale of the book will be donated to help fight childhood hunger. Written by Lois Brandt Illustrated by Vin Vogel Ages 4–8 $17.95
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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY TESTS F O R M I N N E S OTA S T U D E N T S ? A N D H O W C A N P A R E N T S H E L P K I D S K E E P T H E I R C O O L?
BY ERIC BRAUN
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IMEE JACKSON of St. Louis Park remembers exactly when school stopped being fun for her son. “It was right around third grade when he started getting testing anxiety,” she said. “He had taken standardized tests earlier, but it seemed like in third grade the teachers started emphasizing test prep and test day directly to the kids.” That was all it took to make Jackson’s already slightly anxious son dread test day. She and her husband had long made a point of not placing too much emphasis on test results. “But when the teachers or the school is putting the weight of testing onto the kids, it takes away the parents’ ability to set the tone around testing,” Jackson said. And that, she and many other parents believe, ups the anxiety factor and likely impacts everything from individual test results to lifelong attitudes toward school. Test anxiety is nothing new — kids have been taking tests for centuries and standardized testing has been a part of U.S. public schools since the 1920s. But in the last decade — basically since the federal No Child Left Behind Law upped the importance of testing for districts —
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Te s t s t r e s s Optional, required tests
concern about testing has picked up speed. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, meanwhile, came along in 2010 and along with it the prospect of more testing. (Minnesota didn’t adopt the Common Core standards for math — only reading — because the state’s math standards were determined to be rigorous already.) Among K–12 parents in Minnesota, attitudes don’t seem to range from pro-test to anti-test. Instead, they’re more likely to range from mildly disliking to fully opting out of required testing. “It’s absolutely up there on the list of topics that come up when I’m chit-chatting with other parents,” said Julie Buss of St. Paul. “And it’s always ‘There’s too much testing,’ ‘I wish we didn’t have so many tests” or something like that. The biggest complaints, Buss said, are about the number of tests.
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Minnesota students begin taking tests as early as kindergarten, when most districts assess them in reading and math. Then in first grade, many districts begin testing all students with benchmark assessments such as the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) or the Fountas and Pinnell (F&P) Benchmark Assessment System. Throughout their school careers, most kids will take other assessments such as the STAR reading and math tests and the Optional Local Purpose Assessments, or OLPAs, in reading and math. But it’s the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) that prompt the biggest concerns and testing backlash from parents and teachers alike. Used by Minnesota to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law, MCA results determine schools’ and districts’ progress toward standards. And since 2014, a state law has required that Minnesota teacher evaluations be based in part on their students’ test scores. According to the 2015–16 Minnesota Department of Education testing schedule, a typical fourth-grader, for example, might take OPLAs in fall or winter (one test for reading and one test for math), followed by the MCAs in late winter or spring (one test for reading and one test for math). Though the OLPAs are optional, the state covers the cost. Minnesota Department of Education spokesman Keith Hovis said the OLPAs are considered practice tests for the MCAs because they can help gauge how students are doing in anticipation of the state-mandated, state-funded MCAs later in the year. While that’s only four tests a year recommended by the state, districts can add more tests at their own cost throughout the year, including not just the tests mentioned above but also others. “Sometimes they develop their own in-district assessments
Te s t s t r e s s
Preparing kids for tests READING ⊲⊲Read to kids and encourage them to read to you. ⊲⊲Encourage students to read daily newspapers and general-interest magazines. ⊲⊲Discuss the events and stories in the newspaper. ⊲⊲Urge kids to try crossword puzzles and news quizzes. MATH ⊲⊲Encourage students to use mathematics every day. They can practice by creating a grocery budget, explaining charts and graphs from newspaper and magazine articles, dividing food portions, using rulers to measure objects, doing measuring for a recipe or adding prices on a shopping trip. ⊲⊲Play games that involve numbers or computation. ⊲⊲Encourage students to connect what they’re learning in mathematics class to their hobbies, other classes and everyday life. SCIENCE ⊲⊲Use science articles from news publications to show that science is an ongoing, active process. ⊲⊲Encourage kids to participate in science competitions, fairs and other activities. ⊲⊲Explore science outside the classroom at nature centers, zoos and science museums. Source: Minnesota Department of Education
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to measure how they’re doing to make sure they’re ready for the MCAs,” Hovis said. Students in fourth, eighth and 12th grades, Hovis said, might also take the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), a nationwide testing program, which generates demographic data released in a report titled The Nation’s Report Card. This year the Minnesota legislature passed (and the governor signed into law) a bill that limits the number of hours schools can test to 10 hours for elementary schools and 11 hours for middle and high schools. “We believe this will cut down on the number of additional tests being added and ensure testing does not take too much time away from classroom instruction,” Hovis said.
Pros and cons Proponents say standardized tests such as the MCAs are an effective tool for helping document student learning. Test results can reassure parents, teachers and districts that individual kids
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or groups of kids are making progress over time. Andrea Preppernau, assistant director of Research, Evaluation and Assessment for the St. Cloud Area School District, said in a story in the St. Cloud Times: “How do you know what to teach students if you’re not finding out what they know or don’t know?” Tests have also helped underscore the large achievement gap in Minnesota schools. No Child Left Behind Law requires schools to compare test scores of subgroups of kids by race and ethnicity, income status and special education. And many agree that those results — which have highlighted a disturbingly large achievement gap in otherwise highachieving Minnesota — have forced districts to look for ways to close that gap. Critics contend the test results are a better indicator of student socio-economic status than learning or ability. And the frequency of the tests force teachers to “teach to the test” at the expense of more well-rounded instruction. In addition, they say, the tests’ emphasis on reading, math and science come at the expense of the arts, social sciences and other cross-discipline subjects. Plus, basing teacher evaluations on test results — results perhaps more influenced by factors such as family income than by teaching performance — strikes many as patently unfair to teachers. And then there’s the stress many kids and their parents feel from testing.
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Te s t s t r e s s We really should be thinking of an annual state test as a chance to show what kids know, not as a high-stakes proving ground.” — Christopher Danielson, Minnesota author of Common Core Math For Parents, For Dummies
Opting out is an option More and more, parents say they want to spare their kids that anxiety. Any Minnesota family is allowed to formally opt their children out of testing. The Minnesota branch of United Opt Out National provides resources and a sounding board for those concerned with this aspect of public education. Though the opt-out movement is gaining momentum, it’s still relatively small: In 2014, less than 1 percent of students opted out of the MCAs, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. As for the other 99 percent of Minnesota students, many families say they’re not so anti-testing that they want to opt their kids out. They’d just like to see standardized tests, and their results, play a smaller role in the big picture of school. That’s the camp Aimee Jackson fits into. “I don’t think the tests are so bad,” she said. “I just think there are too many, too often, they make school boring and they unnecessarily stress the kids out too much.” She and her husband keep their focus on minimizing the stress factor when testing time comes around.
De-stressing for testing What can families do to help ease the testing stress? Plenty, teachers say. Parents can set the tone for how their kids feel about testing by treating testing day as just one more piece of the bigger school pie — important to take seriously, but not a measure of any individual student’s worth. The Minnesota Department of Education provides the following tips to help parents encourage
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their children around testing: 1: Make sure students get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast before taking a test. 2: Encourage an ongoing love of reading, math and learning in general. 3: Provide students with a study area. 4: Encourage students to practice good study habits by setting aside time every day for homework. Christopher Danielson, a former math teacher and current Normandale Community College professor — author of Common Core Math For Parents, For Dummies and blogger at talkingmathwithkids.com — encourages parents to focus on supporting kids’ learning all year long. For kids between ages 4 and 10, that can mean reading with them every day and asking questions about what they learned that day. Danielson said he supports a math version of the “read 20 minutes every day” message. This includes asking questions throughout the day such as How many? How much? What shape? and How do you know? “One of the most important things is to not overplay the importance of state testing for individual kids,” he said. “Anything parents can do to lessen the pressure is helpful. We really should be thinking of an annual state test as a chance to show what kids know, not as a high-stakes proving ground.” Eric Braun is a Minneapolis-based writer, editor and father of two boys. Send comments or questions to ebraun@mnparent.com. Learn more about his other published works at heyericbraun.com.
-in movie theaters ve ri d ’s ta so ne in M ricing, with affordable p s e ili m fa l ya lo w dra s d blockbuster film an re e h sp o m at great
CINEMA UNDER THE STARS
By Kelly Jo McDonnell
S
ummer’s slipping away. Instead of pool noodles, coolers and grilling gear filling the seasonal aisles at Target, it’s back-to-school supplies everywhere you turn. Ugh. But, wait: Once you’ve stocked up on Ticonderoga No. 2 pencils, there’s still time to savor this unbelievably beautiful (and precious) season we call summer in Minnesota. Our suggestion? See a movie under the stars and amongst the fireflies — at a drive-in movie theater. A what? Yes, Minnesota is home to six drive-in theaters. Though many Minnesota cities offer music and movies at various public parks all summer long, this is something different: This is classic, old-fashioned fun meets brand-new blockbuster releases. More than 90 percent of the state’s drive-in movie theaters have shut down. But those that are left have extremely loyal followings. Why?
↑↑The Sky-Vu DriveIn theater in Warren is one of six left in Minnesota. Summer films at Sky-Vu have included Inside Out, Minions, Pitch Perfect 2 and Ted 2, among others.
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CINEMA UNDER THE STARS VALI-HI DRIVE-IN
STARLITE DRIVE-IN THEATER
This 1950s-themed venue is the most centrally located drive-in for metro-area residents. It offers 3-for-1 films seven days a week during its peak season, plus concessions, an arcade, $1 hotdogs, $1 admission for ages 6–12 and a relaxed atmosphere. There are spaces for 800 cars, but be sure to arrive early to guarantee a spot. No credit cards are accepted, though there’s an on-site ATM.
This classic theater venue features multiple screens as well as a concession stand. It also hosts special events, including pro wrestling.
Where: 11260 Hudson Blvd. N., Lake Elmo, about 13 miles east of downtown St. Paul. Arrive early to make sure you get a spot. Vali-Hi often sells out. Cost: $8.50 for ages 13 and older, $1 for ages 6–12, free for ages 5 and younger Info: 651-436-7464, valihi.com
SKY-VU DRIVE-IN Not much has changed at this Red River Valley theater since it open in the 1950s — except the movies and that each film’s audio comes to patrons on their FM radios. Hot food — including BBQ sandwiches or nachos for $3.25 — is sold on site. Popcorn starts at $2.50. Where: Highway 1, one mile west of Warren, about 30 minutes from Grand Forks, N.D. Cost: $8 for ages 13 and older, $5 for ages 12 and younger Info: 218-201-0329, skyvumovies.com
VERNE DRIVE-IN THEATRE Catch a sunset before the movie at this old-school drive-in known for its relaxed, serene setting. Hot food, snacks and ice cream are sold on site. Where: 1607 S. Kniss Ave., Luverne, 3½ hours southwest of the Twin Cities Cost: $5 for ages 6 and older, free for ages 5 and younger Info: 507-283-0007, vernedrivein.com or facebook.com/vernedrivein
Where: 28264 Highway 22, Litchfield, about 1½ hours west of the Twin Cities Cost: $7 for ages 13 and older, $3 for ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and younger Info: 320-693-6990, starlitemovies.com
LONG DRIVE-IN THEATRE Go back in time at this family friendly outdoor movie theater. Sit in your car or bring some lawn chairs or a blanket. Pizza, pulled-pork sandwiches, hotdogs, fresh buttered popcorn, ice cream and more are for sale on site. Outside food and alcoholic beverages aren’t allowed. Pets are OK. Shows are on select Thursdays and all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Where: 24257 Riverside Drive, Long Prairie, 2 hours northwest of the Twin Cities Cost: $6 for ages 12 and older, $2 for ages 6–11, free for ages 5 and younger Info: 320-732-3142, thelongdrivein.com
ELKO DRIVE-IN THEATER Elko Speedway — a NASCAR racing site — is also home to a drive-in theater with shows Wednesday through Saturday nights. Hot food, wine and beer are sold on site. This summer, the venue, now in its second season, is allowing families to bring grills to cook their own food and to create a tailgating-type atmosphere. Where: 26350 France Ave., Elko New Market, about a half-hour south of downtown Minneapolis Cost: Tickets are $8 per adult, $5 for ages 4-12 and free for ages 3 and younger. On Saturdays, doors open earlier and adult ticket prices go up to $15. Specials include $15-per-car admission on Wednesdays. Info: 952-461-7223, elkospeedway.com/drive-in
Drive-in tips ⊲⊲Arrive early to get a good spot — and enjoy the fireflies — before the movies start at dusk. ⊲⊲Many venues are cash only (even for concessions), so come prepared. ⊲⊲Most drive-ins transmit their audio via FM radio, so make sure the radio in your car works or bring along portable radio. Be sure to start your car in between movies to charge the battery if you use your car stereo or air conditioner. ⊲⊲Shows usually start dusk, which is pretty late in Minnesota during summer, often between 9 and 10 p.m. ⊲⊲Unless the weather turns severe, most theaters show their movies rain or shine.
Drive-ins — which show all the latest movies — are ridiculously affordable when compared to multiplexes. Drive-in tickets typically top out at $8.50 for adults. Ages 5 and younger usually get in for free; and older kids can attend for as little as $1 each. And those prices typically include two, if not three films, for those willing to stay up late. July offerings at Minnesota’s drive-ins included a mix of PG and PG-13 films such as Minions, Jurassic World, Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out, Tomorrowland and others. And the treats? They cost easily less than half of those at local mall-based theaters. Some venues, such as the highly popular 800-car-capacity Vali Hi in Lake Elmo, sell hot food, too, including $1 hotdogs. Vali Hi, which celebrated its 80th birthday in 2013, and Elko Drive-In Theater, in the south-metro area, allow visitors to cook their own food. Many families can bring their own small grills and outdoor games and sit in lawn chairs while they wait for the sun to go down. Tom Novak of Rochester, who helps runs the Sky-Vu theater in Warren with
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Host an Exchange Student Today!
CINEMA UNDER THE STARS
(for 3, 5 or 10 months) Make a lifelong friend from abroad
Enrich your family with another culture. Now you can host a high school exchange student (girl or boy) from France, Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Italy or other countries. Single parents, as well as couples with or without children, may host. Contact us ASAP for more information or to select your student. Victoria from Australia, 17 yrs.
Enjoys spending time with her family and younger siblings. Victoria plays volleyball and is excited to learn new sports while in America.
his brother, Steve, said the drive-in audience has changed dramatically since Loves to play baseball and spend time with his dogs. Giorgio also plays the the ’60s and ’70s. (Their father, Leonard, guitar, and his dream is to join a drama has owned the drive-in since 1971.) club at his American high school. It used to be a lot of teens and people in SHARI 612-900-7612 their 20s looking for a night on the town. AMY 1-800-736-1760 (Toll Free) host.asse.com or email info@asse.com “Everything changed in the ’80s and ’90s,” Novak said. “Now what we’re finding is that it’s families that come out. They are the ones Founded in 1976 who support us more than anything.” ASSE International Student Exchange Program is a Public Benefit, Non-Profit Organization. In fact, Novak said, they expect the For privacy reasons, photos above are not photos of actual students summer’s animated films — such as Inside Out and Minions — to do better for them ASSE Intl Student Exchange MNP 0815 V6.indd 1 7/9/15 2:00 PMoverall than the blockbuster hit of the summer, Jurassic World. In Your Home — On Your Time “We would prefer to show an animated featured film … more than we would a Minnesota Speech Specialists offer horror flick,” he said receptive, expressive, feeding, articulation, tongue thrust, reading Daniel Claseman, who co-owns Long and writing therapy as well as much Prairie’s Long Drive-In Theatre with his more in the comfort and convenience wife, Michelle, said the smiles on kids’ of your own home. faces are a joy. Many families come early to play Frisbee and games before the sun goes down. Pediatric Speech Pathology “They put down the phones and all the games and they play for two to three Serving the East Metro Area hours,” he said. “You’re stepping back in time; you’re getting back to the simple things in life. It’s catching hold. It’s “Because every child deserves growing nicely for us.” to be heard and understood” When the show starts, Claseman said, families always sit together. Call for an “Whether they have two people or 10, Evaluation Today! they all try to fit in the back of their truck.” (651) 262-9639 According to the United Drive-In Theatre www.mnspeech.com Owners Association, there are fewer than kelly@mnspeech.com 500 such theaters left in the world with the Giorgio from Italy, 16 yrs.
Speech Therapy
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How did it all begin? The drive-in theater got its humble start in Richard Milton Hollingshead’s driveway in New Jersey. Using a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car, the auto parts sales manager projected the film onto a screen nailed to a tree. The home radio sitting behind the screen provided the sound. Hollingshead sat in the family car and watched and listened and the drive-in was born. By the 1950s, the drive-in industry was booming, especially in rural areas, with some 4,000 to 5,000 drive-in theaters in the U.S. (Minnesota once had 80 drive-in theaters.) Advantages were apparent to both adults and kids: A family with small children or babies could take care of their children while watching a movie, while teenagers with access to cars found drive-ins perfect for the dating scene. Hollingshead even advertised his theater with the slogan: “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.”
majority — 368 — in the U.S. Most Minnesota drive-ins open in April or May and close in September or early October. Kelly Jo McDonnell lives in Lino Lakes with her son. She is a freelance writer and a producer/writer with Minnesota Bound on KARE 11 TV.
MAKING DINNERTIME AN EVENT, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, CAN BOOST KIDS’ MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. By Megan Baumler
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The family meal IT WAS A DARK, COLD, MINNESOTA NIGHT. My mom was visiting from Wisconsin, and we were working in the kitchen, preparing supper. Looking at the clock, I suddenly realized I’d forgotten about my 4-year-old’s dance class, which was about to start. My heart rate jumped as I zipped around getting her bag ready and telling her we needed to get out the door, like NOW. I looked longingly into the kitchen, my mom stirring at the stove, my husband lounging on a chair at the kitchen island and our 6-month-old son in his bouncy seat. My train of thought did a U-turn. Why on earth would I leave our warm cozy home at this moment, when dinner is about to be ready? I realized that staying home and eating together as a family was going to be much more fulfilling than rushing to make it to dance class. At that point, I made the split-second decision to stay home. That night we had a lovely family meal by candlelight.
GROWING UP WITH IT Eating together, sharing a meal, looking at each other, hearing each other speak and really being present at the table over nourishing food is one of the most wonderful ways to spend time as a family. I grew up having family meals seven nights a week. While I didn’t appreciate it at the time — and certainly didn’t undermnparent.com • August 2015
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The family meal Ready to implement the family meal — or perhaps step up your approach? Here’s how: Who and what: A gathering of family members (no less than two) in which food is consumed in a meaningful way. Devices are turned off and there’s a deliberate sense of togetherness. Why: Eating a meal together as a family is a ritual that fosters health and relationships. The family meal is an opportunity to take pause from the daily hubbub and connect with your loved ones. Generally, people who participate in family meals are healthier than those who don’t. Where: The family meal can be anywhere, but typically it’s in the family home at a designated eating spot. Sitting, rather than standing, is an important component and signifies that the meal is an event. When: Generally the family meal occurs at breakfast, lunch and/or dinner — whenever those designated meal times are in your home. Rarely does a family get to sit together for every meal of every day of the week. Depending on the family, setting a goal of a family meal three to five nights a week might be reasonable, with specific designated mornings or nights. How: Setting goals and identifying days and times for the family meal will improve success. Make it clear that family members are expected to join (without devices) and maybe contribute (food, setting the table or cleaning up). Plan menus ahead of time to ease stress, or make sure to have a well-stocked pantry. The food itself, however, is less important than the fact that family members are joining together. The meal can be anything — sandwiches, leftovers, eggs, a new recipe or an old standby family favorite. Lighting a candle, giving thanks or performing another preferred ritual, however small or large, helps to emphasize the “event” of the meal. Finally, relax and enjoy the togetherness and the sense that everything else can wait.
stand the impact it would have on me — I now recognize the value of the family meal. Unfortunately, while the family meal used to be commonplace, it seems to be more of a dwindling species these days.
WHY EAT TOGETHER? Why take the effort to organize and make the family meal happen? Beyond the pleasure of spending time with loved ones, eating together also may lead to better health outcomes. The idea that a family meal will promote more healthful habits for the family members is not only logical, but is also supported by research. A review paper by Dr. Jayne Fulkerson at the University of Minnesota, published in the Journal of Nutrition
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Education and Behavior in 2014, showed that kids from families who ate more meals together were more stable and successful and had reduced risk for chronic disease. Fulkerson and her team conducted a more recent study on the impact of a community-based family meal program on health outcomes. The study design and early findings were presented at a meeting I recently attended for nutrition professionals. Sharing meals and preparing food together had a positive impact on the families: Almost 75 percent of the participating kids reported that the program increased their willingness to eat fruits, vegetables and healthier snacks — and their desire to try new foods. Previous studies published by Fulkerson, including one in 2009 in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that the more
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Megan Baumler is a mother of two and a registered dietitian with a doctorate in nutrition. She lives in White Bear Lake. She teaches family cooking classes in collaboration with BearPower, a community movement helping families eat well and be active. Learn more at bearpower.org.
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meals adolescents shared with the family, the more fruit they consumed, the more likely they were to eat breakfast — and the less likely they were to be depressed. Also, adolescents who never ate with their families were almost three times more likely to be overweight. Of course, making the family meal happen, especially if it’s not already happening, takes effort. Busy schedules, bringing home a new baby and rebellious teenagers — or family unions or separations — challenge the family meal. But I believe these are benefits well worth pursuing. Plus, just think of the extra family time you’ll enjoy, regardless.
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This 2015 book — subtitled Mixing Food, Fun and Conversation for a Happier Family and Healthier Kids — comes from Harvard Medical School professor and mother Anne Fishel, the cofounder of The Family Dinner Project, a nonprofit Harvard Universitybased project that encourages family mealtimes. Fishel explains how to whip up quick, healthy, tasty dinners; get kids to lend a hand (without any grief); adapt meals to the needs of everyone — from toddlers to teens; inspire picky eaters to explore new foods; and how to keep dinnertime conversation stimulating, fun and tension free. She even touches on ways to explore other cultures and spark curiosity about the world. $16 • amacombooks.org
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EXTREME SANDBOX IN HASTINGS OFFERS IMMERSIVE PARTIES FOR ADULTS AND KIDS, TOO! BY AMY SUTTON
Diggi 48
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Noah Getnick of Bloomington celebrated his 9th birthday at Extreme Sandbox in Hastings, a 10-acre play site for all ages with really big toys.
If
you’re looking for something cool (really cool) to do for your kid’s birthday party this year — and if your kid’s really into trucks and other big vehicles, then you might take a look at the new venture that is Extreme Sandbox. This family-run business in Hastings takes the touch-atruck experience to a whole new level. Extreme Sandbox — a 10-acre site about 30 miles southeast of St. Paul — lets all ages operate heavy machinery. Randy Stenger, a father of three boys, opened Extreme Sandbox 2011 to a mostly grown-up audience, hosting corporate team-building outings, family reunions and specialty parties for adults. It didn’t take long, of course, before Stenger noticed that kids were equally eager to run the earth-moving machines. So after dealing with the kind of red tape that can only come from telling the government you want to put
ing in mnparent.com • August 2015
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children into 38,000-pound work machines, Stenger began creating party packages for kids. Regina Getnick of Bloomington discovered Extreme Sandbox when she planned a surprise 40th birthday party for her husband recently. Her 9-year-old son, Noah, was a spectator during the event and was instantly interested in getting into the driver’s seat himself. Noah got his wish this past March, when his family hosted one of the company’s first specifically child-focused birthday parties. “Everyone had fun,” Getnick said of the group of 10 kids, ranging from age 4 to 11. “The facility was really nice. The kids were all allowed to climb into the equipment with adult supervision and they were allowed to explore on their own while other kids were having training.” Each kid was allowed to spend one-on-one time in the backhoe with an instructor during the two-hour party, too.
Book a party Extreme Sandbox 1901 Glendale Road, Hastings 855-344-4386 (DIG-4-FUN) extremesandbox.com Packages start at $195 for individuals and $495 for groups. Call at least three to four weeks ahead of time to schedule.
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↑↑Noah Getnick of Bloomington, 9, operates heavy machinery with the help of an instructor at Extreme Sandbox in Hastings at his birthday party in March.
Noah’s favorite part? “The horn!” he said, without hesitation. The fire truck was a surprising hit at Noah’s party as well. “I thought it’d be too basic, more of a preschoollevel interest,” Getnick said. “But for this group of 9-year-olds, they were fascinated by the fire truck.” Staff really engaged the kids in learning about the different functions of the fire truck. “I’d seen them instruct adults — and I knew they were good at working with adults who had no experience — but I was impressed with their ability to engage with the little guys and keep them entertained the whole time,” Getnick said. Sit-down party festivities such as pizza, presents and cake can be hosted in the company’s 4,000-square-foot open-air garage turned event space that seats up to 200. “It’s a cool experience,” Getnick said. “I watched my husband do it with all his buddies first, and they were having just as much fun as the kids did. There’s obviously an appeal to all ages. “And my daughter also enjoyed it, so I think it will appeal to anyone.” Amy Sutton is a St. Paul-based freelance writer and a regular contributor to Minnesota Parent.
Packages Individual packages, starting at $195, feature a one-on-one experience for a child, typically for an hour. Your kid gets child-friendly instruction on how to use two machines (skid steer, excavator or bulldozer) and then a chance to be in the driver’s seat, operating the controls. (Don’t worry, parents, there’s always a trained professional in the cab, supervising.) Extra add-ons such as car crushing or dueling excavators (for ages 14 and older only) can make the individual package especially exciting. Kiddie CAT packages have no minimum age requirement. Group packages, starting at $495 for up to five kids for two hours, get everyone involved in digging up the landscape with heavy-duty machines.
Since 1970
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Fire truck packages, starting at $350, bring the party to you. A real working fire truck — with all the lights, sirens and the famous high-pressure hose — will show up at your home or venue of your choice. Kids and parents can climb inside and operate all the equipment that makes fire trucks such icons. And for ages 10 and older there’s even an optional pick-up service, chauffeuring the kids to a party location aboard the fire engine with lights blazing. All tours include a tour of the facilities and parked vehicles. See extremesandbox.com for a large variety of other, customizable packages.
Dr. Tanya S. Peterson, mother of 2 and Dr. Heidi Smith, mother of 1
Did you know that your child should see the Dentist for the first time at age 1 or within 6 months of their 1st tooth coming in?
550 W. Burnsville Parkway, Suite 200, Burnsville, MN 952-890-2791 www.heartofthecitydental.com Like us on Facebook Heart of the City Dental MNP 0415 S3.indd 1
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By Pam Molnar
minion madness CREATE A FUN, MINIONS-THEMED BASH WITH PARTY GAMES AND CRAFTS
GAMES
flying minion
Decorate a yellow Solo cup with a minion face. Make a hole in the bottom of the cup and place it on a string hung horizontally between two points. Set up four stations and let the kids use “ray guns” (water guns) to shoot into the inside of the cup to push it to the end of the string. First one there wins!
penny pitch
go bananas
Minions love bananas. Line up the kids on the ground laying head to foot. Using only their feet, the kids pass a banana down the line of their team by lifting their legs over their head to the person behind them. If you drop a banana, your team has to start over.
minion switch
To create this classic carnival game, place a yellow tablecloth on the table and tape down minion or Despicable Me characters. Write a number on each character that will represent a small prize or candy. Let the kids toss pennies onto a specific character to win a prize.
Decorate four empty water bottles to look like minions, complete with goggles and blue overalls. Fill two bottles with yellow candies or beads and place the other empty bottles on top to connect the two with tape. Then let two players race to see who can drain the yellow candies from one bottle to the other the fastest.
minion toss
pop the evil minion
Fill up a bunch of yellow water balloons. Put the kids in a line (or have them form a circle) and have them toss the balloons down the line without dropping them. After each successful trip down the line, move the players farther apart. Then up the challenge by making them toss the balloons between their legs or throw them with their non-dominant hand.
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Fill purple party balloons with air and slip in a piece of paper with a prize number. (Partycity.com has 8-packs of 12-inch latex Minions balloons for $2.99.) Let the kids pick a balloon and — when you say “Go!” — try to pop it by stomping on it or sitting on it. When the balloon is popped, have the kids turn in their numbers and collect their prizes.
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CRAFTS
a minion grains of sand
Set up stations with colored sand to create minions using empty mini water bottles. Have the kids, using funnels and spoons, fill the water bottles onethird full with blue sand for the overalls and two-thirds full with yellow for the body. Decorate with a felt band for the goggles and one or two eyes for the face. Place a cap on top and wrap with black pipe cleaners with a few ends sticking up for hair.
Let's Dish MNP 0815 H4.indd 1
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minion bracelets
Make a simple elastic bracelet using yellow and blue beads. Solid colors and patterns with both colors work nicely together. Complete the jewelry with minion charms found online at Etsy or eBay.
photo booth
Etsy has a large selection of minion photo-booth props. Have fun!
Pam Molnar is a freelance writer, mother of three and a huge minion fan. mnparent.com • August 2015
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Destination: Party! Where’s your favorite place for a kid’s birthday party in the Twin Cities? Rainbow Play Systems showroom, Bloomington — Sarah Fejfar, Mendota Heights
Grand Slam, Burnsville — Kelly Marsh, Prior Lake
Brunswick Zone. Very organized and I just sat back. Everything was taken care of! — Shauna Coble, Saint Francis
Monkey House, White Bear Lake
Pout In Pink in Woodbury. They have a great little girls’ party center! Girly themed fun birthdays! Character princess events, too. — Angie Bottemiller, Woodbury
Lily Pad Ceramics in Anoka. All the girls got to paint something to keep and they had a blast.
— Jessica Rother, Stillwater
The American Girl store at MOA was a super special treat.
— Sue Rogers, East Bethel
Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store, St. Paul
— Anna Kjesbo, Savage
Eagles Nest Indoor Playground, New Brighton — Bianca Mlekus, St. Paul
GiGi’s Playhouse, St. Louis Park — Chris Choy Bush, Minnetonka
Wooddale Fun Zone, Woodbury — Rachel Browning, Stillwater
Playworks, Prior Lake — Becky Curran, Burnsville
Kiddywampus, Hopkins — Cassia Bardal, Brooklyn Center
— Elissa Weller, Fridley
Minnesota Children’s Museum, St. Paul, on a Friday evening. We practically had the place to ourselves! — Ann Haag, Woodbury
Good Times Park. Perfect, especially for mixed ages of kids. A local small business (and momprenuer) and extremely reasonably priced. — Jessica Moe, Woodbury
White Bear Township 17 Theater — Heather Fairbanks, Vadnais Heights
Legacy Gymnastics — Kerry Tofte, Eden Prairie
Minnesota Zoo — Lyndsay Szymanski, Brainerd
Como Zoo with a carousel ride! — Kym Ohna, St. Paul
Sea Life Aquarium, Bloomington — Jennifer Krasa, Hudson
Gleason’s Gymnastics — Amanda Sullivan, Minneapolis
Vertical Endeavors — Angie Jonas, New Brighton
Holiday Inn in Lakeville for their splash pad/pool area! — Samantha Chambers, Prior Lake
Pump It Up — Jenny MacCourt, Plymouth
The Grove Aquatic and Fitness Center, Inver Grove Heights — Tegwin Moye, Inver Grove Heights
Wise Swim School, Apple Valley — Andrea Winkler, Lakeville
Wabun Picnic Area, Minneapolis. Great no-depth entry kiddie pool/splash pad, fully accessible playground and gazebos with grills! Disc golf course, too! — Sayra Loftus, Minneapolis
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WHEN MY DAUGHTER TURNED 9, SHE HELD HER PARTY AT THE BLOOMINGTON ART CENTER. EACH GUEST CREATED A SMALL PAINTING/ COLLAGE TO TAKE HOME. IT WAS WONDERFUL. — Megan Koch, Bloomington
Lowry Nature Center, Victoria — Annette Parker, Mound
Teddy Bear Park, Stillwater — Theresa Cooke, Coon Rapids
Chutes and Ladders Park (Hyland Play Area), Bloomington — Anne Bartow, Hopkins
Lake Minnetonka Regional Park. Excellent swim beach, play area, picnic area and miles of trails! — Lori Mosser, Mayer
Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove
A tuition-free public charter school open to all students.
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763-486-5359 LionsgateAcademy.org 3420 Nevada Ave. N. Crystal, MN 55428
RSVP to info@lgamn.org We provide a secondary general education program specializing in students on the autism spectrum including 2E, college bound, and all others. A safe, supportive environment to foster leadership, self advocacy, and well being.
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32nd Annual
Scarecrow Contest & Festival
Sept. 12–Oct. 30 100 Scarecrows on Display Wagon Rides • Giant Haystack Jump Petting Zoo • Maze
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Tour Groups Welcome Make Your Group Tour Reservation Today
Tour info 952•873•3006 To enter scarecrow contest visit emmakrumbees.com
$6,900 in Prizes! 7/22/15 12:24 PM
— Cassie Merrill, Brooklyn Park
Eastman Nature Center, Maple Grove — Genna Haddas, Rogers
Parker’s Lake Park, Plymouth — Naomi Olson, Plymouth
Westwood Hills Nature Center, St. Louis Park — Kimberley Johnson, St. Louis Park
Picnic shelter at Oak Hill Park in St. Louis Park with a toddler playground, a big playground and a splash pad! — Katie Kelly, St. Louis Park
Gale Woods Farm, Minnetrista — Rebecca Andreasen, Albertville Stages Theatre MNP 0815 H4.indd 1
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mnparent.com • August 2015
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PARTY RESOURCE GUIDE AirMaxx Trampoline Park & Fun Center AirMaxx offers the most exciting parties on the planet! Our traditional parties have just one focus: your birthday child. Our party heros will keep the kids busy with games, activities, food, and fun — NONSTOP! 7000 Washington Ave S Eden Prairie 952-232-0096 airmaxxtrampolinepark.com
beARTrageous Do you have a birthday wish? We can grant it. We create unique, custom parties for all ages that are sure to be remembered. If you want it to be special, call us. It will beARTrageous. 2121 W 21st Kenwood, Minneapolis 612-423-7554 be-artrageous.com
The Big Epic Show Your Minnesota comical hip-hop variety show for kids is now bringing the EPIC FUN to your next birthday party with DJ dance parties, live hip-hop performances, costume characters, comedy sketches, dances games, and prizes. We have party packages for all budgets and we come to your home or birthday venue. Miss Cherice 952-913-8412 Minneapolis thebigepicshow.com
Bunker Park Stables Your GO-TO horse facility for the safest and most fun horse parties. Available for all ages! Make your event unforgettable! 550 Bunker Lake Blvd NW Andover 763-757-9445 bunkerparkstable.com
Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Have a Birthday Bash to Remember at Como! We offer seven unique party themes for kids age 1 and up. We can even provide pizza and cake. Join us for a party so exciting kids won’t notice how much they’re learning! 1225 Estabrook Dr St. Paul 651-487-8272 comozooconservatory.org
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Creative Kidstuff
Edinborough Park
Let us plan a party your birthday boy or girl will never forget. Kids will engage in active games and craft projects based on a chosen theme. Themes include Art Extravaganza, Superhero, Pirate Adventure, Girl Power, Fun & Games, and Toddler Palooza. Ages 2+.
Discover Adventure Peak for your next birthday party! The “Peak” is a giant climbing structure full of slides, tubes, climbing events, and a 30 foot tall oak tree. The Great Hall offers hours of fun with scooters and a bounce house!
Wayzata 952-249-1707 St. Paul 651-222-2472 St. Louis Park 952-540-0022 creativekidstuff.com
Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies Locally and family-owned Davanni’s Pizza & Hot Hoagies has been serving the Twin Cities since 1975! Every shop, except Uptown, has FREE (with minimum purchase) one to two party and meeting rooms, which comfortably hold between 10 and 60 people. 22 locations in the Metro area davannis.com
Eagles Nest Indoor Playground We make planning a birthday party a piece of cake. We offer a wide variety of party packages. Come experience the fun of leaping into a ball pit, zooming down over 75 feet of slides, and much more! New Brighton Community Center 400 10th St NW New Brighton 651-638-2130 newbrightonmn.gov
7700 York Ave S Edina 952-833-9544 edinboroughpark.com
Firefighters Hall & Museum Located in NE Minneapolis, our Museum has over 12,000 square feet dedicated to fire education, safety, prevention, and telling the history of firefighting. The Museum contains thousands of historic items going back to the 1860s including many hands-on exhibits. 664 22nd Ave NE Minneapolis 612-623-3817 firehallmuseum.org
GameTruck of Twin Cities Twin Cities Premier Mobile video game arcade. With 5 large screen televisions, 200+ video game titles and all of the current gaming systems, 16–20 gamers can play at once. A GameTruck party is truly the easiest party you can host. We deliver excitement! Mobile – we come to you! 612-345-8381 gametruckparty.com
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ADVERTISER LISTINGS
Gleason’s Gymnastic School
Little Pines Barnyard Adventures
Looking for a unique and memorable way to celebrate a birthday? Try Gleason’s Gymnastic birthday parties! You provide the refreshments...WE PROVIDE THE REST! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the CELEBRATION! Call the office to schedule your party today!
Enjoy a 2-, 3-, or 4-hour customized birthday party for up to 8 children with options including horse or pony grooming and decorating, pony rides, games, arts & crafts, lunch, and a petting zoo.
2015 Silver Bell Rd, Eagan 651-454-6203 9775 85th Ave N, Ste 500, Maple Grove 763-493-2526 gleasons.com
Afton 612-328-0957 littlepinesadventures.com
Maple Grove Community Center Recreational and meeting venue offering meeting rooms, pools, indoor playground, gymnasium, ice arena for open skating, Teen Center with arcade games, concessions, skate park, sand volleyball courts, playground, and a shelter.
Gopher Spot Gopher Spot is a great place to host a party. Packages include bowling, bumpers, shoe rental, soda, pizza, gift bags, and more! Contact us to book the ultimate party today. St. Paul Student Center 2017 Buford Ave 612-624-4452 sua.umn.edu
12951 Weaver Lake Rd Maple Grove 763-494-6500 maplegrovecommunitycenter.org
Minnetonka Orchards Minnetonka Orchards birthday parties from end of August through October. Two to four picnic tables with a tent, hay ride pulled by one of our antique tractors, petting barn, hay mountain, corn maze, wooden train, walking trails, corn crib and play area with large sandbox. 6530 Country Rd 26 Minnetrista 763-479-6530 minnetonkaorchards.com
Everyone deserves a happy birthday
Help Board Shop and Skatepark Have a birthday party at Help Board Shop in our beginner, kid friendly indoor skate park in Edina, MN! Skateboards and helmets are available for rent and you can even request a professional skate instructor to join the fun! 7385 Bush Lake Rd Edina 952-452-1283 helpboardshop.com/birthday
Join our Birthday Club! Just $10 per month ensures a toy-filled birthday gift bag is delivered each month to a less fortunate child on their special day. 1,000,967 birthday gift bags since 1994!
cheerfulgivers.org/give
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Kidcreate Studio Kidcreate’s parties combine fun art projects with lots of giggles and grins. 100s of project themes available like Frozen, clay, Lego and more! Celebrate at Kidcreate and leave the mess with us! CALL NOW TO SAVE $50.00 ON A FALL PARTY! Kidcreate Studio: Eden Prairie 7918 Mitchell Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-974-3438; Kidcreate Studio: Woodbury 1785 Radio Drive, Suite F Woodbury, MN 55125 651-735-0880 kidcreatestudio.com
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PARTY RESOURCE GUIDE Mod Shot Studio – Fashion Photoshoot Party
Phancy Face Painting and Fun Entertainment Plus!
Grab your BFFs for the most amazing party ever! Coordinate outfits then model for a real fashion photoshoot. Each session in our warehouse studio includes two group fashion shoots for up to 4 models, a headshot for each model, light refreshments, and a 5x7 print for each model. Great for fashionistas of all ages.
We provide fun entertainment for all ages and events/parties throughout the Twin Cities. some of our services are face painting, balloon art/animals, henna, caricatures, airbrushed temporary tattoos, custom t-shirts, hats, and helmets. Also check out our fun foods rental items. CALL or EMAIL for BOOKING!
2303 Kennedy Street NE Ste 520 Minneapolis 612-567-4722 modshotstudio.com
Monkey House The ultimate kids party and play place. Huge 5,000 square foot indoor play center. Giant inflatable bounce houses, obstacle course, 18 foot slide, climbers, foam pit, and more! You get an entire play arena and party room exclusively for your group. 1815 Buerkle Rd White Bear Lake 651-348-8233 monkeyhousemn.com
Mobile to you or by appointment 612-310-8292 or 1-800-701-0955 phancyfaces.com
Pump It Up At Pump It Up we love entertaining kids! Our kid’s birthday parties are 100% private, indoors, and the best in the inflatable industry. Let us take all the stress out of fulfilling your child’s dream of inviting the whole class for some amazing jumping fun! 7406 Washington Ave S Eden Prairie 952-943-0052; 7045 6th St Oakdale 651-735-1556 pumpitupparty.com
My Gym Children’s Fitness Center Every birthday party is a perfectly planned celebration created especially for your child. Our amazing birthday party specialists will make your birthday party unique and special. All of our birthday parties feature nonstop action-packed activities, games, puppets, songs, and more! 6545 Flying Cloud Dr Eden Prairie 952-906-0028 mygym.com/edenprairie
Park Tavern Bowling & Entertainment Center Park Tavern has been a family entertainment center for over 35 years. We specialize in family gatherings of all sizes with private and semi private rooms at no charge. We feature fun and affordable “Children’s Party Packages” everyday with Cosmic Bowling on Sat & Sun from noon–2 p.m. 3401 Louisiana Ave S St. Louis Park 952-929-6810 parktavern.net
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Sunnyside Stables, Inc. Birthday Parties, Lessons, Kids Horse Camp, and Trail Riding!! 15400 Emery Ave E, Rosemount 651-226-2027 sunnysidestables.org
A Touch of Magic Party Entertainment Voted “Best Entertainment in Minneapolis”! Your kids will LOVE our laugh-out-loud comedy shows, balloon sculptures, facepainting, glittertats, magic and gameleading! Insured, clean background checks and over 20 years experience delighting children means a worryfree party for YOU! Serving the Metro (and beyond!) 651-748-9442 atouchofmagicentertainment.com
Tropics Indoor Waterpark & Playground Come experience a TROPICAL GETAWAY while the kids swim in the Tropics Indoor Waterpark and play in our indoor playground. We offer a wide variety of party packages
ADVERTISER LISTINGS including themed parties to make your child’s birthday party a PIECE OF CAKE! Shoreview Community Center 4580 Victoria St N Shoreview 651-490-4790 shoreviewcommunitycenter.com
USA Inflatables USA Inflatables offers the largest selection of inflatables, moonwalks, bouncehouses, waterslides, obstacle courses, rockwall, euro bungee, concessions, interactives, dunk tanks and more for any occasion. Free delivery and pickup. Free Delivery in Metro 763-506-0400 usainflatables.com
The Whimsy Factory Quality, comfortable, glitter-free dress up clothes that inspire imaginative play in little princesses and adventurers. Visit our traveling boutique at local fairs and festivals, or shop online anytime. Save 10% on 2015 online orders with code PARENTS at checkout. St. Paul 612-584-1073 thewhimsyfactory.com
The Works Museum At The Works Museum, kids and families use hands-on activities, building tools, and everyday materials to explore engineering and design. Parents love our easy and fun birthday parties, make-your-own favors, free parking, and easy-to-supervise layout. Kids just love us, period. 9740 Grand Ave S, Bloomington 952-888-4262 theworks.org
Zero Gravity Trampoline Park & Laser Tag Looking for a new place for your child’s birthday party? Check out Zero Gravity. Shoot hoops, flip into a foam pit, play dodgeballall on trampolines. We have Laser Tag, an arcade, and climbing wall. Jumpers must be 3 years plus. 2292 Woodale Dr, Mounds View 763-231-3033 zerogravitymn.com
Out & About
AUGUST
mnparent.com/calendar
Photo by Heidi Bohnenkamp
Mary Poppins ⊲⊲The run for this popular musical stage version of the Disney film has been extended through Oct. 24. If you go this summer, you can get a special deal on kids tickets: It’s $20 for one child ticket (includes dinner and the show) with the purchase of a full-price adult dinner-and-show ticket. Ages 5 and older are allowed at the dinner theater. When: Through Oct. 24 Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Chanhassen Cost: $20–$84 through Sept. 5, $50–$84 Sept. 6–Oct. 24
ONGOING
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ⊲⊲Join an immersive quest to find Captain Nemo as you’re led through the theater’s corridors, which will be transformed into a submarine. This production is recommended for kids in grades 3 to 8. When: Through Aug. 16 Where: Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis Cost: Tickets start at $10. Info: childrenstheatre.org or 612-874-0400
Info: Call 952-934-1525 and give the promo code MPKID20 for the summer offer, valid through Sept. 5. Some restrictions apply. See chanhassendt.com for show times.
Minnesota Fringe Festival ⊲⊲The Midwest’s largest performing-arts festival continues its 11-day run with a variety of adult- and kid-friendly productions. When: Through Aug. 9 Where: Venues in Minneapolis Cost: $14 for adults and $5 for kids (per show). Adults must purchase a $4 festival-admission button. Info: fringefestival.org
AUG. 5
Groovin’ in the Garden ⊲⊲Groove to the sounds of the Twin Cities’ favorite indie, world-fusion, chamber-pop band — i like you — while the kids enjoy a climbing wall, bouncy house and lawn games, all outdoors, all free, in this final installment of the zoo’s family concert series. When: Aug. 5 Where: Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, St. Paul Cost: FREE Info: comozooconservatory.org mnparent.com • August 2015
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Out & About AUG. 5
Bryant Lake Beach Party ⊲⊲Celebrate summer with naturalists from Richardson Nature Center. And ride a water slide, try the beach obstacle course, make a craft and play water games. See live pond critters, birds of prey and reptiles. Build and decorate a sand castle — and win a cool treat. When: Noon–3 p.m. Aug. 5 Where: Bryant Lake Regional Park, Eden Prairie Cost: $5 Info: tinyurl.com/bryantlakebeachparty
AUG. 7–9
Twin Cities Polish Festival ⊲⊲Experience all things Polish at this seventh-annual family-friendly event. Enjoy folk-dance exhibitions and polka dancing, a disco-band concert and performances by Megitza, a Polish musician and vocalist. You’ll also find Polish food and beverages, arts and crafts, cultural exhibits and Chopin piano concerts. Children will especially like the Polish sheepdogs. When: Aug. 7–9 Where: Along the Mississippi River on Old Main Street in northeast Minneapolis, across from Riverplace and St. Anthony Main Cost: FREE Info: tcpolishfestival.org
AUG. 7–9
Irish Fair ⊲⊲One of the nation’s largest free celebrations of Irish culture, this event is a showcase for Irish music and dance performances, sports and other cultural
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Cultivate Minneapolis ⊲⊲Chipotle’s family-friendly festival is back with performances by popular bands (Walk the Moon, Hippo Campus, Atlas Genius and more), cooking demonstrations by renowned local chef such as Andrew Zimmern and Gavin Kaysen (Spoon and Stable) and activities and samples focused on sustainable food. Kids Zone highlights include a giant interactive chalkboard, a paint-a-T-shirt station, a cotton pit where kids can play in raw organic cotton fluff and a plant-a-seed area where kids can decorate and plant their own pots to take home. When: 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Aug. 22 Where: Loring Park, Minneapolis
demonstrations. When: Aug. 7–9 Where: Harriet Island, St. Paul Cost: FREE Info: irishfair.com
Uptown Art Fair ⊲⊲This popular three-day fine-arts festival features professional and youth artists, live performances and family-friendly activities, plus festival-style food and beverages. When: Aug. 7–9 Where: Uptown Minneapolis Cost: FREE Info: uptownartfair.com
Cost: FREE Info: chipotlecultivate.com
AUG. 9
A Year With Frog and Toad ⊲⊲Celebrate 50 years of Children’s Theatre Company excellence with an outdoor premiere screening of a Tonynominated Frog and Toad production in high definition on the jumbotron in a ballpark atmosphere. This free family event kicks off the 50th anniversary season for the company and will include special performances and interactive games, too. Where: Target Field, Minneapolis When: 5:30–8:30 p.m. Aug. 9 Cost: FREE. Seating is limited to provide scoreboard views. Check the website for availability. Info: childrenstheatre.org/seasonopener
AUG. 15
IndiaFest 2015 ⊲⊲Celebrate Minnesota’s growing and vibrant Indian community at this 42ndannual event, organized by the India Association of Minnesota. Check out two internationally acclaimed classical dance groups based in Minnesota as well as foottapping live Bollywood music and Indian cuisine from local restaurants. When: Noon–9 p.m. Aug. 15 Where: State Capitol Grounds, St. Paul Cost: FREE Info: iamn.org
MN Transportation Museum MNP 0815 H6.indd 1
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AUG. 15–OCT. 24
Fun at Big River Farms ⊲⊲Elementary and middle school-aged children and their families are invited to learn about sustainable agriculture and meet local farmers, courtesy of the Minnesota Food Association’s Big River Farms Youth & Family Education Program. Events are on select Saturdays throughout the growing season with 30-minute sessions on soil, farm animals and more. When: 10 a.m.–Noon Aug. 15, Sept. 26 and Oct. 24 Where: Big River Farms, Marine on St. Croix Cost: $5 suggested donation Info: mnfoodassociation.org
AUG. 19–OCT. 20
Stop-Motion Animation ⊲⊲Tell a story and then turn it into a life-size animated film in this workshop presented by COMPAS artist John Akre. Students will develop a script, create props and then animate a story with a life-size stop-motion animation stage, a camera mounted on a ceiling and animation software. When: Aug. 19, Sept. 16, 19, 21 and Oct. 3, 6, 13, 15, 17, 20 Where: Libraries in the Twin Cities Cost: FREE Info: compas.org/events
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Out & About AUG. 22–OCT. 4
Renaissance Festival ⊲⊲King Henry and his court invite one and all to his 16th-century European village, featuring 12 stages of musicians, magicians, jugglers and mimes, including more than 500 engaging memorable characters. More than 250 artisans fill the festival marketplace to create a unique shopping experience. Themed weekends include Oktoberfest, Highland Fling, Shamrocks & Shenanigans and more. When: Weekends Aug. 22–Oct. 4, plus Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) and Friday, Oct. 2 Where: Rural Shakopee Cost: $22.95; $13.95 for ages 5 to 12. Advanced tickets are $11.50–$19.95. Buy online or at local stores to avoid lines at the event. Info: renaissancefest.com
AUG. 23
Japanese Lantern Lighting Festival ⊲⊲Experience Japanese culture through food, entertainment, gardens, vendors and a traditional lantern-lighting ceremony at dusk. When: 3–9 p.m. Aug. 23 Where: Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, St. Paul Cost: $5 for ages 13 and older, $3 for ages 3–12 Info: comozooconservatory.org
ONGOING
Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks ⊲⊲View 13 displays of nature-inspired sculptures — made from 500,000 LEGO bricks in all — throughout the arboretum gardens, including a huge hummingbird
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Minnesota State Fair ⊲⊲The Great Minnesota Get-Together is one of the largest and best-attended expositions in the world, attracting nearly 1.8 million visitors every year, showcasing Minnesota’s finest agriculture, horticulture, art and industry, plus carnival rides, games, live music and food vendors aplenty. When: Aug. 27–Sept. 7 Where: Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St. Paul Cost: Advanced tickets start at $10. Daily gate admission is $13 for ages
and trumpet flower, a giant snapping turtle, a deer family, a monarch butterfly and more. Created by artist Sean Kenney of Brooklyn, N.Y., the exhibit will also include kids’ activity areas where LEGO fans can engage in free play with the little plastic bricks. When: Through Aug. 30 Where: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska Cost: Free with arboretum admission ($12 for ages 13 and older) Info: arboretum.umn.edu or 612-301-1210
13–64; $11 for ages 5–12 and 65 and older; and free for ages 4 and younger. Info: mnstatefair.org
Space: An Out-ofGravity Experience ⊲⊲This special exhibition investigates the future of human space travel and how we might adapt to living and working in space. The International Space Station Office of NASA’s Johnson Space Center helped develop this exhibit. When: Through Sept. 7 Where: Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul Cost: $24 for adults, $15 for ages 4–12 (includes museum admission) Info: smm.org or 651-221-9444
Sounds of Summer
UPCOMING
⊲⊲Maple Grove’s summer concert and movie series continues with kid-friendly music, activities and moonlight films.
Akeelah and the Bee
When: Through Sept. 18 Where: Town Green, Maple Grove Cost: FREE Info: facebook.com/ TownGreenMapleGrove
Big Back Yard ⊲⊲This seasonal, hands-on exhibit — and nine-hole miniature golf course — illustrates landscape evolution, river dynamics and biodiversity. It also features a prairie maze, gardens, a camera obscura and a solar-powered building. When: Ongoing Where: Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul Cost: Free with museum admission ($13 for adults, $10 for ages 4–12) Info: smm.org/bigbackyard
The Little Mermaid Jr. ⊲⊲Join Ariel, King Triton, Prince Eric, Sebastian, Scuttle, Flounder, Grimsby and, of course, the villainous Ursula, in this all-ages production of one of Disney’s most beloved stories. Songs will include Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, Part of Your World and more. When: Through Aug. 2 Where: Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins Cost: $16 Info: stagestheatre.org or 952-979-1111
⊲⊲Akeelah has a crazy passion for words — the more abstruse and labyrinthine, the better. But this gift is almost overwhelmed by the challenge of her daily life in a tough, Chicago neighborhood, and by Akeelah’s yearning for a different life. This production, the first theatrical adaptation of the critically acclaimed film, is recommended for grades 3 and older. When: Sept. 1–Oct. 11 Where: Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis Cost: Tickets start at $10. Info: childrenstheatre.org or 612-874-0400
The Jungle Book ⊲⊲Mowgli is rambunctious and curious, scrappy and silly. Sound like a kid you know? This new adaptation of the beloved Rudyard Kipling story finds a child lost in the Indian jungle, where he’s adopted by Baloo the Bear, Bagheera the Panther and all the beasts who call the mysterious wilderness home. Recommended for kindergarteners and older. When: Sept. 29–Dec. 6 Where: Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis Cost: Tickets start at $10. Info: childrenstheatre.org or 612-874-0400
When: Ongoing Where: Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul Cost: Included with museum admission ($13 for adults, $10 for ages 4–12) Info: smm.org or 651-221-9444
⊲⊲Peek into the Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal of the sassy and lovable Junie B. Jones. Based on four of Barbara Park’s best-selling books, this all-ages production is just the thing to get kids in a back-to-school mindset. It tackles best-pal problems, new kids on the bus, trouble reading the blackboard, a friendly cafeteria lady and a kickball tournament. When: Sept. 18–Oct. 18 Where: Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins Cost: $16 Info: stagestheatre.org or 952-979-1111
There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom ⊲⊲All the kids think Bradley Chalkers is a “monster,” and Bradley seems to agree until the new school counselor sees the likable kid beneath the bully. But, just as Bradley starts to believe in himself, the school board decides to replace his much-liked counselor with a computer. Written by Newbery and National Book Award winner Louis Sachar — and based on his novel of the same name — this play is recommended for ages 8 and older. When: Oct. 9–Nov. 1 Where: Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins Cost: $16 Info: stagestheatre.org or 952-979-1111
The Wizard of Oz
Math Moves ⊲⊲Math doesn’t have to be boring! Get moving and learning with unique math challenges that require imagination and collaboration.
Junie B. Jones: The Musical
MORE ONLINE! ⊲⊲Want to learn about even more local events? Check out Minnesota Parent’s Out&About calendar at mnparent. com/calendar. Click on any day of the month and find things to do! ⊲⊲Have a cool family-friendly event coming up? Send all the details (plus photos) to calendar@mnparent.com at least six weeks in advance.
⊲⊲The songs, the costumes, the wonder of it all come together in this all-ages production of the beloved L. Frank Baum story, including a cast of munchkins, monkeys and four friends (Toto, too) in the pursuit of courage, a brain, a heart and a home. When: Nov. 3–Jan. 3 Where: Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis Cost: Tickets start at $10. Info: childrenstheatre.org or 612-874-0400
mnparent.com • August 2015
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CHILDCARE/EDUCATION Catalina’s Preschool Spanish Learn SpaniSh with Your ChiLd Fun music-based classes for ages 1½-6 & parents
612-922-2222 www.preschoolspanish.com
Creative Kids Academy
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Free Music, Spanish, Yoga, Storytelling and Karate!
Anoka * Centerville * Lexington * Maple Grove * Minnetonka Mounds View * Orono * NOW OPEN in Apple Valley
CHILDREN’S YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL
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www.childrensyamaha.com • 612-339-2255
Celebrating Over 40 Musical Years in Minnesota! Schools in Edina & Roseville
Mis Amigos Spanish Immersion
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Offering classes for Infants through Preschool
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She’s my biggest investment.
That’s why I depend on NARI.
Free Mom & Ba by Classes
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Visit narimn.org or call 612-332-6274 to find a NARI-certified professional for your next remodeling project or to become a NARI member.
Call 952-935-5588 and schedule a tour! www.misamigosimmersion.com
Locations in Hopkins, Minnetonka, St. Paul, and St. Paul Park
In-home Music Lessons • All Instruments • All Ages • Convenient Scheduling •
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August 2015 • mnparent.com
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Lessons * Horse Camp * Birthday Parties Public Guided Trail Rides by Appointment Only
Have a Wild Birthday at Como Zoo!
Year Round Riding Lessons Indoor Arena
Not just on for the ride—learn all the basics about horses. (ALL AGES)
651-226-2027
Fun Birthday Parties for children ages 3 and up!
Sunnyside Stables, Inc. Rosemount, MN www.sunnysidestables.org
Call 651-487-8272 for more
mnparent.com
information or to schedule your party.
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“Nifty, brainy lyrics...definitely recommended.” — Stefan Shepherd, NPR Children’s Music Reviewer
Duke Otherwise’s “Creepy Crawly Love”:
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• Clever lyrics with a lot of wordplay • Music that both kids and parents will love • A vast array of instruments and styles
Buy Creepy Crawly Love from DukeOtherwise.com 7/22/15 11:47 AM
mnparent.com • August 2015
Duke Otherwise MNP 0715 2cx2.2.indd 1
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FROM OUR READERS
↑↑The Kahl kids and their cousins — ages 4, 6, 10, 8, 9 and 1 — celebrate a hot day in their Mounds View yard.
↑↑Pool time delights Charlotte Catherine Lacroix, 2, of St. Paul.
↑↑Two-year-old Lorna Johnson of Burnsville feeds the goats on a vacation to Fawn Doe Rosa Wildlife Education Park in St. Croix Falls, Wis. Photo by Megann Johnson
↑↑Micah Thomas of Minneapolis, 7 months, kicks back poolside at Cascade Bay water park in Eagan.
KID QUOTES “When is his extension cord going to fall off?” — Cole, at age 6, Waconia about his new baby brother’s umbilical cord.
While walking past the bras in Target: “BOOBIE TRAPS EVERYWHERE!!!” — Zane, 8, Minneapolis
“I have two babies, but when I grow up I will have 10 in my belly.” — Tatiana of Minneapolis, at age 3, after welcoming her twin baby brother and sister into the world.
“Mom, you’re crazy! You’re a one-horse open sleigh!”
“Learning to read is hard. I look at the words and all I see is, ‘Blah blah blah.’ Why don’t you just read me the story and then I’ll repeat back exactly what it says.” — Eliana, at age 4, Shoreview
— Merry, at 4 years, Richfield
Want to see your kid on this page? Send photos with your child’s first/last name, age and city to editor@mnparent.com.
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