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you can find our magazine here...
pring
is here and summer is right around the corner. I don’t know about you, but I am so loving all the blooms and blossoms, and I find myself daydreaming about spending time outdoors this summer. There are so many reasons to love Oregon, and Salem. I hope that you are feeling the joy of Spring, too!
MAY/JUNE
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This issue is dedicated to getting out and about to explore all of the great things that we have available to us in the Williamette Valley. Ideas for day trips, two great family-friendly hikes, and summer camp ideas and info, are in here as well. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day coming up, I just wanted to offer a high-five to all you Oregon parents who are waking up early, or staying up all night, those parents noticing spit-up or peanut butter or who-knows-what on our favorite business pants, or yoga pants, or pajama pants. Whether you’re the parents who push their kids hard, or the parents who take a more laid-back approach- whether you have wild hippie hair or high and tights... Parents caring for kids, and parents caring for their own parents, I see you.
ADVERTISING Yvette Tripp 971.716.3968
971.716.3968
You’re doing great! You got this! High Five! Here’s a shout- out to single parents and those who parent in tandem- Moms who hug too long, and Dads who know the perfect lame joke to get an eye roll. While we all are vastly different, and our parenting techniques vary- ( C’mon, admit it- you’re wingin’ it just like I am! )We all have one thing in common. We want what is best for our babies big and small. So, keep on keepin’ on. You’re an Ace- Happy Mom’s and Dad’s Day to you!
Yvette
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McDowell Creek Falls Loop
Henline Falls Hike
Directions: Interstate 5 south - Exit 233 for Lebanon/Sweet Home. Take Highway 20 east for 19 miles, through Lebanon. Turn left onto McDowell Creek Road and follow signs for about 9 miles toward the park. Map it: 43170 McDowell Creek Dr, Lebanon, OR 97355
Directions: Head east on Highway 22 for 23 miles. Turn left on North Fork Road for Elk Horn Recreation area. 16.8 miles more and continue through the intersection. The Henline Falls Trailhead is just 0.1 beyond this intersection on the left.
Distance: 1.8 miles Difficulty: Easy Fees: None Located about an hour from Salem in the Cascade foothills just north of Sweet Home, Oregon, McDowell Creek Falls County Park is a perfect family outing for every season. A loop trail takes you past two gorgeous waterfalls as well as smaller cascades and there’s even a swimming hole! Stairs, platforms, waterfalls and abundant vegetation keep little minds engaged and excited to discover what’s next. Restroom and Picnic area.
Distance: 1.8 miles Difficulty: Easy Fees: None Located in the Little North Santiam River area, this hike also features impressive waterfalls, amazing green tinted pools and the added bonus of an old abandoned Silver King mine visable from the trail. While there is a gate across the mine entrance, it is still a good idea to keep a watchful eye on curious kids. Less than 2 miles round trip and only 200 feet of elevation gain makes this a great hike for families with children of all ages. Fire damage from July 2015 closed the trail, but it should be open again this spring.
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Two fun day-trips just a short jaunt from Salem. EUGENE Distace from Salem 1 hr.
If you haven’t visted the Museum of Natural History in Eugene, pack up the kids and go meet the sabertooth salmon, the giant sloth, and other amazing animals from across the millennia. With admission tickets priced at $5 or less, it’s affordable, educational fun. Your kids will enjoy sitting in a meteorite- and that alone is worth the trip! Map It: 1680 E 15th Ave, Eugene 97401 Next, check out the The Cascades Raptor Center with one of the largest collections of native raptor species in the Pacific Northwest. Visitors can view nearly 50 birds of prey in large outdoor aviaries. Map it: 32275 Fox Hollow Road, Eugene 97405 You can’t mention kids and Eugene without including The Science Factory Kids Museum. From star-gazing to sea monsters and everything in between, this OMSI museum packs an entertaining and education punch. For less than the cost of a movie ticket, you can visit both the exploration dome, and the exhibit hall, making for a full day of fun and adventure. Map It- 2300 Leo Harris Pkwy, Eugene 97401
INDEPENDENCE Distance from Salem 16 minutes.
Whoa! did you know there was a ferry just a few miles south of Independence? My kids go nuts for those kinds of things. Founded in 1852, Buena Vista Ferry is one of the oldest continuous operating ferries in the state. It can hold 6 cars plus bikes and passengers. Be on the lookout for nesting Egrets in the spring. The ferry operates from 7 am to 7 pm year round. Call the recorded “Ferry Information Line” at (503) 588-7979. Cost for Vehicles is $3 and pedestrians are free. Directions from Salem: South on River Road S. over the Independence Bridge and turn left. Independence is the place to be in the summer. Live music on the weekends and movies in the City Park Ampitheater is a nice, unhurried, uncrowded way to wile away the summer days. The fourth of July Celebration is quite large, and honors the appropriate named town with vendors, music, a carnival and impressive fireworks display. Plan to come early and park far away! Check out our website, www.oregonkidsandfamily.com and Pinterest page for even more day-trip ideas. If you know of a family-friendly place that blows these away, email me and let me know! I’d love to hear from you. Happy trails and safe drives to you- yvette@oregonkidsandfamily.com
Find us on facebook! /oregonkidsandfamily
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1. Fosters new connections that help the brain work better. 2. Provides an emotionally safe community where children learn new stress-relieving and resiliency-building life skills.
3. Teaches specific skills (such as deep breathing) which harmonize
the autonomic nervous system and promote balanced emotional regulation.
4. Teaches them to be at home and comfortable in their bodies. 5. Builds attention and focus, promoting and fostering better academic and athletic abilities.
6. Mindfulness increases self-awareness and is an accessibleanywhere, anytime,
available stress-buster.
7. Teaches kids
to focus on the positive.
8. Bolsters con-
fidence as children nurture their gifts in a non-competitive
strengths and environment.
Jenifer Trivelli is a Certified YogaCalm Youth Yoga Instructor and has been teaching yoga to kids since 2007. She currently teaches ages 3-19 for private schools, Indigo Yoga, and Grow Strong Wellness Center. Learn more at Facebook. com/WiseMindServices.
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LOCAL CAMP GUIDE So- you’re looking for a summer camp worthy of a lifetime of memories- the good kind. Gone are the days of a basic camps. Today, there are camps to meet your child’s every interest, and your price range, and schedule. While the vast selection can be overwhelming, here are a few things to help choose the right scenario for your happy little campers.
Resident or Day Camp?
Day camps are available for kids as young as four years old. Day camps are readily available and a great way to introduce them to being away from home, new concepts and cultures, and ready them for school. The cost is typically less expensive, since your child returns home to you at the end of the day.
Resident camps can range from a weekend away to all summer long. They can offer an older child a sense of autonomy, and adventure. Most offer a variety of programs for children starting at age seven. Resident camps can be coed, single sex and specialty camps that focus on a particular program. Your child may stay in a residential hall, cabin, tents, or tepees.
Specialty Camp
There is a vast array of Specialty Camps and Programs available near Salem. Campers can embark on adventures as varied as learning how to ride a horse, hike, water ski, computers or sports and dance. If your child has an interest, there likely is a camp that specializes in it.
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Special Needs Camps
Disabilities, whether physical, medical, or mental should never be a roadblock for a camp experience. Millions of special needs kiddos benefit from summer camp. You will find camps that serve certain groups exclusively, and others that have the capabilities to accomodate and integrate campers with special needs. Local and nearby camp opportunities for kids abound in the Williamette Valley. Here are just a few:
Local Camp Opportunities: Salem Keizer Education Foundation: Lego-robotics, writing and invention, and babysitting certification programs are just a few of the most popular offerings at SKEF. Visit www.skeducationfoundation.org for more information. City of Salem Summer Rec Guide: Science week, Spirit week, Talent week, Wild animal week, are just a sample of the fun camps the city of Salem has planned for our lucky kids. Check out www.cityofsalem.net/Residents/Recreation YMCA Camp Silvercreek and Greider: Archery, Arts and Crafts, Music, Boating, Cooking, Soccer, Climbing Wall, Dancing, Disc Golf, Street Hockey, Swimming, Drama, Fishing, Survival Skills, Volleyball, Hiking, Ultimate Frisbee are some of the awesome activities you can find at summer camp! www.theyonline.org/ programs-services/camps/ Camp Yakety Yak: is a social skills day camp located in Lake Oswego, Oregon supporting friendship development in children with special needs, such as Autism, ADHD, Intellectual Disability. Ages 5-15. Siblings and peer models welcome! www.campyaketyyak.org For clickable links to local camps visit www.oregonkidsandfamily.com! Happy Campin’ from Oregon Kids & Family!
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Just Between Friends Consignment Event Friday, May 6- May 8th 10 am 520 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem, Oregon 97301 Welcome to the Mid-Valley’s cleanest, bestorganized and largest kid’s consignment event-- If you have children or grandchildren, are expecting a new baby, or work with children, JBF is for you! Anyone can consign with JBF and everyone can save. This is one sale you cannot afford to miss - all you need to do is register! www.salem.jbfsale.com
Star Wars and More: Music of John Williams Sunday May 8th 8pm Oregon Symphony Association in Salem 1220 20th St SE, Salem, Oregon 97302 Music from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, and more! Tickets start at $35 – while they last! Paul Ghun Kim, conductor www.orsymphonysalem.org
Salem’s 1st Materni-Tea Party! Saturday May 7th 7pm to 9 pm IKE Box 299 Cottage St NE, Salem, Oregon Salem Birth Support is excited to celebrate you on the evening before Mother’s Day! Join us for tea, snacks, and an opportunity to chat with various professionals and businesses in the area that may be an important part of your pregnancy and postpartum. www.salembirthsupport.com
Nature Kids: Hike Keizer Rapids Park Thursday, May 12th and 19th Keizer Rapids Park- 1900 Chemawa Rd. N. Spring has sprung! Let’s explore the nature trails at Keizer Rapids Park. We’ll look for wildflowers, bird nests and small mammals as we explore this riverside park. Wear good walking shoes and dress for the weather. We go rain or shine. Meet at the parking lot by the dog park at Keizer Rapids Park, 1900 Chemawa Rd. N. $5/class and $30/series RSVP: nichole@straubenvironmentalcenter.org Come out and bring the family!
Free Comic Book Day - Tony’s Kingdom of Comics Saturday May 7th 11am- 8 pm Tony’s Kingdom of Comics and Collectibles 3856 River Rd N, Keizer, Oregon 97303 A super day at Tony’s Kingdom of Comics in Keizer! Free comic books, 3 live bands and a DJ, nostalgic “Rust-O-Rama” car show, raffle prizes, a canned food drive, a Best Batusi Dance Contest with celebrity judges and a grand prize, and more! www.facebook.com/TonysKingdom
17th Annual UFO Festival- McMinnville Friday May 13- 14th 105 NE 3rd St, McMinnville, Oregon 97128 Each year in May, downtown McMinnville is “visited” in a cosmic sense. Beings from other galaxies walk the street during the second largest UFO celebration in the country. Partake in a parade, enjoy live entertainment, watch the pet costume contest and peruse vendor booths over this two day festival. www.downtownmcminnville.com
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Tigard Festival of Balloons Friday June 24th - 26th, 2016 Cook Park 17005 SW 92nd Ave., Tigard, OR Hot air balloons are definitely the featured attraction of the festival, but ... it’s MORE than balloons! experience the spectacular hot air balloons as they launch (weather permitting) , Spend the afternoon shopping at the craft and business vendor booths. On Your Feet Friday Don’t miss the Festival of Cars on Sunday. See the Friday, June 10, 2016 - 6:00pm - 8:00pm ever impressive Night Glow on Friday & Saturday 135 Commercial St. NE Salem nights; the Rogue Beer Garden, live music on the Free, family oriented series, 2nd Fridays May main stage presented by Grocery Outlet (King City/ through October. Walk or run to checkpoints, discover new places, win raffles prizes and have Newberg); Funtastic carnival fun center, clowns, fun. Food and beverage is available with proceeds cotton candy, and a whole lot more! to Friends of Two Bridges. www.activesalem.com www.tigardballoon.org May’s Monthly Lego Party Saturday May 21st 2pm to 3 pm Salem Library- Story Room B 645 Liberty St SE, Salem Kids with their grown-ups are invited on the third Saturday of every month for an hour of unstructured Lego play. Legos are provided. Bring your
Make Music Day Salem Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - 9:00am -11:00pm Downtown Salem First Annual Make Music Day Salem! This is an event for people who love music and the joyous sense of community that music can foster. It will be held at numerous locations in Salem every June 21 (the summer solstice), with the first event taking place on June 21, 2016. Music by the People, For the People. It is an invitation to all musicians, amateur as well as professional, to sign up to play at one of the available venues and, after practicing up for the big event, to perform on June 21. And it is an invitation to music-lovers to show up at the venues and enjoy the musical offerings. www.makemusicsalem.org Irish/Celtic Social Dance Lessons Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - 6:30pm - 8:30p VFW Hall 630 Hood St. NE Salem Weekly Irish & Celtic dance class. Lively forms of social dance similar to contra and square dancing. Great fun; excellent exercise; no partner or experience is necessary. Bring comfortable shoes and water. $5 per class. Tuesdays, ongoing. www.ceiliofthevalley.org
World Beat Festival Saturday June 25th - 26th, 2016 Riverfront Park, Salem Experience world customs, traditions, ethnic foods, crafts, discussions, demonstrations, children’s activities, three parades, and dragon boat racing! Join us as we celebrate the food, music and culture of Cuba with special exhibits and performances throughout the weekend. There is a $5 donation request at the gate, but no admission fee. The Festival is Oregon’s largest multicultural event, and the main program of the Salem Multicultural Institute, a local non-profit whose mission is to promote an appreciation and understanding of the cultural diversity in our community. www.worldbeatfestival.org
HAVE EVENTS TO SHARE? Submitting it is easy! You can either email me, Yvette@OregonKidsandFamily.com or use the order submission on our website www.oregonkidsandfamily. com. Inclusion in the calendar and on facebook is free for community related events! 17 Please say “I saw it in Oregon Kids and Family.” Thanks!
Spotlight on Salem is a feature that focuses on introducing parents and local business owners to the community that they serve. With Father’s Day ahead, I chose to spotlight Dr. Bryan Johnson, father, family man, community advocate and local orthodontist. Dr. Johnson understands the fine balance between being readily available to his two children, an involved husband and business owner, as well as taking the time to give back to his community. It is apparent that Dr. Johnson knows where his heart is- and is so appreciative to call Oregon his home. Sitting down with Bryan, I asked him a few questions about how he feels about living in Oregon, and what he enjoys most. As many of us can agree, Oregon is an outdoorsmans paradise. He noted the biggest draw for living in Oregon was the vast array of opportunity for outdoor sports, such as skiing, fishing, hiking, and the pure, clean air. He was quick to add his love for local sports teams as well. Whether it be cheering his teens on in their sports pursuits or Cheering on the Portland Trailblazers, supporting his team is a definite side job for Bryan.
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With three orthodontic offices located throughout the Williamette Valley, in Salem, Stayton and Silverton, Dr. Johnson knows what it means to serve his community. It was nice to hear how important it is for him to give back to the area through sponsoring youth sports teams, active involvement with local non-profit community members such as Isaac’s Room, the Boys and Girls Club and local schools. He finds joy in being able to participate in the Advantage Smiles for Kids program where his practice provides orthodontic care for low-income, at-risk children who otherwise would not be able to receive treatment. Looking forward to Father’s Day- I asked him if he had any advice for other dads out there. As a dad of two, he encouraged other fathers to stay active and involved with their children- and that it is the secret to staying young. Dr. Johnson’s number one tip as an orthodontist? Get an early evaluation of the child by age 7. There are many benefits for the patient and the family, minimizing loss of teeth, less headgear, less discomfort, and an overall better experience for the patient. To find out more about Dr. Johnson, visit www.bryanjohnsonorthodontics.com.
The
Oregon Symphony Association in Salem is looking forward to our 2016-17 year with excitement! Currently in our 60th year, we have a season line-up of six concerts with a taste of something for all ages.
with various performance opportunities throughout our community. The Oregon Symphony Association in Salem is also incredibly proud of our outstanding music educators in the greater Salem/Keizer area.
DID YOU KNOW that student tickets are only $10.00 and that parents who accompany their student can receive a discounted admission of $20.00?
Yearly, we recognize at least one outstanding music educator through our Karl Raschkes Music Educator of the Year award. The winning teacher(s) are recognized at a concert and an assembly at their respective school where a cash prize is awarded to that teacher’s school.
Here’s another fun fact: Our first conductor right here in Salem, Oregon was Igor Stravinsky in the North High School auditorium! In addition to bringing a series of concerts to Salem each year featuring the world-class Oregon Symphony, OSAS also promotes a great deal of music education outreach. Every other year we produce a youth concert where students are bused to Smith Auditorium at Willamette University. This special youth concert allows students to listen to the symphony perform and then ask any questions during a Q and A with the players and conductor. We host the annual Vernon L. Wiscarson young musician’s competition in Monmouth at Western Oregon University. This competition is free to enter for any young musician age 18- and younger. Cash prizes are awarded along
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Our concerts are held in Smith Auditorium on the beautiful Willamette University campus. Our goal this year is to have every seat filled at each of the six concerts. That’s 1200 seats! As the economy fluctuates, the challenges for our non-profit continue to grow but OSAS feels strongly that we must work together as a community to preserve our cultural heritage for future generations by supporting the symphony through attendance, donations, and volunteer help.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: Here are several current needs in addition to our usual request for donations: • laptop computer for the box office • Two ipads with stands to take credit card purchases at the box office window • Office space for free or steeply discounted rate As a non-profit we rely heavily on the generosity of others and thank you in advance for your support. If you have an idea or way to help the symphony, please contact us. We are currently selling season subscriptions and tickets are as low as $35.00 a concert to attend. For more information on how you can purchase tickets/season subscriptions or for any other questions please feel free to contact us at: osasoffice@orsymphonysalem.org or by phone at: 503-364-0149. Not sure if you could commit to a season subscription? Donate your tickets to silent auctions, give them as a gift to friends, family, and neighbors. By joining with our community, we can continue to give back to the Salem area and encourage, entertain, teach, and expand the horizons of local families in the Williamette Valley and beyond. Single tickets can be purchased on the web at: www.orsymphonysalem.org beginning on July 1st.
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Adam’s Rib
KIDS EAT FOR $3.95 EVERY DAY!!! 1210 State Street, Salem, OR 97301 www.adams-rib-smoke-house.com 503.362.2194
Venti’s ( downtown location only )
KIDS EAT 1/2 PRICE ! with purchase of adult entree. After 4pm Sun & Mon Dine-in Only Kids 12 and under 325 Court ST NE Salem, OR 97302 503- 399-8733
Gilgamesh Brewing
KIDS UNDER 12 EAT FREE! Mondays, 1 free kids meal w/ purchase of adult meal. 2065 Madrona Ave SE Salem, Oregon (503) 584-1789
Birdie’s Bistro
KIDS EAT HALF OFF on SUNDAY! with full priced adult entree 3860 River Rd N, Keizer, OR 503.393.2087 birdiesbistro.com
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QDOBA
FREE KIDS MEAL with purchase of any regular entree 4405 Commercial St Salem, OR 97301 www.qdoba.com 971.600.3174
DENNYS
KIDS EAT FREE Tuesdays 4PM to 10PM. Ask your server for details. Restrictions may apply. 3155 Ryan Dr SE Salem 97301 www.dennys.com (503) 585-8424
HOMETOWN BUFFET KIDS EAT FOR 0.99 EVERY THURSDAY from 5-8pm. 636 Lancaster Dr NE, Salem, OR (503) 585-8163 www.hometownbuffet.com Specials are subject to change, we suggest that you call ahead!
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