Drama Camps - Odessa, TX

The Permian Playhouse is offering two different summer camps in 09.
Fine Arts Day Camp
Info from their website:
Classes provide fun and in-depth explorations of a broad range of acting skills, from creative movement and improvisational activities; to the singing and dancing techniques, along with arts and crafts and much more.
Classes are available for children age K through 6th grade and divided by grade level. All classes take place in a friendly and non-intimidating learning environment. No previous acting or performing experience is required to participate.
The Summer Fine Arts Day Camp runs June 15-19, Monday- Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. The Camp Show-Off will be on Friday June 19th at 6:00 PM. Students are to bring a sack lunch, and wear clothing and tennis shoes that they can move around in during classes. Tuition for the one week camp is $110 for non-members of the Permian Playhouse and $100 for members of the Permian Playhouse. All campers must be registered by June 12th there will be a $10.00 late fee for registrations after June 12th 2009. Registrations begin on May 5, 2009.

Disney's The Aristocats Kids: Two Week Performance Camp
The two week performance camp is an opportunity for kids and teens to rehearse and perform their own full-scale musical production at the Permian Playhouse Theatre. All participants will be cast in the show; many principle and ensemble role are available.
The two-week camp is designed to develop, improve and display the theatrical skills of the campers with an emphasis on musical theatre. Class topics include solo and group singing, vocal production, diction and enunciation, dance and stage movement, improvisation and stage combat.
Disney's The Aristocats Kids runs July 20-31, Monday-Friday, 8AM to 5PM. The performances for the show will be on Saturday and Sunday August 1,2,8,9 at 2:30 PM. Students are to bring a sack lunch, and wear clothing and tennis shoes that they can move around in during classes. Tuition for the one week camp is $220 for non-members of the Permian Playhouse and $210 for members of the Permian Playhouse. All campers must be registered by July 17th there will be a $10.00 late fee for registrations after July 17th 2009. Registrations begin on June 2, 2009.
For more info call Chad Cazee at (432) 349-3116 or click here.

Golf Camps - Odessa, TX

Ratliff Ranch Golf links is hosting a few golf camps for kids this summer.

Info from their website:
Camp Schedules:
June 1-4, June 15-18, or July13-16
These junior camps are intended to introduce junior golfers to the game of golf. Empasis is placed on the basic skills and fundamentals used in the game of golf, while also teaching proper etiquette and characteristics needed throughout life.
It is recommended that each student have their own golf clubs, if not, clubs can be provided by Ratliff Ranch Golf Links.
The camps will be from 8:30 am - 10:30 am. Monday through Thursday on the datas listed above.

Sign up for the junior golf camps will begin on May 4th.
Each camp will be limited to 20 kids.
Contact the golf shop at 550-8181 for more details or click here.

Safety Learning Center & Fire Museum - Portland, OR

Belmont fire Station- Safety Learning Center open every 2nd Sat. of the month from 10am- 3pm. Appointments for FREE hands on tour, and FREE Fire Engine experience (simulation ride), can be made for 1 person or a group as large as 49. To make an appointment and schedule a tour, and for more information call Don Porth @ 503-823-3615. 900 SE35th Ave, Portland, Or. 97214

For more info click here.

Portland

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Learning A-Z Open house

A-Z is a website I use occasionally. The offer a variety of educational services. One that I have utilized is the A-Z science. They had several lessons you can download for free. I just got an email from them letting me know about their free week! Enjoy!

From their website: In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week from May 4-8, we're thrilled to announce our annual Open House. As thanks for everything you and your staff do on behalf of our kids, you can explore our websites free of charge! Explore our dynamic, interactive sites and sample many of our down loadable resources, from reading and writing to vocabulary and science.

Learning A-Z is on a mission. That mission is to provide teachers and students with flexible and affordable research-based resources for differentiated K-6 instruction. Especially now, during these challenging economic times, that mission can only be fulfilled if we have strong partnerships with education professionals like you.

Register now!
Registration for the Open House is now open! Just go to Learning A-Z to sign up and receive a full schedule of our Open House events. This is a great opportunity to see what Learning A-Z has to offer, not just as a provider of learning resources but as a partner committed to helping your students realize their full potential.Kind regards,Bob Holl Cofounder and Publisher Learning A-Z, Inc.

Jr. Olympic skills competition

I had previously mentioned (click here to see other post) that my son was going to compete in an upcoming Jr. Olympic competition and he did today. He placed second in every event! I thought this was quite good since I didn't really prepare him for it. Things have been a little crazy at our house so I wasn't sure if he would want to compete or that I would be able to get him there. I let him know yesterday afternoon that I had signed him up and that he could compete in every event or just pick one or two. He decided to do them all.

Here are a few things I wish I had done.

First, I wish I had told him sooner so he could have at least practiced a little!

Second, there is a section on the Jr. Olympic website that says something about parents. Well, be sure to read it. I didn't! It basically tells you exactly what is going to happen, how they score, and you get the drift.

Also, the reason I was back on their website was because I was going to find another local event to see if he could do it again since now we know what is going on. (only the 1st place of each event get to go on to regional) I figured if he could get second then he might could get 1st if he had another shot. Well, it turns out that you can be disqualified for participating in more than one event. Good to know, maybe next year!

Care.com

Have your heard about Care.com? I have been using it since about November and it has worked well for me. You can place an ad for a nanny and have people respond to you or you can search through the nanny ads and find some you like and contact them. This is great when you travel as a family and the parent's need a night out.  They also have people on there that offer senior care, pet care, tutoring, housekeeping and special needs care. Everyone listed on this site has passed a background check. Right now they are offering there site free for the weekend.

East Portland Community Center

East Portland community center is over on 106th near the 205 mall. I like it for a handful of reasons, but mainly because my kids really liked it. I like the tot play time where the kids get to jump on the trampoline, ride around on toys or in wagons, and play with lots of other toys. Their b-day parties are really well done and fun. They have a brand new pool that recently opened and they offer lots of classes for kids and adults. My friends kid is always taking some class there like basketball or karate. I have heard that their swimming lessons are good. For more info click here.

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Create a family night

Here are some fun, helpful tips on creating a family night for your family:

• Make every Friday — Pizza and Game night!
• Create an outdoor camp out in your living room: get your sleeping bags, flashlights, books and games, make smores and tell stories by the fireplace.
• Have a special story night where your child can pick out 3—10 books to read with you.
• Have cookies and milk, as a special treat.
• Prepare a special cooked meal together as a family putting the kids to work as your helpers. Set the table with candles, fancy glasses and special music.
• Create an indoor picnic! Put down a blanket, plates, and silverware. Prepare picnic food of your choice and your child will love it.
• Pray with your kids: have a time where you list all of your blessings and thank God for each one.
  

Tin Can Lantern

Tin Can Lanterns (Photo credit: Elin B)

Instead of going out to buy decorations for your patio table let your kids make them!

Tin Can Lantern

Materials
Tin cans (soup cans or other) Universal oil-based primer Oil-based enamel paint Pin hammer Nail Galvanized wire (4-6 in.) Pliers Candle

Instructions:
Clean can by soaking in hot, soapy water. Making sure to remove all of the label and glue.

(optional painting)
Apply a coat of primer and let it dry. Apply a coat of paint and let it dry.

Fill the can with water and place in a freezer until solid.(this will ensure you don't dent the tin.)

Use a hammer and nail to punch out holes, creating a freehand design around the can. For a handle, punch out two holes on either side of can. Using a pair of pliers, bend wire through holes and secure. Place a candle in side and hang in a safe place.

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4 activities in and around Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach, Florida (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Take a tour of the Bear Creek Feline Center: home to six species of lessor felines including Jaguarundis, Florida Panthers, Bobcats, African Servals, African Caracals and Siberian Lynx.

Take the kids to Pump it Up to burn off some energy. This is an indoor inflatable play place. Mon - Wed they have a toddler time for 2 - 6 year old from 10-11:30 for $6. Every Mon - Wed they also have elementary time from 3:30 - 5 for kids 6 and up.

Drive over to St. Andrews state park where there is an area enclosed by rocks where the kids can swim and play and not worry about big waves. It is shallow and calm! There is an entry fee of $5 a car to go in the park.  St. Andrews state park is also a wonderful place to have family beach pictures taken.

Go canoeing/camping/hiking at Econfina Creek. Click here for more info. And while you are up that way be sure to check out Pitt Spring. Its a great way to see the beautiful fresh water springs without having to buy or rent a canoe. There is a shallow end of the spring for the kids to play and wade around in. There is also a beautiful nature walk that leads to another very shallow place where even babies can play. Some people even snorkel there. There is not a lot of parking. For another good website with good pictures of this area click here.

Panama City Beach restaurants

art website

My children have always enjoyed art. My son got lucky in first grade because his teacher's speciality was art. She taught them to draw all kids of things. Recently, while we were at Disney Quest my kids took a learn to draw Goofy class and did great. Since they enjoyed it so much I have now been looking for other stuff that they can learn to draw. During my search I came across this great website. They have crafts and other stuff on there, but the thing we are using is drawing lessons for children. To check it out for yourselves click here.

Morrison Knudson Nature Center - Boise, ID

A couple of year ago my family and I meet my parents in Boise, Idaho for a one week vacation. Someone had recommended a park to my parents I had never heard of. This surprised me because we lived in the area for two years previously. Well, needless to say, it is worth hearing about. I can't believe we had never heard about it before. I thought it was really neat and my kids did too. Better yet, it is free!

Basically it is a park, but it has been built into an outdoor nature walk. They have built up walls with viewing windows along a stream so you can see the fish and other wildlife that is in there. We saw beavers, fish, ducks, birds and squirrels.

Info from their website: The Morrison Knudsen Nature Center offers a one-of-a-kind fish and wildlife experience on a 4.6-acre site along the Boise River Greenbelt near downtown Boise. The Nature Center's stream walk and education building provide a glimpse of Idaho's many landscapes and abundant wildlife. The underwater viewing windows along the stream walk give visitors a fish-eye view of the world.

Ann Morrison Park - Boise, ID

In previous posts I have mentioned Ann Morrison park in Boise, Idaho.  This park is so great I thought it should have it's own post.
We used to hang out here all the time. We would bring our bikes or roller skates, play tennis, or just watch the kids play on the massive playground they have.

If you want to float the Boise river along the green belt this is the park you need to be at in order to catch the bus.  The bus never chargesd us for the kids and we were charged a $1 or $2 per adult. 

You can park at Julie Davis park, feed the ducks and then bike over to Ann Morrison Park along the Greenbelt.
There are always lots of people there playing horseshoes or cricket. I saw a lot of soccer teams out there playing. If you are visiting the area it is a great park to take your kids to.

Free Legos

Did you know that you can get free Legos?  My son loves Legos and the last time we were down in Orlando we made it a point to go to the Lego store at downtown Disney.While we were in there I found about two things they offer both for free!

First, they have a free Lego magazine that your child can get. Lego actually has two magazines one for younger kids and one for older. Both of the Lego magazines are free.

Second, every first Tuesday of the month they offer a free in store mini model build that you keep. For the month of April it was a mini rabbit. I wish we lived closer to a Lego store!

Just go to their website to sign up for the newsletter, play games, or find a store near you!

How to Build a LEGO Snowflake

Boston Children's museum

 The New Balance Climb at Boston Children's Museum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Boston Children's Museum has to be the best children's museum we have ever visited. It is huge and there is an endless amount of things to do! Plan a full day for this.

Our son was not even two years old when we were in Boston for a wedding. We stayed an extra few days to make a little vacation out of it. One of the days we spent at this museum. I had heard it was good, but to see it in person is outstanding. Although our son was so young at the time we spent 2/3 of our day there. He kept busy the whole time. Some of our favorite areas were the construction zone, the play lab, and the climbing area.

For more info click here.

Portland Children's Museum

After hearing a variety of things about the Portland Children's Museum we finally tried it out for ourselves.  To be honest I had low expectations, but quickly realized I had heard wrong.  I thought the whole place was fantastic and regretted not getting over there sooner. I thought each room was really well laid out so that it didn't seem too crowed, even though there were tons of people there that day. They have a baby room, water room, digging room, music room and more. They had a few live shows going on while we were there. I practically dragged my children out of there!


I noticed on their website that they have art classes for children 2 - 12 and they also have a variety of camps. For more info click here.

Portland

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Munchkin Playland in Portland, OR

One of my readers mentioned that I should check out Stumptown Roasters. Through searching for it I came across Munchkin playland that opened up in Portland in the West Union Village Shopping complex.

You can get your kids a pass and they can play for as long as they like. They also serve Stumptown roasters coffee and Beaverton Bakery pastries. These are all new things to me so let me know if you have been there and what you think of it!

For more info click here.

Portland