The importance of outside play has been a topic of interest recently by education and child development leaders. Where schools are focusing more and more on testing and academia, the importance of play falls on the wayside. For the younger children outdoor play seems to be even more crucial for developing social and personal life skills. Self-regulation, sharing, team building and interactions with different people are all skills that children learn while playing in a playground. I wrote about news articles that highlight this topic in an earlier blog post, The Decline of Serious Play.
A report in the New York Times speaks about day cares not going outside to play with the children, in an article called The Flip-Flop Factor. Citing reasons such as children wearing flip-flops, no coat or playgrounds having mulch which can be thrown by kids and some caregivers just thinking it is too much trouble.
Where academia is very important and parents do urge their children's caregivers to teach them as much as they can, it is also important for children to play. We hope that developmental play becomes a focus of parents as well as educational learning. The Museum works to provide such play with our varied exhibitions and community programs which not only has strengths in early child development but fosters a stronger family unit as well.
My mother loves champagne brunches. We have gone to nearly every restaurant in the Bay Area that offers them. Grand Cafe in SF, Claremont Hotel in Oakland & many others that I found on Open Table. You can't have a Mother's Day without flowers! I have been going to Moe's Flowers in Berkeley since college and his arrangements are the only ones who grace the tables of my mother and aunts for the past 12 years.
I still remember making those arts and craft gifts for my mom in school. Glitter picture frames with a photo of me in the middle. The hand print paper weight that I broke while taking it home to her. I didn't, however, make a macaroni necklace for her. Even as a kid I knew that food is not a cute fashion accessory.
Try a few of these Mom's Day art projects with your kids!
Paper Flower Bouquet - take 3 or 4 small tissue paper squares and fold them like a fan, take a pipe cleaner and twist it to hold the folded paper at one end. Unfold, twist and bunch the tissue paper to make a flower! Repeat until you get a beautiful paper flower bouquet.
Artist's Rendition - Take a photo of mom with the kids and have your child draw, color and/or paint a replica image on a piece of construction paper. You can frame the art and the photo and place them together on the mantel.
French Toast M-O-M: Make french toast for breakfast and have the child cut out the letters with a butter knife for a special breakfast in bed.
If you're scrambling for gift ideas you can't go wrong with stores like
Well not ME specifically...but perhaps you are pregnant and have yet to tell those close to you?
A guy friend of mine told me his wife was pregnant recently. This is how he did it...
Him: "We're doing well. Everything is good considering Michelle isn't working."
Me: "What happened with her job? What's wrong?"
Him: "Oh..nothing, she's pregnant."
Me: "What?!!? Congratulations!"
Women seem to have a little more panache when it comes to announcing the news that they're pregnant. A common way being a present of baby clothes given to be opened by the unsuspecting person. Most of the time it says "I love my daddy/grandma/grandpa/sister/brother."
Recently the new fad for pregnant mothers has been maternity photos. Beautiful portraits to document this amazing time in a mother's life. Here are a few places I found that offer this service around the Bay Area.
Does your child have a penchant for imagination? Do they "perform" for you all the time?
Movies have always been huge in my family. Musicals especially. We'd sing along and dance the steps to the movie on our television. We'd even act out the movie when we were just hangout in the back yard. Come to think of it...we STILL do sometimes! I can't tell you how many times my cousins and I did the Von Trap children cross weave
Take that imagination and interest in acting and play and take your child to see a theater production this spring!
Nothing is more fun that the SF classic Beach Blanket Babylon with thier wild hats, costumes and antics on stage. They welcome kids at their Sunday performances at 2 & 5 p.m.
Give your kids an experience beyond television and make live performances something they'll want to return to see.
Our annual gala event, Playdate 2008, and fund-raiser will be held Saturday, May 3rd. In addition to dinner and dancing, we hold a paddle auction of exquisite and exciting items!
Here are some of the featured packages:
The Ultimate Bubble Q: champagne barbeque and grill with tv chef Tyler Florence. We are excited to welcome Tyler and Tolan Florence!
Sea kayak in the San Juan Islands on a Family Multi-sport Vacation.
