From the Audubon Society of Rhode Island

Did you know your maple syrup comes from a tree?  To be specific, it comes from a Sugar Maple tree.  Now is the time of year to check out how the sap from a tree is transformed into that sweet syrup you put on your pancakes.

When the nights are below freezing and the days are mild, usually by late February or early March, the sap begins to flow through the trees and it’s time to “sugar.”

The process involves “tapping” a tree, or drilling a small hole into the tree. If sugaring is being done the old-fashioned way with buckets, a metal spile is then tapped into the hole and the buckets are hung from it. The more modern method connects tubing to plastic spouts, which carries sap to a single, larger storage tank. If done correctly, tapping will not damage a healthy tree, which can provide up to ten gallons of sap per tap hole, every season, for over a century.

It takes about ten gallons of sap to produce one quart of maple syrup, but this is a fraction of a tree’s sap production. Maple syrup and maple sugar are made by concentrating (boiling down) the sweet sap – which has a natural sugar content.

It may surprise you to learn that maple sugaring was originally a Native American custom, later adopted by the colonists. How the Native Americans discovered maple sugar is not exactly known, but an Iroquois legend has it that someone tasted an icicle hanging from a broken maple branch, and the rest is history, as they say.

For the Native Americans that did sugaring, it was a festive event. As soon as the sap began to flow, families would gather at a “sugar bush,” or maple grove. A diagonal slash would be cut in the bark of the lower part of a tree trunk. A tube, usually a hollowed-out sumac stem, was inserted in the lower end of the cut. Sap flowing from the tree was collected in small wooden containers. The sap was then transferred into a much larger wooden or bark container, and white-hot rocks heated in an open fire were dropped in to boil off the water. The process was repeated, eventually producing a granulated sugar. Besides sugar maples, the native peoples sometimes tapped red maples, black or yellow birches, silver maples, wild cherries, or even box elders. Modern sugarhouses may also tap into other species such a Norway and red maples, each with their own distinct flavor.

Experience this sweet tradition for yourself…

On March 13, 2010, step back in time at the Audubon Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge and experience the tradition of maple sugaring. Learn more about the history of this sweet syrup and how to sugar in your own backyard. Participants taste first hand this delectable treat as they sample pancakes, muffins and doughnuts – all with fresh maple syrup. Register early, as space is limited.  For more information and to register, call (401) 949-5454 x0.  This program is appropriate for children ages 6 and up.

Situated on a 28-acre wildlife refuge in Bristol, Rhode Island, Audubon’s Environmental Education Center is open year-round and provides walking trails, nature programs, and exhibits for the whole family to discover.  For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit www.asri.org or call (401) 245-7500.

Photo provided by Audubon’s Environmental Education Center

This is the first in a series of posts about helping children with  learning differences/special needs. Deborah Gutman has learned through her own experience raising a child with ADHD and shares helpful tips on how to choose a school for your ADHD/LD child and how to find the appropriate resources and books for your family. Today she describes putting together a team of people to help you and your child, including early identification and finding the right services and treatment.

It’s possible you’ve always had the feeling your child is a bit of a “square peg” trying to fit in a “round hole” but you just couldn’t put your finger on why your child doesn’t fit in. It’s also possible that you never noticed an issue, but every time you put your child in a structured educational setting or with same-aged peers, you receive feedback that there is something wrong. Helping your child with learning differences is often a moving target and requires lots of patience. I am the mother of a child with ADHD, generalized anxiety and sensory integration dysfunction. These labels came after many professional consultations, lots of struggles, and trial and error. We are familiar with every synonym for “energetic.” We are still on the very bumpy road to finding the right fit for our child; however, if you are at the beginning of the process, it is important to get the right team in place. If you can name the problem or issue, you can better problem-solve a solution and arrange for the appropriate educational setting, services and/or accommodations to help your child succeed with his/her self-esteem intact.

There are a variety of specialists who offer both evaluation and treatment services. The type of professional you choose may depend on several factors including the age of your child and you (and your child’s) needs at the time of the consultation. There are many practices that incorporate many different types of specialists in one setting and are able to address both diagnosis and treatment within a single practice. Health insurance will cover many of these costs, but not necessarily all of them. Review your policy and speak with your insurer to better understand your coverage. Your school district may also cover the costs of educational testing. This will vary from one school district to another and you should contact your local school district. Here is a brief primer on the types of specialists you might encounter or consult on the road to diagnosing your child’s learning differences.

Clinical psychologist: A professional specializing in diagnosing and treating mental illness, emotional disturbance, and behavior problems. Psychologists may have a master’s degree (MA) or doctorate (PhD) in psychology. They may also have other qualifications, including Board certification and additional training in a specific type of therapy. Many conditions, including anxiety disorders and ADHD may benefit from therapy. Psychologists can only use talk therapy as treatment; you must see a psychiatrist or other medical doctor to be treated with medication.

Neuropsychologist: Neuropsychologists have additional training in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of tests that measure different aspects of brain functioning. Neuropsychological testing involves the standardized administration of tests of certain cognitive processes with respect to short- and long-term memory, abstract reasoning, attention concentration, executive function, and motor skills. Different tasks rely on different parts of the brain for their accomplishment. This type of testing often provides additional evidence that helps to establish a diagnosis and identify areas to target with treatment or educational interventions. (more…)

We cannot overestimate how the media, our friends, television shows, and family members impact our thoughts and expectations of childbirth. We see women on television screaming in agony during labor or hooked up to IVs while lying in hospital beds, and we are reminded of pregnancy and childbirth stories shared by our friends, our sisters, or our mothers. And while labor may not be easy (it is called “labor” after all), it need not be feared.

It is unfortunate that mothers-to-be don’t hear beautiful birth stories of women who trust their bodies and let go of fear . . . who found a place of peace during pregnancy and birth. These stories – and these women – do exist.  It is time to turn off the cable shows, put aside Belly Laughs and What to Expect and listen to women who are willing to share their positive birthing experiences. Where to begin?

During my third pregnancy, I found Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth.  The first half of this book is dedicated to the sharing of birth stories that embody gentle, natural childbirth.  It is comforting to hear so many women speak positively of their deliveries; it restores hope in the strength of women and trust in our bodies. It completely changed my feelings towards labor, and the result was that I embraced my third pregnancy without fear. I felt empowered and trusted my body to do what it was meant to do: birth babies.  There are movies, such as Orgasmic Birth, which show women having blissful birthing experiences. These are real women birthing without medications! While I feel I came across great books and films a bit late in my birthing years, I am happy to have discovered so many positive messages that I received graciously.

Below are a few books I highly recommend for pregnant women:
•    Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
•    The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
•    Hypnobirthing by Marie Morgan

Here are three films that may interest those seeking a natural childbirth:
•    Orgasmic Birth
•    The Business of Being Born
•    What Babies Want

DONA has a larger selection of recommended books that are required readings for all birthing doulas.  And for women who want to increase the likelihood of having a peaceful, positive birthing experience, I recommend you consider your “birthing team” very seriously. Are you at ease with your ob/gyn or midwife? Do you feel they listen to you and respect your wishes?  Are they available to answer your questions? Have you considered a birth doula? A birth doula is a wonderful person to have on your team as she brings experience, knowledge, and peacefulness to the delivery process. She will stay with you from the beginning of active labor until your child is born — most doctors are there only for the actual birth.

It is also fair to ask people to refrain from sharing upsetting or frightening childbirth stories with you — at least while you’re pregnant. Ask friends and family members to be considerate of how sensitive you are as you prepare for the birth of your own baby. You need not be fed more fear–we all know birth doesn’t always go according to plan–instead, you need to be nurtured, supported, and reassured that you too can have a positive pregnancy and birth experience.

For more information on gentle birthing options, please visit the Rhode Island Birth Network.

Kristen Kardos, MA Ed., and Kathy McGuigan, MSW, the co-founders of RI New Moms Connection, provide affordable, accessible pregnancy and new mom groups throughout Rhode Island. In “Tips for New Moms” they share their knowledge, resources, and helpful ideas for moms just beginning their journey into parenthood or moms who may need a little refresher.

Editor’s Note: Although “Tips for New Moms” is written with the new mom in mind—to support women in their journey through motherhood—it is certainly not the authors’ intention to exclude dads. Every new parent will find their tips, resources, and insights helpful. I invite all moms and dads to share ideas on how they manage their new role as a parent with Kidoinfo in the comments below.

Reviewed by Marcia Maynard

Pop the popcorn, pour the juice. Get ready for a G-rated book by New England resident Gail Gibbons:  Lights! Camera! Actions! How a Movie is Made.

The story begins with an excited producer waving a book that’s destined to become a hit movie. Gibbons explains the pre-production stage of hiring script writers and casting directors and finding actors and actresses for the show. As this crew grows, designers and technicians become involved. Soon, rehearsals begin.

After months of work and rehearsals, production begins. Gibbons writes how scenes are not shot in order, but instead scenes in the same location are shot together. Eventually, after shoots and reshoots,  final scenes are selected and edited. Post-production begins. A soundtrack is added, the movie is completed, and it’s on to opening night.

What is a lengthy process in real life is summed up clearly in this 32-page children’s picture book. With her colorful illustrations, Gibbons gives detailed visual information to support and enhance her story. Young readers will understand new terms such as gaffers and camera operators. They’ll see behind the scenes and realize how many people are involved in making a movie.

Gibbons leaves her readers in the audience of opening night, just as the movie begins, wishing for a sequel to her story.

Lights! Camera! Action! How a Movie is Made
by Gail Gibbons
For grades 1-4
1985 Harper Collins
This book is out of print but available through the Ocean State Library system and on Amazon.com.

For more information about Gail Gibbons, go to www.gailgibbons.com

Amazing family entertainment. FirstWorks presents illusionist and juggler Michael Moschen at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence on Saturday, March 13, 7:30pm.

Experience the magic with your kids as Michael Moschen sends crystal balls, hoops and rings flying, floating and spinning in space! Winner of the MacArthur “Genius Grant”, Moschen has revolutionized an ancient circus art into a mesmerizing form of theatre that has dazzled audiences around the globe.

Details
Veterans Memorial Auditorium (website)
83 Park Street, Providence, RI 02903
Saturday, March 13, 7:30pm.
AGES: Recommended for ages 6 and up.
COST: Tickets: $18-$32*
*Includes $2 restoration fee
Available online at www.first-works.org or through the PPAC/VMA Box Office: 401-421-ARTS / 220 Weybosset Street

Kidoinfo Giveaway:
FirstWorks has provided Kidoinfo with a family four-pack of tickets to this performance! For your chance to win, simply check out the rules below and email your favorite color to contest (at) kidoinfo (dot) com by Noon EST, March, 10, 2010. 

Put Michael Moschen in the subject line. Winner will be notified on March 10, 2010. Prize tickets can be claimed at FirstWorks: 270 Westminster Street through 4pm on Friday, 3/12/10, or at will-call, night of show.

SAVE ON TICKETS WITH SPECIAL OFFERS FROM FIRSTWORKS: (more…)

By Mary Scott Hackman, Early Childhood Program Developer, Providence Children’s Museum

Clay and dough are sensational media for children.  It always surprises me how all-involving they can be, that a child can poke them, pick them up, push things into them for hours.  I recently made a few batches of dough for the Museum’s Preschool Friday class.  Once I placed it on the table and put out a few tools, the children were off and running.  They rolled it, squeezed it through their fingers, pressed it with the palm of their hand.  In short, they savored the experience.

What is it about these materials that grabs their interest almost immediately?  I think it’s because clay and dough are malleable and children can control them quite easily.  Each goes where it’s pushed and moves according to how soft or hard it is pressed.  The act of manipulating clay and dough feels good.  Children can play with it endlessly or they can actually form it into something.  And if they don’t like what they make… voilà, with a push or a poke, they can change it!

Last fall, in Preschool Friday, we read a story about a bear who warned his animal friends that winter was coming.  Then the children and I went to work forming critters from clay and creating an environment for their hibernation nest.  I was amazed at the preschoolers’ agility as they used toothpicks to poke in the eyes and mouths, rolled tails, and pressed into the clay to make ears.  Each creature was different!  What an amazing process – you start with a clump and you finish with a critter.  Or you start with a clump and you end with a bunch of clumps.  It doesn’t matter; it’s the journey, not the destination.

Not only can children play with clay, they can help you make dough, color it and make it smell good by adding a scent.  Follow the simple recipes below and you will be amazed at the inspiring and absorbing experiences your children will enjoy.  Using the salt dough, they can make something that, when hardened, can be painted or colored with markers.  Try the cooked dough and you can store it for up to two months to be enjoyed over and over again.  Get out a few rolling pins and plastic forks and you have a preschooler’s dream activity at their fingertips…literally!

Salt Dough
Make this dough in a cool, dry room, otherwise it becomes too soft and sticky.  If you have to store it, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.  Keep all unused portions covered.  To harden, you can let it air dry or bake it in a slow oven.

Recipe:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

To color, add food coloring to water

Cooked Dough
This dough is a pleasure to work with – smooth and just the right consistency.

Recipe:
1 cup flour
½ cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup water
Food coloring

Mix dry ingredients in a pot.  Mix oil, water and food coloring and add to dry ingredients.  Heat on stovetop and stir until dough begins to form.  Dough will be ready in 5 – 7 minutes.  Place on cutting board and knead when warm to the touch.

The next six-week series of Preschool Friday classes at Providence Children’s Museum begin Friday, March 5.  Children will cuddle with bunnies, explore magnetism, welcome the April showers and much more. Register today!  Click here for details, including registration information and a full schedule of activities.

by Katy Killilea

EATS sits between our house and the Target in Seekonk so we’d gone past it zillions of times. The neon “Hot Wieners” sign never really called out to me until I won a gift certificate to EATS in a school silent auction’s “Eat Local” basket. Long story short, we went. We ate. We loved.

Why love? EATS is perfect for children who are along for Route 6 errands. It’s like Johnny Rockets, covering the five food groups: hot dog, cheeseburger, french fries, coffee milk, and ketchup. But EATS pulls this off simply, without any self-conscious retro styling. And it’s a bargain.

The cheeseburger ($3.60) on a squishy sesame seed bun was a hit, as was the hot dog ($1.70). There’s a list of hot dog toppings longer than our brains could process, and I had to ask for it to be repeated more than twice: Coney Island, ketchup, mustard, relish, cheese, celery salt…and some other stuff. A small order of french fries ($2.25) was large enough to split three ways. If you’re in the mood for something more outre, you can get a salad ($3 and up), a wrap ($4.55), or breakfast any time (omelette, $5 with home fries and toast).

The experience was straightforward and old-fashioned. Eating lunch as we did at 11:00 in the morning, there were many seniors at EATS, sharing club sandwiches and newspapers. The restaurant is sparkling clean and you can see right into the kitchen where food is cooked to order yet arrives faster than you can say “McNugget.”

But say your child is accustomed to getting a toy with his or her ketchupy Route 6-I’m so-tired-of-running-errands reward meal. Well, as luck would have it, EATS is adjacent to Cutie’s, a tiny but well-stocked stuffed animal store. If you stick to the adorable Japanese erasers ($1),  this wholesome meal + toy experience can be yours for less than the price of a Happy Meal.

The details:

EATS
1395 Fall River Avenue (Route 6), Seekonk, MA
(508) 336-4384
Hours: 7AM-3:30PM Mondays and Wednesdays. Closed on Sundays. 7AM-8:30PM other days.

Artists create portraits for many reasons. They can depict what a person looks like and also reveal their profession, status, identity. Every detail in this painting is intended to tell us that this is a young woman from a royal family. She stands between palm and laurel trees on a grassy terrace above an enclosed garden. Her dress would have been considered very fashionable in her time and is decorated with pearls, gold, and silver embroidery.

English, Active early 17th Century Portrait of a young Women, possibly of the Hampden Family, ca 1610. Gift of Miss Lucy Aldrich. Courtesy of Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.

With your child: Have you ever sat for a portrait? Perhaps you have had your picture taken at school. Did you do anything special to prepare?

Project: Prepare yourself for an imaginary self-portrait. Dress up in costume. Place a mirror in front of you. Copy how you look using crayons, markers, or pencils. Will someone recognize your facial features? Will they be able to identify who you are pretending to be?

ARTplay is a monthly column from the RISD Museum of Art in which various themes and activities introduce kids and parents to the museum’s collection both online and off. Each month, Kidoinfo will help spark your children’s interest in art, encouraging them to learn about different works at the museum. To learn more about the collection or see the art in person, visit the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, located at 20 N. Main Street, Providence, RI.

All additional inquires or requests should be directed to: Denise Bastien, Collection Information and Imaging Specialist, Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903. 401 454- 6528. E-mail inquires to: rightsrepro@risd.edu

Reviewed by Marcia Maynard

Looking for a biography for your preschooler? The Story of Rosa Parks, by Patricia Pingry is a perfect fit. In her board book, Pingry tells us the story of Rosa Parks’ life from birth to the Supreme Court ruling that segregation on city buses was unconstitutional.

The story begins,  “Do you know Rosa Parks? She is called the mother is civil rights.”  Each page has one or two simple sentences stating the basic, yet important facts about Rosa Parks. There’s enough information for a young child to learn about her, but not be overwhelmed with details.

Steven Walker, illustrator, starts us with a painting of children on a field trip. The multi-racial class  is  looking at a statue of Mrs. Parks. He ends the book with a group of modern day children sitting in the back of a school bus, smiling and chatting. Walker focuses on faces, bodies and colors to set the tone of the famous Alabama bus event.

Pingry writes of a complex topic with appropriate language and style for young children. The Story of Rosa Parks is published by Candy Cane Press and if you search this site, you’ll find a series of biographies by Pingry in board book version, ideal for a young children.

Details:
The Story of Rosa Parks
Board Book
Copyright 2007
Candy Cane Press
$6.99

By Jeanine Silversmith

I’ve had enough. Between the sinus infections and fevers, the wind and the rain, the frigid temperatures, and the toddler who absolutely refuses to wear mittens yet screams, “Cold! Cold!” while pointing to his chubby, purple hands, I am pretty much done with winter.

For those of you who know me or have read my columns here at Kidoinfo, you might recall that I started RI Families in Nature because I truly believe that everything falls into place if we all just get outside and play a bit every day. So you might say it surprises me a bit to know how many days it is difficult for me to get outside with my kids – especially during the winter.

So when cabin fever really gets the best of me and my two little ones, I reach for the books, surf trusty sites, and find some new motivation. My latest vice: the wintertime wild animal safari. I found this idea along with a host of other gems in Nature Rocks Winter Wonderland Activity Guide.

Step 1: Sneak outside and hide a few of your children’s stuffed animals in your yard. You can also do this in a park; just have your kids hide their eyes while you do it. Place them in trees or shrubs, on top of logs or rocks. If you’re a bit of a neat freak and worried that the animals will get wet or dirty, simply use plastic animals. And if you’re a bit of a science geek like me, you’ll feel compelled to place them in species appropriate spots. Like a stuffed owl would go on a tree branch, whereas a stuffed mountain goat would go on a big rock. What, doesn’t everyone have a stuffed mountain goat?

Step 2: Announce to your kids that it’s time to go on a wild animal safari! Grab a pair of binoculars and a camera and you might just be out there longer than you thought you’d be. I first tried this activity on a particularly cold albeit sunny and dry day, so I had pretty low expectations of how long we’d be out there. Little did I know that my two little ones would decide to take turns hiding the stuffed animals and searching for them. Then, they decided we needed snack out there. And then we had to tell each and every neighbor what we were up to. So we wound up watching the sun set and going in after 75 minutes. At that point, of course, my toddler was shrieking about his mittenless hands. (Hey, I kept putting them on him. And he just kept taking them off.)

Step 3: Feed them a big, healthy dinner, put them to bed early, and revel in the fact that spring is just around the corner. No matter what that groundhog says.

Jeanine is a self-described tree hugging, science and math geek whose love of nature, coupled with her absolute certainty that people, especially children, are happier, healthier, and wiser when they regularly spend time in nature, led her to establish Rhode Island Families in Nature. She loves to run, garden, bake, hike, and go camping, especially when accompanied by her husband, Ian, her four-year-old daughter, Sierra, and her two-year-old son, Devin. They live in Wakefield.