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

It’s a tradition at Providence Children’s Museum to present live animal programs throughout the year. We welcome “Fleecy Friends” like llamas, goats and alpacas to greet visitors in our Children’s Garden. We offer a program called “Wingmasters,” where rehabilitated raptors are brought from their enclosures to give children an up-close look at these wonderful wild beings. And this August, families have close encounters with ponies, snakes, a chinchilla and other incredible creatures.

So what is it about animal experiences that we find so important to share with our visitors? Could it be the children’s (and adults’) gasps of wonder and delight as something exotic is suddenly made available to pet or observe? Is it the joy of the touch that is evident when children stand with hand outstretched, rubbing the neck of a majestic llama? Or is it the privilege we feel when given the opportunity to be close to something wild? We have so much to learn from the habits, survival strategies and protective instincts of our animal friends – not to mention hearing stories from the experts who have made it their life’s work to study these creatures.

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This year’s AS220 Foo Fest reminds parents even though we may have children we can still take part in cool fun things happening in the city of Providence. AS220 Foo Fest 2009 is a summer celebration of Rhode Island’s vibrant arts community that will once again fence off and transform Empire Street into a lively party – with 21 music acts on two stages (indoor and outdoor), dancing, eating, interactive art installations, homemade games and local artists showcasing their creations and original tunes.

To make this event more accessible to families with young children Foo Fest will start earlier than in past years, with music and activities geared toward the younger crowd from 1PM to 6PM. The afternoon will offer several very popular children’s music acts like Keith Munslow and Joe’s Backyard Band and interactive programming that includes a giant exquisite corpse drawing, mask-making, homemade pinball arcade games, a giant piňata and mini-golf on Empire Street. So cool!

Kidoinfo is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s event. We will be hosting a children’s activity space, along with Providence Children’s Museum, where your kids can experiment with bubbles and explore making instruments with recycled materials. They can play their homemade music-makers in the What Cheer Style street band with AS220 youth, which takes place at 5:30, marking the end of children’s activities and the beginning of the adults-only fun.

In the evening, Foo Fest will get more mature (making a great date night) with an impressive lineup of several of New England’s most popular bands, including Lightning Bolt and a special band we know you will love, and culminating in a celestial blast from special guest headliner Sun Ra’s Arkestra, the 20-member legendary electronic jazz ensemble.

So mark your calendar and bring your family to play at this year’s Foo Fest 2009!

Details:
AS220 Foo Fest 2009 – 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Hours: 1:00PM – 1:00AM.
Family Programming 1:00 – 6:00PM.
Admission: $5. Children aged 3 and under admitted free.
Website: http://www.as220.org/foofest/

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We eat a lot of cereal in our house; in fact, our shelf looks like it belongs in a Jerry Seinfeld episode with boxes of cereal all lined up for the morning mix. Although the empty boxes can be recycled, here are some creative ways to re-use some of them first. These are great craft projects for kids—easy to do, free materials, and quick cleanup!

Make a Bookmark
Super easy, super fast, and you can never have enough bookmarks.

Supplies: Cereal box, ribbon, beads, scissors, hole punch

How-To: Cut a rectangle out of your favorite part of the cereal box. Hole punch the top end of rectangle . Thread ribbon through hole and tie a knot. Thread bead(s) through other end of ribbon and tie knot to secure beads in place.

Make a Stationery Folder (pictured)
A great holder for stationery you already have or design your own to go inside.

Supplies: Cereal box, ribbon, metal fasteners, scissors, ruler, hole punch
Optional: Magazines, collage materials

How-To: Use the large side of cereal box, including flap. Cut rectangle from box large enough to fold in half and fit stationery (e.g. For 5″ x 7″ stationery, cut rectangle 11″ x 8″ (do not cut off flap). Folded measurement: 5.5″ x 8″). Cut extra strip from box to hold stationery in place. Hole punch edges and secure ribbon. See photo for detail.

Make a Pop-Up Card
These make great cards for birthdays and other special occasions.

Supplies: Cereal box, cardstock paper, scissors, glue

How-To: Cut out your favorite character from a cereal box and glue onto a basic pop-up tab. To make basic pop-up tab, follow simple instructions on the Robert Sabuda website. Glue character to tab. Make sure the card can fold in half. Glue a piece of paper on back of cardstock to cover up pop-up tab.

By Katy Killilea

When Bo Obama humped the President’s leg, I knew we were ready for a pet. My six-year-old loves dogs so much, he practically is a dog—springy, gregarious, often rolling around on the ground, and not noticing when his long messy hair dips into the milky dregs in his cereal bowl. My eight-year-old loves stuffed animals so much, he designs and sews his own and treats each one with tender care, although at the bus stop he’s aloof, holes in jeans, practically spitting tobacco juice as he gives a small wave and climbs into his bus. I felt that in the case of my younger son, a dog might be a soul mate. And that for my older son, a pet might provide an outlet for his tenderness while he moves inexorably toward the publicly macho. Also, both boys had been begging for a dog for at least two years. I realized that if Michelle and Barack could do it, so could we. And so we got our puppy: Butter.

It feels like the right choice. Here are a few things I’m glad I knew in advance. They might seem like no-brainers, but all were news to me:

1. If your family gets a puppy, the adults can count on doing the walking, feeding, grooming, and poop handling. Kids might adhere to the responsibilities you give them, but the puppy of course will need more than sporadic care.

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I am thrilled to be heading to Chicago today for this year’s BlogHer conference. This will be my first time at this sold-out annual event that brings together bloggers from every corner of the blogosphere for hands-on learning and lively discussions with plenty of networking opportunities to meet other bloggers, businesses, media folks, etc. This is right up my alley.

I spend a great deal of time online for work and personal reasons—blogging, tweeting, reading, and sending e-mails. I love the Internet for its convenience, as an effective communication tool to meet new people, and to find and share information—but I’m also a visual person and love seeing and doing things in real life and seeing and talking to others in person. This year’s conference theme is “In Real Life” and will provide plenty of time for real-life connections with people, companies, and technology.

In addition to all the conference happenings, I have scheduled in some “me” time—a whole day in Chicago, post-conference without my husband or kids, to do what I want to do (like seeing what’s new at the Art Institute of Chicago). Can’t wait.

So while I’m gone, enjoy reading past articles on Kidoinfo, including 100 things to do with kids in RI this summer and 10 Ways to Staycation at Home. Check the events calendar for a daily list of things to do and follow me on Twitter to see what I am doing while in Chicago.

I will be back on Monday, probably a bit jet-lagged but most likely energized by my time away.

Today local artist Beth Curtin shares a wonderful easy way to teach weaving to children using old styrofoam trays from the grocery store. Kids can learn about color,  patterns and texture, using their creation as a mini wall hanging, a toy horse blanket or a rug for their dollhouse. Find more creative ideas on Beth’s blog, Acorn Pies.

SUPPLIES

Yarn (Start with a basketful of woolen yarns in colors you love. Thicker yarns make the weaving work up quickly. We spun and dyed most of ours at home but you can also find yarns at your local craft or yarn store.)

Styrofoam tray (Get a clean, unused one from the butcher or re-use one from vegetables or fresh pasta) or piece of heavy cardboard.

Ruler, Scissors, String for loom, Pen for marking

HOW-TO

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