By Roger Williams Park Zoo, Education Department

Like learning to count or recite the alphabet, learning animal sounds is a fundamental part of childhood.  We often ask our little ones, “What sound does a cow make?” and then giggle with glee when “mooo” comes out of the mouth of babes.

If we ask children, and even adults, “What sound does a frog make?” most of us would expect a response of “ribbit, ribbit.” But what if the person you asked responded with the “wrraaaah” of a Fowler’s Toad or the “PREEP-preep, PREEP-preep” of a Spring Peeper? Would you be able to identify that sound?

You would if you signed up to be a FrogWatch volunteer!

In its third year, FrogWatch is a national program where everyday citizens help monitor frog and toad populations in their area. The Roger Williams Park Zoo is currently offering a free training session to interested individuals and families. This 2-hour course will help you identify Rhode Island species by the sound of their breeding call.

By monitoring which calls you hear, scientists can paint a picture of the distribution and abundance of local species. Additionally, in the same way that the sound of two people in a cafe is very different from the sound of a cafeteria full of people, the volume of the frog and toad calls helps scientists to estimate population sizes.

Trained volunteers dedicate about 3 minutes once or twice a week to listening to the types and volume of calls at nearby ponds or lakes. Then they log their data online in the FrogWatch USA database. It’s a great way for families to do something together, get outside, learn about animals and help their local environment.

Why monitor populations of our local amphibians? Frogs and toads are what we call indicator species. More sensitive to water conditions than other animals, a decline in frog and toad populations may be a sign of habitat loss, pollution or disease that could eventually affect us all. Additionally, local amphibians help control insect populations (just think, more frogs = fewer mosquitoes) and serve as a food source for other animals.

Currently Rhode Island has a healthy frog and toad population. FrogWatch is here to help make sure it stays that way.  And remember, this is something that anyone can do. If you think you’re not “outdoorsy” enough to learn frog and toad calls, just think of how many animal sounds a one-year old can master. It’s child’s play!

To attend a training session and become a FrogWatch Volunteer, contact Gerry DiChiara at gdichiara@rwpzoo.org or 401-785-3510 x358.

Upcoming Training Date:
• April 17 from 10am-12pm

For more information about animals in their natural habitat, visit Roger William’s Park Zoo located at 1000 Elmwood Avenue. Providence, RI.

I would like to welcome Anika Denise as a new regular contributer to Kidoinfo. The author of “Pigs Love Potatoes” and the forthcoming “Bella And Stella Come Home”  will review children’s books; new ones, well-loved classics, and overlooked gems. Anika lives in Barrington, Rhode Island with her husband, Christopher and their two daughters, ages 8 and 5.  You might know her from Barrington Books where she hosts the Thursday morning story hour.  You can read more of her children’s book reviews and story hour suggestions at www.bookmarks-ri.blogspot.com and at www.anikadenise.blogspot.com.

Today: Story Corner Friday: Lions-to-Lambs

March “comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb,” the saying goes, and here in Rhode Island, it seems to be doing just that. For a fun way to celebrate the month of March and the first day of spring with your children, try these seasonal story hour selections.

“Little Cloud and Lady Wind,” – Toni Morrison (Author) Slade Morrison (Illustrator)
A beautiful story by famous novelist Toni Morrison (illustrated by her son) about a little girl cloud who at first, does not want to join the other clouds in making storms that rain down on the earth. Then, Lady Wind explains that she does not always have to be stormy—she can be whatever kind of cloud she’d like. Children will appreciate the dreamy, blue-hued illustrations as well as the story’s gentle message about the connectedness of all things in nature.

“Birds,” – Kevin Henkes (Author), Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)
“If birds made marks with their tail feathers when they flew, think what the sky would look like,” says the narrator in Henkes’s lovely book about birds. With charming text and colorful paintings of birds in all their variety and splendor, it’s a perfect choice for springtime-themed reading.

“Forever Friends,” – Carin Berger (Author, Illustrator)
A simple, quiet story about a little brown bunny and a bluebird, this book contains paintings that feel like gorgeously designed wallpaper. Children and parents will find it a lovely book to see, hear and hold.

“Here Comes Gosling!” – Sandy Asher (Author), Keith Graves (Illustrator)
Froggie can’t wait to meet Goose and Gander’s new baby Gosling. But when baby Gosling “Hoooooooooonnks” endlessly, his excitement diminishes considerably. In the end, it’s Froggie who figures out how to soothe Gosling, to everyone’s delight. Any kid who’s had to contend with the noisy cries of of a new baby will relate to this sweet and funny tale.

For a fun craft to go with your springtime-themed story hour try:
“Baby Birds in a Nest”
(Ages: 3 and Up)

Thanks to the folks at Busy Bee Kids Crafts this super-cute craft project is a snap!

materials:

• Plastic egg (one half for each bird)
• Construction paper
• Paper plate
• Brown paint
• Paint brush
• Scissors
• Glue

how-to:

1. Paint your paper plate brown. If your plate has a waxy finish on it you may need to put on 2 coats of paint.

2. Now you will make your baby birds. Fold a small piece of orange construction paper, cut out a triangle on the fold, this will make the bird’s beak.

3. From construction paper cut out two wings for each of your birds. Make a small fold at the bottom of each wing, this will give your a place to put the glue.

4. Glue your beak and wings onto your birds. Most plastic eggs have air holes on them, which will look great as your bird’s eyes. If your eggs don’t have air hole, you can draw some on with a permanent marker.

5. Put some glue on the bottom of your eggs and glue your birds into their nest.

6. Cut some brown strips of paper.

7. Glue the brown strips around the lip of the paper plate.

Good things happening in Providence and beyond. Edesia, a non-profit producer of life-saving Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs), is the recipient of a $2 million multi-year grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Under the grant, Edesia will produce more than 300 metric tons of Nutributter® in 2010 designed to enhance the growth and motor development of children aged 6 to 24 months and used as a complement to traditional food. The packets will ensure the proper growth and cognitive development of more than 100,000 children by preventing the devastating effects of malnutrition. The grant was awarded through USAID’s Office of Food for Peace through the International Food Relief Partnership (IFRP) program.

Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs) are important in developing countries because they do not need to be refrigerated or mixed with water. Children can open it and eat it directly. In addition to producing Nutributter® Edesia makes other RUF’s including Plumpy’nut® made with peanuts, sugar, milk powder, oils, vitamins and minerals and has all the essential fats, proteins and nutrients that a child need to overcome malnutrition and develop.

“Malnutrition affects 178 million children and results in more than five million child deaths each year. With Nutributter® and other RUFs, we now have a solution that addresses this silent crisis and allows us to take action during the most critical time in children’s lives,” said Navyn Salem, Executive Director of Edesia.

ABOUT EDESIA

Edesia is a new non-profit based in Providence, RI, and a sister organization to Industrial Revelation in Tanzania. Edesia is dedicated to U.S. production of Plumpy’nut® and other Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs) designed to prevent and treat malnutrition in the developing world. Edesia will collaborate on nutrition research as well as support local producers of RUF in countries most affected by malnutrition.To learn more about Edesia go to www.edesiallc.org.

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

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 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.

By Jill Davidson and Kira Greene

The last time I wrote for Kidoinfo about enrolling children in the Providence Public Schools, I was going through the experience myself with my second son. Since our family hasn’t been through the process for a while, I consulted Kira Greene, a parent whose kids attend Vartan Gregorian Elementary School at Fox Point, for tips and advice. Kira has spent many hours helping families navigate the system of Providence Public Schools registration, and we’re happy to share what we’ve learned with you. Please note that registration for Providence Charter Schools is handled separately (and ends on March 22). Please add your additional tips, experiences, and questions in the comments section!

Enrollment for Providence Public School kindergarten for the 2010-11 school year begins on Monday, February 22, and runs through Saturday, April 1. Grade 1 registration for students who are new to the Providence Public School district begins on Monday, March 1, and runs through Saturday, April 1. Consult the kindergarten and first grade registration calendars for specific information about when to register your child. For students who are new to the district enrolling in second through twelfth grades, registration begins May 5, and information is available here. The processes to choose middle schools and high schools run separately.

Registration must happen in person at the Student Registration and Placement Center, 325 Ocean Street in Providence (Map it). If you’ve been there before, it’s in the same location, though with a different street address. Families are requested to register children on certain days according to the first letter of the child’s last name, and make-up days are available during the last week of the registration period. To be eligible for kindergarten, your child must have been born on or before September 1, 2005, and reside in Providence.

Here is a list of documents you need to bring:
- Birth certificate, passport, green card, or I-94 card
- Child’s immunization records from pediatrician’s office
- Proof of physical exam, vision screening, and lead test results
- Proof of Providence residency (utility bill or lease/rental agreement)
- For special education students only: bring your child’s current Individualized Education Program (IEP) if s/he has one.
- If a language other than English is the primary language at home, your child will need a language assessment, available by appointment.
- Families of first grade students also need to supply proof of registration in an accredited kindergarten program.

(more…)

Public schools are taking a break, and so is Kidoinfo. You’ll find there’s more than usual going on in Rhode Island this week! Way more than what’s listed here—consider yourself lucky if you’re staying close to home.

This list is the tip of the iceberg—check our events calendar for more.

Keep in mind: many venues will be more crowded than usual. It’s wise to call ahead to confirm ticket availability or to check for cancellations.

1. In our book, number one will always be RELAXING AT HOME, with no rushing for the bus, no misplaced homework pages, and plenty of time for pancakes and coloring.

2. PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL. Long films, short films, animated ones and ones with real people. None made by Disney.

3. ICE SKATE in Providence or Newport or at your neighborhood’s smoothest frozen body of water.

4. NEWPORT WINTER FESTIVAL—going on all week, with special events for children February 14th & 15th.

5. MAKE VALENTINES check the events calendar for cookie decorating and card making options or get crafty at your kitchen table.

6. INVESTIGATE BITE WEEK at Mystic Aquarium. Chomp!

7. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT all week long at Buttonwood Park Zoo—including Toe Jam Puppet Band on Monday—and it’s all FREE with zoo admission.

8. THE AUDUBON SOCIETY has richly varied special events for young naturalists all week.

9. FLIP BOOKS, STUFFED CREATURES, ARCHITECTURE and more! Classes for kids at Warren Art Spot.

10. LIBRARY TIME. Visit your favorite branch or explore a new one. Free. Many libraries have special activities planned for vacation week.

What will you and your family choose? Share your favorite places to go, things to do, and ways to enjoy a week of wintry togetherness. We love your comments and depend on them for great ideas.