Saturday, August 21 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Providence School Department, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, Sodexho School Services and over 30 community partners will sponsor this year’s Back to School Celebration. Kick off the new school year with celebrations from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 11 community sites. Over 12,000 kids will receive free backpacks filled with school supplies. Music, raffles and food also will be provided at each location.

For more information, call Doris M. De Los Santos at 401-222-4890.

Back-to-school celebrations will be held at the following sites:

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Today Tracy Minkin from GoLocalProv shares some great tips on how to stock up on school supplies without breaking the bank.

Sure, that dad in the classic Staples back to school TV ad is skipping down the shopping aisle while his kids trudge, but that may be because he hasn’t hit check-out yet. Back to school shopping can burden any family’s budget. But with big sales hitting the streets this week, now’s just the time to organize and execute a shopping strategy that can save you some serious money. Here are 12 tips for getting the most for your back to school dollars:

1. Check before you shop. Make your list of supplies, but before you start shopping, check all your work and homework spaces for unused items that can be used this year. Then, check under sofa, chairs, and beds, between cushions, and in spare drawers for lone pencils, pens, and erasers. You’ll be amazed at what a collection you can create.

2. Work the chains. Most major chains are kicking off big back to school sales this week, and weekly store circulars are a great way to comparison shop. Recycled them already? Just go to shoplocal and leaf through weekly circulars for stores including CVS, Walgreens, Kmart, OfficeMax, Staples, and Target. You’ll have all the information you need.

3. Grab and go. Once you’ve got your sale items picked out, go grab them, but don’t fall for the full-priced items on adjacent shelves. Stick to your plan.

4. Go online. Just as during holidays, online shopping can save you time and aggravation, not to mention gasoline at high prices. Major online retailers like staples.com have whole special areas devoted to back to school, and with careful price comparisons, you can really save.

5. Think outside the box. Office supply stores may be reminding you with lots of advertising that they’re your go-to for back to school (and specific sales on certain items may be worth the trip), but you can often pick up excellent savings at thrift and dollar stores. You may want to check your local grocery store as well…

Read full article on GoLocalProv.

Every week on GoLocalProv I share tips on how families can make the most of their weekend — including helpful hints that make parenting easier and connecting you to great local happenings.

This week’s list:

Kido Tip 1. Find the perfect ice cream cone.

Ice cream and summer go hand in hand. Do you prefer hard-packed or soft-serve? Frozen yogurt or gelato? Sometimes it’s not just the place or the flavor but the whole experience. Thinking back on our past ice cream excursions brings back memories of a day at the beach or an afternoon at the park. Summer is half over but still plenty of time left to find your favorite spot.  Our family’s top pick is eating gelato from Venda’s while sitting at the fountain in DePasquale Square and listening to Italian music. What’s yours?

Kido Tip 2. Talk to the animals for free.

Admission is free, the first Saturday of every month for Providence families at Rogers Willilams Park Zoo (must show proof of residency) and free for all families at the Environmental Education Center in Bristol. After a day full of bats, blue lobsters, elephants, zebras and monkeys, plan a family movie night and watch the classic 1967 film, Doctor Dolittle.

Kido Tip 3. Watch baseball the old-fashioned way.

Read full article on Go Local Prov.

The Parks & Recreation Department Fun Bus filled with kites, board games, hula hoops and more is visiting Providence’s neighborhood parks this summer!

From Providence City News:

If you see a large, colorful bus painted with images of children rumbling through your neighborhood, it’s probably the Providence Parks and Recreation Department Fun Bus.  Mayor David N. Cicilline announced that the Fun Bus has begun visiting the city’s neighborhood parks loaded with lots of activities for children like board games, a 35-foot inflatable obstacle course and hula hoops.
The Fun Bus visits a different neighborhood park every day throughout the summer from 12pm until 4pm.  In addition to board games and hula-hoops, the bus also has kites, jump ropes, tug-of-war equipment, footballs, basketballs, face painting and jewelry-making material and everything you need to compete in a potato sack race.  The bus is staffed with seven Parks and Recreation Department employees ready to engage children in fun activities.

“Whether it’s sailing on Narragansett Bay, playing golf, splashing at a water park or competing in a fierce tug-of-war, we’re working hard to come up with fun, affordable ways to keep children engaged in high-quality, safe activities this summer,” said Mayor Cicilline.

The Department of Parks and Recreation is also partnering with the YMCA of Greater Providence to bring the Y on the Move to the city’s parks.  Y on the Move engages children and families in health and wellness through interactive games, inflatable slide, bungee pull, sports wall and much more.

The Fun Bus schedule for the rest of the summer is as follows:

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What are you doing with your kids this summer? If you need ideas and want a fun way to explore the area, read the Kidoinfo list of 100 Things to do with Kids this Summer in Rhode Island. Many of the ideas are free.

Thank you to all the readers who have already added their suggestions. Help make this the best list of things to do with children in the area by clicking here and add your ideas in the comments section.

Here’s another idea (pictured above): Tire Hopping at Brown Street Park. Happy Summer!

1. Head to a beach. This time of year, the beaches are quiet and perfect for beach-combing. Dress for the weather and bring a bucket to hold your treasures. We love making castles and sculptures and leaving them on the beach for others to discover but you may prefer to bring your collection home.

2. Celebrate Earth Day. Make a list with your kids about what you love about the earth and then do something related to one or all the items on your list. E.g. “If I love trees” is on your list then plan to plant a tree, climb a tree, identify trees in the park or sit under the shade of a one and read.

3.  Go offline all day. Can you do it? Can your kids do it? I’m online a great deal but I do unplug at times allowing us to connect as a family or pursue offline hobbies and interests. Read, craft, cook, build with Lego’s, go biking, fly a kite – there is LOADS to do!

4. Take a hike. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island is offering free guided hikes this week, April 17 – 25, 2010.

5. Check the Kidoinfo calendar. As usual the calendar is jam-packed with things to do—some special events planned just for vacation week.

Have something to add? Please list below.

Take to the Trails!
Offers a Week-long Schedule of Free Guided Hikes to Encourage Outdoor Exploration
April 17 – 25, 2010

Audubon encourages Rhode Island residents of all ages to log off the computer and electronics for a day and celebrate planet Earth by plugging into nature.

The big yellow bus pulled into an Audubon wildlife refuge, rolled to a stop, and opened its doors.  With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, students spilled off the bus. But there was one child who refused, and explained, “I don’t want to go, I’m afraid, there might be a lion in the woods.”  For Audubon staff, this fear of the natural world from children of all ages is a reaction they have become familiar with.

Educators at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island have plenty of stories to tell.  They recall the nervous, yet delighted response from urban students holding wriggling tadpoles for the first time. The wide-eyed thrill children experience as they muddy their hands and gently pick up a salamander by a vernal pool. Kids at summer camp, nets in hand, screeching in delight as they spot crabs scuttling along the rocky shore.  There are endless tales of wonder and joy found in the natural world.

Then there are the other stories.  Children who arrive at an Audubon Wildlife Refuge for a school program and are too frightened of the forest to join their class on the trails. Students who fear that hiking on a Rhode Island refuge might bring them into a fatal encounter with an exotic animal.  Youth who are able to memorize word for word the dialogue from a recent television show, but couldn’t identify a maple leaf or pine cone, not to mention any of the birds or other creatures they might encounter locally in nature. And these aren’t just tales of the very young; high school and middle school students are often those displaying the strong fear and lack of understanding of the natural world.

In this day and age, when video games have taken the place of outdoor play, and children learn about nature from a computer screen, the next generation is becoming increasingly disconnected from the natural world. Statistics show that children spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. And more and more free time is being spent inside in front of video screens. A study recently released by the Kaiser Family Foundation stated that daily media use among young kids and teens is up dramatically from even five years ago. The average American child (ages 8 to 18) now spends seven hours 38 minutes plugged in per day. That’s 53 hours per week watching electronic entertainment media—an increase of more than one hour per week from just a few years ago. And this increase in electronic entertainment is keeping them inside.

There are more reasons than ever to turn off the gadgets and head outside. This lack of outdoor activity is resulting in high obesity rates, attention disorders and other health issues in children, including increases in diabetes, and heart disease. Besides the obvious physical benefits to outdoor exercise and play, experts cite behavioral and academic advantages as well. And the reality is that today’s youth will face environmental challenges in their future like no generation before.  It is vital that they become educated stewards of the natural world who are prepared to deal with the issues that lie ahead.

There is hope. A national movement has blossomed that encourages families to get outside. Organizations such as the U.S. Park Service, National Wildlife Federation, and others have launched initiatives to encourage outdoor exploration and enjoyment. And here in Rhode Island, Audubon is doing its part to bring nature back to childhood. We offer miles of well-maintained public access trails at wildlife refuges across the state for all ages to enjoy at no cost. Family programs, school field trips, nature walks and more are available year-round to encourage exploration of the natural world. As a member of the national “No Child Left Inside Coalition,” Audubon is working with others to ensure that environmental education legislation becomes law.

And this month, in celebration of Earth Day, Audubon is offering 11 FREE guided walks on wildlife refuges across the state. Families are invited to get out and explore those special places in the state accessible only by foot. Take a nighttime stroll, search for salamanders, explore a salt marsh, or discover the rocky shore of Narragansett Bay. Kids will get exercise and fresh air as they learn about the varied habitats and creatures that call Rhode Island home. There are programs to suite all ages and interests – from mild birding walks on easy trails to strenuous hikes on steep, rocky terrain.

Visit www.asri.org for more information and a complete schedule of FREE Earth Day walks and hikes.

Editors note:
In addition to these free walks, during this week Audubon is also offering a complete schedule of school vacation week programs.  Please call (401) 949-5454 ext. 3041 or email programs@asri.org specifically for school vacation events.

By Tiffany Hogan

Love a bargain? Looking for good quality, lightly used kids’ (or adults’) clothes?  Enjoy shopping locally and supporting local initiatives? Then mark your calendar and plan to visit the upcoming Wheeler School Clothing Sale, April 15-17. This wildly popular 62 year-old community institution benefits every “body.”

This three-day event held in the gymnasium at Wheeler School has long been recognized as a great opportunity to pick up lightly used high quality clothing, sporting equipment, electronics and more, for the entire family.  There is also typically a sizable selection of high-quality new designer clothing and house wares donated by local retailers.  These goods are collected during the course of the school year and pre-sorted to ensure that only the best and latest goods are available at the sale.  For years, my mother-in-law always counted on the sale to pick up a ‘new” blue blazer for my young brother-in-law.  Who wants to spend top dollar on an item that a child might wear only once or twice before he grows out of it?

The proceeds from the sale are used to support a variety of needs, from financial aid funds for students, to the Summerbridge Program for Providence Public Middle School students. Goods that aren’t purchased during the sale are donated to a number of local non-profit shelters and agencies.

Details

Wheeler Clothing Sale
407 Brook Street
Thursday, April 15, 4PM to 9PM
Friday, April 16, 9AM to 9PM
Saturday, April 17, 9AM to 2PM

Cost: Free Admission
Phone: 401-421-8100
Website: www.wheelerschool.org/BigEvent

Photo Credit: The Wheeler School

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

Children learn best when they are allowed to make choices and experiment – the process is as important as the outcome.

This statement is not only powerful; it is the sum and substance of Providence Children’s Museum’s educational philosophy.  It is the message we believe in, the message we strive to impart with each program we plan.

As we think about the child’s process, we carefully consider the materials we provide.  When we give children opportunities to design and build, we challenge them to do it with an eclectic collection of leftover stuff – some might call it junk!  We want to give them plenty of choices so the product is all theirs.  We believe kids need to have control over their creations.  If you choose narrowly in terms of materials or provide children with lots of commercial items, then somehow the product is dictated.  Rather, when you place an array of open-ended items on the table, the child has an opportunity to design something entirely their own.

Watching a child’s creative process unfold is fascinating; you can tell when he or she is taking control over a project.  What they choose to include or exclude will decide the look of their end product.  Last spring, I planned a program where I placed bins around the room that held different recyclables.  There were jar tops, buttons, foam scraps and feathers; all sorts of design options.  Using these and in different combinations, children made robots, sail boats, cars and space vehicles.  And as materials were changed out, products changed as well.  One mom loved what her children were doing with the tops of peanut butter jars.  She approached me and whispered excitedly, “I’m going home to start a collection of our own!”

This is another reason we use everyday items in our programming.  Parents are constantly getting ideas of what they can do with the things they already have at home.  Look in your basement, your closets, your pantries, your drawers – your home is your kids’ ‘oyster’!  Another wonderful resource for artful junk is the Resources for Rhode Island Education center in Providence.  There you can find baskets of buttons, piles of foam rubber, and odd-shaped trinkets for your children to play around with.

Ingenuity, inventiveness, design…think about these the next time you throw away the plastic lid from the apple juice bottle.  It could make a great wheel or headlamp for your child’s next invention!

Explore the wonders of reusable materials at the Children’s Museum this month with different hands-on activities every day.  During school vacation, enjoy creative performances by Sparky’s Puppets, the State Ballet of Rhode Island, folksinger Maria Sangiolo, and an Earth Day presentation of “No Time to Waste,” a hilarious comedy about trash and recycling.  Check the Museum’s website calendar for details.