Saturday Fun Run... Boathouse Row

Bring your kids out to the KidsROX Fun Run on Saturday, July 31^st for children aged 1-14 at Boathouse Row!

The KidsROX Fun Run, part of the SheROX Triathlon Expo, is designed to promote exercise through running.  Mostly though, its goal is to teach kids the importance of helping other kids.    All proceeds will benefit The George Fund, established in honor of George Hedges Pappert who died of a brain tumor at age 4.  The George Fund at Keystone Hospice in Wyndmoor helps pediatric hospice patients and their families pay for medical equipment, prescription medications, nursing care, creative arts therapy, counseling and bereavement services.

Kids will run distances ranging from 50 yards to 1 mile, depending on their age.  All runs begin at Lloyd Hall, No. 1 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, and will take participants along paths on Waterworks Drive and the Schuylkill River Trail. All participants will receive a medal and a T-shirt.    In addition to the races, children and their families can enjoy food and music, shop from vendors, have their faces painted and even meet a clown, all as part of the SheROX Expo.

Registration starts at 9am, races start at 10:30. For more information, contact Kelley Mansfield (267.784.7587) or Paula M. Riley (215.284.1914).  Thanks for your support of this great event.  If you are unable to attend, but would like to donate, please visit The George Fund at http://www.keystonecare.com/pediatric/the-george-fund.aspx.  

Guest Middle Schooler Post: Trail + Bike = Fun!

If you want a good place to ride your bike, you may want to go on a Fairmont Park trail.  There is one really close to Germantown Ave. If you go down Chestnut Hill Ave. past Seminole St., then you will see a BIG house on your right then go down a little more and you make a right into a parking lot.

Then you may need a mountain bike because you need to go down a rocky but beautiful trail. When you start down the hill, you need to brake!  If you stop, you can see the gorgeous view. Then you start at a steady pace down the hill and make a right turn and keep going more. It gets really bumpy after a bit, then it almost seems that you are going down stairs. Then a sight of the Wissahickon and then you go over the bridge and head uphill.

This will take you deeper in to the woods.  It gets hilly and rocky when you start up the hill.  If you have a big block of time, you should try this trail. The trail is hard on scooter, but fine on bike and fine if you’re walking/hiking. Try to go on this trail... it is tons of FUN!

Trail Review by Sam, age 11

Honoring Childhood: The Miquon School

This is another post in our series of Family Reviews on schools.  If you love your child’s school, preschool or center, please consider writing a review for GAP!  Please use the "contact us" button to let us know you’re interested. 

So while the little ones are attending Project Play School, the older kids are experiencing progressive education of their own at The Miquon School.  This school is another local  treasure, just ten minutes from Chestnut Hill.  My children absolutely LOVE school, and as both an educator and parent, I love it too.

Miquon is a wonderful blend of engaging curriculum and respect for childhood.  Children are exposed to long term projects, encouraged to create inventions, examine different parts of the world, and embark upon a varied offering of mini-courses.  


There is flexibility for children in both content and pacing, and children are encouraged to be active and curious learners.  The school employs Guided Reading, Writer's Workshop, hands-on math studies, and rich science and social studies investigations as anchors to the curriculum.  There are wonderful specialist/resource teachers for Art, Science, Music & Physical Education.  Yet throughout the course of a day, children still have 90 minutes of choice time.  


Much of that choice time is spent outside on the beautiful wooded campus, exploring the creek and creating the magical worlds unique to both Miquon and childhood.  The campus looks almost camp-like, which my children find both exciting and soothing.  I know they'll spend plenty of time after leaving Miquon in educational "institutions", so spending their grade school years in a setting that invites exploration and connection to nature is truly a gift.  And this experiential learning greatly enhances Miquon's academic rigor.  I've been equally as impressed with the content and scope of the curriculum as I've been with the social and educationally progressive atmosphere of the school.

Miquon begins at the nursery level for children, staring at three years old and continuing through sixth grade.  The Head of School, Julia Finney, is thoughtful and responsive, and the staff is simply wonderful.  


Teachers at Miquon know the children extremely well as both learners and people, and they care deeply about supporting the development of the whole child.  As a parent, I receive frequent, detailed, and helpful feedback about how my children are doing.  The end of the year reports, rather than simply posting a grade for 7 different subjects, are lengthy narrative descriptions of each child's functioning in a multitude of areas.  


Having recently attended my first Miquon graduation, I was very moved by both the school's commitment to the children and the children's commitment to and love for the school.  As someone who has spent a lifetime attending and working in and around schools, I know firsthand how unique that is.  

This weekend...

The carnival is ON!  Springfield Rotary's annual carnival runs through July 24.  Located on the grounds of Springfield High School, the carnival boasts food, rides, entertainment and games.  The carnival runs from 6-10pm, with wristbands available for unlimited rides and proceeds going towards both community events.

Saturday is Plymouth Township Day from 4-7pm at 901 Germantown Pike with food, games, amusements and a concert from 7-9pm with The Madmen.

Sat. night is also the Trolley Car Diner's Movie Night... starting at 9pm,  This week's feature, one of my favorites... Up! (bring tissues)

And the concert series continues at the Little Treehouse Play Cafe... The Cat's Pajamas start playing at 6pm... admission after 5pm is free with dinner.

Hot enough yet? Think Sprayground!

See, it's not just a playground... it's a SPRAYground.  Spraygrounds are playgrounds with water play... perfect for blistering hot days.  There are four official spraygrounds in Philly...

Waterview Recreation Center at Rittenhouse and McMahon Streets

Smith playground at 2100 S. 24th Street

Ferko Playground at "J" & Cayuga


48th & Woodland

Spraygrounds are supposed to be operational from 11am-7pm during the hot summer months.  If you arrive and the sprays are silent, ask around about getting them turned on, but it shouldn't be a problem in our current heat wave!

This Weekend...

Why not take the kids across the pond to the XPN Music Festival's Kid's Corner at the Camden Children's Garden?  The events start at noon, with of a lineup of wonderful music including:

SATURDAY, JULY 17	SUNDAY, JULY 18
1pm - Steve Pullara	1pm - Joanie Leeds
2pm - Two Of A Kind	2pm - Billy Kelly
3pm - Bubboon's Tunes	3pm - Recess Monkey
4pm - John Hadfield	4pm - Ham & Burger
5pm - Yosi & The Superdads	5pm - John Flynn

http://kidscorner.org/html/xmf10.php


If your kids like Kids Corner, they'll be thrilled to meet Kathy O'Connell, do crafts and face painting in the Big Tent.  There are also nature walks with Jane Kirkland, historical events from Historic Philadelphia, and all activities are set in the gorgeous Camden Children's garden, which boasts its own carousel rides, train ride and railroad garden, dinosaur garden and more.  


The adult lineup is equally wonderful, with acts like Ben Arnold, Roseanne Cash, and Cowboy Junkies, among many, many others:



Friday
Ben Arnold
Dutch
Free Energy
Toy Soldiers
Alejandro Escovedo
Big Head Todd & The Monsters
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals

Saturday
Ben Vaughn
Birdie Busch
Bobby Long
Diane Birch
Joshua James
Robert Francis
Harper Blynn
Nicole Atkins
Rosanne Cash
The Felice Brothers
The Walkmen
Yo La Tengo

Sunday
Amy Correia
Earl Greyhound
Fool's Gold
The Great Unknown
The Holmes Brothers
These United States
Blood Feathers
Cowboy Junkies
Dawes
Dr. Dog
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Tickets:
Kids under two are free
kids 2-12 are $5 for the day
adult tickets are $20 for the day for XPN members, $30 for non-members


http://www.xpn.org/concerts-events/festival10/

Tips for Car Seat Safety in PA

Pennsylvania requires all children under the age of four to ride in a certified child restraint, children between ages four and eight to ride in a car seat or booster seat, and children from eight to eighteen to use a seatbelt when riding in a motor vehicle.  In addition, it is recommended that children under 13 ride in the back seat.  But those are basic, minimum guidelines.  There are some nuances to car seat safety that might keep your child safer, and that could be very important... motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in children under age 18.  

Tip #1: Although the tradition has been to turn children front-facing after their first birthday (provided that they’ve reached 20 pounds), it is now recommended by safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatricians to keep the child rear-facing as long as the seat will allow.  Rear-facing is by far a safer position in the vast majority of crashes... the spine is fully supported and the head and neck are not thrust forward the violent way they are when facing front.  


If you need more convincing, watch the crash test dummy videos of rear vs/ forward facing crashes:

vs.

Some infant "bucket" seats rear-face to 30 pounds, and most convertible(infant to toddler) seats rear-face to 33 or 35 pounds.  Children in many European countries ride rear-facing until kindergarten age, with far fewer serious injuries than in the US.  

Tip #2: Car seats typically expire after 6 years from the date of manufacture (regardless of how long they were used).  You can check your individual brand, but due to advances in technology and the breakdown of materials, expired car seats should be thrown away with straps cut so that no one else tries to re-use them. 

Tip #3: Though many booster seats have age 3 or 30 pounds listed as the minimum weight, virtually every certified child safety technician disagrees with this guideline.  Three years is generally considered too young to be positioned correctly in a booster for an entire ride; children that young, even if big enough, are typically not mature enough to position their body safely in a booster over time.  There are now many five point harness seats with very high weight limits to continue the benefit of 5 pt. harnessing well past the toddler years.  (Why do you think race car drivers have 5 pt. harnesses?)

Tip #4: If you are in a crash, whether your children are in their seats or not at the time of the collision, the seats may need replacing even if they look fine, depending upon the severity of the crash.  Guidelines differ based on manufacturer, but replacement is often covered by car insurance.  It’s recommended to call or check the website of your car seat manufacturer after a crash.  

Tip #5: Over 80% of people who stop to have their car seats checked for proper installation have installed them incorrectly.  Although L.A.T.C.H. has streamlined installation a bit, it is still a challenge to get seats properly installed in every vehicle.  Please have your car seats checked by a certified safety technician.  Here is a link to local car seat safety checks:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/FindFitting.cfm

Camps for Children with Autism/Special Needs: Lose the Training Wheels!

Two exciting local camp opportunities for children with special needs.  FANS camp for children on the autism spectrum runs in Lafyette Hill from August 9-12, and "Lose the Training Wheels!" runs the same week at St. Joe's University.  



FANS (Fight Autism Now) Camp: August 9th-12th, 9:00am-12:00pm @ St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette Hill. A new theme each day! Pre-Registration & Open House on Thursday, July 15th from 5:00-6:00. $25.00 per day or $100.00 for the whole week plus a non-refundable $25.00 registration fee.

FANS Social Skills Group: The first Six-Week Session starts September 16th-21st. Your child may enroll in the 4:30-5:30pm OR 5:45-6:45pm group. Tuition is $150.00 plus a $25.00 non-refundable registration fee. Open House on Thursday, September 9th from 4:30-5:30.

FANS Vision
To combat autism with social skills and therapeutic activities to help children on the autism spectrum reach their full potential.

FANS Mission
To provide structured social skills and therapeutic programs in a supportive and nurturing environment for children on the autism spectrum.

FANS Staff: FANS Camp and the Social Skills Group are under the Direction of Jacquie Nicholl Godwin, a Certified Behavioral Specialist, and Volunteer Consultant, Rose Hoffer, Assistant Director from the Lovaas Institute and a staff of behavioral specialists, special education teachers and experienced aids.

FANS Contact Information: 
Website: www.fightautismnowsupporters.org
Email: fightatusimnowsupporters@gmail.com

BICYCLE CAMP FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES IN PHILADELPHIA TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS

Lose the Training Wheels™, a program that teaches individuals with disabilities to independently ride a conventional two wheel bicycle, is now taking applications. Five-day camp sessions will take place August 9-13, 2010 at Saint Joseph's University.

Lose the Training Wheels, Inc. is a national organization that works with local organizations to host camps in their communities.  Lose the Training Wheels™ uses adapted equipment, trained professionals and volunteers. With 75 minutes of daily instruction over five days, approximately 85 percent of campers learn to ride a conventional bicycle independently. 

To be eligible to enroll, participants must be at least eight years old. They must have a disability but be able to walk without an assistive device such as a walker or cane. They must be able to side-step quickly to both sides. Participants must have a minimum inseam measurement of 20 inches and weigh no more than 250 pounds.

All participants must wear a properly-fitted bike helmet at all times when on the bicycles. Participants will be most successful if willing to follow instructions and have a desire to ride a bicycle.

This is a wonderful and rewarding volunteer opportunity for anyone interested in dedicating 75 minutes each day over the 5 days of camp teaching a disabled person to ride a bike….And you will get exercise from walking/jogging alongside your assigned participant!

Cost of the camp is $175. Applications for participants and payment must be received by July 24, 2010. Applications for participants and volunteers can be downloaded at www.buckscountypeds.com/forms.htm OR e-mail Lose the Training Wheels with any questions about participating or volunteering at lttwphilly@yahoo.com

Chestnut Hill Book Festival Events for the Kidlings....

Meet Cat in the Hat at O'Doodle's & Roller's

Saturday 10 to 12

Sunday 10 to 11

Bring your Camera!!!

Special Roller's Menu Item

Green Eggs & Ham Special

Free Coloring Pages and

Make a Bookmark Craft at O'Doodle's

Both Days!!!

KIDS AUTHOR EVENTS!

Meet  Jennifer Grocki

From A to Zamboni

Saturday 12 to 1

Meet Lee Downing

Organ Buddies

Saturday 1 to 3

Meet Mary Marino

Freshman Season: How I dodged and tackled High School

Saturday 3 to 4

Meet Becky Birtha

Lucky Beans

Sunday 12 to 1

Meet J. D. Shaw

The Secrets of Loon Lake

Sunday 1 to 3

This Weekend...

The Chestnut Hill Book Festival starts Friday night and runs through the weekend, with a lineup that touts over 50 local and nationally celebrated authors, chess games, kids activities, workshops and entertainment.  For a full list of events and a video from last year’s festival, please visit the website.  

This weekend also starts the Trolley Car Diner’s Movie Night Series!  Starting at 9pm on Saturdays through the month of July, the diner sports some classic flicks.  This week, Saturday July 10, the move is Grease. See you there, 9pm!

http://www.trolleycardiner.com/

Also, another one for the older kids (ages 7-12)... Eastern State Penitentiary is holding a free French-themed block party and playful reenactment of the Storming of the Bastille (listed as more influenced by Monty Python than French history).  Festival is 2:30-5:30pm, the storming commences at 5:30!

http://www.easternstate.org/specialevents/bastille.php

Summer Reading Program!

We are consistent library-goers, visiting our closest free library at least once, sometimes more than once a week. We've moved three times in the past five years but one thing has remained constant- we find our closest library and become a regular customer. All the security guards know us. Most of the librarians know us. This definitely helps when our library fines start stacking up from our piles of overdue books. But I digress.

Our main library love in these hot months (besides the awesome air conditioning) is the summer reading program happening at every branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. We LOVE the summer reading program. Your child doesn't have to be reading to join! Even if you are reading books to them, you can sign up and start listing each book you've read every week this summer. When you fill up your folder with stickers for every book you get little prizes like animal masks and sidewalk chalk and big prizes like free tickets to Clementon Park and free doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts(that's big for us). My preschooler and almost kindergartener are beyond delighted when they get to fill up their summer reading program sheet and I ask them to tell me and the librarian about all the books we read that week. They are learning to be proud of all the "reading" they are doing. Adults can win prizes too, just for reading books to kids! Let's support our libraries all year long!

p.s. In 100 degree weather, I'd try to keep these kids in the library playing computer games, reading books, and winning prizes all afternoon!

Stick Close to Home or Venture Downtown this Weekend....

Whether you want to celebrate locally in the Germantown Avenue Parents neighborhoods or head downtown for the big festivities, there’s PLENTY to do this weekend!  We’ve outlined the greatest hits ideas for you by day, with local activities first.  If you have any to add (particularly good local places to see fireworks) please leave a comment.  HAPPY 4th!  

Friday July 2 

Local:

Mt. Airy First Friday

Come out Friday July 2nd, from 6pm to 9pm as we celebrate First Friday!

Stop by any of over 30 participating shops, restaurants & galleries to experience

a taste of what Mt. Airy has to offer!  We are located throughout the Germantown Ave. corridor in the historic Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.

http://www.mtairyfirstfriday.com/

Downtown:

Independence Picnic
12:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Historic Philadelphia
Come and celebrate Dietz and Watson Hot Dog Day in Historic Philadelphia and meet Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross and a host of other historic characters. While you’re here, visit other uniquely Philadelphia attractions like the Independence Visitor Center and the National Constitution Center, all located in this remarkably historic area. Enjoy great food and history free of charge.

POPS on Independence at 8:30 p.m.
Independence Hall : Independence National Historical Park
Peter Nero and the Philly Pops® will return to celebrate America’s birthday in a special “POPS on Independence” performance that commemorates the birth of our nation with a free performance of great American music including stirring patriotic anthems, rousing marches, and holiday favorites, set against the fitting backdrop of Independence Hall.

July 3:

Local:

Morris Arboretum: Out on a Limb’s First Birthday

You’re invited to “Out on a Limb’s” first birthday party! Enjoy free birthday cake starting at 12:00 pm, while supplies last, and visit from Judy Tudy, the “mommy clown” who will combine magic and storytelling into one enchanting show. These interactive presentations allow children to reach into their imaginations and explore. Judy Tudy will also have balloon animals and flowers for all the kids. The 450 foot long canopy walks lead you Out on a Limb and up into the tree tops, 50 feet above the ground.  (There are also circus trains at the Garden Railway through July 5)

Saturday, July 3, 2010, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. 

www.business-services.upenn.edu.

Downtown:

Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival $
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (break from 5p to 6p)
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard at Penn's Landing
Nothing beats ice cream on a hot summer day! Make a $5 donation to the Joshua Kahan Fund and help find a cure for Pediatric Leukemia while enjoying all of the cold stuff you can eat.

Penn’s landing Fireworks!
Columbus Boulevard at Chestnut
Approx. 9:30 p.m, following the Philadelphia Orchestra (time is subject to change)

Wawa Welcome America! Block Party in Chinatown
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Enjoy cooking demonstrations, a festive open air market and a multitude of exciting dance and musical performances as we celebrate Asian culture in Philadelphia’s own Chinatown, an urban village just north of the Center City district. 

Two Cities, One Waterfront: Free Fireworks!
Following 8:00 p.m. Philadelphia Orchestra Free Concert
Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing and Camden Waterfront
Come experience unique, choreographed and synchronized soundtracks to the fireworks on the Delaware River. Watch from Penn’s Landing or enjoy along the Camden Waterfront, as music will be amplified on both sides of the river. The spectacular fireworks display is presented by Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.

July 4

Local:

Chestnut Hill 4th of July Celebration

Next week marks the 94th annual Fourth of July parade and Celebration that has attracted parents and their kids to the intersection of Devon Street and Hartwell Lane for food, fun and games. The event will begin as it always does with a recitation and flag raising at 9:00 a.m., after which children will parade down Hartwell Lane in their costumes and floats (decorated bicycles, tricycles and wagons) to the Water Tower Recreation Center. Numerous prizes will be awarded to the best decorations in a number of categories.  Following the parade, the Water Tower’s ball fields will host a number of games and contests for children. In addition to the games, children can enjoy pony rides, face painting a giant moon bounce and a magician.  

Celebrate July 4th in Germantown – July 4, 11A.M. – 2 P.M. Help us celebrate America's birthday with an old fashioned Fourth of July at Historic Stenton! Bring a picnic lunch and make your own ice cream for dessert, make your own "flag fan" to keep cool, and listen to Deborah Logan, Mistress of Stenton House from 1784 –1839, recount her story of hearing the Declaration of Independence being read for the first time in 1776! For more information or to make a reservation, call 215-329-7312 or email programs@stenton.org 

Downtown:

The Philadelphia Independence Day Parade: Life, Liberty & You
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Historic Philadelphia
Bring your flags, patriotic spirit and plenty of energy to America’s best 4th of July parade and revel in the pageantry that has made this march through Historic Philadelphia a new local tradition. 

Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival $
12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard
Celebrate the holiday with right way with all-you-can eat treats! Make a $5 donation to the Joshua Kahan Fund and take advantage of all the free ice cream you can eat.

Party on the Parkway, with Green River Ordinance Concert
12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m.
Concert at 3 p.m.
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 20th Street to Eakins Oval
The whole family will enjoy this day-long festival that features more than a mile of fun, free entertainment, activities, games and of course, lots of food! Highlights include pop-rock band Green River Ordinance’s performance at 3 p.m., and “strong men” show incredible feats of strength at the MHP Liberty Strongman classic from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The highly anticipated, huge Birthday Party also offers Three Music Stages, each showcasing a variety of talented artists and musicians. The Philly Sound Stage showcases premier rock, pop and R&B groups from 1 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.; the Kid’s Music Stage features visitors from the Philadelphia Zoo, dance ensembles and the latest music from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.; and Flamenco and Salsa Dance, the Chinese Lion’s Dance, African Drum and Dance Ensembles and more will take place on the Multicultural Music Stage from 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Additionally, the Go 4th & Learn Kid’s Fun Zone from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. brings education to life for children through games, crafts, inflatable obstacle courses and moon bounces and face-painting, and the Multicultural Arts Pavilion highlights colorful artwork and crafts from a wide variety of cultures from 12 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Life, Liberty & You Concert Followed By Fireworks
8:00 p.m: Concert
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Eakins Oval
Get ready to rock out to the latest music from the Goo Goo Dolls, The Roots, Chrisette Michele and Chuck Brown as a part of the largest free concert in America. But come early, because you won’t want to miss hearing the other great main stage acts. Directly after the concert, make sure to catch the most spectacular fireworks in the city!