Pastorius Concert Series Starts One Week from Tonight!

Tiny toads? Frogs? Yeah, frogs.

Whatever they are, they're in abundance at Pastorius Park!  (And yes, THAT park... we found that if we stay on the FAR side of the pond by the ampitheater, the off-leash dogs don't hang out there.  I'll update on the shared people/dogs park ideas I've received from readers and locals later this week).  But the kids were in the mood to "fish", so we grabbed some fishing (butterfly) nets at the dollar store (in Flourtown) and headed over to the pond.  First we got our nets ready.  Just in case you were wondering, this is what two preschoolers do with butterfly nets when left unsupervised:

caught a big one!

So we let that one go and walked around the ampitheater side of Pastorius, hoping to catch some fish.  While we saw some bright orange fairly large fish, they were wise to my noisy crew of fisherpeople and kept their distance.  

But with patience and luck, we caught some tadpoles, watched them flip around in the net for awhile, and then released them back into their murky habitat.  

That was pretty cool, but tadpoles are not all that inherently interesting.  So we were very excited/suprised when we accidentally caught a teensy baby frog/toad.  REALLY excited.  We looked at him (all frogs are boys according to my kids), watched him jump, took pictures, and quickly released him back into the pond.  YAY us!

our first frog!  cute, eh?

We felt quite victorious and outdoorsy.  And then we looked down.

yes, they're staring at you.

On the cement edge of the pond, there are a kajillion (our official count) tiny frogs. Or toads.  REALLY small and cute and frog-like.  They hang out with their friends and family on the wall right at the water's edge.  And they swim a perfect breaststroke when they need to cool off.  You can hold about 20 in your hand, even if you're only 5 years old.

not to show off, this picture only has 4.

Speaking of the preschool crowd, here is five year old "Luke Skywalker's" account of our discovery:

We were going up to see the frogs, but they were almost transformed.  When frogs are that little, it means they’re one day old.  We went up to the side of the wall of the dog park to see if we could find fish.  We brung nets.  We didn’t catch any fish. We just catched frogs 'cause frogs like a little light where it was sunny and the big frog was in the shade where it wasn’t so light.  We caught a tadpole first.  He didn’t have arms or hands... he just had a back tail and fins.  He was about an inch long.  Then we threw him back.  Then we walked some more to the far away side and we looked on the wall and we just noticed there was ten billion frogs!  They were scared outside of the water on the grass because then they couldn’t breathe very good.  They were less than an inch long and I know because I put one on the paper and I drawed how tall it was with pen.  

And I used a measure tape.  The coolest thing was that they were so small.  I never sawed frogs that small before and they’ll grow into giant frogs when we come back.

this was one of the bigger ones.

frogs, meet your mirror image.

After our trek, we took some amphibian books out of the Chestnut Hill library and learned a few things.  We're pretty convinced now that the tiny beings are frogs (not toads) since they're slimy and smooth and prefer to be in our near the water.  But we're still early in our research phase.  I'm thinking these Lilliputian creatures might be destined to prove Darwin's survival of the fittest theory, but even if a small fraction grows into frogs/toads, it will be pretty exciting to see.  If you have any expertise to share with us, we would love to hear from you.  

It's almost here: The unofficial start of summer... OUTDOOR POOLS OPENING!

thumbs up for the slide at flourtown swim club!

There were 69 pools open across the 10 districts in Philadelphia last year. Here's the list of Philadelphia Public Pools that opened in 2010; the list should be almost identical this year:

http://www.phila.gov/recreation/sports/Pool_Locations.html

As you figure out your own summer swimming plans, please consider contributing to the Splash and Summer Fund to keep ALL of the city's functioning public pools open in 2011:

http://phillysummerfund.org/

There are also private and semi-private alternatives for families looking for swim teams, swim lessons, snack bars and other amenities.  Here’s a start list of some local swim clubs that families in the GAP area have enjoyed.  If you can add to the list, please leave a comment below, and we’ll be sure to update.  

Flourtown Swim Club:

1528 Bethlehem Pike

Flourtown, PA 19031-2025

http://www.flourtownswimclub.com/

Offers regular membership, evening & weekend membership, weekday afternoon membership, and weekday baby pool memberships.  

• Day Camp, swim lessons, swim team, adult tennis league
• Four HEATED Pools 
• Water Slides
• Three Tennis Courts
• Basketball/Volleyball Court
• Kiddie Playground
• Restaurant
• Screened Snack Bar
• Locker Rooms

Abington Community Pools

Resident and non-resident summer-long memberships, or daily admission pass (pay $35 for season, then just $3.75-$4.25 per visit)  Affordable fees.  

http://www.abington.org/parksrec/pool.htm

Crestmont Pool - 215-659-9840 or 215-659-5259
Reservoir Road and Rubicam Avenue
Willow Grove, PA 19090

Penbryn Pool - 215-884-8907
Mount Carmel & Egerton Avenue,
Glenside, PA 19038

Plymouth Meeting Swim Club

1724 Gallagher Road

Plymouth Meeting,  Pa.  19462

http://plymouthswimclub.com/

• 3 pools with diving pool, lap pool, and baby pool
• new playground
• Locker rooms
• Volleyball, basketball and tennis
• Swim Team
• Snack Bar
• Swim Lessons

Beachcomber
652 DeKalb Pike  
Blue Bell, PA 19422  
http://www.beachcomberswimclub.org/

• 3 pools
• Swim Team & lessons
• Full Time Lap Lane
• Water  Polo games daily
• Dive tank                                              
• Mini Golf Course
• Playgrounds and Giant Sandbox
• Activities and Classes
• Grills and Snack bar
• Tennis, Volleyball and Basketball

School Lane House offers community swimming memberships, with the season starting the last week in June.  Call 888-251-2206 for more information.  


There are also pool memberships available at the Chestnut Hill Village Apartments, though no online information was available. 

Arboreta!

Here is our first post from second grader, Mrs. Harry Potter (with artwork from younger brother, Luke Skywalker).  MHP's advice on visiting the Morris Arboretum: 

"This is me on the big net at the arboretum."
Luke Skywalker, age 4

In Chestnut Hill there are many fun places to go to and look at and play but there is a big one called The Morris Arboretum. The Arboretum has many places for adults but what about the kids? The Out On A Limb exhibit is really high and you can see groundhogs if you look over, but don’t throw things down because there are people underneath. This exhibit has a Robins nest from a birds eye view it also has a huge net. There is a small one and a big one.  The small one is for kids under 5 years old and the big one is for people over 6 years old. 

Next comes the Springhouse its like an outdoor kitchen. Its nice and cool and you can sit down on the rocking chair or you can sit down on one of the regular chairs. There is another little house you can peek your head in it is very cold in there well not that cold just a little cold. After the Springhouse comes the Japanese Hill Garden there is a little pond and a bridge there. There also is a little sculpture. After that comes the Log Cabin.  There are old fashion Lincoln logs and a table to build them on inside.  

Before you go in the Log Cabin there is a Chestnut tree right next to it so you can make a bug boat.  Well here’s the thing you don’t how to make a bug boat so I will show you all the steps:

1. First you find a chestnut shell. Look under the big chestnut tree and you will find a chestnut shell on the ground after it falls and the chestnut pops out.
2. Take the chestnut shell you found on the ground and put it in the water when you see the stream right nearby.
3. And then there you have a bug boat and your bug boat will go to a bug boat stop and pick up some bugs.

If you're wanting to branch out (pun intended), another wonderful arboretum is the Tyler Arboretum in Media, PA.  The exhibits of incredibly fun to climb and explore treehouses are WELL worth the drive.... now through October 31.  We went last year and were thrilled to see them back!  http://www.tylerarboretum.org/natures-enchantment.asp

What lies beneath?

But if you're not up for a drive and want to inspire your own budding writer, try your hand (or your child's hand) at the Tyler Arboretum Writing Project.  Entries for "What Lies Beneath?" are all published on the project's website, and there are separate categories for children ages 4-9, 10-13, 14-17 and 18 & up.  Writers are encouraged to visit the arboretum in person to see the mysterious doorway, but attendance is not mandatory to participate in this innovative community writing project!
http://tylerarboretumwritingproject.com/about/

One for the Grownups and One for the Kids...

For the Grown-ups: Friday Night is the Lawn Chair Drive-In at the Chestnut Hill Water Tower.  The showing will begin at dusk, so set those chairs up round 7:15-7:30 for a good view. "A New Leaf" with Walter Matthau and Elaine May will be shown.

"This is a delightful and undeservedly obscure gem of a black comedy, with the lovely Ms. May as an heiress considerably lacking in the social graces, and a young and dapper Walter Matthau as the world's most pathetically inept murderer.  A love story?  You'll have to come out and see!"

Location: Chestnut Hill Water Tower Rec Center, Ardleigh Street
Time: dusk
http://www.lawnchairdrivein.com/Site/Home.html

For the Kids: To give locals a taste of her upcoming music classes this fall, Amy Pickard will be doing a FREE children's music event at Weavers Way in Mt. Airy on Sunday, August 29 at 4 p.m. "We'll sing songs from Africa! Asia! and - to celebrate our upcoming fall session - Latin America! with you and your children (ages 0-7ish).  If interested, please RSVP to amy@allaroundthisworld.com."

This Weekend... Pirates or Cookout?

Pirates are invading Fort Mifflin!  It's the annual pirate day at Fort Mifflin on Saturday August 21 from 10am to 4pm.  An entire day of pirate treasures... including a scavenger hunt, musical group, pirate demonstrations, and a buried treasure!

General Admission Fees:
Adults $6
Seniors $5
Children (6 to 12) and Veterans $3
Children 5 years and younger Free

Address: Fort Mifflin Fort Mifflin & Hog Island Roads, Philadelphia
website:  http://www.fortmifflin.us/

And Closer to Home, the new Chestnut Hill location of Weavers Way is hosting Grill Fest!  Saturday August 21, from 1 to 3pm, the grill will be heating up outside the back of the store, with sausages, mini slide burgers, and hot dogs.  For those of us with a sweeter tooth, there will also be samples from Depalma Bakery.  

Rescheduled: XPN Kids Concert at Morris Arboretum this Thursday 8/19 at 6:30pm

From the Arboretum Website:

Miss Amy® is on a mission to teach children about being fit! As a mom, a certified fitness instructor and an acclaimed singer/songwriter with a collection of four Grammy® cataloged children’s CDs, her programs appeal to youngsters by engaging imagination to teach basic fitness. The interactive musical Fitness Rock & Roll™programs focus on the ABC’s of fitness skills: agility, balance and coordination. In addition, they encourage repetitive cardiovascular movement throughout the duration of a song. By practicing these skills in a fun supportive environment, the program supports development of a child’s positive athletic identity and promotes a vision for the child to remain physically active into adulthood. 
www.MissAmyKids.com or www.FitnessRocknRoll.com

Concert fees are $30 per car for non-members, so as always, it pays to carpool.  If you carpool with a member, the car fee is only $10 per car.  The Little Treehouse Play Cafe will be there before the concert leading sing-alongs and passing out discount cards for the Treehouse.  You can also plan ahead with dinner from Bruno's Cafe:  "Bruno's Cafe will be have specials available for the summer concert nights (hot and cold dinners).  Email the cafebrunoscafe@morrisarboretum.org to preorder dinners for your visit or call 215.247.5777 ext. 160 for more information."

Parking Details here:

http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/events_concert_rates_parking.shtml

Concert Details here:

http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/events_summerconcerts.shtml 

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

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/

Summer Concert Series in Park Starts this Week: Wed. evenings 7:30pm

One of the long anticipated signs of summer is here: the Pastorius Park Concert Series.  These concerts are kid-friendly, held outside in a gorgeous natural amphitheater in Chestnut Hill, and free.  Though not designated as "kids concerts" (thank goodness?), the lineup offers something for everyone, and even the noisiest kids are no competition for this musical experience (I should know... I have the noisiest kids).  Pack a picnic dinner, bring a blanket and/or chairs and enjoy!

(No rain date, check the Chestnut Hill Community Association in case of iffy weather.)

June 16
Sharon Little
Soulful Passionate Songstress
SHARON LITTLE

June 23
Graham Parker
Rock and Roll Icon
GRAHAM PARKER

June 30
Hot Club of Philadelphia
Potent Gypsy Jazz
HOT CLUB PHILLY

July 7
FiddleKicks
Appalachian Dance and Music
FIDDLEKICKS

July 14
Joanna Pascale
Stunning Sophisticated Jazz
JOANNA PASCALE

July 21
McPeake
Traditional Sounds Direct from Ireland
MCPEAKE

July 28
Dukes of Destiny
Philly’s Best Loved Blues Band
DUKES OF DESTINY

Map: Abington & Lincoln Drive

http://philadelphia.citysearch.com/profile/11352915/philadelphia_
pa/pastorius_park.html#profileTab-maps

The Hidden Park

Tucked behind a large mansion and beside the Germantown Post Office is a "secret" park- the Howell Park, open to the public and part of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance! This park really is a hidden treat. Walk down the driveway of what may look like private property (at 5215 Greene Street) and find a little parking area and an open field perfect for playing football, kickball, or any other sports that your backyard/small strip of grass may not be big enough for. Surrounding the open field are trees, shrubs, and all kinds of little flowers and plants that kids will have fun identifying or playing in. Bird-watching seems to be a good activity here too- the last time I took my little two-year-old son here we spent the whole time looking for birds calling to each other in various trees. This place is nice to have a picnic, relax in the sun, or just pretend that you're not smack dab in the middle of the city.


Find a nice neighbor that will be able to tell you the entire history of the park and how it ended up staying a public space in the neighborhood. Check out the mural next to the log bench. Sit daydreaming of what Philadelphia was like before the urban landscape took hold. Oh, and these beautiful pictures of the park were taken by Dana Scherer, of Bamboo Photography. She specializes in gorgeous portraits of children and families, and has taken several photo shoots in this park!

Opening of the Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum: Saturday May 29

Since moving to Chestnut Hill from the UK in summer 2008, the Morris Arboretum has been a favorite of ours. We first walked there with our son, a few months old, in his stroller and enjoyed a picnic in the grounds in the shade of one of their beautiful trees. We have been back many times and have enjoyed the seasonal railway as well as the new permanent Tree Tops exhibit, which is great fun for all ages.

On Saturday, the Garden Railway will be open for the summer, until Labor Day, with a theme of ‘American Roadside Attractions’.  The onsite Bruno's Café will be transformed into a 1950s diner for the day, and visitors will be able to enjoy a free scoop of ice cream from 12pm on their journey towards the Garden Railway. With a changing theme each year, the Garden Railway is a miniature world set in the splendor of a summer garden, featuring historic buildings created entirely of natural materials, each meticulously detailed with leaves, bark, vines and twigs. Logs and branches are also used to create unique tunnels and overhead trestles. Nestled among woody plants, colorful annuals and perennials, the finished product is an enchanting landscape that never ceases to delight visitors both young and old. 

The Railway is free with regular admission ($14 per adult) and those under 3 are FREE. See their website for further details on admission prices, memberships and hours (http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/index.shtml ). Also, those who travel on foot/bike/public transport have their admission reduced by half!