Teaming up with other parents can help ensure a fun and healthy break
By Oregon Partnership
Many area kids are counting the days until Spring Break. Excitement reigns. For parents, however, the reaction can be mixed.
Maybe Spring break means a reprieve from the typical busy week of homework and shuttling between school and activities, but for parents who will clock in at work during Spring Break, kids’ time off can present challenges. How can you ensure a fun and safe Spring Break for your kids amid your busy workweek?
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On Nov. 2, take the time to show your kids how you rock the vote
By Sally Murdoch
When the California Voter Foundation asked infrequent voters in our most populous state a few years ago why they don’t turn out at the polls, the overwhelming response was simple; we’re just too busy. Parents today know the feeling. Our schedules are jam-packed with sports, school, shopping, friends and (hopefully) fun. Voting can easily fall off our to-do lists, especially without the crescendo of excitement we had during the 2008 Presidential election, when 86% of Oregonians cast their votes.
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All About Rose City Astronomers’ Sky Puppies Class
By Anne Laufe
Jeannie London, youth director for Rose City Astronomers (RCA), got into science because her two kids really enjoyed it.
“My son has liked LEGOs since he was 2,” says London, who lives in Hillsboro. Her kids are now 8 and 10, and London has enrolled them in Oregon Zoo and OMSI camps and Saturday Academy classes to support their interests.
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The following are three outdoor activities popular at Mad Science camps, classes and parties – and perfect for families to try at home.
“They all offer great opportunities for observation, hypothesis, experiment, data collection, and conclusion,” says Sue Theissen, owner Mad Science of Portland and Vancouver.
Backyard Safari
Plant Perspiration
Backyard Bird
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Piecing Together Three Months of Supervised Fun
By Anne Laufe
Registration forms for my daughter’s favorite summer art camp arrive in March, while the rain is still beating down outside. The camp is so popular, however, that I’m prodded from my winter torpor to fill out the paperwork, write the check, and get the application back into the mail quickly – but not too quickly! If it’s post-marked before a certain date it will be disqualified.
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An Earth-Friendly (and Unsuccessful) Easter Egg Experience
By Anna Seip
Dyeing Easter eggs is one of my favorite things to do this time of year. Long after my kids get bored and retreat to the living room, I’m still standing in the kitchen with stained fingertips, dipping eggs and rolling them in glitter. This year, though, I decided to go “green’ and try out some natural dyes. The other moms on the block would envy my subtle hues, my resourcefulness, my commitment to Mother Earth.
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One mom’s story of how her son’s swim meets tested the limits of her abilities as a parental super hero
By Anna Seip
You hear a lot about soccer moms, but I’m not one of them. My role is more like Aquamom. No, I can’t breathe underwater. Nor do I possess superhuman swimming skills. My talents are even more amazing: I chauffeur my 12-year-old son to swim practice Monday through Friday and then sit through a five-hour swim meet on Saturday. Every week.
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By Teresa Carson
The winter vacation from school can be a fun break for kids, but can create headaches for working parents. Many area institutions have camps that keep the kids safe and entertained while parents are on the job. Some camps and workshops inspire or build skills. We’ve listed just a few of them. The December calendar and Holiday Highlights also lists many more activities during winter break. Parents should also contact their local parks and recreation district or community schools, if not listed here. (Many organizations offer discounts for members and some offer scholarships; ask when registering.)
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By Anna Seip
Let’s face it: all the holiday preparations fall to moms. In between the workday and taking care of children, women are expected to plan parties, decorate the house, bake batches of cookies and send out dozens of cards over the next several weeks. Oh, and we’re also supposed to find, wrap and deliver thoughtful and unique gifts to all of our family and friends. Talk about setting ourselves up for failure!
It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 10 holiday problems and 10 holiday solutions:
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By Anna Seip
October is my favorite month. I love autumn, but I especially love Halloween. Last year, we’d just moved into a new house and had no idea how many trick-or-treaters would knock on our door. I stocked up on candy, decorated the porch with glowing jack-o’-lanterns and sat on the front steps. The setting was perfect.
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Inspiring our children to make the world a better place
Did you know that:
- 1. More than a billion people around the world live on little more than a dollar a day?
- 2. 16,000 children die every day from hunger-related causes – one every five seconds?
- 3. The number of AIDS orphans in southern Africa is expected to reach 18 million in 2010 alone?
These are the kind of statistics that Mercy Corps is trying to change. Their new Action Center is poised to help them do just that.
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By Marie Sherlock
For many years my family has been rating all of our potential family outings on the “Four E” scale: Is it Educational? Is it Entertaining? Do we get some Exercise with it? And is it Economical? As the don’t-say-the-R-word-but-that’s-what-it-is recession has spiraled downward, the last of these queries has become increasingly important.
We’ve assembled numerous family outing ideas that pass the “Is it Economical?” test with flying colors. We think you’ll find several here that fulfill your other family fun criteria as well.
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