A toddler gymnastics class was something that all my three kids did. I think I did it to tire them out and for my own sanity because it got us out of the house into the company of adults. Over the years, we’ve been to most of these places either for a class or a birthday party. There are a few requisites that I now have on my list as I select a gymnastics studio:
Good parking.
Safe, clean gymnastics space.
Friendly instructors who can get my kid to come inside.
Adequate space for waiting with younger siblings including seating for me.
Adequate space to store kid’s shoes.
That’s it. I went to high school with a world class gymnast named Rhonda Schwandt. Her dad taught Driver’s Dd at the high school and he actually taught me to drive. She placed 6th in the Pan Am games one year prior to the Olympics. She was slated to go to the Olympics too but that was the year we boycotted because the then Soviet Union was the host country. By her senior year, Rhonda’s knees and one shoulder were shot and she had been through numerous surgeries. I met her on the swim team because she was only allowed to swim as rehab exercise. It turns out that she was a fast sprinter and an amazing diver. Rhonda went on to UCLA on a full ride but I heard that she was never healthy enough to compete again.
That’s my cautionary tale against hard core gymnastics for girls. And here is a list of all the great places for kids to do gymnastics in Newton.
Energy Fitness and Gymnastics, 70 Jaconnet Street (off Needham Street)
We’ve gone here for years. It has all the requirements including great gymnastics classes for toddlers and they don’t have a competitive team. They are very nice too!
I want to take my kids maple sugaring this year so I researched places near Newton. Have you been maple sugaring? What is your favorite place? Please leave a comment.
From Mass Audubon Society:
The Art of Nature: Sugaring Off, Ipswich River – 2/18/12
February Vacation Adventure Days, Ipswich River – 2/21/12
Winter Vacation: New England Winter, Age 4-K (AM), Drumlin Farm – 2/21/12
Winter Vacation: New England Winter, Age 4-K (PM), Drumlin Farm – 2/21/12
Winter Vacation: Winter Explorers, Gr. 2-3, Drumlin Farm – 2/21/12
Winter Vacation: Winter Naturalists, Gr. 4-6, Drumlin Farm – 2/21/12
February Flapjack Fling & Sugaring Tours, Ipswich River – 2/25/12
Sip Some Sap, Drumlin Farm – 2/29/12
Maple Magic, Drumlin Farm – 3/2/12
Maple Sugaring Tours, Ipswich River – 3/3/12
Maple Sugaring Tours, Ipswich River – 3/4/12
Sweet and Sappy – Maple Sugaring, Boston Nature Center – 3/4/12
Maple Sugar Days, Blue Hills Trailside Museum – 3/10/12
Maple Sugaring Tours, Ipswich River – 3/10/12
Maple Sugaring Hike, Boston Nature Center – 3/10/12
Maple Sugaring Tours, Ipswich River – 3/11/12
Maple Sugaring Festival 1., Moose Hill – 3/11/12
The Secret Life of Maple Syrup, Habitat – 3/13/12
Tree to Table 1, Moose Hill – 3/14/12
Tree to Table 2, Moose Hill – 3/14/12
From Sap to Sweet—The Art of Maple Sugaring (from Mass Audubon): Historical Roots
Native Americans were perhaps the first to discover that sap from maple trees could be processed into maple syrup. One popular oral legend is that a Native American chief hit a sugar maple tree with his tomahawk and the sap began to flow. The clear liquid that dripped from the split in the tree collected in a container on the ground. His wife used the liquid to cook venison and discovered that the meat and the sweet liquid that remained were delicious. Another theory: the Native people observed squirrels, sapsuckers, spring moths, and butterflies drinking from open wounds in trees.
From Sap to Tap
A spout placed inside a tap hole
where the sap will flow
New England maple syrup is produced during a short four- to six-week sugar window typically from early February into April. Conditions are optimum when the temperature rises above freezing during the day and then drops below freezing at night. This fluctuation in air temperature is vital, causing pressure to develop in the tree, which allows the sap to flow. As the maple sap flows up from the roots of the tree during the day, the maple syrup producer, or “sugarmaker,” taps the tree. Tapping involves boring a hole into the tree and placing a spout inside the tap hole. The sap runs out of the tree and lands in a bucket connected to the spout. Does this process harm the tree? When guidelines are followed and only healthy trees are tapped, no damage to the trees results. It’s estimated that tapping removes only 10 percent of a tree’s sugar—an amount too small to harm a healthy tree under normal conditions.
Maple Syrup in the Making
Traditional maple syrup buckets or a complex piping system can deliver up to hundreds of gallons of fresh sap to a large gathering tank. From the gathering tank, the sap flows into a sugarhouse through a filter to an evaporator, where it is boiled, removing water from the sap.
As the sap continues to boil the liquid becomes sweeter, i.e. it’s sugaring content increases and changes to an amber color. Before the sap starts to evaporate, it has about 2 to 2 1/2 percent sugar content. (The sugar content in trees changes as the season progresses; sugar maple trees have the highest concentration of sugar).
After the boiling process, the sugar content is about 66 percent. Next the maple syrup is put through another filter to remove “sugar sand,” which develops during the boiling and evaporation process. The maple syrup is then stored in stainless-steel drums for hot packaging into retail containers.
Where Else to Go
North Hadley Sugar Shack: open Wednesday through Sunday from Feb. 17th – April 18th for their pancake breakfast and sugaring tours.
South Face Farm, Ashfield, MA: Come visit us during maple sugaring season in March and early April. Our sugarhouse is always open for visitors, and on weekends our sugarhouse restaurant serves homemade pancakes, waffles, corn fritters, and many other special maple goodies. Try a stack of French Toast made with fresh homemade bread, topped with justmade maple syrup. Because maple sap flow depends on just the right weather conditions, you may want to call ahead and see if we are boiling when you plan to visit.
Harwick Sugar Shack: Join us for an Open house at Hardwick Sugar Shack every Sunday in March from 11-4 pm. Follow the process of making maple syrup from tree to tasting. During the open house you can sample the finished product, visit the horses, see the old-fashioned way of making syrup and enjoy hot mulled maple cider.
The Warren Farm, North Brookfield, MA: Open for guided sugaring tours Sat. & Sun. February 26th through March 27th, 2011, 11:30 and 2:00
The whole family will enjoy this fascinating visit to a New England sugaring operation.
We’ll share stories about the Native Americans’ role in the early history of sugaring, then continue by demonstrating colonial methods and tools for collecting and boiling. During a quick trip to our woods you’ll explore two different systems used today, and will have an opportunity to see new technology. Aspects of nature, science, meteorology, and math will be woven into the presentation. The tour heads to the sugarhouse, where a large evaporator stands ready to receive sap from collection tanks outside. Here, everyone will learn how sap is boiled into syrup, and see the equipment and gauges needed for this process. We’ll end back at the picnic table area for more stories and sampling. Boiling is weather dependent, so the tours are not based on our ability to boil. This is certainly a tradition that has something of interest for all ages!
New this year! You may also choose to just come and walk around the farm on your own at no charge and without reservations. The Sweet Traditionsmovie will be playing throughout the day in the greenhouse, and you can poke around the tour areas when groups are not using them. $5 Admission for ages 4 and up.
Some picture books to get the kids excited. Click on image to read reviews at Amazon.
If you are thinking of DIY, these books might be helpful!
And a maple sugar memoir with instructions!
Once you load up on maple sugar, purchased or homemade, here’s what to do with it!
My daughter did this last year and she loved it! It’s just a week of sleep-away camp with emphasis on art, music and/or performing arts. Your child gets to choose what to emphasize. She had the best time, and would love to go back but you are not allowed to go back-to-back years in order to give more kids a chance. Ask your child’s music or art teacher about it if you think it’s a good fit for your child. The other thing: it’s very well priced! All in all, my daughter would say it’s the best sleep away camp ever! The camp is called DARTS. (Days in the Arts).
The BSO’s popular overnight summer camp is now open for pre-application. For more than four decades, the BSO has provided thousands of children throughout Massachusetts with an opportunity to participate in this multi-arts/creative writing overnight camp in the beautiful Berkshires. In the summer of 2012, Newton students in grades 5, 6, & 7 are eligible to participate in Week 6, JUL 30 – AUG 3. Only 15 students from Newton will be selected to participate by lottery. Pre-applications with details about the program are available from the music teacher in your school.
Pre-applications must be returned to the Fine Arts Department no later than 4:00PM on Thursday, March 1st, Newton Public Schools, 100 Walnut St., Newton, MA 02460.
My Mom Friend Meredith is starting Literacy Enrichment classes for 1st graders and advanced Kingergarteners. I met her in preschool and I think she’s terrific!
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What is it? Literacy Time is an enrichment program for your First Grader or academically advanced Kindergartener. I will use my 8 years of experience as an elementary and preschool teacher, tutor, parent educator, and college level professor to enhance your child’s love of learning to read and write.
This is a worksheet and workbook free zone! There is no MCAS influence to contend with, although the methods used to teach reading and writing in this program will most definitely benefit your child’s future academic achievements across the curriculum. The philosophy of Literacy Time is that children learn to read and write through authentic literature experiences and ample opportunities to put pen to paper with no outside pressures. Reading and writing should be fun. Our ultimate goal as parents and teachers is to instill a love of reading and writing in each child.
What is the format? Literacy Time will be held in my bright and spacious kitchen and dining room area at 50 Playstead Road in Newton Corner. We will meet once a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The session will last for six weeks with a start date on Wednesday, January 18th and end date of Wednesday, February 29th. The time will be 3:30-4:45. There will be a maximum of 6 children in each session. (Disclaimer: Luke may or may not participate bumping the ratio to 7:1 upon my discretion, depending on the needs and dynamic of the group). All materials will be supplied. An additional session may or may not occur in March, depending on interest level and success of the program, with times, days and fees possibly varying. This session, the introductory fee will be $120 per child.
I am CPR certified and have a BS in Elementary Education and MS in Educational Psychology. I am not a stranger to you: you know my behavior and safety expectations for my own kids and the kids who visit my home. My home is pet free and smoke free.
What will my child do during Literacy Time?
3:30 Meeting: Each session will open with a short meeting. I will share the pen with the children as they help me fill in the afternoon message on my easel. They will be learning phonics without even knowing it in an interactive and fun way.
3:40 Shared Reading: Next, we will have a group Shared Reading experience using quality children’s literature and Big Books from my personal library. We will be word detectives: taking special note of interesting vocabulary, sentence structure, and punctuation. We will observe illustrations and use them to make meaning from text.
3:50 Writer’s Workshop: After being inspired by the book we read, the children will have an opportunity to become authors and illustrators themselves through a Writer’s Workshop. Each child will have their own folder and a nice chunk of time to write freely. I will float from child to child conferencing with them and showing them the “book way” or “grown up way” of translating their invented spellings. Together, we will pick words out of their own writing to focus on as their “Word Study” words (more explanation below). Every child will have a chance to share their writing at the end of each Writer’s Workshop. They will consider questions, comments and compliments from their peers to improve their writing during our Author’s Share portion of the session. Every child will practice their skills as a listening audience and utilize their speaking voice to learn how to make constructive suggestions to their peers.
4:20 Word Study: We will then turn our focus into a hands-on and sensory- based opportunity to practice the previously mentioned “Word Study” words. This is an updated and more research based approach to the traditional spelling test method. Word Study is the method being taught in the best teaching colleges today. Children will work with their “spelling words” that are meaningful to them. These are words that we picked out together from their own writing. They were words they actually needed and wanted to use during Writer’s Workshop. We will use such materials as shaving cream, corn meal, wiki stix etc. to practice our words.
4:40 Poems and Songs: Finally, we will wind down our session with collectively interacting with fun and seasonal poems and songs back around the easel.
How do I sign up? Please let me know if you are interested as soon as possible by emailing me at meredithandrews13@gmail.com or by calling 617-332-2752. Spaces will fill on a first come first serve basis. Checks should be made out to Meredith Andrews. Please do not send your child sick. In the event of inclement weather, we will follow the Newton Public School’s closing system and make up the session at a later date.
Open house for JCC Kaleidoscope Creative Arts & Science Camp will be held on Sunday, February 12 at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC (333 Nahanton Street) in Newton from 2-4pm. Meet the camp director and staff and learn how children in entering grades K-11 will make friends and spread their creative wings at JCC Kaleidoscope Camp. Art, drama, science, cooking, dance, music, games, sports, swimming, fishing, boating and more. Two to eight week program with flexible registration. Visual Arts and Theater Arts Intensive programs available for children entering grades 6-11. Bus transportation available to and from Brookline, Framingham and Wayland. Host of the 2012 Consortium of Boston Area Children’s Theatre (CBACT) Festival. For more information, visit bostonjcc.org/kaleidoscope or call 617-558-6523. No charge for camp fair. Open to the entire community. A program of the Ryna Greenbaum JCC Center for the Arts.
Natick SEPAC 1st Annual Special Needs Resource Fair
Learn about some of the great special needs resources
available to Metrowest families in a relaxed, free,
easy-to-navigate forum. Meet with owners and therapists
for a wide range of great resources including:
• Therapeutic Yoga and Horseback Riding
• Occupational Therapy
• Social Groups
• Neuropsychologists
• Financial Planners
• Adaptive Sports
Come to For Kids Only for a Valentine’s Day celebration. There will be singing, dancing, arts and crafts, face painting and much more. Snacks will be provided.
Members: $15 for first child, $10 for each additional child.
Non-Members: $20 for first child, $15 for each additional child.
Prior registration required as it fills up fast! Please RSVP to Lisa Romano, FKO Manager at lromano@mp-sportsclub.com
GIVEAWAY: 3 Day Membership Pass to The Sports Club/LA in Boston near Theater District. Please leave a comment to win. I have 3 to give away!
February vacation nears and here’s some activities and camps ideas. There are full week programs for parents who need to work that week, but there are also programs and activities with shorter time frames. Another option: sometimes if the vacation week isn’t full, they will let you do a partial week and prorate the price. What are your kids doing during this break? Please share!
Jackson Homestead and Museum, Newton
21 Tuesday, February 21, 2:00 PM THE MA 54TH: A BLACK REGIMENT IN THE CIVIL WAR A Vacation Week Family Program
Did you know that Massachusetts raised one of the first black regiments of the Civil War, led by a man who grew up in Newton? Come learn about their stories, and make a popular civil-war era toy to take home. Cost: $20 per family ($15 for members) includes museum admission, snack, and materials. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617.796.1450 to register.
23 Thursday, February 23, 2:00 PM FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM A Vacation Week Family Program
Learn about slavery in New England and what people did to fight against it. Hear stories of escapes on the Underground Railroad, and then explore our brand new, hands-on exhibit, Confronting Our Legacy: Slavery and Anti-Slavery in the North. Cost: $20 per family ($15 for members) includes museum admission, snack, and materials. Prepaid registration is required, limit 25; call 617.796.1450 to register.
Evolution Sports, Norwood
February 22 and 24th for all day fun including Alien Tag, Trampoline, Manhunt Middle Earth Wrestling, Hoops Sports Yoga, Capture the Crystal Slam Dunking, Dodge Ball, Open Gym and more. It’s a day of non-competitive sports activities for kids. They have so much fun that they don’t realize that they are exercising their bodies. 10-4.
Free activities for kids all week!*Discover wild beasts and beauties in art all week long. Enjoy making art, go on a fun tour of the galleries, and see and draw live animals.
ASL interpretation provided Feb 22.
*And did you know that kids get free admission to the Museum every day? Kids 6 and under are always free, and kids 7 to 17 are free during non school hours.
Special Events
Children’s Tours, Sharf Visitor Center
Every 15 minutes from 10:15 am–Noon; ASL Interpretation Wed at 11 am and Noon
Visit the galleries in search of beasts and beauties on this kid-friendly 30-minute tour. Story Hour, Gallery 274
10:30 am and 1:30 pm; ASL Interpretation Wed at 1:30 pm
Drop in to enjoy stories about princesses, maidens, goddesses, and more. Stay for a story or for the whole hour. Great for toddlers. Drumlin Farms Presents, Druker Family Pavilion
11 am, 11:45 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:15 pm, and 3 pm; ASL Interpretation Wed at 2:15 pm
Join naturalists from Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary to meet live animals. Learn about our local animals and environment, and before you leave, sketch the animals you’ve encountered. Sessions last 30 minutes. Space is limited to 30 visitors per session. First come, first served; pick up tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to session. Please choose one adult for your group to allow more children to attend.
Art-Making Activities
Ongoing: 10 am–4 pm (until 8 pm on Wed)
Works on Paper, Part I—Drawing, Lower Rotunda
Pick up your drawing materials and explore “Paper Zoo” in Gallery 170to sketch some of your favorite animals. Take your sketch to Part II to create a series of prints!
Works on Paper, Part II—Printmaking, Druker Family Pavilion 159
Visit the studio to turn your animal drawing into prints to take home.
Masks, Shapiro Family Courtyard
Make a cuddly—or scary—mask of your favorite animal to wear around the Museum! Afterward, go see the beautiful masks on Level LG of the Art of the Americas Wing.
Wire Sculpture, Level 3 landing, Art of Americas
Get inspired by Alexander Calder’s wire Cow. Use wire, string, paper, and glue to make your own animal sculpture.
Clay Sculpture, Workshop Studio G85
Visit our menagerie of porcelain animals in Gallery 142. Find birds and other creatures. Then go to the workshop studio and sculpt your favorite beast or beauty in clay to take home!
New Art Center, Newton
February Vacation Week for students in grades K – 5
February 21 to February 24, 2012 (4 days)
Escape with us to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of East Africa! From lemurs, giant baobab trees, and the cultural richness of the Malagasy people, to the amazing biodiversity of its wildlife; this vacation week will give us plenty of inspiration to paint, draw, sculpt and create rich, colorful pieces of art!
February Vacation Workshops
Tuesday – Friday
February 21 ,22, 23, 24
COMICS, CARTOONS & CREATIVE CREATURES
Cultivate the cartoonist within! Create your own characters and watch them come alive using drawing, painting, clay and more.
617-923-0100 x309 | www.arsenalarts.org
Weston Cross Country Skiing, Newton
Weston Ski Track is a cross-country ski and snowshoeing center located on the Leo J. Martin Golf Course and serving the Greater Boston area.
With natural snow, we groom 15km oftrails. Snowmaking on our 2km lighted loop provides consistent snow conditions and reliable night skiing. Drop in for a beginner lesson and then warm up in oursnack bar.
Newton Parks and Recreation
Family Movie Day and Night at the West Newton Cinema February 21 & 22, 2012
Special $6.00 price includes a MOVIE, POPCORN, and SODA. See The Muppets or Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Tickets will be sold on the day of the event at the West Newton Cinema at 1296 Washington St. This is a very popular event and tickets may sell out. Ticket sales will begin at 10:00 AM for the Movie Day on Tuesday and Wednesday with movies starting at 11:00 AM. Ticket sales will begin at 4:15 PM for the Movie Night on Tuesday with movies starting at 6:15 PM.
For Children in Grades K-6 at the Newton Centre Hut February 21 – 24, 2012
It’s like summer camp in the winter. Participate in sports, arts and crafts, inside games and more. Each day features a special event including a Movie Day, Sports Party, Dance Party and Portable Planetarium. Sign up by day or for all 4 days. Standard Day 8:30–3:30 PM, extended day 8:15-5:30 PM. $45.00 per day or $160.00 for all 4 days (add $12.50/day for extended day)
For Children in Grades K-3 at Burr Park February 21 – 24, 2012
Enjoy an exciting field trip each day including Cosmic Bowling, Chuck E Cheese, CoCo Key, and Plaster Fun Time. Sports, arts and crafts, and inside games are offered before or after the field trips. Sign up by day or for all 4 days. Standard Day 8:30 AM–3:30 PM $45.00* per day or $175.00 for all 4 days *Thursdays cost is $60.00
For Children in Grades 3-6 at the Lower Falls Community Center February 21 – 24, 2012
Enjoy an exciting field trip each day including Chunky’s Cinema, Glow Golf, Amesbury Sports Park and Chuck E Cheese. Sports, arts and crafts, and inside games are offered before or after the field trips. Sign up by day or for all 4 days. Standard Day 8:30 – 3:30, extended day 8:15 – 5:30. $45.00* per day or $175.00 for all 4 days (add $12.50/day for extended day) *Thursday is $60.00
Thundercat Sports Clinic for Children Ages 7-12 February 21 – 24, 2012
Play a variety of sports including basketball, floor hockey, soccer and more all in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Located at Pelligrini Park. Be sure to bring a snack and lunch. $45.00 per day
Half Day program for ages 5 – 7 9:00 – 12:00noon $120.00 ($130.00 non residents)
Full Day program for ages 7 – 12 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM $162.00 ($170.00 non residents)
Contact Newton Parks and Recreation at 617-796-1500 or visit our website atwww.newtonma.gov/parks for more information. Register online at www.activityreg.com
JCC Kid’s Choice February School Vacation Program
Monday, Feb 20 9:00a to 4:00p
at Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center, Newton, MA
Kids rule at the JCC! During the JCC Kids Choice February school vacation program, February 20-24, children in grades K-6 choose what they want to do each day. The daily choice of electives includes sports, swimming, arts and crafts, dance, drama, cooking, board games and rock wall climbing. Special activities are planned each day.
Newton Girls Soccer
Newton Girls Soccer is pleased to offer for the second year running a 4-day Soccer Skills Clinic series that will be held over February Break at Oak Hill Middle School. The Clinic is open to all NGS players in the U9-U12 age groups.
These sessions will be headed up by Newton Girls Soccer Director of Coaching, Gary Beatty. Based on the actual number of registered players, we will have the appropriate number of Assistant Coaches for each session. Please note that due to the size of the Oak Hill gym, each session will be limited to 20 players. In addition, sessions must have a minimum of 10 registered players to take place (a full refund will be offered if this minimum number is not met).
The focus of these sessions will be on individual technical skill development and small group tactical concepts. Each day, players will work on a variety of different technical elements (skills), game related exercises and small sided futsal scrimmages.
Full program details are as follows:
Dates: Feb 21/22/23/24, 2012 (Tues-Fri)
Location: Oak Hill Middle School, Newton – Gymnasium
We will be offering classes for Teens at 9:30am, 1:30pm and 5:30pm (with few exceptions), and for 7-11/Adult & Child at 9:30 (with few exceptions), 1pm, and 5pm. Click here to see a one page list of the classes on offer. Click here to register.
Birthday party planning need not be daunting. Here are lots of ideas for your child’s birthday! Did I miss any? Please let me know and I’ll add to the list!
p.s. More ideas here from Boston Central.
10. Private Baby Animal Petting Zoo. Barn Babies. This particular petting zoo was pretty amazing. We hired them twice for birthday parties (2 of my kids), and they visited my preschool twice. What is amazing about them is that they have enough baby animals — bunnies, kittens, puppies, goat, chicks, ducklings, pig — so that every child can hold a swaddled baby animal for as long as they like. When they want to switch animals, another one gets placed into their arms. The kittens, puppies, and bunnies are eventually adopted but I hate to ask what happens to the chicks, ducklings, goat and pig. The baby goat has a Depends diaper on and a child can walk it around on a leash. They can do parties indoors or out. They don’t advertise but you’d be wise to book early as they get booked up fast. They are based on the Cape.
9. Trampoline. Launch Trampoline Park in Watertown. This is a new franchise that came our way last year and has become hugely popular. Headcount on each gigantic trampoline is closely monitored.
8. Trapeze. My oldest went to this party and had a blast even though she says she is scared of heights. My middle child is booking this for her next birthday. I hope I don’t have to do it!
7. GoDiego Go! home party. I did an elaborate Diego themed home party that took me 6 weeks to plan. I wrote it up and submitted to a Birthday Party site but now I can’t locate it. I printed out coloring sheets from Diego website and stapled it into on side of a blue file folder as a “Field Journal.” I also made a drawing of a keyboard and stapled that on the other side. I got Beenie Babies that matched the footprints and made a scavenger hunt out of that by putting footprints all over the house and backyard. The kids decorated paper towel rolls to make Spy Glasses. They used their Spy Glasses for the scavenger hunt. I hired Barn Babies as entertainment. The final stop was an extra basket of Beenie Babies for trading in case the Beenie Baby you found was not the one you wanted. The kids were only three.
6. Cookie decorating. Cookies by Design. This was the first time we had done this and my middle daughter chose this for her last birthday but it can easily be done at home. The kids had premixed sugar cookie dough to roll out and cut cookies. This was actually the most popular station. They also got colored bags of icing and decorated a plate of baked cookies. Finally, they decorated an apron using fabric markers.
5. Laser tag. This was a popular birthday party that is now a little passé though kids always seem to have fun playing laser tag. We just discovered the Mother Lode of Laser Tag locations, called Laser Quest, that has multiple floors of Laser Tag mazes. It’s in West Roxbury but it’s worth the drive!
4. Jewelry party. Home and at bead store (our two local bead stores are out of business). I did this party at home using stretchy string from the bead store. Each little girl and their mother strung a necklace and a bracelet. I think I tried this party for preschoolers which was a tad too young. I needed other activities like coloring sheets and games because the kids were either really fast at making the crafts or easily bored. My oldest went to a bead store for a birthday party at 5th grade and all the girls made beautiful necklaces. Some did not finish in the time allotted due to intricate designs.
3. Pseudo sky diving. My Mom Friend Julie’s son did this as a Middle Schooler. She said that all the boys LOVED it. The pseudo sky diving using some kind of gigantic fan to create a wind tunnel capable of suspending a person in the air to simulate sky diving. That’s my kind of sky diving: the safe kind.
2. Aquarium. On or off site. Both parties have been hits. We had a party at the Aquarium one year for my oldest when she was in preschool that, unfortunately, coincided with a gigantic snowstorm. Nevertheless, most of the guests made it to the Aquarium for the party. They do a great job letting kids touch sea creatures and it’s also educational! Our aquarium takes the show on the road and will travel to your birthday site. We went to a party that hired them and was also fabulous!
1. Cooking. Create A Cook. We have a cooking school for kids in town, but this can easily be done at home. The parties usually have a food theme with each child making about three items that they can bring home to share. I love that my child is learning to cook. Themes can be anything from breakfast, Thai, Japanese and Italian. And it’s not just for girls. Boys, as it turns out, love the hands on “making stuff” aspect.
Here are more party ideas that we’ve attended or hosted. I hope it helps you plan the perfect party for your child!
Bowling, karate (Giroux Brothers Martial Arts, Esposito’s, Masters of Karate), gymnastics (My Gym, Energy Fitness and Gymnastics, Exxcel) , Museum of Natural History, paint pottery/plaster, video game/Chuckie E Cheese, sewing, knitting, paint ball, swimming (make sure to have plenty of lifeguards!), sleepover, ice skating, snow tubing, ice cream party at parlour (Coney Island, Lizzies, Cabots), Mad Scientist, magician, Puppet theater, movie, mini golf, old fashioned games at home (pass the shoe, scavenger piñata, etc), soccer games, rock climbing (also at BU), dress up (renting a dress up trunk), water slide/bouncy house, water park, farm, sports at YMCA, TOMB, art/ceramics at art school, dance at dance studio (All That Jazz), dance party at home, hip hop dance party, sewing party, Game Truck. There’s a second sewing studio in Newton. Boxing birthday parties at Nonantum Boxing Club. Escape the Room in Boston for an interactive game party where the group has to solve puzzles to escape the room. Boda Borg is a fun puzzle solving multi-room gaming party too.
We just tried an archery birthday party at Bay State Archery and it was really fun. It’s in Norwood. Jump On In has been really popular with kids ages 6 through 9. My boxing gym will do birthday parties. Any kind of sports games party at your location/local park or at YMCA. Jump’n’Slide Center just opened in Wells Avenue; they have activities including arcade castle, huge inflatables, Laser Maze, Cannonball Shooting range, Lego room, make crafts:
Make a working, punched tin lantern and punched tin art
My kids have been taking Karate for several years with Giroux Brothers Martial Arts and one thing that really impresses me about this studio is the older students who are unfailingly polite, accomplished and kind to small children. The style is called Chun Kuk Do which is the style of Chuck Norris. I also studied kickboxing with Steve Giroux. We think he’s great and really wonderful teacher for kids.
There are two other Karate studios that my kids’ friends’ moms also rave about: Espositos and Master’s of Karate. I went to a birthday party for little boys at Master’s of Karate and I thought the Sensei there was wonderful with children. I am taking Kickboxing at Espositos with Rich with my two girls and it’s both a really intense but fun workout and training session in self-defense. Rich runs the children’s program and is also great with kids.
There is also Oom Yung Doe which teaches 8 martial arts to kids and adults: Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, Samurai, Bagwa Chung, Jiu Jitsu, Tai Chi Chung, Ship Pal Gae, and Kung Fu.
For more on How Karate Helps Kids Succeed, check out the right hand column of Giroux Brothers Martials Arts’ new blog. Confidence, self-control, self-discipline, setting and accomplishing goals, are some of the by products of karate that children benefit from.
How to Find a Martial Art for Your Child
Karate Kids: The Benefits of Martial Arts
Here’s a short primer on some of the common styles of martial arts from Better Homes and Gardens:
“choosing a style
One of the great allures of martial arts is the huge variety of styles. Here’s a brief explanation of some of the most popular ones:
Aikido is a gentler self-defense style that emphasizes mental acuity, good breathing, relaxation techniques, and timing. In essence it focuses on finding the body’s spiritual center, as well its physical center of gravity. Techniques include throws and joint locks.
Judo teaches the principle of using your opponent’s strength against him, rather than relying solely on your own. It’s highly physical with foot, leg, and hand strikes as well as throwing and falling.
Karate is a broad term that covers hundreds of styles that employ highly rehearsed strikes and blows using both your hands and your feet.
Kickboxing is a strenuous, high-contact sport that requires more protective gear than other disciplines. It emphasizes muscle flexibility and control, particularly in the legs and feet. Kickboxing can be slow-paced or fast and is growing in popularity.
Tae Kwon Do combines the art of hand and foot fighting. Two techniques kids love to learn in this discipline are breaking boards and sparring with opponents”
I studied a little Aikido and Tai Kwon Do. Aikido is so precise in technique that to be an effective weapon for self defense, you have to be pretty advanced. It’s better for adults. Tae Kwon Do has more kicks in the the repertoire and is not as effective for street fighting though it IS an Olympic sport. Kickboxing doesn’t have the belt structure, so it’s great for kids who don’t want to memorize forms and work their way up a belt system.
Karate is the catch up to pretty much describe any martial art, particularly for kids.Some have weapons and some don’t, so be sure to ask. I find that kids like learning how to handle weapons like a Bo Staff or swords but they must work their way fairly high up though the belt system before being allowed to touch one. I think that’s a great incentive to motivate children to progress. I know my daughter was excited to finally learn the Bo Staff at Giroux Brothers which indicated she was about half way to her junior black belt.
Here are more places to study martial arts:
J. H. Kim Tae Kwon Do – he has multiple studios throughout Boston.
Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings from 8:50 am-10 am for 10 Tuesdays/Thursdays.Cost will be $150 for a 10-week session. Sign up for both, Tuesday and Thursday classes, you will receive a 10% discount. ($270 for both Tues/Thurs). Drop ins are welcome at $18 per class. Classes go for 10 Tues/Thurs starting January 3/5 – March 20/22
Dancers will learn the basic elements of Jazz Dance and Hip Hop set to today’s popular music. Taught by Grace Noyes, the class will include stretching exercises, progressions across the floor and sequences of age appropriate choreography that will build week to week. This fun, lively 45 minute class is offered to students who danced with us last season as well as new students. $96 Class dates:1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23
Music Making
Six Fridays (EVERY OTHER WEEK)
9:30-10:15 am
Ages 15 mos. to 3yrs.
Linda Emmanuel
Kids will discover their inner musicians! Fun instruments and props will help us explore concepts like fast/slow, loud/soft and start/stop. Taught by Linda Emmanuel, who has a Master’s in Dalcroze Eurhythmics from the Longy School, a B.M. in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory. $72 Class Dates: 1/20, 2/3, 2/17, 3/3, 3/17, 3/31.
