Kids VT, February 2017
2017 Camp Guide; Culture School Help Kids Hold onto Their Heritage; Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program Gets Kids of all Abilities on the Slopes;
Statehouse Skating
The image of community members skating together was on Montpelier resident Nate Hausman’s mind when he posed this question at a dinner party: “Wouldn’t it be cool to have an ice rink on the Statehouse lawn?” The guests concurred, and, with the encouragement of friends and community members, Hausman decided to make it happen. He…
Want to Own This Student-Built Teeny-Tiny House
For a $10 raffle ticket, a brand-new house in Shelburne could be yours. The catch? It’s a 6-by-7-foot room that lacks plumbing. However, the charming, peacock-colored domicile is architect-designed, fully insulated and has bamboo floors. And it was built by 19 teenagers. What started as a weeklong summer camp project turned into a three-month odyssey…
Living Small: A Winter Update
Last summer, we wrote about Erin Morrison and Matt Cutts, parents to 2-year-old Robyn (“Living Small,” August 2016). The couple had just spent the past year building a 200-square-foot house, and in June they moved the structure to land outside of Middlebury and began their tiny-house adventure. The family moved in just as summer was…
Cooking Up Romance
In the cold, dark winter comes Valentine’s Day, a perfect time to show your family you love them with something delicious. When I think about romance, French food always springs to mind. And, while it may not be traditionally French, chicken cordon bleu, in all of its ooey-gooey glory, is perfect for the occasion. Many…
Team Player: In Sports and in Life, a St. Albans Teen Supports Inclusion
NAME: Xavier Pigeon AGE: 17 TOWN: St. Albans Xavier Pigeon is a born advocate. The Bellows Free Academy St. Albans senior is copresident of Special Olympics Vermont’s Youth Activation Committee, he coaches in its Young Athletes Program, and he plays unified sports, where kids with and without intellectual disabilities compete on the same teams. “He’s…
It’s a SNAP: Smugglers’ Notch Adaptive Program Gets Kids of all Abilities onto the Slopes
Seven years ago, Emily Cogan couldn’t have imagined her foster son, Devin, being a confident, independent skier. “We had tried a couple of times to go with him, at age 11 and again at age 15,” said the Jeffersonville resident, “and it was really just too much to manage.” Devin, who is autistic, “didn’t have…
Library Patrons Check Out Snowshoes With Their Books
This winter, public library patrons in Franklin and Grand Isle counties can borrow snowshoes along with their books, thanks to a donation from RiseVT. The grassroots campaign, funded by Northwestern Medical Center, aims to promote healthy lifestyles by sponsoring nutrition- and health-focused community and school events. Libraries in Enosburgh, Fairfax, Fairfield, Georgia, Highgate, St. Albans…
Crushing It: An Elementary-School Relationship, Rekindled Years Later
Over the holidays, I found one of my childhood diaries, a relic of the ’80s with an abstract geometric design on its pink, plastic cover. The first entry is dated January 1, 1987 — two days short of my ninth birthday. A few pages in, amid lamentations about my parents, there’s a section titled “Jeff.”…
Vermont PBS Kids Offers 24/7 Programming
The television-viewing experience is a veritable all-you-can-eat buffet for kids these days. Vermont PBS is now expanding its offerings for the younger set with Vermont PBS Kids, a new channel devoted to round-the-clock children’s programming, which launched on January 16. The channel replaces Vermont PBS World and will only be available with certain cable packages. Voracious…
Burlington Mom Plans Yarn-Bombing Project
Picture a serpentine crabapple tree covered in a patchwork of colorful yarn pieces. That’s what Burlington resident Carrie Napolitan envisions for a tree in front of her children’s school as Valentine’s Day approaches. Napolitan, mom to a second grader and a preschooler at Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler in Burlington, is the organizer of…
UVM Medical Center Provides Donor Human Milk
The benefits of breast milk are widely known. But when Mom’s own milk isn’t available, the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics agree that Donor Human Milk is the next best thing. Now, all newborns who show a medical need for supplementation and whose mothers are planning to exclusively breastfeed are eligible for…
Ready, Set, Camp!
Have you signed your kids up for summer camp yet? I know, it’s winter outside — the kids are in their ski and snowboard programs, playing basketball or hockey, or gearing up for wrestling season like mine (go Colchester Cobras!). But it’s time for parents to start thinking about what’s in store when school’s out.…
The Art Of… Cake Decorating
Exchanging sweet treats — from simple, heart-shaped sugar cookies to pink whoopie pies — is one of my family’s favorite ways to show love. Last month, we headed to Deb Papineau’s monthly cake-decorating class at her café, Deb’s Place, in Morrisville, to learn how to create a dessert that’s just as nice to look at…
Early Risers: A Bread-baking Pair on Making Dough and Raising a Son
For Blair Marvin and Andrew Heyn, baking bread is a lifestyle. Six days a week, the founders of Wolcott-based Elmore Mountain Bread turn out crusty loaves from the brick-oven bakery attached to their charming, two-bedroom home, which they share with their kindergarten-age son, Phineas. Heyn built a mill on their property, where they grind their…
Local Reads: 2017 Preview
Children’s book authors abound in the Green Mountain State. What can we expect from local writers this year? Below, you’ll find a preview of titles hitting bookstores and library shelves in 2017. Special thanks to the Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick and the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne for letting us in on their most anticipated…
What is your favorite memory from camp last summer?
Warmer days will be here before we know it. In the meantime, we asked local camp directors and staff to reflect on their favorite moments from last summer. From streambed investigations to cannonball competitions, these are the memories that will last a lifetime. Winooski Valley Park District S.O.L.E. Camp, Burlington Exploring the dried-up streambed with…
How Do You Teach Kids About Personal Boundaries?
Many adults have childhood memories of their parents saying something like, “Don’t be shy. Go kiss your grandfather hello!” But these requests can make kids feel uncomfortable. A new school of thought suggests that we should let children decide how and with whom they have physical contact. Laura Slesar, director of Kidpower Vermont, has taught…
Finding Relative Peace at La Tasse Gamine Play Café
La Tasse Gamine, 5658A Avenue du Parc, Montréal Fun family activities abound in Montréal. But, with two children under the age of 4, I cherish downtime. So when my family heads north of the border, we stop at La Tasse Gamine. It’s one of several play cafés in the city — refuges where kids can…
Native Language Learners: Culture Schools Help Kids Hold on to Their Heritage
Every Sunday, like many families, the Rancourts go to church. But after the morning service at Vermont Korean American United Methodist Church, Cindy Rancourt and her kids stick around. That’s when the church — which shares space with the Grace United Methodist Church in Essex Junction — becomes the Green Mountain Korean Culture School. The…
