Back To School Issue 2015
In Session: Parents Who Rock; “Redshirting” Kindergarteners; School Year Resolutions
New Play Space Opens in South Burlington
A new “multisensory creative play space” in South Burlington aims to cultivate kids’ imaginations. At Wildflowers Studio, which opens on September 14, little hands can practice flipping a light switch, buckling a seat belt, turning a knob and ringing an old-fashioned doorbell. All those items are mounted on a wooden board that’s part of the…
Preservation Burlington Creates Toolkit for Educators
It’s difficult to make history come alive using just a textbook. Enter Preservation Burlington. The nonprofit dedicated to preserving and protecting the historic architecture of the Queen City recently released a Historic Architecture Toolkit, which aims to engage children ages 8 to 13 in local history and architectural heritage. Created by historians with education backgrounds,…
Vermont Author Releases New Book in Llama Llama Series
Anna Dewdney is single-handedly responsible for making the lowly llama one of the most recognized characters in early-childhood lit. The Vermonter’s seven Llama Llama picture books, which explore topics ranging from temper tantrums to separation anxiety, have all been New York Times best sellers. The Chicago Tribune praised her as a “geographer extraordinaire of the…
Salad to Go
It’s my job to figure out what the 40-plus toddlers and preschoolers at the Burlington Children’s Space should eat for lunch — and I’m pretty good at it. But I still struggle with fresh ideas for my own kids’ midday meal. Every September I find myself wondering yet again what the heck to pack in…
One to Watch: Addison White
Name: Addison White Age: 15 Town: South Burlington Addison White is used to having an audience. The 15-year-old fiddler performs with the Vermont Youth Orchestra and Young Tradition Vermont’s Fiddleheads ensemble. She also regularly appears on one of the most visible stages in the state — Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. She busked there all summer.…
School Year’s Eve: Resolving to Embrace the Wild Ride
When my husband and I moved to Vermont from Oregon 12 years ago, it was impossible to miss the frenzy of summer. It felt like a starting gun went off on Memorial Day weekend; every car we passed was bungeed within an inch of its life with bikes, grills and canoes. And that was before…
Putting on a Play
Montpelier’s Lost Nation Theater is known for its polished productions. In July, it revived Stone, LNT founding director Kim Bent’s award-winning original play about the Barre granite industry. But the company has a more youthful side: It runs a program for fledgling thespians called Theater FOR Kids BY Kids. This summer, its participants staged Charlotte’s…
Book-Inspired Contest Winners
Winner: Juliana Van Zyl, 6, Addison Congratulations to these talented young artists who submitted captioned pictures inspired by Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Each wins a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington. Here is one of the winning drawings. Other Winners: Emeline Maas, 5, Barre Kylee Forrest, 10, Shelburne Edith…
When Mom’s the Librarian
The Odd Egg, by Emily Gravett All of Duck’s friends are laying eggs, and he feels left out — until he finds a large green, speckled egg to call his own. While waiting patiently for it to crack, he knits a scarf and web-footed booties for the little one inside. The egg finally opens to…
How Can Parents Help Their School-Age Kids Get Enough Sleep?
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that about 15 million schoolchildren nationwide don’t get enough sleep at night, which can dramatically affect their health, development and academic performance. But many parents, especially those who don’t get enough sleep themselves, find it challenging to help their children establish healthy sleep patterns. This month, Dr. Lewis First,…
Starr Farm Playground
Residents of Burlington’s New North End were pleased to say farewell this summer to the pressure-treated splinter factory that was Starr Farm Playground. After a series of neighborhood meetings, the city replaced the squeaky old swings with a futuristic, alien landscape that’s as fun as it looks. My wife, Maggie, and I bring our daughter,…
Time After Time
The days are long, but the years are short — it’s an adage people throw around a lot when they talk about raising kids. But never does it seem truer than at the beginning of a new school year. This summer, every time I told someone that my daughter, Mira, was going into third grade,…
Why Some Parents Decide to Delay Their Child’s Kindergarten Start Date
When Anne Hanson’s son, Anders, was approaching school age more than a decade ago, she sat down to study her outdoorsy little boy. He was “all about imagination and gross motor play, and those are things he won’t be able to do as much if he’s enrolled in kindergarten at age 5,” she remembers thinking.…
Bohemian Rap Sessions: Conversations With Parents Who Rock
From January to May of this year, my husband, Ryan, was touring the U.S. and Europe with his band, Guster. He spent a total of 31 days at home during that time. While he was away, I was at home in Williston, doing all the normal stuff one does with a 6-year-old daughter and 4-year-old…
Walking and Biking to School
Old-timers who tell tales of walking miles to school might be surprised to learn that many Vermont kids these days are following in their footsteps — voluntarily. Close to 100 schools in the state have walk- and bike-to-school programs that aim to increase the number of students on the move. These initiatives are made possible,…
Backyard Cidery
Parents: Hal Ellms and Sally Fox Sons: Hayden, 14, and Bridger, 12 The wooden cider press tucked into the corner of Hal Ellms’ and Sally Fox’s Middlesex garage comes out just once a year. It’s the centerpiece of the family’s annual backyard cider-making party in early October. Thirty to 40 of their friends attend, bringing…
How the Host of ‘Vermont Edition’ Juggles Work and Family
Mom: Jane Lindholm, host of VPR’s “Vermont Edition” Dad: Adrian Hicks, tool operator, GlobalFoundries, Essex Junction Kid: Dylan, 20 months At Harvard, Jane Lindholm was probably the only undergraduate listening to National Public Radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion” while getting ready to go out on Saturday night. A lifelong lover of public radio, the East…
