Kids VT, December 2020-January 2021
How to Ski safely This Winter; Music for Mood-Boosting and Relaxation; Nature Films for the Whole Family; Comfort Food Recipes;Good Citizen Challenge
Schnitzel & Spaetzle, the Ultimate Comfort-Food Pairing
When I was 13 years old, our family took a month-long trip to Europe, culminating with two weeks visiting family in Sweden. For most of the trip, our itinerary was loose. Dad would drive our packed-to-the-gills station wagon toward a vague destination, and we would stop and find a hotel when he got tired. I…
Music to Boost Your Mood and Relieve Stress
I’m stressed. Are you stressed? Of course you are. It’s 2020. From a pandemic that’s still affecting every part of our lives to a presidential election that brought our democracy — and my own personal sanity — to the brink, this year has been ridiculously taxing. As parents, we’re dealing with a lot right now,…
How Dads Can Model Healthy Masculinity
As soon as my eyes opened on the morning of Wednesday, November 4, I grabbed my phone to check the results of the presidential election. I had anxiously gone to bed the night before, hoping to wake up and see the aftermath of the potential “blue wave” political analysts had been discussing for months. I…
Teaching My Daughter to Drive Amid a Pandemic
This fall, my 15-year-old daughter Gabriela was at the wheel of my Subaru when I panicked. For the first time, my baby was driving through the dark at 50 miles per hour. What if a deer dashed in front of her? “Why don’t you pull over and let me drive?” I offered. “I got this,…
Vermont Visionaries: Artist Misoo
On a bitter November day, I sat with Misoo in the backyard of her South Burlington home. Wind gusts periodically blasted her in the face as the artist — who goes by just her first name — told the story of her early life. Born in New York City, Misoo was raised in Korea by…
Focusing on the ‘Now’ in 2021
Many of us have talked about 2020 as if this year was a curveball-throwing creature that we all collectively hate. I assume we all know that the year has no mind of its own. Yet, there lingers a silent anticipation that something will drastically change when the new year arrives. I am cautiously hopeful that…
Get Comfortable
Relaxing after dinner with “The Great British Baking Show.” Taking a midday work break to share a meal with my 13-year-old daughter. Curling up to read an engrossing chapter book to my 10-year-old son at bedtime. Taking walks in the woods. Watching iPhone videos of my 1-year-old nephew. Making stew. Eating ice cream. These are…
At-Home Art Project: Creating Winter Landscapes
Though many applaud hyperrealist landscape artwork — with mountains and trees rendered in such exact detail that they look almost photographic — I find that some of the most beautiful and original landscape art alters nature’s colors and forms in a manner totally unique to the artist. A photograph can give us realism, but only…
Snowy Stories, New and Old
Shelburne resident Rob Broder runs Ripple Grove Press, where he publishes children’s picture books. The father of a 9-year-old daughter is also the author of three children’s books. His latest, Crow & Snow, was published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in October. The picture book is a heartwarming story of two unexpected…
Nature Documentaries to Watch This Winter
One of the ways my family and I have occupied ourselves during the pandemic is by taking advantage of lots of free trials for various streaming services and subscribing to Netflix. In my ideal life, we’d use this period of enforced isolation to be out in the woods more than ever. But in our household…
How to Keep Babies and Toddlers Safe During the Holidays
The holiday season can be a joyous and busy time for families celebrating with young children. But even though many people will skip large gatherings this year due to the pandemic, immediate families can still decorate their homes, exchange gifts and enjoy festive meals together. To ensure that babies and toddlers stay safe in the…
Burlington Middle Schoolers Create Pandemic-Inspired Art
Judy Klima, art teacher at Edmunds Middle School in Burlington, shared this pandemic-related work created by her students. After looking at the work of contemporary collage artists Patrick Bremer, David Hockney, Benon Lutaaya and Derek Gores, seventh and eighth graders created their own masked collage portraits using magazines and paper from old books and maps.…
The Stars of This Year’s ‘Spectacular Spectacular’
Kids and teens have felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in inummerable ways. For those who are natural-born performers, one thing they’ve surely missed is the opportunity to entertain an audience. At Kids VT, we wanted to find a way for those young people to shine. Luckily, our marketing and events manager Corey Grenier…
Your Guide to Skiing Safely This Winter
While COVID-19 creates considerable uncertainty this winter, Vermonters can count on these tried-and-true things: It will snow; we can ski and snowboard; and happy children will glide down local mountains. Skiing and snowboarding are among the safest activities during the pandemic, just as long as people from different households stay six feet apart. “Outdoor activities…
