The Earth Issue
The Earth Issue: Getting Your Kids Outdoor; Vermont Teachers Leave No Child Inside; 5 Great Nature Centers; Venture VT Outdoor Challenge; Mom and Baby Yoga
Do kids still get allowances?
Charles Reeves, Shelburne Kids: Jack, 11; Owen, 8 We give our kids an allowance. My wife, Holly, started a program in which they get their ages in dollars weekly until they’re teenagers and able to earn their own money. The allowance is for personal spending money but must also be used to contribute to birthday…
The Art Of… Irish Dance
Something about Irish dance inspires a special kind of devotion in those who practice it. When about 20 Burlington students of the art form were left without a teacher three years ago, their families pitched in to rent studio space so the kids could keep practicing on their own. Beth Anne McFadden, a 26-year-old certified…
Outdoor Education
In late March, my partner and I brought our kids to Shelburne Farms for the annual Maple Open House weekend. All of us love maple syrup, and we had talked in advance about the mechanics of sugaring. But when we got to the Shelburne Farms sugarbush, Graham, 5, didn’t race to the sugarhouse. And he…
Milk-Carton Bird Feeder
As spring returns to our lives, so do the warm-weather birds. Welcome some feathered friends to your yard with a homemade bird feeder. We made this one with a 16-ounce carton of half-and-half and acrylic paints, but any size carton will work. For a quicker turnaround time, use stickers, markers or contact paper to decorate…
A Tisket, A Tasket
This Easter, put your treats in a one-of-a-kind handmade basket filled with goodies from Laughing Moon Chocolates. Laughing Moon recently teamed up with Randolph basket maker Elizabeth “Budge” Phillips, who in turn enlisted the help of other local artisans to weave alternatives to synthetic, mass-produced Easter baskets. The collaboration is part of Laughing Moon owner…
Pizza, the Party Pleaser
Any way you slice it, pizza is a fun finger food. Kids love it. Want to have cake and pies at your child’s next birthday? Here are some pizza-party possibilities: Indoor Fun in South Burlington: Pizza Putt and Lee Zachary’s Pizza House offer the arcade experience. Both facilities have combination packages that include pizza, cake,…
Take It Easy
Between schoolwork and all the pressures of growing up, kids are no strangers to stress. So treat your tot to a special spa day at the Stowe Mountain Lodge, which recently opened a new space and launched a menu designed for kids. The Chillax Kidspa offers facials, massages, manicures and pedicures, but with whimisical twists.…
Green Acres
At the end of the month, the Common Ground Center in Starksboro celebrates the opening of the Eco-Lodge, a new structure that complements its existing family-camp facilities. Started in 1994, the Common Ground Center provides programs for families of all kinds, including those dealing with high-conflict divorce, autism-spectrum disorders and adoption. The traditional camp includes…
Turn It Off
Can you live without TV for seven days? What about Facebook? Give it a try during Screen-Free Week, April 18 through 24, an annual, national event that encourages families to unplug. Too much screen time keeps kids from exercising and getting outside and promotes unhealthy eating habits, say organizers from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free…
Young Adult Adventure
When ad man Jon Voelkel and his family relocated from the UK to Norwich, Vt., he planned to write a marketing book. But he kept getting bored. “I used to tell bedtime stories to the kids every night,” says Voelkel. “My son had a favorite story about a monkey girl, and I thought, That would…
Keeping Kids Safe in the Garden and the Yard
With the arrival of spring, parents and children are eager to get outside and start working in the yard. But while lawns and gardens are great places for children to play and learn, they can also be fraught with hazards, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, sharp tools and power equipment. This month, Dr. Lewis First,…
Yoga With Baby
I have a confession: Yoga scares me. I know that I shouldn’t be afraid: Yoga is a pretty friendly discipline. It’s not like I’ve had a bad yoga experience. And nothing about the powerful spiritual meditation or its deep historical-cultural roots frightens me. It’s the sitting still; I’m not good at it. In general, I…
Book Review: “Doctor De Soto” by William Steig
Librarian: Mary Graf, youth services librarian at the Brownell Library in Essex Junction Book: Doctor De Soto by William Steig Age range: 4 to 7 Librarian Mary Graf’s Summary: “Doctor De Soto is a clever story about a mouse dentist who takes pity on a fox with a toothache. After removing a rotten tooth and…
Recipe: Chicken-Veggie Stir-Fry
When I was growing up, we ate what we were served. If we really couldn’t eat it, we were welcome to take a bowl of cereal to our room after everyone else was done with dinner. Lately I’ve been in homes where the children and the parents eat completely different meals. The parents cater to…
