New Heights
A new climbing facility in Essex is going up. Opening in July, MetroRock Climbing Center boasts 5,500 square feet of bouldering terrain and 11,500 square feet of rope-climbing walls. The high-ropes course includes kid-friendly and adult obstacles that’ll teach teams of all ages to work together as they test their limits. Harnesses ensure a safe…
What are the pros and cons of having a family pet?
KidsVT: How do pets affect children’s health? Dr. Lewis First: Pets have been shown in some studies to lower blood pressure and improve one’s mood. Pets also allow kids to get out and exercise. A pet can help when a child feels lonely. Some studies suggest that young children who are exposed to pets tend…
Puppy Love
Brooklyn, N.Y.-based elementary school teacher Nicole Brierre revisited her Rutland childhood to write her first children’s book, Chanterelle Finds a Family. Chanterelle, a carefree puppy, lives in the wilderness with his animal pals. Sometimes, though, he dreams of life as a cherished pet. When a human family hikes through his neck of the woods, Chanterelle…
Screen Time in Public Places
Q: My husband and I let our kids play games and use apps on our tablets and smartphones, but is it bad manners for kids to use iPads and iPhones in public settings such as restaurants? Do you have any tips for setting rules around screen use in public? A: Great question. There are no…
Pop Music
Musician Chris Dorman, of Mister Chris and Friends, has always been there for his kids. Running Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne with his partner, Corie Pierce, has allowed him to be a stay-at-home dad to 6-year-old Henry and 3-year-old Samantha. His two little ones inspired Dorman to create Music for Sprouts — a music-and-movement…
Horsing Around
When preschooler Faith Ploof initially begged to ride a pony, her parents thought it was a phase. But after a year of repeated requests, the little blonde got her wish: Her parents signed her up for riding lessons. That was six years ago. The phase has turned into a lifestyle the whole family has embraced.…
Putting Down Roots
When Williston mom Marie-Claude Beaudette was living in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, near Montréal, the Québec town gave her family a tree to plant to celebrate the birth of her son. “The symbolic gesture made me think about how we are all connected to nature,” she explains. Eighteen years later, Beaudette is helping to pilot a similar initiative…
Pet-Oriented Book Recommendations
For our Pet Issue, Kids VT asked local librarians to recommend books for kids featuring awesome animals. Wiener Wolf by Jeff Crosby (ages 3-7) Wiener dog lives a boring, predictable life with Granny. He yearns for more excitement, so one day hitches a ride into the wilderness. After hanging out for a few days with a…
History Hike
The petrified prehistoric organisms are reason enough to visit Isle La Motte’s Goodsell Ridge Preserve this summer. But there’s another one: The 83-acre natural area on the Chazy Fossil Reef is hosting an evolutionary exhibit, “Walk Through Time.” Created in 1996 by Sid Liebes, a scientist at Hewlett-Packard Labs, its 71 colorfully illustrated panels showcase…
Book-Review Winners (July 2014)
Congratulations to these enthusiastic young critics who shared their reading recommendations in June. Each wins a $25 gift certificate from Crow Bookshop in Burlington. We loved reading about all the entrants’ literary adventures and have included some excerpts below. Pony Pals: A Pony in Trouble by Jeanne Betancourt “Pam’s pony is sick and he needs…
Take it Outside: Summer Picnicking Tips & Tricks
Nothing completes a summer meal like a fat slice of the great outdoors. Whether you’re eating fried chicken and potato salad, grilled portobelli, or a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, family dining is just better al fresco. “You say to the kids, ‘picnic,’ and they know it’s going to be fun,”…
Hedgehog Home
Hedgehogs aren’t the fuzziest of pets, but that’s why Livia Ball likes them. The Essex Junction middle schooler got one in December for her 12th birthday. She named him Bilbo, after The Hobbit’s Bilbo Baggins. “He’s pretty prickly on the top,” she says, “but he’s really soft on his belly.” Before her parents agreed to…
How and why did your family decide to get a pet?
Matt Gagnon, Vergennes Owner, Soap and Suds Cleaning service; Hazmat Technician, Vermont Air National Guard Sons Riley, 8, Cole, 5, Bryce and Chase, 1 A few years ago, Riley and Cole wanted a puppy. I grew up with trained hunting dogs, and I knew having a dog was a big commitment, but I was out-voted.…
The Art of… String Instruments
Visit any local farmers market, summer festival or coffee-house jam session, and you’ll likely see adults making music with fiddles, banjos and mandolins. It’s no surprise, then, that Vermont kids want in on the action. Woodbury Strings caters to their interest. The business specializes in teaching beginners to play string instruments: the fiddle starting at…
LuLu’s Lessons: How I learned to love our Saint Bernard
Santa Claus brought her two and a half years ago. Left her under the tree, in an open box with a big red bow. The kids, then 5, 3 and 18 months, shrieked upon discovering the 8-week-old Saint Bernard clumsily loping around the living room. “It’s a real dog!” they shouted repeatedly, smitten on sight.…
Fostering Pets
If you and your family love animals and want to help care for one in a time of need, consider being a foster family. Dogs and cats sometimes need a temporary home while awaiting adoption — so do hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets. The reasons are varied: some are too young to be adopted; some…
Bud the Dog
“Drawing on History” is a monthly feature about a notable Vermont person, place or event from days of yore. Want to suggest a future topic? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com. This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
Chicken Big: Vermont’s farm families aren’t the only ones raising poultry
Liz Small has quite the brood. And despite being young, they all have “old-lady names”: Pauline, Penny, Esther, Edith, Rosie and Milly. These aren’t Small’s children — they’re her chickens, a pair of Black Australorps, a couple of golden Buff Orpingtons, a Rhode Island Red and a speckled, black-and-white Barred Rock. Small and her husband,…
Vermont Day-cations: Granby Zoo & Colchester Pond
School’s out, and “Day-cations” are in. Every summer, Kids VT seeks out family-friendly destinations where you and your kids can experience the natural beauty and unique culture of our region. They’re all places you can visit in a day. Each of our three summer issues features two recommended trips, complete with tips on nearby dining…
Dog Days
Last year at this time, my family of four was grieving. Our beloved 13-year-old dog, Nader, got so sick last May that she could barely breathe. We had no choice but to put her to sleep. After that heartbreak, we weren’t sure we wanted another dog. But by Christmastime, my partner, Ann-Elise, and I, and…
