We were rockin' & rollin' at the South End Library this past Monday with Kim Foley MacKinnon (the brains behind Boston Baby!) the talented teachers from CMCB's Little Notes Program and Ben & Jerry's from Newbury Street.
If you missed out on the fun, don't worry: you can still get in on the action. Starting July 12, Little Notes will be holding classes at the South End Library on Tremont Street Mondays from 12:30 - 1:15 p.m. (July 12, 19, 26 and August 9, 16, 23.)
But why stop there? Music is on the brain this summer--so check out these other concerts and classes (all featured in Boston Baby, the city's only parenting survival guide!)
If you haven't checked out a Baby Wiggle class with Sara Wheeler and her fabulous co-teachers Tommy and Chrysta, what are you waiting for? The great news is Sara's bringing Baby Wiggle to My Gym on Commonwealth Avenue beginning this summer. Her band, Little Groove, will be playing throughout Greater Boston this summer:
One more pick for something cultural and extraordinary: take your bambino out to the Boston Harbor Islands, which has a load of free family programming lined up for the coming months, including a variety of performances tailored to tikes. (Think: Toe Jam Puppet Band!) In one foul swoop you combine a boat ride, a trip to an island, and entertainment.
I know it's almost Mother's Day, but this article from Nashoba Publishing (NP) about schools growing their own food got me thinking about kids: specifically, the lucky tykes who get to participate in Cambridge's CitySprouts program.
CitySprouts is a nonprofit organization that works with twelve public schools in Cambridge to create learning gardens in schoolyards and support teachers' use of the gardens as a direct extension of their classroom teaching. In short, CitySprouts doesn't just make the schoolyards pretty--they make sure the kids are learning topics that are part of Massachusetts Science Frameworks.
I visited several CitySprouts gardens when I was researching Boston Gardens & Green Spaces, and I was very impressed. There were alphabetical gardens with plants starting with each letter of the alphabet (X is for xanthorrhiza!); Latin American gardens with corn, beans, potatoes, and chiles; rain gauges and wind gauges: butterfly gardens for observing insects' life cycles; and children gathered hungrily around an electric where a volunteer teacher was cooking Swiss chard that the kids had grown themselves. By gum, they were cheerful places.
There are limits to what CitySprouts can do compared to Nashoba Valley schools, simply due to lack of space. For example, they can't possibly grow enough food to serve in the cafeteria, according to the NP article, but they can offer the fruits of their labor to kids who work in the gardens and at special events. Still, even that much exposure to fresh produce is more than many kids get; "You are introducing kids who've never tasted broccoli and greens to these foods," said CitySprouts founder Jane Hirschi, as quoted in the NP piece.
But you don't have to take my word for it; you can go visit CitySprouts yourself! The school gardens have visiting hours every week. I'm partial to the Morse School, which has flowers and CORN in late summer-- but all the gardens are exciting places. They may be small, but they're full of life.
For my first Mother's Day, my husband (god bless him) bought me a pair of JCrew flip flops on behalf of my daughter. For my second Mother's Day, the same dynamic duo opted to get me a t-shirt from the Volvo Ocean Race. (That I was with them when they bought the t-shirt didn't seem to faze them...?) This year, we're a family of four, and the last thing I want is a gift. What I crave is just a little bit of time to hang with my chickens without having to wrangle them into doing something they really don't want to do...
So, I've opted to take the reigns. While there's no shortage of Mother's Day happenings going on about town, I'll be toting my family to some of our Union Park Press activities. (I'm not only the publisher. I'm a mommy, too.)
Pay attention, Dads--here are two ideas that will make you look like a star on May 9th!
For families with young children join us at the Wheelock Family Theatre’s performance of Little Mermaid. The party starts at 2pm, with tea-time treats, arts & crafts (courtesy of ArtBeat in Arlington), and a book signing with Kim Foley MacKinnon, local mom and author of Boston Baby. (Check out her new venture: The Savvy Factory--it rocks!) Even Pearl, the Little Mermaid herself, will be there for the fun! We're going all out with a raffle for everyone who comes. The grand prize is a 2011 WFT Season Subscription. Other prizes include tickets to the Breakers and $50 to Upstairs on the Square.
If the kids are older (or too squirmy to sit through an entire performance), celebrate Lilac Sunday at the Arnold Arboretum. With tours of the lilacs, dance performances, a book signing with Meg Muckenhoupt, author of Boston's Gardens & Green Spaces, you just can’t go wrong. Don’t forget a picnic basket because this is the one special day of the year that picnicking is allowed at the Arboretum. Refreshments and activities are available 10am to 4pm.
If you're on the hunt for a gift for your own mom, may I suggest the Gardens & Green Spaces Tour Union Park Press is hosting? It's a wonderful way to spend some time with the lady who did/does everything for you. (Three walks, three different weeks: June 13, 20, 27.) Check it out!
I ♥ MY BOSTON BABY @ AURA
Join us at Aura at the Seaport Hotel as we celebrate the publication of Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents. Each family will receive a copy of Boston Baby compliments of Aura and a bundle of great gifts from local businesses who are spreading the love.
This is a seriously kid-friendly event! Friday nights at Aura are high-class, no-fuss, family-style dining. (The homemade baby food is divine!) And Aura is one of author Kim Foley MacKinnon's top picks from her chapter on "Best Spots for Dining Out with Kids." Kim will be on hand to sign copies and speak to patrons about exciting urban adventures in and around Boston. In addition to Aura's fantastic restaurant romper-room, Artbeat will be on hand to run an arts & crafts table for the little ones!
Friday, March 5, 2010; 5:30PM-8PM. Reservations are highly recommended.
If you haven't checked out a Baby Wiggle class with Sara Wheeler and her fabulous co-teachers Tommy and Chrysta, what are you waiting for? The great news is Sara's bringing Baby Wiggle to My Gym on Commonwealth Avenue beginning this summer. Her band, Little Groove, will be playing throughout Greater Boston this summer:
