Month: September 2017

How to Teach Kids About Consent Years Before the “Sex Talk”

While it’s a common belief to think you need to wait until puberty to teach kids about healthy relationships, experts recommend modeling respect for partners far earlier. “Waiting till the pre-teen ‘sex talk’ to start teaching young people about consent is far from ideal,” asserts Natalie Hamam, an occupational therapist whose focus on sexuality and disability includes teaching parents and caregivers about consent. “The good news is you can start teaching kids about consent from a very young age, without confronting discussions about rape or sexual violation. Parents can model and talk about the foundation skills for learning about consent from as early as the toddler years, and then slowly build the ideas as the child develops.” In her article for ABC News, she provides tips to teac...

Contest: Elitch Gardens Fright Fest Celebrates 20 Seasons of Screams

Elitch Gardens’ Fright Fest is now alive for its 20th annual presentation of screams with shrieks, shrills and thrills for all wanting to get their scare on. Fright Fest is Denver’s largest Halloween event. This month-long festival of fright boasts tricks and treats for the little ones throughout the day and terrifying haunted houses after the sun goes down. Family by Day festivities invade the park from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Little ghosts and goblins can find free candy on the Trick or Treat Trail and pick out a free pumpkin in the Elitch Pumpkin Patch. Other activities for kiddos include a costume contest, best scream contest and various themed challenges. When night falls, Fright by Night begins! Starting at 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Fright Fest...

Explore Denver’s Past Today

More families are moving to the Denver area because of the unbeatable weather, lifestyle and child-friendly activities. But long before this was an emerging metropolis, Denver was a mining town. The Denver Public Library has a wealth of great photos and books in its Western History Collection, but if you want to learn about the city as you walk around some of its more historic locations, Explore LoDo is another option. Explore LoDo is a free mobile app that lets you take a self-guided tour as you discover histories of some of the area’s most unique buildings and sites. Here are just a few things you can learn using Explore LoDo: The Elephant Corral on 14th Avenue and Wazee Street was never a corral for elephants. The first structure on this site was built in 1858—the same year Denver was f...

13 fun events in Denver this week

There are plenty of fun events in Denver this week including Jared’s Giant Pumpkin Festival, the Firefighter Chili Cook-off, Kids Clothes Swap and more. See our event calendar for more information.  12th Annual Jared’s Giant Pumpkin Festival & Weigh-off at Jared’s Nursery  Sept 30, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm The 12th Annual Jared’s “Giant Pumpkin Festival and Weigh-off” is coming up and is expected to be bigger and better than ever. Jared’s hosts the largest pumpkin weigh off in the state with state records being set 8 times in the past 12 years. The day is capped off with a pumpkin drop from a crane about 100’ feet in the air and local bands playing till 5 pm (or later). In addition to the excitement generated wondering which pumpkin will be the heaviest, (The large...

 Colorado’s Best Bike Paths and Trails

Colorado is the ultimate place to bike for families.  Here are some of our favorites—from city biking to mountain biking to crest trails to even a velodrome.  If you’re looking for even more inspiration, check out 75 Classic Rides Colorado and scroll down for more family fun in Colorado. Colorado’s Best Bike Paths and Trails Bike-friendly Fort Collins.  Road cyclists will appreciate the 285+ miles of relatively flat, wide bike lanes, trails and paths, including three main bike trails offering 19 miles of paved surface: the Poudre trail that follows the Cache La Poudre River; Spring Creek trail following the creek; and Fossil Creek trail covering miles of open prairie.    Blue River Trail in Silverthorne.  The Blue River Trail is Silverth...

How to make your own sinus-clearing bath bombs

Bath bombs are everywhere these days. The colorful, chalky, scented spheres are sold everywhere from cosmetic stores to farmers’ markets to drug stores. When you add to them to your bath or shower they slowly fizz and dissolve, releasing their scent. And they are surprisingly easy to make yourself. You can use any essential oils you want, but since it’s almost that time of year when nearly everyone in your office, school and in the grocery store starts sniffling and sneezing, 9News has a recipe that’s perfect for cold and flu season. Go to 9News for the recipe.

Deals: FreeRange Playground, Oktobergrass and More!

Way back when,  I would spend an occasional Friday night home [gasp]. But honestly, the TV shows were pretty great. I loved TGI Friday. Now TGI-HULU brings back some favorite Friday night sitcoms.  They are streaming over 800 episodes from TGIF – America’s favorite Friday night lineup from the 1990s!  Hulu debuts the iconic television favorites: Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step, Perfect Strangers,Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Dinosaurs and Boy Meets World. Starting SEPT 29 only on hulu.  FreeRange Playground. Bring your kids ages 12 and under to this pop-up adventure playground at the Montessori School of Denver from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. There will be a primary play area for s...

How elephants may help find the cure to childhood cancer

After talking to one friend whose child had cancer (and is now a survivor) and a survivor of childhood cancer, I decided to dig in a bit and find out a little more. I wanted to see what is really being done.   The background statistics of childhood cancer are staggering to say the least. Over 16,000 children are battling cancer in the United States every day. Sadly, the disease claims the lives of 2,500 children every year just in the United States.   From the stories that I heard no one really thought about cancer as being what was “wrong” with them [their child]. In the cases that I heard, there were other reasons to visit the doctor. One thought she had spider bites (a rash) that were causing weird bruises, one had enlarged nodes in her neck and the other had a crying child wh...

6-year-old raises money for hurricane victims

There’s an office in the Lombard family home in Aurora dedicated to arts and crafts for the kids- where Lily and her sister create masterpieces. 6-year-old Lily’s latest artwork is dedicated to her recent vacation to Turks and Caicos. “And the water was crystal blue, the sand wasn’t like in my picture that I’m drawing right now, it was almost white,” said Lily. But, while she and her family were there, they saw so much more than a beautiful island. “Well our flight was canceled because it was on the same day as the hurricane,” said Lily. Find out what Lily is doing to help and how she has raised over $1,000 so far!  Visit Lily’s YouCaring Page here.

Humor: For all those parents suffering through math with their kids

Dear parents suffering through math homework with their kids: The Holderness family’s new parody “It’s such a pain learning Algebra” to the tune of Toto’s “Africa” is for you!  We also love their message: Dear Math, We do know that you are important to learn, and you are an integral part in millions of people’s careers, and those who teach you deserve a special place in heaven. But we aren’t very good at you, and rhyming Africa with Algebra was just too much fun. No hard feelings, mmmmkay? Sincerely, the Holderness Family Because why cry when you can laugh? Related: This is our all-time favorite video about trying to teach someone math.

Delicious and Healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Fall is happily upon us and I’ve already been enjoying the fruits (or rather, pumpkins) of the season. Despite the fact I usually cook desserts loaded in sugar, pumpkins are actually super healthy and loaded in fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. My husband and I love making smoothies in the morning so we figured why not create a healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie recipe? We’ve traditionally used vanilla protein powder for our shakes but this time, we used vanilla Premier Protein. We were surprised that the 11-ounce bottle coupled with other ingredients made enough smoothie to feed both us us…and the  protein to sustained us the entire morning.  Let’s hear it for skipping empty calories! Oh, and as a total bonus, this Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie is actuall...

Encouraging a Philanthropic Heart in Your Kids

It is never too early to encourage your child to have a philanthropic heart. Teaching children to donate their own time and money shows them how to give freely without the expectation of receiving anything in return.  Children who learn that small, selfless acts of kindness can make a huge difference are sure to grow into compassionate and generous leaders of tomorrow. So how do you raise a young philanthropist?  Whether kids are hosting a bake sale, selling lemonade in your front yard, or participating in a school-based cause, even the youngest members of society can learn the importance of giving. Follow the tips below to teach the importance of giving back while encouraging caring and selfless children. Lead by example: For your child to understand the significance of giving, ...