It’s the holiday season! What better time is there to teach and encourage thankfulness within your home or classroom. Kids and particularly preschool aged children are notoriously known for being self-centered. Thankfulness, empathy and sharing are all skills that crucial to nixing that preschool aged egocentric behavior, but these are also skills that aren’t inherent, they need to be taught and fostered. Teaching a child how to be thankful doesn’t only result in a child with good manners, but a child who is thankful tends to be happier, more content and less stressed and depressed. Personally, I can say that is true as I feel much happier when I make a conscience effort to be thankful for all my blessings instead of focusing on all the challenges I’m facing. So, what can you do at home or...
When I was growing up, Easter meant that the crocuses were in bloom and we were going to look for a new dress to wear to mass and brunch on Easter Sunday. What I looked forward to the most, however, was the scavenger hunt my father put on for us, with challenging clues we had to answer to move on to our next treasure. And the fact that spring had arrived. In the Christian faith, all over the world, Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. This celebration merged with pagan beliefs in 15th century Germany. The Teutonic deity Eostra was the goddess of spring and fertility, and feasts were held in her honor on the Vernal Equinox. Her symbol was the rabbit because of the animal’s high reproduction rate. When German immigrants settled in the United States, they brought with them t...
When my 14-year-old son unlocked the door allowing us to escape with a mere 12 seconds left, it was such an incredible rush I half-expected someone to present a cardboard check to us for one million dollars. It’s okay that didn’t happen. The rush of beating a room at Denver’s Epic Escape Game was reward in itself. We had just spent the past hour working together solving multiple puzzles to unravel a mystery and it was a total blast. Escape game houses and rooms are opening up around the nation, first springing up on the coasts. Now, Denver has several options for families to explore. The idea behind the craze is simple: Families, coworkers, friends, and even strangers must work together as a team to escape a themed room within a certain time limit. The rooms are packed wi...
Staying in Denver for Spring Break? No need to dismay! Whether you want to hunker down indoors, get outside or explore something new, we have you covered with these fabulous Spring Break offerings, categorized by geographic area. Be sure to also check-out Top 10 Family Vacation Ideas for Spring Break in Colorado 2014. CENTRAL DENVER Denver Museum of Nature & Science–The big news at Denver’s favorite natural history and science museum is the brand new addition on the Museum’s south side has added 126,000 square feet and five levels of discovery to the Museum, providing even more space to engage, delight, and spark your imagination. Be sure to also check-out the new exhibit Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed (Feb. 14-Aug. 24, 2014. Mizel Museum. Rooted in Jewish values that h...
I thought the Denver Museum of Nature and Science was already special. The variety of exhibits and programs make it one of the region’s most family-friendly destinations for fun, hands-on learning. But world-class educators, curators, and designers had a wonderful plan up their sleeves. They were going to create an innovative, beautiful, warm space for young scientists to explore with their families and schools. For a few years, we’ve watched the new wing take shape, wondering what was going on behind those construction barriers. We no longer have to wait. On February 14, 2014, the sparkling, expansive, highly-anticipated Morgridge Family Exploration Center opens. Eager museum visitors will be treated to a welcoming place where they will find science made even more accessible. ...
While it’s definitely important to expose your child to different activities, for physical, cognitive and emotional development, it’s also important to know just how much is too much? When it comes to structured activities, this doesn’t include daycare or preschool, children ages one to five years old have an attention span of about thirty minutes, and children five to eight years old have attention spans that are closer to one hour. Try to choose activities accordingly so that your child is able to stay focused for the majority of the class. When exploring options and picking a class, we recommend thinking about the following: 1) Consider your child’s interests and pick activities based on what they like (so far!) 2) Expose them to as many different types of activities over their early ye...
Take a bite out of Labor Day by hitting the 30th annual A Taste of Colorado Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2013 at Civic Center Park. More than 50 of Colorado’s favorite food establishments will be selling a wide variety of small portions to full meals, ensuring that there will be something for every palate. There will be plenty of music, magic, clowns, and puppets on the Comfort Dental KidzStage, and the KidZone features play equipment and hands-on craft activities. Kids and adults also can enjoy carnival rides and games Saturday through Monday. In the Festival of Mountain and Plain area, families can learn about the state’s pioneer past, nature, and the environment. Featured artisans will demonstrate Navajo weaving and culture, spinning, rug braiding, lace crocheting, felting, and quilting, along with...
See, the way it used to be, didn’t matter much what you did with your kids. Keep ‘ em upright and don’t let them swallow nickels, and you were GTG. Good to go. From my life files: I grew up comfortably upper middle class, but outside of a few months of Little League baseball, I was on my own as far as “fun’ went. My parents weren’t dragging me left, right and center. In fact, my strongest memory revolves around Sunday mornings, being allowed to sit in the front seat for the drive over to Pete’s Stationary Store where my dad would buy the Sunday paper. As far as the rest of the big jumble of memories of my parents? Pretty straightforward: They were around. But you know what wasn’t around? The feeling of having to fill each and every waking moment of...
Chautauqua is the splendid setting for Theatre-Hike Colorado's presentation of Hansel and Gretel.