Monthly Archives: August 2012

Boulder Family Events: August 10 to August 16, 2012

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August 10 to August 16, 2012

Listed here are some great family events. Most are free. They are all opportunities to be together as a family and engage your kids of all ages. HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK!

Special Events: Aladdin performed at Rocky Mtn Theater for Kids, Asian Aloha Festival, Dr. Noize in Concert, Fairy Tale Festival, & FREE Day at Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Friday, August 10

Saturday, August 11

Sunday, August 12

Monday, August 13

  • Rise and Shine Storytime @ Barnes & Noble. 9:30am. Don’t forget the fun train table!
  • Children’s Storytime at the Main Boulder Library. 10:15 to 11:00am.
  • International Summer Celebration at the Main Boulder Library. This is an international celebration with storytelling, dance performances, and music from a variety of countries. 11:00am.
  • Meadow Music. This is a treat for families and includes live music and nature education. Consider bringing a picnic and enjoy the show. Ages 2 to 8 [but all ages are welcome!]. 5:30 to 6:45pm at Chautauqua

Tuesday, August 14

  • Children’s Storytime at George Reynolds Branch Library. 10:15 to 11:00am. Ongoing event.
  • Read to the Dog at Meadows Branch Library. Please call ahead to reserve a time to read to this gentle dog [15 minute blocks]. Kids love it! 3:30 to 5:30pm.
  • Dance for Children [and the Whole Family]! Participatory dance program for children of all ages and their parents! A fun way to learn dances from around the world, find out what young folks like in other countries. Outside on the Plaza beside the Dushanbe Teahouse, 1770 13th (between Arapahoe & Canyon) in Boulder. Free. All ages. 6:15 to 7:00pm. Ongoing activity.
  • Walker Ranch Family-Friendly Sunset Hike. Join Boulder County Parks & Open Space for a beautiful  hike. Volunteer naturalists will interpret each park’s history, geology, ecosystems, wildlife, and plants. Bring your family and friends to enjoy an evening exploring your local parks. 6:30 to 8:30pm. Free. All ages.

Wednesday, August 15

  • Wednesday Storytime @ Main Boulder Library. 10:15 to 11:30am. Free. Ongoing.
  • Storytime and Kids Hike. Join OSMP to hear stories and take a kid-friendly hike at Chautauqua. 9:30 to 10:30am. Free. 3 to 6 year olds and their caregivers.
  • Family Garden Story and Song Time with Kristin at Barnes and Nobles. Free. All ages. 1:00pm.
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. 4:00 to 8:00pm. 13th Street between Arapahoe & Canyon Blvd. Great opportunity for families to purchase locally grown produce, eat delicious food, listen to live music and so much more! A Boulder kids’ favorite.
  • Valmont Bike Park Family Rides. Bring the bikes and the family for fun rides on the amazing terrain at Boulder’s coolest bike park. All ages. 4:00 to 6:00pm. Free.
  • Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts [BMOCA] Check out Art Stop which provides FREE guided art activities for kids on Saturdays during the Farmer’s Market. I have heard that they have a space where you can throw a cup at the wall. Kids love it! 4:00 to 8:00pm. All ages
  • Band on the Bricks on Pearl: A different band each week will rock Pearl Street! This is an ongoing event each Weds night throughout the summer. All ages. 7:00 to 9:00pm.

Thursday, August 16

Upcoming Events:
  • Kids Races in Boulder: August 30. Lengths vary, but these are just pure fun for families! Click the link to find out how to register and more information.

Please let me know of any upcoming events that should be listed here. I am happy to include your free, low cost or unusual event in Boulder Family listing of weekly events. You can reach me at Boulder4Families@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook.

#families, #free, #boulder, #events, #boulderfamilies #August

Taming The Stuff: Storage of Kids’ Art, School Projects, Etc…

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Kids’ art work organized on the wall in frames.

Every year I promise I will get better at organizing my kids’ art projects, school projects, etc.. To be honest I still have the bags of items that came home from school and need to be sorted through in my office closet. This used to be the bane of my existence because I loved everything they created, beat myself up over needing to keep it for them [and us], and at the same time was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity. Here are a few suggestions of how to tame the stuff:

1. Buy Frames for Special Art. The pieces we love go on the wall in our dining room. Nicely displayed in matching frames I purchased at Michael’s. They come in different sizes and you can open them easily so I can slip in new pieces and remove the old ones when the time comes. These types of frames are often on sale. Just buy lots of them if you care about them matching.

2. Create a Designated Place for All School Work/Art.I put two [I have 2 kids] file folders [the accordion type] in a file drawer with each of my kid’s names & school year on the front. When items come home I look them over to see if anything still needs to be done with them, then I put it all in the folder. This includes report cards, art, work, etc… I can cull through that pile any time. Don’t forget to put a name and date on each piece.

Accordion file with my kids’ school/art for the year

3. Buy a Large Tupperware for Each Child. After I have culled through the yearly accordion file I move them to a tupperware I created for each of my kids. I keep the accordion files by year in the tupperware. Larger art pieces go in the tupperware along the edge. Don’t forget to date these items.

A few reminders:

  • Take the first pass at their art/school work file without kids. Then you can include them to see what is important to them.
  • Write your child’s name and grade/age on items as you file them. Especially if you have more than one child.
  • It’s not too early to create a storage system–even if you have a very young child. The amount of work created will only increase as they get older.
  • Whatever you do, make it easy for yourself. If it’s not easy you won’t do it.

How do you store your kids’ stuff? What works best?

Boulder Family Deals: Amazon videos, Shutterfly, & Boulder B.Cycles

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Here are some deals I have found recently that may appeal to families:

Let me know if you find deals you think other Boulder Families may enjoy. Cheers, Amanda

Boulder Families on Facebook & Twitter: Join us to get more family-friendly info…

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Hey Boulder Families followers. Thanks so much for following this blog! It is for readers like you that I am blogging. Don’t forget to let your friends know about Boulder Families! Right now I want to let you all know that I am also active on Facebook and Twitter. I update Facebook with lots of juicy info on a regular basis that never shows up on the blog. It is just a different platform. But I think you will enjoy getting the info. So, consider “liking” Boulder Families on Facebook and let your friends know if you are enjoying the resources. Maybe they would like to join in…

Twitter is another venue I use for connecting Boulder Families to what’s going on in the community. We are @boulderfamilies on Twitter. You can always see what I post on Twitter @ http://www.boulderfamilies.com. Just look on the right side of the page to see the latest Tweets.

And please let me know what you enjoy seeing on Boulder Families, what I should add more of, and anything else you feel like letting me know. I am currently looking for guest bloggers, so if you have a passion for something that Boulder Families would enjoy hearing about, let me know. I love hearing from Boulder Families!

Warmly, Amanda

Boulder Family Events: August 3 to August 9, 2012

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This Weeks Special Events: Free Days at Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Art Museum, Boulder History Museum, & Children’s Museum of Denver; Boulder Historic Train Unveiling; Boulder County Fair; Boulder Outdoor Cinema–The Muppets; Pearl Street Mile Race; & The Gustafer Yellowgold Show

Friday, August 3

Saturday, August 4

  • City of Boulder’s Historic Train Unveiling at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Come see Boulder’s restored locomotive, coach & caboose. FREE admission to the museum for Boulder residents. 10:00 to Noon. All ages.
  • FREE Day at the Denver Art Museum. Free. All ages. All day.
  • Bears, Bears, Bears! It’s black bear season! Join OSMP for a moderate hike to learn what bears are up to this time of year? Are they dangerous? How do I know if one is close by? Learn all about these fascinating animals, including what motivates them, what we can learn from them, and how to behave around them.  Meet at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage. Free. All ages. 8:00 to 10:30am.
  • French/English Storytime at the Main Boulder Library. Free.
  • Home Depot Kids Club. Kids can stop by the stores to build something of their own. The themes change every week. 1st/3rd Saturday each month. Free. All ages. 9 to Noon.
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. 8:00 to 2:00pm. 13th Street between Arapahoe & Canyon Blvd. Great opportunity for families to purchase locally grown produce, eat delicious food, listen to live music and so much more! A Boulder kids’ favorite.
  • Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts [BMOCA] Check out Art Stop which provides FREE guided art activities for kids on Saturdays during the Farmer’s Market. I have heard that they have a space where you can throw a cup at the wall. Kids love it! 8:00am to 2:00pm. All ages
  • Twenty Ninth Street Live! Opening band at 6:15pm. Main band at 7:30pm. This is a fun family-friendly event!
  • Boulder County Fair runs through Sunday, August 4. There are many free events for families. More information here.
  • Boulder Outdoor Cinema bring The Muppets to Boulder tonight.

Sunday, August 5

  • Go Club for Kids & Teens at the Main Boulder Library. 2:00 to 5:30pm. Ages 5 and up. Free. “Learn to play the ancient and mysterious game of Go.”
  • Boulder County Fair‘s final day. There are many free events for families. More information here.
  • FREE Day at Boulder History Museum. All ages.
  • The Gustafer Yellowgold Show at the Main Boulder Library. International phenomenon and acclaimed by The New York Times, which described Gustafer as “A cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.” Gustafer Yellowgold’s Show is a multi-media performance of live music, animated illustrations,and storytelling. Free. All ages. 1:00pm & 3:00pm shows.

Monday, August 6

Tuesday, August 7

  • FREE Day at the Children’s Museum of Denver. Free. All ages. 4:00 to 8:00pm.
  • Children’s Storytime at George Reynolds Branch Library. 10:15 to 11:00am. Ongoing event.
  • Dance for Children [and the Whole Family]! Participatory dance program for children of all ages and their parents! A fun way to learn dances from around the world, find out what young folks like in other countries. Outside on the Plaza beside the Dushanbe Teahouse, 1770 13th (between Arapahoe & Canyon) in Boulder. Free. All ages. 6:15 to 7:00pm. Ongoing activity.

Wednesday, August 8

  • Wednesday Storytime @ Main Boulder Library. 10:15 to 11:30am. Free. Ongoing.
  • Family Garden Story and Song Time with Kristin at Barnes and Nobles. Free. All ages. 1:00pm.
  • Boulder Farmer’s Market. 4:00 to 8:00pm. 13th Street between Arapahoe & Canyon Blvd. Great opportunity for families to purchase locally grown produce, eat delicious food, listen to live music and so much more! A Boulder kids’ favorite.
  • Valmont Bike Park Family Rides. Bring the bikes and the family for fun rides on the amazing terrain at Boulder’s coolest bike park. All ages. 4:00 to 6:00pm. Free.
  • Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts [BMOCA] Check out Art Stop which provides FREE guided art activities for kids on Saturdays during the Farmer’s Market. I have heard that they have a space where you can throw a cup at the wall. Kids love it! 4:00 to 8:00pm. All ages
  • Band on the Bricks on Pearl: A different band each week will rock Pearl Street! This is an ongoing event each Weds night throughout the summer. All ages. 7:00 to 9:00pm.

Thursday, August 9

Upcoming Events:
  • Kids Race August 30. Lengths vary, but these are just pure fun for families! Click the link to find out how to register and more information.
  • Fairy Tale Festival at Kids Row August 11. Fairy parade, face painting, & other fun for the kids.

Please let me know of any upcoming events that should be listed here. I am happy to include your free, low cost or unusual event in Boulder Family listing of weekly events. You can reach me at Boulder4Families@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook.

#families, #free, #boulder, #events, #boulderfamilies #August