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
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
Colorado Day is August 1, 2012. Happy 136th birthday to Colorado!
Happy Wednesday!!!!!
Exciting. Intriguing. Pirate-like. Captivating. Adventurous. These are the words 8 and 10 year olds used to describe the performance of Treasure Island by the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Earlier this week we had the opportunity to head to campus and watch this great play under the stars in an intimate outdoor setting. There was not a bad seat in the house! They did not know the story going in [I had meant to read the book to them before hand, but vacations got in the way!], but they were captivated by the experience and the story right away. Kids who love pirates, adventure and/or just a well acted story will love this show!
We started over evening by parking on The Hill and walking over to campus. As we walked up we found people picnicking on the grass in front with characters singing to set the mood. We immediately found the food cart and purchased a cookie and we knew we were in for something special–the tone was set. We entered the building and handed in our tickets to find a mom and child ushering–it felt family-friendly right away. A quick read over all the information in the program offered the kids a brief synopsis of what was going to unfold. They were so serious the whole time which is a bit unlike two boys sitting together at 6:30pm when they generally find a way to wind each other up. The play started and immediately we were all swept in and an hour had passed when intermission was upon us. I was excited to see that there were snacks as well as kid-friendly and adult-friendly drinks available. We got a little something because who can resist during intermission at a play?
Swash buckling, gun fights, suspense and intrigue were peppered throughout the evening. There were kids of all ages that night. The house was silent, besides my kids asking a few questions, or so it seemed. I took that to indicate that Treasure Island was as exciting to the rest of the families there as it was to us. I personally felt carried away right in to the story. It felt professional, very intimate, engaging, and I highly, highly recommend it to all Boulder Families [and beyond]! But you don’t need to bring the kids because it would also make a great date night.
Would you recommend this show to a friend? Yes. Why? Because it was fun to go and I like the story. There is a lot of sword fighting too.
What was your favorite thing about the play? It was well performed and exciting. Also, I like the stunt where people fell of the boat.
What would you recommend to make it better? Actually act out everything, instead of explaining some parts. It interrupted the play. But I still really liked it, it could just be a bit better.
It was a magical night for our family. I highly recommend Treasure Island. If your kids are elementary school aged or above they will fall in love with this production!
What Tinking looks like for 10 year olds.
Kids are natural tinkerers. We all are really. But give them some wood, pvc, tape, glue, paper, markers, and when they are older power tools, and watch those kids who just moments ago said they are “bored” become engaged. Consider creating a Tinkering Kit or a place where kids know they can go to pick up scraps and create things. Encourage kids to follow their imagination! They can draw out a picture before hand or just go for it and create what they imagine along the way. I am always amazed at what my kids create!
Tinkering Kit:
Tinkering is messy. It is creative. It is fun. It is frustrating. But if we leave the tinkering open ended our kids come out with something they are proud of creating. Consider making a project with your child or making one of your own while they are making one. Remember as parenting we need to step back and let them make mistakes and learn from the process. If they nail something in and it cracks the wood, what can they learn from this process? If it doesn’t come out the way they want, should they have drawn out a picture first? Or could they simply change what they expected? Just help them through the process of considering how to improve next time.
For more on tinkering, watch this video on The Tinkering School and take a look at the post from OutdoorMom.com, Kids Love Plumbing.
Exploring all around the Smithsonian Museums
Okay, I am not a big museum fan. Usually I head in, spend the requisite hour or so and then I am out again. Not these past few days! My kids and I have been in Washington, DC and we have hit the Smithsonian Museums hard. I am impressed with how much resilience they have [they are 8 & 10]. We have hit the Air and Space Museum, American Indian Museum [lunch], Natural History Museum, and the American History Museum all in ONE day. Then today we went to the museum where they have the Discovery space shuttle and so much about aviation history including every type of plane imaginable and flight simulators [my kids did them twice and would have stayed on forever!] It was magical! I cannot believe how amped up we ALL feel planning for, during, and after exploring something new!So in Boulder we don’t have the Smithsonian, but here are some ideas of a few places to go to stretch your kiddo’s [and our] minds:
Don’t forget to watch for FREE DAYS at the Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Children’s Museum. I list them each week as they arise. Also, a great hint for keeping the kids engaged during a visit to an art museum is to stop by the gift shop FIRST & let your kids each pick out a postcard of a piece of art that they like. Then engage them in finding that piece of art. Could work for other types of museums too. Go. Explore. Don’t worry how far you have to drive. Get out there. Have fun!
Here is a list of some of the deals I have noticed around town or online. This week there are two local Boulder organizations to support: Rocky Mountain Kids & Kutandara.
Denver Museum of Nature & Science Deal: Museum Entry, Planetarium, and and IMAX Film. $12/adult and $9/kids from Livingsocial.
Universal Orlando: 4 day/2 park pass for $144. Travelzoo says it’s 70% off. I’ve noticed cheap tickets to Florida online as well. Check Travelocity or Kayak.
Rocky Mountain Kids’ Big Sale: 25% off the ENTIRE STORE. July 13, 14, & 15. This is a great local store and they always sales worth checking out.
Kutandara Intro to Marimbas Class: Children’s 90 Minute Intro to Marimbas for $12. Again, a great local resource to support.
2 Slap Watches for $12. This deal is from Plumdistrict. Kids love them. They are great for learning to tell time. And this seems like a good deal with free shipping. Worth looking.
I have had a few questions recently about great blogs to read. Well I have a few and I monitor them daily. I recommend a Google Home Page for bringing your life together: blogs, email, weather [hot!], etc… For more info on how to create your own Google Home Page give me a shout and I will send you a link. Here is a list of some great blogs to check out. I know you will find more. Send your recs!
www.designmom.com [super cool mom of 6, shares lots of ideas and insights daily on travel, life, design]
www.soulemama.com [groovy, homeschool mama blog]
www.outdoormom.com [great ideas about how to get outside with your family]
www.improvisedlife.com [just the coolest things to create, design galore, i love this one!]
www.handsfreemama.com [how to live more in the moment with your family]
www.mommypoints.com [frequent flyer/hotel points]
What else? Please add your favorites! Thanks!!! -Amanda
#boulder #family #blogs
bellissimakids.com
Recently I have been really inspired by tents, forts, teepees, and any other fun place for kids to play, dream, create, be inspired, and just be a kid. There are a few links below to articles on just this. Remember that you and your kids can build a fort with a simple sheet [go to Savers for a cheep one you don’t mind leaving outside] and some sticks. Or start with a tree for the base. Have you made any shelters with your kids recently? Share you photos and ideas, please!
improvisedlife.com
Kai working on his own fort in our backyard.
Look at these two sites of inspiration:
http://www.bellissimakids.com/2012/06/20/playtents-teepees-on-etsy/
If your house is like ours after a full-day there are a dozen cups laying around the house. My kids get one out in the morning. I get one out. That’s three. But then friends come over. Say we add a few more cups. But then they all forget whose cup is whose and in an instant there are another 4 cups out. I pull my hair out with this issue. But thanks to the blog, theimprovisedlife.com, I have found a solution.
Sharpies. Sounds crazy, but they tested it out and you can write on glass [or mirrors] with a sharpie and it simply washes off. So get a great selection of Sharpies [you can pick up colorful packs at Costco reasonably] and have the kids, their friends create a work of art [or just write their names] on their glasses. So simple. So creative. So easy to do. Saves time running around after your kids’ glasses all around the house and opens up room in the dishwasher for more important things. You can also remove the writing with warm, soapy water.
Photos from the improvisedlife.com which is a great blog!
Additional uses: wine glasses instead of those dorky wine rings, write love notes to your kids/partner on the mirror, or take notes.