Fostering creativity in children is one of the most rewarding aspects of parenting. If you’ve been searching for creative ways to spark your child’s imagination at home, this blog can help. By simply reimagining everyday activities and providing the right tools, you can help your child explore their creativity in ways that are both enriching and fun. Read on for some ideas to transform your home into a hub for imaginative play.
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Long gone are the days when children’s clothing looked formal or was dictated by their elders. Many modern parents are now letting their kids choose what they wear on a day-to-day basis to express their personality or showcase their interests.
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“I want to be able to walk a tight rope while playing the trumpet & dribbling a soccer ball on my head! Then I want to go to Swim Lessons”. That’s what I get for saying they can learn how to do anything they want after school, lol! But I am fully confident, if any city is up for this challenge it is Toledo!! There is literally no shortage of awesome after school activities to sign your kiddos up for, whether its vocal lessons, dance, gymnastics, food class, art, swim, or, yes, even tight rope! Here’s a list of just some of the amazing after school activities, classes, lessons, & programs available in Toledo & the surrounding area…..
Classes/Clubs: Preteen Painting Club, Advanced Art 101, Slime Club, After-school Art Club, Friday Preschool Art, Adventures in Painting, & so much more!
Address: 188 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg, OH 43551
Phone: 419-873-6240
Website: http://www.createperrysburg.com/
Cost: Varies…average is $75-$100 for a 6 week class/club
Their Grand Re-Opening is September 5th & 6th ….checkout website to be entered in giveaway!
Classes: Homemade Pierogis, Kids Turn to BAKE, Burger Battle (for teens) Taco Takeover (Family Friendly), Kids Turn to COOK (tweens 9+), and more!
Address: 2059 W Laskey Rd, Toledo, OH 43613
Phone: (567) 970-7100
Website: http://www.foodologytoledo.com/
Cost: Prices for the classes range anywhere from $30 – $80, depending on the menu
Classes: Ballet, jazz, tap, musical/acting, tumbling, etc.
Address: 5327 Monroe St, Toledo, OH 43623
Phone: (419) 471-0049
Website: https://www.toledoballet.com/
Cost: Varies
Fall classes begin September 3rd! Also see deets for Nutcracker auditions (Sept 12th & 14th)
Classes: Tap, Jazz, Tumbling, Hip-Hop Modern, Ballet, Lyrical, Cheerleading, Poms, Baton, and more!
Address: 2437 Tremainsville Road. Toledo, Ohio 43613
Phone: 419.473.0999
Website: http://www.minimotionsdance.com/
Cost: $25 Registration Fee – Classes $60 a month.
Classes: Beginner Youth, Intermediate, & Teen Circus Classes (aerial silks, static trapeze, and lyra)
Address: 1153, 2413 Collingwood Blvd 1st floor, Toledo, OH 43620
Phone: (567) 298-6841
Website: https://www.birdseyeviewcircus.com/
Cost: •$20/single class •$105/ 7 Classes •$200/ 14 Classes
Learn more and sign up on their website!
Classes: Classes for babies through teens, boys & girls, Gymnastics, Tumbling, Aerial Silks, Ninjas/Parkour, and birthday parties!
Address: 2255 S Reynolds Rd. Toledo, OH 43614
Phone: 419-381-1000
Website: http://www.excelerationgymnastics.com/
Cost: Varies…$45-$89 See Website for details
Classes: Gymnastics, Tumbling, Ninja Zone, Birthday Parties and more!
Business Address: 6539 Weatherfield Ct. Maumee, OH 43537
Phone: 419-795-2132
Website: http://www.newheightstoledo.com/
Cost: Varies!
Classes: Tumble, Gymnastics, Tae Kwon Do
Address: 3640 N Holland Sylvania Rd, Toledo, OH 43615
Phone: (419) 841-2902
Website: http://www.sunrisegymnastics.com/
Cost: Varies! (All new students can come & enjoy a FREE trial class!)
Lessons: Vocal, Guitar, Drums, Flute, Clarinet, you name it & they’ll teach ya how to play it!
Address: 3208 W Sylvania Ave, Toledo, OH 43613
Phone: (419) 471-2100
Website: https://www.fortemusicandarts.com/
Cost: $90 a month for ½ hour lessons & $180 a month for 1 hour lessons (lessons are once a week)
UT Center for Performing Arts
Lessons/Classes: Workshops, ensembles, music lessons and more, the Community Music Program seeks to provide local people of all ages with ways to engage their passion for music. Beginner group music lessons in piano and guitar (6 weeks of lessons) start soon…other 6-week sessions available starting in October, January, and March. Visit online today to learn more.
Address: 1910 W. Rocket Drive Toledo, OH 43606
Phone: 419-530-2448
Website: www.utoledo.edu/al/svpa/music/communitymusic/
Operated by the University Of Toledo Department Of Music, the Community Music Program offers many opportunities for music education and performance, and does not require enrollment as a student at UT.
Leprechauns Registration Is Open To All Boys & Girls Pre-K Through 8th Grade
(Registration Deadlines: Monday, September 16th, 2019. Form is online)
Address: 3215 W Sylvania Ave, Toledo, OH 43613
Phone: (419) 473-9490
Website: https://www.toledoceltics.com/
Cost: $55-$65 depending on Division/grade
Address: 5400 Central Ave, Toledo, OH 43615
Phone: (419) 885-3140
Website: https://www.pacesettersoccer.com
Cost: $50 for ages 3-5yrs old (you can ONLY register online)
(Open to District residents as well as non-residents)
Soccer for Pre-K-8th Grade
Address: 7060 Sylvania Ave. Sylvania, Ohio 43560
Phone: 419.882.1500
Website: https://www.playsylvania.com/soccer/
Cost: $45 for residence & $55 for non-residence
Sports offered: Soccer, Cheerleading, Football, Cross-country, Softball, Wrestling, Track, etc.
Address: 1933 Spielbusch Avenue Toledo, OH 43604-5360
Phone: Ms. Julie Dubielak 419-244-6711, ext. 4932
Website: https://toledodiocese.org/cyo
Cost: Varies
Programs & Youth Sports: Soccer, Flag Football, Basketball, & Cross-country
Address: 1500 N. Superior St. 2nd Floor Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: 419.729.8135
Website: https://www.ymcatoledo.org/
Cost: Varies….see website for more details! See what your YMCA Branch is offering
Offers swim classes & opportunities for competitive swimmers
Address: 1510 Spring Meadows Drive #D-100, Holland, OH 43528
Phone: (419) 370-2801
Website: https://www.safesplash.com/locations/holland
Email: moreinfo@safesplash.com
Cost: $80 per month…for all additional options see website
Offers: POWER HOUR (An after school homework help program, students work with the instructors on their homework and earn Power Points for achieving weekly academic goals.) CADET CORPS. (A weekly club for 7-, 8-, and 9-year old Club members. Under the guidance of an instructor, members brainstorm and reach consensus on five goals that they will achieve during the week. Club members choose a reward activity for goals achieved.)LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, SPORTS, TECHNOLOGY, ARTS & CRAFTS, etc.
Address: 2250 N. Detroit Ave. Toledo, OH 43606
Phone: (419) 241-4258
Website: http://www.bgctoledo.org/
Cost: Free….The Club is open Monday through Friday, after school and in the summer, when children need positive, productive outlets. (See website for locations)
American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christ centered, family fun, scouting group open to all girls from grades kindergarten through 8th grade.
For all parents interested in having your daughter(s) be a part of AHG, or if you’d just like to find out more about what we are all about, please email Rachel at rachelewbank@yahoo.com .
Cost: The cost is $55 for the year plus additional fees for uniforms (which are optional).
It is officially day 1 of summer break! Bring on the long days at the pool, meeting up with friends at the park, roasting marshmallows & making s’mores, catching fireflies, watching fireworks, lazy days at the lake, and so much more. Eeee!! Parents we have the POWER to make it a SUPER FUN summer!! But let’s be honest, WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. It is important that parents take the necessary precautions so that their children don’t fall prey to VILLIANS such as ticks, sunburns, dehydrations, and brain drain!!
Did you know…
The statistics on summer “brain drain” are grim. According to Dr. Harris Cooper, professor of psychology at the University of Missouri- Columbia, students returning to school after a lengthy summer break will have lost one to three months’ worth of learning. Studies show that on average, teachers end up spending four to six weeks re-teaching things their students learned during the previous school year. That means that if students come back to school on August 1, they will spend all their time until September, at the earliest, reviewing. They might be reviewing until Halloween comes around.
https://www.sciencenaturally.com/files/1.Summer.Brain_.Drain_.June_.2013.pdf
Don’t let your child fall into the hands of the evil VILLIAN, brain drain. Be their SUPERHERO; DEFEND them against brain drain by signing them up for the SUMMER READING CHALLENGE today!
Books to the RESCUE!! But that’s not all! This year’s Summer Reading Program is the best one yet! It will have your little one contemplating awesome SUPERHERO POWERS, writing a note to their favorite SUPERHERO, reading aloud with a friend; allow their imaginations to soar and loss track of both time & space in a book, and so much more! Click here to learn more about the Kids Program.
This year’s program comes with an awesome activity book filled with coloring options, crossword, word search, etc. perfect boredom buster!!
The Library also has fun FREE activities going on throughout the summer that coincide with this year’s Summer reading program theme….click here for summer events guide.
And I almost forgot the best part, PRIZES!! Your SUPERHERO will win prizes with each challenge they complete!! Including, Chipotle coupon, finger puppet, pick from the treasure box, stickers, etc.
GRAND Prizes…once your SUPERHERO completes Challenges 1-4 they are entered in the grand prize giveaway to win one of the following….
An iPad Air or Kindle Fire HDX
A 4-pack of tickets or a membership to The Toledo Zoo or Imagination Station
A $30 gift card for Barnes & Noble, Toys R Us or the Toledo Mud Hens
*Scouts can earn a badge if they complete challenges 1-4
The best part, the SUMMER READING CHALLENGE is open to Teens & Adults too!! And yes, you could also win prizes!!
So what are you waiting for? Use your SUPERHERO POWERS and ZOOM on over to your local library & accept the CHALLENGE TODAY!!!
Summer officially started 17 days ago and 15 of them have been rainy ones here in NW Ohio. Our grass has never looked greener and our garden is flourishing however the kiddos are a tad disappointed at the lack of pool days. I am not sure when all this rain is going to let up. I decided that I need to do something. My first thought was build an Ark but that seemed too tedious a task. My second was to collate fun rainy day activities to do with kiddos. Here’s hoping my focus is on the right thought, lol!
1. Make a Fort- grab a few sheets, blankets, and chairs and make a fort.
2. Basketball Indoors- can’t play outdoors then bring the game in. Grab the basketball hoop, ball, clear out any breakables, and game on!
3. Host a Movie Play date- call up some friends, put together a concession stand, and enjoy a matinée!
4. Dance Party- have your kiddos dress up as princesses, superhero, etc. put on some music, and get your groove on! An impromptu hokey-pokey and the chicken dance is guaranteed to add to the fun!
5. Make edible peanut butter play dough
6. Indoor Water play- put down some towels, grab a few tubs, fill with water (only as much as you are comfortable with mopping up), add fun water toys. Don’t have fun water toys? Use kitchen measuring cups, funnel, turkey baster, rubber spatulas, etc.
7. Tactile Tubs- put down a tarp or shower curtain, grab some tubs, fill tubs with dry rice and/or oats, and hide treasures for kiddos to find.
9. Play in the rain-let the kiddos jump in puddles, and play outside in the rain…it will be a memory they will treasure. Do make certain there is no lightning before letting kiddos go outside.
11. Host an Ice Cream Social indoors- invite over friends, you supply the ice cream and ask each guest to bring a topping to share.
12. Stimulate those brains-whether your kiddos prefer computer programs like Reading Eggs, iPad Apps, think-it-through tiles, or the classic workbook style, take some time to combat the summer brain drain!
13. Story time- let you children each pick their favorite books for you to read to them and then ask them to retell the story…what they remember and interpret will fascinate you and might even be somewhat amusing.
14. Play with your food-cut veggies, grab dry and cooked noodles, place paint on plates and allow kiddos to stamp veggies and let their imaginations wander!
15. Bake together– have kiddos help you make lunch, dinner, or a meal for a friend/family member.
16. TP fun-give each child a roll of toilet paper and guide them as they make their very own custom costume….I foresee some beautiful bridal gowns and handsome super heros (or at least the capes, lol!)
Have a favorite rainy day activity? Have fond memories of an indoor activity you enjoyed as a child? Please share
We will be planting our veggie garden very soon and the kiddos could not be more excited! They have enjoyed watching the seeds sprout and grow over the last few weeks. They have been taking turns watering them and they love watching them ‘move’. See we placed them in the corner of our living room so that they receive sunlight from dawn till dusk and you can literally see the leaves sway towards one window in the morning and the other in the evening. Nature really is fascinating!
The children, though excited to plant their garden are a little sad to see their plants move outdoors. So in an effort to make the transition a little smoother they painted rocks to place in the veggie garden. So they went to town painting rocks to brighten up the garden with some color, to keep the plants company, and most importantly to put their little hearts at ease…..
and then we took a five minute break for lemonade and apple slices, yum!
and then they were back at it….
After painting for awhile they each completed 4 beautiful rocks to add to our vegetable garden. I so enjoyed hearing each child’s explanation of their rocks. Our toddler based her inspiration on the fact that she can identify colors and knows which are her favorite. All of her rocks were pink, purple, and green. Our son painted a Pentecost rock for the garden as well as a pirate rock, lol! What a crazy combination right!? So I asked him how he arrived at those and he explained that one is so that the Holy Spirit will be present and God will watch over the garden and the pirate will scare away all the bad bugs and animals, that explanation was so precious! And our eldest said her favorite of her rocks was the red, white, and blue rock because we live in America. I so adored listening to their explanations and can’t wait to see their rocks adorning our vegetable garden.
Do you have a craft or activity that you enjoyed/enjoy doing with your kiddos? Please share I always welcome suggestions/recommendations for future crafts…and easy isn’t terrible, hint hint!
With summer just around the corner it can only mean one thing, Summer Reading Program! My kiddos get so excited to see what the theme for the summer reading program is and the fun prizes they can win. Not to mention all the fun adventures to be had in a book!
And this year is extra special because we have a full-fledged reader among us, in addition to my husband and I, our 1st grader can read. This is nice because it gives mom and dad a break. She can read to her younger siblings and she also models superb quiet time with a book. It is my hope that her younger brother and sister will follow her lead and one day naptime/quiet time will be reading time. But with 3 kiddos each checking out 10+books/items from the library how is one to keep up with all those?
Well, I think I have come up with a fool-proof (hopefully) plan, Reading Responsibly Tubs!!
To make a Reading Responsibly Tub you will need:
How to assemble the Reading Responsibly Tub:
Here comes the responsibility part….
As soon as the kiddos arrive home with their books, CDs, etc. from the library they go directly into their own tub. In addition to the items they checked out their library card (all 3 of our kiddos have their own library card, yes, even our 2-1/2 yr. old…this is a superb way to start teaching responsibility from a young age….when given the proper guidance) and receipt with the names of the items checked out and when they are due back goes into the pocket.
Fast-forward to a week later and it is time to go back to the library. Have kiddos take out their receipts and depending on their age; have them either count how many books need to go back and how many are in their tub, or, if you have a reader they can simply check off the books that are in their tub. If there are any items missing the child is responsible for locating them. We have a new rule in our home, if you do not return ALL items the next week you will not be able to checkout anything in the future until that/those items are located. And if there are fines that occur they can work off their fine by going above and beyond their chores and helping around the house.
Of course, getting your kids to take care of the possessions they’ve borrowed is only one factor for raising responsible kids. It is equally crucial that they appreciate their health, which is why knowing how to choose a pediatrician is vital for all parents. After all, removing the fear factor of seeing a professional will make your life a lot easier.
Parents should also look to teach their kids about responsibility for others. Getting a pet is probably the most fun way to do this. But the kids need to help out with feeding and cleaning.
Nevertheless a library card is a magnificent way to teach children how to be responsible!
Here are some additional sites I came across that have great suggestions for raising responsible children.
http://www.parentfurther.com/resources/enewsletter/archive/raising-responsible-kids
http://www.parade.com/features/doing-whats-right/raising-responsible-kids.html
http://www.examiner.com/article/parenting-toddlers-to-teens-tips-to-raising-responsible-kids
If you have any tips or resources, stories, experience, etc. please share
http://www.amamasstory.com/2013/04/mama-moments-mondays-link-up_8.html
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 