- Party Planning + Summer Camp + Active Children
Compiled while…Wondering if it’s finally safe to put the winter coat away. (It’s not, but we’re choosing optimism.)
“I need to host an end-of-year party for a group of 15-year-olds… What do kids this age like to do?”
Given that some of us (ahem) are a couple decades older than our kids, it can be tough to know how to host a party for today’s teens. They’re too old for a juggling clown or petting zoo, but too young to be part of the grown-up world.
So what to do? Suggestions in the discussion range from mini-golf to laser tag to a Japanese steakhouse. Got some ideas? Let’s hear them!
Summer camp applications: If at first you don’t succeed…
Trying to get into the Chicago Park District summer camps can be like trying to get tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert — blink and they’re gone. Online registration already opened Monday for parks west of California Avenue, and Tuesday for parks east of the street.
But don’t be discouraged if you weren’t able to snag a spot — in-person registration is starting Saturday, April 25, at select parks. But there’s a catch: spots are only available if they weren’t already claimed, so find the park near you and see if a few precious openings remain. Also, just so you know: the Park District is working to revamp its registration process going forward, thank goodness. Best of luck!
If you want a healthier, more active child later in life, get them moving when they’re young.
“Early family participation in active leisure with toddlers, as well as limitations on screen use, forecasted more active lifestyle habits by early adolescence,” according to a thorough study published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.
The study was a follow-up to a World Health Organization report, which strongly recommended physical movement for children under one through the age of four. Using this as a starting-off point, researchers at the University of Montreal set out to determine the long-term impact of following — or not — these recommendations. “Active parent-child time — playing, moving, being physically engaged together — appears to be the single most powerful lever for establishing healthy long-term habits,” said Kianoush Harandian, doctoral researcher at the University of Montreal.
If we want the best education and childhood services for our young kids, we need to make our case to the government. Join us and several early-education groups — including Child Care for All, Community Organizing and Family Issues/POWER-PAC IL, Illinois Action For Children, Latino Policy Forum, Raising Illinois, and more — as we head to Springfield on Wednesday, May 13, to advocate for our state’s youngest learners.
Sign up here to reserve a spot on a shuttle and make your voice heard to Illinois legislators. And even if you can’t make it, you can submit your story and help make a difference for our kids.
That’s the average daily cost of a Chicago Park District summer camp — six weeks, lunch and a snack included, for kids ages 6–12. Pretty good deal, we’d say.
What does this world need? Well, a lot of things, we suppose, but certainly more beauty is a good place to start.
An artist in Portland, Oregon, is trying to do just that, and her Worldwide Sidewalk Joy effort is a big step in that direction. These spots are curated public installations — think galleries, exchanges, and displays tucked into curb gardens, front yards, and building façades — designed to bring a little whimsy and inspiration to the neighborhood, according to creator Rachael Harms Mahlandt’s website.
Get in on the ground floor of this growing trend by setting up your own area — suggestions include Free Little Art Galleries, Puzzle Exchanges, Toy Swaps, yard displays, Wishing Trees, and more. Find ideas here, and get out there and beautify the world!
Bye!
Now if you'll excuse us, we have some small figurines to sculpt. See you next week!
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