2011 Frost | Westin La Cantera

Posted on November 26, 2011 by *Geekette*

For people living in Sam Antonio or just visiting, the winter holidays are one of the best times of years. One family tradition we have enjoyed for the past two years is provided by the Westin La Cantera. This luxurious resort paints a beautifully festive backdrop to kick off the yuletide season with plenty for families, couples, and friends to do.

During a complimentary “mommy bloggers” preview, my daughter and I, her best friend’s family, and a couple other families were able to see firsthand all the excitement and Christmas spirit the Westin is returning to the Hill Country.

When: Nov. 18th through Jan. 8

Where: Westin La Cantera | 16641 La Cantera Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78256

Phone: (210) 558-6500

Website: http://www.westinlacantera.com/holidays.html

The fun kicks off with Frost – imagine be able to skate outside on a 1,200-square-foot synthetic outdoor iceless skating rink, whether it’s in the 20s or 80s!

This activity is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost is $10 for 45 minutes of skating and skate rental.

*A portion of the proceeds will go to the George Gervin Youth Center, Inc.

**Guests who skate will instantly be included in a prize drawing. The grand prize includes: a 2-night stay, daily breakfast for two at Brannon’s Café and a personalized memento from Spurs legend George “Iceman” Gervin

Santa’s Workshop

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

Drop by Santa’s Workshop where guests or locals can take a photo with Santa, make a holiday toy or decorate cookies with the elves. A portion of the proceeds will go to a local charity.

Legendary Holidays

When: Dec. 13 to Dec. 24

The resort’s 13th annual Legendary Holidays program is sure to dazzle kids of every age. This one-hour resort tradition takes place daily at 5 p.m. Guests are guided around the property by the popular storyteller, Bandera Cowboy ‘Makin’ Dust’, who sings and tells holiday stories.

The program concludes with ‘snow’ magically falling from the sky as the choir begins to sing a holiday song at the top of Plaza San Saba.

Holiday Menu and Cocktails

Celebrate the season with culinary delights, including a special Thanksgiving Day Brunch as well as delectable Christmas and New Year’s Eve menu selections.

The Magik Theatre

San Antonio’s local children theater presents a holiday comedy “The Pirate’s Holiday”!

Cost is $5.00 for adults; children under 3 are free.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. The kids (ages from 3-8) and the adults (slightly older) in our group all laughed throughout the show, everyone having a TON of fun!

December: 12/3, 12/10, 12/16, 12/17, 12/19 through 12/23
December: Special show times on 12/17 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Arrive 30 minutes early, seating is limited.
The show is 45 minutes long.

Below are some more pictures from our visit!

2011 Kids Summer Reading Programs

Posted on June 5, 2011 by *Geekette*

Free stuff for reading? Yes please! Check out this list of retailers and local libraries offering incentives for kids to read with their families or on their own this summer! Beat the heat and reap the rewards, literally! In no particular order here are a bunch of great programs!

Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading program encourages kids to read by asking them to download a journal, read 8 books, and then pick a FREE book at the nearest store near you. Now through 9/6/2011!

Downloads:

Borders book store is offering you a free book after the 10^th book read! Now through 9/5/2011! Download the reading form here. You get to pick which 10 and Borders is offering a great selection of freebies to choose from (see complete list of freebies here!)

Even Chuck E Cheese is getting in the spirit by offering this reading calendar in exchange for tokens!! Print our calendar here.

From now until 10/1/2011, you can join the HEB Summer Reading Club and after reading 10 books you’ll get a cool prize!

After printing out the form (download here), mail it in to this address:

H•E•Buddy® 2011 Summer Reading Program,

10530 Sentinel, San Antonio, Texas 78217

Download your summer reading log from Half Price Books here and spend your summer keeping track of all the great books you read! Start turning in completed logs between July 25^th through August 7^th and receive $5 Back to School Bucks reading rewards cards!

Scholastic if also offering freebies in their summer reading program here. Log your minutes to win rewards! This is by far the most modern and technologically filled summer reading program. Your child will sign up for an account where they log the hours they read each day. Meet the reading challenge each week and win FREE downloads and other prizes.

2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio

Posted on April 4, 2011 by *Geekette*

Last year was the first time San Antonio, TX participated in Lemonade Day. While their goal was 1,500 kids participating, San Antonio had 3,300 participants, the most every for an inaugural city! In 2011, their goal is 7,500! On May 1, 2011, any kid (or young at heart) is encouraged to not only open a lemonade stand but pick up the FREE backpack ahead of time. It includes information for kids and parents about planning and becoming a young entrepreneur.

The City of San Antonio passed a health ordinance on March 3rd waiving the temporary food establishment permit requirement for children and youth participating on May 1^st!

Website:
http://sanantonio.lemonadeday.org/

2010 Lemonade Day in San Antonio

Last year the average stand was open for 4 hours and 51 minutes. In that time the average profit was $73.00
In 2010 over 70% of profits were donated to charity
Last year’s most successful stand in San Antonio made over $600!

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ldaysa

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/LemonadeDaySA

Online Resources:

Facebook app and more games here
Teacher Guides here
Compete for prizes this year!

2010 Lemonade Stand Map | San Antonio, TX

Backpack Pickup Locations

Register online or pick up your FREE 2011 Lemonade Day backpack full of educational information and coupons for kids and parents! Different bags for different age groups, pick up at any of the following events:

San Antonio Library at any time starting April 4^th, Library locations click here.

What

Where

When

Fiesta de los Niños

Parade at noon

Featuring middle school bands, elementary school students, Port San Antonio employees, SAFD fire truck, & lots more.

Rides, games, food, entertainment and lots of fun!!!!

200 Donald Goodrich Rd

San Antonio, TX | Map

Saturday, April 9,

10:00am-7:00pm

KidsDay in the Park

Free event for parents and children age 10 and under

San Pedro Springs Park | Map

Saturday, April 9, 2011

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Kids’ Kingdom @ King William’s Fair

Kids’ Kingdom is the child centered park area in the King William Fair, features “kid” friendly attractions with games and carnival attractions. Activities include free arts and crafts by Mission Trail and other community groups

1032 S. Alamo Street San Antonio, TX 78210 | Map

Saturday, April 16,

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

3^rd Annual San Antonio Youth Summit

Small group sessions on important social issues in San Antonio with panel discussions with community leaders on how to build for a better future.

Motivational speakers and workshops on preparing for the future

200 E Market St

San Antonio, Texas 78205 | Map

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 8am-4pm

Valero Go! Challenge

Alamo Dome

100 Montana St.

San Antonio, TX 78203 | Map

Sunday, April 10, 2011

12 noon – 3 p.m.

San Antonio Zoo

San Antonio Zoo

3903 North St. Mary’s St,

San Antonio, TX 78212 | Map

Sunday, April 10, 2011

9am—12pm

2011 Lemonade Day San Antonio, san antonio locations whataburger pick up

San Antonio Whataburgers

Saturday, April 23, 2011

2—5pm

Charlotte’s Web

Showing at the Magik Theatre from April 6 through May 7^th.

420 South Alamo

San Antonio, TX 78205 | Map

Friday, April 22, 2011

6-8:30pm

Saturday, April 23, 2011

1?3:30pm

Best FREE Preschool iPhone apps

Posted on February 21, 2011 by *Geekette*

I don’t even need to own an iPhone to know how helpful a few strategically downloaded games can be when it comes to entertaining your child (or someone else’s!) Here are one’s that I have downloaded on other people’s phones or that were recommended to me!

All the apps are free to download and have been kid tested and mommy approved!

*Make sure thought that before letting your child play the games, all default settings are as you expect. Lately there have been a lot of articles about kid’s downloading full versions and automatically charging to their parent’s itunes account. Don’t be caught with any surprise purchases!

Click Image for iTunes Link	iPhone App Description
	Tap Fish, you are only taps away from owning multiple aquariums where you can decide what fish to grow, to sell, and to breed!
	Toy Story takes you on the adventure of a lifetime: A fully interactive reading experience packed with Games, Movie Clips, Coloring Pages, Sing-along Tunes, and Surprises on every page. Hear the story read aloud, record your own narration, or explore at your own pace.
	Approved by teachers, parents and toddlers alike Toddler Teasers Shapes teaches while it entertains. With a focus on simplicity and full voice overs, toddlers play and learn without the need for extra help. The app displays colorful quizzes and offers positive reinforcement and fun rewards. The child-safe menu allows parents to customize game play and difficulty.
	I Hear Ewe – Animal Sounds for Toddlers -Entertain and educate your toddler with this simple game full of 24 different authentic animal sounds and 12 different vehicle sounds. When your baby taps on an animal or vehicle icon, the game will verbally announce what type of animal or vehicle it is and play a recording of its real sound.
	Balloonimals (MY FAVORITE!!) Beautifully rendered Balloonimals spring to life when you blow into the microphone on your iPhone or press the screen with your iPod Touch. Watch the balloon inflate and then give your phone a shake to start constructing your Balloonimal. With each shake, your animal takes greater shape until… Voila! Your Balloonimal appears and is ready to play. Pet your Balloonimal to see what tricks it can do.
	Peekaboo Barn Lite Inside a little bouncing barn, friendly farm animals are waiting to pop out and surprise your little one. Try and guess who they are; tap the doors to find out!
	Chinese for Munchkins takes children on a journey, teaching them how to say animals and numbers in Mandarin and Cantonese – the two most common Chinese dialects in the world (there is an English option too). Whether they want to roar with the “lau fu” (tiger), munch on bamboo with a “hung mao” (panda) or count “yak, yee, saam” (1-2-3), kids will be drawn to the flashcard pictures, sounds and animations.
	The experts at Parents® magazine help moms and dads keep young children entertained and stimulate learning with Parents Flash Cards. The included card packs are Colors and Shapes.
	Shape Builder LITE – The Preschool Learning Puzzle Game – Each puzzle has 5 to 10 pieces and after positioning all of the pieces, the real image is revealed along with a professional voice recording of the word spoken by Jill Dews, a licensed speech therapist. Encourages cognitive thinking and fine motor skills plus exposes young minds to new music instruments, animals, produce, objects and the alphabet in a fun and engaging format with LOTS of fun sound effects!
	Tangram Puzzle Pro FREE – Get 12 puzzles for free and see what Tangram Puzzle Pro is all about. Intuitive one-finger controls let you slide and spin shapes, and a convenient shape tray keeps things organized.
	FingerPiano Lite – allows you to play the piano with your forefinger.
	Read Me Stories – Children’s books A fun new educational and entertaining book EVERY day helps your child develop good reading habits. Each book teaches your child new concepts, new words and how to say them.

Windcrest Christmas Lights | San Antonio, TX

Posted on December 25, 2010 by *Geekette*

So, I should be ashamed because after living in San Antonio, TX since 2001-ish, I have never been to drive through the Windcrest Light Up (link to official website…) and marvel at the Christmas lights. This year’s Light Up theme was “A Star-Studded Christmas” and there were tons of “stars”! One yard boosted everyone from the Beatles to basketball players and everyone in between! One house had music that you could tune into while you watched the lights flash in time w/ the music.

WARNING: I went on Christmas night and it was pretty bumper to bumper. Some people walked through the neighborhood which was fairly good sized. I know though, the people walking made GREAT time and although they may have been chilly, they would have enjoyed the lights far more quickly than anyone sitting in traffic. I’m not sure how residents deal w/ the traffic, Fenwick was bumper to bumper for 45 minutes! Bring snacks, activities, and don’t go before the kids have gone to the restroom. The lights were incredible and even the side streets w/o winners had many neighbors in the holiday spirit.

Check out the google map below, based on the winners list found on the website, I have plotted where each of the houses is for easy Garmin GPS entry.

According to their website, the City’s official map of the lighted neighborhood is here.

View 2010 Windcrest Christmas Lights – San Antonio, TX in a larger map

City of Windcrest

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CityofWindcrest

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Windcrest/356850095710

Give Best Gift Ever | UNICEF Charity

Posted on December 21, 2010 by *Geekette*

Did you wait until the last minute to purchase a Christmas present this year? No fear! UNICEF is here.

The best gift is a gift that keeps giving…and what could be better than a gift that literally saves lives, natural resources, and makes the world a better place!

A couple of Sundays ago, at my church Oak Hills in San Antonio, Max Lucado quickly showed a video of missionaries from our church sent to different parts of Africa to build fresh water wells w/ money raised from the Bibleland Children’s Sunday School classes. Not only were the children there laughing and thanking us, they are now able to enjoy clean, fresh water without worrying about contamination, disease, and travelling many miles to fetch a tiny amount.

Check out all the ways to give back to children around the world:

About UNICEF:

Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, protection, emergency relief, and more.

22,000 children die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases. Imagine being able to buy a gift that saves the life of one or many children in poverty stricken parts of the world! Several, charitable organizations like UNICEF let you do just that! Dedicate the purchase in the name of a loved one or friend and send/print notification.

Right now the featured gift is a “Winter Child Survival Pack” that includes:

supplies to sustain child for 6 months!!
vitamins and minerals to grow healthy
measles and polio immunizations
enough water purification tablets for 50,000 liters of water!!

ALL of that is possible w/ a small donation of $81.35! And if that’s too much they take general donations of $5 and more.

Education & Play - school supplies, soccer balls, and more give these children a chance for quality educations!
Immunizations – vaccinations for diseases that don’t even exist in modern countries ($20 buys 412 tetanus shots)
Water – water pumps, purification, and family water kits
Nutrition – baby scales, ready to eat food, vitamin powder ($18 buys 604 individual doses of vitamins and minerals!)
Emergency – high energy food, water kits, tents and more to help during emergencies
Health - first aid kits for field workers, mother/baby packs, for $80 save 1000k from deadly diseases

Did you know that as you’re shopping for people on other sites you could still be helping children fight preventable diseases?!

Click on the links for more details! American Airlines is fighting diseases w/ incentives to donate to UNICEF by offering 2 AAdvantage miles in return for EACH dollar donated. Donate right now!

The special edition “Gucci for UNICEF” Sukey bag, designed by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in grey “La Pelle Guccissima” leather, is being sold in Gucci stores in over 20 countries and from April 15, 2010 through February 28, 2011, Gucci will donate 25% of the retail price!

UNICEF Social Media

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UNICEF-USA
Twitter: http://twitter.com/unicefusa

TeachUNICEF is a portfolio of UNICEF-focused resources designed and collected by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Education Department for educators, afterschool instructors, and parents. The units, lesson plans, stories, and multimedia cover topics ranging from the Millennium Development Goals to water and sanitation.

*Teaser for my next blog “Teach UNICEF”

Back to School Sales for Teachers | Educators Discounts

Posted on August 16, 2010 by *Geekette*

I hope that even if you’re not a teacher, you share the information in this post with one you know! I can’t think of a more intense profession – please take the time to thank the teachers in your life!

This post is chock full of deals, reward programs, and other incentives that teachers and educators might not have the time to find. Check out these deals for back to school, a lot of which last all year long! Most require sign up with proof of teaching license or school code but all programs are free with rewards offered to your school!

B&N Educator Program

Educator Discount, Resources & More
Save 20% off the publisher’s list price on all purchases for classroom use
Get up to 25% off the publisher’s list price during Educator Appreciation Days
Receive valuable email offers and information on special Educator events
Listen to popular stories being read online
Join by filling out this application and bringing it to any location! More FAQ
Coupon code: B8X7U8U, Exp: 08/17/10 (save 30% off the Back to School Category)

Classroom Discount Card – savings for teachers

Individual teachers, from preschool through high school, as well as school librarians and homeschool educators.
Save 25% off the list price of books and music CDs
Save 10% off the list price of DVDs for professional use.
Applications are available at all Borders stores, and signing up is completely free.
Follow on Facebook for more deals and events!

Half price Books – Educator Discount

Half Price Books supports educators, school teachers and librarians in the community.
Educator’s Discount Card saves 10% all year round!
Just bring in valid ID and proof of current employment such as a pay stub or employee ID card.

Crayola Gold Star Teacher Program

Crayola – Gold Star Teacher Program

Sign up
for the program to get great deals, printables, and other online resources!
Check out these resources, templates, and other freebies!
FREE science lesson plan for teachers

Office Depot – Star Teacher Program

Get 10% back in Rewards on ink, toner, and paper, plus 1% back on almost everything else.
Get discounts with these “My Star Teacher” reward partners
Find out more information about smart reward programs and going green!
$10 off $50 (Coupon Code: 75009959)
$15 off $75 (Coupon Code: 63427096)
$20 off $100 (Coupon Code: 40124581)
Expires 8/21

Adobe Software – Student/Teacher Discounts

Get up to 80% off Adobe software products!
FREE shipping!

ATT Wireless

Teacher discounts, apply through email

Join PBS Teachers!

Exclusive Content from PBS!
Ability to Save, Rate and Comment on Classroom Resources (like their Activity Packs)
Online Discussions on Media and Technology
Just by signing up, you will receive a 10% discount on your next purchase at ShopPBS for Teachers.
Follow on Twitter – @pbsteachers

You must have a valid e-mail address at an educational institution ending with the domain suffix .EDU (i.e., leina@contoso.edu) OR have a valid email address at one of the educational institutions listed here.

20% Off All School and Office Supplies (In-Store Only)
Valid 8/15/10–8/21/10

Michael’s has this program called “The Knack Faculty” which offers teachers and other educators tons of printable templates, ideas, and savings!

Make sure you take advantage of their teacher appreciation event:

What: The Knack Faculty Free Teacher Appreciation Crop Event

When: 8/27/2010 3:00 PM – 8:45 PM

“Create some fun for the classroom. Teachers and friends, join us for Teacher Appreciation Crop Event. Learn to create fun bulletin boards, bookmarks, signs and more. We provide the space and assortment of tools. Plus, we take care of the cleanup.”

Michael's 40% off regular price item

HP – Teacher Experience Exchange

Upload/browse through lesson plans on different subjects
Checkout professional development resources

FREE Summer Events for Kids | 2010

Posted on June 5, 2010 by *Geekette*

Find out how to keep your children entertained for FREE this summer! This blog post contains tons of places that are offering FREE events for your kids to participate in this summer. Don’t forget to check out my post on how you can get free stuff, just for reading to your kid here!

National Park Service

Don’t forget to check for “Free Entrance Days” where you and your family can enjoy nature, for FREE! Also check out offers by local parks who offer visitors other incentives! Check out all their events here for details, by state/date about fun, free activities!

Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter – @NatlParkService. Kids can also sign up to become “Web Rangers” and become part of a community with their own Ranger Station!

AMF Bowling

Join the AMF eClub will get your 10 FREE games, exclusive monthly offers, birthday offers, and news of upcoming events and promotions!

Kids Bowl Free

Find a local bowling alley that’s participating in the “Kids Bowl Free” summer program that offers 2 FREE games of bowling, all summer long! Specific details of the program are listed here. Simply register at your local bowling alley to take advantage of this incredible offer!

“This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.”

Brunswick Bowling

Kids can bowl FREE every day this summer! Use the Student Ball pass for FREE bowling, all summer long! (We did this last summer and brought a lot of different friends each time!) Sign up for great coupons for yourself too!

Regal Cinemas

Now playing – FREE family movies! Starting at 10am every Tuesday AND Wednesday, enjoy FREE tickets for the entire family. Showing movies like “Doogal”, “Wallace and Gromit” (one of my favorites!!), “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”, and many more, shows vary by movie theater!

Cinemark Movies

Although not free, it’s pretty close! Each movie ticket is $1 OR you can purchase all 10 movie tickets in advanced for $5!! Check out for your local theater’s listings.

Stores Offering Crafts and Activities for Kids this Summer | 2010

Posted on June 5, 2010 by *Geekette*

There are tons of FREE and discounted things for your kids to do this summer! Take advantage and don’t pay retail! This blog post consists of all the fun activities we do during the week and on the weekends! Most of the programs we participated in last year. Also make sure to check out my blog post about 2010 Summer Reading Programs for Kids (to learn how to get free books, t-shirts, and gift certificates to reward your children for reading over the summer!) Some of the activities were mentioned in my blog post, 6 Kid Activities for the 6^th Day of the Week!

Bass Pro Shop

I hope you have one nearby, they offer great activities over the summer (and throughout the year!) They will be offering FREE/Fun activities and make your own crafts! EVERYTHING is FREE! Activities include crafts, shooting galleries, casting ponds, family workshops, making s’mores, photo opportunities (FUN!!), shooting range, merit badge workshops, and more!

When: June 5 – July 11

Time/Day of the Week(s): Tues/Thur (at noon) OR Sat/Sun (at noon) { Schedule }

Cost: FREE

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics

Make sure you check out my recent blog post about these quality activities that occur every other week! Your child will enjoy getting the free Lowe’s apron, goggles, and hammering away at the wood craft of the week!

When: Indefinitely, not just for the summer!

Time/Day of the Week(s): Every other Saturday, next event is 6/12/2010, after that is 6/26/2010 – starts at 10am and supplies go FAST! { Schedule }

Cost: FREE!!

Home Depot’s Kids Workshops

Another fun, FREE activity, Home Depot activities are very similar to Lowe’s. Really quality crafts! Have made a wooden airplane, treasure box, pirate ship, and more!

When: Indefinitely, not just a summer thing!

Time/Day of the Week(s): First Saturday of EVERY month, starts at 9am – get there EARLY! { Schedule }

Cost: FREE!!

Lakeshore Learning Store

Another really quality craft activity, this one is fun and can kill a couple hours! After making the craft, walk around the store and play with all the displays set out on Saturday for kids to experiment with. A fully stocked kitchen, put on a puppet show, go fish, and much more!

Also, on special holidays they sometimes offer multiple crafts! Great gifts for grandparents! They also encourage parents to participate if you’re feeling particularly crafty.

When: Indefinitely, not just summer!

Time/Day of the Week(s): Every Saturday from 11-3pm…try to not just show up at 2:45pm when they’re trying to clean up. The San Antonio location brings out supplies as long as there are kids which I’ve always appreciated. { Schedule }

Cost: FREE!!

Target Arts + Cultures

Target is supporting the Arts by offering over 2,200 FREE and reduced-price events sponsored by Target! Click on the link to find events near you!

Pottery Barn Kids Book Club

When: Indefinitely, not just for the summer

Time/Day of the Week(s): Tuesdays at 11am-1130am { Schedule }

Cost: FREE, after 5 visits get a FREE gift!

2010 Summer Reading Programs for Kids

Posted on May 29, 2010 by *Geekette*

This summer when your kids start to get bored, remind them that they can make money and get lots of fun free stuff, simply by reading a couple minutes each day! We participated in a lot of these programs last year and had an incredible time!

Across the nation, Half Price Books is offering their “Feed Your Brain” summer reading program from June 1,2010 through July 31, 2010! This is a GREAT deal! If your child reads 15 minutes each day a week, you can pick up a $3 gift card! We made this a Saturday tradition, turning in our reading log and picking out a new book or two (from the children’s clearance section!)

Information for parents/teachers here
Feed Your Brain reading log (printed copies also available in-store!)
Official flyer to help spread the word at work!

Scholastic Summer Challenge

Official website
Word Girl is the Ambassador of Summer Reading

Barnes and Noble is also offering a FREE book for every 8 books you read this summer!

Download their passport and choose from a list of books for each reading level!
Here is a list of all the books your child can choose from
Educators download this reading kit
Parents can get additional information from this parent kit

Children can return their completed kits from May 25 through September 7^th!

Borders Summer Reading program double-dog dares you to read 10 books, record the names, and bring the printed form to any Borders store for a FREE book!

*For kids 12 and under, starts 5/4/2010 and lasts through 8/26/2010!

Pottery Barn Kids Book Club is every Tuesday from 1100am to 1130am. Visit 5 times and your children will receive a free gift!

Bookworm Wednesdays from National Amusements is offering FREE admission to select children’s film after presenting a book report to participating Showcase Cinemas, Multiplex Cinemas, or Cinema De Lux box offices! Checkout their locations. Print this form to complete the book report with your child.

HEB Buddy is also offering a summer reading program! Read 10 books and return this form by October 1^st for cool prizes from HEB Buddy!

San Antonio Public Library wants you to join the Mayor’s Summer Reading Club! From June 15^th through August 31^st, you’ll get a certificate and FREE book for every 15 books you read!

2010 Earth Day Printable Activities and Crafts for Kids

Posted on April 20, 2010 by *Geekette*

Check out everything that you and your child can do for FREE this April 22, 2010 to build good habits for a lifetime! Doesn’t have to be isolated to the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day either…check out these activities throughout the year!

PBS Kids Earth Day

PBSKids.org has dedicated:

Entire section for Earth Day games (with games centered about taking care of our earth)
Earth Day Videos
Earth Day parents – includes ways to throw a green birthday party, turn trash into treasures, and teaching your children about being “green”.
Follow @pbskids on twitter
Become a fan on Facebook

Lakeshore Learning

I LOVE this store! Not only do they have great online resources, they offer a FREE quality craft each Saturday from 11am-3pm. We normally go and afterwards make the rounds to all the display toys, free entertainment!

Online Projects
- Check out their projects/crafts for April including reusable Earth Day Bags and more!
Lesson Plans for educators!
Follow them on twitter – @ LakeshoreLM
Become a fan on Facebook

Earth Day Celebrated by Children’s Publishing Companies

Harper Collins Children Publishing Co.

The children’s book publishing company offers:

Green Activities – tons of e-cards, reading materials, and printable coloring activities
Greet Tips for Parents – join Little Critter on a missing to cleanup his neighborhood (read online for FREE)
Follow their tweets @harpercollins

Read the following books online for FREE w/ your children:

Scholastic

Scholastic has a GREAT site for Teachers, Kids, and Parents to help prepare you for Earth Day! Tons of fun, FREE printable activities, online games, and great website layouts!

Follow their Tweets @Scholastic
Become a Fan on Facebook

Other Earth Day Crafts & Activities

Tons of fun activities and printable crafts for the kids and family to enjoy!

Kaboose – crafts, organic food information, lessons, including their “Go Green” checklist
Crayola – tons of printable crafts, ideas, and activities

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics | FREE Kid Woodworking Crafts

Posted on April 3, 2010 by *Geekette*

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics are offered every other Saturdays at 10am. Kids get to build a FREE wooden project.

After going to the website you’ll get to see the next two upcoming projects and reserve a space online! You don’t have to sign up before attending but you have to get there early because once all the projects have been handed out they’re done! I normally try to go to a Lowe’s that’s more out of the way so that there’s less competition in case we’re running late.

My 6 year old daughter and I have been going for a couple of years and have made some incredible projects! You can buy any project that you missed online but it’s DEFINITELY worth it to attend when the crafts are FREE!

Participants receive:

Free apron
Goggles
Project themed patch (for their apron)
Certification of merit

Don’t forget to become a Fan of Lowe’s on Facebook and follow their tweets, @lowes.

Lowe’s Build and Grow Apron, Goggles, Hammer (child-sized)

Valentine’s Day Jewelry Box Craft

Birdhouse Building Kit

If You Give a Moose a Muffin | Magik Theatre

Posted on March 13, 2010 by *Geekette*

The Magik Theatre: http://www.magiktheatre.org

Phone: 210.227.2751

Directions: 420 South Alamo, San Antonio, Texas 78205 { Map }

Hopefully you read my other post on the beloved Laura Numeroff “If You Give a…” series that includes tons of printable education resources, online games, and party supplies related to the books that started with “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”…if not check it out! While you’re at it, if you live in San Antonio, check out their most recent play, David Morgan’s adaptation of “If You Give a Moose a Muffin”…which includes tons of funny scenes (for kids AND parents.)

Check out all the shows planned for 2010!

The Magik Theatre also offers teachers a downloadable PDF for classroom study.

Get Tickets

February 16 – March 20, 2010
Tuesday – Friday 9:45 am & 11:30 am
Friday at 7 pm & Saturdays at 2 pm

Order tickets here. If you get the Entertainment 2010 coupon book there’s also a buy one, get one free coupon included in the book!

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If You Give a Mouse a Cookie | Laura Numeroff

Posted on February 4, 2010 by *Geekette*

I got home from work and needed to relax so I decided to see what my tweeps were talking about on Twitter. I was going through the tweets when I saw one from @JoshGroban asking:

If I’m not familiar with the series, should I begin with If You Give A Mouse A Cookie or If You Give A Moose A Muffin?

And so of course, anyone familiar with Laura Numeroff‘s beloved books, illustrated by Felicia Bond, which started in 1985, would know that you have to start with “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”. So I tweeted back to @JoshGroban (just to let him know, along with his many other followers) and decided to write a blog post about what a great children’s book series it is…

If You Give a… Book Series

After deciding to write about it, I realized that it would be great to include information about the author so I googled “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and found a link to the publishers website for each book at Harper Collins (link to If You Give… series). Of course I knew that I couldn’t write a blog post without looking at each of the following books:

Includes a link to an audio excerpt, the critic’s corner, and a link to the books’ official website: MouseCookieBooks.com.

Help Pig find her way to a pile of pancakes with this printable activity…when you’re done with that, help Pig look for hidden words with this activity.

This cool Cat comes with a complete activity kit filled with many different printables, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake stickers, and a coloring sheet.

And if you decide to throw a pig a party, you might want to have printable activities to pass out to your guests:

Pick the Correct Pig sheet
Pig Party Event Kit filled with activities and suggestions.

Online Games

Once I made sure I had read all of the books, I wanted to see the If You Give… books official website.

You can play a matching game that starts off more easily with Mouse’s Little Matching Game but you can work yourself up to a bigger challenge with Pig or Moose.

After matching, you can play more education games, Mouse’s Counting Game, Pig’s Letter Game, and Moose’s Shape Game.

If you’re like me and the Cat with the Cupcake rocks your world the most, you might want to play the If You Give a Cat a Cupcake Game in order to win a very special recipe!

Teacher Resources

And if your getting you child ready for school, you’re going to want to check out this interview with the author and book activity which is not only fun but a great way to get your kids excited about school.

And if you want to get your child excited for school, you might want to help their teacher discover these incredible fun resources like this classroom activity guide for teachers which includes fun lesson plans for many different school subjects. And if you’re already doing a lesson plan on the books, you might want specific worksheets like this specifically for If You Give a Cat a Cupcake book.

And if you have already spent all of this time writing a blog post, you’re going to want to see what’s been happening on Twitter. And if you check your tweeps’ tweets, you might get the idea for another blog post.

Valentine’s Day Printable Activities and Crafts for Kids

Posted on January 30, 2010 by *Geekette*

While I was finishing my last post on Valentine’s Day sales and promotions I was already mentally writing this one. With Valentine’s Day only slightly more than two weeks away, I figured I better hurry up and find some great children activities for the holiday we love to love.

I assumed my favorite children’s websites for printable activities would have special crafts online, available to download. I was right! In no particular order here are some fun activities for children and other thoughtful resources for parents.

PBS Parents offer lots of ideas to get you in the holiday spirit. For parents are several links to various articles and resources about feelings, diversity, and other characteristics that are perfect to teach around this time through books and games, as well as recipes to share with your family.

PBS Kids includes printable activities, coloring pages, and e-cards of all your favorite, educational friends. It also lists information about special programming on February 13^th with the heart-filled theme.

Depending on how ambitious you’re feeling, check out Martha Stewart’s website for kids activities. (Here for more adult sized activities…not that adult… ;-P) Includes everything from cards, cute packaging, candies, and soap! Very cute and surprisingly easy to put together. Be prepared for printing the templates…I made several of them successfully. Some I gave up.

Here are four of the 27 Valentine’s Day crafts

Index for all Martha Stewart activities online for Valentine’s.

Nick Jr’s Valentine’s also jumped on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon with their dedicated site too. The front page is an advent calendar that your child can return each day to click different dates for a fun surprise to open. Grouped by week, view previous weeks and come back each week to unlock more. My daughter’s favorite, Olivia, remains to be unlocked!

Check out the resources for parents here too. Or let Max and Ruby help you plan a classroom party or soiree for friends.

All Valentine’s Day printable activities for many different ages…I have always been very impressed with Nick Jr.’s printable activities…they’re definitely a step higher than most. I hate the ones that only offer coloring pages, my daughter doesn’t stay entertained with coloring but crafts will keep her busy for hours!

Kid Coupons

Chuck E Cheese is offering this FREE printable Valentine card w/ a coupon for 5 FREE tokens. Your child can give all of their friends 5 tokens while saying Happy Valentine’s Day! Expires 3/2.

Fun, Educational Resources for 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Posted on January 10, 2010 by *Geekette*

If you’re looking for game schedules, freebies, athletes that tweet, and other details about this year’s Winter Games, check out my other blog post, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. As I was writing that post I ran into incredible education resources and fun stuff for kids…I wanted to keep it separate and figure out which was worth investigating.

This post is dedicated to the educational opportunities for teachers and kids being offered online! I have found links to online games, printable worksheets and coloring pages, and also information that I definitely didn’t expect to find preschool aged children through the 12^th grade! Emotionally connect your family and students to the 21^st Winter Olympics with these resources!

Meeting the 2010 Olympic Mascots

From left to right, meet snowboarding Miga, Quatchi who loves playing hockey, and Sumi.

***Find out when you can meet them LIVE!

Mascot	Meaning Behind Choice
Quatchi the Sasquatch	The sea bear is inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations, tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land.The Kermode bear is a rare white or cream-coloured sub-species of the black bear that is unique to the central West Coast of British Columbia.
Sumi the Animal Spirit	Transformation is a common theme in the art and legend of West Coast First Nations. Transformation represents the connection and kinship between the human, animal and spirit world.The bear often represents strength and friendship. And the thunderbird — which creates thunder by flapping its wings — is one of the most powerful of the supernatural creatures.
Miga the Young Sea Bear	The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast.The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting our imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness.

Online 2010 Olympic Games & Activities for Kids

Game	Details
Miga Moves	Mascot Rockband, match the letters V/B/N/M in time to falling starfish!Difficulty: MediumThis one takes some keyboard coordination…older kids (and adults) will really enjoy!
Soaring Sumi	Keep Sumi flying across Canada by hitting the spacebar to move up! Fly up or down to avoid obstacles and hit health points!Difficulty: EasyEasier than most games, simple hit spacebar without worrying about other keys/mouse.
Shootout Shutout	Face off against Miga and Sumi in some fast-paced one-on-one hockey!Difficulty: HardThis game takes the MOST coordination, not only do you have to use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to move back and forth as the goalie, you also have to use the 1-3 number keys that correspond with colored pucks. Definitely for older kids.
Operation Recycle	Help Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi with their neighborhood recycling program!Difficulty: Easy/MediumAlthough it does not require a lot of coordination it does require some thought. Complete rounds by successfully finishing 5 levels. Includes a little physics, test your trajectory skills by holding the mouse button down and dragging to aim towards target! *My 6 year old daugher enjoyed this game the most!
Which Mascot Are You Like	Take this quiz to see which mascot you’re most like…your child’s first personality test…next stop Meyer-Briggs!

Other Fun Activities:

Send E-cards	Select 1 of 4 mascot scenes, decorate VERY easily, add verbage, and send to family and friends!
Crafts and Color Printables	Download and print craft activities (make 3-d mascots!!) and get printable coloring sheets
Download Desktops & Wallpapers	Download (for Windows only…) an interactive desktop to decorate with stickers, information about the ceremony, add an Olympics countdown, and much more…Download static Wallpapers for those that desires less interactivity.

Paralympic Games

Sumi is officially the mascot of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Game…check out this printable passport activity book to track his and your journeys! After printing out those, print out this printable coloring sheet to color your own Sumi!

Featured Programs

Check out these fun facts about the Paralympic Winter Games (pdf). Although Paralympic School Week in School has already passed officially (November 2-6, 2009) you can still support the Paralympic Games any time. Resources for educators found on the official games website here. Here’s the link to the “Guide for Educators” to celebrating in your skills with informative details, activities, and other helpful stuff.

Educational Resources

The Canadian Olympic School program seeks to inspire young students through Olympian stories, activities, projects, activities and more and offers:

Teacher Resources for educators with printable PDFs, videos, pictures, and more!
Student Lounge geared towards school aged kids
Playground for Younger Kids means you don’t have to be in school to catch the spirit with additional games, puzzles, and contests.
Library section to answer all your kids’ questions

School-Aged Kids: Additionally there are these printable Olympic Games Project Packs pdf. Includes additional resources for teachers or your kids:

Destination Vancouver - Planning a vacation to Vancouver
Tough Call - Respond to tough situations as the Olympic Team’s communication staff
Speedy Recovery - Create an athlete’s injury treatment plan
Save, share, and Spend – financial planning during tough economic times
Own the Podium - Analyze data with probability and trig skills to find out what it takes to “Own the Podium”
Financing the Olympic Dream – what it costs, how to budget, invest, and borrow to reach Olympic goals
Design brochure – hired to develop the ultimate youth travel package, come up with the advertisement!

Passing the Torch Activities:

Topic	Details
Math & Science	Grades 4-7Discover the math and science behind the Olympic Torch and the Olympic Torch Relay Route.
Social Studies	Grades K-3, 4-7, and 8-10Learn more about your community and Canadian heritage through Olympic Torch Relay themed lesson plans.
Language Arts	Grades 1-7 and 8-10Explore how the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will bring Canadians together in the spirit of peace, unity and friendship.
Physical Activity	Grades 1-7 and 8-10Get your students active in the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

Make Your Own Peace

This is a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about practicing peaceful behaviors and making peace in their home and communities. Starting on February 4, 2010, check out “Sharing the Dream” webcasts inspired by the Olympic Truce and led by children.

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Check out this video preview:

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie | Laura Numeroff

If You Give a… Book Series

Online Games

Teacher Resources

Valentine’s Day Printable Activities and Crafts for Kids

Kid Coupons

Fun, Educational Resources for 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

Meeting the 2010 Olympic Mascots

Mascot

Meaning Behind Choice

Online 2010 Olympic Games & Activities for Kids

Game

Details

Paralympic Games

Educational Resources

Topic

Details

Make Your Own Peace