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Halloween Events & Fall Festivals in Columbus, GA area
October 5 Harry Potter Night at the Montgomery Zoo 7PM-10PM CDT October 6-7 Cotton Pickin’ Fair in Gay, Georgia 8AM-5PM October 6 Fall Fun in Waverly Hall 9AM-4PM October 6 Superhero Day at The Rock Ranch October 6 Barktoberfest at Animal Ark Rescue October 6 Mellow Movie Night featuring “Hocus Pocus” at Mellow Mushroom 6PM October 6 Pumpkin Painting at Columbus Botanical Gardens October 8 Columbus Day at The Rock Ranch October 12-14 Zoo Boo at Montgomery Zoo October 13 Kids in the Kitchen Fall Festival at Feeding The Valley 9AM-12PM October 13 Great Outdoor Adventures at The Rock Ranch October 13 Synovus Fall Festival at Columbus Museum 10AM-3PM October 13 Owloween at Oxbow Meadows 6PM-9PM October 20 Up, Up, and Away at The Rock Ranch October 19-21 Oktoberfest at Fort Benning October 19-21 Zoo Boo at Montgomery Zoo October 20-28 Boo at the Zoo at Atlanta Zoo October 26 Halloween Lock-In at Hollywood Connection 11:30PM-8AM October 26 Scream on the Green at Woodruff Park 6PM-11PM October 26-31 Zoo Boo at Montgomery Zoo October 27 Fall Festival, Foliage, Flowers & Fun! at Columbus Botanical Gardens 9AM – 5PM October 27 Fall Festival Fundraiser Prodigy Dance Centre 12PM-6PM October 27 Trunk or Treat at […]
13. Sep 2018
Sensory Friendly Show | RiverCenter Presents The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
Columbus, Georgia – RiverCenter invites audiences to come aboard and prepare to explore the universe with TheatreWorks USA’s production of The Magic School Bus: Lost In The Solar System on Saturday, September 29 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. The 10 AM performance is a special sensory-friendly performance, designed for children with special needs. “For this season, adding sensory-friendly performances to our schedule is a natural progression for our commitment to making RiverCenter more accessible for our entire community,” said Norman Easterbrook, Executive Director of RiverCenter. “The accommodations offered in sensory-friendly performances include keeping sound levels down, keeping low lighting in the auditorium and allowing the audience to come on stage to get familiar with the actors in costume and the set. We will also be providing other amenities that we hope will make the RiverCenter experience more accommodating for audiences with special needs,” said Easterbrook. “We are not only doing this for this public performance but all of our school-time shows will have a performance that is sensory-friendly. As a community service organization, we have a responsibility to ensure that as broad a population as possible can access as much of our programming as possible.” In this new musical adaptation of the original book series published by […]
11. Sep 2018
The Rock Ranch | Fall Family Fun Days
Fall Family Fun at The Rock Ranch Begins Oct. 6 It’s time to celebrate Fall at The Rock Ranch. Located about an hour south of Atlanta, gates will open Oct. 6 for a 5-weekend seasonal event. In addition to this family fun destination’s offerings of more than 25 attractions, guests will enjoy additional entertainment during themed weekends, including: 6 – Superhero Day–10am to 8pm –Bring the camera for photo opportunities with Black Panther, Thor, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Hope & Will from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, the Chick-fil-A cow, and real-life superheroes! Don’t miss the live music, superhero costume contests with cash prizes(come dressed and ready to compete), and, of course, the2018 Corn Maze honoring Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and their like-minded commitment to growing healthy families. 13 – Great Outdoor Adventure– 10am to 8pm –Experience hands-on interactions with wildlife including alligators, snakes, a red-footed tortoise, hedgehogs, and a bald eagle; meet and greets with Curious George, take in some edu-tainment with Ranger Nick, birds of prey, and archery. 20 – Up, Up, and Away– 10am to 8pm –Ride in hot air balloon tethered rides (weather permitting, $5/child, $10/adult, cash only).Be in awe at the After-Dark Ferrell Gas Balloon Glow, […]
5. Sep 2018
Acorn Marble Necklace
Supplies Acorn Caps Marbles Hemp Cord Drill Glue gun with glue sticks or E6000 Craft Adhesive Directions Play with your marbles and acorn caps to see which acorn caps will fit a marble. Not all acorn caps will work. Cut as many 26″ to 32″ sections of hemp cord as you need for the number of acorn caps and marbles that you have paired together. Drill two holes into the acorn cap on either side of the stem, or where the stem was. Thread hemp cord through holes in the acorn cap and tie together. Use a glue gun to place a dollop of glue inside the acorn cap and quickly place a marble into it before the glue dries. Courtesy of rhythmsofplay.com
31. Aug 2018
5 Tips to Have Fun and Enhance Learning
According to the United States Department of Commerce, 65 percent of jobs for kids today don’t exist yet, which is why it’s important for them to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as those occupations are growing at a rate of 17 percent. This type of education increases science literacy, creates critical thinkers and can prepare the next generation for a bright future. STEM is educational, but it can also be enjoyable for the whole family. Consider taking your child’s learning further with these five tips that can help create playful experiences and spark educational fun. Start Early. Brain and skill-building experiences are critical for child development early in life, and high-quality, early STEM experiences can support children’s growth. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills can even be developed with programming and coding toys that light up and make sounds. Encourage Creative Construction. STEM toys can be fundamental learning tools that can help children build and construct creatively at any age. The world is a canvas for creative construction, as children can draw with tools around the house to build their first masterpieces. If your little one enjoys 3-D building and matching, a toy like the Mega […]
31. Aug 2018
AAP Updates Recommendations on Car Seats for Children
Today, 8/30/2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated a recommendation for car seat safety, rear-face as long as possible. Previously the recommendation was rear-face until age 2. Many parents have already opted to rear-face until their child outgrows the seat for the safety benefits. The science behind it is simple. Majority of car crashes are front impact. When an accident occurs, your body travels to the point of impact. By having your child rear-facing, you’re significantly reducing the impact on your child’s body. Furthermore, at a young age, your child’s spine is not fully developed to handle the force like an adult body. There’s really no downside to extended rear-facing. If you’re sad about not seeing your child’s smiling face in the rearview mirror, just remember, when they’re rear-facing, you’re keeping them safe as possible…and you can sneak all the snacks you want without sharing 😉 ! For full information on the recommendations from AAP, see their press release below: The American Academy of Pediatrics is publishing updated recommendations on car safety seats, but the real-world impact on how parents should use the seats in vehicles will be minimal. In the updated policy statement, “Child Passenger Safety,” and an accompanying technical […]
30. Aug 2018
Business Highlight: Magnolia Heart Nanny Services
Life is busy. As parents, we juggle our careers, relationships, our children ’s schooling, extra-curricular activities and more. Often times our responsibilities exceed our physical availability and we need some help. Nicole Wrice, owner of Magnolia Heart Nannies, experienced feeling overwhelmed herself. She sought help but finding a nanny to accommodate her daughter, who has seizures, ADHD, and mild retardation, brought upon some obstacles. “When I’d try to hire a nanny, I was often told, ‘Oh I do n’t know how to work with special needs kids. I don’t know how to give medications.’ I met a lot of other families having issues with caretakers who couldn’t do simple things like inhalers, etc. People were frustrated with the struggle to find a nanny for special needs,” Nicole explains. As a result, Nicole founded Magnolia Heart Nanny Services. Magnolia Heart offers different nanny packages to accommodate a family’s needs from full-time or live-in nannies to part-time babysitters. Employees are required to take courses in Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome and inhaler usage. Each nanny also completes a background check and is CPR certified. “Our goal is to make our employees familiar, comfortable and competent,” Nicole says. MH also offers caretakers for seniors, event nannies, mom ’s morning out and date night events. “If you need us, we’re there,” Nicole assures. Nannies are also scheduled […]
30. Aug 2018
Separation Anxiety in Older Kids
The tears, tantrums, and clingy behavior of toddlers when separating from their parents is a normal part of early childhood development. It can be a distressing stage for parents, but separation anxiety usually diminishes by age 3, as toddlers mature and learn to cope with transitions. However, for some kids, it can make a reappearance in the preschool and school age years. Big changes in surroundings such as a move, a new sibling, or new school can cause worry and bring back those tearful goodbyes. Your child’s anxiety is normal and there are some steps you can take to help make the daily transitions to school and activities less painful. Prepare ahead of time to leave your child in unfamiliar surroundings or with new people. Have a new babysitter come visit with your child before they watch them alone. If possible, have your child visit his new school before the first day. The same goes for new activities, such as dance class. Have a short, goodbye routine that includes letting your child know about how long you’ll be gone. Don’t get into a long discussion with your child and try not to give in and change your plans if at all possible. Stay calm if your child has a meltdown, and simply remind her you will be back when you promised and everything will be fine. Talk with your child to see if you can identify any sources of anxiety that may make separation from you […]
29. Aug 2018
Dangerous Apps for Preteens
Recently, teens have been moving beyond Facebook and Instagram to social networking apps that their parents probably have never heard of. Here are a few of the dangerous apps for preteens that every parent should be aware of. Tinder: This is a dating app that is notorious for being used by preteens and teens to speed up the dating process and quickly find hookups. The users post pictures of themselves and where they are located, to within a mile. Other users can see pictures of users located within a specified distance. Users remain anonymous until they are ‘liked’ by another user. The fact that the identity of users is not validated and that your child can give out her location makes this app very dangerous. For safety reasons, consider blocking this app. SnapChat: This app promises that videos or pictures sent will disappear after 10 seconds. However, this is not exactly the case. As with anything in cyberspace, a copy of the data is stored someplace and could be recovered. In addition, this app is sometimes used for ‘sexting’. Strongly consider blocking this app. Ask.fm This social networking app has an age limit of 13+ and allows teens to ask questions anonymously. This anonymity may make teens feel like they can cyberbully someone else without getting caught. In addition, the content of what is posted could be inappropriate and vulgar. Parents should carefully take a look at this app for themselves before allowing their teens to […]
29. Aug 2018
Inside look at Columbus Figure Skating Coach: Robbie Przepioski
It’s uncommon to have an ice rink in the south, but Columbus has one. It’s even more uncommon to have a nationally ranked skater in the south, but Columbus has one of those too! His name is Robbie Przepioski and he is the director of the Columbus Figure Skating Academy. He began a little over a year ago, and in that time, the program’s enrollment has grown from 75 members to 195! And it’s no surprise, considering Robbie’s accomplishments. Robbie, who is originally from California, didn’t begin skating until 14, which is considered a late start in the sport. By age 23 he was competing at the Olympic trials, an accomplishment many called impossible. Some national qualifiers start skating at the age of four! He came close to qualifying for the Olympics; however, he realized quad jumps were taking a toll on him physically. He made the decision to pursue a coaching career instead, but not until he completed a couple more goals: winning a pairs national skating medal and completing a back-flip on the ice. He accomplished both. “I did things I couldn’t imagine I’d ever be able to do,” Robbie admits, “It’s like winning the lottery…even though you […]
31. Jul 2018
How to Robot Proof Your Child’s Future Career
A recent study estimated that in the next two decades, about 47% of US jobs could be taken over by computers and robots. This Oxford University study titled ‘The Future of Employment’ authored by Michael Osborne and Carl Benedikt Frey, published in September 2013, analyzed how susceptible US jobs are to being taken over by computerization and artificial intelligence. Advances in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) are making it probable that robots and computers will be able to perform jobs involving predictable, repetitive tasks, such as driving, bookkeeping, and even some jobs in the legal and medical fields such as filing routine legal documents or reading radiology scans. Many of the AI technologies are still in the development stage but the recent leaps in this technology mean that parents and educators are having to adjust the list of skills that are important for today’s students to learn in preparation for the job market of the future. When listing the skills our children should be learning to enable them to have a successful career in the future economy, there are a few points to consider. There are some jobs robots could do but we would not want them to […]
31. Jul 2018
Preschoolers, Sleep and Bright Lights
Until recently, the effect bright light has upon the sleep of preschoolers had not been specifically studied. A recent study by the University of Colorado Boulder has shown that preschoolers are even more sensitive to bright light than older kids and adults and their sleep patterns are easily disrupted by exposure to bright light at bedtime. The eyes of preschoolers have a lens that is clearer than those of adults and they also have larger pupils. This allows their eyes to let in more light than those of adults. The body is prepared for sleep each evening with the release of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland, which is in the brain and is connected to the part of the brain that is the ‘body clock.’ The body clock is affected by how much light hits the retina (a part of the eye). A large amount of light hitting the retina will suppress the production of melatonin, in turn delaying the onset of sleep. The researchers found that there was almost a 90% reduction in the production of melatonin after preschoolers were exposed to bright light. In the research study, the impact on melatonin production […]
31. Jul 2018
Homemade Playdough
Supplies: 1 cup flour 1 cup water 2 tsp cream of tartar 1/2 cup salt 1 tbsp vegetable oil food coloring Directions: Mix together all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low/medium heat, stirring. Once it begins to thicken, add the food coloring. Continue stirring until the mixture is much thicker and begins to gather around the spoon. Remove the dough onto wax paper or a plate to cool. Store in a ziploc bag or sealed container.
6. Jul 2018
Foster Care Crisis
At the present time, there are approximately 14,000 kids in foster care in Georgia and around 5,000 in Alabama. The number of kids in foster care in Georgia has doubled since 2010, triggering a foster care crisis in many counties around the state as more kids need placement in foster care than there are spots available. Siblings are sometimes separated and placed in different foster homes around the state because there are not enough spots in their own county. Alabama has also seen an increase in the need for foster care, with the number jumping 38% from 2015 to 2016. What is behind THE crisis? Many experts feel that the opioid abuse epidemic is contributing to the increase in the number of children being placed in foster care. While there is not specific data for our region, data for the US gathered by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that, of the total population of kids placed in foster care for the year, the percentage placed due to parental drug abuse increased from 32% in 2015 to 34% in 2016. How does it work? Children are removed from their birth parents by the state and placed with a […]
30. Jun 2018
Choosing A Daycare
If you have decided to return to work after the birth of your baby, you will need to do some careful homework in choosing a caregiver for your infant. Many quality daycare centers may have a waiting list. If possible, start looking several months before your baby is due. Here is some info to consider; There are three types of daycare centers – group, commercial daycares and in-home private daycares. Here are some tips on selecting the right one for your baby. If your employer has a daycare for children of employees where the tuition is supplemented, the cost may be lower than that of other daycare centers. While you don’t want cost to be the main concern when choosing a daycare, the monthly cost of the daycare you choose needs to fit into your budget. Also, if your baby will be attending daycare full time, consider the convenience of the location in relation to where you work, especially if you plan on visiting your baby during lunch. After setting criteria for budget and location, it is time to start researching the daycares that fit your requirements. One way to start your search is by looking for those with a […]
30. Jun 2018
Spotlight on Columbus Lions’ Football Coach, Jason Gibson
Football, faith, and family. If you need to sum up Columbus Lions coach Jason Gibson, those three words can do it. Going on his 12th year of coaching the Lions, it’s more than just a job to this father of three. He’s created a community. In the beginning, he did it all; from washing uniforms to balancing checkbooks. Now he has a larger supporting staff. And with this growth, came a lot of bragging rights too. Fifty-five players have left for the NFL. Winning over 100 games in the last ten years, the Columbus Lions are one of the top 3 arena football teams in the country. Needless to say, the Lions are well respected in the football community, and so is their coach. When asked why he hasn’t left for the NFL himself, Jason admits he’s turned down some offers: “We’ve built a pretty good product here in Columbus and I am not handing the keys over to anyone else. It’s a great community and great place to be.” The Columbus Lions also hold an important role in Jason’s family history. He met his wife after a fan (now his mother-in-law) set him up on a blind date with […]
30. Jun 2018
Keeping Kids Active
Keep Kids Active this Summer With the school year complete, kids are excited to relax after a year of hard work, learning and extracurricular activities. However, this may lead to the temptation of sitting on the couch watching TV or playing on a computer or mobile device. In fact, a recent survey conducted by the Let’s Play initiative found that only 33 percent of children participate in daily active play, and for 30 minutes less than the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. It’s important for kids to get daily active play because it contributes to their physical, emotional and social development, and helps them maintain a healthy lifestyle. To ensure kids get the active play they need this summer, try boosting their playtime with these tips: Make playtime family time. According to the Let’s Play survey, in general, year-over-year younger children’s active play time is more likely to be impacted by busy family schedules. To make sure your family is getting the physical activity they need, find windows within your busy schedule to fit in some play, even if it’s just a brief break. For example, rather than asking about your children’s days at the dinner table, take […]
28. Jun 2018
Learning Disabilities Didn’t Stop Them!
For children with learning disabilities (LD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), a school can be cause for anxiety. Encourage your child by sharing this list of famous personalities who’ve succeeded in spite of their learning challenges. Hans Christian Anderson is known around the world for his many fairy tales including The Ugly Duckling, The Red Shoes, and The Emperor’s New Clothes. He struggled with math because of dyscalculia, yet had a talent for writing fairy tales that was extraordinary. Charles Darwin is highly regarded for his two books on natural selection, known as the theory of evolution. He was completely disinterested in school as a child, received poor grades, and was often absorbed in his thoughts, and therefore, is suspected to have had AD/HD. His travels around the globe collecting and studying plant and animal species led to his discoveries. Thomas Edison is perhaps the most famous inventor of all time. When he was young, his curiosity and practical jokes frequently got him into trouble. Today, he would likely be diagnosed with AD/HD. His many inventions included the telephone, the phonograph, an alkaline battery, and the light bulb, with over 1,000 patents for inventions in all. Albert Einstein was a mathematical genius. He didn’t learn to talk until he was three […]
26. Jun 2018
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Welcome to Family and Kids Magazine‘s online parenting resource, serving families of Columbus, Fort Benning, Phenix City and the rest of the Chattahoochee Valley. We strive to be your #1 local magazine for family news, parenting tips, local events and business referrals. Check out our online localized directory for things to do, places to eat, where to shop and almost every other resource a growing family in the Chattahoochee Valley could need. While you’re here, enter our monthly giveaway or submit your child’s photo to be featured in our Hoo’s Cute section of our magazine. We welcome all families coming into our area, whether for a temporary stay or a new place to call home, and hope our magazine guides you through our large community. Pick up a copy of our Family and Kids magazine at our many distribution locations, including all local Chick-fil-as or read the latest issue here.
