Minivan Reporter - Blurbs from the Burbs!

ksibley | Apr 28, 2009 | 0 | Posted in Recommend It!

Nothing says mom like minivan!   Honk if you see me--squealing into the school pick-up line, dashing down to the Farmer’s Market or running around your town covering the local beat for Bay Area Kids .  I am happy to report that there are tons of kid-oriented products, programs and services right here in the East Bay.   We are fortunate to have so many educational and enrichment opportunities available for our families.  Here’s a snapshot of some of the noteworthy destinations that I’ve discovered along my travels.  

Happy Campers Close to Home
Summer will be here before you know it.   If you are looking for a unique summer program for your son or daughter, you don’t need to look very far.  Take for example SewNow! Fashion Studio.   Imagine a huge room filled with Brother sewing machines ready to whiz, whirl, hum and hem. Summer campers can learn about fashion design and the art of sewing.  The brainchild of fashion designer, Susan Goldie, SewNow! Fashion Studio brings the craft of sewing back into the mainstream, right off Lafayette’s main street on Moraga Road.    It’s a great place for birthday parties or an unforgettable mother-daughter date too.  Come create your own fashion keepsake and see why families are saying SewNow! is “so cool” and au so courant!

Another camp idea that the kids are just crazy about is Mad Science.   We were first introduced to Mad Science when we threw a Mad Science birthday party for my son, Henry, and his preschool pals years ago.  Talk about great chemistry!   Henry still fondly recalls wearing that white lab coat and making slime with his friends.  Today, he fancies himself the next Einstein (with nicer hair) and is taking a NASA-approved Mad Science enrichment program at his school to learn all about space—complete with take-home projects that he loves to build.  As the world’s leading science and enrichment provider, Mad Science covers a variety of science-related topics to engage the kids.  Check out your local community center or YMCA for Mad Science Summer Camp programs near you.

Keeping it Green
The Bay Area is rich with green ideas and wonderful places for eco-friendly shopping, organic dining and environmental caretaking.  Your local Recycling Center offers a great opportunity to teach the kids about recycling.  Both of my kids have taken the lead on collecting our family’s soda cans.  Once a month, they go off with dad to the Recycling Center and come home with a nice chunk of change from the redemption value of the cans.  You’d be surprised how it all adds up!  This is a great way for the kids to take responsibility, participate in recycling and earn their keep to help save for that Wii!    From a reuse perspective, check out Freecycle.org, a web-based network to promote waste reduction and help save the landscape from being taken over by landfills.  This nifty little organization provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to recycle/ give.  You never know what will be up for grabs or who will take your stuff for free.  I also am very fond of the Treehouse Green Gifts on College Avenue in Berkeley.  They have a gorgeous selection of eco-friendly gifts that are recycled, organic, handmade, or fairly-traded, or a combination of all four.  A special kids’ section offers quality toys and there are sumptuous items for mom and new baby too.  Don’t forget your local farmers’ markets and Farm Fresh to You, which delivers organic produce to your door, direct from the farm.  For the home, SunClean Carpet Care, offers organic and non-toxic treatments to clean your carpets and upholstery—safe for children, pets and planet Earth.  The Child Day School in San Ramon has just started its garden education program.    The garden classroom will give its preschoolers hands-on opportunities to plant seeds and work the soil as well as learn about parts of the plants and where our food comes from.  Do I smell zucchini bread?

New Places & Upcoming Events
This just in…Color Me Mine opened the doors to a brand new studio in downtown Lafayette in the La Fiesta Square.  This paint-it-yourself ceramics studio lets customers design and paint their pieces and pick them up later after the studio glazes and fires their works of arts.  I’ve also just learned of a new retail shop—Monkey Bars-- for baby clothing, gear and furniture on Park Street in the charming island city of Alameda.  You’ll find lots of organic cottons and gender neutral items in this fun, hip store, which is great for baby shower shopping.  Congratulations to MOCHA (Museum of Children’s Art) in Oakland.  This wonderful non-profit will be celebrating 20 years of children’s art with a birthday bonanza, featuring an art-cade of fun for kids of all ages.   Located in Swan’s Marketplace on 9th Street, MOCHA manages children’s art exhibitions and also offers studio art workshops and camps.  Visit www.mocha.org to check out their online gallery and get details on their birthday celebration, slated for April 26, from noon-5pm.  Admission is free.  Speaking of free… Camp Kesem, a UC Berkeley student-run program that offers a free summer camp for kids who have or had a parent with cancer, is now enrolling for their camp in August.  The one-week camp is open to all children, ages 6-13, in the Bay Area and Central Valley.  Camper applications are available online at www.campkesem.org/berkeley.

--K. Sibley