everything kids guide

March/ April 2012

The Guide with Everything for Kids and Parents

March/ April 2012 2 www.EverythingKidsGuide.com

Table of Contents

Indoor Play Boredom Busters… page 4

Photography Tips for Parents… page 6

Craft Corner, Build a Bird Feeder… page 9

Kid Friendly Recipes… page 10

Events Calendar… page 12

Contest… page 13

Find more great articles online! Visit Everything Kids

Guide at www.everythingkidsguide.com

Thank you so much for picking up our very first issue of Every-

thing Kids Guide! With winter coming to an end and Spring in

the air, it seemed the perfect time to debut this wonderful

resource to kids and parents in Contra Costa County. It is our

goal to keep parents connected with everything for kids!

We’ve put together some helpful articles we hope you and

your family will enjoy. Keep your kids happy on a rainy day

with our boredom busters on page 4, learn to make a bird

feeder with your children on page 9, and cook up some healthy and kid friendly meals

on page 10.

Visit with the staff from Everything Kids Guide on March 10th at the Everything Kids

Guide Spring Boutique and Family Fair. At the event parents can browse vendors,

while kids enjoy a free bounce house, visit from the Tumble Time Bus, and live enter-

tainment! The first 100 attendees can pick up a free gift at the Everything Kids Guide

booth. To see a list of all the family friendly events in Contra Costa, including those

presented by Everything Kids Guide, please visit our calendar at

www.calendar.everythingkidsguide.com.

Warm Regards,

Hope Desroches and the Everything Kids Guide Team

Presents Two FREE Events in Celebration of Mothers!

WALNUT CREEK

May 6th, 2012 11:am to 4:pm

Sports Basement, 1881 Ygnacio Valley Rd

BRENTWOOD

May 12th, 2012 11:am to 4:pm

Sand Creek Crossing, Sand Creek and Hwy. 4 Bypass

Mother’s Day Marketplace ☼ Nursing Station ☼ Mom and Baby

Workshops ☼ Pampering for Mom ☼ Live Entertainment ☼

Trackless Train Rides ☼ Petting Zoo ☼ Pony Rides☼ Arts &

Crafts ☼ Raffle Prizes ☼ Free Bounce House

For more information visit www.celebratemamawc.com or call 925-848-5966


“Boredom Busters” Indoor Play Guide

April showers bring May flowers, so we have gathered some fun indoor

“boredom busters” you can enjoy with your kids on a rainy day.

Treasure Hunt- Use small toys, stickers, or self-contained art work as a treas-

ure and hide it around the house. Keep the hiding places simple for toddlers

and preschoolers, and challenging for older children. Kids of all ages will have

a blast “hunting” around the house.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll- Work with instruments you already have or make a

few of your own. Even the tiniest babies love to shake wrist or ankle rattles.

Side benefit- Mom and Dad get some exercise dancing along!

Story Time- Reading is an excellent indoor activity. Check your local library and

bookstores for scheduled story times (www.ccclib.org provides a calendar of

events happening at libraries in Contra Costa County), or snuggle up and enjoy

some great books at home.

Build a Book- Write down a story your child tells and allow them to draw pic-

tures to accompany the words. This can make a great holiday gift for grandpar-

ents!

Cardboard Cars- Make big cars out of a cardboard box. Have the kids sit inside

the boxes, cut holes for their legs and let them use their feet as wheels to

move around.

Toilet Paper Trail- Give your children each a roll of TP and have them make a

trail all around the house.

Build a Fort- Using pillows and blankets help your children make a fort. Make

it simple or go all out adding a flag, decor, and anything else they can think of

to personalize it.

Head to a Museum- Contra Costa County offers many unique, indoor muse-

ums that children love. Pack up and visit one like Lindsey Wildlife Museum in

Walnut Creek, East Contra Costa Museum in Brentwood, or Museum of San

Ramon Valley in Danville.

Pasta Art- Pull out some paper, glue, glitter, and raid your pantry for all the

different pasta you can find to create works of art that encourages your child’s

inner-most Picasso!

Have an Indoor Picnic- Spread out a blanket and have lunch on the floor of

your living room. Make sure to choose easy finger foods for the meal.


As soon as a person becomes a parent, the photo bug often comes with it. After all, you now have a precious and beautiful little person in your life that makes the perfect model for all your photos. Our children’s generation will be very familiar with having their photo taken. Most children these days have had their photo on Facebook before they could even speak. So, parents, here are some quick tips to take the best possible photos of your little darlings:

~ Take photos of your children when they are engaged in a familiar activity like playing at the park or reading a book. This will be the perfect moment to remember them just as they are

~Timing is everything. If you are planning to photograph a portrait that will be hung on the walls of your home, you want to have happy kids. Choose a time where they are rested and have full tummies.

~ Don’t force smiles. There are those times you do want the picture to be perfect, but a forced smile from a child will be obvious. During a photo shoot bring along props that will entertain your child and entertain them with jokes and stories.

~Most families are using digital photography. Take full advantage of new technology by creating black and white, sepia, and cropped images. It gives your picture a whole new mood that can make it very unique and special.

~From Robbinett Photography: Stay on their level by kneeling down to get a straight photo.

~Keep backups and print on lasting paper. For the photos you want your grandchil-dren to see, print on a high quality photo paper or back up with an external hard drive.

Article by Hope Desroches

Photography Tips for Parents

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www.fb.com/everythingkids


Sandra Gundersen

Mary Kay Consultant

707-373-7987

marykay.com/sgundersen

Find your way to

feeling and being

beautiful inside

and out!

Recycled Bottle Bird Feeder

Supplies

1-liter soda or water bottle

Sharp knife

2 wooden spoons

Small eye screw

Twine or string for hanging

Instructions

Start by drawing a 1/2-inch star on the side of a 1-liter bottle, about

4 inches from the bottom. Rotate the bottle 90 degrees and

draw another star

2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite

each star.

Use a knife to slit the star lines and cut out the circles (parent's job).

Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and then

through the opposite star.

Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it

for hanging.

Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of

twine to hang it from a tree.


Healthy, Kid-Friendly Recipes The percentage of overweight children and teens has more than doubled in the past 30 years. And overweight kids are likely to become overweight or obese adults — putting them at risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health problems.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Research has shown that children — even teens — really do listen to their parents and follow their lead. So set a good example and help your kids develop healthy-eating habits.

Start by pulling out a few fun and healthy recipes for kids. Then invite your youngsters to be-come junior chefs. Or ask them to pick their favorite recipes for kids and offer to serve as their kitchen assistant.

Cooking together is the perfect opportunity to talk about healthy-food choices. Give it a try with

this healthy, seasonal recipe for St Patrick’s Day.

Healthy Shepard’s Pie

Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day!

For those not familiar with it, Shepard/Cottage Pie is a meat and potato (or Cauliflow-er) dish. This is an easy recipe to prepare ahead with the kids and heat when you are ready to eat.

Ingredients:

2 (or more) pounds of lean ground beef or turkey

2-3 heads of cauliflower or 3-4 bags of frozen cauliflower

1 bag of frozen mixed veggies

1-2 onions

1 egg

Seasonings to taste

3-4 Tablespoons of butter

4 ounces of cream cheese (optional) Directions: 1. Brown meat in large skillet and season to taste when cooked. Set aside. 2. Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes. 3. Add cheese and bake 5 additional minutes (optional). 4. Sauté diced onion in skillet until somewhat soft. Set aside with meat. 5. Pour mixed veggies in the skillet to heat on low heat and in the meantime…In

large pot, boil several cups of water. Add cauliflower, cover, and cook until soft enough to mash.

6. Remove the pot from the heat, pour off the water, and add butter and cream cheese to the pot.

7. Add spices and mash. (veggies should be cooked at this point) 8. Mix the meat, onions mixed veggies, raw egg and any additional seasonings and

put in bottom of 9×13 baking dish. 9. Spread mashed cauliflower mixture over it until smooth. Serve Warm and enjoy!


March Events

March 1st-4th

The Princess and the Pauper

FFGN Lesher Theatre , Walnut Creek

For details, call 925-943-7469

March 10th

10:am to 3:pm

Spring Boutique and Family Fair

Sunset Plaza

7750 Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood

www.brentwoodfun.com

March 10th– 18th

Pinkalicious, the Musical

San Ramon Children’s Theater

http://www.bactheatre.org

March 17th

Saint Patrick's Day!

Andy Z, children’s performer

Studio Crow, Concord

www.studiogrow.com

April Events

April 7th

Pixie Land ‘Speggtactular”

2740 E Olivera Rd, Concord

$15 per person for unlimited rides

www.pixieland.com/events

April 8th

April 21st

8:am to 2:pm

Brentwood Spring Bazaar

Brentwood Elementary School

200 Griffith Lane, Brentwood

April 22nd

Earth Day!

Earth Day Celebration

Wente Vineyards

5050 Arroyo Rd, Livermore

http://www.wentevineyards.com

Visit our online calendar to view a full list of local events

for families!

calendar.everythingkidsguide.com

FREE GOODIE BAGS TO THE FIRST 100 ATTENDEES!

Enjoy Music, Shopping, Raffle Prizes, Live Entertainment,

Great Food, Free Samples, Pampering, and More!

Bring Your Family and Friends!

Kids Activity Center with FREE Bounce House, Carnival

Games, and More!

Raffle Proceeds Benefit Local Girl Scouts

For information, call 925-848-5966

www.BrentwoodFun.com

March 10th, 2012 10:am to 3:pm

Sunset Plaza

7750 Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood

Spring Boutique and Family Fair

FREE EVENT

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