Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Washington, DC

Lyle the Crocodile at Imagination Stage

by Leticia

July 10, 2009

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Head to Bethesda for Imagination Stage’s production of Lyle the Crocodile.  Based on the classic tale of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber, Lyle is as lovable on stage as he is in the book. 

The production follows the story closely but includes wonderful musical numbers and dance routines that will thrill young readers who are familiar with the story.  Lyle’s house in the play looks exactly like the house on East 88^th Street in New York City that Primms inhabit in the book and even includes cranky neighbor, Mr. Grump and his cat, Loretta.

Lyle the Crocodile is a well done theater production by Imagination Stage and a fabulous way to introduce young children to the performing arts.  Every seat boasts a stellar view and children will feel grown up in their plush velvet seat even if they do have to sit on a provided booster.  A 15 minute intermission is just enough time to head to the bathroom and have time for a snacks brought from home or available for purchase at the theater’s café. 

Lyle the Crocodile at Imagination Stage

4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814

Shows are Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 and 3:30 pm, Saturday at 7 pm, and Tuesdays-Fridays at 10:30 am.  Final day of performances is on August 9, 2009.

Single tickets range in price from $10-21 and are available by clicking here or by calling the box office at 301-280-1660

Saturday Fun: PBS Super Why Play Day at Area Toys R Us Stores

by Leticia

June 12, 2009

Are you a fan of the PBS show SuperWhy like we are?  If so, Super Why is launching a great new line of educational toys and is hosting events at Toys R Us stores around the country tomorrow!  Tomorrow you can head to your local Toys“R”Us for an in-store super duper Super Why! play day that is sure to be tons of fun for your Super Reader!

Kids ages 3 and up are invited to play a Super Why Bingo Game, complete a Super Why coloring activity and listen to a Super Why story. You’ll also be treated to a hands-on Super Why toy demonstration and receive special Super Why premiums, coupons, a free mask, coloring fun sheet, and more (while supplies last)!

We usually shun character-based products in our home but have welcomed the Super Why products because of their educational value.  Our two Super Why fans received some of the new Super Why products a couple of weeks ago and they have been a huge hit ever since they arrived.  They love donning their special capes and transforming into Super Why and Princess Presto to act out scenes from their favorite episodes while holding the included Why Writer and Magic Spelling Wand.  They also like taking their Super Duper Computer into their play house and pretending they are going to the Book Club. I love watching what they have learned through the episodes through their imaginative play and like that their touch screen Super Duper Computer is filled with games that help them practice different literacy skills such as learning the alphabet, problem solving, spelling, word families, word comprehension, rhyming, and reading. 

For more details about the Super Why events in your area, click here for a listing of special events just for Super Readers in the DC Metro area and around the country.

Super Readers...to the rescue!

Super Why Play Date

• JUNE 13, 2009
• 12:00pm to 2:00pm
• Nationwide Toys"R"Us In-Store Event

Click here for more details!

Tuesday List: Easy Ways to Extend Learning into Summer

by Leticia

June 09, 2009

With many schools already out for the summer, I’ve already seen the look of dread in some parent’s eyes.  Finding things for kids to do over the summer can be tricky especially if you want them to keep up their skills learned during the school year.

Here are some easy and inexpensive ways you can extend your child’s learning into the summer:

• Schedule a library day- Go every week to select new books to keep up beginning reading skills and while you are there, ask if your library has a summer reading program to provide some incentive to keep reading.

• Go on a walk- A walk can be an easy way to practice observation skills that are used in science.  Take a bag to collect leaves, sticks, rocks, etc. and upon returning home sort them to practice classification skills and talk about their attributes to increase your child’s vocabulary while getting some gross motor time in there too.

• Write a letter- Every child likes to get mail so talk to the grandparents or even a fellow parents about being pen pals for the summer.  Write letters back and forth to keep up those writing skills and send along any pictures that your child draws and take along their address to send them postcard from any summer vacation spot.  If your child is too young to do their own writing, have them dictate the letter to you and send along a picture.  Their creation still helps them practice fine motor skills!

• Play with water- The scientific properties of water are intriguing for all children.  Splash in puddles, turn on the hose, and add some bubbles, ice cubes or some food coloring to a tub of water.  Learn about the properties of water as the ice melts and add some measuring cups to the tub to teach about capacity while keeping everyone cool.

• Start a lemonade stand- Meet your neighbors while you have your children practice their money skills.  While you are at it, bake some cookies to practice measurement while you whip up that cookie dough.  Not in the mood to bake from scratch?  A tube of the ready made stuff will do just fine.  Count the cookies once they are cool and learn about half- half to keep and half to sell!

Borders Kids Summer Reading Challenge

by Leticia

June 05, 2009

With summer upon us, I’m looking for a way to keep my kids busy without being overscheduled.  I also want to make sure that we do little things each day that help progress my 5 year old daughter's reading skills.  One thing that we definitely plan on doing is participating in our local library’s summer reading program and the Borders Kids Reading Challenge.

The Borders Kids Reading Challenge is for any child 12 and under.  To participate, click here to get the Reading Challenge Worksheet and sign it when your child reads 8 books.  Take the Reading Challenge Worksheet back to your local Borders store anytime before August 31 to take advantage of the 50% or more discount on your choice of items including 3 book sets by E.L. Konigsburg or the Bunnicula collection, Melissa & Doug Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles in a Box, and kits for the art enthusiast.  

For $4.99 I’d happily get our 5 year old the Drawing and Painting Horses Kit or the Melissa and Doug Puzzles for our 3 year old to maintain their enthusiasm for reading! 

Click here for more details about the Borders Kids Reading Challenge and download the Reading Challenge Worksheet by clicking here.

Super Why Marathon This Memorial Day

by Leticia

May 18, 2009

Last week I had the opportunity to visit PBS headquarters in Arlington to get the inside scoop about the show Super Why. Geared towards preschoolers, Super Why is a fabulous show that helps children learn to read.  It has been a favorite in our home for the past couple of years and it was thrilling to hear about the new research that has come out proving that it is beneficial to teaching critical reading skills in young children.

Super Why! was created on research-based literacy curriculum and uses an engaging approach with lovable superhero characters (Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, Wonder Red, and Super Why) that kids can relate to in order to build the fundamental skills that kids need for the "power to read."  The fact that the show is so fun draws kids in and teaches them to read at the same time.  The teacher in me recognized the innovative way the show teaches children beginning literacy skills the first time I ever saw it.  Teaching kids to use the super powers represented by each Super Why character to recognize letters, decode, spell, and learn letter sounds helps them reach the ultimate goal of becoming super readers. 

This Memorial Day, fans young and old across the nation can celebrate heroes with Super Why – Hurray for Heroes, a special two- hour marathon airing Monday May 25, 2009 on PBS KIDS® (check WETA or MPT for times).  Super Why – Hurray for Heroes will delight preschoolers with two debut interactive episodes and two returning favorites, featuring the page-turning storybook adventures of Super Why and his fellow reading superheroes as they unveil what the power of reading can do.  The special event also features never-before-seen live-action interviews in-between the episodes in which real kids share their thoughts about what it means to be a hero. 

The special Super Why – Hurray for Heroes television event kicks off a jam-packed summer of reading-powered fun that also will feature special Super Why theme weeks, online games and free downloadable materials designed to help families reinforce the literacy skill building lessons within the series and help nurture their own “super readers” at home.        

Also check out these great Super Why resources designed to make your child a super reader! 

Tuesday List: Family Friendly Ways to Enjoy Thomas Jefferson's Monticello

by Leticia

April 14, 2009

Living in DC, we are exposed to plenty of history and museums so you might wonder why you would want to venture beyond the Metro Area to explore other presidential digs.  Being in close proximity to Mount Vernon and the White House creates presidential intrigue so head south on a road trip to Charlottesville to visit Monticello.

Last weekend we took our two children, ages 5 and 2 1/2 years, to visit Thomas Jefferson's estate and it proved to be a wonderful place for young children.  There are lots of things you can do before you go to give your children some background knowledge about the kinds of things they will see and do.   During your visit there are numerous ways that your children can learn about Thomas Jefferson in an age appropriate way.  

Here are some ways that you can enjoy Monticello and make the most of your time there.

Before you go:

• Download Exploring Monticello: A Guide for Young Learners and share it with your children.  This booklet is more like a picture book that designed to teach interesting facts about Thomas Jefferson, the gadgets and gizmos he invented and enjoyed using, the kinds of music and games played at Monticello, the grounds, and architecture.  The booklet makes it easy for young children to understand and early elementary age kids to read independently.  Reading it prior to your trip will allow your children to have a better understanding of what they will see when they get there.
  
• Take a virtual tour using the Monticello Explorer that allows your to walk through 3-D models of the interior of the home, read about what is inside each room, view animated features, and use an interactive map of the plantation.
• Check out the calendar for Events for Kids which list the dates of the Plantation Community Weekends where the sights and sounds of the early 19th century come to life on Mulberry Row, the plantation “street” along which Monticello slaves lived and labored. Costumed artisans interpret the trades and domestic skills practiced by Jefferson's enslaved and free workers.

• Take a Family Friendly Tour- From June to September, Monticello offers Family Friendly tours that are included in the price of admission.   These special 30 minute tours feature hands-on opportunities in each room and provide a glimpse of what live was like at Monticello for the children that lived there in the late 1700s and early 1800s.  If you happen to visit when the Family Friendly Tours aren’t being offered, our 2 ½ year old and 5 year old enjoyed the regular tour which is also 30 minutes in length.
  
• Visit the Griffin Discovery Room- This new hands on learning center is specially designed for children to interact with American history, Thomas Jefferson, those who lived and worked at Monticello, and experience life as a child during the early 1800s.  The Discovery Room features many elements that are reproduced from Jefferson’s Monticello home like the alcove bed and thee nail-making shop and a slave dwelling on the plantation.  Children can engage in numerous activities including trying on clothes, practicing weaving, rubbing a replica of Jefferson’s tombstone, relaxing with a story about Thomas Jefferson or another American president, using a cipher wheel, or cooking a meal over a pretend fire.  Some of our favorite features of the Griffin Discovery Room included the polygraph machine that allowed us to see how Jefferson was able to make a copy of everything he wrote and the collection of wooden blocks where our 5 year old practiced classical architecture.
  
• Play I Spy inside the house by searching for items of a certain theme.  Look for famous portraits hanging on Thomas Jefferson’s walls, artifacts that indicate an interest in time, or items that are from animals. 
  
• Visit the Mountaintop Hands-On Activity Center.  Open from early June to September, the Activity Center allows children to write with a quill pen, play 18th century games, and engage in other family-oriented hands-on activities which is included in the price of admission.
• Roam the gardens and look for familiar flowers and herbs by rubbing the leaves between your fingers.

For more tips on visiting Monticello, visit their page of Insiders’ Tips.

For tips on visiting Charlottesville with your family, read my Being Savvy Washington DC post called Weekend Getaway: Charlottesville, Virginia for the inside scoop on family friendly things to see and do and our favorite places to grab a bite to eat.

Fun with the ABCs Through Michael Chesworth

by Leticia

March 02, 2009

We have recently become fans of everything Michael Chesworth.  After some of his books were featured during a recent library storytime, we have soaked up all we can of his books!

Alphaboat (currently our favorite Chesworth book) is an amazing combination of great puns (you'll marvel in amazement at these!) as well as artfully visualized jokes.  Not only is this my kiddos' first choice for a book to read, I sure don't mind reading it to them!

Not only is this book impressive and entertaining, but it is also educational.  We find something new every time we open the front cover, that we missed the time before.

Michael Chesworth has been illustrating children's books since 1989 and hit a home run when not only illustrating, but also writing Alphaboat himself.  Also on his list of "authored" and illustrated books is Rainy Day Dream.

This book will allow you to teach your children about the English language and rhymes, as well as provide great snuggle time with your littles.

I have to admit, we are huge fans of the library because it enables us to read loads of books in a cost-effective way ... however ... since learning of Michael Chesworth, we are adding the entire list of his books to our "wish lists".  We will be proudly displaying all things Chesworth on our bookshelves!

Would you like a chance to win your very own copy?

Simply e-mail me at beingsavvyWashingtonDC@savvysource.com letting us know the title of another Michael Chesworth illustrated book.  The winner will be chosen and notified directly on March 5th, 2009.

Tuesday List: 100 Things to Do Before Kindergarten

by Leticia

January 27, 2009

As a mom of a child who will be a kindergartner this fall, the thought of kindergarten readiness can be daunting. As a former first grade teacher, I often think of the skills that my students entered my classroom with having learned or not learned in kindergarten. It is true that kindergarten is becoming increasingly academic but the chances are if you read to your child, talk to them about the  Read more...

Celebrating Chinese New Year

by Leticia

January 24, 2009

For our family, Monday is an important day. As a Chinese-American, it is the start of Chinese New Year and the beginning of Year of the Ox. Like Korean and Vietnamese cultures, Chinese New Year begins on the Lunar New Year. Chinese New Year is China's most important holiday. Each year is represented by one of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, hare or rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram or sheep, monkey,  Read more...

Best Books About Winter

by Leticia

January 16, 2009

Even though we are still waiting for a storm to come through and blanket the area with snow, it is still fun to read books about winter. Here are some of our favorites: It�??s Snowing! It�??s Snowing! Winter Poems by Jack Prelutsky- We love Jack Prelutsky�??s poetry but this collection is even better because it is an I Can Read level 3 book making it great for beginning  Read more...

Book Review: Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex Barron

by Beth Hoffman

January 09, 2009

My preschooler isn't much of an eater, and never has been. She could live happily on pasta, crackers and grapes and has mastered a look of abject horror that she breaks out whenever someone suggests that she sample a food outside her comfort zone. In looking for ways to gently help her expand her dining repertoire, I recently picked up a copy of Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex Barron.  Read more...

Favorite Christmas Books

by Beth Hoffman

December 11, 2008

I have to hide our Christmas books in the dark corners of a closet in order to avoid being forced by my daughter to read them to her daily all year long. Now that I have liberated them from their off-season exile, here are a few of the Christmas books that we have in heavy rotation. Olivia helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer. Olivia is always a hit and is a good role  Read more...

Favorite Christmas Books, Toys, and Activities

by Leticia

December 11, 2008

Christmas is coming and that means we've taken the boxes of decorations out of our attic and unearthed some treasured friends- our favorite holiday books. We've used the cold weather as a great excuse to cuddle up under a blanket with a stack of books and dream in the magic of Christmas. What are we reading? Here's a list of our top 6 favorites: Eric Carle's Dream Snow is one of my favorites  Read more...

You Can Never Have too Many Books

by Beth Hoffman

December 09, 2008

I know, I know, I keep recommending books! But we spend a lot of our time reading books (or eating them, babies love paper), and I just can't help myself. Here are a few more suggestions of books to share with the kids in your life. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French . I think this book is pretty funny, but my three year old doesn't quite get it. She does like the illustrations though and  Read more...

Must Haves for Vehicle Enthusiasts

by Leticia

December 04, 2008

2 year old Captain Computer loves anything that goes. Fire trucks, ambulances, street sweepers, the trash and recycling trucks, buses- city or school, and any sort of construction equipment make him giddy with delight. Here are just a few products that set his little heart a-flutter and are sure to please your vehicle enthusiast too: Touch and Feel Fire Engine Fire engines are immediately  Read more...

More Books for Preschoolers

by Beth Hoffman

December 04, 2008

It was rainy here on Sunday morning, so I took a chance and hit the stores to do some Christmas shopping. And I got lucky everywhere I went was deserted. That may not happen again before the holidays though, so if you are still looking for gifts, check out a few of these easily-shipped books: Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer . I can't begin to count the number of times my  Read more...

Must haves for your home library

by Leticia

December 02, 2008

The Kissing Hand This is the best book to have on hand to read before your child starts school. Chester is worried about leaving Mrs. Raccoon to go to school but together they devise a strategy that helps Chester cope with being away from her. Whether starting preschool or kindergarten for the first time, every child needs to know that you still love them even when they are away. Letters  Read more...

Looking back at November

by Leticia

November 28, 2008

The cold weather reminds us that winter is on its way. While we are hoping for lots of snow this year, weâ??re also gearing up for some indoor activities. Being Savvy DC has been full of tips for indoor activities this month. Celia Kibler of Funfit wrote about Keeping Your Family Healthy Through Winter while the National Childrenâ??s Museum staff provided Tips to Beat Winter Boredom . Beth  Read more...

Childrens' Cookbooks

by Leticia

November 26, 2008

My love of cooking is being handed down to Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer. Captain Computer comes running from whatever corner of the house he is in when he hears me start my KitchenAid mixer. Little Miss Techie can crack eggs like a pro. Both have assigned spots in the kitchen to help with cooking projects and recently helped me make a great dinner of lentil soup and cornbread. While I  Read more...

Tuesday List: Essential Reads for the DC Metro Dweller

by Leticia

November 25, 2008

DC is the pulse of politics, especially with the upcoming inauguration. Essential reads for any child living in the DC Metro Area include a list of books about all things presidential, geography to get to know constituents, and also guides to gain the upper hand in knowing DC inside and out. For your budding politician: Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out First Kids If I Ran for  Read more...

Great Books for Preschoolers

by Beth Hoffman

November 24, 2008

The holidays are fast approaching, and if you have a preschooler on your gift list you might want to consider one of these books: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes . A family favorite - wonderfully illustrated and lots of fun to read. Reading can often lead to discussions of imagination, perception, and how things are not always as they seem. Or,  Read more...

Must Haves for Your Home Library

by Leticia

November 24, 2008

Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein is one of my favorite poets and I've recently loved revisiting some of the poetry that I loved as a child. The poems along with the pen and ink illustrations make this a must-have for every family's home library. After all, who doesn't love reading Hug 'o War, I'm Sick, and Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out! Thereâ??s a Wocket  Read more...

Hug O�?? War

by Leticia

November 22, 2008

In honor of my list of rhyming books, I thought I'd share one of my favorite Shel Silverstein poems that illustrates the concepts of rhyming with word families. I will not play at tug o' war I'd rather play at hug o' war Where everyone hugs Instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles And rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, And everyone grins, And everyone cuddles, And everyone wins.  Read more...

Best Rhyming Books

by Leticia

November 21, 2008

Why are books with text that rhyme so important to read to a child who is working on developing literacy skills? As I mentioned yesterday, rhyming words are part of word families, words that contain the same ending sound like -ad, -op, and -it. Books that rhyme teach children that a word can be transformed into a completely different word by changing the beginning letter and sound. Learning to  Read more...

Teaching spelling through rhyming

by Leticia

November 20, 2008

Why is it that so many childrens' books rhyme? No, it isn't just to drive us crazy! Early rhyming through books assist children with the knowledge of phonics and letter sounds. Later the ability to rhyme helps young children with their because rhyming words follow a pattern. Children can use their knowledge of rhyming and phonics to change the initial sound of a word to make a rhyme. Rhyming  Read more...

Madam President

by Beth Hoffman

November 20, 2008

At my house, we are still spending a lot of time talking about the recent election. Once we covered who the president was and where he lives, we started getting questions about what, exactly, the president does. At first, saying "Oh, he's the boss of the country" was good enough, but lately I've been getting pressed for specifics. Which is why I was thrilled to discover Madam President by  Read more...

Five for Tuesday - Tickling your Funny Bone

by Beth Hoffman

November 18, 2008

We all know that a preschooler's sense of humor can leave something to be desired. A great joke around here is along the lines of identifying orange as pink or declaring that a dog says moo. So here are a few books that my preschooler finds hilarious - and there are even a couple that amuse me too. If you Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Joffe Numeroff. If you give a pig a pancake, he'll  Read more...

Tuesday List: Funny Faves

by Leticia

November 18, 2008

A book that can generate a good laugh is always a keeper. Here are my picks for the 2-6 year old set, beginning with funny books for the younger ones and progressing to one of my favorite humorous chapter books: Hippos Go Berserk - One hippo all alone, calls 2 hippos on the phone... Hippos show up overdressed, with a guest, in a sack, and sneaking in the back until all the hippos go berserk at  Read more...

Favorite Bedtime Reads

by Leticia

November 17, 2008

Our bedtime ritual is always the same- bath, jammies, tooth brushing, and a game we like to call Library of Congress for our 2 year old who loves to read almost every book in his room at bedtime. While he loves to read books like Eating the Alphabet, stories of diggers and construction sites, he always ends up choosing many of the bedtime themed stories right before falling asleep. What's on  Read more...

Fostering Literacy: Tips for Reading Aloud to Young Children

by Leticia

November 14, 2008

Did you know that every time you sit down to read a book to your child you are not only reading them a story, but also teaching them important concepts of how books work? Called concepts of print, children learn how a book is held, where the title is, that you turn pages, there are words and pictures on the pages, and words go from left to right. Here are some things you can do before,  Read more...

Chapter Books for Preschoolers

by Beth Hoffman

November 13, 2008

My three-year-old loves to read chapter books, I think they make her feel very grown up. We tried a few of the learn to read types, but the books she really enjoys are the full-length books geared to kids much older than her. I was skeptical when we started, thinking there was no way she would sit still and pay attention, but she does and can recite details of the stories and incorporate  Read more...

Favorite Chapter Books for the Avid Listener

by Leticia

November 13, 2008

Past the picture books is the world of chapter books. Smaller in size and possessing fewer pictures, chapter books are a great way to cozy up on the couch or snuggle in bed with a longer story next to your eager listener. Where to start? There are tons of wonderful books to introduce chapter books to your child. Begin with the Frog and Toad books or the George and Martha stories where each  Read more...

Guide to Storytimes

by Leticia

November 11, 2008

Who doesn't love a good story? Public libraries and bookstores host free story times for children that can breathe life into old favorites or make you discover a fabulous new book. Browse the list below and pencil the dates of local story times in your calendar so you are never without a great story. Public library systems: Alexandria Arlington County Fairfax County Falls Church  Read more...

Creating your own stories with digital pictures and your child's artwork

by Leticia

November 06, 2008

Overwhelmed by digital pictures and your child's artwork? Combine the two to create a digital storybook using PowerPoint! A digital storybook enables your children to view their favorite pictures and artwork over and over again on either the computer or as a printed hard copy. With your child's help, you can add text to help your child remember each picture and reinforce the importance of  Read more...

Homemade Lift-the-Flap Books

by Beth Hoffman

November 06, 2008

A couple of years ago, my brilliant friend Elaine sent my daughter a book that has been one of her prized possessions ever since. It is a homemade life-the-flap book where all the flaps open to reveal family pictures. My daughter still gets a huge kick out of opening those flaps and announcing that it is a picture of her underneath, or Daddy, or Mommy. They are simple, if a  Read more...

How do children learn to read? Pieces of the literacy puzzle

by Leticia

November 03, 2008

This month??'s topic of books and reading are ones of great personal interest to me. As a former first grade teacher, I spent most of my months in the classroom teaching children how to read. It was incredibly rewarding to watch children gradually became readers and leave for second grade as fluent readers. As a parent, I find that I am using my knowledge about how children learn to read to  Read more...

A Good Book Lasts Forever

by Beth Hoffman

November 03, 2008

We read a lot around here. In fact, our collection of books spans six rooms in our house and is slightly embarrassing, if you want to know the truth. The children, of course, contribute their fair share to the piles of bound paper lying around. One of my favorite parts about reading to my kids is sharing books that I remember my parents reading to me. Here are a few of my favorites that I  Read more...

Kennedy Center's Multicultural Children's Book Festival

by Leticia

November 01, 2008

Since our November Being Savvy theme is all about books so it is fitting that the Kennedy Center's Thirteenth Annual Multicultural Children's Book Festival kicks off our month of literacy related posts. Children, parents, and educators are invited to the Kennedy Center today from Noon-6 pm to celebrate Family Literacy Day at the Multicultural Children's Book Festival. Books come to life in this  Read more...

Election books and web resources for your budding politician

by Leticia

October 27, 2008

Living in DC means that we are surrounded by politics throughout the year. Since it is a presidential election year, it isn??'t too late to begin educating your child about the political process so he or she could become a future Senator, presidential candidate, or political pundit. Take your child to the polls to involve them in the voting process, talk to them about the many lawn signs that  Read more...

When you need a friend...look in a book!

by Leticia

October 24, 2008

Sometimes you just need a friend. Whether real or imaginary, friendships are important and sometimes things are just more fun with a friend. Here are some of our family's favorite books about friendships: Weekend with Wendell - While the weekend starts out badly for Sophie when Wendell comes to visit, everything changes right before his parents come to visit. Weekend with Wendell is not only  Read more...

Adventure Theatre's Harold and the Purple Crayon will tickle you purple

by Leticia

October 23, 2008

Today's Being Savvy Washington DC post is by guest contributor Linda Kerr. Linda lives in Fairfax County with her two children and together they venture out to find cheap fun and excitement close to home. Linda is currently writing a book on having kids less than two years apart (aka Baby Bunching). Where can you find a singing crayon, a friendly dragon, a few dancing lost pirates, a  Read more...

Teaching children alliteration with Lois Ehlert's Eating the Alphabet

by Leticia

October 22, 2008

Each time you read a book to your child, they are picking up important concepts that help them learn to read. Children listen for the sounds in words when you read a book that rhymes or contains words with letters that start with the same letter. The concept that words start with the same letter is called alliteration. It teaches children that words start with the same sound and letter. Alphabet  Read more...

Being Green This Halloween

by Leticia

October 20, 2008

Halloween is always about orange and black but this year add a little green into the mix and teach your children to be a little more environmentally conscious. Being green for Halloween is much easier than you may have ever imagined and here is a list of many things you can do to enjoy Halloween while also reducing, reusing, and recycling. Walk your own neighborhood when trick or treating  Read more...

Books and Resources to be Fire Safe

by Leticia

October 15, 2008

Each summer when we go to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer love visiting the area where our county fire and rescue department have displayed the best hook and ladders, pumper trucks, ambulances, and other fire and rescue vehicles. While our children love looking at the equipment, stopping to talk to the rescue workers is also very educational. Last  Read more...

Activate young imaginations with Halloween stories

by Leticia

October 10, 2008

One of the best things about Halloween is story telling. Spooky stories, tales of dressing up, and legends of monsters, witches, ghosts, and goblins are all part of the holiday. While some books are too scary for young ages, there are many age appropriate titles that will activate their imaginations and get them excited about Halloween. Take up residence at your local bookstore or library for  Read more...

Free books for Herndon kids

by Beth Hoffman

October 09, 2008

Do you live in Herndon? Do you have kids under five? Well then, Dolly Parton wants to send you free books! No, really. It's called Imagination Library , and if you live in Herndon or one of the 731 other participating communities in the U.S. and Canada they, in cooperation with a local sponsor, will send your child a new free book every month until they turn five. Their  Read more...

Tuesday List: 5 Favorite September Posts

by Leticia

September 30, 2008

Today it's goodbye September so in honor of the end of the month, I thought Id share my favorite posts of the month. A month of school has passed and are you already tired of packing lunch? If so, Andrea Astrachan from Giant Foods helps parents think outside the lunchbox with great new lunch ideas . If your kids have a favorite babysitter, enlist their help so you can resurrect dates for you  Read more...

Foster a Love of Literacy at The National Book Festival

by Leticia

September 25, 2008

Deciding what to do this Saturday is going to be difficult. Besides Smithsonian Museum Day, another great event going on this Saturday is the National Book Festival . The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, rain or shine, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 7th streets. The National Book Festival is a wonderful way to cultivate a love of  Read more...

Do Butterflies Come From Cocoons or Chrysalis?

by Leticia

September 18, 2008

Earlier this week I posted about Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens . In my post, I mentioned Eric Carle's classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. You've probably noticed that Eric Carle calls the house the caterpillar builds itself into a cocoon, rather than a chrysalis, in his story. Going to Wings of Fancy reiterated the fact that most butterflies come out of chrysalis rather than a cocoon.  Read more...

Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens

by Leticia

September 15, 2008

If you haven't already been, now is the time to go! The live butterflies that are part of Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens leave in just over a week when the exhibit closes on September 21. With school back in session and most people having already seen the butterflies, the exhibit is much less crowded than in earlier months. Wings of Fancy makes Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar come  Read more...

Celebrating the Moon Festival

by Leticia

September 13, 2008

Yesterday I wrote about the Moon Festival and mooncakes but you don't have to go to a big festival or eat mooncakes to celebrate the Moon Festival tomorrow night. Just looking outside and marveling at the size of the moon while talking with your child about how the moon is the fullest it will be for the entire year is special enough. If you want to do more, the Savvy Source Activity Finder has  Read more...

Books About Becoming an Older Sibling

by Leticia

September 11, 2008

Little Miss Techie was 2 when her little brother arrived. While she adored babies and was very excited about meeting her little brother, we hoped her sentiments towards him in utero would as strong as when he was born. To help prepare her for the addition of a sibling, we read numerous books about babies. With my daughter's help, I culled through our book basket to find our favorite books about  Read more...

Books for the Social Life of Preschoolers

by Leticia

September 01, 2008

If your child is getting ready to enter the world of preschool, you are probably wondering how they grew up so quickly. I've spent a fair amount of time teaching in preschools and while they are exciting years filled with growth and development, there can also be a lot of conflict. Being in a new environment, separation anxiety, issues of sharing, and hitting are common themes in preschool. How  Read more...

Best Read-Alouds About Starting School

by Leticia

August 30, 2008

It's back to school time! Whether your child is going to preschool or entering a new world of kindergarten, the following books are all about starting school: I Don't Want to Go to School by Weiss and Bennet provides a light, engaging response to children when they tell you they don't want to go to school. Wow! School! By Robert Neubecker shares the enthusiasm that many children have about  Read more...

There's No Place Like (Outer) Space

by Leticia

August 27, 2008

Our Aunt Amy is a planetary geophysicist and has fostered a love of science and all things space related to our two children. 2 year old Captain Computer loves being able to recognize and say Saturn while Little Miss Techie is always asking us to e-mail her wonderful aunt with her most recent questions about the moon and planets. To supplement their education with what their aunt teaches them,  Read more...

Pirate 101- A Pirate Primer

by Leticia

August 07, 2008

If your child is obsessed with pirates, here in the DC Metro Area there is no shortage of pirate adventure. Here's a guide to how you might begin indulging every pirate fantasy. First pick up a primer to pirates. Imagine You're a Pirate is like Pirate 101. It helps you channel your inner pirate to make sure you don proper pirate dress, eat proper pirate food (which is often referred to as  Read more...

Beachy Reads

by Leticia

August 04, 2008

August is a great time to head for the beach. With many families thinking about going back to school, the beach tends to be less crowded and rates on week long rentals tend to be less expensive. If you have a trip to the beach planned in August, don't forget to pack some books along with the buckets, shovels, sand toys, swimsuits, and sunscreen. After all, there will be that inevitable down time  Read more...

Savvy Pick: Favorite Being Savvy Posts from Around the Country (Part 3)

by Leticia

August 02, 2008

Over the last 2 days I covered 16 cities around the country in Parts 1 and 2 of my favorite Being Savvy posts. Today I continue my virtual journey and also head to Canada to bring you my favorite posts written by my fellow Being Savvy City Editors. If you are looking for ways to spruce up your car's playlist with more adult music, check out Kim Tracey Prince's Sneaky DJ: Essential Summer  Read more...

Savvy Pick: Favorite Being Savvy Posts from Around the Country (Part 1)

by Leticia

July 30, 2008

Since we are heading into the final days of July, I thought I'd pay my fellow Being Savvy City Editors a visit to see what great things they were writing about on their sites. As City Editors we write about local activities that strike our fancy and give them an educational twist but our posts also have national interest beyond our local areas. Here are some of my favorite posts by my fellow  Read more...

Savvy Guest: Creating Budding Illustrators

by Leticia

July 18, 2008

Today's guest contributor is author and illustrator Sharon Pierce McCullough. You may recognizer her name as the creator of the delightful Bunbun series. The Bunbun books are about an endearing rabbit and include titles like Bunbun the Middle One, Bunbun at the Fair, and Bunbun at Bedtime. Today Sharon shares her ideas on how to create budding illustrators. Crayons. These are usually the first  Read more...

Getting Far Away with a Good Book

by Leticia

July 17, 2008

Having spent a couple years in Boston during graduate school, one of my favorite books that always brings me back to Beantown is Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings . My toddler and preschooler can never get enough of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and I'm always willing to read it because there's something magical about the story, with its charcoal illustrations and the tale of the pair of ducks  Read more...

Great Summer Readalouds

by Leticia

July 15, 2008

We're a family who loves to read and while we have a huge collection of books at home, we love to visit the library to discover new favorites. While our preschooler is beginning to enjoy chapter books like the Henry and Mudge series, she also loves sitting down with her toddler brother and reading some of her old favorites to him. He loves anything that has to do with trucks, trains, or  Read more...

A Backyard for the Birds

by Leticia

July 14, 2008

After the tragedy of a baby bird dying in our yard , it was a pleasure to watch a robin build a nest right outside our kitchen window one night during dinner. As we've sat together at each meal over the past two weeks we've watched Mama Bird sit on her three eggs. We've watched her come and go and hunker down in her nest, protecting them during summer rainstorms. Little Miss Techie and Captain  Read more...

Airplane entertainment

by Leticia

July 04, 2008

Now that you have explored every part of the airport and found the kid-friendly concessions , how do you keep your child occupied while on the plane without being too disruptive? As I look towards long flights to California and Hawaii in the not too distant future, I'm amassing supplies and racking my brain for things for my two kids to do that won't drive the other passengers on the plane to  Read more...

Explore Savvy Source's Resources

by Leticia

June 25, 2008

Luckily there's never a shortage of activities to cover in the DC Metro Area but sometimes I get so caught up in sharing all of the great things to do that I forget about resources right here on Savvy Source , parent site to Being Savvy DC. Savvy Source is an awesome resource for parents. I only wish that it was around when Little Miss Techie (now 4 1/2 ) was a baby to provide me with some  Read more...

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Children's Activities- Texas

by Leticia

June 23, 2008

Today is the third day in a row that I've devoted Being Savvy DC to the ways the Smithsonian Folklife Festiva l can be enjoyed by the whole family. I covered Bhutan , wrote about NASA, and am highlighting Texas today. My goal through this series is to provide you with a kid-friendly guide to enjoying each part of the Folklife Festival when it opens this Wednesday. After learning about space  Read more...

Smithsonian Folklife Festival Children's Activities- NASA

by Leticia

June 20, 2008

Today is the second of three days that I'm devoting Being Savvy DC to the ways the Smithsonian Folklife Festival can be enjoyed by the whole family. I covered Bhutan yesterday , am writing about NASA today, and will be highlighting Texas on Monday. My goal is to provide you with a kid-friendly guide to enjoying each part of the Folklife Festival when it opens this Wednesday. Little Miss  Read more...

Storytelling- Favorite books for bedtime

by Leticia

June 05, 2008

Ever since our children were babies, we have been reading them the same books as part of their nightly bedtime routines. Including books in our nighttime routine helps our children wind down from their busy days with predictable stories before they fall asleep. While the text of each of the books is ingrained in my memory for all eternity, the familiar text helps children memorize stories.  Read more...

50 Things To Do in the DC Metro Area With a Child Before They Grow Up

by Leticia

May 29, 2008

In no particular order, here's a list of 50 things to do in the DC Metro Area with a child before they grow up: Head out the night before and brave the elements for your tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll just to say you've done it Witness the beauty of the cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial at their peak Go kayaking at Mason Neck State Park in Virginia since it is a great place  Read more...

Cultivating a Green Thumb

by Leticia

May 26, 2008

We're at the time in the year where the seasons are wavering between spring and summer. A series of rains have made the grass lush and green while the temperatures are warming and hinting that summer is on the way. I'm not a fan of the mosquitos and the Californian in me absolutely despises our humid summers so I'm trying to take advantage of being outside before summer truly arrives. We've been  Read more...

Trains and Other Modes of Transportation on Rails

by Leticia

May 22, 2008

My toddler is obsessed with trains. He knows the best places to spot trains and Metros while riding in the car and has a keen ear that always alerts him to approaching trains. For train lovers, there are many opportunities to get up close and personal with trains in the DC Metro Area and beyond. The B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore is a train lover's paradise. Cases upon cases of model trains  Read more...

Cultivate Your Child's Green Thumb with a Planting Party

by Leticia

May 14, 2008

There came a point during winter when I was just ready for spring. I was tired of the barren landscape of my backyard, the extra time it took to dress my children for the great outdoors, and my winter wardrobe. I decided to turn my nose up at old man winter and jump start our spring with a planting party. My Type A obsessive compulsive self realized this meant my children would have  Read more...

Come Fly With Me and Learn About Airplanes!

by Leticia

May 13, 2008

What is it about airplanes that children find fascinating? Even before we had children, my husband and I loved to park ourselves at the end of the runway by National Airport and watch planes take off and land. Officially called Gravelly Point, this hot spot is easily accessible when driving to and from National Airport or from the Mount Vernon Trail path. It is a great place to stop as you  Read more...