Let me introduce you to Bright Beginnings if you haven't heard of it already.

Bright Beginnings is a FREE service for families in Kent County that have children birth to 5 years old.

You do need to register for their services, but most things (except special events) are free. Follow this link for a list of exact topics offered and registration instructions. (You will only have to register once for your whole family and then you will be good to go.)

You can expect a Parent Educator to have set up stations that you will visit with your child(ren) and they are based on a theme.

Some playgroups and special events require pre-registration.

Themes in the month of June include:
Monkey Business
Our Friend the Earth
Kaleidescope of Colors
Fun on the Farm
Baby Steps
Oodles of Bubbles
Day at the Beach
Five Green & Speckled Frogs
Strawberry Picking  (June 16 at Krupp Farms, $5/person includes 1 qt U-pick strawberries, petting farm, hayride, and ice cream...call Wendy to pre-register @ 889-3687)
Camp Out
...Just to Name a Few!

To Contact the Bright Beginnings office, Call 616-365-2277

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Twenty thousand children throughout seven West Michigan counties – from the cities of Douglas to Carson City, Hastings to Fremont, and all points in between – will turn their summer reading enjoyment into wintertime fun, thanks to partnerships between the Grand Rapids Griffins and 54 local libraries.

For the third consecutive year, the Griffins will reward kids who complete their local library’s summer reading program with a voucher that can be redeemed for two free tickets to a 2010-11 regular season game. 

Among the libraries the Griffins have partnered with are the eight branches of the Grand Rapids Public Library, all 18 branches of the Kent District Library, and 28 libraries that are members of the Lakeland Library Cooperative.

As each library’s summer reading program requirements, policies, dates and reward distribution procedures vary, please contact your local branch for more information.

The Griffins have long supported local libraries and promoted reading through initiatives such as their Reading Goals program with local schools, Library Night ticket discount and Reading Day promotions, as well as their participation in GRPL’s Circulating Memberships program.

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John Ball Zoo Household Membership Winner

Drumroll, please!  The lucky grkids.com family that gets to go to the Zoo all summer long includes: Jennifer Hernandez

Congratulations!

And for those of you who didn't win, thanks for entering, and consider getting a membership yourself.  For $58 you can go to the zoo all summer, plus get into the Children's Museum for free for the month of August.  A pretty good deal!

This membership is a $58.00 value and not only gets your household into the zoo free for the year, it also has other benefits.

Reciprocal benefits, a magazine, discounts on concessions and merchandise, and early registration for special classes and events are just a few!

To enter, go to grkids.com's facebook page and choose "Suggest to Friends" from the left-hand column.  Pick all of your friends that might benefit from grkids.com and then "Send Invitations" to them.

Once you've done this, leave a comment on this blog telling me how many friends you just invited and you are entered to win!

You have until June 7, 2010 to enter.  Good luck!

Mighty Mike is now available in the former flamingo pond just inside the zoo gate!  He also brought five of his smaller gator pals!

John Ball Zoo information:

• Adults (14 - 61 years) -- $7.50
• Seniors (over 62 years) -- $6.50
• Children (3 - 13 years) -- $5.50
• Children 2 years and under -- Free

The Grand Rapids Public Musuem's exhibit on BIG, BIG, BUGS is coming to a close at the end of the month.

If you make it over there, you will encounter gigantic mechanical bugs, interactive stations, a spider web that kids can climb and much more!

You have until May 31...after that, summer programming kicks in.  The next exhibit on tap for the Museum is Bodies Revealed.  That looks like it will also be a must see.

Who knew that glass could be so captivating?  The new Chihuly exhibit is delightful from start to finish, even causing my 2 kids to run from place to place exclaiming all the way.  The art has been carefully placed all through the Frederik Meijer Gardens grounds, allowing the elements of anticipation and discovery to delight while you take in the different shapes and forms.

My two kids had a blast describing all of the "light sabers" and "worms" that they saw outside, and the "flowers" and "bowls" in the tropical garden were equally amazing.

If you don't have a membership, plan to go for an extended period of time to discover all of the treasures tucked throughout.  If you do have a membership, be strategic with your visits.  3pm on a weekday is an excellent time to go and avoid traffic.

The Gardens are open late on Mondays and Tuesdays until 9pm through this exhibit.

Enjoy!

KENT COUNTY, MI—The Kent District Library invites children and teens to sign up for the Summer Reading Club and spend some time reading this summer! This year’s Summer Reading Club runs from Monday, June 14 to Saturday, August 7. This summer, the library will encourage kids to Make a Splash and teens to Make Waves with lots of free programs. Enjoy arts and crafts, music, movies, theatre, carnivals and more.

When they sign up for the Summer Reading Club, children in grades five and under, both readers and pre-readers, can set and accomplish their own reading goals to win prizes and enter a drawing for a brand new bicycle! Teens in grades six through twelve can participate for the chance to win great prizes, like a gift certificate to the mall.

This summer will be full of fun for all ages. Programs will include carnivals, pet shows, magic shows, puppet shows, jewelry making, lawn games, book discussions and so much more!

Sign up for the Summer Reading Club starting June 14 at any of KDL’s 18 branch locations.

For more information, call 784-2007 or visit us online at www.kdl.org

Love and Logic Parenting Program
Parenting Class for Early Childhood Education

Veronica Pechumer, Parent Educator, will be presenting a 5 week series on the Love and Logic Curriculum: Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun!   This particular curriculum focuses on the needs of parents with children ages birth to 6 years of age. Parents learn how to establish healthy parental control without resorting to anger, threats, nagging, or power struggles, and ways to teach children to be responsible while gaining the confidence they need to meet life’s challenges.   
"It's an incredible curriculum that has left people raving....because it works!" - Veronica Pechumer
Who: Anyone! The issues and challenges addressed are experiences all parents face. Parents will walk away with new skills to effectively meet those challenges.  
What:  Love and Logic has a very broad scope - from books and videos to curriculums that address early childhood to the teen years. This five week series will focus on the Love and Logic Curriculum: Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! specifically designed for parents with children ages 0-6.   To keep costs low there will be FREE handouts from the Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! workbook.  
When: Thursday from 6:00pm-7:30pm                      
Classes: June 10, June 17, June 24, July 1, July 8  
Where: Life Services Parent Center, 11172 Adams St. Holland  
Cost: $15 per person or $20 per couple. (Includes FREE handouts from the Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun! workbook.) If interested in attending, please call Veronica at 616-396-7566 ext. 111.  Space is limited, please call early.  

Family Line Dancing Class
Active Fun for the WHOLE family! 
Parents and children - put on your dancing shoes (or cowboy boots) and learn how to line dance together! Beginning June 7th, Deanna's Playhouse is offering an evening family line dancing class...for all ages! Deanna’s Playhouse will be open for play between 6:00pm-7:00pm for those who are participating in class.  
When:  Monday evenings from 6:00pm-7:00pm                            
Classes: June 7, June 14, June 21, June 28 
Where:  Deanna’s Playhouse  
Cost:  $10.00 per family for each class. SPECIAL: Pay in advance for all 4 classes:  $35.00 per family. DPH Members receive ½ off discount. Please call Jena at 616-396-7566 ext. 124 to sign up or if you have any questions.   

The Art of Paper Doll Making
Make Your Own Paper Dolls! 
Imagine making Paper Dolls that look like you, your friends, your family or your pets....now is your chance! This class is great for children (ages 6-12) to explore and use their imagination to create their personalized paper doll.   Local community artist and Deanna's Playhouse muralist, Pat Mulligan, will lead the class. You can sign up for one class or attend all four for a special discounted rate.
When: Monday and Wednesday from 1:00pm-3:00pm                             
Classes: July 5, July 7, July 12, July 14
Where: Deanna's Playhouse  
Cost: $7 per person/per session OR SPECIAL- all 4 sessions for $20 per adult & $10 per child. Please call Mari Ellyn at 616-396-7566 ext. 119. to sign up or if you have any questions.

GRKIDS.com is happy to give you a chance to see Dora the Explorer, The Backyardigans, Wonder Pets and Ni Hao, Kai-lan up close and in person!  Up for grabs: a 4-pack of tickets for the Tuesday, June 1st at 7pm Nickelodeon's Storyime Live! show at DeVos Performance Hall!

If your name is not chosen, you can still get in at a reduced rate.  Just click here and and enter password: MOM under "Mommy Bloggers Discount" for a savings of $5 per ticket.  Regular ticket prices are $28 and $23 and the discounted prices are $23 and $18.

Nickelodeon presents Storytime Live! sponsored by Great Wolf Lodge :

Dates and Showtimes:
June 1 at 7 PM
June 2 at 10:30 AM & 7 PM
DeVos Performance Hall

To enter to win tickets, please leave a comment on the blog telling us which character in the Storytime Live Lineup is your child's favorite and why.

This contest closes on Monday, May 24.



 

Mother's Day has been extended through the whole month of May, courtesy of Lichterman Law! 

They are offering a $100 gift certificate to Design One to the next (6) moms that call and schedule a free Peace of Mind Planning Session.  I have been promised that there will be no pressure or obligation to buy anything.

If this interests you, follow this link or call (616) 827-7596.