summer of irresponsible science at the maryland science center: a daddy-daughter date and ticket giveaway

Boom... goes the dynamite.

Well, not exactly. Our friends at the Maryland Science Center have been having loads of fun this summer entertaining visitors with their Summer of Irresponsible Science series. And the Bug and I had a daddy-daughter date to go investigate last Sunday afternoon.

On the short car ride over there, we tried to guess what the science center might be cooking up. Did they create Doc Brown's time machine and do we get to cruise the race course for the grand prix coming up? Or would we be going back to the future and traveling through time? Or maybe they have brought Harry Potter's Quidditch game to life and mastered a flying broom stick?

No flying broom sticks. Lots of explosions.

The center's atrium was PACKED when we arrived. And then there was a bang that sent the Bug jumping, right out of her stroller. She (and every other kid there) bolted toward the explosions (way to get everyone's attention, Science Center staff). What was going on? The Centers team of mad scientists were stuffing balloons into liquid nitrogen and blowing them-- resulting in thunderous applause and screams off joy from all the kids in the audience {{including our Bug}}.

Rest assured, the Science Center says that while all of these explosions look dangerous, they are perfectly safe.

From there we were directed to the ground floor atrium where, yet again, the mad scientists had were shooting ping pong balls using dry ice to the crowd gathered below. It was like someone had smashed a huge pinata above the crowds head and the kids were running after candy. The Bug giggled as the little white and orange balls spiraled to the floor and were gobbled up by the kids waiting below.

Check out the YouTube montage the Science Center put together about this series:



The short of it? The Bug and I had a blast. Summer Irresponsible Science runs through Labor Day weekend and will be a huge hit with your family. For the kids and -- well, all of us who are kids at heart. Who doesn't love explosions?

Guess what? We're sending a family of four to the Science Center FOR FREE (thanks Maryland Science Center!). Want to win the four free passes to check out Summer of Irresponsible Science? Just fill out this quick form. You have until Sunday, August 14th at midnight to enter. Want a second entry? Just leave a comment on this blog post telling us what you love about the Science Center -- or what exhibit you're most looking forward to seeing!

(cool) tip: This weekend is a GREAT time to visit the Science Center because they are hosting backyard science days in conjunction with Summer of Irresponsible Science.

{from the archives} tips for having a FABULOUS trip to the Maryland Zoo

The Baltimore Chevy Girls were tweeting yesterday about how much fun it is to take the kiddos to the zoo... so I thought it might be timely to repost why we bought a Zoo Membership and tips for having a FANTASTIC zoo-venture. The post includes, of course, where to cool off at the Zoo if you're headed there on a hot day! Enjoy!

_ _ _

Some new parents buy seventeen different versions of "what to expect" during your baby's first year when their first child is born. Others scour websites and register for mommy-baby yoga classes (ok, so I looked up some mommy-baby yoga classes but opted to save the money for diapers). We bought a membership to the Maryland Zoo.

Yes, a zoo membership. Why? The zoo is really convenient to our house (less than 10 minute drive), and has a ton of stroller-friendly walking paths. On my three months of maternity leave, it was great to be able to wander around the shaded, paved trails with Lila comfortably snapped into her strolling infant seat. As she's gotten older, the membership has quadrupled it's value. She LOVES going to see the animals. And because we have a membership, it's ok to just go over for an hour and visit with the penguins. It doesn't have to be a huge day-long production, or wallet-draining event.

Last weekend, we had a picnic with the giraffes. We grabbed a picnic blanket, sun screen, take-out sandwiches and macaroni salad from Eddie's Market, and met up with our friends, the Pepin family (their little girl is month younger than Lila). The six of us wandered around all of the zoo exhibits. We visited the polar bears and the elephants, laughed at the penguins, breezed through the chimp house, fed the giraffes and wandered through the Maryland wilderness. Mid-way through our excursion, we spread out our blankets near the giraffes and pulled out our lunches. The girls crawled around on the grass, snacked on whatever was convenient (including each other's sippy cup of juice-water), and people-watched.

A day at the zoo, especially during the summer, can get quite warm. So here are our favorite cool-off spots:

• The Tundra Buggy in the Polar Bear Exhibit: no strollers allowed, but lots of seating and AC!
• The shady area by the elephant overlook: this wooded area seems to be about 10 degrees cooler than the unshaded parts of the African exhibit trail! There is also a concession stand with vending machines that take (gasp) credit/debit cards.
• The cave exhibit in the Maryland Wilderness Area: although this is definitely a cool area, the snake-like, dark paths can be a bit disorienting. Fair warning.

Beyond the obvious reasons why a trip (or frequent trips!) to the Maryland Zoo are great, here are a few other things to keep in mind:

• The giraffe feeding station (open daily from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM). When else will you be able to say you fed a giraffe? The experience costs a whopping $2.
• Exercise. Remember that? You probably did it daily before kids and now carving out 30 minutes every few days can be challenging? Calorie Count estimates that 150 lb. person burns approximately 170 calories per hour of stroller pushing. Our three hour trip to the zoo burned approximately 425 calories (we stopped and picnicked for 30 minutes or so). Granted, we probably consumed just as much during our lunch. But then ask yourself, even if you had put in 45 minutes on the elliptical that morning, wouldn't you have still had lunch?
  
• The giant tree slide. Not stroller friendly, but big enough for both you and your child to shoot down together.
  

Like any excursion with progeny, there are some potential pitfalls with an outing the Maryland Zoo. If your child is having a bad day, it's a REALLY long walk back to the gate. Exceptionally long. And there are two slight hills that can make pushing the stroller a bit intense. Most everything at the Maryland Zoo is stroller-friendly, with the exception of the Giant Tree slide (there is a walk-around path) and the Kid Zone in the farmyard area. Oh, and that first hill you walk up. You can always take the tram, too - - but where is the fun in that?

The Maryland Zoo is open daily (except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day) from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. You can buy your tickets online at a discount ($14/ages 12+, $10/ages 2-12) or at the gate ($16/ages 12+, $11/ages 2-12). Parking is always free!

(cool) tip: Kids under 2 are always free.

going safari at catoctin mountain wildlife preserve and zoo

There are many zoos that promise you'll get 'up close and personal' with the animals. The Catoctin Mountain Wildlife Preserve and Zoo delivers. In one wild ride.

Yesterday, we packed a picnic and drove an hour west to Thurmont, Maryland, home of Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park (along with the Zoo). The Zoo was running a 'dads get in free' deal in honor of Father's Day.

First stop on our trip? The Global Wildlife Safari Ride, of course! The Bug, Pat and I boarded the army surplus troop carrier (called a deuce and a half) for a bumpy jaunt through four paddocks and over 25 acres of roaming wildlife. We were given popcorn or stale bread to feed the animals in each paddock. We were licked by long purple tongues of North American Bison, brushed noses with Arabian Camels, cooed to a herd of standoffish Water Buffalo, and so much. more.

They warned us at the start of the Safari that it would be bumpy. That may have been the understatement of the year. The three of us were sitting in a trailer behind the deuce and a half, which lumbers through the terrain with the dexterity of an elephant. Once we hit a crater in the soil that sent me airborne - - and I ended up grabbing a fellow passenger's leg in order to steady myself and the Bug. {{Now THERE's a way to make friends....}}

The Bug loved every minute of our one hour trek.

The 'hands on' activities didn't end there. Once we left the safari ride, we purchased $2 worth of 'zoo food' and could feed very grass feeding animal in the park. Giant tortoises, goats, llamas... you name it. We had a chance to chat with the keeper at the Bengal Tiger exhibit (and watch a white bengal tiger cub bound around his yard) and the . Our visit ended with a stroll through the butterfly garden, feeding the Koi at the Japanese-inspired pond, and watching the booted monkeys swing back and forth.

What I loved most about this park was the lush grounds and gorgeous landscaping. You didn't feel like you were at a zoo at all. It felt like you were wandering through a wetland, or rainforest at some times. Well, the landscaping and the beyond friendly staff. Seemed like everywhere we turned there was a keeper asking us how we were, or ready to answer our questions.

Zoo admission is required for the Safari Ride, so the trip can be a little pricey. Even with Pat and the Bug having free admission to the zoo, our total cost was $54 and change. Safari rides are $14.95 for ages 13 and up, or $9.95 for children 2-12. Babies and toddlers under 36" are not admitted on the ride because of safety concerns. One day admission for adults (over 13 years of age) is $16.95, and $9.95 for children 3-12. Kids under 3 are always free.

Worth every penny.

A few rookie mistakes we made:

• Bring change. It costs two quarters to feed the koi. We didn't have any and had to scramble.
• Pack the hand sanitizer. As mentioned before, this zoo is very hands on. There are hand sanitizer stations around the zoo, they never seemed to be handy when we needed one.
• Fruit Snacks. We forgot the fruit snacks (Currently, we've got a bag of Mots for Tots All natural ones in the house). There was a major public display of tantrum. Epic proportions. Only remedied by an organic vitamin c lollipop. Gotta love the terrible twos.
• Make sure the camera battery is fully charged. There are TONS of great photo ops!

A great trip -- and fabulous way to spend Father's Day.

By the way, completely stroller friendly. Not that your kid will actually sit in it. Too much excitement. (But a great way to schlep your picnic goodies if you choose to bring them!).

guest post: I slid down an ice slide this weekend. You? (aka a trip to ICE!)

Many thanks to today's guest writer, the wonderful Jennie Sjursen of Lil Blu Dragonfly Photography. She stopped by to share her recent trip to ICE! -- which had everybody sliding into the holiday spirit.


9˚F!?! Are you kidding me?? Somehow I had found myself going to a place where I was willingly going to freeze my butt off! Where was I going, you might ask? I was on my way to ICE! at the Gaylord National Resort of course! Your next question might be “What exactly is ICE!?”.

ICE! is an amazing, bright, colorful, 15,000 square foot extravaganza all created out of…. ICE of course! This amazing, temporary art installment (and once you see it you will agree it is art!) was created by a small army of people from Harbin, China. This year’s theme was taken from Dr Seuss’s classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The artists took nearly 2 million pounds of ice to carve, build and create a winter wonderland.

I knew I was in for something special when standing by the ticket line I saw this huge Who-like Christmas tree. As I wandered closer over, I realized the entire tree was made out of Peeps! I kid you not! The entire thing was made of green tree, pink bunnies and the original yellow Peeps. Loved watching people’s reaction when they came closer and realized the entire tree was made of Peeps. There was also a guess how many Peeps it took to make this tree contest. I declined to enter afraid I might have to go home with the Peep tree!

Before I knew it I found myself standing in line, being passed a big, bulky, blue parka to put OVER the winter coat I was already wearing. Memories of me being stuffed into my snowsuit as a child came flooding back. I had never been so grateful in my life to look and feel like the State Puff Marshmallow Man as I was to be 30 minutes later! Cold doesn’t even begin to describe it! Here is the thing though; you are so in awe of the colors and details that you completely forget all about the cold. All that comes to mind is “WOW”, “AMAZING” and “I can’t BELIEVE they could do this with ICE!”

As you weave your way through the different scenes, you find yourself in what you imagine is the center of this huge tented arena. In this center, you find yourself in the middle of the Whoville Village and there are not one, but two ice slides!! Another reason the big blue parkas came in handy. Up the stairs you went, where even the railings and small details are created out of ice, and down one of the two ice slides you come down. It was the unexpected fun little twist in the middle. How often do you get to say “Yeah, this weekend I slid down an ice slide. You?”

The artist of Harbin, China did an amazing job of recreating and telling the story of “The Grinch”. You feel like you’re right in the middle of one of your favorite holiday books, down to the last detail. I know I’m gushing but it truly was an amazing site to behold. I can’t wait to see what they come back to create next year!

Jennie Sjursen is the owner/photographer of Lil Blu Dragonfly, a Child and Family lifestyle photography studio. She believes in family, laughing til you cry, getting dirty and playing hard… You can find Jennie and see her work at www.lilbludragonfly.com or www.facebook.com/lilbludragonfly.

Will it sink? Will it fly? Irvine Nature Center launches a new inquiry-based program for preschoolers

Kids ask questions. LOTS of questions. They're curious. It's part of their nature. So imagine an entire preschool-aged education program based on just that - - questions and nature.

A student-centered, artistic program stemming from a love, understanding and appreciation of nature has been the two year dream of Monica Weidel-Lubinski and other educators at the Irvine Nature Center. The center offers a wealth of one day, six week, semester and event-based programming - -but felt a desire to do something on a more sustainable basis.

Introducing... The Nature Place at Irvine! Daily classes of nature-based curriculum for students ages 3-5.

Stemming from the Center's popular Doodlebugs Nature and Art offering, this new pre-school aged program debuts this fall! It will run from September to May, and parents have the option of sending their child two to five days per week. Your child must be 3 years of age by September 1, 2010 and you can elect to enroll them in a morning or afternoon program. Personally, I love the idea that you can select when to send them - - if your child is a late sleeper and no napper, afternoon is perfect!

A preschooler's typical day in the Irvine program? It starts with self-directed exploration centers. These might be felt board or a thumbing through a book. When everyone arrives, it's time for Circle Time. During this group activity, Irvine teachers will set a framework for the days' exploration. It might include songs or stories, group sharing, charting, participating in a puppet show, and more.

Did we mention the live animal encounter? Yep. They have animals. How (cool) would it be for your 4 year old to share circle time with an owl?

Then it's time to go outside. Depending on the weather, your child could be exploring the great outdoor spaces at Irvine for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Be sure to dress them for the weather!

And they really will be exploring. They'll have an opportunity to ask questions about an object and to test those theories. They'll be sweep netting. (You don't know what sweep netting is either, huh? It's commonly incorrectly called a 'butterfly net.'). They'll be examining insects. Counting. Measuring. And asking all those kid-type questions.

Will it sink? Will it fly? Will it float? WHY?

Like any good scientist, the explorers will need time to reflect. What better way to reflect than through art? Each day provides students with materials and space to artistically reinforce the concepts they've learned. Language, literacy and writing activities are integrated into the classroom setting. Sessions are wrapped with snack and time to explore nature-based imagination stations. (What can you build with sticks or how do you dig for tree cookies?)

I love that the program is action-based. Rather than talking about things like environmental stewardship, students will engage daily in environmentally-friendly practices. Snacks will be served on washable plates and with laundered napkins. Unconsumed food will be composted. Everything that can be will be recycled.

Community building is a hallmark of this new program. Monica said that parents and siblings are integral part of what will ensure success. Families will be invited to attend special campfires (roasted marshmallows included!), art shows, holiday gift making events and more.

I know. The question that's literally burning a hole in your pocket: how much does it cost?

Guess what? It's really affordable. Tuition ranges from $200/month (2 days a week) to $450/month for 5 days a week. If you are electing to send your child to Lunch Bunch, you'll pay an additional $25 per number of days a week per month. So, an extra $50 if your child attends twice a week. Both morning and afternoon students can attend Lunch Bunch!

So if you're looking for a unique preschool-aged program, consider The Nature Place at Irvine. Kindergarten preparedness activities, dirt, trails, life skills, animals, literacy, science and art all wrapped up into one fantastic learning experience!

Want to see the program in action? Attend the Open House on August 22nd or September 19th from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM!

If your child isn't quite three yet - - or is already in kindergarten - - there are still a wealth of activities you can take advantage of at Irvine. Just check out their daily calendar of events! Note to foodies: their Thursday Farmers Market is 100% organic and showcases cooking demos!

(cool) progeny is thrilled to announce that Monica will be writing a monthly nature-themed post for us. Stay tuned for her first article, Exploring Nature with Your Infant, on Monday!

Tweet

KidStock 2010 Remix

There was rain. There was mud. There was wind.

There was really great music.

No, it wasn't the reincarnation of Woodstock on Sunday afternoon in Lauraville. It was the inaugural KidStock.

It looked like Woodstock (or what I imagine Woodstock to have looked like). Bare feet. Picnic blankets. Tree hugging (literally - -it was raining, remember?). Dancing in the rain. Lots of smiles and singing. Some on tune, some off tune. And no one cared because everyone was having fun.

If you didn't have a chance to make it to KidStock 2010, you missed a frothy sing-a-long with Milkshake, guitar designing with the Walters Art Museum, playground hopping, samba drumming, a ginormous (yes, Merriam-Webster says it's a word!) slip 'n slide, and roaring with Little Maestros! This laid back, family-jiving, music-filled and kid-inspired afternoon had everybody rocking - - didn't matter if you were six months, six years or six decades old.

Sponsored by the Neighborhoods of Greater Lauraville and Baltimore's Child on the grounds of Garrett Heights Elementary School, KidStock was an afternoon-long festival of arts, crafts, kid activities, playing and music, music, music. They had two stages going all afternoon with great local acts, and several organizations offering activities for the pint-sized crowd on the concert area perimeter. We only had a chance to catch two of the shows: Milkshake (the festival headliner), and Little Maestros. Both were fantastic, in spite of weather-related technical difficulties. Lila bopped the whole time - - and neither Pat nor I got that nauseated feeling we sometimes get after too much Wiggles exposure... The verdict? Great kid music that's adult-friendly!

Lila got to meet Lisa and Mikel from grammy-nominated Milkshake, too. Despite the rain pounding so hard it propelled off the ground, exposed equipment needing to be loaded and that they had just signed about seven billion autographs, they were still kind enough to invite us up on stage for a photo op. Stay tuned for an interview with Lisa and Mikel next week!

We've been Milkshake fans for quite some time, but were new to the Little Maestros. Apparently, they are part of a franchised kid-class/performance organization and are based out of Rockville. Kudos to Emily, Justin, Mike and Autumn for not missing a beat when the electric went out. They simply switched to acoustic to sing the Dinosaur song. A big hit with our Bug.

While the rain may have kept the crowd down a bit, we found it refreshing. No rotisserie skin here... And it kept the very-popular slip 'n slide super slick.

Local Harford Road restaurants served up some healthy food lunch options. We didn't have a chance to sample, but lots of others were chowing down on chicken salad and turkey sandwiches with a side of fruit. Lemonade was the drink of choice... and although it was a bit bland for Pat's standards, Lila loved it.

Our only suggestion for future KidStocks (and we HOPE there will be future events!), would be better signage. It was tough to tell which booths were offering which activities... and a poster/booth with event and schedule info would have been great. (Our apologies if it was there and we just missed it!).

Thanks for showing us a great time, Lauraville! Can't wait to come back!

Feed the Giraffes at the Maryland Zoo

Some new parents buy seventeen different versions of "what to expect" during your baby's first year when their first child is born. Others scour websites and register for mommy-baby yoga classes (ok, so I looked up some mommy-baby yoga classes but opted to save the money for diapers). We bought a membership to the Maryland Zoo.

Yes, a zoo membership. Why? The zoo is really convenient to our house (less than 10 minute drive), and has a ton of stroller-friendly walking paths. On my three months of maternity leave, it was great to be able to wander around the shaded, paved trails with Lila comfortably snapped into her strolling infant seat. As she's gotten older, the membership has quadrupled it's value. She LOVES going to see the animals. And because we have a membership, it's ok to just go over for an hour and visit with the penguins. It doesn't have to be a huge day-long production, or wallet-draining event.

Last weekend, we had a picnic with the giraffes. We grabbed a picnic blanket, sun screen, take-out sandwiches and macaroni salad from Eddie's Market, and met up with our friends, the Pepin family (their little girl is month younger than Lila). The six of us wandered around all of the zoo exhibits. We visited the polar bears and the elephants, laughed at the penguins, breezed through the chimp house, fed the giraffes and wandered through the Maryland wilderness. Mid-way through our excursion, we spread out our blankets near the giraffes and pulled out our lunches. The girls crawled around on the grass, snacked on whatever was convenient (including each other's sippy cup of juice-water), and people-watched.

A day at the zoo, especially during the summer, can get quite warm. So here are our favorite cool-off spots:

• The Tundra Buggy in the Polar Bear Exhibit: no strollers allowed, but lots of seating and AC!
• The shady area by the elephant overlook: this wooded area seems to be about 10 degrees cooler than the unshaded parts of the African exhibit trail! There is also a concession stand with vending machines that take (gasp) credit/debit cards.
• The cave exhibit in the Maryland Wilderness Area: although this is definitely a cool area, the snake-like, dark paths can be a bit disorienting. Fair warning.

Beyond the obvious reasons why a trip (or frequent trips!) to the Maryland Zoo are great, here are a few other things to keep in mind:

• The giraffe feeding station (open daily from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM). When else will you be able to say you fed a giraffe? The experience costs a whopping $2.
• Exercise. Remember that? You probably did it daily before kids and now carving out 30 minutes every few days can be challenging? Calorie Count estimates that 150 lb. person burns approximately 170 calories per hour of stroller pushing. Our three hour trip to the zoo burned approximately 425 calories (we stopped and picnicked for 30 minutes or so). Granted, we probably consumed just as much during our lunch. But then ask yourself, even if you had put in 45 minutes on the elliptical that morning, wouldn't you have still had lunch?
  
• The giant tree slide. Not stroller friendly, but big enough for both you and your child to shoot down together.
  

Like any excursion with progeny, there are some potential pitfalls with an outing the Maryland Zoo. If your child is having a bad day, it's a REALLY long walk back to the gate. Exceptionally long. And there are two slight hills that can make pushing the stroller a bit intense. Most everything at the Maryland Zoo is stroller-friendly, with the exception of the Giant Tree slide (there is a walk-around path) and the Kid Zone in the farmyard area. Oh, and that first hill you walk up. You can always take the tram, too - - but where is the fun in that?

The Maryland Zoo is open daily (except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day) from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. You can buy your tickets online at a discount ($14/ages 12+, $10/ages 2-12) or at the gate ($16/ages 12+, $11/ages 2-12). Parking is always free!

(cool) tip: Kids under 2 are always free.


View Larger Map