Make it a Movie Night

There’s something about a beautiful summer evening under the stars with blankets, picnic dinners and POPCORN! That something is an outdoor movie night, and Las Vegas has them all over the valley.

Admission is free, making it the perfect family outing each weekend. So let’s plan to pack up some cozy blankets, maybe put the kids in their pajamas and bring a load of snacks to sit together and watch one of the family friendly movies this weekend.

The Outdoor Picture Show

At The District at Green Valley Ranch, adjacent to Whole Foods Market and The Carousel

Friday, June 11^th at Dusk “Astro Boy” (PG)

Saturday, June 12^th at Dusk “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (PG)

Friday, June 18^th at Dusk “Planet 51” (PG)

Saturday, June 19^th at Dusk “The Blind Side” (PG)

Friday, June 25^th at Dusk “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (PG)

Saturday, June 26^th at Dusk “Imagine That” (PG)

Centennial Hills Park Amphitheatre

7101 N. Buffalo Drive at Deer Springs Way

Friday, June 11^th at 8 PM “Where the Wild Things Are” (PG)

Friday, June 18^th at 8 PM “Cloudy with a Change of Meatballs” (PG)

*You may want to call if the weather is questionable, or for more information 229-3516

Free Movies on the Lake

Lakeside on the Lawn in the Village at Lake Las Vegas

Thursday, June 17^th at 8 PM “Where the Wild Things Are” (PG)

Thursday, June 24^th at 8 PM “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (PG)

Movie Madness

Eldorado Park, 5900 Camino Eldorado Blvd, North Las Vegas

Friday, June 18^th at Dusk “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”

Free Movie in the Park

Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza, Lorenzi Park, 720 Twin Lakes Drive at Washington Ave

Thursday, June 24^th gates open at 7 PM, movie starts at Dusk “Monsters vs. Aliens”

You can't miss out on an opportunity like this! Your kids will love it, and they'll remember these kind of outings for the rest of their lives! So don't let another weekend go by without enjoying time with your family and a movie under the stars!

Jump into This

I found this great reading program for the summer. Not only will this help get your kids excited about reading EVERY day - they can win prizes and participate in other activities at the library during this time! A little friendly competition never hurt anybody, and by the time your child makes it through his reading log, he'll probably be excited to find more books with a gift card to Borders!

Which is why I say now is the perfect time to jump into a book! Las Vegas-Clark County Library District has developed a summer reading program to guide you through a summer full of reading adventures. "Make A Splash - READ" Summer Reading Program is designed to open new reading possibilites to children from infants to grade 5.

Walk into any branch of the library district and pick up a reading log - or print it from the website. Children make a list of all the books they want to read either themselves or have a parent read to them. The goal is to read for 30 minutes every day and they get a participation prize every time they come into the library to report their reading time! For every two hours they read, they will earn an entry into the Grand Prize drawing. When they finish the entire reading log, they win a gold medal!

This competition ends at the end of July so make sure you start soon and log those minutes! Also, check out all of reading events taking place in libraries all over the valley during this program! It's a great way to explore new things and stay out of the heat!

Summer Fun!

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s time to start making those summer plans. It can be challenging in economic times such as these, but I did some research for you to make your summer carefree.

I still remember counting down to the last day of school and the sweet anticipation of summer break. In this valley, with so many schools going year-round, the summer break mentality may be lost. But it’s time to switch up some of our regular study routines and look for new ways to take a break as we head into those sunny days! First, we all need to find ways to cool off.

Nothing quenches thirst like a tall, cool glass of water. Likewise, nothing can cool you off like diving into or drenching yourself in some fresh H20. To find your own swimming oasis in the desert, an affordable option would be any one of the City of Las Vegas Pools. I've put together a chart of all of these pools for easy viewing. (Go ahead - click on it!)

What you need to bring: Swimming suit, Towel, and a lock if you want to use one of their lockers. Can’t swim? Ask about their swimming lessons! It’s only $25 per session, more information at the desk.

You have the option of buying an All Summer Pool Pass. It can be purchased at the Municipal Pool before Memorial Day. It costs $40 for Adults; $30 for seniors; or buy a $60 Family Pass which can be used for up to 8 immediate family members. The pool pass can be used at all of the City of Las Vegas pools and is valid from Memorial Day (May 31st) to Labor Day (Sept 6th).

If you're in Henderson, it's easy to scope out their pools online. I made a list of the special pools and activity pools open in the summer. Most of these open Memorial Day weekend, some of them will close after Memorial Day until the second week of June. It's easy to contact them, so give them a call if you're interested. Otherwise, I've called to make sure the hours I've listed coincide with the pools.

Another option is to visit your nearest YMCA. They have a Sizzlin Summer package and some awesome slides to go along with it! I've made another chart for each of their locations.

Remember to bring a towel and your arm floaties if you need them! Children should always be accompanied by an adult, especially at a pool. Wear sunscreen and keep hydrated! I hope this helps you pick the perfect pool for you this summer! I'll keep sending you some great activities for your kids to enjoy over the next summer months.

Open a Whole New World - Read with your Children

“A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others”
--Abraham Lincoln

Your child loves to read, maybe you just don’t know it yet, or perhaps you haven’t yet shown him just how much he enjoys it. Reading at home is an important supplement to the curriculum taught in the classroom, and it prepares your child for success in the future. Take the time to read aloud together, experience new stories and keep it interesting, and always return to favorites. Research has found only advantages to reading with your child, and it will become a pastime you and your child will remember forever.

Even as an infant, just a few months old, your child can look at pictures, listen to your voice and point to objects on the pages. Follow your child’s learning pattern and point to the pictures as you say the names of the objects. This will guide them through their discovery and help them see that the pictures have meaning, and that your words associate with pictures and real-world objects. This technique teaches them how important language is and that words mean something.

“To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”

–A.C. Grayling, Financial Times

Your baby will love the rhythm of your voice as you read, and the sound of language is essential for your child to be familiar with even before they notice the printed words on the page. Reading aloud to your child stimulates imagination and gives them new ideas about the world. As they grow, they develop listening skills and look for meaning behind the words scrolling across the page. As your child follows your pacing, your pauses and rhythm, they become acquainted with the sound of words, and the flow of reading. This will help them grasp the concept of reading when they are in school.

Remember when your child started walking? What gave them the desire to stand and to move their feet? They learned from your example, and from the example of so many other walking children around them. Your child found that to survive in this world, to become independent and mobile, they needed to take that first step. After the first step they had to keep moving their feet. Your child practiced this task over and over again; until the wobbles went away and the uneasiness vanished. By giving your child a rhythm and story time, reading will become as natural and as necessary as walking. Give them the desire to grow and succeed in this world, show them how important reading is.

Your life is hectic, things pile up throughout the day and your tasks as a parent are never ending. Take the time to sit and read with your child regularly. It does not have to be a large time commitment; first try to read for a solid 15 minutes, then work your way up until you find the right amount necessary for your child. If you have multiple children, make sure you spend some time reading alone with each of them. Each of them are at different levels of development and you need to pace their growth accordingly. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t read as a family. Bring all of your children together for a bedtime story, the example you set will help all of your children see how good a book can be; and it’s the perfect way to wind down before going to sleep. Your commitment to reading sends an important message to your children, that it is enjoyable and that good things come out of books.

"Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books."
--Bell Hooks

After you’ve finished a good book with your children, help them think about the message and meaning by talking about it. Remind them of the story when the book has been put away, it will help them understand that reading does not end when the book is finished, but that the story lives on in your mind and can be discussed. Let your child think about the stories they've read, give them time for the story to sink in. You may be surprised by their comments a few days later, demonstrating how great an impact a story can have on the mind.

To help your child develop early reading skills, here are a few pointers we take for granted as reading adults.

• Words and pictures are not the same. Point to the print as you read aloud.


• Words have meaning, and that is why we learn to read, to understand and find the meaning.


• When you follow the text with your finger, your child will see that we read left to right.


• Eventually your child will see that sentences are made up of words, and these words are separated spaces.


• There are capital letters that are big, and lower case letters that are small.
  
  

To conclude, reading is important to language development because:

• Reading the words encourages speech and language development.


• Your baby will learn the rules of language as you read to her.


• As you read, your children learn how to listen and concentrate on what’s being read.


• Reading helps your child prepare for school and success.

Remember these tips while reading to your child. These will help keep your child’s attention and show her what happens while you read.

• Hold the book you’re reading in a way that shows your child the words and pictures.
  
• Point to the sentence as you read so your child can see and follow along with you.


• Make your voice interesting and read short, simple sentences.
  
• Read nursery rhymes. Your child will learn that some words sound the same and that words are fun.


• As you find favorites with your child, read them over again. This will connect your child with a story and give a feeling of security and comfort.

Now is the time and place to PLAY!

Playtime to you may sound like a luxury, but for your child it is a necessity! Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of your child. This means that playing helps your child's brain develop to it's full potential. I've taken the following excerpts from The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds, a clinical report by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There are countless benefits for your child at play because, according to the report, "when playing, children use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive and emotional strength." So while you may not understand their imaginary world, or agree with the sound engineering style of your child's block formation, play is the way your child figures out the world they live in.


Explore their world

The report said it best, "play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles." You may have noticed your child act out a few of the techniques seen in the doctor's office, or perhaps attempt to mirror you in your hobby. These are all ways for children to take what they've seen and make sense of it in their brain, or as the report said, master the technique or role. "As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the strength they will need to face future challenges."

Your child is eager to learn new things, and like a small scientist, is willing to figure it out through trial and error. It's important to give your child the space he/she needs to explore on their own terms. If you control play too much, they won't attempt to explore or ask questions. The report encourages "undirected play," where the child has freedom to play on her own terms, without the constant hovering or direction from a parent.

Discover at their own pace
"Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue."













While it may be difficult to watch your child struggle through play with other children, it helps them understand others and how to work with their peers. Much of play involves adults, but that does not mean the play is controlled by adults. "When adults control play, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership and group skills."

Exercise and shape healthy habits
The physical aspect of play is also a great benefit to your child. Unlike the passive entertainment outlets we find so prevalent today, play sustains and encourages active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, an important strategy in the resolution of the obesity epidemic. Above all, play is a simple job that is a cherished part of childhood.