Community Event: LBCC's Family Fun Day 2/2

LBCC’s 36th Annual Family Fun Day!


Activities for children ages 1–6!
• Activity tickets just 25¢ each
• Food & drinks
• Used book & toy sale

Saturday, February 2
10 a.m. – 2p.m.
Linn-Benton Community College's Activities Center Gym
6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany

Call 541-917-4897 for information.

Children ages one to six will enjoy activities such as play dough, an obstacle course, crafts, bounce house, face painting, pirate maze and much more. There will also be a used toy and book sale.

Everyone is invited to attend this inexpensive, fun-filled event. Costs include a suggested donation of $5 per family plus activity tickets at .25 cents each. All proceeds from this event go to support parenting programs and to provide tuition grants for some of the nearly 2,000 parents in Linn and Benton Counties who are involved in LBCC Parenting Education each year.

For more information, contact LBCC Family Resources and Education at 541-917-4897. Persons having questions about or requests for special needs & accommodations should contact the Disability Coordinator at LBCC, RCH-105, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW, Albany, Oregon 97321, Phone 541-917-4690 or via Oregon Telecommunications Relay TTD at 1-800-735-2900 or 1-800-735-1232. Contact should be made 72 hours or more in advance of the event.

Kids Events at the Library Wednesday 6/23

Chintimini Chamber Music Presents "Paul Bunyan"

Wednesday, June 23rd, 10:00 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis, OR

Steve Taylor, Magician & Ventriloquist

Wednesday, June 23rd, 7:00 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis, OR

All are welcome to attend these free family events!
Please call 541-766-6794 for more info.

Pizza & Literacy

Many families have a regular pizza night. Why not extend the family time fun and create a play "pizza restaurant" with literacy-enriched activities?

Start by sharing a pizza-themed book! Two of my favorite are:

"Hi, Pizza Man!" by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel

While a young girl waits for the delivery of a hot pizza, she provides the appropriate animal sounds for a variety of pretend animal pizza deliverers.

 

 Pete's a Pizza by William Steig

When Pete feels miserable because rain makes it impossible to play ball outdoors, his father finds a fun indoor game to play with his son.

Children want to do what they see grownups doing. During dramatic play experiences, children act out what they've seen the grownups in their lives doing. Just gather up a few literacy and play props around the house and you can create a pizza restaurant with your child. They'll get to play a role as chef or server as they prepare a pretend pizza meal for you, their guest. Many grownup routines are so full of literacy activities, but we rarely stop to think about this fact. As a guest at a restaurant, you might read the daily specials on a chalkboard and browse the menu at your table. When a server takes your order and writes it down on his order pad, that's modeling literacy skills. When the chef reads the order and refers to the recipe, she is using literacy skills as well. Cooking involves both reading and math skills.

For "pizza restaurant" play, you could use toy or "play" food, or create pizzas with craft supplies. Supplies you could use include:

• a play cash register or a small box to use for collecting "money"
• play money - create your own or use the money from a board game
  
• small pizza boxes, if you have them
• apron
  
• bowls, pizza pans, play food, cups
  
• construction paper for creating craft pizzas
• yarn for the "cheese", different colored construction paper cut into a variety of shapes for the "toppings", glitter for sprinkling with "basil" or "red pepper flakes"...
• pencils, crayons, markers, glue
• paper to create a menu and for taking an order. You can purchase order pads and receipt books at an office supply store for an added "real" touch.
  
• telephone to "call in the order"
• table and tablecloth
• chalkboard and chalk to write out the daily specials
  

Looking to move beyond pretend play? Children are so eager to help and do grownup activities, that they're likely to want to join you in the kitchen as you prepare the real pizza meal. Depending on your children's individual ages, you can give them jobs of varying responsibility helping you cook. Whether it is helping you sprinkle the cheese, spread the sauce, kneed the pizza dough, measure and pour ingredients, or read the recipe with you, there is plenty for them to help with. Delicious fun!

Parent Pick: Catch a Fish, Throw a Ball, Fly a Kite

Do you ever feel like you need to slow down and get back to the simple things in life? Here's a book to inspire the modern parent to try the simple, timeless activities familiar to childhood.

In Catch a Fish, Throw a Ball, Fly a Kite: 21 Timeless Skills Every Child Should Know (and any parent can teach!) by Jeffrey Lee:

"A renowned family physician, YA author, and father of two offers this guide to 21 classic skills that parents can teach their children--from lighting a campfire to riding a bike to folding a paper airplane. Includes illustrations, anecdotes, and trivia and jokes related to each subject." (summary courtesy of Syndetics)