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Jun. 27, 2011 at 11:54amThe New Waterways Table is Here!We are so excited to announce the opening of our new Waterways Contraption Table. Waterways is an exhibit where kids use the power of water to make music, puzzle together pipe systems, and splash around using a variety of water toys. Children are given the opportunity to explore their curiosity about water behavior, basic engineering, mechanics and observation through play and interaction.
Read more → Apr. 5, 2011 at 9:14amBank on It!Make teaching your kids about money easy!Children’s spending power is on the increase each year, yet they lack guidance on what to do with that money. According to Jump$tart Coalition, just 26% of parents feel prepared to teach their kids about personal finances. KeyBank Foundation wants to ensure that number rises in the coming years and are showing their support for educating children about managing money responsibly by sponsoring our Financial Literacy Initiative.
Read more → Mar. 14, 2011 at 2:34pmCalling All Campers!It's never too early to start thinking about summer! It’s hard to believe, but before you know it you’ll be looking to fill the summer weeks with exciting activities for your children. I know what you’re thinking; we haven’t even gotten to the first day of spring! Why should I begin thinking about summer? Winter is a great time to start sorting out the summer day camp choices with your youngsters. If your child has never been to day camp before, they will certainly have many questions. If you begin planning now, you won’t feel rushed into a decision as summer approaches.Read more → Nov. 22, 2010 at 1:42pmTips for traveling with kids!Over the river and through the woods, to grandfather's house we go; the horse knows the way to carry the sleigh, through the white and drifted snow, oh!
If only the horse knew the way, and carried all the necessary travel items we may not be so scared of the dreaded holiday travel! With Thanksgiving (the #1 traveled holiday in America) right around the corner, we found this great article on surviving the trials and tribulations of navigating yourself and kids through an airport. Traveling with young children can be a challenge, but it can also be the trip of a lifetime, for them and for you! Read more → Nov. 3, 2010 at 1:36pmWe LOVE Caspar BabypantsAnd we know you do too!Talking Kids With Seattle Kindie Musician Caspar Babypants
Something magical happens when you crank up the newest music by Seattle kindie-rocker Caspar Babypants – kids quiet down! That is, until the giggles erupt. This is Fun, Chris Ballew's (aka Caspar Babypants) third kids' CD offers youngsters a fantastic mix of silly and sweet tunes. It's clear that Ballew is having fun! Imaginative stories about elephants coming down the street, things with googly eyes coming alive, and babies bouncing all over the country, as expressed through song capture, as Ballew says, "the boundless, powerful innocence that kids have." Ballew, also known to parents as the lead singer of The Presidents of the United States of America, includes a cover of Nirvana’s "Sliver" on the CD and is joined by special guests Elizabeth Mitchell and other kiddie singers on several tunes. This is Fun releases on November 2nd! Read more → Oct. 13, 2010 at 12:07pmAnother reason to pack lunch...Money!Keeping school lunches interesting...and pocket friendly is a challenge these days. Thought this article might interest you lunch packing parents! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39526412/from/toolbar?gt1=43001 Sep. 13, 2010 at 4:31pmSuperClean - YAY!!With back to school in full swing and, and weather feeling more fall like than summer - it can only mean one thing: SuperClean at the Museum! Each September, we close the Museum to update, paint and refresh the entire Museum top to bottom. Being open 6 days a week (7 days in the Summer) doesn't give us much time to do the big jobs that we tackle during SuperClean like the install new exhibits, major repairs to things that are broken, painting, and flooring projects.
Read more → Jul. 27, 2010 at 8:14amEats & Beats Concert with The Not-ItsSaturday, July 24thAre you ready to rock? KidsQuest Children's Museum and The Not-Its are! Saturday night we held our Eats & Beats Concert here at KQCM. At Eats and Beats children and parents have a chance to spend the evening together grabbing a slice of pizza and enjoying a great concert right here in our own Backyard! Our summer concert series is specifically designed to provide tunes written for children ages 10 and under.
Read more → Dec. 29, 2009 at 2:27pmMake 2010 Your Family's Year to PLAY!Many of us make New Year's resolutions every year. We set goals to start exercising, lose weight or get organized, just to name a few. But how many of us take the time to size up our family? To really take a good look at the people we spend most of our time with? This is an idea that we at KidsQuest have spent a lot of time talking about, and we have decided to make the Museum's 2010 resolution all about family. We want 2010 to be your family's year to play! Read more → Dec. 22, 2009 at 1:37pmFamily TraditionsFamily rituals are one of the best ways to make the holiday season meaningful for kids. Traditions help connect us with our past and bond us with each other. One important key is that these traditions be maintained every year, and not be sacrificed to the busyness and business of the holiday season. Traditions might include simple things such as cutting down and decorating a Christmas tree, buying special ornaments, cooking a particular meal, helping someone in need or having a holiday gathering at your house with family and friends. Read more → Sep. 30, 2009 at 9:16amNWAYM continued!Fall means a number of things for us here at KidsQuest Children's Museum – SuperClean, back to school, the start of new programs, and the annual NWAYM conference! This year was no different and we were lucky enough to travel to Salem, Oregon to visit A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village. It is very exciting for me to have the opportunity to see what others in the Museum field are doing and what is working well for them. It is wonderful to be given the chance to brainstorm what we can all do as an association to make our Museums better. After hosting last year's conference here at KidsQuest, we understand the time and energy it takes to put on this conference and the staff of A.C Gilbert's Discovery Museum did an amazing job!
Read more → Sep. 14, 2009 at 3:57pmKidsQuest's SuperClean!We've been SUPERCLEANED! Each year KidsQuest closes for a week in September to install new exhibit components, paint and give the Museum a deep clean. It is always a long and challenging week, but the staff and our awesome helpers did an amazing job to get everything done.
Read more → Sep. 1, 2009 at 2:04pmReady…Set…Go Back to School!Back to school preparations are in full-swing and some kids have already started the school year, but preparing for a new school year often involves more than shopping for new clothes or shoes. The first bell of the year rings and the sounds of summer will be replaced by the voices of children ending their summer play and trying to sort out their new school routines. For most children (and parents), going back to school signifies a move from the lazy, hazy days of summer to a more structured routine and poses unique challenges that must be overcome. Children may not always view a new school year with excitement and enthusiasm, which is why we have listed some tips and resources to help make the transition from summer to school easier than you thought possible!
Learn more about school readiness and what you can do to encourage children’s early learning in simple ways every day and help them be ready to start school.
Child Care Aware (from the National Association of Child Care Resources & Referral Agencies): Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten (and the World) talks about the skills most children need when they enter kindergarten, what you can do to help your child get those skills most children need when they enter kindergarten, and what to do if you think your child isn’t “ready.” Washington State Department of Early Learning:Print a child’s checklist for school readiness Learn about the work the Department of Early Learning, Office of Superintendent ofPublic Instruction and Thrive by Five Washington are doing around a kindergarten readiness assessment for Washington State Foundation for Early Learning: Getting School Ready is a free guide for parents, families and caregivers. PDF versions of the guides are available English, Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese. Aug. 26, 2009 at 12:00amFathers: The Work-Life BalanceThe KidsQuest staff came in Monday morning to find a wonderful email in our in-boxes. A father had visited the Museum and took the time to let us know how much he appreciated our support and encouragement of the father’s role in their children’s life.
I recently took my son and his friend to KidsQuest. While using the restroom, I noticed a baby diaper changing station in the men's room, as well as a toddler seat in the stall.
Thank you for remembering that fathers are (and should be) involved as parents from start to finish, and facilitating our involvement in those ways, just as we facilitate mother's involvement.
Read more → Aug. 24, 2009 at 12:00amReading to Your KidsReading with children is fun and is one of the best ways to prepare them for school and beyond. Children learn about the value and importance of reading as they watch their family reading and writing every day.
Read more → Aug. 14, 2009 at 8:14amIt's been said that kids spell love T-I-M-EWith today's busy lifestyles, many parents and grandparents work to spend more "quality time" with their children or grandchildren. But what is quality time? "Quality time" is time spent doing an activity that is meaningful to the parent and child. It is time when family members really get to know each other. Quality time is spent focusing attention on the other person and sharing thoughts and feelings.
Read more → Jul. 7, 2009 at 2:58pmSmall Steps: A Good-Health GuideCheck out this article we just found in The New York Times. It’s circulating around the office and, as a mom, I found a lot of the information very interesting and applicable to my life - I thought you might find it interesting too!
Happy reading: http://www.nytimes.com If you click on the "Well" graphic on the left side you'll find more helpful articles.Jul. 6, 2009 at 11:53amFear of visiting the doctor?Come to KidsQuest's Teddy Bear Clinic!Who isn't a little apprehensive about going to the doctor? With all of the odd looking instruments-the stethoscope, and the pointy otoscope (the device which is used to look into the ears). Not to mention the shots! Children are usually even more sensitive to doctors for the simple fact that the doctor is also a stranger. Fears are usually a normal part of a child's development. Some typical fears about going to the doctor include:
Read more → Jun. 23, 2009 at 9:17amWhat is a children's museum?What is a children’s museum? That is sometimes a difficult question for people to answer. When we hear the word museum we often think of a place where “inside voices” are used and a place that we are expected to look with our eyes and not with our hands. A children’s museum, however, couldn’t be more different.
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