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We’re starting to hear “Back To School” commercials… you’re almost there parents… but there’s still 3 plus weeks to go… Now what! Here’s some list of Youth Activities to keep you running on full. Thanks to our friends at Calgary’s Child Magazine.

Youth Activities

The City of Calgary Youth Pool Parties. Hang out with friends, meet new ones, have a few free slices of pizza. Youth 12 to 17 can enjoy a DJ spinning some tracks and play Wii. For more information, contact 3-1-1 or visit calgary.ca/recreation.

3 to 6pm; Free Summer Youth Bus. Join The City of Calgary for activities like laserquest, skateboarding or going to the pool or the movies! For more information, contact 3-1-1 or visit calgary.ca/afterschool

Youth Central offers meaningful volunteer experiences for 12 to 18 year olds. For more information, visit youthcentral.com

Fridays, 8 to 11pm; Teen Night at Village Square Leisure Centre. Youth ages 12 to17 (ID required) can hang out in the youth room with friends, compete in Nintendo Wii, play games and sports in the gymnasium and swim in the pool. General youth admission applies. For more information, contact 403-366-3900 or visit calgary.ca/leisurecentres.

August 26, 7 to 9pm; Good Bye Summer Youth Party at Highwood Outdoor Pool. For ages 10 to 17. DJ, games, prize wheel, mini golf, giant Wii screen and hot tub. For more information, visit highwoodoutdoorpool.com.

Bonus Code: AUGUST

Summer is a great way to get your kids up and active… because they can go outside. But sometimes it’s hard to motivate them to get up and get going. Our friends at Calgary’s Child Magazine has some great tips to get them moving!

Get Moving — Together – Calgary’s Child Magazine
Kids are naturally active and fit right?

Not necessarily, according to Stats Canada the average Canadian child spends 25 to 30 hours each week sitting behind a school desk and more than 26 hours a week watching TV. It’s no wonder children today are up to 40% less active than they were 30 years ago.

So, what can we as parents do to encourage fitness?
Play is important for everyone — parents and kids — as it provides
balance in our lives. Children need to see you play and be active too!

Plan a regular family activity together. Go biking, or hiking, play ball,
pack a picnic, or simply play at the park.

If you run or walk, let the kids ride their bikes with you.

Look for ways to add activity to your day, head out first for a walk
to the video store before you curl up on the couch.

The choices are endless and the benefits are priceless — So get moving together.

For more great and helpful tips visit www.calgaryschild.com

Bonus Code: PLAY

Calgary’s Child Magazine always has some GREAT reminders of all the fun activities to do around town! Here’s a few!

*Summer months, 10am to 3:30 pm; Free Park n’ Play Program offered by The City of Calgary. An outdoor program for children six to 12. Games, crafts and tons of fun. For more information, contact 3-1-1 or visit www.calgary.ca/cns for dates and locations in your community.

*Summer months, 10am to Noon; Free Stay n’ Play Program offered by The City of Calgary. For ages three to five. Children must be accompanied by an adult/guardian. For more information, contact 3-1-1 or visit www.calgary.ca/cns for dates and locations in your community.

Summer months, Mon. to Fri. 10am to 6pm and Saturdays, 10am to 5pm; Kayben Farms Sunshine Adventure Park. 12+ acres of nature and farm for your kids to discover, learn and have fun! For more information, visit www.kayben.com.

*Summer months; Join the Scholastic Summer Challenge, an online resource inviting kids to log their minutes spent reading as they Read for the World Record. Visit www.scholastic.com/summer to input reading minutes, take weekly challenges and win great prizes.

Ongoing; Bowden Sunmaze. Canada’s only sunflower maze! Farm animals, U-pick vegetables and U-pick flowers. Located one hour north of Calgary. For more information, visit www.sunmaze.ca or eaglecreekfarms.ca.

Ongoing; Special Exhibit at Fort Calgary – The Canoe: A Canadian Cultural Icon shows the importance of canoeing in Canadian history and culture. In this exhibit, visitors can attempt to load a canoe with trade items to prepare for its journey. For more information, visit www.fortcalgary.com.

Ongoing; Ignite! Discover! Explore at the Firefighters Museum of Calgary! For more information, visit www.firefightersmuseum.org.

Open mid-July to late October; Calgary Corn Maze, Petting Zoo & Pumpkin Patch. Experience the giant corn mazes, barnyard petting zoo, jumping pillows, tractor train rides, pig races, corn cannons, fall pumpkin patch and so much more! For more information, visit www.calgarycornmaze.com.

For more GREAT ideas go to Calgary’s Child Magazine.

Bonus Code: AWESOME

The last time I had to take my son to the Children’s Hospital Emergency room was back in January when my youngest had a temperature of 104 and it wasn’t going down. Ended up, he had an ear infection. In my case, thank goodness it wasn’t very serious. Thanks to the outstanding staff at the Children’s Hospital.

But that first visit to the Emergency for children can be frightening at first. Here’s a look, from Calgary’s Child Magazine, at what you can expect if you need to bring your child there, to ease the first visit. And remember to bring your childs Health Care Card.

The Emergency Department

A visit to the emergency department can be a parent’s worst nightmare. Understanding how it works before you’re at a point of crisis may ease the way.

The emergency department at the Alberta Children’s Hospital cares for children under the age of 18 whose health problems cannot wait to be seen by a family doctor. The department is staffed by trained pediatric emergency nurses, pediatricians and specialists in emergency medicine.

When you arrive at the emergency department, the nurse at the triage desk will want to know what your child’s problem is and will ask for a few details about your child’s medical history.

You will be asked to wait in the waiting room until a room is available in the treatment room. Let the nurse know if your child’s condition changes while you are in the waiting room.

Children are seen according to the serious of their medical problems. Critically ill patients are always seen before those children with less serious problems.

The Children’s Hospital tries to have every patient in the treatment area within one hour and assessed by the physician within another 30 minutes.

When the Emergency Department is busy, the wait can be as long as three hours for children whose problems are less serious. Remember, the emergency department may look quiet when it is busy. Behind closed doors there may be a seriously ill child who is needing a lot of care from emergency staff.

Nobody wants to be a patient in the emergency department. The staff at the hospital are highly trained and motivated to provide the best care for your child.

For more great tips visit www.calgaryschild.com
Bonus Code: HOSPITAL

Having 2 small children, I quickly learned that children are being “compared” to at an early age. “Well my son counts to 10 already and he’s only 2 1/2″. “My daughter can spell her own name.” That makes it tough as a parent to know where YOUR own child should be. First off, stop comparing your child to other children. Every child is different and every child develops at different stages.

My first son didn’t really say any “real sentences” until he was over 2. And now that he’s almost 4 he doesn’t STOP talking! Ha! But my other son isn’t even 2 yet and he can say full phrases like, “I don’t know” and “bottle empty more milk please”. So this is when I learned that from birth we’re all different.

But there are some guidelines for talking developments for kids. Calgary’s Child Magazine has given us a few tips to follow!

Talk by 2
Children are unique and develop at their own pace, but they do follow similar steps.

Such is the case with speech development. Here are some important speech milestones that your child should reach by age two.

By 1 1/2 years can your child say 10 to 20 words?
Point to three body parts when asked?
Follow simple commands like “go get your shoes?”
By 2 years your child should be able to say more than 20 words, use two word sentences and follow longer commands, like “go upstairs, get your brush and come back”

If you answered no to any of these questions, there are things you can do now to help your child talk. Acting on concerns early is important. Consult your family physician.

For more great stories and tips visit www.calgaryscild.com
Bonus Code: TALK

June already!!! I was a little worried that I didn’t get on the band wagon early enough for summer programs for my son… but Calgary’s Child Magazine has come to my rescue! They did all the work for us, and all you have to do is pick which ones your kids want.

Summer is a great time for kids to get out and play and enjoy the weather… but it can be pretty stressful on parents. The Calgary’s Child May-June issue will help families get up and out the door to enjoy all the season has to offer. Plus, they’ll help you prepare for end-of-school activities, exams, make holiday plans, choose a summer camp or program, and their *new Home Central feature will help you freshen up your home sweet home – inside and out plus much more!

The 17th Annual Summer Camp; Program Guide is the source for parents who are looking for information about summer camps for their children. You’ll find hundreds of camp and summer program options as well as helpful articles including the Insider’s Guide to Choosing a Summer Camp and Turning Your Homesick Kid into a Happy Camper. Click here (http://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=67473&p=12) to view the digital e-edition Summer Camp & Program Guide part of the May-June issue, starting on Page 12. Thank you Calgary’s Child!!! http://www.calgaryschild.com/

BONUS CODE: SUMMER

My 3 year old son has recently commented on his Best Friends. Usually he names Grandpa and Mommy as his friends. But it’s not as easy as we think it is to make new friends. Here’s some great tips from our friends at Calgary’s Child Magazine.

Making friends sounds as simple as child’s play, but if you watch any young child, you’ll see how hard it really is …

Learning social skills is one of the most difficult developmental tasks a child faces and one of the most critical for future success in life. While the skills of friendship usually come naturally as children mature, parents can and should take steps to help the process along.

· Open your home to their friends and encourage your child to join a group of kids with similar interests.

· Try to leave some free time during the week so your child has the time for friendships to develop.

· Allow a reasonable amount of telephone time, as it’s often easier for kids to talk on the phone than in person.

· Help your child feel that he can fit in with his peers, that may mean occasionally giving into the designer jeans or branded sports gear.

· Positive group involvement often prevents the need for kids to get involved in a group whose interests are negative. So help your child get involved with positive groups such as sports, scouts, hobbies or church.

One friend can make a difference. If your child has no friends, seek the help from a teacher to link them up with a good playmate. One positive experience may be enough to renew your child’s confidence and make having friends as easy as child’s play.

For more informations visit www.calgaryschild.com

Bonus Code: FRIEND

Calgary’s Child Magazine has all kinds of information on what’s happening in our fine city! Here’s a few you DON’T want to miss out on!

May 24 to 28; 25th Annual Calgary International Children’s Festival! Theatre, music, dance, puppetry and more! To view the full schedule lineup and to purchase tickets, visit calgarychildfest.org.

May 28, 11 to 3pm; Pre-Summer Showcase Event at Southland Leisure Centre. Visit Southland’s main and arena lobbies where there will be carnival games, the Calgary Vipers will be throwing balls and so much more! Calgary’s Child Magazine will see you there, stop by and say hi!

May 29; 4th Street Lilac Festival. The Lilac Festival has something for everyone, including great food, entertainment, vendors and activities for kids. For more information, visit 4streetcalgary.com/lilacfestival.

For more visit www.calgaryschild.com/ or www.facebook.com/calgaryschild

Bonus Code: FUN

Seriously, email clutter has taken over flyers in my mailbox! And now I enjoy the newspaper flyers more than I do deleting too many emails. Everywhere you go now they want to join their email list! NO MORE! I’m going to Email Detox my inbox! Too many coupons for things I don’t want or need!

BUT… here is one that you do NEED. It’s got it all!! From great tips to funny stories, to great product ideas and saving tips… it’s SavvyMom. I LOVE my http://www.savvymom.ca tips and ideas! An article from this week was my favorite. It made me laugh out loud… as I related to The KidDictionary. Here’s an excerpt from the SavvyMom article:

“This must have been what Eric Ruhalter, author of The KidDictionary, a book of words parents need but don’t have, was thinking. He took all of his valuable lessons and documented them into a (hilarious) new language.

GARBOFLAGE (v): To hide kids’ artwork under other trash in wastebasket so you don’t get caught chucking it.

SHIRTURBED (adj): Annoyed state of a child who just received an article of clothing as a present. ”

Read the full article here.

I especially love GARBOFLAGE. I’m SO guilty of that! Thank you SavvyMoms for articles I can relate to, and you don’t clutter my inbox with JUNK!!

As for the rest of you JUNK EMAILS… I’m done with you! No more as I click “UNSUBSCRIBE”!

BONUS CODE: JUNK

Yesterday after 4:00pm I yelled downstairs to the nanny that it was after 4:00 and she could send my son back up as her day was over… she yelled back up… “It’s okay; he’s playing with my daughter”.

Okay – I had a confused look on my face and went downstairs to check. Her daughter is living in the Philippines with her father and grandparents, how were they POSSIBLY playing together. I walked into the play room, and there they were! My son and her daughter playing together via SKYPE! They’re the same age, and don’t speak the same language, but were having a blast sharing toys and running back and forth to show-and-tell with their stuff.

I couldn’t believe it. My, how the world has changed. There they were, two 3 year olds, playing together, yet they were thousands of miles apart. Unbelievable. I loved it! Thank you Skype for this incredible moment!

BONUS CODE: SKYPE (Bonus code will be available after 10:00 am)