Access Pass allows low income Hoosiers discounts to area attractions

If you hadn’t heard about it yet, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Conner Prairie announced this spring a partnership that allows a reduced rate of just $1 per family member who obtains an Access Pass. Indiana families with at least one member who is 18 years of age or older and who are part of the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), food stamps or Hoosier Healthwise Insurance are eligible to participate in the Access Pass program. Families can visit The Children’s Museum and Conner Prairie and present a Hoosier Works card or Hoosier Healthwise Insurance card, together with photo identification, at the box office to receive $1 admission for immediate family members. They will be issued an Access Pass card that is renewable annually and provides family members the reduced rate throughout the year!

Summer Reading

Keep your kids reading this summer with some great local reading programs.

Indianapolis-Marion County Public library has a summer reading program that began June 8th and continues through August 1st. The theme this summer is Undercover Readers. The library is offering workshops, prizes for reading, and summer films to go along with their theme. If you are interested in signing up check up the great web site at www.impcl.org/events/srp2009/index.html . If you live outside the Indianapolis area check out your local library to see what kind of summer programs they offer or check out the programs offered by local bookstores.

Half Price Books Summer Reading Program:

In order to encourage kids to "Feed Your Brain," Half Price Books is offering rewards for readers. Kids under 12 can pick up summer reading logs at any Half Price Books and have a parent or guardian sign for every 15 minutes your child reads. Completed logs that average 15 minutes per day are exchangeable for $3 Half Price Books cards EACH week during the program.

Borders:

You need to be 12 or under. You read eight books - and the books can be anything. Print the http://media.bordersstores.com/pdf/summer_kidschallenge.pdf and fill it out. Take it to Borders and get 50% off any book you want.

Barnes and Nobles:

Children need to read 8 books - and the books can be anything. Print and fill out the http://images.bn.com/pimages/bn-junior/resources/2009/Summer_Reading_Journal.pdf. You need to write down the book you read and what you liked about it. Then, take your Reading Journal to Barnes and Noble between May 26th and September 7th to get a FREE book. The list of books you can pick from are printed on the Summer Reading Journal.

Free Movies

Regal cinemas located in Carmel, Avon and on 96th street will be showing select PG and G rated movies for free through the summer. Movies will be played every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m.



The Great Escape theater in Noblesville is also offering free kids movies on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. through the summer.



I would recommend you go early if you plan on going. The movies are first come first serve and tend to fill up quickly.

Indy Parks

The weather is beautiful and the kids are out of school. It's the perfect time to spend a day at the park. Indy parks is celebrating it's summer kick off starting Wednesday June 10th with events at area parks. For more information and other activities available check out the Indy parks website at www.indyparks.org .

Wednesday June 10th
11 a.m. - 1p.m.
Indy Parks on The Circle
Monument Circle
Live music, environmental education exhibits, Water's Education Trailer, sports and games, program information, greenways, golf and special appearances by local celebrities. 6 - 8:30 p.m.

In Concert With Nature
Maple Leaf Trio
Eagle Creek ParkThursday, June 11
7 - 9 p.m.
Holliday Park Concert Series
Convergence
Holliday Park

7 - 9 p.m.
Philharmonic Orchestra Pops Series
Garfield Park MacAllister Center

Friday, June 12
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lunchtime Concert
The Tides
Willard Pool

7:30 p.m.
Friday Night Racing
Major Taylor Velodrome

Saturday, June 13
9 - 11 a.m.
Pleasant Run
Splash 'N Ride
Bike Parade and Dedication of Spray Grounds
Ellenberger Park to Clayton & LaSalle Park (and back)

Noon - 5 p.m.
Family Day
Eagle Creek Park

9 p.m.
Movies in the Park
The Sandlot
Ellenberger Park

Sunday, June 14
Noon - 5 p.m.
PACK - THE - POOLS
Kickoff pool party at all Indy Parks' pools

Noon - 3 p.m.
Farmer's Market
Ellenberger Park

5 p.m.
Jazz in the Park
On-Cue
Watkins Park
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Fun ideas for Infants and Toddlers

Reading the new Zero to Three news letter I found some fun activities to do with your young child. They are all easy to make from items you have in your house or center and the best part is they explain what areas of development you are working on. On the next rainy day give these activities a try!

Here are some fun playtime ideas just right for our favorite young people.

Birth to 12 Months: Wrap It Up. Wrap a ball of waxed paper in a scarf and tie it up. Let your child reach for, grasp, squeeze, and crinkle it. Watch her face to see if she is interested in or surprised by the sounds the package makes. You can put into words what you see on her face: “Wow! It crinkles and crackles. What’s inside?” Games like this encourage tactile awareness, reaching, grasping, and language development.

12 to 24 Months:Hello, Good-Bye. Make a tunnel from a large cardboard box by opening both ends. Place your child at one end of the tunnel. You sit at the opposite end. Peek your face in the tunnel and say, “Hi!” Then lean away from the tunnel (so your child can’t see you) and say, “Bye!” Does your child try to communicate with you by crawling to find you, or by making sounds to copy your “hi” and “bye”? This activity builds the awareness that things and people still exist even when out of sight. It also encourages problem-solving and motor skills as your child figures out how to find and get to you.

24 to 36 Months:Open Up! Draw a large face on a cardboard box. Cut out a circle for the mouth. Pop a ball through the hole/mouth and tell your child, “My friend is hungry. I fed him an apple. But he is still hungry…What should we feed him next?” Encourage your child to find other pieces of “food” to “feed” your “friend.” Then he can tip the box over to get all the “food” out and start over. Activities like this encourage the use of symbolic thinking skills and imagination.