All posts by jenniferlin

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, What to Read

Story Time at Subterranean Books

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Looking for a different and almost magical story time in the St. Louis area? If you haven’t experienced one with Georgy Rock at Subterranean Books at 6275 Delmar Boulevard, you’re missing something quite unique.

YouTube Video of January Story Time.

A favorite storyteller in the region, Georgy Rock (recently named the best storyteller in St. Louis Magazine’s A-List 2010) spins tales, shares stories, warms hearts, sings, and generally captivates kids and their parents on Thursdays from 11:30 to noon at Subterranean Books. She has 30 years of experience telling stories and in 2009, was ordained a maggid, or Jewish itinerant storyteller.

Last Fall, when one of our usual Thursday morning classes was canceled, my daughter and I had a chance to hear Georgy Rock at Subterranean. Up in the cozy second loft like floor of the bookstore, Georgy welcomed all the children by name and sang/spoke her way through four books. She has a beautiful ability for creating a seamless tempo in her readings and integrating song and humor throughout the event. She also sang a couple of songs that involved hand and arm movements which the kids enjoyed. There were only about six children there when we went, infants to preschoolers.

Tips

* It is lunch time for most kids at this time, so many of the children ate a few quiet snacks and sucked down milk/juice boxes. Come prepared with some fruit or semi crumb-free snack.
* Parking on Delmar during the week at lunch time isn’t too bad–you can usually find some street parking. There is also a public ramp about a block from the bookstore. Be sure to bring your quarters!
* A few doors down is a great kids store, City Sprouts. They have a lovely play area with trains and kitchen toys, plus plenty of kids clothes, gifts, furniture, and design ideas. City Sprouts also has a pretty extensive selection of Tea Collection clothing.
* Want to spend the afternoon in the area? Nice map of Delmar.

 

An important note: Subterranean Books is struggling financially to stay afloat, as are many independent bookstores. If you have time, browse the store before or after story time. There are some incredibly thoughtful and smart selections of children’s books. We are library and bookstore junkies and were happily surprised at some of the new titles we discovered. Please remind your kids to be gentle with the books while browsing–this tiny store doesn’t have much wiggle room on their inventory.

Read more about story time from UniversityCityPatch.com.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Little ways to make life easier, Visual Art at Home

Captivating coloring

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Recently, my three-year old daughter has started enjoying coloring more. She is mildly interested in the coloring sheets that come with the kiddie menus at restaurants and the handful of Miffy pages I’ve printed from web sites (although we love Miffy books!). She doesn’t really care much for Melissa and Doug coloring pages or TV character pages. But for some reason, Taro Gomi doodling and coloring books hold her concentrated attention for 30 minutes plus. Yes, that’s enough time to have a real conversation with someone or cook most of your dinner!

The author of Everyone Poops and other books, Taro Gomi is an award-winning writer and illustrator. His doodle, scribble, coloring, activity, and painting books and postcards will keep 3 to 7 year olds engaged. The clean line drawings are bold, expressive, and humorous with ample space to color and also space for embellishing (some of the pictures ask kids to add worms or apples to certain scenes for instance). If you love white space, these books are for you, uh, I mean your child. Some of the Taro Gomi books focus more on learning how to draw/doodle while others are geared more towards preschoolers who just want to color, draw simple lines, or practice counting. There is usually a nice balanced assortment of different age appropriate pages in each volume.

Here are some sample Taro Gomi color pages to download on Chronicle Books’ site.

Here are a few of our favorites to buy:

Doodles: A Really Giant Coloring and Doodling Book
Doodle 123!: A Really Giant Doodling and Drawing Book
Doodle All Year

Be sure to check Amazon for good prices on Taro Gomi titles and possibly Barnes and Noble or Borders if you have a coupon. Many of these books are pretty thick and heavy, so feel free to remove a few pages for a restaurant outing.

We also like the Melissa and Doug triangular crayons for color, durability, and no paper wrapper to peel away.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Arts & Culture for Kids, Little ways to make life easier, Toys, Visual Art at Home

Let’s get the blue tape

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You know how it goes. Your child gets a great present from the grandparents and all she/he wants to do is play with the bubble wrap and wheel stuffed animals around in the big box the toy came in. Yes, sometimes the cheapest and insignificant items are what holds little ones’ attention the most.

Hence, blue painter’s tape. I’m not sure how our love affair with this tape began, but my daughter has been playing with blue painter’s tape for a couple of years now and it is a big part of her daily play. The beauty of this tape is that it comes off of all surfaces (well maybe not so much hair), is reasonably priced, is reusable, and really does build spatial, construction, and motor skills. There’s something intriguing about blue painter’s tape for kids–I think that they feel like they have some control over it and what they can create with it. Most kids can rip their own tape by the age of 3 or so. We recently bought a 9 pack from Amazon for $31.12 that lasts about a year.

Here are some ways to get creative with blue painter’s tape:

  • pretend bandages on stuffed animals
  • build anything and everything with blue tape, paper, cardboard, paper plates, etc…
  • decorating or dressing up stuffed animals
  • “wrapping” objects (see the mini-pumpkin above) or pretend gifts
  • fixing things–of course this involves “breaking” or ripping something apart first!
  • attaching dolls or other objects to cars, play houses
  • art projects when you don’t want to use glue or just don’t have any glue on hand
  • airplane ride entertainment
  • pretend bridges (attach it between chairs)
  • create “do not enter” sections of a room
  • mini kites
  • fun abstract greeting cards or wall/window art
  • marking off a pretend house on a wooden floor
  • pretend jewelry
  • play food

Add some packing peanuts to the blue tape mix sometime and you’ve got an afternoon of non-battery powered fun.

Dance, Date Night

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

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“Fierce, athletic, and compulsively sensual.” – Village Voice

Dance St. Louis presents Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet January 28 and 29 at Touhill Performing Arts Center. This New York based company works with some meaty and brilliant choreographers and beautiful dancers. Led by French-born Artistic Director Benoit-Swan Pouffer, the company will bring St. Louis dance fans some breath-filled, exhilarating, poignant, and stunning movement. We don’t get to see much contemporary ballet in this area, so be sure to experience this performance. I have yet to see Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet live, but from their video excerpts, there is clearly something visceral and Ballet Boyz/William Forsythe going on…

Friday, January 28 at 8 pm  |  Touhill Performing Arts Center
Saturday, January 29 at 2 pm and 8 pm  |  Touhill Performing Arts Center

Tickets $28 to $50

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Videos

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet on Flickr

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Dance

New Ballet Studio Opens in Crestwood

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Kay Tabisaura, who has been teaching in the Dance Co-Op space inside the Crestwood Mall, has just opened up her own space in the same mall. Her studio, East West Ballet, is located near Sears. A former dancer with Ballet Philippines and Singapore Dance Theatre, Kay is a certified and registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance. In addition to her time in St. Louis, she has taught in Toronto and Hamilton (Canada) and in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Her current schedule includes classes for preschoolers up through adults.

I’ve been taking her adult classes for about a year and have really enjoyed the small class sizes, thoughtful technique corrections, musicality, and ability to get her students moving across the floor. I’ve taken adult ballet classes all over the country in more urban areas and greatly appreciate Kay’s dedication to adult dancers and well thought out barre (yes, adults take a little longer to warm up!). She even offers a Sunday afternoon intermediate ballet class–the only one I know of in the St. Louis area. (There is a beginning class at COCA on Sundays, but it is designed for dancers new to ballet, is not available year-round, and requires you to sign up for a whole semester.)

My preschooler has also had fun in Kay’s Music and Movement class–it’s a bit of a Kindermusik/creative movement hybrid class.

The new studio space is on the small side, but the floor is wonderful. It features new Marley on a subflooring that has some nice spring to it. You will feel secure in your turns. There is also ample, free parking in the Crestwood Mall parking lot.

Class prices at East West Ballet are one of the best values in St. Louis County. Adult class cards are $53 for 5 classes ($10.60 per class) or $12 for one drop in class. Tuition for the kids classes start at $40 a month with discounts available when multiple family members enroll. For adult dancers (non-professional) in St. Louis, you can expect to pay $15 to $20 per class at other studios in the region, so again, I reiterate, East West Ballet is an incredible value!

One last note, East West Ballet embodies more serious ballet teaching but without the scariness or formality of some studios. (You know, those studios where the teacher has a stick, rolls his/her eyes at the adult dancers, and the girls have troubling eating concerns.) Kay is very knowledgeable and experienced, but practical, patient, and warm in her teaching approach. Also, East West Ballet is not a competition studio and it is not a “dress up in princess costumes and prance in recitals so we can get your parents’ money studio.” Just straightforward, smart teaching in a clean and serene space.

More information at 314.398.9960 or East West Ballet.

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers, Community, Holidays

The year-end ask (not from your kid).

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Your mailbox is probably overflowing with letters from nonprofit organizations asking for year-end donations. If you don’t already have a personal connection to a cause, what to pick? Who is more worthy than the rest?

Tough call. It’s particularly challenging at the end of the year for cultural organizations to compete with other nonprofits whose missions involve urgent and tangible needs like feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, advocating on behalf of battered women, giving medicine to needy children, and more. But as you know, cultural organizations can also feed the mind, offer solace, inspire, and bring joy (and of course contribute to our economy in a major way). Please keep them in mind as you consider donations this month.

Here are a few recommendations that focus on family friendly places in the St. Louis region and whose memberships include useful benefits that can save you money on your visits. Donations to these companies are tax-deductible (check with each membership level for the exact amount). Do you work for a mid to large size for-profit company? Ask your human resources department about matching gifts. You can often double your donation and the nonprofit typically bumps you up to the next membership level with the match.

Missouri Botanical Garden: Memberships come with complimentary tickets to The Children’s Garden (open April-October), an incredible place for kids to run around, engage in pretend play, climb, play with boats, hang from ropes, slide, stack, play with musical instruments, and more.

Museum of Transportation: This museum is a little on the scrappy side, but perfect for your little one who loves things that go. A membership includes visits to the Creation Station (a wonderful indoor play area that is great for infants to 5 year olds) and train rides that go around a big parking lot two times (kids still love it!). There are great old trains to ramble around in on the museum grounds as well.

The Magic House: People travel from all over the country and beyond to delight in The Magic House, a fantastic children’s museum that caters to infants through 9 year olds (or so). Most museum memberships offer complimentary admission, free visits for playdates, cafe and class discounts, and more. We’ve been visiting The Magic House for the last year and my three-year old often ends up crying/whining about leaving. She has way too much fun. There is an enormous amount to play with and it is all smartly designed. Admission is usually $8.75 per person above one year of age (including you!), so if you end up being a frequent visitor, a membership is definitely worth it.

St. Louis Zoo: Yes, it isn’t exactly warm weather to be romping around at the zoo, but there is an indoor area of the Children’s Zoo as well as some other indoor animal exhibits. With a membership, you get passes for the Zooline train (regularly $5 per person over the age of 2), parking (comes in handy when there is no street parking for blocks and your kid is saying “hold me!” The parking lot is regularly $11 per car.), the Children’s Zoo (regularly $4 per person over the age of 2), and the carousel (regularly $3 per person over the age of 2, that includes a caregiver who is holding the child on the carousel animal).

St. Louis Science Center: If you have a high energy child who likes a little “organized” chaos, this place is for you. The free areas of the Science Center are fairly limited. Special exhibitions, the Discovery Room, the OMNIMAX, and the planetarium among other activities, require admission fees. Parking is $9 per vehicle. Membership benefits include free or discounted admission to all of these and parking passes. If you have a 3 to 7 year old who likes things a little calmer (the rest of the Science Center is really loud on a busy day), the Discovery Room is perfect. Interactive magnet exhibits, a water table, reading areas, pretend play and more help your kids learn a bit about science. The Discovery Room sessions are 45 minutes each and start at the top of the hour.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis: This professional opera company is nationally and internationally respected. It is fiscally sound, bursting with creativity, and produces some fantastic productions. Opera Theatre of St. Louis also has an extensive education and artist training program. About 26% of Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s income comes from ticket sales, so they rely heavily on donations to make their magic happen. We are very lucky to have them in Webster Groves.

Naturally, any of these memberships/donations can be given as thoughtful gifts.

Want to check on these nonprofits’ fiscal management? Check guidestar.org for more or contact the organization directly.

Happy Holidays and enjoy the gift of experience!

Date Night, Holidays

Bach Society of St. Louis & Christine Brewer

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If you have yet to hear the stunning, soaring, lush, and thoughtful voice of soprano Christine Brewer, go experience The Bach Society of St. Louis’s Christmas Candlelight Concert on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 7:30 pm, Powell Symphony Hall. The program features Christine Brewer and chorus singing Poulenc’s Gloria, O Holy Night (arr. Mack Wilberg), and Rutter’s Little Lamb/Dona nobis pacem. Several traditional Christmas Carols will also be performed by the Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra and the St. Louis Children’s Choir. Enjoy favorite holiday pieces including: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming, Still, Still, Still, and Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella.

Even if you are not a Christmas fanatic, you may appreciate the music planned for the evening. These works can be poignant, humanizing, and moving in ways you might not expect. (And did I mention soprano Christine Brewer?!)

Tickets are $20 to $70 and can be ordered online or by calling 314.652.2224 for more information.

SPECIAL PROMOTION: Through November 30, 11:59 pm, you can get an orchestra level ticket to this concert for $15 (value $30) via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s daily deal.

Photo: Bach Society of St. Louis

Arts & Culture Events for Preschoolers

Play at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

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The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis started a great program for kids this Fall. Stroller Tour Tuesdays (ages up to 24 months) and Wednesday Morning Play Dates (ages 3 to 5) are engaging ways to introduce your child to art, the museum space, other kids, stories, and yummy pastries generously donated by Companion Bakery.

I attended the Wednesday Morning Play Date in October with my three year old and enjoyed a somewhat overly complicated (but fun!) craft followed by a wonderful story time. It was a small group of about six kids, but I’m guessing that number will increase as word gets out about this creative event. Art critic Jerry Saltz happened to be in the galleries for his talk later that day which made for some laughter when he came over to “critique” the kids’ art projects. My daughter and I ended up walking around in the galleries after the play date was over and enjoyed talking about all the images and then lounging on the lobby furniture.

The complimentary coffee, pastries, and beautiful light in the museum made for a very relaxing morning. These events are free and a delightful arts opportunity for kids and their caregivers.

Free street parking fills up fast when we were there, so make sure you have a few quarters for metered parking.

Wednesday Morning Play Dates (ages 3 to 5)
December 1, 2010  |  10 to 11 am

Stroller Tour Tuesdays (ages up to 24 months)
December 7, 2010  |  9 to 10 am

Photo: Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

Holidays, Little ways to make life easier, Visual Art at Home

Two notable gift sites

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Yes, I wish I could make the extra effort to buy locally, but I do end up doing much of my shopping online when my three-year old is sleeping (hopefully in her own bed). I came across two great online stores recently. Although I haven’t ordered from them yet, they both have some unique gift items, perfect for the holidays.

Founded in Chicago, The Paper Source has locations throughout the country. They sell beautiful calendars, invitations, note cards, ornaments, gift wrap, and more. There are some great design-y art project ideas here too. A few of my favorite items available online are the 2011 Animals to Love Desk Calendar, the 2011 Paper Source Wall Art Calendar, and the Woodgrain Rubber Stamp (I’m not particularly crafty by nature, but I can think of some pretty cool art projects you could make with this stamp).

Based in San Francisco, the garden store Flora Grubb captures a certain vision of those who are architecturally inclined, in love with storybook whimsy and plain old imagination. If you can’t get out to San Francisco, there are several gift items on their website. In the not so expensive category, I love the Handcrafted Forest Floor Ornaments, the Wall Bubble Aerium, and the Cube Aeriums.