books

Bookroo delivers books to your doorstep + DISCOUNT

September 10, 2020

I have shared my love of reading on the blog before. As a former teacher with a background in reading, literacy plays an important part in our house. Bookroo approached me to share their services with readers a few years ago and you can find those posts here and here. The mission of Bookroo is to enable and empower parents to build their children’s book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. They believe in the power and impact of the written word in the life of a child, and believe it’s never too early to start reading to children! Book boxes are geared for ages 0-10. This month’s curated box for our fourth grader can be seen below.

Bookroo is offering a huge discount for you for the month of September– 20% off any 3-month subscription! Use code: KEEPCALM

The code cannot be combined with any other offers or used more than once per household. Valid Sept. 1, (12:01 am ET) – Sept. 30 (11:59 pm PT).

A message from Bookroo:
Last spring, school was a challenge for many of us, and many of us are still facing a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and worry about this school year being any better. Bookroo has a simple suggestion to help: Keep Calm & Read On!

Too often we overlook the power of reading as a teaching resource. Reading is one of the best tools we have to keep our kids (and ourselves!) happy and productive this school year.

The American Academy of Pediatricians has said, “reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development, strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.”

Brain development, social-emotional skills, relationship building? Doesn’t that sum up what we hope our kids gain from school? And it’s all possible with an activity so simple and enjoyable.

So this fall, don’t lose hope, give up or panic. Instead, in the good moments, and especially the difficult ones, keep calm and reach for a book! If all we manage to do this year is spend a lot of time reading, we’re all going to be okay.

The fun, festive holiday of Purim is exuberant, colorful and full of joy

February 20, 2020

Let PJ Library’s unique, family-friendly ideas enliven your family celebrations this March! The early springtime holiday of Purim, with all of its festive fun, is an especially accessible holiday for children; this year, the holiday falls on March 9th-10th.

On Purim, it’s customary to listen to the biblical Book of Esther (also known as the Megillah in Hebrew), put on comic productions of the story of Purim called purimspiels (Yiddish for “plays”), dress up in costumes as the famous characters from the story, bake (and eat!) hamantaschen, shake Purim groggers (noisemakers), give gift baskets (mishloach manot) to friends and do tzedakah and other good works to spread joy and help the needy.

This Purim, PJ Library wants to help families celebrate in fun and unique ways, so they’ve created 18 great ideas sure to spur creativity and togetherness. Whether your children have never dressed for Purim before or baked a classic, delicious hamantaschen – or you’re just tired of the same old routine – check out these enjoyable activities! And, for more, families are welcome to visit PJ Library’s Purim Hub!

If you currently receive PJ Library books, be on the lookout for the special February mailing, which contains a Purim gift basket to make and decorate!

A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends more than two hundred ten thousand expertly curated books to families raising Jewish children – every month, at no cost to subscribers. Families raising Jewish children may subscribe here, tapping in to a wealth of information, parenting resources and community events as well as free books.

Bookroo: A curated book subscription service for children

July 11, 2018

Bookroo is a monthly subscription for kids ages 0-10 that helps them fall in love with reading by combining the excitement of opening a gift with the discovery of a new, wrapped, treasured book! Their mission is to enable and empower parents to build their children’s book collections in an affordable and exciting way through curated monthly book deliveries. They believe in the power and impact of the written word in the life of a child, and believe it’s never too early to start reading to children.

Bookroo‘s books are reviewed by a panel of families attending Stanford University.
The company is women founded and run, by three sister-in-law.
They offer board, picture, and chapter books.
Boxes with picture books come with 2 hardcover books. Boxes with board books come with 3 books. Boxes with chapter books come with 2 chapter books.
If you are sent a book you already have, Bookroo allows you to send them a picture of you giving the book to someone else and they’ll give you $5 off your next subscription.
Order month-to-month, 3 box, 6 box or 12 box.

How does Bookroo decide which books to send?

For the board and picture book boxes, the goal is to send hidden gems rather than classics. The books are extensively reviewed by a panel of 12 families attending Stanford University and their combined 22 kids. They rate each book on a 7 point scale and on its re-readability. Books that emerge as clear winners are sent out in our Bookroo boxes. For more details on the review process, check out Bookroo Review Process. To see past boxes visit the What’s in a Box page.

For the chapter book box, they send one hidden gem and one admired favorite per box. Books are chosen by in-house early reader expert in consultation with librarians, parents, and kids alike to help your child build their library, discover new books, and fall in love with reading. Plus, each box includes information and talking points to help you know what your child will be reading. You can relax, knowing we’ve carefully selected kid-friendly books! To see past boxes visit the What’s in a Box page.

Get 50% off your 1st board & picture box or 40% off your 1st chapter box using code: BELTWAYBAMBINOS

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Subscription boxes for children

23 ideas for entertaining children after Daylight Savings Time

November 3, 2016

Most of us dread Daylight Savings Time. For parents, it’s a few months where our time spent outdoors comes to a halt and we wonder how to occupy the remainder of the evening with our children. And contrary to popular belief, the answer is not Benadryl =) Here are a few ideas I’ve compiled from readers and my own DST adventures to help you get out of the house with your Bambino(s) this winter. Don’t forget to check out our Indoor Fun Guide for other options!

Ideas for fun outside of your home-

1. Go for a dip at Wilson swimming pool.

2. Bloombars has evening performances.

3. Drop by a pet store to observe the animals and maybe see some dogs getting groomed.

4. DC Library holds late afternoon events.

5. Take a trip to Target or Whole Foods and walk the aisles. Try not to buy everything.

6. Cardoza High School Pool is opening their doors and allow the public to come swim.

7. Reserve a room at a public library and have a play date with friends.

8. Hotel lobbies can be fascinating, especially around the holidays. Plus, they have bathrooms.

9. Get creative at Treehouse Atelier, Little Loft Art, Anna Banana or All Fired Up.

10. Child’s Play or Barnes and Noble (Bethesda location closes Dec. 31, 2017) can be great places for your kids toys and books. Again, try not to buy everything =)

11. Go out to dinner at one of these DC restaurants that offer entertainment for kiddos.

12. Grab a flashlight and go on an adventure walk.

13. Check the bus route and take a random ride.

14. Fairmont Hotel has a piano and a pretty garden, is fairly tolerant of children climbing up and down the stairs and enjoying the lobby’s holiday decorations.

15. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage has free, daily shows that usually begin at 6:00pm. Catch the show or just part of it , explore and walk the long foyer and look at the mirrors, ramps, etc. Go outside onto the terrace and watch the cars on the bridge or boats on the water.

Ideas for indoor fun-

1. Bake or cook something with your Bambino(s).

2. Make a fort, add pillows and blankets and watch a movie or read stories.

3. Put on a play.

4. Arts and crafts can provide endless fun (put your OCD tendencies aside).

5. Make your own play doh.

6. Download some educational apps on your device and set a timer.

7. Have your child help organize/fold socks when you’re doing laundry.

8. Get bath paints or crayons and let your child get artsy and messy.

Weekend Picks October 7-9

October 7, 2016

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My son has been waiting weeks for this (as have I)! This is the premiere weekend of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at Imagination Stage. There are many shows throughout the weekend. Including 3 shows on Saturday (which is supposed to be a rainy day).

The White House is opening its gardens and grounds to visitors on Saturday, October 8 from 10:00am to 4:30pm, and Sunday, October 9 from 10:00am to 2:30pm. During this event, visitors can see the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden and South Lawn of the White House. Additionally, the White House Kitchen Garden – the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden – will be accessible to guests. This event is free and open to the public; however, a ticket is required for all attendees (including small children). The National Park Service will distribute free, timed tickets at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion located near 15th and E Streets Northwest on each tour day beginning at 8:30am. Tickets will be distributed — one ticket per person — on a first-come, first-served basis.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church will have their Annual Serbian Food and Cultural Festival. Including food, live Serbian music & dancing, vendors and children’s activities! Admission and parking are free: 10660 River Road Potomac MD 20854

Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-7:00pm Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 23. The festival is free to children 11 and under. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!

Saturday & Sunday Taste of DC is taking place on “America’s Main Street” Pennsylvania Avenue, Taste of DC brings together friends and families for bites, beverages, and a weekend chock-full of fun.

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(Photo: Thrillist)

Saturday & Sunday Halloween begins in our area:

11:00am-6:00pm: Eye Spy Train at Cabin John Regional Park
Looking for something fun to do this Halloween that won’t give your younger kids nightmares? Ride the “Eye Spy” Halloween Train at Cabin John Regional Park! Your kids will have fun looking for familiar friends and animals hiding in the woods and marking them off their “Eye Spy” card, while you sit back and enjoy the ride! A not-so-scary train for kids under 8. Purchase tickets online.

6:00pm-9:30pm: Wheaton Haunted Train and Creepy Carousel
If you enjoy heart-racing, adrenalin-pumping, throat-constricting Halloween activities, we have a train (and carousel) for you. Who–or WHAT?–lurks in the dark Wheaton woods as you ride the Haunted Train? And what’s that perched on the ghostly horse silently screaming next to you on the Creepy Carousel? We promise to do our very best to scare the pants (metaphorically speaking) off you. We’ll show free frightening movies, and have snacks for sale, too. Purchase tickets online.

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Valerie Branch and “The People We Meet & The People We Keep”
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
Valerie Branch uses contemporary dance to focus on creating and sustaining healthy relationships between peers, family members, the new people we meet, and those within our surrounding communities. Families will have an interactive performance experience as they are invited to think about solutions to problems between friends, explore body movements for self-expression, and use elements viewed in the performance to choreograph their own dance sequence based on what they believe it would take to create and sustain healthy relationships.Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am the Friday a week prior to the performance. Click on the link to reserve tickets, and review our ticketing policies. Walk up tickets are always available, if prior registration is not completed. Please arrive to the theatre 30 minute before the show to collect a walk up ticket.

10:00am-4:00pm: Peirce Mill Heritage Day
(Beach Drive and Tilden Street, NW)
Join the National Park Service and Friends of Peirce Mill as we step back in time to 1820 for Peirce Mill Heritage Day. Visitors can watch the hand-assembly of a dry stone wall, see logs hewn with an ax, and crank an old-fashioned cider press. And for your musical entertainment, a bluegrass band will play throughout the day – local musician Orrin Star. A new addition this year will be a presentation on Latino bread-making culture, with on-site preparation of tortillas using cornmeal. Spanish language tours of the mill will also be held throughout the day. Milling demonstrations take place approximately every 15 minutes from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
There will be children’s hands-on arts and crafts activities, including water mill toys, corn husk doll making, cornmeal play dough, flour sacks, and Peirce Mill stamps. Free.

12:00pm-4:00pm: 21st Annual Art Safari at Torpedo Factory
(105 N. Union St. Alexandria, VA 22314)
An Alexandria tradition for more than two decades, Art Safari returns for a day of hands-on activities for kids and families. Dozens of artists lead budding arts enthusiasts in 12 hands-on projects from plein air painting to silkscreen printing. Get messy constructing a giant papier-mâché tiger or squishing clay between your fingers. The Art League and the Alexandria Archaeological Museum will offer even more engaging programming. Children should wear clothing that can get a little dirty. Most activities are appropriate for kindergarten age, with parental supervision, through middle school.

1:00pm-4:00pm: PIKEtoberfest
(11580 Old Georgetown Road, North Bethesda, MD 20852)
Come out for lawn games and kids activities, including a hay bale maze, face painter, giveaways and roving entertainment. Live music sponsored by AMP by Strathmore. Food for sale and sampling by Carluccio’s, City Perch, Del Frisco’s Grille, Summer House, Stella Barra and Roti. , Craft Beer tent by Owen’s Ordinary. Sidewalk Sales and special offers from Gap and Gap Kids, Francesca’s, Lucky Brand, Nike, Season’s Taproom and Yogaso Boutique. Free to attend.

Sunday-

10:00am-10:45am: Sunday Fun-Day at Imagination Stage
(4908 Auburn Ave Bethesda, Maryland 20814)
We invite you and your child to bring your favorite stories to life through dramatic play activities, movement, music, and visual art. Each session, you leave with a special take-home item we used or created that day, as well as a Parent Pack to extend the experience at home. Activities in Sunday Fun-Day are most appropriate to 3-5 year-olds but 1-2 year-old siblings and friends are also welcome! Featured book: Star Bellied Sneetches

Need more to do this weekend? Catch some more theatre performances.

Weekend Picks Sept 30-Oct 2

September 29, 2016

For those with children off school tomorrow or those who have upcoming days off, be sure to see the “day-off school” post with places that will gladly welcome your Bambinos for the day.

Old City Farm and Guild present the 1st Annual Fall Festival Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-4:00pm. The festival is here to usher in the cooler weather, and to celebrate the end of a beautiful summer. There will be live music, workshops, food and beverages for adults and kids. Lots of raffles, pumpkins, and apple cider too!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical at Adventure Theatre continues this weekend!

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(Photo: Uno, Dos, Tres Con Andres)

Saturday-

9:30am AND 11:00am: Uno, Dos, Tres Con Andres at National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW)
What would you do if you received a mysterious letter? Join Andrés as he travels Latin America in search of Juana la Rana. You will sing and dance to new and classic Spanish songs and even learn español along the way! Don’t miss this unique and interactive performance. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00am the Friday a week prior to the performance. Click on the link to reserve tickets, and review our ticketing policies. Walk up tickets are always available, if prior registration is not completed. Please arrive to the theatre 30 minute before the show to collect a walk up ticket.
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Weekend Picks

December 4, 2015

Experience the Mall Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, to celebrate the season with Smithsonian. We’ve got special events galore to help you get in the holiday spirit, including musical performances, book signings, trunk shows, activities for kids, and more! Participating museums include: National Museum of American History, National Museum of Air and Space, National Museum of Natural History, Freer Gallery of Art and Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African American Art, National Postal Museum, and The Smithsonian Castle. Hours are 10:30am-5:30pm and the Holiday Festival is free.

This weekend Baltimore will be having Dollar or Less Days. Many of your favorite spots will only be $1 for admission. Get there early as lines will be long but they’ll move fast. Check the above link for participating places. See our post on Baltimore for ideas of other places to go.

Ice! Featuring Santa Claus is Coming to Town is still going on at The Gaylord National Harbor. Guests can walk-through holiday attraction, kept at a chilly 9 degrees, marvel at two million pounds of hand-carved ice sculpture, have fun on five ice slides, walk and see the 7 individual rooms depicting the story of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and see The Frostbite Factory – a live carving zone.

Home Sweet Home Gingerbread Workshop at National Building Museum is Saturday and Sunday. Get in the holiday spirit and construct a gingerbread house at the National Building Museum. Participants will learn how to use gingerbread walls and royal icing to build a house. We’ll provide the supplies and treats to make your gingerbread home as sweet as can be. Register online!

‘Tis the Circus! A Holiday Party on High presented by Sweet Spot Aerial Productions at Atlas Performing Arts Friday-Sunday. The holidays can be a circus – quite literally, at this holiday party! As the guests arrive, one couple’s living room is transformed as acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and other performers dazzle with spectacular routines celebrating the magic of the holiday season. Fun for the whole family – prepare to be delighted, amazed and inspired. A unique and new holiday tradition. All ages. [Read more…]

Rainy days call for easy and fun crafts

October 3, 2015

We’ve all been stuck inside for a few days with this rain. While its easy to just turn on Disney Junior, engaging your children is so important. We did some easy seasonal crafts this week. I even made a trip to A.C. Moore to get the $1 foam craft kits that my son LOVES. All of the crafts below can be found on my Pinterest Halloween page. An added bonus: these are pretty mess free!!

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