Daily Life – In A Child's Path

Journal 9-30-2014

Cindy Wiederhold — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 00:01:16 +0000

Francise, Alyssa & Emma were at the writing table. Dean & Frey were fighting a house fire. Vivian worked on some Kindergarten work, the matching game. Kennedy played with some play dough. Frey was sharing that when you wash your hair, you put your head waaaaay back so the water does not go in your eyes! Then the boys greeted their friends as they arrived. Dean and Vivian were our breakfast helpers. Out in the front yard, Hazel, Ellie, Ella and Alyssa were going down the slide over and over again. Emma & Kennedy were princesses in the tall tower. Turner and Frey were firefighters. Turner and Braeden whipped through the bike bath. Alex and Vivian were bug and treasure hunters. Francise and Ella used the big ball and they sold ice cream too. Then, Carolyn came and we all sang songs!

What an awesome day!!

Spring Fling – A Day at the Farm

Cindy Wiederhold — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:24:52 +0000

On Saturday, In a Child’s Path kids and their families joined In a Child’s Path staff at Cindy’s family farm in Boring, Oregon. We started off the afternoon with a fun game of “walking farm bingo” where children actively searched for items around the farm and marked off what they discovered on a bingo card. During the game, children also had an opportunity to feed the chickens, goats and Indy (the cutest miniature horse in the world). After that, we all gathered in the barn and sang songs including “I am singing in the rain,” and “Baby shark”. Song time was followed by some delicious snacks that everyone brought. Once our tummies were full, we formed two groups and went on a Woodland Pond Walk where there were 6 stations set up for an incredible learning adventure.

Each station began with an introduction, something to see or do and then the children got to take away an object. There was a wildflower station where kids got to see and hear about many kinds of flowers including foxgloves, tiger lilies and trilliums. They got touch foxglove petals and leave with a packet of seeds to plant at home. There was also a tree ring station where we talked about the colors and spacing of the rings on the inside of trees. We then counted rings to see how old the trees were and wrote our own names on wood cookie necklaces. There was a pond station where we talked about ferns and newts. There were real live newts to measure and the take away was a miniature sticky newt. There was a bird nest station where we stood inside a preschooler-made nest and closely examined 3 birds’ nests. The children got to take away shells. At the log station, we learned that fallen, decomposing trees provide animals with homes, with water to drink and also a place for plants to grow. Each kiddo got a sticker of an animal- such as a deer or squirrel. The last station was about trees and oxygen. We talked about what living trees do for us and for the animals and specifically about Sitka Spruce trees. The children got to take away a Sitka Spruce seedling to plant somewhere special.

It was a fun-filled nature day. We all had a blast. Pictures from the event above.

Why Wooden Toys are Better

Cindy Wiederhold — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:56:50 +0000

Parents may wonder what the benefits of choosing wood over plastic toys are. Plastic toys have loads of bells and whistles. They are shiny, make noise and seem like they provide hours of playtime for your wee ones. Despite all of the bling that comes with plastic toys, there are many reasons to choose wood toys instead.

They involve your child. Your child can physically interact with the toy by manually pushing, pulling, turning, or connecting its pieces and parts. This leads to a more active mind. There is much less chemical toxicity. Wooden toys do not contain plastics or other toxins usually found in toys. They are made of natural materials and are consequently safer for your child. Wood has a fun and interesting texture. Your wee one will be able to explore the lovely bumps and grains of wooden toys. Though most wooden toys are sanded down and some may even be slightly painted, the texture is still different than a completely smooth piece of plastic. There is less impactful on the environment. Wooden toys require wood, possibly glue or screws and occasionally some paint. This is less impactful on the environment than plastics and batteries containing chemicals like zinc chloride, alkaline, lithium, NiMH and lead acid. Plastics take hundreds of years to degrade. The manufacture of plastic also requires vast amounts of resources. Wood has less resource cost especially if it comes from sustainable plantations. Wood isn’t as dangerous. Swallowing a battery can be harmful or fatal. Swallowing small pieces of plastic is also a health hazard. Though caution should be used with smaller wooden toys that can be swallowed, wooden toys do not contain toxic materials can can harm your child. Wooden toys can be used for generations. Let’s face it wooden toys have been around for a thousand years. They last a long time. Plastic toys, even with their long and unsustainable lifespan, tend to break too easily. Children use their imagination more. When your child presses a button and a toy sings them a song or says “I love you”, it leaves little room for imagination. Learning to control and move things manually will teach them that they can create a world of their own. A song is much more fun for a child when sung by a parent or friend and the words “I love you” are more meaningful when coming from a real person.

Above are some of our favorite wooden toys. Below are the links to where you can find each of them:

Spring Fling

Cindy Wiederhold — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:35:46 +0000

Please join us Saturday, May 18th from 2:30 to 5pm on Cindy’s family farm for our Spring Fling!!

If you have any quesitons, please check with Tami.

See you there!

Fun Portland Activities for Babies and Toddlers

Cindy Wiederhold — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:01:13 +0000

We love your wee ones and we work hard to make sure they are getting all the right stimulation they need to grow and learn each day they are with us at In a Child’s Path. We sing songs, read books, dance, play games, paint, play outside, and much, much more. So when the weekend rolls around you may wonder as parents what it is you can do to make the most of your free time with the family and also keep your baby/toddler stimulated and happy.

Not to worry. There are so many kid-friendly places in Portland and the city itself is one of the best cities in America to raise children. Hands down. There are loads of parks, easy access to nature and events and businesses galore that can be fun for the whole family. Here are a few of our favorite places to bring babes in P-town:

MUSIC

Portland’s “kindie” music scene is one of the best in the country. Most performers have weekly or bi-weekly shows. Catch one of the regular performances by The Alpabeticians, Mo Phillips, Mr. Ben, Tyleena Fairy Funkmother, and Johnny Keener. Most of the shows have a suggested donation of 3-5 dollars. Lots of these musical events are on the PDX Kid’s Calendar HERE.

ART

Baby Hour at the Portland Art Museum. The first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM, the Portland Art Museum welcomes caregivers with children under the age of 1 to take a slow guided walk around the museum. Registration is required for this, and the cost is $5 for members, $15 for non-members. Details here.

Messy Fun Art – For slightly older babies – usually starting at around age 1 – there are plenty of options to get creative. Many of Portland’s community centers have weekly “Messy Arts” or “Art Parks,” encouraging little ones to put pen to paper (or hands to playdough, or glue to feathers…). There’s one at theMontavilla Community Center on Thursdays at 10 for ages 5 and under ($2), and at the Peninsula Park Community Center on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:30 for ages 1-5 ($1.50). The 100th Monkey Studio also hosts a weekly Messy Art on Fridays from 10-12 for ages 1-5 for $8.

Physical Activities

Most of the community centers also host regular indoor gym times. The center usually brings out balls, push cars, hula hoops, and other fun and active toys they have on hand. These are generally for ages 5 and under, although some community centers have special Baby Gyms (Montavilla Community CenterandPeninsula Park Community Center are two) that are geared towards babies under 18 months. (Check out our full indoor pool and gym guide here.)

STORY TIME

Book Babies at your local library. Little babies and toddlers can chime in on sing alongs, rhymes, books and play at libraries throughout Portland. Schedule to these happenings are available HERE.

Green Bean Books and A Children’s Place bookstores also have storytime events. These are usually for kiddos that are a bit older (3-7), but everyone is welcome. Green Bean Books has storytime on Tuesdays at 11am and A Children’s Place storytime takes place on Thursdays at 10:30am.

Here are some other resources for Portland activities you may want to check out:

50 things to do with kids before they grow up

So whether you choose to stay home and cuddle, play in the garden, or head to one of the many fine places mentioned above, have fun, it’s the most important stimulus in the world.

April Fun

Cindy Wiederhold — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:27:55 +0000

We’ve been having a ton of fun!

February 2013

Cindy Wiederhold — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:38:44 +0000

We had a lot of fun last month riding our horse, Lucky.

Experimenting with Salt, Water, and Watercolors

Cindy Wiederhold — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:47:35 +0000

We had a ton of fun experimenting with salt, water, and watercolors.

Ooblek

Cindy Wiederhold — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:55:17 +0000

We had fun making ooblek!

Nap time at the little house

Cindy Wiederhold — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:30:51 +0000

Naptime at the little house is one of the cozier places in the world. Everyone has a special place to sleep. The older babies – aging from 5 to 12 months sleep in pack and plays, the toddlers sleep on mats with their favorite blankets (like big kids) and the infants sleep in hammocks by Nature’s Sway. The hammocks provide newborns with the perfect transition into the world with comfort and safety.

Designed and fabricated in New Zealand, hammocks are made from a blend of hemp and certified organic cotton with a breathable natural wool mattress that provides warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer. They are single-point suspension beds, designed to encourage easy sleep with a gentle bouncing motion and curved line that will minimize pressure on a baby’s developing spine. By replicating the comfort and security of the in-utero environment, the hammock makes the transition from womb to world a kinder one.

The hammocks are used by discerning parents and satisfied babies all over the world.

Infant Sleep Hammocks at the Little House

Hammock benefits include:

Longer sleep: Babies sleep for longer as a result of the comfort provided by the hammock’s cocoon-like environment and c-curve, designed to minimise pressure on your baby’s developing spine and nerve pathways. Babies are born with a natural primary curve of the spine. Sleep in the hammock ensures even support instead of an uneven weight concentration on baby’s head, shoulders and pelvis, which can develop into structural problems such as plagiocephaly (flat-head syndrome) in some cases. The slightly raised position of the head is helpful to relieve reflux.
Establishes self-soothing: The hammock suspension is moderated by a specially designed steel spring which creates a gentle bouncing motion when baby moves, assisting with self-soothing.
Safety features: Hammocks have been designed with your baby’s ultimate safety in mind. The swivel hook will ensure that any twisting tension is naturally absorbed while the wooden spreader beam, held in place by cotton ties, keeps the fabric apart. Correct placement maximises the triangular proportions of the hammock and ensures adequate airflow. The specially designed steel spring, also has an internal safety strap for 1000% peace of mind. All Nature’s Sway baby hammocks come with a natural New Zealand wool mattress. Wool draws moisture away from the body providing warmth in winter and coolness in summer. The mattress has sufficient length to ensure that there is a padding to protect your baby’s delicate fontanelle, while the combination of baby’s weight and the curves of the bed make it extremely difficult for a new born to roll over once they are placed on their back.