September is a busy month in Cambridge with a number of fun fall festivals to attend!
*First Holiness Church Back to School Festival, September 5th from 12-3 p.m., Sennott Park. Info: BTS 2015 FT BTS 2015 BK
*The Port Pride Day, September 12th from 12-5 p.m., Clement Morgan Park. Info: Port Pride Day 2015
*Danehy Park Family Day, September 19th from 11-4 p.m., Danehy Park. Info: Danehy Day
Enjoy!!
What does fatherhood mean to you?
We are now seeking original writing submissions of any kind and length (including essays, poems, rap-lyrics, reflections, etc.) from Cambridge dads to be collected and displayed at a prominent city location. The public will get a glimpse into what being a dad truly means to the men who live it.
Deadline: Monday, August 31, 5 p.m.
One lucky dad will have his entry selected by Scout Cambridge Magazine to be featured in an upcoming issue!
Need help getting started? We have two free drop-in sessions to help you get started or to work on your piece….come on by!
Wednesday, July 29th, 6-8 p.m., Agenda for Children, 119 Windsor Street, Ground Floor
Monday, August 17th, 6-8 p.m., Center for Families, Back of the Peabody School, 70 Rindge Ave., Door #10
To enter, email submissions to Luis at lvasquez@cambridgema.gov with the subject “Fatherhood,” and include registration info: full name; age (optional); phone #; age of child(ren). You can also drop your submission off at the Agenda for Children or Center for Families (addresses above) during normal business hours.
Sponsored by Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families.
Note: By participating in “Cambridge Dads: In Their Own Words,” I am consenting to the release of my written piece and/or photo/artwork to be used for all purposes surrounding promotion, execution, and physical display of the project by the Center for Families and Agenda for Children.
Let’s Move, Let’s Eat, Let’s Read!
Cambridge Book Bike is ready for it’s second year! With the addition of a second bike (thanks Kids Council!) the Book Bike will be at 5 parks from June 29th to August 14th, 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. Children of all ages can pick a book, do a craft and hear stories read aloud.
Mondays: Greene-Rose Heritage Park (Harvard St.)
Wednesdays: Hoyt Field (Gilmore St.)
Thursdays: Danehy Park (Sherman St.)
Fridays: Gold Star Mothers Park (Gore St.)-starts July 10
Fridays: Russell Field (Rindge Ave)-starts July 10
To stay up-to-date on schedule changes or rainouts, follow us on Facebook, or Twitter.
The goal of the Book Bike is to give all children access to books to build their home library for enjoyment and learning in the summer to help prevent “summer slide”. Meeting families in the park for stories and activities, the Book Bike models that reading is fun! The program provide a wide variety of titles, topics and languages so children can find a book they want to read. Research has shown that children read more when they select the book. For more information:
Why we should let kids choose their own summer reading books
Why Do Poor Students Lag Behind Rich Students in Reading Development
The Book Bike supports healthy bodies and healthy minds by visiting many of the Cambridge parks that participate in the Summer Food Program, which provides free lunches to children under 18. Free lunch is available at all the Book Bike parks except for Russell Field. Summer Food Schedule: Summer Meals Program
Book Bike partners include: Liz Phipps-Soeiro, Elementary School Librarian, Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative, Center for Families, and Cambridge Public Library. For more information check out the Book Bike website or contact Jen Baily, AFC Literacy Coordinator, jbaily@challiance.org, 617-665-3812
Summer is a great time to talk, read, play, sing, and have fun with your child! Cambridge has many wonderful (and free) activities for your family. Thanks to the 0-8 Council for compiling this list. Enjoy!
Library Events
“Every Hero has a Story” in the 2015 summer reading program for children
Movies Outdoors
Screen on the Green
Museums, Zoos and Other Attractions
Free Fun Fridays throughout the state June 26-August 28, 2015
Passes from the library for museums and zoos can be reserved up to a month ahead
Parks
Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP) plus Let’s Move activities
Book Bike!
Water-play parks
Arts in the Park
Performances
Cambridge Arts Council’s “Summer in the City”
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Festivals and Community Events
Center for Families Family Fun Day, July 18, 10:00 – 1:30,
Area IV Community Pride Day, September 12, 11:00 AM – 6 PM
General Activity Listings
Department of Human Service Programs’ (DHSP) Summer Resource Guide 2015
Title I Summer Packet and Booklists
Center for Families activities
Summer activities for children with special needs
Cambridge Public Schools website listings
Compiled by Cambridge 0-8 Council. For more information about summer activities contact Jayne Cantor, Cambridge Community Partnerships for Children 617-349-6086 or Jayne_ccpc@yahoo.com
Join us for the 22nd Annual Hoops ‘n’ Health Sports Tournament and Health Fair on Saturday, June 20th at Hoyt Field (Gilmore St. and Western Ave).
Health fair is from 12 to 4 pm. featuring:
For more information, call Richard Harding at 617-665-3769 or view Hoops family flyer 2015
Hoops ‘N’ Health is the largest health fair and citywide sports tournament in Cambridge. Since its start in 1993, this annual event has been bringing together hundreds of residents over Fathers Day weekend to build community and highlight the importance of men’s health.
StoryStream Cambridge will host a day full of Storytelling at River Festival on Saturday, June 6th from 12-6! Stop by the Storytelling Tent at the corner of Sidney Street & Massachusetts Avenue to participate in the stories and create your own Story Flag! American Sign Language interpreters will translate stories all day.
Schedule of events
12:00 Storytellers Tony Toledo and KR Glickman.
Unseen Borders: Stories in American Sign Language and English
12:45 KR Glickman presents: Growing Up Deaf in a Hearing World
1:40 True Story Theater …
Your own stories brought to life!
3:00 Story Flags and Memory Stories with Cambridge residents from all over the world
3:30 Storyteller and mime performer, Motoko presents:
Sumo Mice and Power Rice: Tales from Japan
4:30 Story Flags and Memory Stories with Cambridge residents from all over the world.
StoryStream Cambridge is a collaboration between many city agencies and individuals. Our goal is to connect all the people of Cambridge with the joy and power of listening to and telling stories.
After the Storytelling Tent, check out the many other wonderful activities at River Festival. Click here for information: River Festival
It’s a reading adventure at Donnelly Field! Can you find all the pages?
Join us on Friday, May 29 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for the first StoryWalk of the season! The opening celebration is at Donnelly Field (behind King Open School between Willow and Berkshire). Free books, activities, pizza, & a performance by Silly Sally! For families with children 2 to 8 years old. For more information, call 617-665-6825 or click here: Flyer-Donnelly-Field-2015final
Rain location: King Open School Cafeteria. Sponsored by Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative, Center for Families and the Cambridge Public Library.
Continue the fun on Saturday, May 30th at Fresh Pond Day from 11:00 to 3:00! Join the Water Department and many agencies in celebrating a great Cambridge resource. Look for the StoryWalk around the pond, see live wildlife presentations, a wildlife and bike parade, live music, face painting, and much more! For more information, click here: Fresh Pond Day info
Math for young children consists of three areas: counting, shapes and patterns. By taking opportunities during everyday activities to count up and down, notice patterns and play with shapes, parents and caregivers are helping children get the foundation they need in order to start school and learn addition/subtraction, algebra, and geometry.
Math is everywhere and adults can help children see it by counting cars or steps when talking a walk, noticing patterns when building with Legos, counting scoops of flour when baking, looking at shapes when doing a puzzle, counting fingers when taking a bath and much more!
For tips, resources and a list of children’s books with math, click on the links below:
Math Techniques Math Key Messages and Books
Remember to have fun while doing math with young children!
Did you know that dental decay is the most prevalent chronic childhood disease – 5 times more common than asthma. It is almost entirely preventable, with a few simple measures. Here are some tips from the Cambridge Public Health Department’s Healthy Smiles program for keeping children’s teeth healthy:
Want tips by age? Click here for tips for Infants, Toddlers and Children 3 to 8 years old. Steps To Healthy Teeth
ZERO TO THREE has developed a great new resource, Babies on the Homefront. This free app for smart-phones, available in both English and Spanish on iTunes and the Google Play store, is designed especially for military and veteran families as they navigate the many transitions that are part of serving, including deployment and reintegration, moving, and transitioning back to civilian life. The app makes it easy to select from behavior tips and activities for parents and children, with a special section for parental self-care. Click http://bit.ly/16szUxF for more information or download the free app today!