Author Archives: letstalkadmin

  1. Indoor Winter Playgroups

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    For Cambridge families with children 15 months-4 years old. Join us to meet other families, learn songs and activities to support your child’s development, and have fun!

    All playgroups run 10:00 am-11:30 am.

    Locations and Dates:

    *Tuesdays at Moses Youth Center (243 Harvard St)- 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14

    *Wednesdays at Peabody School (70 Rindge Ave) – 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 3/1, 3/8

    *Thursdays at Moore Youth Center (12 Gilmore St) – 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16

    Families must register for playgroups. Please register for one location. Space is limited. To register, contact Maeve at mlinnane@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-6385.

    Flyer: Winter-2023-Playgroups

    Sponsored by the Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families.

    The Center for Families is funded by the City of Cambridge, the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC), Children’s Trust, Cambridge Public Schools, and the Cambridge Health Alliance. Let’s Talk/AFC is funded by the Cambridge Public Health Department and the City of Cambridge.

  2. Celebrate Family Literacy Month 2022!

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    2022-Family Literacy Month eventsDownload

    November is Family Literacy Month! Talk, read, play, sing, and tell stories together! Cambridge Families: Here are some ways to celebrate! 

    Book Events on Saturday November 5 at 2 locations: Free books for Cambridge children birth to 17 years old! Free books in over 20 different languages for Cambridge children birth – 5 years old.

    FLFD-2022-Book-eventsDownload

         

    Family Literacy Bingo: play the bingo board together to have fun and win a book! Designed for families with children birth-8 years old. 

    You can pick up an age-appropriate bingo board all month long at any Library branch or the Center for Families office at 51 Inman Street or print out below.

    2022-Younger-Bingo-BoardDownload
    2022-Older-Bingo-BoardDownload

    Postcard Palooza: Write or decorate a postcard and send it to yourself, a family member or a friend! Send one to us and we’ll include it in a display at the libraries! 

    You can get your postcard and stamp all month long at any Cambridge Public Library location or the Center for Families Office at 51 Inman Street.

    Social Media: check out our accounts all month long for family literacy tips, activity ideas and resources! 

    Center for Families- Facebook: @cambridgecenterforfamilies Twitter: @cntrforfamilies 

    Let’s Talk- Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @LetsTalkCambMA 

    Brought to you by: Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Public Schools/Title 1 & Home-Based Program and Center for Families 

    Questions? Call 617-475-0616  

  3. Family Literacy Bingo 2022

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    Cambridge families with children birth to 8 years – celebrate National Family Literacy Month this November by playing Family Literacy Bingo with your child. Talk, read, play, sing, tell stories and have fun together! Win a children’s book for getting 5 in a row!

    Print out an age-appropriate bingo board (one for birth to 3 years or one for 4 to 8 years ) or pick one up at the locations listed below.

     
     

    Both boards:

    2022-Both Bingo-BoardsDownload

    Birth to 3 years old:

    2022-Younger-Bingo-BoardDownload

    4 to 8 years old:

    2022-Older-Bingo-BoardDownload

    Pick Up Locations:

    • Center for Families, 51 Inman Street
    • Cambridge Public Library:
      • Boudreau Branch Library, 245 Concord Ave
      • Central Square Branch Library, 45 Pearl Street
      • Collins Branch Library, 64 Aberdeen Ave
      • Main Library-Children’s Room, 449 Broadway
      • O’Connell Branch Library, 48 Sixth Street
      • O’Neill Branch Library, 70 Rindge Avenue
      • Valente Branch Library, 826 Cambridge Street

    How To Play:

    Together with your child, pick a square, and do the activity.

    Mark the box with an “X” when finished.

    Mark 5 boxes in a row (top to bottom, left to right, or diagonally) to get Bingo!

    Take a photo of the board and send it in by text, email, or social media by November 30, 2021 to win a children’s book.

    Want to do more? Complete the whole board to win a second children’s book.

    To win a prize, send in a photo of your board by November 30 in any of the following ways:

    Text: 617-475-0616 Email: ilewis@challiance.org FB, Instagram or Twitter: @LetsTalkCambMA

    Questions? Call 617-475-0616

    Brought to you by: Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Public Schools/Title 1 & Home-Based Program, and Center for Families

  5. Late Fall Playgroups in the Parks

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    Late-Fall-Park-Playgroups-2022Download

    For Cambridge families with children 15 months-4 years old. Join us to meet other families, learn songs and activities to support your child’s development, and have fun!

    All playgroups run 10:30 am-11:30 am.

    Locations and Dates:

    *Mondays at Danehy Park: 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/28, 12/5

    *Wednesdays at Greene-Rose Heritage Park: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/30, 12/7

    *Thursdays at Hoyt Field: 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 12/1, 12/8

    Families must register for playgroups. Please register for one location. Space is limited. To register, contact Kim Tran at ktran@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-6385.

    Sponsored by the Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families.

    The Center for Families is funded by the City of Cambridge, the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC), Children’s Trust, Cambridge Public Schools, and the Cambridge Health Alliance. Let’s Talk/AFC is funded by the Cambridge Public Health Department and the City of Cambridge.

  6. Fall Playgroups in the Park

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    For Cambridge families with children 15 months-4 years old. Join us to meet other families, learn songs and activities to support your child’s development, and have fun!

    All playgroups run 10:30 am-11:30 am.

    Locations and Dates:

    *Tuesdays at Danehy Park: 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/11, 10/18

    *Wednesdays at Greene-Rose Heritage Park: 9/21, 9/28, 10/12, 10/19

    *Thursdays at Hoyt Field: 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20

    Fall-Playgroups-in-the-Parks-2022Download

    Families must register for playgroups. Please register for one location. Space is limited. To register, contact Kim Tran at ktran@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-6385.

    

    Sponsored by the Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families.

    The Center for Families is funded by the City of Cambridge, the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC), Children’s Trust, Cambridge Public Schools, and the Cambridge Health Alliance. Let’s Talk/AFC is funded by the Cambridge Public Health Department and the City of Cambridge.

  7. Dads and Kids BBQ

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    Our Dads & Kids BBQ is back! Join us at Danehy Park for our annual cookout!
    Together we will eat delicious food, connect with each other, play with our children and
    enjoy the summer weather!

    • When: Thursday, August 11
    • Where: Danehy Park (99 Sherman Street)
    • Time: 5:30-7:00pm

    To RSVP or with questions reach out at cambdads@cambridgema.gov

    Dads-Kids-BBQ FlyerDownload

    Join us for:
    • Fun Activities
    • A raffle of Cambridge Dads hoodies
    • Cambridge Dads swag giveaways
    • Information about resources in Cambridge

    All Cambridge dads, uncles, male caregivers, grandfathers, stepdads, godfathers, etc. welcomed!

    Cambridge Dads is a program of the Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families

  8. Summer StoryWalk Series 2022

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    A StoryWalk is a children’s book hung page by page around a park in Cambridge where families can read, walk, and talk together. Find the 8 StoryWalks in parks around the city from July 16-August 21, 2022. Did you find one? Check it out and then take a photo and share it on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with #StoryWalkCamb.

    Locations:

    * Bergin Park, Haskell St & Pemberton St – Stick

    * Clement Morgan Park, 60 Columbia St – Ada Twist, Scientist

    * Hurley Park, Hurley St – Do You Have a Hat?

    *Joan Lorentz Park, Broadway, in front of the Library – I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato

    *Kingsley Park, Fresh Pond – Over in the Meadow

    *Old Morse Park (David Nunes Park), Putnam Ave – Wild About Books

    *Riverside Press, River & Memorial Drive – Nuestro Autobus/This Bus for Us

    *Russell Field, Rindge Ave – My Mother’s Sari

    Flyer-Summer-StoryWalks-2022Download


    Questions? 617-800-9154. Sponsored by Let’s Talk/Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families; programs of the Cambridge Public Health Department and Department of Human Service Programs.

  9. Cambridge Book Bike 2022

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    Let’s Move, Let’s Eat, Let’s Read!

    Cambridge Book Bike is back this year! The Book Bike will be at a different park on Tuesdays from 12-1 for 5 weeks. Cambridge children of all ages can pick a free book, do a craft, get a free lunch and hear stories read aloud.

    • July 12: Fresh Pond Apartments Playground (Rindge Ave)
    • July 19: Hoyt Field (Gilmore St.)
    • July 26: Gold Star Mothers Park (Gore St.)
    • August 2: Danehy Park (near Universal Playground)
    • August 9: Greene-Rose Heritage Park (Harvard St.)
    Cambridge-Book-Bike-Summer-2022Download

    To stay up-to-date on schedule changes or rainouts, call 617-349-4038 or follow us on Facebook, or Twitter.

    The Book Bike supports healthy bodies and healthy minds by visiting some of the Cambridge parks that participate in the Summer Food Program, which provides free lunches to children under 18.  

    Summer-Food-Program-Flyer-2022Download

    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

    Book Bike partners include: Liz Phipps-Soeiro, 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, jbaily@challiance.org, 617-800-9154.

  10. Summer 2022 Playgroups

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    For Cambridge families with children 15 months-4 years old. Join us to meet other families, learn songs and activities to support your child’s development, and have fun!

    All playgroups run 10:30 am-11:30 am.

    Locations and Dates:

    *Mondays at Russell Field: 7/11, 7/18, 7/25, 8/1, 8/8

    *Wednesdays at Hoyt Field: 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10

    *Thursdays at Greene-Rose Heritage Park: 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11

    Summer-2022-PlaygroupsDownload

    Families must register for playgroups. Please register for one location. Space is limited. To register, contact Kim Tran at ktran@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-6385.

    Sponsored by the Agenda for Children Literacy Initiative and the Center for Families.

    The Center for Families is funded by the City of Cambridge, the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC), Children’s Trust, Cambridge Public Schools, and the Cambridge Health Alliance. Let’s Talk/AFC is funded by the Cambridge Public Health Department and the City of Cambridge.