100% Absolutely FREE, Fun and Slightly Educational Events from 8/16-8/20
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We were up for a challenge: find 100% FREE ACTIVITIES in Westchester for all ages that are fun and, if possible, educational. After extensive research, we've come up with 12 great ideas and you don't even have to pay for parking (just gas and tolls if necessary). We've included two beach activity, as it is still summer –one sand castle and kite flying extravaganza in New Jersey and one sand castle contest in Coney Island -- which are a bit of a drive, but worth it because access to the beach also is FREE, making for a lovely day.
Friday, August 16
What: SummerFest Arts & Crafts for Kids; live show with characters, music and dancing for kids
When: 9:00 am -11:00 am
Where: 8000 Mall Walk, Yonkers NY 10704 (this event takes place on the stage, in the center of the mall near Adidas)
Cost: Free
Contact: Please RSVP by calling (914) 968-9571 to participate.
Website: Click here
Ages: 5-12
What: Wiggle, Giggle Time: "Children will wiggle to music, giggle to funny rhymes and pretend to be wild and wonderful animals in this lively interactive program."
When: 9:30 am-10:00 am
Where: Rye Library 1061 Boston Post Road, Rye, NY 10580
Cost: Free
Website: http://www.ryelibrary.org/uncategorized/wiggle-giggle-time/
Ages: 18 months - 4 years
What: Ridge Hill Farmers Market, which features an array of fun activities for the whole family including cooking demonstrations and food tastings.
When: 11:00 am – 7:00pm
Where:1 Ridge Hill Rd, Yonkers, NY 10710
Cost: Free
Website: http://westchestersridgehill.com/
Ages: all
What: Teen Gaming Fridays: Play Wii and X-Box games on the big screen. Snacks provided.
When: 3:00 pm-4:30 pm
Where: Rye Free Reading Room,1061 Boston Post Road, Rye NY 10580
Cost: Free
Website: http://www.ryelibrary.org/featured-teens-home/teen-gaming-2/
Ages: Teens
Saturday, August 17
What: Story Time on the Farm: Age-appropriate books are selected to illustrate and explore farm life.
When: 1:00pm - 1:30pm; Sunday also
Where :Stone Barn Farm 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills NY 10591
Cost: Free
Website: http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/products/story-time-on-the-farm.html
Ages: best for ages 2-5
What: Fascinating Fungi: a fun and informative walk through the woods in search of mushrooms. Reservations not required.
When: 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
Where: Muscoot Farm, Rt 100, Katonah, New York (40 minute drive from Scarsdale)
Cost Free
Website: www.muscootfarm.org
Ages: All
What: Free Crafts for Kids: children gather at the Lakeshore Learning Center every Saturday to participate in a craft project. Lots of creative fun with glitter, paper, paint and more.
When: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where:Lakeshore Learning Center, Midway Shopping Center 969A Central Ave
Cost Free
Website: Scarsdale Store
Phone: (914) 472-1820
Ages: 8 and under
What: Kites & Castle; Always wanted to learn the best kite-flying techniques or sandcastle-building tips? Well, now you can! The event showcases a sand sculpture produced by a world-class sculpture, a sandcastle building workshop for children and adults to learn the secrets professionals use to build their creations, a kite-making workshop to learn how to design and fly a kite from kite flying professionals and beach games for the whole family including ladder golf, corn hole and more. TOP PICK!
When: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Cape May City, New Jersey – the cove at Beach Avenue and Second Avenue
Cost: Free
Website: www.strongerthanthestorm.com
Ages All
What: Alliance for Coney Island and Astella Development Corp. present the 23rd Annual Sand Sculpting Competition; a chance to see hundreds of professional sand castles, pick up some pointers from professionals and win some cash.
When: 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Where: Coney Island, Beach and the Boardwalk West 10th to West 12th Streets , New York NY
Cost: Free but preregistration recommended to compete
Website: http://www.astelladevelopment.org/
Phone: 718-266-4653
Ages: All
Sunday, August 18
What: Annual StoryWalk Series; Enjoy a book while taking a walk along the StoryWalk Trail
When: 99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale NY 10583
Where Greenburgh Nature Center
Cost: Free
Website: http://greenburghnaturecenter.org/programs-and-events.html
Ages: 8 and younger
Tuesday, August 20
What: Photography Collages: Experiment with ways to repurpose photographs by creating mixed media collages.
When: 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
Where: Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum 258 Main Street Ridgefield, CT (45 minutes from Scarsdale)
Cost: Free; museum admission is free on Tuesdays during the summer.
Website: www.aldrichart.org
Ages: All -- children must be accompanied by an adult
What: Back to School Open House at Great Play; Come to Great Play and try out a class for free (zumba, sports, motor development, etc.)
When: August 20, 21 and 22; times vary
Where: Great Play 969b Central Park Avenue (lower level) Scarsdale
Cost: Free
Website: http://www.greatplay.com/locations/scarsdale/openhouse.html
Phone: (914) 713-3470 for reservations
Ages: 6 months to 12 years
Summer Fun for all at the Scarsdale Rec Day Camp
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- Written by Carly Glickenhaus
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Summer, the long awaited season is finally here. And for almost 900 Scarsdale kids, the Scarsdale Recreation Department day camps are providing fun-filled days of escape not too far from home.
The Scarsdale Day Camp program encompasses five camps: Camp Sagamore, Camp Lenape, Camp Wapetuck, and Camp Patthunke are regular day camps for children in grades Kindergarten,1st, 2nd, and 3rd-8th, respectively. Among these four camps, 700 rowdy campers keep the counselors busy. Even with the help of about 115 counselors and 60 other staff members, running the camp is no easy business. The challenge to keep up with the ten-minute attention spans of a group of six-year-olds keeps everyone on their toes. Campers play sports and games, make art projects, and work on their singing and dancing for the Variety Show, held once each summer to showcase e the talents of campers, one musical number at a time. Once a day, each group takes a trip to the Scarsdale Pool, an oasis after a warm day at one of the elementary schools, most of which are not air conditioned. Between barbeques, visits from the ice cream truck, magic shows, crazy hat day, and Red, White, and Blue Day, the hours pass quickly. Field trips to Leapinʼ Lizards, Legoland Discovery, and the Maritime Aquarium break up the weeks and provide added entertainment.
No summer is ever the same, as there is a constant flow of staff entering and exiting the camp community. With new directors at Camp Patthunke, Sagamore, and Wapetuck this year, fresh pairs of eyes review the successes of each camp and design new schedules and activities. Through the ongoing contribution of these directors, the camp continues to progress and evolve.
For teens, an alternative to Camp Patthunke is Travel Camp, the fifth full-day camp. Founded eight summers ago, the Teen Travel Camp provides action-packed days for campers who crave adventure. It appeals to older campers who have outgrown Camp Patthunke and are ready to spread their wings. Sophia Bohjalian, 13, says she likes Teen Travel because "all the counselors are very nice. There are special things about each of them that I like." She also remarked that "[Travel Camp] is a good way to go to a lot of cool places without begging your parents to take you!" While many kids spend the summer at sleep-away camp, Emily Kopp, 13, says Teen Travel is special because "you donʼt have to stay overnight, but you still get the experience of being with all your friends on fun trips." Their favorite trip is whitewater challenge rafting in the Delaware River, despite the lengthy bus ride. Since campers are not allowed to use their cell phones during the commutes, they turn to other forms of entertainment and end up making numerous new friends. The Enchanted Coach bus experience is luxurious in comparison to what the trip would be on a yellow school bus. The pleasure of air conditioning and the fact that the campers seem to agree on movie choices make the rides pleasant. Hannah Glickenhaus, 12, says, "I was shocked by the fact that when I brought in the movie ʻLegally Blondeʼ the boys were more than willing- if not excited- to see the sequel on the next ride!" Five counselors and a director accompany the campers on each trip, and sometimes two more, to ensure safety and accountability for all campers in certain destinations. Since there is not always a counselor watching their every move, campers are often expected to be independent and make mature decisions. Trust and responsibility are key factors in making this camp a success.
This year, the campers will also be going to Broadway, Central Park, Lake Compounce, Splish Splash Water park, the Bronx Zoo, Club Getaway, the South Street Seaport, and Six Flags Great Adventure! It is a wildly popular program and because there is a maximum of 40 campers, the Rec Department reluctantly places kids on an ever- growing wait-list each year.
The Sports Camp is a half-day camp. The session takes place in the morning, before the heat of the day descends. Campers play baseball, basketball, football, wrestling, field hockey, and lacrosse. Similarly, Soccer Camp runs only in the mornings and works to develop each playerʼs fitness and technique. Some campers in either Sports Camp or Soccer Camp join the regular day campers at Camp Patthunke for the afternoon. This program allows kids to play sports as well as bond with fellow campers over lunch, crafts, drama, and swim lessons.
Vicky Laoutaris, Recreation Supervisor, says that the Rec Department seeks to add new elements to the camp schedule each summer, especially for Camp Patthunke. Since the age range of campers attending Patthunke encompasses kids who have classmates attending sleep-away camp, mixing things up every summer gives these kids an enjoyable camp experience without having to set foot outside their home town. Minor changes each summer also encourages campers to return the next summer, building a strong camp community of new-comers as well as veterans. Ms. Laoutaris noted that Camps Sagamore and Lenape focus on wetting the campersʼ feet and introducing them to summer camp, while different forms of recreation are necessary for older kids.
The Scarsdale Day Camps appeals to a wide array of children because of the variety of activities offered. The camp program has been evolving and will continue to do so. Children who are aspiring athletes, drama queens, swimmers, chefs, and artists alike find a home-away-from-home with their camp families and the days of summer whiz by.
Photo: Teen Travel campers Hannah Glickenhaus, Emily Kopp, and Sophia Bojalian
Carly Glickenhaus will be a Sophomore at SHS in the fall. She enjoys writing, photography, and soccer, and dives for Scarsdale Town Pool Swim & Dive Team.
Edgemont Boys Spend a Day with Eli Manning
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A group of 12 boys from Edgemont spent the day with Eli Manning at the NY Giants Fitness and Health Expo on Saturday, June 22. Every summer, these boys are part of the NY Giants youth camp.
Picture at Left: Top row: Danny Sayegh, Andrew Gallousis, Paul Farris, Eli Manning, Anthony Frabisile, Caleb Donnelly, Alex Berger
Bottom row: Matthew Gallousis, Alessio Paolucci, EJ Kolber, Gianluca Paolucci, Sean Kahn, Frankie Sayegh
Teacher Training Workshop at Over the Moon Music
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Music Together®, the national early childhood music and movement program is offering a three-day Teacher Training Workshop at Over the Moon Music and More, LLC, in Scarsdale, New York, from Thursday, August 22, through Saturday, August 24, 2013. The teacher training is open to anyone desiring an overview of music development, including parents, university faculty, students, and preschool directors or teachers. Workshop participants will learn Music Together's research-based approach to teaching music and movement to children ages birth through kindergarten.
Participants who successfully complete the training will be eligible to teach Music Together parent-child or preschool classes, either at an existing Music Together center or by applying for a license to open and operate a Music Together center of their own. The flexibility of challenging part-time work with young children and parents appeals to musicians, actors, dancers, parents, and educators. No formal academic degrees are required.
The workshop provides opportunities to assess children's rhythmic and tonal development, techniques for presenting musical material, and strategies for lesson planning. There will be live early childhood music demonstration classes on each day of the workshop, teaching children and their parents using the Music Together curriculum.
Since 1987, Kenneth K. Guilmartin, Founder/Director of Music Together LLC and coauthor of Music Together, has been a pioneer in teaching parents and caregivers how to nurture their children's musical growth. "The whole purpose of the Music Together program is to enable children, as well as the adults participating with them, to become more comfortable with musical expression, and to develop musically at their own pace," says Guilmartin. He adds, "Childhood music development is a natural process just like language development."
Recent research shows that children's innate ability to make music is strongly supported as children observe the adults with whom they have an emotional bond actively engaging in making music. This is possible regardless of the adult's own musical ability. Music making is fun and engaging for children, parents, and teachers--and, as a highly beneficial side effect--contributes to the development of language and other intelligences, including spatial and mathematical.
The Music Together approach to early childhood music is taught worldwide at more than fifty teacher trainings per year. (For more information, visit www.musictogether.com .) Licensed Music Together teachers currently teach children in parent-child and preschool classes in approximately 2000 communities in all 50 states and over 20 foreign countries. In addition, many teachers trained by Music Together apply the curriculum and philosophy in preschools and childcare centers.
The cost of the three-day workshop is $475. Graduate Credits, CMTE Credits, and CEUs are available for completion of the teacher training. For additional information about the workshop or to register, visit www.musictogether.com , or contact Lisa Chouteau at (800) 728-2692 x329, [email protected].
Preschoolers Celebrate Truck Day!
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About 130 preschoolers romped from truck to truck on Truck Day!, an annual event for the two-to-five year olds in the Early Childhood Program (ECP) at Congregation Kol Ami, a White Plains Reform synagogue. The summer vacation sendoff on June 11 was made possible through the enthusiastic support of the City of White Plains, the police officers and fire fighters of the White Plains Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Postal Service.
The White Plains Public Works Department sent a dump truck, a bucket truck, a chip truck, a pick-up truck, a payloader, and a compressed natural gas garbage truck. The kids listened attentively and watched as city workers Gary Boyd, Nick Marino, Tom McCreight, Dennis Ganzaz, Doug Patla and Peter Hernandez showed how each truck worked. Officer Jeff Parks opened his police car for all to see and touch. Officer Kevin Olenchak came with Public Safety's Emergency Service Unit armored truck and explained how it is used. The children learned about the fire engine from Lieut. V. Zicca and firefighters A. Abbate and M. Niles. Brian Fields manned the U.S. Postal Service truck and Stan Outerbridge showed the kids the White Plains school bus operated by First Student Inc.
The last stop for the children was the ice cream truck operated by World War II veteran Bill Scherb and his wife, Joan. Refreshing treats were available for all, including the hard working grownups.
For information about the ECP program at Congregation Kol Ami contact Nan Blank at (914) 949-4717, ext.107. Congregation Kol Ami is a diverse Reform synagogue serving cities and towns throughout Westchester County. All individuals and families are welcome. Visit their website at www.nykolami.org for more information or call Janet Hershey at (914) 949-4717, ext. 115.
