Columbus Parent - December 2011

HOLIDAY SALE!!!: FREE DESIGNER CONSULTATION, INSTALLATION & 40% OFF EVERYTHING!!!CLOSETS CLOSETSCLOSETS KIDS ROOMSGARAGES HOME OFFICE MURPHY BEDSMURPHY BEDSLAUNDRY MURPHY BEDSMURPHY BEDS GARAGE FLOORS A LOT MORE

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2 | December 2011 | columbusparent.com

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With live music from the Columbus Symphony!

A HOLIDAY TREAT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!

Design: Peebles Creative GroupPhotography: Will Shively

DECEMBER 9—24, 2011|OHIO THEATRE

BALL

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3columbusparent.com | December 2011 |

…when you K.I.S.S. Your Kids withNationwide Children’s Hospital and Kohl’sDepartment Stores! K.I.S.S. (Kohl’s Is Soldon Safety) is a seasonal safety programthat features Coloring Contests and FREEfun Safety Activity Booklets. All children(up to age 17) may enter!

HOW TO ENTER:The Winter coloring contest runsDecember 1 – 31, 2011.1. Color in the picture and neatly fill out

the entry form.2. Take your picture/entry form to any central

Ohio Kohl’s Department Store CustomerService Counter by December 31st.

3. You will be given a participation ribbonand a free, fun Activity Booklet at theCustomer Service Counter, whilesupplies last!

4. Entries will be judged in the monthfollowing the contest deadline. Prizeswill be awarded to entries from eachstore. Nationwide Children’s Hospitalwill notify award-winners.

PRIZES:First: $25 Kohl’s Gift Card and a FreeBike Helmet.Second: $10 Kohl’s Gift Card and a FreeBike Helmet.Third: a Free Bike Helmet.

HOW TO GET A FREE ACTIVITY BOOKLETWITHOUT ENTERING:Activity Booklets will be available toanyone (regardless of entering) at Kohl’sCustomer Service Counters throughout2011, as well as at Nationwide Children’sHospital Close to HomeSM Centers, whilesupplies last!

FOR MORE INFO:To play our safety video game on-line,find more information about safety, thiscontest, or to obtain an Activity Booklet ina foreign language translation, go to:www.NationwideChildrens.org/KISS orcontact [email protected] call (614) 355-0679.

2011 Winter Coloring Contest December 1–31, 2011

�

YOU COULD WIN!

®

5718

Name of Artist: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Age:__________

Parent or Guardian:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City____________________________________________________________________ State__________________ Zip Code__________________

Phone Number: ( ____ ) ________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: All pictures become the property of Nationwide Children’s Hospital.We cannot be responsible for lost or illegible entry forms, so please write neatly!

Date__________________________ Parent/Guardian Signature ____________________________________ _________________________________


NEED TO KNOW28 AGE APPROPRIATE: EYES

AGES 2-8: Finding the perfect fitwith young children’s eyeglassesAGES 2-12: Some childhoodvision problems with improvewith ageAGES 5-12: Old enough to wear contacts?

36 THE GO-TO GUIDE: Holiday Lightsand Displays

40 FAMILY FINANCE: from Denise Trowbridge

ON THE GO8 NEWS ON THE GO10 PRODUCT PIX: Our Last-Minute Gift

Guide suggestions14 COLUMBUS PARENT PROFILE:

Upper Arlington’s Kriss Galloway15 PEOPLE YOU SHOULD MEET:

Nicholas Bosca, Kid Bagpiper16 HOUSEBROKEN: Dispatch columnist

Joe Blundo 17 TAKE IT FROM TRACY:

10TV’s Tracy Townsend18 NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT:

The Short North/Victorian Village20 SHOP SPOTLIGHT:

Posh Pets Boutique

ON THE COVER: Say hello to 4-year-old Symone, winner of our “Win the Cover” contest, sponsored by Cord Camera and photographed at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens! (Photo by Alysia Burton)

getting started: TABLE OF CONTENTS

FAMILY FUN42 HANDS ON: a DIY snow globe44 COOKING WITH KIDS: A gingerbread house and candy

ice pond (with an assist from Columbus Blue JacketAntoine Vermette)

46 PARTIES: a cookie-exchange party in Bexley48 DAY TRIPPIN’: ride the Santa Train in the Hocking Hills50 MEDIA REVIEWS

HOT TOPIC: 22 DIY ARTS CAMPS: Two experts tell

you how to create at-home creativeworkshops for your kids during theholiday school break

26 HOW TO WILDLIGHT THE WINTER:Behind the scenes at the Zoo’s Wildlights show

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOS

CALENDAR:

154THINGS TO DO

THIS MONTH


“THE ONE HOLIDAY GIFT“THE ONE HOLIDAY GIFTTHAT LASTS A LIFETIME!”THAT LASTS A LIFETIME!”

Your loved ones will learn to:Your loved ones will learn to:• Have incredible RESPECT for others• Set (and Achieve) huge GOALS• Have a winning ATTITUDE

Christmas gifts seldom last past the first of the year. This year, give your child thegift that will last forever, the gift of confidence, self esteem, and achievement that’spart of being a Karate Kid. Remember, all programs include a free karate uniform

to wrap for under the tree.hheeeeee tttttrrrreeeeeeeeee...

4 WEEKS FOR $49Martial Arts Classes & FREE Uniform

New Students Only - Expires 1-31-12

Pickerington | 773 Windmiller Dr. | Suite C | 614-920-9480Pickerington | 773 Windmiller Dr. | Suite C | 614-920-9480 Powell | In the Giant Eagle Plaza |Powell | In the Giant Eagle Plaza | (Corner of Sawmill Pkwy. and Powell Rd.)(Corner of Sawmill Pkwy. and Powell Rd.) | 614-760-0000| 614-760-0000Lewis Center | 95 Neverland Drive |Lewis Center | 95 Neverland Drive | (N.W. Corner of 23 and Powell Rd.)(N.W. Corner of 23 and Powell Rd.) | 740-549-1313| 740-549-1313


mighty fine houses and trees and ice ponds. And be sure tocheck our website for the detailed recipe and slide show tomake your own.

Because, let’s face it — all these traditions, they’re just anexcuse to spend more time with the people in our lives. So,Columbus parents, go do just that with your families thisholiday season!

We have a family Christmas cookie recipe that’sbeen handed down through at least five, probablysix generations, starting with ancestors from theAlsatian region of France. Just reading the recipewill clog the left ventricle of your heart, that’s howmuch fat is in it (it’s got giant helpings of both sourcream and butter in the dough: we won’t even talkabout what’s in the buttercream frosting).

Making just one lousy batch of the stuff takes agood four hours, what with sifting the flour, mixingthe super-thick dough, chilling it, buttering the bak-ing sheets and sprinkling anise seeds on them.Then there’s rolling out the cold and now-combat-ive dough, followed by cookie-cuttering it into theshapes of trees, stars, angels, violins, hearts and St.Nick with a sack. From there it’s onto baking, cool-ing, frosting and then decorating with sprinkles andother edible doo-dads. Just thinking about the bak-ing ahead of me this month makes me ready for along winter’s nap.

And yet would I ever dare take it off my season-al to-do list? I think we all know the answer to thatquestion. I would sooner tell the family that Christ-mas has been cancelled due to lack of interest. It’s atradition — and a darn tasty one at that — and youdon’t mess with tasty traditions at holiday times.

In this issue, we honored two more of thesetasty traditions with stories about cookie-exchangeparties (a competitive sport in some neighborhoodsbut, in our story, a delightful get-together formoms, daughters and the dolls in their lives) andmaking gingerbread houses. The latter tradition isone of the few that has a higher degree of difficultythan my family’s cookie baking. In fact, a couple ofyears ago, we went to all the trouble of creating andbaking the architecturally correct walls and roofsfor a gingerbread village, only to lose steam andpack it all in the freezer with promises to get itassembled by New Year’s Eve. We ended up thawingthe pieces in June and just eating them plain.

Sometimes you have to pace yourself with thesetraditions. Or get some extra help, as we did withthe gingerbread houses in this issue. Between ourexpert baker Judy Tipton, her assistant CynthiaAdkins and our expert candy smasher Antoine Ver-mette (taking time out from his day job with theColumbus Blue Jackets), we whipped together some

CONTRIBUTORS

Brian Albright, Debbie Angelos, Joe Blundo, Olivera Bratich,Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld, Debra Darnall, Melissa Kossler Dutton,Kristy Eckert, Colin Hawes, Kristen Maetzold, Shane Neff, PhilPikelny, Elizabeth Seufer, Mary Slebodnik, Tracy Townsend,

Denise Trowbridge

Columbus Parent is published and distributed by The Dispatch Printing Company every month, available at more than 1,200 loca-

tions throughout Central Ohio. One free copy per person. Circulation:54,000 copies. Copyright © 2011 The Dispatch Printing Company

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www.ColumbusParent.com

DISTRIBUTIONIf you would like to receive Columbus Parent at your business, or to report delivery concerns:

John [email protected]

PUBLISHER

Katie Wolfe [email protected]

DIRECTOR OF NICHE PUBLICATIONS

Brian [email protected]

EDITOR

Jane [email protected]

NICHE PUBLICATIONS ADVERTISING MANAGER

Amy [email protected]

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVELA Castle

[email protected]

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Megan [email protected]

DIGITAL ADVERTISING SPECIALIST

Vanessa [email protected]

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Will [email protected]

PRODUCTION EDITOR

Rebecca [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Michaela [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHER

Alysia [email protected]

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Heather [email protected]

getting started: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Columbus Parents,

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

CONNECT WITH USColumbusParent.com | Facebook: Columbus Parent Magazine | Twitter @ColumbusParent and @jane_hawes

EMAIL: [email protected]


on the go: NEWS ON THE GO

5-YEAR-OLD SOPHIEParents: Abbe and AaronSister: MaciHometown: Westerville

LET’S TRADE!Every day, it seems, publicists send us stuff that we don’t

even ask for — books, toys, DVDs, you name it. Often we find wor-thy organizations to donate this stuff to, like the Ronald McDonald House orlocal schools. This holiday season, we’re going to try something a little dif-ferent: We’re going to trade this stuff with you in exchange for cannedgoods and other nonperishable items that we in turn will donate to theMid-Ohio Foodbank.

Our friends at Wholly Craft in Clintonville will host us on Saturday, Dec.10, from 7-9 p.m. Bring an item we can donate to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank,and you get your pick of what we’ve got to give away! Wholly Craft is locat-ed at 3169 N. High St. (and they’ll be having their own holiday sale, too, soyou can knock off lots of holiday shopping that night).

OUR WIN THE COVER FINALISTSHere they are — the rest of our finalists in the Columbus Parent Win the Cover contest,

sponsored by Cord Camera. Our overall winner, Symone, a 4-year-old from Westervillewhose parents are Rufus and Ann, appears on our cover this issue. Thank you again to every-one who entered and shared their beautiful children with us!

6-YEAR-OLD CORDELIAParents: Aaron and ChristinaSister: MirandaHometown: Grove City

20-MONTH-OLDANTHONYParent: TabbyNeighborhood:Franklinton

9-MONTH-OLD ADDISONParents: Raushanah and JasonSister: Ta’shaHometown: Powell

Crowns: $600.00

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a gift for your little Beethoven(and big Beethovens, too)

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740-548-4600500OrangepointeDrive, LewisCenter(Minutes from Powell off Route 23, between Home Rd. & Orange Rd.)

Let’s do SOMETHING

BREAK IT DOWNCelebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Homeless Families Foundation is a private,

nonprofit organization that works to reduce generational homelessness in Columbus. “The national average for a homeless person is 9 years old,” said Davis. “Last year, the aver-

age for a person the Homeless Families Foundation served was 7 years old. Kids are the inno-cent victims of the homeless cycle. They are affected most heavily.”

HFF’s five case managers take referrals from the YWCA Family Center, partner families withcommunity resources and, with the help of government funding and donations, guides familiestoward financial independence again.

“We give them a hand up, not a hand out,” said Davis. “It takes a lot of courage to say ‘I needhelp. I can’t do it for my family anymore.’”

WHAT: generational homelessness

WHO CAN HELP YOU HELP OTHERS: Susan Davis,development director for the Homeless FamiliesFoundation

WHEN: this holiday season

HOW: Each December, the Homeless Families Foun-dation sets up a Christmas Store, where those theyserve can “shop” for holiday gifts. Using “HFF Dollars,”families choose items and have their presents gift-wrapped. Where do the items come from? They’re alldonated, and range from gift cards to clothing, fromtoys to DVDs. “This really is a community effort to pro-vide gifts for our families,” said Davis. “Then they canhave a nice Christmas.”

WHAT YOU CAN DO • DONATE ITEMS to the Christmas Store and teach your kids about giving back to the

community. Donations are taken until Dec. 13, and popular items include socks, under-wear and sweatshirts. Call HFF at 614-461-9247 for a full wish list and instructions onhow to drop off items.

• VOLUNTEER as a mentor at the Dowd Education Center, where after-school and sum-mer programs focus on math and reading. “We make sure kids are academically success-ful in school,” said Davis. “They don’t always have someone helping them with theirhomework at home.”

• DONATE MONEY. With an annual budget of almost $2 million, the HFF is able to serveseveral hundred people each year.

• To learn more about the Homeless Families Foundation, their efforts and ways you canhelp, visit their website at homelessfamiliesfoundation.com or call 614-461-9247.

—HEATHER WEEKLEY

Susan Davis

GIVING CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUEOur October issue’s cover credit should have included a shout-out to Lilylimes for

providing our model Brooklyn’s adorable “organic footie” sleeper from Cutano in the Meadowmarsh print ($32 for the 0-3M size, $33 for 6-9M).

Lilylimes, 7850 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, 614-448-1222, lilylimes.com

about it.


www.arlingtonchildrens.com

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near Upper Arlington)457-6404

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Come Visit Us At Our Open House Event OnSunday, January 15th 2-4

Wednesday, January 25th from 6:30-8:30

last-minutegift guideon the go: PRODUCT PIX

Oh, this isn’t for you, of course. But maybe you know someone whocould use some help with their last-minute gift shopping this month.So to help them, we’ve expanded our regular Product Pix feature toinclude a few more helpful hints of the holiday season.

Wear Your VeggiesColumbus-based Veg•gie T’s has created a

line of adorable t-shirts for kids (and grown-ups) with proceeds from each purchasegoing to help local health organizations.Each organic-cotton shirt ($18) has a wordlike veg•gie or car•rot printed on it, plus itcomes with a package of seeds to plant.They’re sold at the Whole Foods Marketnear Dublin and online at veggiets.com.3670 W. Dublin-Granville Road, Columbus, 614-760-5556, wholefoodsmarket.com

Columbus Peanut ShoppeThere’s nothing like the experience of visiting the Columbus Peanut Shoppe duringthe holiday season and trying the freshly roasted nuts and candies. Holiday-themedgift tins can be purchased for $3 and can be filled with any of the store’s offerings.46 N. High St., Downtown, 614-221-8837, On Facebook: Peanut Shoppe Columbus

Princess-worthy Art SuppliesLittle ladies will be inspired to draw withthe Melissa & Doug Princess Crayon Set ($4).The 12 triangular crayons come in a tiara-shapedcase. The wrapper-free crayons let children skip thepeeling and get right to doodling. Lair’s Hallmark carriesthe equally adorable Truck Crayon Set as well.1645 W. Lane Avenue, 614-486-1573, lairshallmark.com

Rockin’ It Out The Rock-It 2.0 ($50) can turn any object into a speaker — seri-ously. Plug one end into an audio device with a standard head-phone jack and stick the other end onto anything you want(cereal box, football, backpack, you name it) and push play. Youwon’t believe your ears! (To see to believe, check out “Rock-It2.0” on YouTube and then buy one at Bed Bath and Beyond.) Multiple locations, bedbathandbeyond.com

@columbusparent


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INFANTS • TODDLERS • PRESCHOOL • BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL • SUMMER CAMP

You Know JackJungle Jack Hanna + Cute Stuffed Animal =Wishpets. These adorable plush animals($15) even come dressed in a safari vestand are sold at the Columbus Zoo andAquarium’s Zoo Marketplace. 4850 W. Powell Road, Powell, 614-645-3550, columbuszoo.org

Cutie Hair AccessoriesLittle girls will love completing theirlook with Cutie Heads. The adorablebarrettes ($7.95- $10.95) and head-bands ($16.50) are handmade by twoColumbus-area moms. The barrettes,which come in lots of colors andstyles, clip onto the headband forincreased versatility. Helen Winnemore, 150 E. Kossuth St.,Columbus, 614-444-5850, helenwinnemores.com

Ultimate BottleThe Vapur Anti-Bottle ($9) is reusable, roll-able,fold-able, freezable,attachable AND dishwash-er safe. Great for lunchbags, sport bags and travel bags. Water hasnever been so cool! FindVapur .5L Anti-Bottles in arainbow of bright colors at The Morgan House GiftShop.5300 Glick Road, Dublin,614-889-0037, morganhse.com

Be True to Your SchoolShe may not be able to yell “Go, team!”yet, but it’s never too early to show someschool spirit with these handcrafted hairbows from Happy Turtle Wear. Madelocally and sold at Lilylimes, these minipom-poms ($10) are available in the col-ors of seven area schools.Lilylimes, 7850 Olentangy River Rd.,Columbus, 614-448-1222, lilylimes.com


on the go: PRODUCT PIX

A Whole Lotta ChocolateWinans Fine Chocolates & Coffees is a part of a Piqua family operation that has made itsown chocolate candies for five generations. We don’t think anyone would object to find-ing their chocolate rice krispies treats (four for $1.75), chocolate-covered mini-pretzels (4ounces for $4.95) or chocolate raisins (10 ounces for $5.95) in a Christmas stocking!Winans Fine Chocolates & Coffees, 897 S. Third St., German Village, 614-445-6464, winanscolumbus.com

Ten Tiny Trumpette Toes

Trumpette Baby Socks, available at Hey DiddleDiddle, instantly take your sweet pea from high

chair to high fashion with their unique line offaux-shoe socks. Comfy and oh-so-cute, Trum-pettes ($26) stay snugly in place while adding

some flair to any infant ensemble. With tons ofsweet and spunky styles for both girls and boys,

these socks are sure to knock yours off. Hey Diddle Diddle, 38 N. State St., Westerville,

614-818-5437, heydiddlediddle.com

Luggage TagTravel in style! The Vera Bradleyluggage tag adds a splash of colorto any travel bag or suitcase.Priced at $12, the tag comes in anarray of signature patterns and hasa slot for a business card or identi-fication information. Find them atVera Bradley retailer Simply Rr’slocated in The Mall at Tuttle Crossing.5043 Tuttle Crossing Blvd., Dublin,614-734-0505; simplyrrs.com

SM

For coloring contest information,safety tips, or to download a freesafety activity book, please visit:

www.NationwideChildren.org/KISS

K.I.S.S.Your Kids♥ KeepThem Safe!

YOUCOULDWIN!

You could win!Watch for our SafetyEducation Coloring

Contests in March, June,September and December.

Prizes include Kohl’sGift Cards and Cool

Bike/Sledding Helmets!


What is the most playedsong on your iPod right now?I’m on this BBC kick rightnow, so I’ve been listening toBBC 1 Radio and really likeOlly Murs’ new singles,“Dance With Me Tonight,”and “My Heart Skips a Beat.”He’s not too well known herein the U.S. yet, but I think hismusic will catch on quickly.

If you HAD to be on areality-TV show,which one would itbe? “Top Gear,” UKversion —their “stars ina reasonably priced cararound the race track”segment is like metrying to get the kidsto school in UpperArlington, dropping offmy husband at workdowntown, and thencruising over to Bexleyto get to work — all on time!

Who is your favorite TV ormovie parent? I love thewholesomeness of JuneCleaver, the zaniness of LucyRicardo, the warmth ofLouise Jefferson, the daffi-ness of Edith Bunker, theweirdness of MorticiaAddams (as portrayed byAngelica Huston in “TheAddams Family”) and thesnarkiness of Peg Bundy. Ihave a little bit of all of themin me.

Which super-hero powerwould you like to have? Theharnessed chi of “The IronFist,” or the elasticity of“Elastigirl” in “The Incredi-bles.” I could keep my familysafe no matter the situation.

Favorite movie that youwent to see with the kids:The entire Harry Potterseries — I watched my girlsgrow up right alongsideHarry and his pals. The finalfilm was especially moving,

not only because it was thelast in the series, but alsothat my girls have reachedyoung adulthood and couldreally understand the themeof Snape’s unrequited loveand never-ending loyalty.

Favorite way to spend a Sat-urday afternoon: Creatingart — whether it’s paintingin my studio or makingmosaics with recycled furni-ture. Sometimes the girlsjoin me, and other times

they make fun of me and myglue gun.

Best advice you everreceived as a parent: “Enjoyevery moment, because theygrow up too quickly!” Itseems like yesterday thatSarah was starting pre-school, and now she’s apply-ing to colleges.

What have you learned as aparent that you wish some-one had told you before you

had that first kid: You can’tsterilize or rubberize theworld; they’re going to catchcolds and fall down. So don’tsweat the small stuff…relax!

What’s something your momor dad did that you thoughtwas nuts when you were akid and now you under-stand? My parents alwaystold me, “I hope you havekids just like you!” Well,their wish came true, but Ithink my kids are incredibly

funny and smart, and I hopethey have kids just likethem.

What is a favorite holidaymemory? Since we have aninterfaith family, we cele-brate both Hanukkah andChristmas. I love how mygirls insist on lighting theHanukkah candles andsinging the blessings – rightbefore they tear open thepaper on a present. (The tra-dition is to give them each apair of socks on at least oneof the festival’s eight nights.They never know whenthey’re going to get a coolCD, or a pair of socks. It’smy way of getting back atthem for putting me througha combined 36 hours oflabor!) We also like cookingtraditional Hanukkah food,such as potato latkes, andour cats have great fun bat-ting around the dreidels. Thegirls also work together toput up a Christmas tree, butat the age they are now, Ithink it’s more because theywant a flashy signpost forwhere “Santa” is to leavetheir Christmas presents.

My life’s motto: Carpe Diem— Seize the Day.

on the go: COLUMBUS PARENT PROFILE

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

Kriss GallowayAGE: 49SPOUSE: Brian Galloway, married for 9 yearsKIDS: Sarah (17) and Zoe (15)NEIGHBORHOOD: Upper ArlingtonJOB: Marketing & CommunicationsDirector, Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus


Musically inclined 12-year-olds usually play thetrumpet or clarinet.Nicholas Bosca, a sixthgrader at Gahanna MiddleSchool East, plays the bag-pipes.

“I like the sound of it,”Nicholas said. “It’s coolerthan some of the otherinstruments — all ofthem.”

Not that Nicholasdoesn’t appreciate otherinstruments. He said hewants to play drums inthe middle school jazzband. His father, Christo-pher, has started teachinghim banjo, which Nicholasfinds difficult. Nicholas’sbrother, Mario, 15, playsbass guitar.

“We’re a very musicalfamily,” Nicholas’s moth-er, Courtney, said.

Nicholas said his dadand brother inspired himto play music, but hewanted to bring a newinstrument into the house.

Bagpipes in pop cul-ture haven’t impressedNicholas. He hasn’twatched the movie “Brave-heart,” and he doesn’tcare for AC/DC’s famousbagpipe song, “It’s a LongWay to the Top.” Instead,the stories of heroic bat-tlefield bagpipers, fromthe Napoleonic wars toWorld War II, inspired himto pick up the instrument.

The loudness of thepipes attracted enemy firein the trenches, but thank-

fully, Nicholas doesn’thave to worry as he cra-dles his pipes in his armon the Bosca patio. Threepipes, called drones, stickout of the bag to producesound. Nicholas pushesair — a lot of it — into themouthpiece and theinstrument blares out itsdistinctive half-melody,half-wail.

Nicholas’s bagpipeinstructor, Joe Thomas,said holding the bagpipesand mastering the breath-ing rhythm pose thebiggest challenges tobeginners. He comparedplaying the pipes to hold-ing an octopus. Thomassaid young musicians likeNicholas can learn it,though, if they practiceenough.

“It’s miraculous,”Thomas said. “All of asudden you’re doing itand it’s nothing to you.”

Giving up on the diffi-cult instrument carries aprice tag: basic Highlandpipes (named for a regionof Scotland) cost morethan $1,000. Nicholasowned a small set of fire-side pipes and borrowedHighland pipes from histeacher before his familyinvested in his “good setof pipes.”

Courtney said she likesseeing the confidence herson has developed fromplaying over the last fouryears.

“Nicholas spends his

time carefully,” she said.“He has to really, reallylike something to spendhis time doing it.”

Nicholas plays at pub-lic events like Gahanna’sWestie Walk and MemorialDay services. He wears awhite dress shirt, a cap,high socks with tassels,and of course, the kilt.Most people ask him toplay funereal hymns, like“Amazing Grace” and“Scotland the Brave.” He

likes the memorial songs,but he favors “High Roadto Gairloch” because it’s“fast and upbeat.”

Nicholas said he does-n’t mind wearing the kiltin front of his classmateswhen he plays at schoolassemblies. He said hisfriends think it’s cool heplays the bagpipes.

“It’s a lifetime com-mitment,” Nicholas said.“But it’s really fun and it’sworth it.”

on the go: PEOPLE YOU SHOULD MEET

Bagpiper NICHOLAS BOSCA BY MARY SLEBODNIK

JOE MAIORANA PHOTO

BAGPIPE TRIVIA• According to bagpipe historian Frank J. Timoney, bagpipes are

descendants of ancient pipes and may date from around 1200 B.C. inwhat is now the Middle East region.

• Religious ceremonies in ancient Greece and Rome required constantmusical accompaniment and may have contributed most to the bag-pipe’s development as an instrument. To avoid the unattractive look(not to mention the muscle strain) of cheek distension, air bags wereattached to these pipes to create a continuous musical sound.

• These early bags were probably formed from a sheep’s stomach.• The bagpipes have become an integral part of the musical traditions

of British Commonwealth countries, but most especially those of Scotland.

• A set of Highland bagpipes has a range of only nine notes.


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Let’s begin with fruit-cake, which you are sup-posed to hate becauseeveryone else does. But agood fruitcake — and bythat I mean one marinatedin bourbon and free ofunnaturally colored objects— is a glorious thing. Seri-ously, cake and alcohol inthe same package? What’snot to like? It’s a mixeddrink you can eat.

You should also excuseyourself from all obligationto sneer at Christmas

sweaters if you happen tolike them. We live in a citywhere 50-year-old menparade around in the scar-let-and-gray jerseys of teen-age football players. Andyou just know the grandpawearing Boom Herron’snumber secretly harborsfantasies about gashingMichigan with a 75-yardtouchdown run. At leastthe woman in the Rudolphsweater is under no illusionthat she can fly.

You also are not obligat-

ed to dream of a whiteChristmas. All it takes isone badly timed storm toparalyze the nation’s airtraffic. The dreamersalways picture themselvesin front of a cozy fire whilesoftly falling snow turnsthe yard into a fairyland.Maybe they should picturethemselves spendingChristmas Day sleeping onthe filthy carpet at NewarkInternational Airport.

It would be far smarterto dream of a blizzard on aweekday in January.

Hesitant to openly loveyour artificial Christmastree? Look, dragging treesinto the living room is a lit-tle wacky regardless ofwhere the trees came from.Just don’t let people makeyou feel like an environ-mental felon because yourswas made in China. Notwhen you know that theirs

spent the better part of adecade being doused bypetroleum-based fertilizerson a farm before it wastransported by some fume-belching truck to Colum-bus, where it was picked itup in an oversized SUV,then discarded two weekslater.

But resist mistletoe ifyou are so inclined. If itworks for you, fine. Person-ally, I never saw hanging asprig of dead vegetationfrom the ceiling in thehopes of being kissed as allthat seductive. Wouldn’t itbe as likely to repel peopleas attract them?

Finally, you don’t haveto watch football on Christ-mas. I don’t recommend it.

Football watching, at itsbest, is a couch-potatoexercise with maybe a cou-ple of like-minded compan-ions. At Christmas, you’re

going to have people com-ing and going, kids runningaround with their new toys,tipsy relatives spillingplates of turkey. It’s likehosting the Whos from“How the Grinch StoleChristmas.”

Trying to watch footballin that atmosphere can bean exercise in frustration.You might be better offjust kicking back with adrink. Or a piece of fruit-cake.

Joe Blundo’s column So to Speak appears in the Life section of The

Columbus Dispatch. Visit his blog at Dispatch.com

on the go: HOUSEBROKEN

Ho,Ho,WhateverBY JOE BLUNDO

A lot of the stress we feel

around the holidays comes

from the pressure to conform

to prevailing practices. So

don’t conform.

Must you hate fruitcake?

Must you long for a white

Christmas? Must you turn in

your hipster credentials for

wearing a Christmas sweater?

I say no. Forge boldly ahead

with contrarian Christmas

attitudes. You’ll feel better.


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Our plan met with little resistance fromour siblings and fathers — only our mothersput up fierce resistance in the beginning.They realized what we had not considered,that at some point there would be grandchil-dren. When our son Ian was born, “Grand-ma” — Murv’s mother — and “Nana” — mymother — needled, nudged and not-so-sub-tly pushed to be with the baby on his firstChristmas. Turns out it was Christmas inIndianapolis, with the in-laws and hourly

phone calls from Nana in Cincinnati.Hitting the road for the holidays does

come with its challenges, from bumper-to-bumper traffic and flight delays to baggagefees and inclement weather. For the mostpart, our travels have been smooth. Just lastyear we drove to Orlando, Florida, forChristmas. It was a beautiful drive souththrough the Carolinas to the Sunshine State.Our return, though, had a few tricky turnsas we traveled through the snowy hills of

Tennessee and Kentucky on our way hometo Ohio.

Ian is always a trooper and ready for theroad — or the air. These days he looks for-ward to time spent with cousins and otherfamily members we don’t see nearly as oftenas we’d like. As he gets older, it is easier topack his bags and go. Traveling at Christmasdoes require creativity when it comes tomaking sure Santa knows where to stop andthat all family members are prepared for hisarrival.

We have managed to make the most ofthe additional quality family time that trav-eling allows. It’s meant making the most ofhours in the car traveling scenic roadwaysor spent sitting in crowded airport gates.

Many teachable moments have come frominstances of road rage and the theatrics ofoverzealous TSA screeners at other airports.

This year we will break from our tradi-tion of travel and celebrate Christmas athome here in Columbus. I have to admit thatI’m looking forward to preparing for the fes-tivities and the arrival of family. My “innerMartha Stewart” is giddy with ideas for dec-orating, baking and entertaining. These arethe things I miss out on when we are not athome.

Of course, all of these things remind methat I’ll miss out on what may be the truesilver lining in our travel tradition — neverhaving to do a top-to-bottom, white-glove,Mother-approved house cleaning.

on the go: TAKE IT FROM TRACY

The HolidayITINERARYBY TRACY TOWNSEND

Travel is a holiday tradition in our family. Whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas,we will spend time in our car on the interstate or in the airport. When we firstmarried 14 years ago, my husband and I agreed upon an alternating holidaycelebration plan for this time of year. Here’s how it works: if we have Thanksgivingwith his family, we spend Christmas with mine. The next year, it works in reverse.

Tracy Townsend is a newsreporter and anchor with

10TV News HD.


Children are a familiar sight in the Short North— even at Gallery Hop, the neighborhood’smonthly event where galleries stay open late.

“I think parents would be shocked to see howmany kids are down here during events,” saidDiesha Condon, senior director for the ShortNorth Business Association (SNBA). “They shouldjust be ready to work around the crowds.”

But parents should realize that in theevenings, the neighborhood does become a desti-nation for students and grown-ups looking for-ward to adult fun. Condon advised that parentsshould think about “where you choose to dine.

Some of our restaurants do turn into bars after9.”

If parents have concerns about whether theirchildren would be welcome in a particular storeor restaurant, they should call ahead, she said.

Maggie O’Shaughnessy and her two childrenwalk through the bustling neighborhoods on theirway to and from school. They often will stop intoNorthstar Café for a cookie or poke their headsinto a business with an inviting window display,O’Shaughnessy said.

The kids love living in Victorian Villagebecause of the activity generated by the stores,

restaurants and nearbyOhio State University.

The neighborhood’s“eye candy” holds greatappeal to kids, addedCharly Bauer, theSNBA’s board presidentand director of opera-tions at Jeni’s SplendidIce Creams.

Bauer said he rou-tinely visits the neigh-borhood with his 4-year-old and 2-year-oldkids in tow.

“They are fascinatedby the sights andsounds of the neighbor-hood,” Bauer said. “Youdon’t have to do toomuch to entertainthem. Just walk aroundand let them discover.”

His children enjoy

on the go: NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT

Short North and Victorian Village

BY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON • PHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON

When visiting the Short North or Victorian Village, kids will likelyenjoy many of the same past times as adults. People watching, win-dow shopping and dining in restaurants are all great experiencesthat families can share in the city’s vibrant arts district.

Goodale Park

North Market


1. BABYBIRD27 E. Russell St., Suite 103614-725-3403babybirdfashion.com

2. BAKERY GINGHAM647 N. High St.614-371-0848bakerygingham.com

3. THE BUCKEYE CONNECTION841 N. High St.888-315-4287 ext. 841thebuckeyeconnection.com

4. THE CANDLE LAB751 N. High St.614-949-1458thecandlelab.com

5. GLOBAL GALLERY682 N. High St.614-621-1744globalgalleryonline.org

6. GOODALE PARK120 W. Goodale St.

7. JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS714 N. High St.614-294-5364jenisicecreams.com

8. LE CHOCOHOLIQUE601 N. High St.614-223-4009lechocoholique.com

9. NORTH MARKET59 Spruce St.614-463-9664northmarket.com

10. NORTHSTAR CAFÉ951 N. High St.614-298-9999thenorthstarcafe.com

11. PARADISE GARAGE 921 N. High St.614-299-0899paradisegarage.com

12. PIECE OF CAKE772 N. High St.614-421-0399shortnorthpieceofcake.com

13. POSH PETS BOUTIQUE743 N. High St.614-299-7387poshpetsboutique.com

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14. ROYAL FACTORY1209 N. High St.614-754-1061

15. UTRECHT ART SUPPLIES612 N. High St.614-224-7708utrecht.com

16. WHAT THE ROCK?!1194 N. High St.614-294-9428whattherock.com

visiting Paradise Garage. Thefull-service bike store haslots of bicycles to ogle.

Buckeye Fans will want tocheck out the scarlet andgray wares at The BuckeyeConnection.

For a more edgy look,pop into What The Rock?!The boutique has an awe-some selection of rock-and-roll-themed clothing forbabies, children and adults.And new to the kids’ cloth-ing scene is Babybird, plusvintage-clothing boutiqueRoyal Factory has built asmall inventory of children’sclothing.

You’re bound to findgoodies for your four-leggedfamily members at Posh PetsBoutique.

Global Gallery has asmall but interesting selec-tion of toys that children arewelcome to touch and playwith, said manager MeganFitze.

If the handmade itemsfrom developing countriesaround the world inspireyour little artist, head toUtrecht Art Supplies. Thestore has paints, paper andsupplies to create a fabulousart kit.

The Candle Lab is anothergreat spot for kids to getcreate something — in thiscase, their own soy candleswith customized scents.

And when tummies startgrowling, there’s no betterplace to be than the ShortNorth or Victorian Village.Piece of Cake and BakeryGingham offer yummybaked goods. Le Choco-holique sells candy and pas-tries that appeal to the eyeas well as the palate. Jeni’sSplendid Ice Creams dishesup great cool treats on HighStreet as well as in NorthMarket, a great kid venue.

O’Shaughnessy and herfamily love North Market

because the kids can chowdown on pizza while the par-ents enjoy sushi, Indian cui-sine or other exotic eats.Kids also will want to visitthe Candy Shack, Pam’s Mar-ket Popcorn and Brezel, ahot pretzel bakery, while atNorth Market.

“For a lot of families, theNorth Market is a Saturdaymorning ritual,” Baueragreed.

And from there, it’s just ashort hike north to GoodalePark, Columbus’ oldest park.Kids will love the uniqueplayground equipment andparents will enjoy the beauti-ful setting.

Posh Pets Boutique

Utrecht Art Supplies


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getCan people bring theirpets with them when theyshop here?

Dogs are always welcome.We have dogs, cats, pot-bellypigs and monkeys that comehere — a whole range of ani-mals.

What is a great gift to getyour pet if you really wantto spoil it?

Bling is still really huge.People like bling collars.Enrichment toys to keepthem entertained whenthey’re home alone. Thistime of year, sweaters arereally popular.

What can kids expectwhen they come here?

We try to educate chil-dren about the reasons why

we carry the products we do,and the ways they can helptake care of their pets. Wereally stress identification.We’re always hearing storiesabout pets who get lostwhen their collars are off. Ithink it’s really important toteach children from an earlyage the responsibilities ofbeing a pet owner.

Has Hollywood’sinfatuation with high-endpet accessories impactedyour business?

It certainly was beneficialwhen I first started. We(opened) after “LegallyBlonde” came out where shecarried the dog in her purse.It didn’t promote the best indog ownership. People want-ed the accessory more than

the pet. There’s not as muchof that anymore. Now a lotof celebrities are attachingthemselves to different res-cue organizations.

You sell dog clothes. Arethere a lot of dogs thatenjoy wearing clothes?

Yes. Some dogs just lovewearing clothes. There aredogs that go and get some-thing out of drawer anddrop it on the floor and waituntil (their owner) puts it on.

Do you know the petnames of most of yourregular customers?

I know most of my cus-tomers’ dogs’ names morethan I know my customers’names. That’s how my brainworks.

on the go: SHOP SPOTLIGHT

Jo JohnsonOwner, Posh Pets Boutique

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

Jo Johnson found the location for Posh Pets Boutique while walking a dog. The former owner of a dog-walking and pet care business saw the empty storefront alongNorth High Street and was inspired to open a boutique devoted to pet products.

She liked the idea of locating in the Short North because the bustling arts districtattracts visitors from throughout central Ohio as well as from around the world.

“It has a good flow of traffic,” she said. —MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON


CAMP DIRECTOR GUIDELINES• Name your camp and make a banner

or flag for it

• Set up your camp rules (like no TV, cell phones, etc.)

• Look for inspiration in family photos, by taking a walk or asking children questionsabout they think and feel.

• Hands off! Show children how to use thematerials provided but DO NOT DO IT forthem. Let them experiment and be messy.There is no wrong way to make art.

• Make sure you tailor the project ideas to theages of the kids. Younger ones really like tojust play with the materials, so let them! Witholder kids, you can be more structured.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MATERIALS• DROP CLOTHS: on a large table AND under it (to allow

for and encourage messiness!)

• RAW MATERIALS: Gather items from around the houseand spread them on the table for the children to choosefrom. Items can include used wrapping paper, loose but-tons, old fabric, cardboard, tissue paper, paper plates,newspaper, cancelled stamps, glitter, yarn and wire.Make color copies of anything you don’t want to damagelike family photos.

• ART SUPPLIES: paint, brushes, bowls of water, glue gunfor older kids, primer, joint compound, different types oftape and glue

• ”BLANK CANVASES”: Items like boxes, frames, clay pots,stretched canvas, etc., can be used to put finished art-work into or onto!

hot topic: THE HOLIDAYS

Even parents can come down with a bad case of the“I can’ts!” But with holiday breaks coming up (and holi-day budgets to manage), now is not the time to thinkthat you can’t create your own arts-rich camp experi-ence for your kids. You don’t need a career in the visualarts or a degree in early childhood education like DebraDarnall or Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld, the two “camp direc-tors” we invited to help us create DIY Arts Camps. Youjust need imagination and an “I can” attitude!

DIY ARTS CAMPS“Camp Midgard”for Young Artists

BY DEBRA DARNALL

I always wanted to go to camp.Not having kids of my own, butembracing my role as Aunt Debby, Iwould invite my four nieces andnephew to come down from Cleve-land for visits to my own personalcamp, which I created by turning offthe TV, staying up late and workingon art projects during the day. Wecalled it Camp Midgard, after theroad I then lived on in Clintonville.

Being a working decorativepainter, I had supplies in my base-ment studio that I let the kids use tocreate their projects, which includedtie-dying t-shirts and making tissue-paper collages.

Years later, the kids, who were bythen teenagers, came to visit again.After our hello hugs, the first thingwe did was have a meeting to write acamp constitution, which describedour camp’s mission, guidelines andrules. We even made a camp flag.Our first project was a walk aroundSchiller Park with camera in hand. Itold them they each needed to findsomething that inspired them, take aphoto of it and then they would cre-ate a piece of art. At the end of campwe had a closing ceremony whereeach kid stood up and told us abouttheir particular piece of art. I satthere in awe of what they created.

Here’s how you can create aCamp Midgard (and some awe) ofyour own!


POSSIBLE PROJECTS• MYSTERY BOX: Take an old shoe

box and decorate it with cut-out orwritten-in words, small objects, pho-tos and mementos of family membersor pets.

• GARBAGE ART: Recycle items thatmight otherwise go out in the trash —paper products, can labels, envelopes,packaging, string, ribbon, even cut-upclothes — and use only these items tocreate your art.

• BOOK OF ME: Either make a blankbook from construction paper or pur-chase one. Have the children put pic-tures, words, flat objects, etc., in thebook to describe themselves. Or haveeach person do a page in each other’sbooks. Then, at end of camp, everyonewill “read” their books out loud.

• HOLIDAY EDITION: Make a book withpictures of Christmas trees from thepast. Go on a winter walk in the snowand take photos of snowmen and makea piece of art from them. Take old holi-day cards you received (and never threwout) and make a collage or cover a largeframe with them and use to display yournew cards. Decorate a small clay pot toput a poinsettia or small tree in.

Downtown IlluminationDecember 2 - January 15

Holiday FairDecember 16-18

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The Lazarus BuildingHistoric Holiday Window Displays

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The Scioto MileSpectacular Fountain Light Show



DIY Arts CampsA Creative-Movement Snow Story

BY MIMI BRODSKY CHENFELD | PHOTOS BY TESSA BERG

Ooooh! Too freezing cold and blustery today for outdoor play. A perfect day to bring winter inside to the little guys with a dancing, moving,talking Snow Story. All that is needed is a little space, loosened-up bodies and free spirits. No props or costumes are necessary. In all the storiesI share with children, no parts are chosen. We are EVERYTHING and EVERYONE in the story. The story? The simpler, the better.

Here’s an example of one that I shared with my students at the Leo Yassenoff Jewish Community Center’s Early Childhood Program.

WHAT THE GROWN-UP DOES WHAT THE CHILDREN DO

Once upon a time while everyone was asleep,

(kids love to lie on the floor pretending to be asleep)

snow was falling outside. Snowflakes twinkled in the moonlight all night.

(any peaceful music can accompany quiet snowflake movement with twinkly fingers moving around the room)

The sleeping children woke up,

(snowflakes turn back to sleepers)

opened their eyes and saw SNOW! They jumped up and down excitedly.

(any jumpy rhythm will do!)

They shouted, “Can we go out and play?”

(a lovely chorus of voices)

Their grown-ups said, “First, get dressed…then, wash your faces…brush yourteeth…comb your hair. Then, eat breakfast. Then pull on your winter clothes:sweaters, jackets, snow pants, hats, scarves, boots and mittens…NOW you areready to go play in the snow!”

(this last series of movement ideas delights children who easily mime dressing, washing, eating, etc.)


WHAT THE GROWN-UP DOES WHAT THE CHILDREN DO

It’s hard to walk in the snow. Heavy boots and lifted feet are part of “snow walking.”

(clump clump around the room)

Snow can be slippery. Careful! Whoops! All fall down! The kids fell in the snow,stood up and fell again!

(young children love to fall down!)

“Let’s make snow angels!” the children said.

(back on the floor with snow angel movements)

“Let’s make snowballs!” the children said.

(bending down, packing invisible snow,throwing imaginary snowballs is so much fun)

After their snowball game, the children said, “Let’s ice skate!”

(any delightful, easy-to-move-to music accompanies ice-skating movements)

“Look! Animal tracks!” the children noticed. Rabbits and squirrels make hopping,scurrying tracks. Horses make galloping tracks.

(nothing is more fun than dancing animal movement)

The children had played all day in the snow that soon it was almost night time.They clumped home with their heavy boots, covered with snow, and they took offtheir winter clothes.

“How about a nice warm bath and a cup of hot chocolate before you go to bed?”their grown-ups suggested.

And that’s just what they did! And when they went to bed, what do you thinkthey dreamed about? You’re right! SNOW!

After a fun, indoor snow story full of action and movement, children love a realwarm bath, real hot chocolate and then markers, crayons and paper to write andcreate their own snow pictures and stories.

Keep it simple. Keep it fun. Make lots of room for the children’s ideas and sugges-tions. Your role: the narrator, director, participant and audience. ENJOY!


Harkness is a grounds maintenance fore-man at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.He’s been installing the lights for Wildlights,the Zoo’s annual holiday event, since 1993(the first Wildlights was staged in 1989).

This year there were nearly 2 million ofthese multi-colored, flame-shaped mini-bulbs adorning the trees, poles and water-side displays when the Wildlights showopened on Nov. 18. By the time they turnthe lights off at 9 p.m. on Jan. 1, nearly300,000 visitors will have trundled up andtromped through the 90-acre Zoo groundsto see the lights.

But most of this crowd probably won’trealize just how much work went into creat-ing the show.

The installation work begins in Septem-ber, said facilities director Patrick “Pat”McCafferty, and every year he and his staffadd, subtract, rearrange and tweak theevent’s design, often based on what hap-pened the year before. Or, more likely,what’s fallen down since last year.

“The first thing we do is assess the treesthat we use as elements,” McCafferty said.It’s a well-known fact of landscape architec-ture that trees grow, lose limbs in wind-storms and wage war with voracious insects.By mid-October this year, McCafferty hadcompleted the census of what could be usedaround the lake near the Zoo’s entrance: Thesite is the high-profile anchor for the entireexhibit with an hourly light-and-music show.

“We’ve got 42 trees this year,” McCaffer-ty said, looking at the aerial map mountedon his clipboard. “We’ll be losing the ashtrees after this year because of the emeraldash borer.”

The aerial map, which has superimposednumber labels on each tree, was created byCarson Williams, a show and lighting design-

er based near Cincinnati. “He sits at his computer and imagines

with his music selections,” McCafferty said.“And then he sends us his road map.”

The “road map,” when the melding ofaesthetic ideas and practical input is com-plete, will be a thumbnail-sized memorycard that goes inside an electronic “director”that sits inside a utility shed near the lake.That tiny card runs the show.

But before they get to the point of com-puterized automation, the human touch isessential.

Harkness was donning a safety harnessbefore riding a crane to the top of a (most-ly) leafless pin oak near “The Shores,” whichis Zoo-speak for the grass plain near itsaquarium.


STORY BY JANE HAWES • PHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON

WILDLIGHTHOW TO

THE WINTERBehind the scenes at theZoo’s Wildlights show

Wildlights Rule No. 1:Don’t hang lights on treesthat are about to losetheir leaves.

“Once the leaves fall off,”and Donivan Harknessmade a swooping motion with his hands, “the lights sag.”

Check out our Go-ToGuide to get all thewhen, where and howinfo about attendingthe Wildlights and 16 other holiday lightshows and displays in Ohio.


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“Learned that one thehard way,” Harkness saidabout the leaf-drop rule. “It’son-the-job training.”

Draping the strands oflights from top to bottom ina “crown burst” pattern —with all the plugs on top ofthe tree and with the lightsturned on — were otherhard-earned lessons, Hark-ness said.

“We call it ‘decoratinghot,’” Harkness explained.And you have to install thestrands, he added, whilethey’re turned on so you canactually see whether thedesign works or not. “Dark

spots” must be avoided.Pretty much every one of

these rules came aboutbecause something wentseriously wrong before. Butthe staff is extremely grate-ful for the switch, startingthree years ago, from power-guzzling incandescent bulbsto LED (light emitting diode)bulbs.

“The incandescents mightall burn out by the end ofthe show,” Harkness said.“These (LEDs), we’ve hadsome of them for two orthree years.”

Not only do the LEDbulbs last longer, but they

emit a crisper, brighterlight, said Harkness andMcCafferty, and they con-sume 90 percent less elec-tricity to operate.

From September untilNov. 17, the crew was string-ing, installing and then wait-ing until all the visitors lefteach night to take the cranesup and see how thingslooked.

“We have to look at itfrom every angle, Harknesssaid, adding, “For those lasttwo weeks, I’ll see it everynight from the air and,yeah,”— he smiled — “it’scool.”

DOING THE MATH• One strand has 50 mini-bulbs on it.

• About 95 percent of the Wildlight bulbs are the mini’s (the rest are larg-er C-7 and C-9 bulbs), so that means they use about 1,900,000 bulbs or38,000 strands.

• Facilities director Pat McCafferty estimates that every 10,000 mini-bulbs (or 200 strands) draw about 20 amperes of electricity, or as muchas flows through one breaker in your house.


need to know: AGE APPROPRIATE: EYES

FIT TIPS

LENS: Think twice about addingan anti-glare coating to children’slens because it scratches easily.

BRIDGE: Remember children have flatternoses than adults so pay attention tohow the glasses fit on the nose.

FRAME: Avoid frames that contain nickel because it causesan allergic reaction in some children.

TEMPLE: Choose frames with a temple that wraps behind theear to prevent glasses from sliding down.

Framed!Finding the perfect fit with young children’s eyeglasses

BY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON

Four-year-old Claire Warren andher mother, Erica, were looking fordifferent things when they wentshopping for the youngster’s firstpair of glasses.

“I knew I wanted somethingthat was durable that wouldn’tbreak easily,” said the Plain Citymother.

Her preschooler was focused onstyle.

“She kept going to darkframes,” recalled Warren.

Luckily, they found a pair offrames that suited both their needs.

Warren allowed Claire tochoose dark frames with pinkflowers on the sides because shewanted her to be excited aboutwearing them.

“She likes them,” Warren said.“She doesn’t fuss about wearingthem.”

Durability and appearance aretwo important things to considerwhen buying glasses, said PaulZinser, an optician with Nation-

wide Children’s Hospital. He alsorecommends paying attention towhat materials are used to craftthe frames and how they fit thechild.

He suggests parents considertitanium frames because they arelight-weight and durable. Titaniumframes also are hypoallergenic,which is helpful because manykids have skin sensitivities, Zinsersaid.

Plastic frames are another kid-friendly option because they alsoare durable.

He recommends using polycar-bonate lenses for children becausethey won’t shatter and are madewith a good scratch-resistant coat-ing.

“Scratch coating is a must forkids,” he said.

When selecting frames, it’simportant to look at the fit. Thetwo key areas for fitting glassesare the nose and the ear.

The bridge of the glasses

should fit snugly on the nose tokeep them in place. Metal frames,unlike plastic, have nose pads,which allow opticians to tailor thefit of the glasses for each child.Plastic frames can be bent slightlybut tend to have less adjustabilityat the nose so it’s important toselect a frame with a good fit.

Zinser recommends that chil-dren choose frames with temples— or side pieces — that curvebehind the ear.

“You want to hold them reallysnug,” he said. “You want it grip-ping so it’s not going to come off.That’s definitely a must for theyounger kids.”

Zinser also encourages parentsto allow their children to play arole in selecting the frames.

“We try to let kids choose as faras style,” he said. “Parents are usu-ally on board with that. It’s impor-tant that children wear their glass-es and if they don’t like them theymay not wear them.”

Claire Warren helped pick out her frames. ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

2-8YEARS


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How do you know if your kids areold enough to wear contact lenses?Dublin optometrist Dr. Kenneth Boltzrecommends making a three-way deci-sion. The child, the parent and theoptometrist all need to be in agreementwhen it comes to contacts, he said.

“If parents and children are interest-ed, age is less important than motiva-tion,” said Boltz.

Although the typical age tends to belate elementary or middle school, Boltzsaid he has seen children as young as 5or 6 ditching their frames.

A typically unknown benefit doescome from making the switch early.Normally, eyesight worsens as a persongets older. Wearing contacts slows thisprocess down, and eyes don’t change asdrastically.

Another bonus is self-confidence.Boltz explained that studies have beenconducted and results have shown thatkids who wear glasses may be a bit moreshy and reserved in social settings.

Sports are another reason why kidswant contact lenses. Kristi Simone, aDublin mother of four, cited this as areason why her children were eager forlenses. Her three oldest children — Mia,14, Maggie, 11, and Ian, 9 — all previ-ously donned glasses before gettingcontacts.

“All of my kids swim,” said Simone,“so they wanted to start wearing con-tacts to see better in the water.”

Whether they’re wearing contactsfor sports or normal everyday activities,Boltz stressed the importance of keep-ing lenses in good shape. Touching con-tacts with dirty hands or falling asleepwhile wearing contacts are factors that

can lead to problems.“The risk of complications is real,”

said Boltz. “Contacts are a medicaldevice. First I ask the parents if theirkids are responsible.”

If your child is interested in switch-ing to lenses, it is important to talk tothem about the rules that must be fol-lowed. Using common sense and cau-tion is imperative.

Fortunately, there are multipleoptions to choose from that make thecontact experience a smooth one, likedaily disposable lenses. They can bethrown away after one wear, bringingless stress to the care routine.

Crediting her children as beingresponsible, Simone says they had afairly easy transition to contacts, whichallows them more freedom.

“I have to remind Maggie everynight to take her contacts out,” saidSimone. “She would much rather preferto wear her contacts because it’s somuch easier.”

And even though he doesn’t needglasses yet, her youngest son is eager tofollow in the footsteps of his siblings.

“Luke is 7 and dying to have glassesso he can wear contacts,” said Simone.


Old Enough to Wear Contacts?How to figure it out BY HEATHER WEEKLEY

WHAT TO WEARUnfamiliar with the options?Here are some choices when considering contact lenses for your child:

• Soft lenses are the most com-mon, and are made out of athinner, more flexible material.

• Rigid gas-permeable lenses canprovide clearer vision, but tendto be less comfortable.

• Disposable lenses are worn forthe amount of time recom-mended by your optometrist,then thrown away. Examples ofdisposable lenses are one-daywear, seven-day wear ormonthly wear.

• Extended-wear lenses are simi-lar to disposables, except theycan be worn overnight for theprescribed amount of time.

LET’S FACE IT: Contact lensesare a big responsibility foradults, let alone for children.The lenses require constantcare, cleaning and upkeep.Even so, many children havebeen sporting the lenses in lieuof glasses.

Optometrist Kenneth Boltz checks 12-year-old Drake Bater’s vision during a well visit after he got contacts in April 2011

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

5-12YEARS


Junie B. Jones illustration by Martin S. Lindsay, for San Diego Junior Theatre, copyright© 2010.

Recommended for everyoneage 4 and older. 90 Minutesplus an intermission

By Allison Gregory. Adaptedfrom the books by Barbara Parks

When Jonathan turned 3, an eye exam-ination revealed he was extremely far-sighted (or hyperopic), a condition thatcould have eventually led to his eyescrossing. He was issued a pair of fairlythick eyeglasses, which corrected theproblem. But now, at age 13, his eyes havesteadily improved, and his prescription isnot nearly as strong as it once was.

That’s because as Jonathan has grown,his eyeballs have grown along with him,improving his vision. Nearly all childrenare farsighted, although most do notrequire glasses. The reason: younger chil-dren’s eyes are able to compensate forhyperopia (a process called accommoda-tion) to a much greater degree than anolder child or an adult. Even though theyare technically farsighted, they may expe-rience no vision problems at all. And asthey age, and their eyeballs lengthen, theygradually outgrow the condition.

“When I look at a child, I expect to findfarsightedness, but they generally don’tneed glasses for it,” said Dr. Don Bremer,an ophthalmologist with Nationwide Chil-dren’s Hospital. “They can see perfectlyclearly both far away and up close.”

In some cases, though, the hyperopiais so severe that the child’s eyes can’tnaturally compensate. In these instances,children may complain of blurry visionor even develop crossed eyes or otherproblems.

Some of these conditions have a genet-ic link, but not always. Holst, a stay-at-home mom in Ostrander, and her hus-band Greg (who works for JP MorganAsset Management) are both nearsighted,but all of their children (including Nathan,

11, Phillip, 8, and Bryan, 6) are farsightedto one degree or another.

Glasses will correct the bulk of theseissues by ensuring that both eyes arefocused to the same degree. Bremer cau-tions that parents often believe the glass-es are “training” the child’s eyes, butthat’s not the case.

“People think the glasses or eye patch-es are strengthening the muscles aroundthe eye, but really we’re just forcing thebrain to become a good ‘developer’ of thepictures the eye is sending,” Bremer said.

As these children age, their prescrip-tions will gradually improve. Once chil-dren get past the age of 12 or so, theybecome gradually more nearsighted. Afarsighted child may even be able to ditchhis glasses completely, and then becomenearsighted later in life.

In Jonathan’s case, his prescriptionhas decreased to the point that he canfinally wear contacts for sports (he swimsyear round).

“Getting the contacts was a big deal,because then I didn’t have to have thoselenses in front of my face, and I don’thave to worry about breaking my glassesor losing them,” Jonathan said.

The key is to try and catch theseissues early through the screenings pro-vided by pediatricians and school nurs-es. If you suspect a problem, visit a pedi-atric ophthalmologist for more thoroughtesting.

“Getting the correction as early as wedid was extremely important,” Holst said.“Any parent that has any kind of inklingthat something is wrong should get rightin and have it checked out.”


2-12YEARS

I Can See Clearly Now?Some childhood vision problems will improve with ageBY BRIAN ALBRIGHT

Sharon Holst knew something waswrong with her son Jonathan’s visionby the time he was 2 years old.

“When he started watching TV, hewould walk up within a few inches of thescreen and just stand there,” Holst said. “Itjust didn’t make sense for him to want to be that close.”

EYE TALKHYPEROPIA (FARSIGHT-

EDNESS): Visual images arefocused behind the retinainstead of directly on it. Thiscan cause blurred vision atalmost any distance (not justclose up), headaches or eyestrain, but mildly farsightedchildren generally have clearvision. Hyperopia can be cor-rected with glasses.

AMBLYOPIA (LAZY EYE):Visual information is poorlytransmitted (or not transmit-ted at all) through the opticnerve to the brain. In somecases, the eyes are noticeablymisaligned, but often the less-used eye may look perfectlynormal. Treatment typicallyinvolves using an eye patch oreye drops to encourage thebrain to use the weaker eye.

STRABISMUS: A conditionin which the eyes deviate (orturn) when looking at anobject, sometimes resulting incrossed eyes or a “wandering”eye. If not corrected, thechild’s brain could beginignoring input from one eye,leading to deteriorated vision.Strabismus can usually be cor-rected with glasses.


Saturday,December 31Activities begin at 5 p.m.

Downtown Columbus

THE PLACE TOBE ON NEW YEAR’S

EVE!

THE PLACE TOBE ON NEW YEAR’S

EVE!

For all the event details, please visit www.firstnightcolumbus.com

Presented by

Sponsors

Media Sponsors

Invention Convention • Lego • Game Truck • kidslinked.com • Dynamex • Title Boxing ClubBuckIcon • Edvantages • Performance Academies • College Hunks Hauling Junk

alive!ThisWeek Community Newspapers

$8 - In Advance$10 - Day of EventAdmission Buttons on sale at:

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32 | December 2011 | columbusparent.com 33columbusparent.com | December 2011 |

EVENT SCHEDULE

ACTIVITIES BEGIN AT 5 P.M.

VETERANS MEMORIAL• Limited Brands Family and Children’sFestival

• Columbia Gas Creation Stations• Artist’s & Author’s League• Fitness Fun Zone and Food Focuspresented by Title Boxing Fitness Club,Children’s Hunger Alliance and YouthAdvisory Council

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! sponsored byRumpke

• The LEGO® Store Experience• Facebook Photo Booth sponsored bykidslinked.com

• My Columbus Mural sponsored byPerformance Academies

• KidsFest sponsored by EdVantages• Bubble Stomp sponsored by CollegeHunks Hauling Junk

• Spin Art sponsored by Columbus Parent• Healthy Kids sponsored by RonaldMcDonald Mobile Clinic

COSI• Nickelodeon Dora & Diego - Let’sExplore! exhibit open at COSI thru Jan8. Presented by Anthem Blue Cross andBlue Shield Foundation.

• Invention Convention Display• P.T. Reptiles• Chemistry is Fun• Battelle STEM Showcase sponsored byThe Metro School and OCESC

• COSI Programming and Activities• First Night’s Got Talent presented byNationwide (7:30 p.m.)

• Club COSI for Teens• Game Truck mobile gaming

PROMUSICAPerformance at 8:30 p.m. at SouthernTheatre, special ticketed performanceincludes a First Night admission button

FIRST NIGHT’S FIREWORKSFINALEPresented by Columbus Blue Jacketsand MarathonLive entertainment outside COSIbeginning at 11:00 p.m., �reworks atmidnight

Welcome toFIRST NIGHT COLUMBUS

First Night Columbus 2012, in its 17th presentation, will ring in the New Year and kick off Columbus’ 200th birthdaycelebration with the midnight fireworks extravaganza. Individuals and families near and far are invited downtown on

New Year’s Eve to celebrate the New Year and the Bicentennial of Columbus! Create your own experience from amongthe many activities and entertainers at the various event venues … First Night Columbus has something for everyone!

ENTERTAINMENTProgramming and entertainment subject to change.

Event Day Map

VeteransMemorial

COSI

City Hall

OneColumbus

HuntingtonBank

OhioStatehouse

TrinityEpiscopalChurch

V

V

AdmissionButton Sales

Fun Bus ShuttleServiceHighlighted in Yellow

InternationalFood Court

Creation Stations

Got TalentCompetition

Family & Children’sFestival

Pancake Party

Live Entertainment

Fitness Fun Zone

Restrooms

First Aid

Volunteer Check In

First Night FireworksExtravaganza

VETERANS MEMORIAL5 -11 p.m.

• Face Painters (North Hall)

• Matt the Balloon Guy (North Hall)

• Juggler Luke Kareklas (North Hall plus North Hall Stage performance)

• Magician Matt Jergens (North Hall plus North Hall Stage performance)

• AfroRhythms (North Hall, Main Stage )

• DJ Sonya (North Hall, Main Stage)

• Short Stop (North Hall, Main Stage)

• Comedy Magic of Rory Rennick (North Hall plus North Hall Stage performance)

• Tackle Tobacco Campaign by James Cotton (North Hall, Main Stage)

• Chinese Folk Dance (North Hall, Main Stage)

• Habeeba’s Belly Dancers 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. (Dining Hall, 2nd Floor)

• Join the Drum Circle with Wahru:8 p.m. (Dining Hall, 2nd Floor)

• Anna & the Consequences, Veterans Memorial 2nd Floor Lobby, 8 – 10 p.m.

COSI• Transit Arts: 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

• Comedy Magic of Rory Rennick 7 p.m.

TRINITY CHURCH• Columbus Women’s Chorus 7 p.m.

• Blood Washed Productions (various acts) 8 – 10 p.m.

ONE COLUMBUS• Ladies of Longford, 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

HUNTINGTON BANK• Enrique Infante, 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.

SOUTHERN THEATRE• ProMusica performance at 8:30 p.m. in a special ticketed

performance, First Night admission button included in

ticket purchase.

VOLUNTEERS

Opportunities still available! Get all thedetails by calling Amanda Leeman at614-299-8628 or go to �rstnightcolumbus.com. Volunteers receive a free button, eventT-shirt, and prizes from local businesses.

EVENT DAY BUTTON SALES

On December 31, in addition to Giant Eaglelocations and COSI, admission buttons willalso go on sale for $10 at Veterans Memorialbeginning at 5 p.m.

PARKING

The following lots and garages aresuggested:

Standard ParkingHuntington Center GarageGay and Front GarageCapital Plaza GarageRiffe Parking GarageGay and Third LotRiver South ParkingCOSI LotVeterans Memorial Lot

COTA

Another option is to ride COTA to FirstNight. Go to cota.com for bus schedules.

RESTROOMS

Public restrooms are available in VeteransMemorial and COSI.

FIRST AID ANDEMERGENCIES

An EMS unit will be on site to take care ofyour �rst aid and emergency needs, whichwill be headquartered at Veterans Memorial.

MAKE A WEEKENDOUT OF IT!

Top off your First Night fun with a nightin luxury. Book a stay at First Night’sdowntown hotel partner:

Westin Columbus Hotel, 614-228-3800

SHUTTLE SERVICE

presented by FunbusLooking for a quick wayto get from place to place?Hop on our shuttle, which runs from 5-11p.m., starting at Veterans Memorial andgoing down Broad St to 3rd St. stopping at allof our exciting venues.

PASSPORT TO FUNAT FIRST NIGHT

Travel from place to place at VeteransMemorial and COSI and get your passportstamped to be eligible to enter a chance towin the Passport to Fun in Columbus PrizePackage.

MUST SEE EVENTS

LIMITED BRANDS FAMILY& CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL5 – 11 p.m.Located throughout Veterans Memorial

The Limited Brands Family & Children’s Festivalprovides an opportunity for a creative and fun familyexperience. Veterans Memorial is sizzling with interactiveand educational activities for all ages plus LIVEentertainment.

COLUMBIA GAS CREATION STATIONS5 – 11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorialin the North Hall

The Creation Stations provide kids of all ages theopportunity to create one-of-a-kind wearable masterpieces.From hats and crowns to necklaces, noisemakers, and facepainting, we have enough foil, beads, paint and markers tospark your creativity all night long.

ARTIST’S AND AUTHOR’S LEAGUE5 – 11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial throughout venueIn Partnership with: Thurber House

The First Night Author’s League is comprised ofaspiring authors and poets 12 and under, who were willingto show Columbus their creative writing talents. Eachstudent submitted a story, poem or essay all about “WhatI Love about Columbus”. Thurber House will rewardtwo lucky students with a Writing Wizard scholarship inhonor of former Steering Committee member, Toni Wolfe.The First Night Artist’s League is comprised of aspiringartists who are showcasing their talents with an art piecethat embodies the theme “People, Places and ThingsCOLUMBUS.” Winning artists will receive a trophy andart supplies. All participants in the Artist’s and Author’sleague receive a complimentary admission button and aparticipation ribbon.

FITNESS FUN ZONE AND FOOD CORNERpresented by Title Boxing Club,Children’s Hunger Alliance andYouth Advisory Council5 -11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial inthe North Hall

Get active by participating in the many activity stationscourtesy of the Children’s Hunger Alliance. You canhula hoop, jump rope, bowl and much more! Plus, make ahealthy snack and get tips on healthy choices so you canlearn more about eating right.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!sponsored by Rumpke5 -11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial in the North Hall

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! is a great place for childrento see how we can go green in some creative ways withrecycled materials, featuring wearable art and art made of“found items.”

THE LEGO® STORE EXPERIENCE5 -10 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorialin the North Hall

Those ubiquitous LEGO® bricks make building FUNa reality! Join in the fun and get creative - let your innerarchitect out. See some of the exciting new collections,join in interactive play, and enjoy an opportunity forgiveaways. And did you know the word LEGO® meansPLAY WELL?!

MY COLUMBUS MURALsponsored by Performance Academies5 -11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial in the North Hall

From our city’s skyline, a vibrant and beautiful piece ofartwork will emerge, illustrating our unique contributionsto our community. Join us in celebrating how you are partof our city by adding your handprint to the night sky!

KIDSFESTsponsored by EdVantages5 -11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial in the North Hall

Enjoy face painters, balloon twisters, magicians andmore in this one-stop fun fest!

BUBBLE STOMPpresented by College HunksHauling Junk5 -11 p.m.Located at Veterans Memorial in the North Hall

Hit the �oor to jump and stomp on our GIANT bubblewrap with high energy tunes to get the party started!

CLOSE THE GAP HEALTH& WELLNESS ZONEpresented by Ronald McDonaldMobile Clinic5 -11 p.m.Located in Veterans Memorial in the North Hall

The Ronald McDonald Mobile Clinic is an informativeinteractive display that provides information and examplesof healthy lifestyle behaviors for youngsters and theirparents as they move from early childhood throughadolescence.

COSI EXPERIENCE5 -11 p.m.Located at COSI

Ready? ¡Vámonos! Embark on anactive adventure in the enchanting worldof Dora the Explorer, her animal-rescuingcousin Diego, and their friends. ExploreIsa’s Flowery Garden, help Ticogather nuts, join the Pirate Piggies’crew to uncover pirate treasure, andhelp baby animals in the Rainforest Maze.Nickelodeon Dora and Diego - Let’s Explore! is at COSIuntil January 8, 2012! Presented by Anthem Blue Crossand Blue Shield Foundation. Visit www.cosi.org for moredetails!

COSI will have its usual fun and interactive activitiesplus their Holiday Lights Show (where the intrepidGadgeteer takes you on a whirlwind tour of holidaylighting - from the simple candle to the electric lamp, withstops along the way for �ery explosions, super-cold liquidnitrogen fun, and even a reindeer-powered generator thattriggers over 10,000 twinkling holiday lights,) and otherwinter and holiday themed programs. Don’t forget to checkout the Battelle Metro School’sInnovation Zone, including theInvention Convention displays andthe STEM Schools Showcase.

Also, check out performances at COSI from TransitArts, a dynamic blend of outstanding professionals andtalented youth artists to honor diverse roots.

On your way in stop by the Game Truck Party locatedon the east side of COSI outside of the main entrance. Thisone stop video game mobile party will keep you entertainedfor hours.

CLUB COSI TEEN EXPERIENCEin conjunction with

COSI’s Teen Advisory CouncilTeens can enjoy karaoke and video games from past

to present and will create “Express Yourself” interactiverecordings related to Past, Present and Future. Theserecordings will be edited and shown at 10:30 p.m. Theywill also enjoy music and dancing before and after the GotTalent competition.

TACKLE TOBACCO CAMPAIGNVeterans Memorial North Hall Stageat 6 p.m. & Club COSI for Teens at 7 p.m.

The Tackle Tobacco Campaign, presented by formerOSU and NFL football player James Cotton’s BUCK-ICONFoundation, provides awareness to students, athletes,parents and coaches of the importance of maintaining atobacco-free lifestyle by illustrating the short and long-term effects of tobacco use. The presentation emphasizesthe character traits of Commitment, Discipline and Self-Worth.

BLUE JACKETSNEW YEAR’S EVE GAME7 p.m.Nationwide Arena

Don’t miss your opportunity to start your New Year’sEve celebration and cheer on the Blue Jackets with theDispatch Family Value Pack! Get a game ticket, hotdog, Pepsi, popcorn, UDF ice cream cone coupon, andOhioHealth Ice Haus Skate Pass. Starting at $25 per person,a savings of 50%! Lower Bowl packages available startingat $59 per person. Visit www.ticketmaster.com to purchasetickets.

Purchase the Dispatch Family Value Pack forDecember 31 and receive FREE ADMISSION to Stinger’sFamily Skate in the OhioHealth Ice Haus from 4:30 p.m. –6:30 p.m. and First Night admission buttons.

GOT TALENT COMPETITIONpresented by Nationwide7:30 - 9:30 pmLocated at COSI in Gallery 2

Come out to see some of Columbus’ most talented teenswith contestants from area high schools as they compete inour Got Talent competition hosted by Billy Zenn. Come outand cheer for your favorite contestant as they compete for a$500 cash award.

FIRST NIGHT’S FIREWORKSFINALEpresented by Columbus Blue Jacketsand Marathon11 p.m. -12:30 a.m.

First Night revelers join together as a community tocelebrate and ring in the bicentennial of Columbus withFirst Night’s Fireworks Finale presented by Columbus BlueJackets and Marathon. Our live stage show includes ourTeen Idol winner. You’ll see why it’s “the place to be onNew Year’s Eve!”

Columbus turns 200 in 2012, when a year-longline-up of festivals, art, music and educationalinitiatives will bring the community together

to celebrate all the things we love about ColumbusFor the details, go to 200Columbus.com.


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need to know: THE GO-TO GUIDE

Holiday Lights & DISPLAYS

Does your holiday mood need a jumpstart? There’s nothing like a visit to a holiday lights show or seasonal display to bounce away the bah humbugs!

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND DISPLAYS IN CENTRAL OHIOHERE

DICKENS OF A CHRISTMASADDRESS: Ohio Village, 1982 Velma Ave., ColumbusPHONE: 800-686-1541WEB:ohiohistory.org/ohiovillagePRICE: $12 ages 13+ ($10 ifan Ohio Historical Societymember), $9 ages 6-12 ($7if an OHS member), free forages 0-5; free parkingDATES/TIMES: 6-9 p.m. onDec. 9, 10, 16, 17; 12 noon-5p.m. on Dec. 18 DISTANCE: 4 miles northfrom downtown ColumbusDESCRIPTION: Experiencea Victorian-era Christmaswith characters fromCharles Dickens’ novels,crafts, cooking demonstra-tions, caroling and more.TIP: Enjoy a “Dickens of aDinner” on the grounds ofthe Ohio Village from 6-7:30p.m. on Dec. 9, 10, 16, 17 for$60 per person ($50 if anOHS member), but hurry tomake reservations.

FANTASY OF LIGHTSADDRESS: Alum Creek State Park, 2911S. Old State Road, DelawarePHONE: 740-369-2900WEB: alumcreek.comPRICE: Starts at $10 per car, dependingon night of the week and size of the vehi-cleDATES: Nov.18-Jan. 1TIMES: 5:30-9:30 p.m., Sunday-Thursday;5:30-10:30 p.m., Friday-SaturdayDISTANCE: 20 miles north from down-town ColumbusDESCRIPTION: Considered one of Ohio’spremiere drive-thru light shows, the 12thAnnual Fantasy of Lights stretches fornearly two miles and includes more thana million lights and more than 130 light-ed holiday displays. There’s also a SantaHouse (which is NOT a drive-thru fea-ture!). Enjoy free cookies and hot choco-late.TIP: While the kids are getting their pic-ture taken with Santa, you can knock acouple of things off their list at the giftshop. Some of the proceeds benefitRecreation Unlimited.

OLDE HILLIARD CHRISTMASADDRESS: Historical Village at Weaver Park, 4100Columbia St., HilliardPHONE: 614-664-3290WEB: destinationhilliard.comPRICE: freeDATES/TIMES: The Christmas season opens on Dec.1 with a tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. The villagewill be adorned with lights and decorations throughDec. 31. DISTANCE: 14 miles west from downtown Colum-busDESCRIPTION: The Historical Village in OldeHilliard’s Weaver Park will be adorned in holidaydecorations and lights all month. Each weekend,events like kids’ activities, trolley rides, visits fromSanta, music and plays will take place. Consult theirwebsite for specific times and activities.TIP: Santa visits the Red Caboose on Sunday, Dec. 11,from 2:30-6 p.m. Bring your own camera for photos.Horse-drawn wagon rides also are offered — $2 foradults, $1 for kids.


OHIO STATEHOUSE TREEADDRESS: The Ohio Statehouse, 1 CapitolSquare, DowntownPHONE: 888-OHIO-123WEB: ohiostatehouse.orgPRICE: freeDATE: Nov. 30 for the tree lighting; thetree remains up and lit each day inside theStatehouse Atrium through Jan. 2.TIME: The Statehouse is open 7 a.m.-6 p.m.Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m-5 p.m. Saturdaysand Sundays, closed on Christmas Day. TheStatehouse Museum is open 9 a.m.-5:30p.m. weekdays and 12 noon-4:30 p.m.weekends.DESCRIPTION: The Statehouse Tree is lit Nov. 30 (it’s a nearly century-old tradition) and the holi-day spirit continues throughout the month of December with Victorian-era decorations through-out the building. Free tours (no reservations needed) take place at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m.and 3 p.m. each weekday and at 12 noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends. The tours beginin the Map Room (accessible from the Third Street entrance). At 12 noon each weekday from Dec.5-22, there will be a different musical concert in the Statehouse Crypt.TIP: Visit the Museum Shop between Dec. 5-10 and you can draw a candy cane that will tell you ifyou receive 10, 20, 30 or 40 percent off any purchase.

HOLIDAYS AT THE CONSERVATORY ADDRESS: Franklin Park Conservatory andBotanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St.,ColumbusPHONE: 614-645-8733WEB: fpconservatory.orgPRICE: regular admission rates ($11 adultsto age 59, $9 ages 60+ and college studentswith ID, $6 ages 3-17, free for ages 0-2)DATE: Nov. 19-Jan. 4, closed Thanksgivingand Christmas TIME: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, and open until 8p.m. on Wednesdays DISTANCE: 3 miles east from downtownColumbusDESCRIPTION: Experience the color andspirit of the season while staying warmwithin the beautiful botanical gardens ofthe Franklin Park Conservatory. See the 10-foot poinsettia tree or follow the gardenmodel railway. Check their website forinformation about special programsthroughout the season. TIP: Candlelight Night is held eachWednesday. Tiptoe along paths lit by hun-dreds of votive candles and enjoy a specialmenu and snacks at The Conservatory Gar-den Cafe or make reservations (as early aspossible) for an intimate candlelight dinnerat the Palm House.

PHONE: 614-464-5000WEB: stateauto.comPRICE: freeDATES/TIMES: The lights will be turned onand the display officially opens on Dec. 7. Thedisplay can be toured any time through Jan.1. The lights are turned on every day from 6-8a.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. and until 12:30 a.m. onFridays and Saturdays. The display also will belit until 4:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve.DESCRIPTION: This outdoor Nativity display— filled with nearly 80 life-sized plaster andpolymer-coated figures, 7,000 LED lights,1,200 feet of garland, five 12-foot lightedwreaths and six towering Nutcrackers — hasbeen a downtown tradition for 80 years. Localchoral groups will perform, for free, on week-end evenings.TIP: You can park in the State Auto parkinglot at the southeast corner of Broad andWashington streets. Be sure to follow theinstructions for a cell-phone tour of the Nativ-ity display. Nativity guides (State Farmemployees) also are on hand to answer ques-tions during peak hours.

ERIC ALBRECHT/DISPATCH PHOTO

JONATHAN QUILTER/DISPATCH PHOTO

CHRIS RUSSELL/DISPATCH PHOTO

STATE AUTO CHRISTMAS DISPLAYADDRESS: 518 E. Broad St., Downtown (northeast corner of Washington and Broad streets)


JONATHAN QUILTER/DISPATCH PHOTO

KATIE MILLER/DISPATCH PHOTO

VILLAGE LIGHTSADDRESS: Historic German VillagePHONE: 614-221-8888WEB: germanvillage.comPRICE: freeDATE: 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Sunday,Dec. 4 for the Village Lightsevent; enjoy the seasonal deco-rations throughout the monthDISTANCE: 1 mile south fromdowntown ColumbusDESCRIPTION: From twinklingwhite lights in the trees tomore than 11,000 luminarieslining the walkways, VillageLights in Historic German Vil-lage is always a magicalevening. Shops and restaurantswill stay open to welcome youin. Also enjoy live music andcarolers if you simply want tostroll the streets. TIP: German Village restaurantswill offer special treats and dis-counts on Village Lights night,and throughout the month.

WINTER WONDERLAND AT CREEKSIDE PARKADDRESS: Creekside Park & Plaza, 123 Mill St., GahannaPHONE: 614-418-9114WEB: visitgahanna.comPRICE: free DATES: Nov. 12-Jan. 2TIME: Monday-Sunday, any timeDISTANCE: 10 miles east from downtown ColumbusDESCRIPTION: The 5-acre Creekside Park along Gahanna’s Big WalnutCreek is the setting for this dazzling holiday light display. Enjoy a walkalong the beautiful creek and then warm up in one of the many restau-rants along the waterway and plaza. TIP: Don’t miss out on an opportunity to have breakfast with yourfavorite holiday characters! They’re visiting the Winter Wonderland onSaturday, Dec. 10 from 8 a.m.-12 noon. Tickets are $6 for those 4+, andfree for kids 0-3.

WILDLIGHTSADDRESS: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, 4850 W. Powell Road, PowellPHONE: 614-645-3550WEB: columbuszoo.orgPRICE: regular admission rates ($14 ages 10-59, $9 ages 2-9, $10 ages 60+, freefor ages 0-2); parking is $5 per car; members receive free admission and park-ing.DATES: Nov. 18-Jan. 1, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, Christmas Eve TIMES: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and SaturdaysDISTANCE: 17 miles northwest from downtown ColumbusDESCRIPTION: Every year at Wildlights, you will find millions of lights on every-thing but the animals! This long-standing family tradition is in its 23rd year. Enjoyspecial displays from the polar bears to the koala bears and every exhibit inbetween. Listen to music, visit with Santa and his reindeer, and even decoratecookies with Mrs. Claus!TIP: Check out our Hot Topic story in this issue about the people who makethe Wildlights magic happen!

NEW THIS YEAR!THE GRAND ILLUMINATION OF DOWNTOWN COLUMBUSADDRESS: Bicentennial Park (233 Civic Center Drive), City Hall (90 W.Broad St.) and Columbus Commons (160 S. High St.)PRICE: freeDATES: through Jan. 15DESCRIPTION: Downtown Columbus will be decked out with thousandsof lights, including a light show in the Scioto Mile Fountain of BicentennialPark and a 15-foot fountain of light at the High Street entrance to theColumbus Commons. City Hall’s 20-foot balsam fir, located on the south-east corner of City Hall, also will be decorated.

For more information about Holiday Lights and Displays outside the Central Ohio area, visit ColumbusParent.com. There you’ll find complete listings for these destinations: the Byesville Scenic Railway “Spirit of Christmas”Excursion, Christmas at Historic Roscoe Village, A Christmas Story House andMuseum, Dickens Victorian Village, Hocking Hills Scenic Railway Holiday Trains,Holiday Trail of Lights at Lake Hope State Park, Lebanon Mason & Monroe Railroad North Pole Express, and The Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill.

need to know: THE GO-TO GUIDE


Now through January 8, 2012

LOCAL SUPPORT

PresentingSponsor:

SupportingSponsors:

PRESENTED BY

MEET DIEGO AT COSISaturday, December 31, 2011from 12:30–4pmFree with COSI admission. Free timed tickets will be issuedon a first-come, first serve basis. Limited quantity available. Please consider arrivingearly to secure a ticket to meet Diego.

It’s time for adventure when preschoolers and theirfamilies explore the enchanting world of Dora theExplorer, her animal-rescuing cousin Diego, andtheir friends. Ready? ¡Vámonos!

©2011 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego,Go! and all related titles, logos, and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

VISIT COSI.ORG for detailed informationSpecial event activities subject to change

333 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 | 614.228.2674 |

NEW EXHIBIT!

LET’S EXPLORE!

Classic Toys November 26Celebrate the holidays with classictoys that will test your skills!

Building Toys December 3 & 4From LEGO® bricks toLINCOLN LOGS™, usebuilding toys to discoveryour “inner architect.”

Games December 10 & 11Play games of all kinds, meetSanta Claus, enjoy holiday eats,and even leave with a new gamefrom under Santa’s tree!

Trains December 17–23 (Closes at 3pm December 23)

Put on your railroad engineer’s cap andcheck out modeltrains of all sizesand shapes!

ember 3 & 4 TPcta

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GPPSaf

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eles

CCt

Holiday Hours: COSI is open7 days a week December 19–January 1

(Closed December 24–25)

Bring your

camera to take

pictures with

Santa!

DUBLIN 6725 Avery-Muirfield Drive Dublin, OH | 614.799.9100GRANDVIEW 1400 Grandview Avenue | Columbus, OH | 614.754.1026

Why cook when you can enjoyfamily, friends and good times

—Matt The Miller

HOLIDAY BRUNCH WITH SANTA

SUN 12.18.1110AM-2:30PM (Reservations Required)

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$24.95 adults $7.95 kids 5-10 years old*Kids 4 and under FREE with each paying adult. (Additional 4 and under $4.95 each)

Feta Greek Kuzina1839 Winderly Ln.Pickerington, OH.

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The Jolly Fella Hosts a

Kids’ Holiday FunFestRockin’withSanta

Join Us for Santa Brunch at Pinnacle

Pinnacle presents a kid-centered party sure toput joy in the hearts of children of all ages asyou shake, rattle and bounce down Santa ClausLane! Hosted by the jolly fella himself, it’s an

evening of great fun for the whole family.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18 • 5 - 9 PM

$19.95* per personincludes party food buffet of pizza, hot dogs,

popcorn, cookies and much more!

Cash Bar Available* plus tax & gratuity

Magical Holiday Event for

the Young at Heart.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 | 10 AMSATURDAY, DECEMBER 17 | 10 AM

A holiday delight for the child in each of us! Enjoy a delectablebreakfast buffet, a visit from St. Nick, and a trip to Santa’s

workshop where little hands will assemble delightfulcrafts and enjoy other holiday surprises. One of

Pinnacle’s most popular community events and aholiday “must” for families!

Children 3 & under: FREEChildren 4-12: $12.95 (plus tax & gratuity)

Adults: $22.95 (plus tax & gratuity)

1500 Pinnacle Club Drive l Grove City l 614.539.0722 l discoverpinnacle.com

Pinnacle EventsMAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS TODAY! 614-539-0722 OR EMAIL [email protected]

• DJ • Bouncy House • Photo Booth • Carnival Games• Sundae Bar • Photo Opportunities with Santa

Your holiday gift budget isprobably a little smaller again thisyear. According to the NationalRetail Federation, families areexpected to spend $704.18 on holi-day gifts, slightly less than lastyear and significantly less than2007’s $755.13, before the GreatRecession punched us in the pock-etbooks.

Yet the desire to give, for mostof us, remains strong. And happilyyou can still give thoughtful, luxu-rious gifts on a shrinking budget:Just use “daily deals” websitessuch as Groupon.

Sounds tacky? You haven’t metStacey Vermillion, who blogs aboutdeals at savvyshopper614.com.Her real talent is not only finding agood deal, but packaging it in a

way that makes it a great gift. LastChristmas, Vermillion bought dealsfor restaurant meals and cookinggifts for foodie friends and “pairedthem with spices and olive oil inpretty gift baskets.”

She also sent loved ones to thespa: “I printed (the deal) on nice,colored paper and put it in a fancygift box, then I put it in a gift bas-ket with hand lotion and an inex-pensive mani-pedi kit,” she said.“The presentation was great andno one knew I didn’t spend a lot.”

Don’t think your only option isprinting out the certificate and giv-ing that as the gift. Vermillion oncesnapped up two deals for spa serv-ices, plus a discounted restaurantmeal, and treated the recipient to agirls’ day out. They all get to bond

on a dime, and no one knows howmuch she spent.

Who wouldn’t love to be thebeneficiary of Stacey’s savvy shop-ping? And with the proliferation ofdaily deal and discount sites, theretruly is something for everyone.

Groupon recently offered half-price products at The Body Shop,and experiences such as bowlingand flight lessons. LivingSocial hadhalf-price deals on everything fromroller skating to flatware, whileEversave had deals on car detail-ing, massages and gourmet coffee.PlumDistrict, a deal site just formoms, had discount designershoes, high-end cosmetics andkid’s clothes. Don’t forget to lookat sites such as Homerun andTippr, which had discounts on

organic cosmetics, photos gifts,video game rentals and bartendingclasses.

Daily Deals Columbus offeredhalf-price gift certificates for local-ly-owned restaurants and green-houses, while Columbus-basedFaveroo had deals on ballroomdance lessons, OSU Buckeye gearand spa services.

Don’t limit your shopping todaily deals only. Other sites offergreat deals as well. For instance,Dine Originals Columbus sells giftcertificates for dozens of fine,local restaurants at a 30 percentdiscount, so you’d pay $17.50 for a$25 certificate to a restaurant suchas the Clarmont or Granville Inn.Even Val-pak, the company thatsends giant stacks of coupons by

mail, has daily deals on its web sitefor bowling, massages, comedyclubs and desserts from fancy bakeries.

Saving is just a question ofwaiting for the right offer to come along.

need to know: FAMILY FINANCE

Denise Trowbridge is a self-professedmoney geek, who has written aboutpersonal finance, banking and insurance for The Columbus Dispatchand bankrate.com. She blogs about very personal money issues at middlepathfinance.com. Denise tries not to talk about moneyat cocktail parties, but sometimes she just can’t help herself.

What’s the Big Deal?BY DENISE TROWBRIDGE


family fun: HANDS ON

DIY Snow Globe

WHAT YOU NEED• 1 small jar with lid (baby food jars or relish jars are a good size)

• epoxy glue (to be used by adults)

• white modeling clay

• small plastic toys or figurines (if you don’t have any at home,craft stores have dollhouse miniatures and holiday figurinesthat work well for this project)

• white glitter

• liquid glycerin

BY OLIVERA BRATICHPHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON On a blustery afternoon this month, gather the family together to cre-

ate your own winter wonderland! This do-it-yourself snow globe is agreat use for old miniature toys sitting at the bottom of the toy boxand makes a perfect holiday gift or family keepsake!

HOW YOU DO IT1. Wash out jar thoroughly with warm water and soap. Let dry.

2. On the inside of the jar lid, build up white modeling clay to create a snowy “ground” foryour winter scene. If your toys are much smaller than your jar, make a snow hill with theclay, so they will be more visible. If the clay requires baking to harden, bake in standardoven according to package instructions.

3. Arrange the toys and figurines on your snowy ground into a winter scene.

4. Adults can use the epoxy glue to glue all the pieces into place. Follow instructions to allowenough time to let the glue set and become waterproof.

5. Fill the jar with water, leaving a half-inch of space at the top. Add approximately a table-spoon of glitter — more or less, depending on the size of your jar. Add a few drops of glyc-erin (this makes the glitter fall slowly and swirl!)

6. Seal the lid to the jar tightly. Feel free to add a little glue to the jar lid to strengthen the seal,if you need it.

7. Shake and enjoy!

WHO THOUGHT THIS UPOLIVERA BRATICH owns Wholly Craft, 3169 N. High St. The Clintonville shop features handmade goodsfrom more than 100 crafters and artists, including clothing, jewelry, accessories, paper goods, home décor and more! Hours of operation: 1-8 p.m., weekdays except Tuesdays when they’re closed, 12 noon-7 p.m. Saturdays, 12 noon-5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, go to whollycraft.com or call 614-447-3445.

WHO THOUGHT

THIS UP


We wanted to work withchildren to make this iconicholiday treat, so we enlistedthe help of a few grown-ups.Baking instructor Judy Tip-ton and her friend CynthiaAdkins provided the guid-ance in building and decorat-ing the gingerbread houses,ice-cream cone trees androyal-icing snowdrifts. TheFranklin Park Conservatoryand Botanical Gardens’ LoriKingston arranged for us touse the beautiful AEP Educa-tion Pavilion on their cam-pus for the lesson.

And then we askedColumbus Blue Jackets cen-ter Antoine Vermette tocome along for the fun. Partof the landscape included a“frozen pond” made fromcrushed, melted and thenhardened Life Saver candies.We figured who better tohelp the kids — 10-year-oldAbby Jung and 13-year-oldsAlex and Leena Todd andColin Hawes — than some-one who grew up playing

hockey on the frozen pondsof Quebec?

Now make no mistake —building a gingerbread houselandscape from scratch is acomplicated process andTipton advised that parentstailor their projects to reflecttheir children’s ages andcapabilities. Frustration caneasily set in if you expect toomuch too soon, Tipton said,so it’s best to find smallparts of the process to sharewith young children.

Our kid helpers were allself-professed foodies andlove to cook. It also becameapparent, as they assembledtheir houses, they were allvery meticulous. At onepoint, we asked what theirfavorite subjects in schoolare. Was it any surprise thatmath and science were theanswers? “But really moremath,” Abby noted, as theothers nodded in agreement.Alex and Colin also bondedover the fact that both areLEGO enthusiasts.

Our photographer AlysiaBurton has created a photoslide show to go along withthe full instructions, and itall resides on our website,ColumbusParent.com. But totempt your palates andinspire your creativity, we’resharing photos here fromthe entirely edible landscapeconstruction, plus instruc-tions for making the frozenpond. And we’ve includedAntoine’s memories of grow-ing up on the outdoor ice.

family fun: COOKING WITH KIDS

Gingerbread House BY JANE HAWES

PHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON

and Candy Ice PondHoliday traditions create memories forour children and revive memories for usgrown-ups. And nowhere was that moreapparent than when Columbus Parentset to work on a gingerbread house landscape last month.


GROWING UP ON THE ICEAntoine Vermette answered questions for us about his childhood in Quebec, Canada:

What are your favorite food memories from the holidays?We always have turkey and mashed potatoes, and now my wife

(Karen Bonneau Vermette) will make a chocolate cake. One of myfavorite foods is the tourtiere. They’re a meat pie. We can’t really findthem around here, so we have to make them ourselves.

Did you really play hockey outside when you were growing up?Yes, I did! The thing is you’ve got to bring your own shovel. That’s to

clean off the ice. We rarely could get enough guys to play a full game. Alot of times I would just go play by myself. I would practice new ways toscore. But at first, like a lot of kids, I thought about wanting to be agoalie because of the cool equipment. I would say, “Dad, I want to be agoalie,” and he just said, “Oh, we’ll see.” It wasn’t that he didn’t think itwas a good position. He just knew I had a gift to move on the ice.

A lot of hockey players have to leave home at a young age inorder to pursue a career. Did you?

I was 16 when I moved away, but I was lucky enough that I played fora team in Quebec City. My hometown (St. Agapit) is just outside it. It wastoo far, though, for me to commute, so during the week I lived in a billet(a boarding situation with another family) and my father would comedrive me home for the weekends. I was very lucky. And then when Istarted playing professionally, it was for Victoriaville, which was onlyabout one hour away from my family.

Did you get to go home for Christmas or does being in the middleof your season prevent that?

This year we might get to go home to Quebec. Usually our family hasto come down here to us, but right now it looks like we’ll have a longenough break to go up there.

HOW TO MAKE ICE (with an oven!)Crushing and then melting Life Saver hard candies in a low-heat oven is an easy, fun and safe wayto create an ice pond. (This is also an excellent technique for making stained glass windows in agingerbread house.) Our online instructions include another method, but Tipton said she consid-ers that one a “grown-up only” method of preparation.

MATERIALS• Life Saver hard candies: a

mixture of mostly pina-colada plus some pineap-ple-flavored candies willgive you the whitest ice(mint candies won’t workat all because they haveoil in them). About 20total will be needed tocreate a “pond” the sizeof an 8-1/2” by 11” papersheet.

• parchment paper

• baking sheet

• meat tenderizer

• freezer baggies (regularsandwich baggies are toothin)

• scissors

INSTRUCTIONS1. GROWN-UP: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line the bakingsheet with parchment paper.2. KID (OR CBJ PLAYER): Unwrap candies and place in the freez-er baggie, sealing it securely. Use the meat tenderizer to crushthe Life Savers to a fine dust.3. GROWN-UP: Use scissors to cut off a bottom corner of thebaggie and empty the crushed Life Savers onto the bakingsheet.4. KID: Spread the crushed candies around with your fingertipsto form an even layer in the desired shape. (NOTE: We alsoadded “blue” lines, a red center line and goals to our frozenpond to create a hockey rink. These were made by crushing can-dies in other colors and then sprinkling them on top of the whitelayer.)5. GROWN-UP: Place the baking sheet in the oven. Baking timewill vary by oven and the thickness of the crushed candy, but itgenerally takes about three minutes for the candies to start melt-ing. They’ll take on a more liquid appearance. Once most of itlooks liquid, remove from the oven. It will continue to melt evenas the sheet cools. The melted candy will completely cool andharden in about 10 minutes. Once cool, the grown-up can trans-fer it (with bare hands or a spatula) to the landscape.


TEA PARTY

family fun: PARTIES

aCookie-ExchangeBY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON

Heller organized a tea party-themedcookie-exchange party for Lucy Myrtle, 5,and several of her classmates at their Bexleyhome. She invited the girls and their moth-ers to don their holiday finery and enjoy anafternoon of tea, games and crafts. Eachparty guest was asked to bring her favoritedoll and several dozen cookies to share.

When the girls arrived on a sunny Satur-day afternoon, they spent a few minutesadmiring one another’s party dresses beforeheading into the living room to check outthe toy tea sets that Heller had set up.

After the girls played a bit, Lucy Myrtle

invited them to sit in a circle. “Thank you for coming to my party,” she

told them before asking them to introducethe dolls that they had brought.

When it was Masha Shonia’s turn, shetold the girls, “I’m still thinking.”

The 5-year-old had brought a doll shereceived the day before from her grand-mother.

After introductions were made, Hellertold the girls it was time for crafts. Shehanded each child a sealed sandwich bagfilled with applesauce and cinnamon. Shetold the girls to roll the bag around in their

hands until the two were combined. Toeveryone’s surprise the ingredients formedcinnamon-scented dough.

“What are we going to make with this?”asked Emily White, 5.

In response, Heller led the girls to tablewhere she let them remove the dough fromthe bags.

“Pat it down and roll it,” she instructedthe youngsters.

Once the dough was flat, the girls usedcookie cutters to create angels, bells andSantas. Heller told them the dough wouldharden as it dried and they would end up

with cinnamon-scented Christmas orna-ments.

“It makes a fun little gift if you want tomake a gift for someone,” Heller told thegirls.

When the ornaments were cut out, Hellertold the girls to put a hole in the top. Shesent them home with red and green ribbonso they could hang their creations on theirChristmas trees.

When they were done with crafts, thegirls headed to the dining room to fill buck-ets and tins with the cookies they hadbrought.

Lucy Myrtle Baith loves parties andfancy dresses. Her little sister, Athena, 2, loves dolls and cookies. With the helpof their mother, Sarah Grace Heller, the girls hosted a holiday party that combined all of their favorite things.

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOS


There were still plenty of cookies left toenjoy with a cup of tea or hot cocoa that Hellerserved in mismatched china cups. The girlsalso nibbled on chicken cordon bleu bites, minihotdogs and rice balls.

The light meal seemed to reenergize thegirls and they ran off to play some more.

After having a chance to talk a bit amongthemselves, the mothers gathered their girls,thanked the hostesses for a wonderful timeand headed home.

Heller knew it was a successful party whenLucy Myrtle asked to be put to bed not longafter the last guest left.

COOKIE PARTY TIPS • If you plan on hosting a cookie-

exchange party, be sure to pro-vide guests with clear instructionson how many cookies to bring.

• Be sure to provide containers forguests to take all their cookieacquisitions home.

• If the party includes children, besure to have enough cookies forthe kids to munch on some.

CINNAMON-SCENTED ORNAMENTS• Combine 1/3 cup of applesauce and

1/3 cup of cinnamon in sealed sand-wich bag (really, that’s it for ingredi-ents!).

• Massage the bag between yourhands until the ingredients are com-bined.

• Roll the dough out and cut it into hol-iday shapes using cookie cutters.Don’t forget to put a hole throughthe top of the ornament so it can behung on the Christmas tree.

• Let the ornaments sit undisturbed forseveral days to completely dry.


1777 East Broad StreetColumbus, Ohio 43203

614.645.8733www.fpconservatory.org

A season of lights and delights for all ages!Poinsettias, gingerbread houses, music,

a model railroad, candlelight nightsand family entertainment.

Make your holidays Merry & Bright!Presented by WesBanco. Media support from WBNS-10TV.

Merry & BrightNovember 19 - January 4

New this year!

Original art

from �Dr. Seuss�

How the Grinch

Stole Christmas�

My kids have never visited Santa at the mall.

We prefer to connect withthe jolly old elf when he’sdoing something a bit moreinteresting than sitting in achair.

When we heard that St.Nick takes time from hisbusy schedule to take a rideon the Hocking Valley ScenicRailway, the whole familywas on board — or, should Isay, “all aboard.”

We piled in the minivanand headed toward the traindepot in Nelsonville — adrive that’s much quickerand easier thanks to theRoute 33 Bypass that openedseveral years ago. When wearrived at the station, theboys were awed by the bigdiesel engine sitting on thetrack. They also were curi-ous to check out the coach-es, which date from the1920s and 1930s.

The traveling cars weredecked out in lights andgreenery and had a festivefeel. The boys excitedlyboarded the train and eachchose a window seat. Theysang along to the Christmascarols that were playing onthe sound system.

When the train got mov-ing, they initially had funlooking out the windows atthe houses and businessesthat we were rolling past. Asthe two-hour train ride woreon, they got a little restlessand I wished I had brought

crayons or other car-typeactivities to occupy them.We also could have usedmore snacks. The volunteer-run railway company allowsfamilies to bring food ontothe vintage coaches.

The highlight of the ridewas, of course, Santa. He vis-its each car and spendsample time visiting witheach child. He eagerly posesfor photos and doesn’tflinch at crying babies ortimid toddlers. After thekids chat with Santa, his elfgives them a candy cane —so be sure and pack a fewwet wipes to clean up afterthat treat.

Don’t be surprised if

Santa asks for a little some-thing in return. He usuallyasks kids and grown-ups tojoin him in an impromptu

sing-a-long. His song of choice?

“Santa Claus Is Coming toTown,” of course!

family fun: DAY TRIPPIN’

THE HOCKING HILLSScenic Railway

Santa Train

KYLE ROBERTSON/DISPATCH PHOTO

BY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON

IF YOU GO33 W. Canal St., Nelsonville, 800-967-7834, hvsry.orgTIMES: The Hocking Valley Scenic Railway’s Santa Trainruns Saturdays and Sundays beginning from Nov. 26through Dec. 18. Two roundtrip trains depart each day at11 a.m. and 2 p.m.COST: Tickets cost $16 for adults; $14 for seniors (60-plus) and $12 for children ages 3 to 12. Kids under 3 are free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.TIP: Two other historic railroads in Ohio — the LebanonMason Monroe Railroad and the Byesville Scenic Railway— offer Santa-themed train excursions. To read moreabout both, check out our Go-To Guide this issue.


The inaugural HolidayFair is coming Dec. 16-18 toColumbus Commons.

Each day, this brand-new spin on the holidayseason will feature funfor all ages, includingtrackless train rides,carousel rides, a giant“ice” slide, a barnyardpetting zoo andmarshmallow roasting.

Additionally, a holiday tent will hostphotos with Santa Claus, a SecretSanta shop, indoor seating and choirperformances.

invites you to

The Columbus Commons are at 160 S. High St.Parking is available in the Commons’ Main Garageat 55 E. Rich Street.

Come Downtown for the lights

Most activities are free and a $5 wristband takes care of the rest.Here’s a look at some highlights of the Holiday Fair schedule:

And you can check out nearly 200,000 holiday lights Downtown —from the Commons to Scioto Mile to the Lazarus Building — now through Jan. 15.

Complete details at ColumbusCommons.org.

(AND STAY FOR SANTA AND THE GRINCH)

Friday, Dec. 16 — 4-9 p.m.6 p.m. Columbus Maennerchor performance8 p.m. Columbus Children’s Choir performance

8:30 p.m. Fireworks

Saturday, Dec. 17 — Noon-9 p.m.1-4 p.m. Ice Sculpture Show

2 p.m. Performance by the Columbus International Children’s Choir3 p.m. Story time with the Columbus Metropolitan Library

6, 7 and 8 p.m. How the Grinch Stole Christmas screenings

Sunday, Dec. 18 — Noon-6 p.m.2 p.m. Performance by Kids Company Performing Group


***BLACK FRIDAY***BLACK FRIDAYSALES EVENT ***SALES EVENT ***

SHOP 24/7 @SHOP 24/7 @WWW.CARMENSVACUUM.COMWWW.CARMENSVACUUM.COM

family fun: MEDIA REVIEWS

BooksEach month, the staff at the Columbus Metropolitan Library reviews kids’ books for us.For the holidays, we asked them to recommend titles for everyone in the family. Melis-sa Boyd from the main branch’s Center for Discovery, offered up these suggestions:

If this year’s economic uncertainty has made selecting a gift a bit challenging, why not let a book serve as the stand-in for a more luxuri-ous stocking stuffer? After all, you may not be able to give them a trip toParis, but nothing’s stopping them from reading about it….

“Journeys of a Lifetime” from NationalGeographic: Perhaps it’s a stroll through theHeadhunter’s Trail of Malaysia you fancy or atour of Thailand’s cuisine. This book givesyou a taste of the exotic without ever leav-ing the couch. Vicarious photographic thrillsabound in this impressive coffee-table book,making it easy to get lost in its pages.

“Wild Animal Atlas: Earth’s AstonishingAnimals and Where They Live,” also fromNational Geographic, is intended for ages5-8. This glossy page turner is filled withsurprising facts about little-known animalsfrom spots including the Amazon Rainfor-est, the Alps and the Great Barrier Reef.


http://facebook.com/DublinOhio

http://twitter.com/DublinOhio

dublinohiousa.gov/enewswww.dublinohiousa.gov

RECREATIONSERVICES

Family FunActivities

From Dublin to the North PoleFamilies who love watching The Polar Express each holiday season can seethe movie come to life as it plays in Dublin’s Abbey Theater. Children enterthe theater on a trackless train, hot chocolate is served, and eachchild receives a golden ticket and a bell. All aboard for thismagical holiday experience! We encourage children tocome dressed in their pajamas. Parent participationis required. Fee is per person, pre-regstration isrequired. Open to all ages.

Class Date Day Time Fee424185.01 Dec 20 T 6 – 8:30 p.m. $8 per person424185.02 Dec 21 W 6 – 8:30 p.m. $8 per person

Abbey Theater PresentsA Christmas CarolSaturday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.Friday, Dec. 9, 7 p.m.Saturday, Dec. 10, 2 & 7 p.m.

An hour long, musical adaptation ofDickens’ classic story, writtenspecifically for the Abbey Theaterof Dublin.

Recommended for familiesTickets: $5 per person

The NutcrackerSaturday, Dec. 1711 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

A special performance of the belovedholiday classic, performed by DublinDance Centre & Gymnastics.

Recommended for familiesTickets: $5 per person

Here is a snapshot of a few of our upcoming events and programs. Find funfamily ideas for winter by visiting www.dublinohiousa.gov/recreation.

For tickets or more information, call the Dublin Community Recreation Centerat 614.410.4550 or visit www.dublinohiousa.gov/recreation.

“Parisian Chic: A StyleGuide” by Ines de laFressange. Next destina-tion: Paris! Replete withwhimsical illustrations,the uber-chic authorshares what to wear (andnot wear) when dressingParisian, and a specialsection details all thebest spots to hit whenfinally making the trip tothe City of Light.

The New York Review Children’s Collection features classic titles that arebeautifully illustrated, hard-bound and perfect for gifting: Among these areMargery Sharp’s “The Rescuers,” which features mice with personalities rich-er than those in most contemporary adult fiction, and illustrations from GarthWilliams; Frank Tashlin’s “The Bear That Wasn’t,” a fable written in 1946 butmore relevant now than ever — it’s all about a bear who wakes up from along sleep to find that a factory has been built over the entrance to his cave,and instead of apologizing for their misstep, the factory owners accuse thebear of laziness and admonish him to get back to work (and shave); andJames Thurber’s classic “The 13 Clocks” is best for savvy readers, ages 9 andup, and has retro illustrations to lend a tongue-in-cheek sophistication.

Finally, anyone would enjoy writing in one of Revolver Bound Books’ beautifully innovative 2-in-1 journal. Thanksto a clever binding technique,these 64-page journals flip out-side and inside so that you canhave two projects, topics or to-dolists running at the same time. They come in two different pagesizes and are available atrevolverboundbooks.comor from vat19.com

Some books are bestgiven as part of asuite of gifts, like RoyBlount Jr.’s “AlphabetJuice” and its follow-up, “Alpha BetterJuice.” Perfect for theconsummate wordlover, these reference-style books are an Ato Z of hilarious snip-pets by the prolificauthor. One gets thesense in reading eachentry that great careand love was affordedevery last sentence.


THURSDAY 1FREE! Bears, Bears Everywhere, Isyour favorite teddy bear ready for a longwinter’s nap? Bring him along for storiesand a bear hunt. He’ll be ready for somesleep after this fun event! 10:30-11:30a.m. Worthington Park Library, 1389Worthington Centre Drive, Worthington.614-807-2626.worthingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Home for the Holidays, Join usfor our festive annual event! The after-noon’s festivities include: holiday musicplayed by Mr. Brian, crafts, refreshmentsand a special visit from Santa and Mrs.Claus at 5 p.m. 4-6 p.m. Miller ParkBranch Library, 1901 Arlington Ave,Upper Arlington. 614-488-5710.

FRIDAY 2American Motorsports Arenacross,Professional and amateur motorcycleracing in AMA sanctioned arenacross.Male and female racers will range in agefrom 4 years old to over 40 years old.6:30 p.m. $15, ages 6-12 $10, ages fiveand under free. Ohio Expo Center, 717 E.17th Ave., North Side. 614-644-3247.ohioexpocenter.com

FREE! Downtown Delaware’s FirstFriday Celebration, Delaware’s down-town antique shops, gift boutiques, artgalleries, restaurants and other attrac-tions stay open late as part of MainStreet Delaware’s family-friendly First Fri-day celebration of the city. 6-9 p.m. His-toric Downtown Delaware, South San-dusky Street, Delaware. 740-203-6908.mainstreetdelaware.org

FREE! Downtown Newark HolidayOpen House & Cookie Walk, Hundredsof luminaries will light the streets of

downtown Newark during the HolidayOpen House/Cookie Walk. Shops andgalleries will be open late and there willbe entertainment and a roving Santa.New this year is the Cookie Walk. 4-8p.m. Downtown Newark, CourthouseSquare. 740-258-3730. downtown-newarkoh.com

Evening Programs, Content variesbased on sky conditions, but mayinclude a planetarium show, observatorytours and star gazing with the 32-inchSchottland Telescope. 8-10 p.m. PerkinsObservatory, 3199 Columbus Pike,Delaware. 740-368-6908.

FREE! First Friday Movies, For gradesK-5. Catch a hot new DVD release on thebig screen at the library. 3:15-5 p.m.Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685W. First Ave., Grandview. 614-486-2951.ghpl.org

Friday Night Open Gyms, Join us foran Open Gym! Kids will enjoy two tram-polines, large foam pit, two large springfloors, bars, balance beams and more!Ages 7 and up. Walk-ins welcome. Musthave a signed waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gymnastics& Cheer, 7708 Green Meadows Dr., St. A,Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

Gift of the Magi, 7-9 p.m. $6-$14. Mid-land Theatre, 36 N. Park Pl., Newark. 740-345-5483. midlandtheatre.org

Kids & Critters: A Zoo Adventure, Anew addition to the special “A ChristmasTo Cure Cancer” program for childrenand youth. Kids will be entertained whileparents enjoy the main event! The Zoo’seducation staff will divide participantsinto groups by age, ranging from 4 to 16years old. Activities will include hands-on learning activities with a focus onanimal conservation, up close animal

encounters, tour of Wildlights display,and food and drink included. 5-9 p.m.$25 per child. Columbus Zoo & Aquari-um, 4850 Powell Rd, Powell. 614-325-6178.

Leaders For Tomorrow, Catch the spir-it as we start to celebrate a century ofGirl Scouting at this Girl Scouts of Ohio’sHeartland Annual Breakfast. 7:30-9 a.m.Aladdin Shrine Center, 3850 Stelzer Rd.,Easton. 614-487-8101.gsooh.org/About/100th-Anniver-sary/100th_Council_Activities/

SATURDAY 31st Saturdays, Join us for this festive1st Saturdays as we explore Lino Tagli-apietra’s whimsical glass installation,Endeavor, and then make a merry art-work. At 11:00 am, be sure to stop bythe Cardinal Health Auditorium to watchthe Columbus Children’s Theater’s clas-sic performance of Mr. Scrooge. Thisprogram is recommended for familieswith children ages three to eight. Noregistration requested. 10 a.m.-12:30p.m. Free with Museum admission.Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E BroadSt, Downtown. 614-221-4848. colum-busmuseum.org

American Motorsports Arenacross,Professional and amateur motorcycleracing in AMA sanctioned arenacross.Male and female racers will range in agefrom 4 years old to over 40 years old. 5p.m. $15; Kids 6-12 $10; Children 5 &under free. Ohio Expo Center, 717 E.17th Ave., North Side. 614-644-3247.ohioexpocenter.com

Breakfast with Santa, Get the familytogether and come enjoy breakfast withone of the most iconic holiday charac-ters, Jolly Old Saint Nick. 8:30-10 a.m.

OUT&ABOUTdecember 2011

We’ve customized our daily calendar ofevents to highlight events that are FREE!

WildlightsNow through Sunday, Jan. 1 — Don’t miss the annual holiday spectacular! The festivi-

ties begin each evening at 5 p.m., when the Zoo sparkles with thousands of eco-friendly LEDlights. Visit for winter music and entertainment, light shows, and an opportunity to see Santaand Mrs. Claus.

Experience Wildlights with general Zoo admission or a membership. More informationand a full list of activities can be found on colszoo.org.

Dine with SantaSaturday, Sunday and Monday, Dec. 10, 11 and 12 — Give the kids a chance to share

their wish lists with Santa Claus! Enjoy a weekend brunch at 9 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday atthe Zoo’s Activity Pavilion, complete with scrambled eggs,bacon, fruit and more. Or head to the Wildlights on Mondayevening at 6 p.m. for a dinner with Santa, where you can feaston chicken, veggies and macaroni and cheese. Other activitiesinclude face painting and cookie decorating.

Tickets are $20 for Zoo members and $30 for non-members.Order them online at colszoo.org.

www.columbuszoo.org

COLUMBUS ZOO AND AQUARIUMJONATHAN QUILTER/DISPATCH PHOTO


Beau has leukemia. It’s a disease nochild should ever have to endure. Theharsh reality is while other childrenare enjoying the holidays, Beau will bebattling his cancer. You can help us winBeau’s battle, and thousands more.

Give to Nationwide Children’s Hospitalthis holiday season. Every gift, of anyamount, matters. Every gift stays hereto make a difference in the lives ofchildren in our community. Childrenlike Beau.

I need chemotherapy.And I need you.

Please give today:1-866-317-KIDS

NationwideChildrens.org

Adults: $10.95, Children: $5.95. Bon VieBistro, 4089 The Strand East, Easton. 614-416-7100.

CFA All Breed Cat Show, The OhioState Persian Club presents the CFA AllBreed Cat Show. More than 300 differentCFA registered breeds of cats will bepresent. Various cat vendors and acces-sories available, with kittens for sale. 9a.m.-5 p.m. $6 adults; $5 seniors and kids6-12; kids 5 and under free. Ohio ExpoCenter, 717 E. 17th Ave., North Side. 614-644-3247. ohioexpocenter.com

Christmas is Coming, Help deck thefarmhouse for the Christmas season inVictorian fashion. String popcorn, makean ornament to take home and decoratethe tree. 1-3 p.m. Slate Run Living Histor-ical Farm, 1375 State Route 674 N., CanalWinchester. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Christmas Under the Clock,Plain City lights the Christmas tree forthe holiday season. Enjoy live entertain-ment including carolers and conces-sions. 5-8 p.m. Downtown Plain City, Rt.42, 800-642-0087. unioncounty.org

Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12 yearsold, a variety of art media will be avail-able for students to use. Monthlythemes will be introduced but this is astudent led activity. 12 noon-2 p.m. $36for 4 sessions to be used in 3 monthsand/or with siblings/friends. Gallery 202,Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N. State St, West-erville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/cre-ativemindsjunior.html

Dine with Santa, Enjoy a kid friendlymeal, up-close animal encounters,appearances by the Zoo’s characterambassadors. The children also will get aphoto with their photo with Santa andhave the chance to tell him their holidaywishes, have their face painted and getto decorate a cookie. 9-11 a.m. $30.Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, 4850 PowellRd, Powell. 614-645-3550. columbus-zoo.org

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-in pro-gram, adults and children 6 and up canexperiment with fun materials and cre-ate art together. Families will worktogether on gallery games and unique,open-ended projects inspired by art-work in the galleries. 1-3 p.m. Free withMuseum admission. Columbus Museumof Art, 480 E Broad St, Downtown. 614-221-4848. columbusmuseum.org

Echoes in Time Theatre: Christmason the Frontline: A Civil War Soldier’sStory, The year is 1861 and its Christ-mas. The war was supposed to havebeen over by now. However, many menand young boys found themselves awayfrom home and their loved ones per-haps for the first time in their lives. Comelisten as two soldiers at the front sharememories of Christmas’s past and their

feelings about Christmas present on thefrontline. 1-5 p.m. Adults $10, Seniors $9,Children 6-12 $5. Ohio History Center,800 E. 17th Ave., North Side. 614-297-2300. ohiohistory.org

FREE! Family Hike, Enjoy a 2 mile walkand admire the winter scenery. 1 p.m.Blendon Woods Metro Park, 4265 E.Dublin-Granville Rd., Westerville. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Holiday Film Series: HolidayInn, Admission is free with a suggestedtoy donation to benefit The Open Shel-ter. 2 p.m. The Gateway Film Center,1550 N. High St., Campus. 614-247-4969.

FREE! Holiday Happiness, Join us forthe 40th annual Holiday Happiness!Enjoy activities, displays, music andother holiday traditions including a visitfrom Santa and Mrs. Claus. 10 a.m.-2p.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Holidays in Powell, Bundle up inyour woolies and spend an afternoondecking the halls in historic downtownPowell. Festivities includes a visit fromjolly ole St. Nick and Mrs. Clause, freechildren’s photo and craft stations, nos-talgic horse and carriage rides, warmfoods, carols of yester-year, decoratedshops with a delightful array of gifts andmuch more. 12 noon-5:30 p.m. VillageGreen Park, 47 Hall St., Powell. 614-396-3336. cityofpowell.us

FREE! Holiday Nature Crafts for Kids,Enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of craft mak-ing. Ages 3-12. 1-3 p.m. Blacklick WoodsMetro Park, 6975 E Livingston Ave,Reynoldsburg. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Holiday Open House & CraftExtravaganza, There’s no place like theNorth Market to get you into the holidayspirit. From the friendly salutations ofthe merchants to the array of delectablecuisine, the bustle of market commerceon a winter weekend is sure to warmyour heart and have you humming holi-day tunes! 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The North Mar-ket, 59 Spruce St., Arena District. 614-463-9664. northmarket.com

FREE! Life-Sized Candyland, Learnyour colors and earn some candy bytraveling our life-sized board as a player!For pre-K to kindergarten. 10:30 a.m.-12noon. Old Worthington Library, 820 HighSt., Worthington. 614-807-2626. wor-thingtonlibraries.org/calendar

SUNDAY 4FREE! Art Off the Square at The MAC.,Artistic fun for the family includingmusic exploration, literature, the visualarts or film related activities and demon-strations. 1-5 p.m. Peggy R. McConnellArts Center of Worthington, 777 EveningSt., Worthington. 614-431-0329.mcconnellarts.org


Art Exhibit: “Santa 364,” Dec. 1- 31What does Santa do the rest of the year?(Left, Santa & his dog Rufus visit the vet.)

Card Crop: Thurs, Dec. 1, 6:30 pm.Ages 10+. Make holiday cards. $10.

Take Your Pet’s Photo with Santa!Tuesday, December 6. Free. Call for appt.

Tween Scene: Sat, Dec. 17, 6:30 pmWii, pizza, crafts for ages 8 - 13. $5


FREE! Family Winter Walk, Look forsigns of wildlife on a 1 mile walkthrough the fields and forest. 2 p.m.Glacier Ridge Metro Park, 9801 HylandCroy Rd, Dublin. 614-895-6365.

Gift Making, For grades K-6. Studentswill make several projects that can begiven to loved ones. 2-4 p.m. $6 mem-bers, $8 non-members. Decorative ArtsCenter of Ohio, 145 E. Main St., Lancast-er. 740-681-1423.


FREE! Holiday Open House & CraftExtravaganza, There’s no place like theNorth Market to get you into the holidayspirit. From the friendly salutations ofthe merchants to the array of delectablecuisine, the bustle of market commerceon a winter weekend is sure to warmyour heart and have you humming holi-day tunes! 12 noon-5 p.m. The NorthMarket, 59 Spruce St., Arena District.614-463-9664. northmarket.com

Kelton House Museum and GardenAudio Tour, Weekly audio tour describ-ing the 19th century home of the Fer-nando and Sophia Kelton family withactors portraying fugitive slaves andabolitionists. 1-4 p.m. $6 adults; $4 sen-iors; $2 children. Kelton House, 586 ETown St, Olde Towne East. 614-464-2022. keltonhouse.com

MONDAY 5Dine with Santa, Enjoy a kid friendlymeal, up-close animal encounters,appearances by the Zoo’s characterambassadors. The children also will get aphoto with their photo with Santa andhave the chance to tell him their holidaywishes, have their face painted and get todecorate a cookie. 6-8 p.m. $30. Colum-bus Zoo & Aquarium, 4850 Powell Rd,Powell. 614-645-3550. columbuszoo.org

FREE! Family Evening Storytime, Allages. No registration required. 7 p.m.Upper Arlington Public Library, 2800Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

TUESDAY 6FREE! Holiday Music with RMT, Getinto the spirit of the season with festivetunes from local band RMT. 7 p.m. LaneRoad Library, 1945 Lane Road, UpperArlington. 614-459-0273.

WEDNESDAY 7FREE! Baby Games, 10:15-10:45 a.m.Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685W. First Ave., Grandview. 614-486-2951.ghpl.org

FREE! Beyblades, Join us on early dis-missal days for an hour of rip-roaringfun. Bring your own blades and stadi-ums, if desired. Please label a plastic bagwith your name to hold your extra

blades and rip cords. Registration isrequired and begins two weeks prior.Grades 1-3. 3 p.m. Upper Arlington Pub-lic Library, 2800 Tremont Rd., UpperArlington. 614-486-9621.

Family Fun Day, Children create win-ter-themed crafts and enjoy activities. 11a.m.-2 p.m. Free with $6 - $11 admis-sion. Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 EBroad St., East Side. 614-645-8733.fpconservatory.org

FREE! Family Story Time, For ages 2-5.7-7:30 p.m. Grandview Heights PublicLibrary, 1685 W. First Ave., Grandview.614-486-2951. ghpl.org


Merry & Bright: Candlelight Night,Enjoy live music, expanded cafe offer-ings and family activities. Kids visit withMrs. Claus and decorate cookies, Santaand two of his live reindeer stop by andmusical act Over Easy performs in classicbarbershop style at 7pm. 6-9 p.m. Freewith $6 - $11 admission. Franklin ParkConservatory, 1777 E Broad St., East Side.614-645-8733.

THURSDAY 8FREE! Chess Club, Checkmate! Chesslovers of all levels are welcome to jointhe UAPL chess. Our local teen expert(s)will moderate, help beginners and sug-gest strategies to players. Registration isrequired and begins two weeks beforeeach meeting. Grades 3-6. 4 p.m. UpperArlington Public Library, 2800 TremontRd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Holiday Craft Celebration, Cele-brate the holidays with some festivecrafts. Ages 2 and up. 4 p.m. Lane RoadLibrary, 1945 Lane Road, Upper Arling-ton. 614-459-0273.

FREE! Holiday Movie: TheNutcracker, Prepare to be charmed bythis spectacular 1977 production of TheNutcracker ballet starring MikhailBaryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, accom-panied by the members of the AmericanBallet Theater. 7 p.m. Upper ArlingtonPublic Library, 2800 Tremont Rd., UpperArlington. 614-486-9621.

FRIDAY 9Evening Programs, Content variesbased on sky conditions, but mayinclude a planetarium show, observatorytours and star gazing with the 32-inchSchottland Telescope. 8-10 p.m. PerkinsObservatory, 3199 Columbus Pike,Delaware. 740-368-6908.


SATURDAY 10Breakfast with Santa, Breakfast and aphoto opportunity with Santa. 8:30-10a.m. $12-$30. Franklin Park Conservatory,1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-1756.

Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12 yearsold, a variety of art media will be avail-able for students to use. Monthlythemes will be introduced but this is astudent led activity. 12 noon-2 p.m. $36for 4 sessions to be used in 3 monthsand/or with siblings/friends. Gallery202, Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N. State St,Westerville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com.

dec2011

FAMILY FUN AT THE CONSERVATORY

Wednesday Dec. 7, 14 and 21 – Take in the gorgeousfoliage and winter decorations at the Franklin Park Conserva-tory and Botanical Gardens, and let the kids enjoy fun holidayactivities! Visit on Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. for crafts, songsand more. And there may be some appearances by belovedholiday characters!

Activities are free with Conservatory admission: $11 foradults, $9 for students and seniors, $6 for children and free for those under 3. Check out fpconservatory.org for moreinformation.


Small class sizes mean more individualattention for each student. When combinedwith our renowned academic curriculum,outstanding teachers, widespread offeringsand inclusive culture, it produces resultsunmatched in Central Ohio.

Whether you are interested in our all-dayPreK and Kindergarten programs or Grades1-12, please call (614) 509-2220 to learnmore or to schedule a tour because the

admissions process for the 2012-13 schoolyear is in full swing.

Screening is currently underway and placesare awarded beginning March 1, so pleasedon’t delay in showing your interest. Weare located just a few minutes outside ofColumbus at 4300 Cherry Bottom Road,Gahanna 43230.

www.columbusacademy.org




Echoes in Time Theatre: Christmason the Frontline: A Civil War Soldier’sStory, The year is 1861 and its Christ-mas. The war was supposed to havebeen over by now. However, many menand young boys found themselves awayfrom home and their loved ones per-haps for the first time in their lives. Comelisten as two soldiers at the front sharememories of Christmas’s past and theirfeelings about Christmas present on thefrontline. 1-5 p.m. Adults $10, Seniors $9,Children 6-12 $5. Ohio History Center,800 E. 17th Ave., North Side. 614-297-2300. ohiohistory.org

Family Fun Day, Children exploreflower arranging and enjoy crafts andactivities. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free with $6 -$11 admission. Franklin Park Conservato-ry, 1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

FREE! Family Holiday Craft, Makeornaments and crafts out of naturalmaterials. 2-3:30 p.m. Battelle-DarbyCreek Metro Park, 1775 Darby Creek Dr.,Galloway. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Holiday Film Series: It’s a Won-derful Life, Admission is free with asuggested toy donation to benefit TheOpen Shelter. 2 p.m. The Gateway FilmCenter, 1550 N. High St., Campus. 614-247-4969.

Holiday Story Time Character Break-fast, All you can eat pancake breakfast,activities for kids and holiday stories. 8a.m.-12 noon $6. Olde Gahanna Sanctu-ary, 82 N High St, Gahanna. 614-418-9114.

FREE! Magic Key Story Hour, Letmembers of the Westland High SchoolKey Club unlock your imagination inthese enchanting adventures throughamazing tales and stories. Snacks areprovided. 1-2 p.m. Westland AreaLibrary, 4740 W. Broad St, Columbus.614-878-1301. swpl.org

SUNDAY 11Dine with Santa, Enjoy a kid friendlymeal, up-close animal encounters,appearances by the Zoo’s characterambassadors. The children also will get aphoto with their photo with Santa andhave the chance to tell him their holidaywishes, have their face painted and getto decorate a cookie. 9-11 a.m. $30.Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, 4850 PowellRd, Powell. 614-645-3550. columbus-zoo.org

FREE! Family Painting Workshop, 2-4p.m. Riffe Gallery, 77 S. High St., Gahan-na. 614-728-2239.

Holiday Concerts, The Central OhioSymphony, the Young Strings and Spe-cial Guests in two identical concerts, at2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., filled with holi-day spirit and music. The concert willinclude a performance by the YoungStrings ensemble, featuring the bestyouth string performers in the county.Make this concert part of your holidaycelebration this season. Adults $20,Seniors $17, Students $6, Children $4.Ohio Wesleyan University, Gray Chapel,61 S. Sandusky St., Delaware. 740-362-1799. centralohiosymphony.org


Kelton House Museum and GardenAudio Tour, Weekly audio tour describ-ing the 19th century home of the Fer-nando and Sophia Kelton family withactors portraying fugitive slaves andabolitionists. 1-4 p.m. $6 adults; $4 sen-iors; $2 children. Kelton House, 586 ETown St, Olde Towne East. 614-464-2022. keltonhouse.com

dec2011

January 10-15 • Ohio Theatre

614.469.0939 • CAPA Ticket Office •Got a group of 10 or more? Call 614.719.6900 for special group rates!

*Restrictions and service fees may apply. Subject to availability. Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun eve perfs only.

GREAT FAMILY GIFT IDEA!Save $10 per ticket when you buy 4 or more!*

Just request the FAMILY FUN PACK when you order.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTTo add an event to Columbus Parent Magazine’s Out &

About calendar, submit information by email to [email protected] or online at ColumbusParent.com.

Please submit calendar events by the 7th day of the pre-ceding month.


MONDAY 12Dine with Santa, Enjoy a kid friendlymeal, up-close animal encounters,appearances by the Zoo’s characterambassadors. The children also will get aphoto with their photo with Santa andhave the chance to tell him their holidaywishes, have their face painted and getto decorate a cookie. 6-8 p.m. $30.Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, 4850 PowellRd, Powell. 614-645-3550. columbus-zoo.org

TUESDAY 13FREE! Anime Club, 3:15-4:45 p.m.Grandview Heights Public Library, 1685W. First Ave., Grandview. 614-481-3778.ghpl.org

Holiday Cookies in a Jar, Fill a jar withcookie ingredients for a gift to someonespecial. Ages 16 and up. 7-8:30 p.m.Groveport Town Hall, 648 Main St.,Groveport. 614-836-3333. groveport.org

WEDNESDAY 14FREE! Child Check, The Early ChildhoodResource Network + offers Child Checkscreenings for children ages 1 monththrough 5 years in areas of gross-motor,fine-motor, speech and language andpersonal/social skills. Vision screeningsare offered to children over 3 and hear-ing screenings for all ages. 9:30 a.m.-1:30p.m. Church of the Redeemer, UnitedMethodist Preschool, 235 McNaughtenRd., Columbus. 543-9000 ext. 216.


FREE! Homeschoolers: SurvivingWinter, Explore the four ways animalssurvive harsh winters and vote for yourfavorite. Ages 6-12. 1 p.m. BlendonWoods Metro Park, 4265 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., Westerville. 614-895-6365.

Merry & Bright: Candlelight Night,Enjoy live music, expanded cafe offer-ings, a cash bar and family activities. Kidsmeet the Grinch and his dog Max, tasteWho Pudding and Roast Beast and cre-ate holiday cards. The Columbus GayMen’s Chorus performs segments fromJoy! at 7pm. 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Free with $6 -$11 admission. Franklin Park Conservato-ry, 1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-8733.

THURSDAY 15Holiday Cookies for Kids, Stirring,shaping, baking and decorating willkeep kids’ minds creativity engagedwhile making delicious holiday treats.For ages 6+, pre-registration required. 6-

8 p.m. $25, $20 for members. FranklinPark Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St., EastSide. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

FREE! Homeschoolers at the Farm: AGingerbread Journey, Follow the trailof gingerbread through cultures andtime to learn how it became a holidayfavorite. 1 p.m. Slate Run Living Histori-cal Farm, 1375 State Route 674 N., CanalWinchester. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Lego Lit, When books and LEGOscollide, you get LEGO Lit. Each monthwe will share a story and build creationsaround a theme. The Friends of theLibrary provide the LEGOs, you providethe fun. (Participants will not be able tokeep their creations.) Registration isrequired and begins two weeks prior toeach event. Grades K-4. 4 p.m. UpperArlington Public Library, 2800 TremontRd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Medieval Festival of Kings &Queens, Bring a crown from home ormake one at this royal event, where we’llread and sing songs about kings andqueens. We’ll even try to catch Parker,the library’s friendly dragon! 10:30-11:30a.m. Worthington Park Library, 1389Worthington Centre Drive, Worthington.614-807-2626.worthingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FRIDAY 16Friday Night Open Gyms, Join us foran Open Gym! Kids will enjoy two tram-polines, large foam pit, two large springfloors, bars, balance beams and more!Ages 7 and up. Walk-ins welcome. Musthave a signed waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gymnastics& Cheer, 7708 Green Meadows Dr., St. A,Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

SATURDAY 17FREE! Christmas Bird Count, Searchfor birds and help collect data for theNational Audobon Society ChristmasBird Count. 8 a.m. Inniswood Metro Gar-dens, 940 S. Hempstead Rd., Westerville.614-895-6365.

A Christmas Evening, Make decora-tions, string popcorn and enjoy other1880s holiday activities on a special lam-plit evening. 4-5:30 p.m. Slate Run LivingHistorical Farm, 1375 State Route 674 N.,Canal Winchester. 614-895-6365.

Christmas Ornaments, For grades K-6.Children have the opportunity to viewthe museum’s display of historic orna-ments and then create two ornamentsof their own. 2-4 p.m. $16 members, $20non-members. Decorative Arts Center ofOhio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster. 740-681-1423.

Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12 yearsold, a variety of art media will be avail-

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And what matters most is pediatric expertise.That’s why our Close To HomeSM Centers arestaffed by medical professionals who havereceived additional training to care exclusivelyfor children. Physicians, nurses, technicians,everybody at Nationwide Children’s Hospitalis a pediatric specialist.

This higher level of expertise enables us tosee things others may not. We know whena simple fever could be something moreserious. We know how to set a broken boneso it grows properly to its adult size. Weknow the correct dosage of medications forchildren of all ages.

Our suture techs even practice putting stitchesin the soft skin of a peach, because it helps usminimize scarring on the soft skin of a child.

Every piece of equipment is also specialized.Why? Try fitting an adult-sized blood pressurecuff on the arm of a two-year-old. Or givingan injection to a five-year-old with an adult-sized needle.

Urgent care should be expert care. So alwayscall your child’s doctor first and rememberwe’re here when you need us. For directions,hours and location specific information, visitwww.NationwideChildrens.org/UrgentCare.

able for students to use. Monthlythemes will be introduced but this is astudent led activity. 12 noon-2 p.m.$36/4 sessions to be used in 3 monthsand/or with siblings/friends. Gallery 202,Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N. State St, West-erville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/cre-ativemindsjunior.html


Echoes in Time Theatre: Christmason the Frontline: A Civil War Soldier’sStory, The year is 1861 and its Christ-mas. The war was supposed to havebeen over by now. However, many menand young boys found themselves awayfrom home and their loved ones per-haps for the first time in their lives.Come listen as two soldiers at the frontshare memories of Christmas’s past andtheir feelings about Christmas presenton the frontline. 1-5 p.m. Adults $10,Seniors $9, Children 6-12 $5. Ohio Histo-ry Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., North Side.614-297-2300. ohiohistory.org

Giving is Always in Fashion, Join East-on Town Center and The Salvation Armyon Saturday for a day of fundraising andentertainment. Red Kettles will beplaced in eight locations throughoutEaston Town Center. Enjoy music fromroving musicians, and have fun interact-ing with the celebrity bell ringers! Thosewho check in at six of the kettle loca-tions will be entered to win one of threeGrand Prizes: Easton Prize Packs valuedat $500 each! 2-6 p.m. Easton TownSquare, 60 Easton Town Center, Easton.614-416-7100. eastontowncenter.com

FREE! Holiday Film Series: The ShopAround the Corner, Admission is freewith a suggested toy donation to bene-fit The Open Shelter. 2 p.m. The GatewayFilm Center, 1550 N. High St., Campus.614-247-4969.

FREE! Holiday Movie Marathon, Joinus for a whole day of Christmas moviesthat the entire family can enjoy! We startat 10 a.m. with The Snowman (25 min.),Yes Virginia (24 min.), the animated Howthe Grinch Stole Christmas (25 min.) andA Charlie Brown Christmas (25 min.).After a 12 noon-1 p.m. break, we contin-

ue with two full-length features: AChristmas Story (PG) at 1 p.m. and HomeAlone (PG) at 2:45 p.m. 10 a.m. UpperArlington Public Library, 2800 TremontRd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

Holiday Tween Scene, Kids 8-13. Joinus for an evening of video gaming onthe big screen, pizza, Minute to Win itgames, crafts and more at KidSpace.Please bring a gag gift for the white ele-phant game 6:30-9 p.m. $4 Resident/$5Non-Resident. Crooked Alley KidSpace,630 Wirt Rd., Groveport. 614-836-3333.groveport.org

SUNDAY 18FREE! Holiday Film Series: The ShopAround the Corner, Admission is freewith a suggested toy donation to bene-fit The Open Shelter. 2 p.m. The GatewayFilm Center, 1550 N. High St., Campus.614-247-4969.

MONDAY 19FREE! Jingle Bell Storytime, Dashthrough the snow to this fun music-and-movement storytime featuring jinglebells, snowballs and more. Registrationis required and begins Dec. 5. Ages 2-6.10:15 a.m. Upper Arlington PublicLibrary, 2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arling-ton. 614-486-9621.

WEDNESDAY 21FREE! Holiday Film Series: The ShopAround the Corner, Admission is freewith a suggested toy donation to bene-fit The Open Shelter. 7 p.m. The GatewayFilm Center, 1550 N. High St., Campus.614-247-4969.

Holiday Open Gym, Join us for a Holi-day Open Gym. Come play on our twotrampolines, large foam pit, bars, bal-ance beams, two large spring floors andmore! All ages welcome. Ages 6 andunder must be accompanied by anadult. 12 noon-2 p.m. $10 (Siblings $5).Gym X-Treme Gymnastics & Cheer, 7708Green Meadows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center.614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

Merry & Bright: Candlelight Night,Enjoy live music, expanded cafe offer-ings, a cash bar and family activities.Enjoy holiday traditions from a bygoneera, sample a cup of wassail ($1) and tryout candle making over a live fire. TheOhio Village Singers perform a full-length concert of 19th century Americancarols at 7pm. 6-9 p.m. Free with $6 -$11 admission. Franklin Park Conserva-tory, 1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

FREE! Lil’ Elves Gift Workshop, Kidswill make special gifts and wrap themfor their family members in this freeclass at KidSpace. 7-8:30 p.m. CrookedAlley KidSpace, 630 Wirt Rd., Groveport.614-836-3333. groveport.org

dec2011


HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR!Sunday, Dec. 18 — The season isn’t complete without

some classic holiday music. Visit the Jeanne B. McCoy Com-munity Center for the Arts to hear a performance by the NewAlbany Symphony Orchestra. In their fourth season, the Sym-phony will dazzle the audience with their tunes, and theColumbus Children’s Choir will also make an appearance.

The group is also working to help others with theircanned food drive: bring canned goods to the concert andthey will be donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. The concertwill begin at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $12-$22, and can bepurchased at newalbanysymphony.com or 614-245-4701.


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THURSDAY 22Fresh Holiday Centerpiece, Usingfresh evergreens, pinecones, ribbon andother seasonal items, create a center-piece to adorn your table for holidaygatherings. 7-8:30 p.m. $10 Resident,$12 Non-Resident. Groveport Town Hall,648 Main St., Groveport. 614-836-3333.groveport.org

Holiday Open Gym, Join us for a Holi-day Open Gym. Kids will enjoy our twotrampolines, large foam pit, bars, bal-ance beams, two large spring floors andmore! All ages welcome, 6 and undermust be accompanied by an adult. 12noon-2 p.m. $10 (Siblings $5). Gym X-Treme Gymnastics & Cheer, 7708 GreenMeadows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

FRIDAY 23Friday Night Open Gyms, Join us foran Open Gym! Kids will enjoy two tram-polines, large foam pit, two large springfloors, bars, balance beams and more!Ages 7 and up. Walk-ins welcome. Must

have a signed waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gymnas-tics & Cheer, 7708 Green Meadows Dr.,St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484.gymx-treme.com

SATURDAY 24Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12 yearsold, a variety of art media will be avail-able for students to use. Monthlythemes will be introduced but this is astudent led activity. 12 noon-2 p.m.$36/4 sessions to be used in 3 monthsand/or with siblings/friends. Gallery 202,Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N. State St, West-erville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/cre-ativemindsjunior.html


FREE! Holiday Film Series: WhiteChristmas, Admission is free with a sug-gested toy donation to benefit TheOpen Shelter. 2 p.m. The Gateway FilmCenter, 1550 N. High St., Campus. 614-247-4969.

SUNDAY 25FREE! Holiday Film Series: WhiteChristmas, Admission is free with a sug-gested toy donation to benefit The OpenShelter. 2 p.m. The Gateway Film Center,1550 N. High St., Campus. 614-247-4969.

MONDAY 26Family Entertainment: VentriloquistDavid Crone, Ventriloquist David Cronecombines family-friendly comedic ven-triloquism, magic and audience interac-tion. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Free with $6 -$11 admission. Franklin Park Conserva-tory, 1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

TUESDAY 27FREE! Holidaze Craft Camp, Join us forholiday break craft camp. Each day wewill make a different themed craft. 1:30-2:30 p.m. Crooked Alley KidSpace, 630Wirt Rd., Groveport. 614-836-3333.groveport.org

Illusionist John Steven Bloom, Allages enjoy John Steven Bloom’s specialblend of magic, humor and family enter-tainment. 11 a.m. Free with $6 - $11admission. Franklin Park Conservatory,1777 E Broad St., East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

WEDNESDAY 28FREE! Grandparents Storytime, Areyour grandchildren home for the holi-days? Looking for something special todo? Visit the library for this special story-time and craft. Registration is requiredand begins Dec. 14. Please register eachchild attending and choose only onesession. Ages 3-6. 10:15 a.m. and 11:15a.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Holidaze Craft Camp, Join us forholiday break craft camp. Each day wewill make a different themed craft. 1:30-2:30 p.m. Crooked Alley KidSpace, 630Wirt Rd., Groveport. 614-836-3333.groveport.org

FREE! Holiday Film Series: WhiteChristmas, Admission is free with a sug-gested toy donation to benefit TheOpen Shelter. 7 p.m. The Gateway FilmCenter, 1550 N. High St., Campus. 614-247-4969.

Kwanzaa Celebration, African Ameri-can holiday that connects the ancientcustoms of Africa with the standards ofliving of African American people.Authentic African cuisine, African danc-ing, drumming and the opportunity topurchase art and jewelry from some ofbest vendors in our area. $15 non-mem-bers; $10 member; $12 students, seniors;$5 children. King Arts Complex, 867 Mt.Vernon Ave., King Lincoln. 614-645-5464. thekingartscomplex.com

THURSDAY 29FREE! Flashback: We Love the 80s,We pity the fool who doesn’t come toour 80s party! Join us as we go old-school for an hour of movie clips, music,snacks, trivia, fashion and more from thisbodacious decade. Dressing up isencouraged; prizes will be awarded.Ages 12-18. 7-8 p.m. Westerville Library,126 S. State St., Westerville. 614-882-7277 x5006. westervillelibrary.org

Harlem Globetrotters, 2 p.m. and 7p.m. $18-$121. Nationwide Arena, 200W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District. 800-745-3000.

Holiday Break Workday, Help withfarm chores, visit with the animals andstop by the farmhouse for activities andwarm up next to the woodstove. 1-3p.m. Slate Run Living Historical Farm,1375 State Route 674 N., Canal Winches-ter. 614-895-6365.


FRIDAY 30 Family Friday Night, COSI stays openlate for family-friendly fun the last Fridayof every month! You can explore sci-ence, discover fun, and stay late!Includes all of COSI’s permanent exhibi-tions plus a movie on the 7 storyExtreme Screen theater. 5-9 p.m. $8.COSI Columbus, 333 W. Broad St.,Downtown. 614-228-2674. cosi.org

FREE! Family Fun Night Hike &Campfire, Take a 1.4 mile hike andenjoy a campfire. Bring food to roast. 5p.m. Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, 8445Winchester Rd., Carroll. 614-895-6365.



SATURDAY 31Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12 yearsold, a variety of art media will be avail-able for students to use. Monthlythemes will be introduced but this is astudent led activity. 12 noon-2 p.m.$36/4 sessions to be used in 3 monthsand/or with siblings/friends. Gallery 202,Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N. State St, West-erville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/cre-ativemindsjunior.html

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-in pro-gram, adults and children 6 and up canexperiment with fun materials and cre-ate art together. Families will worktogether on gallery games and unique,open-ended projects inspired by art-work in the galleries. 1-3 p.m. Freewith Museum admission. ColumbusMuseum of Art, 480 E Broad St, Down-town. 614-221-4848. columbusmuse-um.org

FREE! Family New Year’s Eve Party& Movie, Celebrate the New Year withus at KidSpace! Bring the family andenjoy a free movie, crafts and snacks.No registration is required. Parentsmust be present for the entire event.Bring blankets and/or chairs for seat-ing. 7-9 p.m. Crooked Alley KidSpace,630 Wirt Rd., Groveport. 614-836-3333.groveport.org


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Columbus Parent - December 2011

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