Columbus Parent - January 2012

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JANUARY 2012

2 | January 2012 | columbusparent.com

NEED TO KNOW15 FAMILY FINANCE: with Denise Trowbridge 16 THE GO-TO GUIDE: Family Fun Factory Tours

ON THE GO05 BEST BET: We offer up five of your best bets for family fun

in Central Ohio this month06 NEWS ON THE GO07 PRODUCT PIX08 COLUMBUS PARENT PROFILE: Bexley’s Nori Duffee09 HOUSEBROKEN: Dispatch columnist Joe Blundo 10 VITAMIN ME: Capital Style editor Kristy Eckert11 TAKE IT FROM TRACY: 10TV’s Tracy Townsend12 NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT: Lancaster14 BIZ SPOTLIGHT: Kimberly Murray from the AHA museum

ON THE COVER: Alex hangs withhis penguin friend Tuna at theColumbus Zoo and Aquarium

PHOTO BY ALYSIA BURTON

getting started: TABLE OF CONTENTS

FAMILY FUN18 COOKING WITH KIDS: A cake for people AND dogs?!20 OVERNIGHT TRIPPIN’: The Children’s Museum in Indianapolis37 PLAYGROUND PATROL: Central Park Playland in Westerville38 HANDS ON: Clintonville’s Wholly Craft 40 PARTIES: A “sprinkle shower”42 EATING OUT WITH KIDS: Luce in Powell44 REVIEWS: Books, apps, games and a website

HOT TOPIC: 21 THE CHILDCARE CENTERS DIRECTORY:

from Columbus Parent and Action for Children

22 CONTINUITY OF CARE: The next big thingin childcare?

24 MAKING GOOD CHOICES: Childcare centers can teach healthy living

25 AGE-APPROPRIATE: BABYSITTINGAGES 11-15: Babysitting BasicsAGES 11-20: Great ExpectationsAGES 21+: The Overnight Babysitter

28 PEDIATRIC HEALTHSOURCE: from Nationwide Children’s Hospital

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

CONTRIBUTORS

Tessa Berg, Joe Blundo, Olivera Bratich, Linda Deitch, MelissaKossler Dutton, Kristy Eckert, Colin Hawes, Kristen Maetzold,

Phil Pikelny, Michael J. Rosen, 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:52,000 copies. Copyright ©2012 The Dispatch Printing Company

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CALENDAR:

157THINGS TO DO

THIS MONTH

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The episode was a milestone, not just in my solo-parent-ing adventures (of which there are many when your spouseis a coach), but also in my children’s ability to take care ofeach other. Sometimes, I’ve learned, we adults don’t alwaysgive our kids credit (or even a chance) for nurturing eachother. But it’s part of how families have survived — andthrived — for millennia.

For this issue’s focus on childcare, I worked on a veryinteresting story about a growing trend in childcare: mixed-age groups. It’s one of those concepts that makes perfectsense when you think about — primary caregiver hasresponsibility for a small group of children ranging in agefrom 6 weeks to 3 years, and the children stay with thatcaregiver and group of children every year that they’re atthe childcare center.

Linda Neugebauer, a longtime leader in Central Ohio forearly childhood education, is championing this concept andhopes to convince others to try it. All I can say is that what Iobserved at one of the pilot schools — Kids Care Academy— brought back happy memories for me, watching theyoung children interact with each other and, yes, nurtureeach other.

It was right around this time of the year, 13 years ago. Itwas that winter with the insanely long spell of freezing rainand snow, when my daughter’s kindergarten classes werecancelled for a week, when I couldn’t get the car out of thedriveway for three days. I also had a semi-mobile 6-month-old in the house and a husband in Florida (because he’s acollege swim coach and that’s where he goes every winterwith this team for winter training — believe me, I got a goodgift out of his absence that year).

So it was me, the 5-year-old and her baby brother, rough-ing it alone on leftover Christmas cookies and half a bottleof cooking sherry (don’t you judge me). Eventually thebread, milk, cereal and other staples of life ran low. I wasgoing to have to dig the car out and get to the grocery store.

First time I did it was late at night while they were sleep-ing. By the next morning, the car and the driveway wereburied under snow again. So, for the first time in her life,my daughter had to keep an eye on her brother. Needless tosay it was more stressful for me than it was for her. I wouldshovel a few feet, then run back in to see if they were bothalive. Shovel, run back, shovel, run back. (A great workout,by the way.)

My mission was finally completed. Big Sis even got LittleBro into his snowsuit. She and I bundled up, then we allheaded to the store, making it there and back safely.

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] or [email protected]


Sunday, January 8, 3 pm

Fiery Fiddlin’and Fairy Tales!Albert-George Schram, conductor

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Ohio State University Women’sBasketball v. IllinoisThe Lady Buckeyes take on the Fighting Illini during a Sunday afternoongame at Value City Arena. Watch as theyshowcase their dribbling, shooting andpassing skills against the visiting University of Illinois at 2 p.m. on Jan. 22.Tickets are $5-$15. 555 Borror Drive, Campus, 614-292-2624,ohiostatebuckeyes.com

on the go: BEST BETS FOR FAMILY FUN IN JANUARY

jump start the

CAN’T- MISS5with

NEW YEAR

COLUMBUSACTIVITIES!

Broadway Across America: Shrek The MusicalThe big green ogre is visiting Ohio’s capital city! From Jan. 10-15, Broadway Across America’s “Shrek TheMusical” will delight audiences with laughs and musical numbers at the Ohio Theatre. Show times vary,and ticket prices start at $28. 39 E. State St., Downtown, 614-469-0939, capa.com

Joan

Mar

cus

ph

oto

Columbus Children’sTheatre: Goldilocks andthe Three BearsThe remixed story of the children’s classic is per-formed for kids, by kids. Follow the story ofGoldilocks and Baby Bear in this 50-minute act atthe Park Street Theatre. Thursday-Sunday showswill run Jan. 12-22. Tickets are $10-$21.512 N. Park St., Short North, 614-224-6672,colschildrenstheatre.org

PBJ & Jazz: Sean Carney & the Sean Carney BandPut a little jazz in your January! The popularPBJ & Jazz series continues into 2012, with aperformance by Sean Carney and his band onJan. 14. While listening to live tunes, young-sters can munch on a peanut butter and jellysandwich, a cookie and juice, all provided inthe $5 admission. There will be two Saturdaymorning show times at the Lincoln Theatre:10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. 769 E. Long St., EastSide, 614-294-5200, jazzartsgroup.org

Family Friday Night COSI stays open until 9 p.m. on Friday,Jan. 27, so the whole family can enjoythe myriad exhibitions and activities.The $9 general admission includes ashow in the Giant Screen Theater.COSI members can stay late for free,and pay a reduced rate of $3.50 for aGiant Screen flick. 333 W. Broad St.,Downtown, 614-228-2674, cosi.org


In case you hadn’t heard, Columbus is celebrating its bicentennial in 2012. To wish Columbus a happy birthday, Parent has drummed up 200 reasonswhy this fair city is a great place to raise a family. We’ll be counting them

down throughout the year, beginning with the following:

on the go: NEWS ON THE GO

200 REASONS why columbus

is a great place to RAISE A FAMILY

1. A German-based reverence for qualitybaked goods

2. Jack Hanna: The world knows he’s fromhere. What more could we ask for in a pub-lic figure?

3. We’re located on the western side of thetime zone, which means we get more day-light at the end of the day than the begin-ning. Maybe it’s just us, but that’s the sidewe’d rather have an hour more daylight.

4. That gallon of milk in your fridge probablytraveled less than 100 miles from a cow toget here.

5. The Center for Discovery at the ColumbusMetropolitan Library’s Main Branch

6. Ohio is No. 35 in the nation for squaremileage, but No. 5 in the number of col-leges and universities. That’s what we calldensity of opportunity!

7. North Market: The living embodiment ofthe term “Something for everyone!”

8. Mad River Mountain: Yes, we’ve got realwinter sports, too!

9. We also have our own dedicated curling iceat the Columbus Curling Club. That’s a bigdeal in the curling world.

10. Max & Erma’s: Free cookies on Wednes-days. ‘Nuff said.

11. The Wonder Room at the Columbus Muse-um of Art: The best just got better, espe-cially for families.

12. Columbus Children’s Theatre: Not just forwatching — also for doing!

13. The crafting community in Central Ohio:Talk about great role modeling for the kids.

14. The PBJ & Jazz concert series from the JazzArts Group

15. The Step Up to Quality state rating pro-gram for childcare centers and preschools

16. Depending on how you classify WilliamHenry Harrison, Ohio is either No. 1 or No. 2on the list for being home to the most U.S.presidents (Harrison was born in Virginia,but considered himself an Ohioan).

17. Rick Nash: Because by now we all knowthat humble, hardworking athlete rolemodels don’t exactly grow on trees.

18. German Village: The original cool neighbor-hood

19. The Ohio Statehouse: Admit it, it’s alsopretty cool

20. Graeter’s: The original ice cream that ex-Ohioans would ship to themselves

Around TownWhere the happening kids just happened to beCOLUMBUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT

OHIO THEATRE DECEMBER 3, 2011 PHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON

Toby and Max Thomas

Quentin Zimmer

Divya and Darshan Uppal Keely and Ryleigh Fouts

Kacy Lytle Cassidy Parker

Jessica Stelzer

WILL SHILLING PHOTO


on the go: PRODUCT PIX

SING ME A RAINBOWWho doesn’t love a rainbow? Now you can makeyour own with the solar-powered RainbowmakerChime ($52). Simply suction it to a window andwatch in amazement as a crystal creates swirlingrainbows. The attached chimes create a soothingsound to accompany the light show. Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical GardensBotanica Gift Shop, 1777 E. Broad St., Columbus,614-645-8733, fpconservatory.org/botanica.htm

TOTALLY TUBULARSpooner Boards ($50) are designed to be used in ANY spaceand on ANY surface, even carpet! The 28” Pro Model is suit-able for practicing techniques indoors or outdoors in as littleas a 4-foot area. Spooner Boards have no weight limitationsand come with a life-time guarantee. Learning Express, 180 F Market St., New Albany, 614-933-0333, columbus.learningexpresstoys.com

Toddlers will likely invest hours on their hands and knees, racing this kid-powered RaceCar Wooden Push Toy ($32), made by manny and simon, all over the house. The windowis a handle that allows for easy pushing. It’s made of 100 percent post-industrial recycledwood residuals and is painted with non-toxic and ultra low odor paint.Sprout Soup, 3286 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-267-7768, sproutsoup.com

START YOUR ENGINES

FUNNY FARMA farm has never looked so lovely as itdoes on the soft pages of “Farmy Farm”($9) by Chris Raschka. Available at Coverto Cover Books, Caldecott Award winnerRaschka creates whimsical watercolorpictures on felt pages that amuse your lit-tle book lover.Cover to Cover Books, 3560 N High St.,Clintonville, 614-263-1624, coverto-coverchildrensbooks.com

OVER THE MOONIntroduce your child to the writing of

Columbus native James Thurber with thebeautifully illustrated “Many Moons” ($8),

the story of a princess who wants the moonand the jester who gets it for her.

Thurber House Country Bookstore, 77 Jefferson Ave., Downtown,

614-464-1032, thurberhouse.org

FOR WINTER FLIP FLOPS!Girls can rock their flip flops even inthe coldest months when they pullon a pair of LittleMissMatched FlipFlop Socks. Sold in mismatched yetcoordinated sets of three for $15 a

pair, these socks step up the style ofeven the most hum-drum flip flop.

Available online at littlemiss-matched.com


What is the most played song onyour iPod right now? I’ll be the firstto admit that I have the strangesttaste in music. I get goosebumpswhen I listen to “Just Like Heaven”by the Cure, which is a great song.My top 25 most played songsinclude artists like Britney Spears,the Beatles, Kings of Leon, the BeeGees and then Jay-Z. Big spectrumthere!

Who is your favorite TV/movie par-ent? Claire (Julie Bowen) from “Mod-ern Family.” I especially love watch-ing Claire deal with her two very dif-ferent teenage daughters. It’s givingme a scary preview of what my lifewill be like in another 10 years….

Which super-hero power would youlike to have? I’d love to be able tofreeze and fast-forward time! I’dfreeze those magical momentswhere everyone is so happy andamazing and being a parent is themost awesome and rewarding thingin the world…Then I’d like to fastforward through when my girls arethrowing themselves on the floor ofKroger because I was buying redapples instead of green.

Favorite thing to do for family fun inCentral Ohio: In the winter, wespend a lot of time at COSI. We alsolove to walk to the Jeffrey Mansionin Bexley and pack a picnic when theweather is nice. On rainy days mykids love going to places like King-dom of Bounce.

Favorite restaurant to take the kids:When we take the kids out, it isalmost always for pizza because it isso fast. Hungry kids = crabby kids!We love Donatos and Rubino’s inBexley. Afterwards we almost alwaysgo to Johnson’s for ice cream.

Favorite movie that you went tosee with the kids: I’ll tell you theleast favorite movie: “Tangled!”My girls were terrified of thatmovie! Fast forward almost a year,and my younger daughter insistson being Rapunzel for this pastHalloween. Complete with anamazing wig.

Best advice you ever received as aparent: To try and remember toput yourself in their shoes. Notbeing able to find your favoritepink Hello Kitty socks may seemreally trivial to an adult, but to asmall child, it’s important.

What have you learned as a parentthat you wish someone had toldyou before had that first kid? Thatit really does go by in a flash.Everyone did tell me that, but youdon’t know how true it really isuntil you’re experiencing it your-self. It feels like yesterday I hadtwo babies under 15 months in myhouse with seemingly endless bot-tles and burp cloths and diapers….and then today they are big girlswith their own thoughts, opinionsand personalities.

What’s something your parents didthat you thought was nuts whenyou were a kid and now you under-stand? My mom was also a stay-at-home mom and every night sheinsisted on a nice family dinner,with no distractions. My brotherand I hated that we couldn’t watchTV during dinner and instead hadto talk about our day at schooland our friends with mom anddad. Then overnight I became amother and see why that hour atthe dinner table and staying intune with your children’s livesevery day is so important.

on the go: COLUMBUS PARENT PROFILE

Nori Duffee

AGE: 30SPOUSE: Eric, married for 8 yearsKIDS: Kyra (5) and Kayla (4)NEIGHBORHOOD: BexleyJOB: stay-at-home mom

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO


Drive it around awhile until it getsthe hang of things again, my onlineadvisers said. This actually worked, butit has strained my relationship with thecar. I’m not fond of householdmachines with central nervous systemsof their own.

In a previous house, we had an oldfurnace that, one cold winter day,turned on and wouldn’t turn off. Whenthe house got into the mid-80s, I decid-ed I better do something, so I called afurnace guy who told me to bang on acertain pipe with a wrench. The furnacepromptly shut off and never misbe-haved like that again. Beautiful.

I haven’t had a furnace that obedi-ent since. Now it takes a technician and$400 (if I’m lucky) to get a furnace tocooperate because it has mysteriouselectronic brains that operate it.Threatening it with a wrench wouldhave no effect whatsoever.

I suppose I can tolerate this sort ofthing in cars and furnaces, in the inter-est of conserving fossil fuels. But gen-

erally, I think it best to minimize thenumber of household devices that haveminds of their own.

They make refrigerators now thatwill keep track of what you put in themand remind you when it’s time to buymore. Isn’t that a bit presumptuous ofan appliance? Frankly, I don’t want arefrigerator recording how often I buya six-pack. It’s none of the refrigera-tor’s business.

Likewise, I’m not happy about myradio’s standoffishness. I resignedmyself to all TV sets demanding that Iapproach them only via remote control,but I thought radios were more down-to-earth than that. But my latest modelhas nary a button or switch upon itssleek face. The remote must intercedefor me when I need to make a requestof the radio.

It’s a perfectly fine system until it’snot. When the remote abruptly stoppedworking, neither changing the batterynor mashing the remote buttons withincreasing intensity would jolt it into

action. And, of course, approaching theradio itself was out of the question. Iwould have had better luck getting anaudience with Queen Elizabeth. So itwas a day without NPR.

Lest I sound like a Luddite, I shouldpoint out that I wrote this column on acomputer. There’s such a thing as amachine that’s too dumb, and thatpretty much describes every typewriterI ever used. No matter how carefully Ihit the keys, an error or two alwaysmanaged to find its way onto the page.

But when they did, I at least knewwhose central nervous system was toblame.

2012

on the go: HOUSEBROKEN

HOME OdysseyBY JOE BLUNDO

My car can forget stuff.I learned that after disconnecting the bat-

tery so I could clean the terminals. When Ireconnected the battery, the car had forgottenhow to run properly. It kept stalling.

A half hour on an Internet forum revealedthe problem: When the power source to thecar’s computer is interrupted, the stupid thinghas to relearn how to make the car operate.

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

Columbus Dispatch. Visit his blog atDispatch.com

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B: Carefully load your little boy backinto the SUV, drive to the hospital,carry your son inside, give your sis-ter a hug, and promise to returnwhen the baby’s out and visitorsare allowed in the room. Return toyour parents’, put your child in hiscrib and sleep until your cell rings.

C: Toss two diapers, a couple of wipesand one baggie of graham crackersin your camera bag, scoop up yourkid, and high tail it out of thehouse. Because after all, the doctorsaid the baby is coming. Anyminute!

If you are sane and have ever inter-acted with a toddler in any capacity(or anxiously awaited the birth ofsomeone else’s child), you answered A.And you were correct.

If you are mostly sane but thinkthat one last pre-pushing hug for yoursister would be worth screwing up atoddler’s sleep schedule for at least aweek, you answered B. It’s not theright answer, but it’s also not theworst possible plan. (Note: If you

answered B, it has also been too longsince you had a toddler.)

I, apparently, was deliriously over-joyed about impending Aunt-hood.Because I chose C.

C is the wrong answer.Because the baby is not coming any

minute. The baby is coming at 9:24a.m. And you won’t be allowed to holdher until 2:15 p.m.

What happened during those 14+hours is not really worth recounting.Partly because I’m pretty sure I maynot have been conscious for part ofthem. I vaguely recall being scolded bya security guard for lying on the floorwith my child on top of me during oneof the four — yes, only four — hourshe slept. I also have video that I mayor may not remember taking of Coop-er laughing hysterically while pound-ing on a pop machine.

The story, of course, has a happyending: Baby Harper did arrive, pre-cious and cherubic as could be, with amop of black hair and feet as long andboney as her momma’s and aunt’s.

And even after I put him through

far too many hours in The Land of No(No, you can’t run into the surgeryroom! No, you can’t hit that button! No,you can’t pull those cords!), my goodlittle man still had his sweetnessabout him.

We lifted him to the nursery glassto see his baby cousin, who lay justinches away on the other side. He gotquiet, inspecting the tiny creature.“Baby,” he said. Then, she started tocry. Mr. Cooper carefully put his fin-gers to his binky (please don’t judgeme — we were on hour 14), pulled itout and pressed it against the glass,offering it to soothe her.

My eyes welled with tears.

on the go: VITAMIN ME

the Landof KNOW

BY KRISTY ECKERT

POP QUIZ: When your sister’s husband calls at midnight to say their baby is coming anyminute, and you’ve just finished driving fromColumbus to your parents’ Akron home withyour almost-2-year-old, what do you do?

A: Say, “Mom and Dad, you go. It’s midnight and I’ve got a 1-year-old who is already up hours past his bedtime. We’regoing to sleep as long as we can. Call me when the babyarrives and we’ll be at the hospital before they even letanyone into the room.”

Kristy Eckert is the editor ofCapital Style, a bimonthlywomen’s magazine pub-lished by The Dispatch Print-ing Company. To sign up forher weekly e-newsletter,visit Capital-Style.com


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Our sitter’s life transition hasrequired us to do some growing up,too. Namely, we have to find anoth-er person to fill the void. As manyof you know, that is no easy task. Ihave long secretly envied myfriends who rarely, if ever, seem tohave babysitting crises because theycan call on family members, espe-cially grandparents.

Calling on your parents with arequest for help with child carecan be tricky. In our case, thepaternal and maternal grandpar-ents are retired but live out oftown — in Indianapolis and Cincinnati respectively.

The care comes at no charge butdepending on your perspective,there is a “price.” We pay inpatience as both our mothers freelyshare their opinions on how Ian isbeing raised, disciplined, fed, edu-cated and clothed.

The good news is Murvin and Idon’t have any problems entrustingIan to our parents. Between the twocouples, seven children have beenraised, earned college degrees, andare gainfully employed and goodcitizens.

There is something, though, thathappens once they became grand-parents. Quite frankly, they’ve cometo embrace being the “Grands.” It’sas if they’ve acquired a license to dowhat they want, forget what theyused to say and reinvent rules forchildren. Whether it’s allowing Ianto eat with abandon at a certainMexican fast-food restaurant or tak-ing him to a big-box toy store topick out anything he “needs,” bothhis paternal and maternal grandpar-ents are guilty of overindulging him.

I could complain about themspoiling Ian but the reality is theyare spending precious time with

him and creating a lifetime of mem-ories. Sure, I will absolutely need tofind another babysitter here in town— and soon. My mother constantlyreminds me that, while she loves tohelp me with Ian, it’s not like shelives next door. Her services requiresome planning and a full tank ofgas for the two-hour drive fromCincinnati to Columbus.

But the benefit of knowing mychild is in the care of the womanwho taught me what a gift it is to bea parent is absolutely priceless.

on the go: TAKE IT FROM TRACY

The GrandBACK-UP planBY TRACY TOWNSEND

What a difference a year makes: Last JanuaryI remember writing about my family’s great for-tune in finding a babysitter who has becomelike a member of the family. One year later, westill hold her in high regard and enjoy havingher sit with Ian — when her schedule allows. Afunny thing happened last spring: she graduat-ed from college and joined the real world ofwork. My husband and I sort of “forgot” thisday would be coming.

Tracy Townsendis a news reporter

and anchor with 10TV News HD.


The historic town offers a widevariety of family fun, said AshleyCrook, who runs lancasterpar-ent.com, a website that keepsfamilies informed about local hap-penings. When Crook started thewebsite two years ago, she wassurprised by how many entertain-ment options are available forfamilies.

“We’re kind of a self-sustainingcommunity,” Crook said. “A lot ofpeople don’t go out to Columbus.”

The AHA museum, whichopened in 2008, is worth the 30-minute drive to Lancaster. Themuseum features an extensivepretend-play area, a water table,craft zone and several otherentertaining exhibits.

Another fun stop for hands-on

activities is Art & Clay, a paint-your-own pottery studio that hasplenty of options for children.The downtown business alsohouses Blue Shoe Arts Studio, astudio for artists with disabilities.Art & Clay sells a variety of art-work made by artists with andwithout disabilities from through-out Ohio.

The Ohio Glass Museum has awonderful selection of glasspieces — many of them producedin its studio. The museum has anawesome viewing area where kidscan watch glassblowers transformhot blobs of glass into vases,bowls and ornaments. And don’tmiss the Decorative Arts Center ofOhio, a house built in 1865 thathosts art exhibitions and craft

workshops suitable for the entirefamily.

Lolaleigh features artwork of adifferent kind. The children’sclothing floor is stocked withlovely garments, many of themmade by the mother-daughterteam of Terice Goeller and LeighDixon. The women use designerfabric to create fun, fashionableclothing.

Budding ballerinas will want tovisit Tutu Mommies, a store thatsells custom tutus, tutu dresses,headbands and other girly acces-sories in infant through childsizes.

When tummies start growling,head over to Four Reasons Bakery& Deli. The eatery has a largemenu of deli sandwiches, a variety

of hot drinks and cases full ofhomemade cookies and treats.

For something a little moreupscale yet reasonably priced,visit Shaw’s Restaurant & Inn. TheLancaster institution known forsteaks and fresh seafood alsooffers interesting cooking classesand special events.

For something sweet, head toThe Candy Cottage, a confec-tionary that makes handmadechocolates and mints and roastsnuts. The shop also sells candy-and cake-making supplies.

Lancaster definitely has a goodselection of parks when the kidsare ready for some outdoor fun.Firehouse Park, located next tothe local fire station, features sev-eral play structures including one

that looks a fire truck.Rising Park also has a large

playground plus a pond wherevisitors can feed ducks. For manylocals, however, the main attrac-tion is Mt. Pleasant, a large hillthat’s a doable climb for mostkids and offers a wonderful viewof the city.

The Alley Park Nature Center isanother fun place. The center rou-tinely offers programs and specialevents.

During the warmer months,kids might enjoy catching a movieat the Skyview Drive-In. Built in1948, the venue focuses on pro-viding families an affordable nightout. Movie goers can listen to themovies through their car stereo oron old-school speakers.

on the go: NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHT

LancasterBY MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON • PHOTOS BY ALYSIA BURTON

With a mall, a healthy mix of chain and local restaurants and agreat children’s museum, families in Lancaster don’t have totravel to Columbus for good entertainment options.

But Columbus residents in search of adventure might find itworthwhile to head to the Fairfield County seat.

COLUMBUS

LANCASTER

AHA museum Alley Park Nature Center


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LINCOLN AVE. E. MAIN ST.

AHA: A HANDS-ON ADVENTURE

315 S. Broad St.740-653-1010aha4kids.org

ALLEY PARK NATURE CENTER

2805 Old Logan Road S.E.lancasterparks.com/

Alley_Park/alley_park.html

ART & CLAY

150 W. Main St.740-653-1755artandclayonmain.com

THE CANDY COTTAGE

745 E. Main St.740-653-6842candycottageltd.com

DECORATIVE ARTS

CENTER OF OHIO

145 E. Main St.740-681-1423decartsohio.com

FIREHOUSE PARK

210 E. Chestnut St.

FOUR REASONS

BAKERY & DELI

135 W. Main St. 740-654-2253fourreasons.com

LOLALEIGH

105 N. Columbus St.740-654-7113lolaleigh.com

THE OHIO GLASS

MUSEUM

124 W. Main St.740-687-0101ohioglassmuseum.org

RISING PARK

1120 N. High St.

SKYVIEW DRIVE-IN

2420 E. Main St.877-286-6843

AHA: A HANDS-ON ADVENTURE

THE OHIO GLASS

DECORATIVEARTS CENTEROF OHIO

FOURREASONSBAKERY& DELI

ART &CLAY

LOLALEIGH

TUTU MOMMIES

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RISING PARK

SKYVIEW DRIVE-IN

THE CANDYCOTTAGE

ALLEYPARKNATURECENTER

Lolaleigh


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The museum opened in2008. How did themuseum come to be?

A group of six founderswho had visited children’smuseums in other parts ofcountry said, “Why can’t wehave this here in Lancaster?”Within a year and a half,they had raised several thou-sands of dollars, securednonprofit status, begun theprocess of determiningexhibits and found a loca-tion.

Why do you think thecommunity was soresponsive to their idea?

There wasn’t very muchfor young children to do inLancaster. People were excit-ed about the idea. They feltlike it sounded like a greatidea. It would be education-al. It would be fun. It wouldbe hands-on.

What age range is themuseum geared to?

Our primary is 0 to 7.However, we never say no toolder children. The founderswere trying to complementCOSI, which serves an olderaudience.

on the go: BIZ SPOTLIGHT

Kimberly Murray,EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AHA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

Is this a place for parentsto play with their kids orsomewhere for little onesto explore on their own?

It’s definitely a museumwhere parents are expectedto be involved. It is a hands-on experience that parentsand children can enjoytogether. The parents canenrich the child’s experienceby talking to them aboutwhat they are doing, encour-aging them to try new thingsand being a captive audiencefor them.

Can you share someof your future plans?

We are looking toexpand. We are out ofspace. We are hoping tofind a property or build-ing that would work forour expansion. Weknow what we need. Weknow we need 10,000square feet, green spaceand adequate parking.

—MELISSA KOSSLER DUTTON


315 S. Broad StreetLancaster, OH 43130

740.653.1010www.aha4kids.org

A HANDS-ONADVENTUREA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

$5 ADMISSIONMonday-Saturday 10:00-4:00

Sunday 12:00-4:00 (Nov. to Mar.)

Check out our NEW facebook page:AHA! A Hands-on Adventure, A Children’s Museum

allages

January in Central Ohio always meanssnow — even for debt.

Using the “debt snowball” method totackle higher-interest debts such as creditcards, auto loans and personal loans is aneffective way for many parents to signifi-cantly reduce the money they owe.

“It’s a great method for taking control,”said Kathy Virgallito, a director of ConsumerCredit Counseling Services in Columbus. “Itcan shave quite a number of years off thedebt payoff. It has real results.”

With holiday bills coming due and NewYear’s money-management resolutions to behonored, it’s a timely topic. According to theFederal Reserve, about half of U.S. house-holds have credit card debt, and those that

do owe an average of $15,799 at 13-percentinterest.

How does a debt snowball work? First,you outline everything you owe, to whom,and the interest rate on each debt. Thenarrange the debt in the order you’d like topay it off. Some people start with the small-est debt and work their way up. Otherschoose to tackle the one with the highestinterest rate first.

“Some people feel a lot more rewarded ifthey pay off a card completely, so theymight choose to start with the smallestdebt,” Virgallito said. “(But) if you want tosave yourself as much money as possible inthe long run, start with the highest interestrate debt.”

Once you’ve chosen a strategy, pay theminimum monthly payment on all otherdebts except for the one you have targetedfor payoff. Concentrating on one debt at atime helps you focus and concentrate yourenergy on a concrete, achievable goal. Pay asmuch above the minimum payment as youcan, each month, every month until the tar-get debt is paid off.

When that debt is paid, begin the snow-ball. Add the money you were sending to thefirst debt to the minimum monthly paymentof the next debt. For instance, if you werepaying $100 toward debt No. 1 and $25toward debt No. 2 each month, you’d send$125 to debt No. 2 each month once thefirst was paid off.

In theory, the debt snowball is similar toa snowball rolling down a sledding hill. As itmoves along, it grows larger, moving fasterand building momentum. Your outstandingloan balances will go down significantly, butthe amount you are paying to service yourdebts stays the same every month.

But be realistic about how much extra

money you can afford to pay, Virgallito said,and then set up automatic bill paymentfrom a bank account to make it easier. Afterthat, Virgillato advised looking at yourspending and identifying areas where youcould cut and free up more money.

Once the snowball is moving along, youcan add “snowflakes,” which are small, irreg-ular amounts of “bonus” money you add tothe highest monthly payment. Think sparechange, that $2 mail-in rebate check, or cashfrom sales on eBay.

Those snowflakes can be empowering,Virgallito said: “Once you start paying atten-tion to the money coming into and going outof your life, you’re in the driver’s seat.”

Denise Trowbridge is a self-professed money geek who

writes about personal finance,banking and insurance for

The Columbus Dispatch,bankrate.com and

middlepathfinance.com.

need to know: FAMILY FINANCE

How to Make a snowBALLBY DENISE TROWBRIDGE


VELVET ICE CREAM AT YE OLDE MILL11324 Mt. Vernon Road, Utica1-800-589-5000, velveticecream.com/mill/tours.aspWHEN: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the hour, weekdays, noappointment necessary for groups of less than 14COST: FreeDETAILS: The old-fashioned ice cream parlor andrestaurant, playground, duck pond and museumsat Velvet Ice Cream offer no shortage of entertain-ment. That’s part of the problem. Children on thistour had a playground and ice cream parlor com-peting with a video for their attention. The childrenperked up after the video when we viewed the factory where workers made strawberry ice cream, but asthe guide described the intricacies of ice cream making, fidgeting began and several families left early.A reward for seeing the tour through took the form of fresh strawberry ice cream. All 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and3 p.m. tours receive ice cream samples. Children may find a self-guided tour of the Ice Cream Museumand the Museum of Milling more rewarding than the formal tour. The museums allow families to movefrom exhibit-to-exhibit, learning fun-facts about ice cream as their levels of interest allow.

need to know: THE GO-TO GUIDE

FAMILY fun BY MARY SLEBODNIK

To distract the kids during those long stretches between family vacations,dazzle them with tours of local factories. Informative and often free, factorytours let you in on the manufacturing magic behind chocolate, metal whis-tles, popcorn, baseball bats and other mysteries of the universe. Below arethe results of our journey with ratings for each tour’s kid-friendliness.

AMERICAN WHISTLE CORPORATION6540 Huntley Road, Columbus800-876-2918, ext. 4 or 614-846-2918, ext. 4, americanwhistle.com/tours.htmlWHEN: By appointment, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; at least 15 people (or $60payment) required for a tour to be scheduled, but smaller groups can add onto existing groupsCOST: $4 per person and you receive a whistle at tour’s endDETAILS: As the only American manufacturer of metalwhistles, this one-room factory has produced nearlyevery whistle you’ve heard used by coaches, police offi-cers and referees. And the guide won’t let you forget it.The step-by-step demonstrations of the machines showed the group howa strip of metal turns into a full-fledged whistle and thankfully pulledthe guide out of infomercial mode. Curious children who are interestedin how things are made and how machines work might enjoy this tour,but some children will find whistle-building a dull topic. However mostchildren will happily accept the whistles at the tour’s conclusion and ser-enade their parents for days to come. A side note: take the tour on a coolday because the factory has no air conditioning.

Factory Tours

OUR RATING:

OUR RATING:

AL’S DELICIOUS POPCORN1500 Bethel Road, Columbus1-800-396-7010, alspopcorn.com/tours.htmlWHEN: By appointment at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., weekdays; maximum of 25allowed per tour COST: The tour is free; a small bag of popcorn at the tour’s conclusion costs $1 DETAILS: The popcorn samples offered on this tour made up for the outdated video shown in placeof actually touring the kitchen. The children from the Tray-Lee Summer Camp were good sportsabout the virtual tour, although they giggled at the video’s cheesy dialogue. Sampling popcorn enter-tained them much more. They tried more than 10 flavors — including pizza, root beer, cotton candyand cheddar — and discussed each with the seriousness of adults at a wine tasting. The $1 bags ofpopcorn at the tour’s end gave each child enough popcorn to enjoy a snack without overindulging.Although the video prevented this tour from receiving a higher score, the free samples make Al’sworth a visit. Also know that the tours go on hiatus during the holidays but resume in the new year.

OUR RATING:

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO

DISPATCH FILE PHOTO


ANTHONY-THOMAS CHOCOLATE FACTORY1777 Arlingate Lane, Columbus1-877-226-3921, anthony-thomas.com/tour.htmlWHEN: 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, no appoint-ment necessary; 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, byappointment for motor-coach tours and groups of more than 10COST: Free for children 2 and under, $1 for children 3 to 18, $2 foranyone 19 and older. These fees may be used to buy candy at theend of the tourDETAILS: You won’t see a cocoa waterfall or any Oompa Loom-pas on this tour, but you will see a lot of chocolate. TheAnthony-Thomas tour shows you a real chocolate factory.

Machines monitored by workers mix and pour bucketsof chocolate into candy molds while the tour guideexplains the process. Not a lot of glitz or glamour,but the tour offers a chance to see how chocolate ismade, to hear the story of a local business and to seethe 235-pound buckeye candy on display in the store

(you can buy it for a cool $3,500). To see a truly busy choco-late-making day, the tour guide recommended visiting in thefall as Anthony-Thomas gears up for the Christmas season orduring the factory’s annual Easter event. Picnic tables on thecompany lawn offer families a place to picnic before or afterthe tour.

Stay home and plan your trip to Disney World

Better than a board game

Better than an epic water-balloon fight

Book your tour now

OUR RATING:

RATING KEY:

GRAETER’S ICE CREAM2555 Bethel Road, Columbus

614-442-7622, graeters.com/bethel_tour.aspx

WHEN: self-guided tours available anytime; call Abby Cal-

lis, Director of Party and Tour, at the above number or fill

out the tour-request form online; minimum of 10 people

needed; small groups can be added on to existing groups

COST: The tour is free. For $2.29 extra per person, youreceive a junior scoop of ice cream at the tour’s conclusion.DETAILS: This tour receives the four-star ratingbecause it caters to children. The video gave a shortintroduction to Graeter’s “French Pot” process andkept the children interested with fun facts about icecream. The tour guide, Abby Callis, said she changesthe information presented on the tour by age group.For example, the “magic trick” with dry ice per-formed for the 4- to 6-year-old children wouldbecome a “science experiment” for older kids. Callisallowed them to touch a giant spatula like the onesthe ice-cream makers use. The workers waved fromthe other side of the viewing windows and one ofthem showed the kids an ice-cream pie he made.Older children and teens might prefer the self-guid-ed version of the tour, but no matter which versionyou choose, the ice-cream parlor awaits afterwardwith sundaes that will make people of any agehappy.

PHOENIX BAT COMPANY7801 Corporate Blvd., Suite E, Plain City614-873-7776 or 877-598-2287, phoenixbats.com/contact-phoenix-bat-companyWHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesdays, 1:30 p.m. Thursdaysand Fridays, no appointment necessaryCOST: $10 per person. Buys a custom-engraved mini bat.DETAILS: I’ve never played baseball unlessyou count wiffle ball in gym class, but Ifound this tour entertaining. The guidegave the group a glimpse into the preci-sion of creating wooden bats and base-ball history. He showed us how baseballbats have evolved over the years and invited us to hold the different bats and compare them. The second half of thetour focused on building the bats. Thankfully, we did not watch a video for this, but walked into the factory where theguide began to build a new ash bat and asked the children to volunteer to press the power button on two machines.The guide’s enthusiasm for baseball was contagious and he made an effort to interact with the kids. Even so, becausethis is a factory with no popcorn, ice cream or playground, the tour is best suited to children ages 7 and up.

OUR RATING:

OUR RATING:

DISPATCH FILE PHOTOS


Never drink and drive. Designate a driver.

Use seatbelts and car seats every time you get inthe car.

Protect your skin and eyes: wear sunscreen andsunglasses.

Dress in layers! In case clothes get wet, haveextra socks, gloves and hats with you.

If someone starts shivering, go inside andwarm up.

You lose heat through your head and feet: keepthem warm and dry!

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Now before you turn yoursnout up at the idea, let’stalk a little bit about all thenon-nutritional benefits ofthis cooking project.

I’m an author (and doglover) and in writing anexpanded edition of my dogcare and training book, “MYDOG! A Kids’ Guide to Keep-ing a Happy & Healthy Pet,” Icovered all the basics — pre-pet preparation, reward-based training, housetrain-ing, healthy feeding and soforth. But I also focused oncreating novel, fun andengaging projects so thatyoung children can takepride and pleasure in theirpet companionship — sothat kids will want to spendmore time — and less frus-trating time — with theirdog.

Parents often complain,“My kids begged to get a

dog, but who ended up tak-ing care of the dog?” First ofall, let’s be frank, parents:Part of parenting is helpingkids appreciate responsibili-ty. But it’s also true: Buildingthat appreciation requiresrecognizing that a dog’sneeds center around repeti-tion and routine, and that akid’s needs — especially kidswho are stimulated withbusy schedules and multi-media devices — aren’texactly centered at all!

A kid’s desire for sur-prise and novelty often canbe at odds with the daily“duties” of feeding, exercis-ing, and training a dog. Acooking project that feedseveryone is a great way tobreak through some of thoseattention obstacles!

And what’s the real train-ing incentive for your dog?Is it the treat? Is it simply

avoiding those corrections?Not really. What motivates adog to behave well is moretime with your family, moreof the good life that can beshared. As pack animals,both dogs and humans needcompanionship. And wheneveryone in the family —kids and grown-ups — canpredict the dog’s actions andprevent undesirable actions,

there are more places,adventures, activities andoccasions where the dog canbe safe, well behaved andreadily welcomed.

This peanut-butter carrotcake is perfect for a wintertreat, but it’s also healthyenough to share wheneverthere’s a chance to say,“Who’s been a very gooddog? You!”

family fun: COOKING WITH KIDS

Peanut-ButterCARROT CAKE…

FOR THE WHOLE PACK!BY MICHAEL J. ROSEN

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOS

Here’s a recipe for a delicious, nutritious, mix-in-one-bowl cake thatcan be enjoyed by all the members of your pack — canine and human.


www.oxywater.com

Oxywater. All the taste.None of the sugar.

Your kids give it their all,give them something tokeep them at their best.

Healthy hydration for allages. Oxygen. Vitamins.

Minerals. Antioxidantpower equal to three

servings of fruit.All good stuff. No bad stuff.

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MATERIALSNEEDED• one 8-inch round cake pan or

cupcake/muffin tin

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/2 cup peanut butter (a salt-free and sugar-free brand is best )

• 1/2 cup safflower or canola oil

• 2 cups shredded carrots(depending on the age of thechildren helping, steady thegrater, and watch them shredthe first few inches, so that theirhands aren’t near the sharpedges, or the whole carrot—orjust let them watch you do thegrating)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup honey

• 2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS1. GROWN-UP: Preheat the oven to 350°F and

move one rack to the middle shelf.

2. KID: Lightly coat or mist a cake pan or muffin tinwith oil.

3. KID AND GROWN-UP: Mix the flour and bakingsoda together in a large bowl. Then, add theremaining ingredients and mix until just com-bined.

4. KID: Pour the batter into the prepared pan or tin.

5. GROWN-UP: Slide the cake into the oven andremove it after 30 minutes (for the cake) or 20minutes (for the cupcakes). Check for donenessby inserting a toothpick into the center; it shouldcome out clean. Feel free to cook a bit longer togive the cake a crisper texture. (That crustier partis extra delicious; save it for yourself!)

6. KID: Once cooled, you can “ice” the cake or cup-cakes with more peanut butter. And you candecorate the top and the sides, too, with carrot-shred “sprinkles.” Just remember — the “deco-rating” won’t really matter to your dog, but it canmake the photos of your party more festive.(Unfortunately, pictures don’t matter to dogs,either!)

Recipe © copyright 2011 by Michael J. Rosen, author of “MY DOG! A Kids’ Guide toKeeping a Happy & Healthy Pet” (Workman Publishing, 2011). This project, and dozens of others, can be found on the MY DOG! website: www.workman.com/mydogBecome a friend of MY DOG! on Facebook http://on.fb.me/pjcAIO

Author Michael J. Rosen works with his young friends Luke Smith, Miller MacDonald, Jenna Smith (obscured) and Claire MacDonald. Visit ColumbusParent.com to see a slideshow of the baking project


THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS3000 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis 46208 317-334-3322 (TDD: 317-334-2010) or 800-820-6214, childrensmuseum.org

HOURS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sun-day; free admission on the first Thursdayof the month from 4-8 p.m., and occasion-al other dates (check their website formore info)

COST: $11.50 for kids 2-17, $16.50 foradults 18-59, $15.50 for adults 60+; chil-dren under 2 are admitted free, and any-one under 18 must be accompanied byan adult. AAA members and military fami-lies receive a 10 percent discount. Unfor-tunately, a COSI membership does notget you free, reciprocal admission to TCM.

family fun: OVERNIGHT TRIPPIN’

The Children’s Museum OF INDIANAPOLIS BY JANE HAWES

The Children’s Museumof Indianapolis (TCM) is,hands down, the best chil-dren’s museum I have everbeen to, and I say that as atrue connoisseur. One of mycriteria is how well eachexhibit engages all ages,including adults. We oncevisited another highly toutedchildren’s museum and Iquickly realized, because Ihad a 10-year-old and a 5-year-old with me, that eachexhibit there appealed onlyto a specific age range, sowhile one child maxed outon one exhibit, the other onesat there, cranky and boredsenseless. It was an exhaust-ing visit.

That doesn’t happen atTCM. I remember one trip wemade when they had anexhibit about mobiles andthe artwork of AlexanderCaldwell. All of us in thefamily, children and adults,spent a couple of hours inthere, that’s how absorbingit was.

This last visit, I’d say it’sthe Dinosphere exhibit thatbest represents the age-spanning appeal of TCM.While my son, now 13, wasbuilding his own dinosauron a computer (and findingout what physical attributeswould help or hinder his cre-ation’s survival), there werevery young children crawlingthrough the underbelly of aprehistoric jungle, while big-ger kids and adults used thevarious interactive learningstations or watched thepanoramic sky projected on

the domed ceiling changewith the prehistoric weatherconditions. (Warning: Theamplified noises in there —roaring dinosaurs and vio-lent thunderstorms — mightscare some small children.)

Other highlights includedthe National GeographicTreasures of the Earth exhib-it, which features three dif-ferent archeological digsfrom around the world; theTake Me There exhibit,which showcases a differentcountry every 3 to 4 years(currently and until 2014,it’s Egypt and you get a com-prehensive experience ofwhat it’s like to live there);the miniature rooms (they’relike a dissembled doll houseand for anyone — like me —who ever had a doll houseand built their own furni-ture, these are fantastic tostudy). The ScienceWorksarea on the fourth floor isgreat for older kids (myteen-aged daughter once cre-ated her own stop-actionanimation video there, andthe staff emailed it to us).

And set aside a couple ofhours for the Playscape area(for ages 5 and under) or the

Dow Science Center (for ages6 and up). What is it aboutwater, dirt and sand thatdraws (and keeps a hold on)kids like magnets? Thankgoodness for comfortableseating throughout the place(and free wifi if you need it).

Finally, if you visit, makesure you’re in the first-flooratrium at 12:59:59 p.m. Iwon’t spoil the surprise foryou, but let’s just say it, too,involves water.

TIPS: • The museum is technically on

North Meridian Street, but theparking garage is on IllinoisStreet, one block west of Merid-ian (and you can trust the high-way signage to get you to thegarage). You’ll enter the muse-um via a skywalk. For the short-est trip from the garage, parkon the 2nd or 3rd level near theskywalk.

• Pick up free timed-admissiontickets for the Planetarium, thelive shows in the Lilly Theater orthe rock-climbing wall (only forages 6 to 12) when you arrive:They go fast.

• TCM’s Food Court is prettygood for food choices and pric-ing. A full kid’s meal will run youabout $5 (for adults, it’s about$7). The “Toddler Bites” meals($4.49-$5.49) feature toddler-attractive items like cut-up hotdogs and mandarin orangeslices. Only the Whistle StopExpress counter (with sweettreats) seems overpriced. Youalso can bring in and eat yourown food in the dining area.

• Indianapolis often hosts hugeconventions and sportingevents (hello, Super Bowl), sothere may be times when hotelrooms are hard to obtain. Eitherbook lodging way ahead oravoid those times. The Indi-anapolis Convention & VisitorsAssociation website(visitindy.com) can help identifythese dates.

• Outside TCM, there are someinteresting little food finds. Thelocals swear by Bazbeaux forpizza (three locations aroundthe area, bazbeaux.com) andCafé Patachou (five locations,cafepatachou.com) for yummyorganic breakfasts and lunches.

ColumbusParent.com

CHILDCARE CENTERS DIRECTORY

A LISTING OF:

174 ACCREDITED CHILDCARE CENTERS

IN CENTRAL OHIO

• CONTINUITY OF CARE: A new concept in childcare• MAKING GOOD CHOICES: Learning healthy living at younger ages

• AGE APPROPRIATE: Babysitting

INSIDE:

2 | January 2012 | Childcare Directory | columbusparent.com

“He just went,” saidOakes, who had 9-month-oldRamir sitting between herlegs while his classmate, 3-year-old Rashad, gentlyshowered hugs on him.

“It’s the purple ball,”Kelly deduced. “He’s beenlearning how to say ‘pur-ple.’”

And, sure enough, nearly2-year-old Aaron producedthe purple ball for Gavin.

The “Tigers” group atKids Care Academy, a day-care center and preschool innortheast Columbus, iswhat’s known as a “mixed-age group,” as are the othertwo groups of Pandas andPooh bears. Each smallgroup, which averages aboutseven to 10 children, mixeschildren from as young as 6weeks old up to about 36months. Additionally the

children will stay with thesame caregivers throughouttheir time in this “birth to 3”grouping, before movingonto a more traditional pre-school classroom.

The Tigers, Pandas andPoohs represent a childcareconcept known as “continu-ity of care” and it’s growingin popularity throughout thecountry.

About a year ago, KidsCare Academy directorDalauna Tillman switchedher school, already a highlyregarded facility (they holdthe state’s highest rating forquality), to the new age-grouping format. Along withprograms at ColumbusMontessori Education Cen-ter, the Our Play Station andLearning Center, StartingPoint Learning Center andThe Ohio State University

Schoenbaum Family CenterWeinland Park, the school ispiloting the format, eschew-ing the more conventionalmodel where children aregrouped by age and passfrom one teacher to anotherevery six to 12 months.

So far, said Tillman, thechangeover has been verysuccessful, primarily

because of the family-likebonds that are formedbetween the children andtheir caregivers.

“We know from theresearch how importantattachment is for children,”Tillman said. “It doesn’t mat-ter what the socioeconomicstatus is. It helps theirsocial, cognitive and emo-

tional development.”Her teachers agreed.“The attachment is amaz-

ing,” said Kelly. “The dropoffs in the morning aremuch less tumultuous.”

Kelly said the teachersalso benefit from “how wellthe older kids model theappropriate behavior for thelittle kids, though you do

have to respect their spaceand help protect it some-times. It’s not fair to let a 1-year-old come over anddestroy (an older child’s)project. But, without adoubt, you didn’t get to doas many activities in a tod-dler-only room.”

Tiyi Morris, Rashad’smother, has seen both

hot topic: CHILDCARE

Continuity of CareThe next big thing in childcare?

BY JANE HAWES

Nineteen-month-old Gavin wanderedthe play area at Kids Care Academy.

“Poo poo?” he said, looking around and continuing to wander. Maureen Kellyand Josie Oakes, the two teachers over-seeing Gavin’s class, looked at eachother and briefly considered theiryoung charge’s request.

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOSRashad, 3, gives his classmate Ramir, 9 mos., a hug (with a little help from their teacher, Josie Oakes).

3columbusparent.com | Childcare Directory | January 2012 |

Open HouseSunday,January 29th1-3pmRashad and his older brotherJamal benefit from themixed-age grouping. Morrissaid she really likes how themixed-age grouping “mimicsthe home setting.” An addi-tional benefit for her familycame with Jamal, who is now5 and on the autism spec-trum, being able to remain inthe group long enough tostabilize his social and phys-ical skills before movingonto preschool.

“If he had been in agroup with his own age,”Morris said, “his delayswould have been glaringlyobvious. By the time hetransferred (to preschool),he had caught up a bit.”

The “Caring Communi-ties: Birth to 3” project, as ithas been dubbed, is theresult of local educatorLinda Neugebauer’s passionfor the concept. She foundedColumbus Montessori in1984. After assuming moreof an emeritus role there,Neugebauer becameintrigued by the idea of mix-

ing age groups in a childcaresetting for infants and tod-dlers. Neugebauer createdthe nonprofit organizationEarly Care & Learning toassemble research, developteacher-training programsand now test the concept inthe field.

“It’s well documentedthat the quality of the rela-tionship between a caregiverand child is the singlebiggest factor in qualitychildcare,” Neugebauer said,adding that this quality isdetermined by the “depthand duration of the relation-ship.”

When children have expe-rienced too many caregiversduring their early years,Neugebauer said, the nega-tive impact often shows upin school when they areunable to “recognize theteacher is the person to payattention to…For them, it’sjust another big persontelling (them) what to do.”

Neugebauer’s group haslaunched a website to pro-

mote the concept to otherchildcare centers and isworking with the Action forChildren agency to helpimplement it in moreschools. Though there is theinitial cost of retraining fac-ulty, Neugebauer said theongoing cost is comparableto more traditional same-agesettings, plus staff and stu-dent turnover tends to belower.

“So many of the issueswe have in preschool andelementary school arebecause kids have had toomany adults in charge ofthem,” Neugebauer said. “It’sa relationship thing. And Ireally believe we can do bet-ter by our children.”

For more information aboutthe Caring Communities

project, visit their website atearlycareand

learninginc.org

Me’Chi, 14 mos, and Gavin, 19 mos., lose their shirts to play with shaving cream.


Tamia Watters doesn’t eat peas.But her 5-year-old son, JeremiahBurton, does.

The youngster’s daycare centerencourages him to try new, healthyfoods, which makes his mothervery happy.

“When you don’t eat it as ayoung child, your mind is closed to it,” the Columbus mother said.“If you start young, you get used to it.”

When Watters enrolled her chil-dren in Starting Point LearningCenter, she did not realize that theColumbus facility focused onhealthy eating and nutrition. It’s anextra she really appreciates now.

A growing number of childcareproviders have started payingattention to diet and exercise, saidBetsy Loeb, a senior manager atAction for Child, a nonprofitagency that provides free informa-tion to parents about local child-care options.

A number of factors haveprompted this trend, said Loeb: thegrowing number of children bat-tling obesity, First Lady MichelleObama’s focus on healthy eating,and the federal programs that par-tially reimburse childcareproviders for nutritious food.

At Starting Point, the childrennever even noticed when the centerstarted serving healthier versions

of milk and bread,said program coordi-nator Renee White-Bolding.

“We’ve had verypositive response,”she said. “They are lik-ing the one-percentmilk and the wholewheat bread.”

White-Boldingagreed with Wattersthat exposing children to healthyfoods when they are young willbuild good habits when they growup. Her grandchildren who attend-ed the center when they wereyoung always ask for fresh fruitsand vegetables, she said.

“They want the good stuff, andit comes from having the right(foods) at an early age,” White-Bolding said.

Program coordinator KyeMosley, whose children also attendthe center, appreciates the atten-tion to eating right. It makes herfeel less guilty, Mosley said, whenshe is rushed after work and has toserve something a little lesshealthy.

Many working parents are inthe same situation, Loeb said.

“At the end of the day, theydon’t have a lot of energy (forpreparing) made-from-scratchmeals,” she said.

That’s why her agency encour-ages daycare providers to servehealthy foods and include exerciseand physical activity in their cur-ricula.

Starting Point incorporatesmovement and exercise whereverpossible, Mosley said. Teachers tryto work in large-muscle activitiesduring lessons and often take kidsoutside to play. Kids need to runaround and move their bodies, shesaid.

“It burns off a lot of energy,”Mosley said. “They love movement.It’s pretty important to maintain-ing healthy weights.”

The center also engages thechildren in other healthful activi-ties: They brush their teeth regu-larly and learn how to give eachother stress-reducing head andshoulder massages.

At Hebron Academy in Colum-bus, teachers often start the day

with stretching activities or exer-cise, said director Paul Flemister.

The center tries to include mes-sages about healthy living in itsteachings, he said. They also intro-duce children to new and healthyfoods.

“We make sure we let themknow why we’re focusing on it,Flemister said. “It’s cause-and-effect. You grow up to be big andstrong.”

Parents who tour the center areexcited about the attention givento healthy living, he said. Oftenthey aren’t aware that many cen-ters make that a priority now, headded.

“They don’t expect it as muchas they could,” Flemister said.


Tips for finding a child-care provider that focus-es on healthy habits: • Check out the menu. Centers

that are trying to create goodeating habits will serve freshfruits and vegetables, wheat-based breads and snack andone-percent milk and water.

• Ask what the center’s approachtoward incorporating exerciseand movement in its curricu-lum. Centers that have a policyabout it will probably be moresuccessful at it than those thatleave it up to individual teach-ers.

• Ask a center representative forexamples of how teachers andstaff have incorporated theideas of healthy eating andexercise into the children’sdaily routines.

Source: Betsy Loeb, Action for Children

Making Good CHOICESChildcare centers canteach healthy living

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When it comes to hiring a babysitter, your child’sage is not the only number in the equation.It’s also important tothink about the age ofthe sitter you’re using.

The American Red Crossoffers its babysitting courseto children aged 11 or olderbut that doesn’t mean every11-year-old is ready forevery babysitting scenario.For example, said MarySelid, four of whose fivedaughters babysit, youngerbabysitters probably oughtto be responsible for onetoddler at a time.

Selid also prefers not ask-ing younger sitters to cook.

“I wouldn’t be comfort-able having them doing thatmuch cooking at a young agewhile watching children,”Selid said, adding that iffood must be served, thenit’s best to have a youngersitter serve food that you’veprepared already or thatdoesn’t require cooking.

Sitters at different ageshave different qualities tooffer, said Selid, whose daugh-ters are now 20, 17, 15 and 12.

Young sitters are some-times more eager to playwith the children and chargeless per hour than olderteen-agers. Teen-agers oftenwill be able to drive them-selves to and from a family’shome. And college-aged stu-dents can be asked to drivechildren to events.

The best way to gaugewhat a sitter can handle is tothoroughly interview them,said both Selid and ChristineCreagh, a program coordina-tor with the Early ChildhoodDevelopment Program atColumbus State CommunityCollege.

Invite a potential sitter toyour home, Creagh said, andfind out what the sitters arecomfortable doing. Ask ifthey are willing to cookmeals, bathe the children ortake them to a park.

Rather than ask the sitterwhat they charge, suggest anhourly wage. This will givethe sitter the opportunity toaccept the offer, counter it ordecline the job, Creagh said.

She also suggested askingsitters about how they disci-pline children.

“Make sure the person

you pick is a good fit withyour parenting ideals,”Creagh said. She also recom-mends checking references.

While the sitter is at yourhome, watch their interac-tions with your child. A goodsitter will make an effort toconnect with the child rightaway.

At the initial meeting, it’salso a good idea to tell thesitter about your expecta-tions. If you limit your chil-dren’s screen time, makesure they will follow yourguidelines. Make it clear howmuch tidying up you expect.

Selid has trained herdaughters to put away toysthey and the children havegotten out and to clean upthe kitchen.

“I tell them that’s howyou keep your jobs,” shesaid.

need to know: AGE APPROPRIATE: BABYSITTING

11-20YEARS

Great ExpectationsWhat to expect from babysitters by age group

BY MELISSA KOSSLERDUTTON

Tips to help your babysittersucceed: • Give the sitter specific

methods on how tosoothe your child if he orshe becomes upset.

• Give the sitter parametersabout when to call you ifyour child is upset or act-ing out.

• Make the sitter aware ofthe child’s bedtime rou-tines.

• Inform the sitter aboutyour family’s rules forscreen time, eveningsnacks, etc.

Source: Christine Creagh, programcoordinator with the Early ChildhoodDevelopment Program at Columbus

State Community College

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOThe Selid ladies — Elaine (12), Abigal (17), Mom Mary, Margaret (20), Audrey (2) and Rebekah (15)


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When parents need avacation, they often tap a trusted caregiver likeGrandma and Grandpa toeither host a child at theirplace or come stay intheir home. It can bechallenging but byplanning ahead, you canensure that everyone iswell prepared for a great experience.

Probably the most impor-tant item on your to-do listshould be to prepare atyped, notarized letter givingpermission for the caregiverto seek emergency medicalcare for your child and tomake medical decisions onyour behalf. If you are a sin-gle parent, make sure the non-custo-dial parent also gives consent.

“You can make it as specific or asgeneral as you want,” said Dr.Richard Gajdowski, UnitedHealth-care’s medical director for CentralOhio. “For example, ‘If my childneeds surgery, please call me first.’You can also spell out your beliefsregarding blood transfusions orimmunizations. Thankfully, mostemergencies aren’t serious, but a let-ter empowers emergency personnelwith the knowledge that parents’wishes are being granted.”

It’s also important to stay intouch via the phone or computerwhile away, Gadjowski said, “not onlywith the caregiver, but with your chil-dren. Tell your child, ‘Here’s my con-tact information. If there’s anythinggoing on, call me directly.’ They willappreciate not having to go throughanother adult to talk to a parent.”

Pickerington mom Geri Tsardou-lias offered another travel prepara-

tion tip: Give the caregivers a tour ofplaces they’re likely to go with yourchild if they aren’t already familiarwith them. This could include theirschool, the library, grocery store andmovie theater (and be sure to leaveyour library card and supermarketloyalty card).

Tsardoulias also used creativity tomake sure her son still felt connectedwhen she and her husband, Steve,left then-5-year-old Nick for 10 daysso they could take an Alaskan cruise.Nick stayed home while family camefrom out of town to care for him.

“We got a map of Alaska and high-lighted the ports,” Tsardoulias said.She also checked out children’slibrary books about Alaska, andmailed her son a postcard from eachplace along their route — includingPort Columbus airport.

“Even though most of themarrived after we got home,” Tsardou-lias said, “it was still something forhim to look forward to.”


The Overnight BabysitterUse good sense to ease the anxiety for everyone

BY LINDA DEITCH

MORE TRAVELPREPARATION TIPS: Communication: For domestic travel,keep your cell phone on, but deter-mine the roaming charges you willincur with it on at all times. For foreigntravel, you might want to look intousing pre-paid phone cards. Give yourcaregiver a detailed travel itinerary,noting specific times when you may beunable to be reached.

Health and Other Home Emergen-cies: Type up and print your child’smedical record, including previous ill-nesses, medications and allergies.Leave your insurance card. Providedirections for the nearest in-networkhospital and urgent-care facility. Ifcaregivers will be in your home, intro-duce them to a trusted neighbor.

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTOBen, Nick and Zach with mom Geri Tsardoulias

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Babysitting is a pretty standard firstjob for many tweens and teens. But nomatter how many times they’ve takencare of younger siblings, educatingthem on how to react in different situa-tions is key. What happens if a childgets sick? Who is to be contacted incase of an emergency?

The American Red Cross teachesyoung people these fundamentals plusthe business of babysitting throughtheir babysitter’s training course.Offered at recreation centers, churchesand various other locations aroundColumbus, the course is designed for11 to 15 year olds and focuses on pre-paredness and responsibility.

“Our motto is to be prepared,” saidStacie Pelton, a chapter instructortrainer with the Red Cross. “As newbabysitters, they haven’t had the lifeexperience yet. Reminding them ofwhat could occur helps them to have aplan.”

Typically, the course is taught on aSaturday. During the seven-hour train-ing, students (which include boys andgirls) cover six main topics: leadership,business, child development, basiccare, emergency situations and homesafety.

Pelton, who has taught classes andtrained instructors for the course forthe last five years, explained that theseskills not only help them in childcare,but in other life scenarios.

“These are transferable skills forlife,” said Pelton.

Each of the topics is described atlength, and exercises and activitiesallow students to practice and processwhat they learn. For example, part ofthe basic-care lesson includes feeding,diapering and properly holding a new-born nursery doll. The students alsolearn how to save a child who is chok-ing — a necessary skill for receivingtheir course-completion card.

Ellie Jobe, a Dublin 13-year-old,took the Red Cross course quickly aftermeeting the age requirement.

“My mom encouraged me to do it,”said Ellie. “My sisters had taken it, andmore people might hire me if I took it.”

Over the past several years, Ellieand her older sisters have sharedbabysitting responsibilities for familiesin their neighborhood. When school isin full swing, Ellie babysits once ortwice per month.

“It’s helpful to know what to dowhen babysitting,” said Ellie, “like whatto do if someone gets hurt, or whatkinds of things to ask before the par-ents leave.”

Students are encouraged to alwaysask these questions and stay informed.Those who go through the coursereceive a handbook and other materialsfull of information, which Pelton rec-ommends they review frequently.

“It’s an intense course in a positiveway,” she said. “but most are extremelyenthusiastic to be there.”


Babysitting BasicsPreparing tweens and teens for the job

Is your child a buddingbabysitter? It’s easy toprepare them for the job.

• Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visitredcross.org to find a classnear you. You can also directlycontact the Columbus chapterat columbus.redcross.org.

• The course costs $85 per stu-dent. You can also book a classfor a group of students (10minimum).

• Check out the resources on theRed Cross website. Downloadsinclude the babysitter’s hand-book, an emergency referenceguide and even a resume andbusiness card template forexcited entrepreneurs!

CHRIS RUSSELL/DISPATCH PHOTO

11-15YEARS

Students learn how to feed an infant at an AmericanRed Cross class at the Dublin Community Center


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I know peak flu season is right around the corner, but I’ma little fuzzy on the differences in symptoms between atypical cold and the flu. And at what point should I takemy child to the doctor?

Symptoms from a cold include nasal congestion, runny nose, fatigueand perhaps a cough. With a cold, people can usually work or attendschool. Colds usually start more gradually and worsen over a day or two.

Anyone with influenza likely feels too sick to work or attend school forabout a week. Symptoms of the flu come on much quicker and with greaterintensity than a cold (a person suddenly feels lousy.) Severe headaches andbody aches are also typical.

Treatment for a common cold is generally medication to temporarilyrelieve symptoms. There are no cold medications for children less than 4years of age because they are not effective and can cause other healthproblems.

There is a vaccine to help prevent influenza, but it is only recommendedfor kids over 6 months of age. There are prescription medications to treatinfluenza (Tamiflu and Relenza). These work best if started within 48 hoursafter influenza symptoms start.

If your child is less than 3 months of age and has a fever, take him/her tosee their primary care physician even if you only suspect a cold. For older children and teenagers,there are over-the-counter cold medications.

For influenza, Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen) are helpful to decrease the feverand body aches. Of course, you should always call your primary care physician for questions or ifyour symptoms are becoming more severe.

need to know: PEDIATRIC HEALTHSOURCE

EXPERTS FROM NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL ANSWERCOMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY

Dr. Dennis Cunning-ham is a member ofthe Section of Infec-tious Diseases atNationwide Chil-dren’s Hospital andan Associate Profes-sor of Clinical Pedi-atrics at The OhioState University Col-lege of Medicine.

TIP OF THE MONTH

Keeping warm is tough enough, but thewinter months also pose additionalhealth and safety risks both indoors andon the road, so keep in mind these sim-ple tips:BUCKLE UP! Make sure everyone in thefamily is wearing their seatbelt beforetaking off. Any child too small for a seat-belt should be in an approved car seat.DON’T RUSH. Rushed drivers increasethe risk of accidents. Allow plenty oftravel time so you can focus on safedriving.BE MINDFUL OF ALLERGIES. If you’re hosting visitors, know what allergies your guests haveso you can plan accordingly. If you’re visiting, be sure you know what ingredients are in eachfood dish.KID-PROOF YOUR HOME. Pay attention to what children can get into, and what they can gethurt from. Do your best to eliminate these risks in your own home, and keep an eye on yourchildren when at someone else’s.

WINTER HEALTH


Children exercise outside atStarting Point Child Care

• The first section of the directory lists full-time childcare and early learning centers,and the second section lists part-timecenter programs (preschools).

• Within each section, the listings areorganized by zip code and then alphabet-ically within each zip code.

• The asterisk (*) after some centers’ namesmeans they accept families who qualifyfor publicly-funded child care. The OhioDepartment of Job and Family Services(ODJFS) provides financial assistance toincome-eligible parents (based on thefamily size and income in relation to thefederal poverty level) so that they canwork or attend school or job training.Families may be eligible for all or part oftheir monthly child care expenses. Ohio’scounty departments of job and familyservices determine families’ eligibility,and the ODJFS reimburses providers forthe cost of that care.

• The age range indicates the minimumand maximum ages served.

• Centers are identified as nationallyaccredited (NAEYC, NAC) or star rated(in Ohio’s Step Up to Quality program)and help parents identify childcare cen-ters that go beyond the minimum stan-dards of licensing. Quality indicatorsinclude lower child-teacher ratios, morehighly trained teachers, early learningprogramming, smaller group sizes, etc.Seeking this accreditation or rating isvoluntary.

• The National Association for the Educa-tion of Young Children (NAEYC) offers anational voluntary accreditation system,which sets professional quality stan-dards for early childhood educationprograms. The other national centeraccreditation is from the NationalAccreditation Commission for EarlyCare and Education (NAC).


Childcare CentersDIRECTORY

Columbus Parent and Action for Children have teamed up again this month to bring you our Childcare Directory.

Action for Children is a nonprofit childcare resource and referralagency that has been serving Central Ohio families since 1972.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORY:Included in this directory are 174 full-time and part-time childcare centers, including

those with preschools. While Action for Children has nearly 1,700 providers listed in itsdatabase, for this directory we chose to list centers which are licensed by the State ofOhio’s Department of Job and Family Services or its Department of Education, and whichalso have received national accreditation and/or Ohio’s Step Up to Quality star rating.

The list of centers which meet these criteria is subject to change, even on a daily basis.For example, new centers may receive accreditation or a star rating, or, for a variety of rea-sons, centers may not be re-accredited or may have a change in their star rating. We alsohave not included at-home providers in this directory, but Action for Children can provideyou with information and referrals to those in your area.

Action for Children’s resource and information specialists provide detailed explanationsof public funding, licensing, accreditation and Step Up to Quality; guide parents throughthe search criteria; and provide options that include full-day, part-day centers, Head Startprograms and family home child care. There is no cost for these services.

HOW TO READ THE DIRECTORY:

• Step Up to Quality is Ohio’s volun-tary quality three-star rating sys-tem for the Ohio Department ofJob and Family Services (ODJFS)licensed centers. Step Up to Quali-ty recognizes early care and educa-tion programs that exceed qualitybenchmarks over and above Ohio’slicensing standards.

ALYSIA BURTON PHOTO



Full-time Childcare and Early Learning CentersLEADS HEAD START*607 Sunbury Rd.Delaware, OH 43015740-363-8810Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

LIBERTY COMMUNITYCHILDREN’S CENTER*207 London Rd.Delaware, OH 43015740-369-3876Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

OHIO WESLEYAN EARLYCHILDHOOD CENTER29 Park Ave.Delaware, OH 43015740-368-3935Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

JCC NORTH PRESCHOOL*1985 Swansford DriveDublin, OH 43016614-764-2414Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-8 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #1241*5757 Shannon Heights Blvd.Dublin, OH 43016614-764-0301Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

DUBLIN LEARNING ACADEMY5900 Cromdale Dr.Dublin, OH 43017614-761-1800Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #301237*6036 Tara Hill Dr.Dublin, OH 43017614-761-7668Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*5900 Innovation Dr.Dublin, OH 43017614-792-9260Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER-DUBLIN*4960 Park Center Ave.Dublin, OH 43017614-761-2323Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

OXFORD SCHOOL OFDUBLIN*5700 Blazer ParkwayDublin, OH 43017614-792-2220Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

THE CHILDREN’S CENTER6190 Shamrock Court, Suite ADublin, OH 43017614-792-8200Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-9 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

THE GODDARD SCHOOL OFDUBLIN6239 Perimeter Dr.Dublin, OH 43017614-799-8870Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

AT TOMORROW’S CHILDPRESCHOOL3975 Brown Park Dr.Hilliard, OH 43026614-876-6756Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CHILDREN’S CASTLEEDUCARE*4990 Roberts RoadHilliard, OH 43026614-527-8445Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - AVERY*4705 Avery Rd.Hilliard, OH 43026614-777-1077Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - RIDGEMILL #634*3700 Ridge Mill Dr.Hilliard, OH 43026614-771-8909Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*4780 Cemetery Rd.Hilliard, OH 43026614-876-8116Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

RAINBOW CHILD CARE, TOO*5599 Hilliard Rome Office ParkHilliard, OH 43026614-777-0440Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

THE GODDARD SCHOOL -ROBERTS COURT*2525 Roberts CourtHilliard, OH 43026614-777-8827Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CHILDREN’S DISCOVERYPLACE AT POLARIS*9331 South Old State RoadLewis Center, OH 43035614-846-2429Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*96 Neverland Dr.Lewis Center, OH 43035740-549-0264Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*8694 Oak Creek Dr.Lewis Center, OH 43035740-548-9669Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

LEADS HEAD START,MARYSVILLE111 Morey Dr.Marysville, OH 43040937-642-1230Age Range: 3 years-6 yearsAccreditation: Three Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - NEW ALBANY*5524 New Albany Rd EastNew Albany, OH 43054614-775-0014Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - #000614*10655 Sawmill Pkwy.Powell, OH 43065614-799-1530Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

SMOKY ROW CHILDREN’SCENTER*8615 Smoky Row RdPowell, OH 43065614-766-2122Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

THE COMPASS SCHOOL3989 North Hampton Dr.Powell, OH 43065614-764-8844Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC , Start SmartCenter Accreditation

THE GODDARD SCHOOL*8542 Owenfield Dr.Powell, OH 43065740-657-1300Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: One Star

THE OXFORD SCHOOL6055 Glick Rd.Powell, OH 43065614-761-6400Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

IT TAKES A VILLAGE*7458 East Main St.Reynoldsburg, OH 43068614-322-0772Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #707*6601 Bartlett Rd.Reynoldsburg, OH 43068614-866-4446Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-9 yearsAccreditation: NAC, Two Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*6477 Centennial DriveReynoldsburg, OH 43068614-866-3750Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - REYNOLDSBURG*6720 Tussing Rd.Reynoldsburg, OH 43068614-868-9422Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC


A Christian based Early Education Center

Caring for ChildrenAge 2 to 6!

Caring for ChildrenAge 2 to 6!

5475 Brand RdDublin, Ohio 43017

at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

614-209-4554www.princeofpeacedublin.org

ENROLLING FOR FALL 2012

Serving the community for 46 yearsOffering Young 3’s, Preschool,

and Pre-K Classes

Morning and Afternoon sessions4131 N. High St., Columbus, OH • (614) 261-1029

http://overbrookpreschool.com

Overbrook PreschoolRAINBOW STATION DAYCARE - REYNOLDSBURGBRICE RD*2010 Officeview Pl.Reynoldsburg, OH 43068614-863-3464Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

BROOKSEDGE DAY CARECENTER*740 Greencrest Dr.Westerville, OH 43081614-890-9024Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - #000492*72 Westerview Dr.Westerville, OH 43081614-523-1120Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*861 Eastwind Dr.Westerville, OH 43081614-890-1234Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*1255 County Line Rd.Westerville, OH 43081614-901-4000Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER-SUNBURY*1231 S. Sunbury Rd.Westerville, OH 43081614-523-0277Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC , Start SmartCenter Accreditation

ST. ANN’S EDUCARE CENTER*495 Cooper Rd., Ste. 115Westerville, OH 43081614-898-8687Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Two Star

VINEYARD EARLYCHILDHOOD CENTER*6000 Cooper Rd.Westerville, OH 43081614-890-0000Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - WORTHINGTONWOODS*600 Worthington Woods Blvd.Worthington, OH 43085614-785-0050Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - WORTHINGTON*401 Park Rd.Worthington, OH 43085614-848-3002Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC, One Star

STEPPING STONES LEARNINGCENTER*860 Griswold StWorthington, OH 43085614-885-6656Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

YMCA JERRY L. GARVERCHILD CARE PROGRAM*6767 Refugee Rd.Canal Winchester, OH 43110614-834-9622Age Range: 3 years-12 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

CREATIVE CHILD CARE - WEST BROAD*5765 West Broad St.Galloway, OH 43119614-878-6846Age Range: 1 year 6 months-9 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CYPRESS CHRISTIANPRESCHOOL & DAYCARE377 Alton Darby Creek Rd.Galloway, OH 43119614-878-8498Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - GROVE CITY*2274 Stringtown RdGrove City, OH 43123614-875-6363Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

CHILDREN’S EXPRESSLEARNING STATION623 West Main St.West Jefferson, OH 43162614-879-6484Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

DEMPSEY DAY CARE361 Madison Dr. NorthWest Jefferson, OH 43162614-832-4528Age Range: 2 weeks-6 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CDCFC GODMAN GUILDHEAD START*303 East 6th Ave.Columbus, OH 43201614-297-8634Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

COLUMBUS EARLY LEARNINGCENTER - NORTHSIDE*94 E. Third Ave.Columbus, OH 43201614-299-1131Age Range: 1 year 6 months-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: Three Star

INDIANOLA CHILDREN’SCENTER*1970 Waldeck AveColumbus, OH 43201614-262-1090Age Range: 1 year 6 months-8 yearsAccreditation: One Star

THE OSU CHILD CAREPROGRAM - ACKERMAN RD.*725 Ackerman Rd.Columbus, OH 43202614-292-4453Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

CDCFC KING HEAD START*867 Mt. Vernon Ave.Columbus, OH 43203614-258-2300Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Three Star


Our Montessori program will teach yourchild to observe, to think, and to analyze.

Introducing the joy of learning at an early ageprovides a solid foundation to last a lifetime.

10465 Sawmill Rd, Powell, OH • 614-761-2020

Full Member School with the American Montessori Society

www.dublinmontessori.com

Ages 2.5 - 6 years • Preschool and KindergartenEstablished 1988

Atonement Lutheran PreschoolYour child will experience learningin a Christ-centered setting.Our caring, professional teachersprovide educational readinessinstruction and foster positive social,physical and spiritual growth.

614.451.5212http://atonementchurch.com/

1621 Francisco Road. Columbus. OH 43220-2536

Come grow with us!

part-day

preschool

for 3, 4, and 5 year olds

Serving UA, Hilliard, and Northwest ColumbusLearning With Friends, Fun, and Faith

UALC Preschool welcomes students of any race, color,socio-economic background, national and ethnic origin toall rights, privileges programs and activities of the school

UALC Preschool2300 Lytham Rd.Columbus OH 43220614-451-3736 ext. 7014E-Mail [email protected]/preschoolwww.ualc.org/preschool

COLUMBUS EARLY LEARNINGCENTER - EASTSIDE*162 N. Ohio Ave.Columbus, OH 43203614-253-5525Age Range: 1 year 6 months-8 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSECHILD CARE*1000 Atcheson St.Columbus, OH 43203614-252-4941Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

R.F. HAIRSTON EARLYLEARNING CENTER*400 N. 20th St.Columbus, OH 43203614-252-6876Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

ST. PHILIP CDCFC HEADSTART*166 Woodland Ave.Columbus, OH 43203614-252-1191Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

ST. AGNES CUL HEAD STARTCENTER*2350 W. Mound St.Columbus, OH 43204614-274-8822Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Two Star

COLUMBUS EARLY LEARNINGCENTER - B.I.T.C.*760 E. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43205614-221-6102Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-3 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’SHOSPITAL EMPLOYEE CHILDCARE CENTER*650 S. 18th St.Columbus, OH 43205614-355-9450Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-3 years6 monthsAccreditation: NAEYC

SOUTH SIDE LEARNING ANDDEVELOPMENT CENTER*255 Reeb Ave.Columbus, OH 43207614-444-1529Age Range: 2 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Two Star

STARTING POINT LEARNINGCARE, LLC*2533 Lockbourne Rd.Columbus, OH 43207614-491-1914Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

SUCCESS KIDZ 24-HOURENRICHMENT CENTER*1800 Parsons Ave.Columbus, OH 43207614-449-5684Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

A COLORFUL WORLDLEARNING CENTER*3350 Allegheny Ave.Columbus, OH 43209614-237-7600Age Range: 1 year 6 months-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CHRIST LUTHERANCHILDREN’S CENTER*2314 E. Main St.Columbus, OH 43209614-235-1263Age Range: 2 years 6 months-6 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

CREATIVE CHILD CARE -WASHINGTON SQUARE*2525 Petzinger Rd.Columbus, OH 43209614-235-7979Age Range: 1 year 6 months-10 yearsAccreditation: One Star

EASTMINSTER CHILD’S PLAYAND LEARNING CENTER*3100 E. Broad St.Bexley, OH 43209614-231-0222Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

DESTINEE AND FRIENDSLEARNING CENTER*1474 Cleveland Ave.Columbus, OH 43211614-424-6080Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

ROYAL CHILD DAY CARECENTER*1155 Windsor Ave.Columbus, OH 43211614-294-7232Age Range: 1 year 6 months-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Two Star

HOLY TRINITY CHILDDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM2001 Northwest Blvd.Columbus, OH 43212614-486-2895Age Range: 2 years 6 months-8 yearsAccreditation: Three Star

KARE-A-LOT CHILD CARECENTER*1030 King Ave.Columbus, OH 43212614-298-8933Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: Two Star

C. RAY WILLIAMS EARLYCHILDHOOD CENTER*4737 Etna Rd.Whitehall, OH 43213614-417-5680Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

CHURCH OF THE REDEEMERUM PRESCHOOL & CHILDCARE235 McNaughten Rd.Columbus, OH 43213614-861-7271Age Range: 3 years-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Two Star

CREATIVE CHILD CARE -EAST*5831 Westbourne Ave.Columbus, OH 43213614-864-2424Age Range: 1 year 6 months-9 yearsAccreditation: One Star

DSCC - CHILD DEVELOPMENTCENTER3990 E. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43213614-692-2852Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

CASEY’S KIDS*700 Jasonway Ave.Columbus, OH 43214614-340-4898Age Range: 1 year 6 months-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

NORTH BROADWAYCHILDREN’S CENTER*48 E. North BroadwayColumbus, OH 43214614-262-6222Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-11 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Two Star

OLENTANGY CHURCH CHILDCARE3660 Olentangy River Rd.Columbus, OH 43214614-459-9383Age Range: 1 year 6 months-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: One Star

RIVERSIDE CHILDREN’SCENTER (BRIGHT HORIZONS)835 Thomas LaneColumbus, OH 43214614-566-4847Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation

BRIGHT HORIZONS ATCAPITAL CITY277 E. Town St.Columbus, OH 43215614-227-0550Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

C. JAMES GROTHAUS CHILDCARE CENTER275 E. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43215614-227-2995Age Range: 2 months-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

CHILDREN FIRST INC.*77 S. High St.Columbus, OH 43215614-466-0945Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

COLUMBUS EARLY LEARNINGCENTER - WESTSIDE*40 N. Grubb St.Columbus, OH 43215614-224-9284Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

HEAVENLY KIDS CENTER FORLEARNING*404 E. Mound St.Columbus, OH 43215614-221-5750Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

full-timecenters


Setting The Standard In Early Care & Education

Offering outstanding Reggio-Inspired Infant, Toddler,Two’s and Preschool programs, as well as Kindergarten,

afterschool & summer camp for school-age children.www.AboutCompass.com

Discover the difference that degreed teachers, excellent parentcommunication, NAEYC Accreditation, and a welcoming family

environment can make. Schedule your personal tour today!The Compass School

3989 North Hampton DrivePowell, Ohio 43065

(located off of Sawmill Pkwy)614.764.8844

6145 Emerald ParkwayDublin, OH 43016

Phone: (614) 717-9677

The Gardner Schoolof Dublin

The GardnerSchool, an award-winningacademically focusedpreschool for ages 6 weeksthrough private kindergarten.

Discover

NOW ENROLLING!

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’SHOSPITAL CHILD CARECENTER*255 E. Main St.Columbus, OH 43215614-355-0600Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Three Star

CHASE BACK-UP CHILD CARE CENTER3415 Vision Dr.Columbus, OH 43219614-422-1366Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-13 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation

F.C.I. TOO! EARLY LEARNINGACADEMY*2511 Mock Rd.Columbus, OH 43219614-471-8486Age Range: 1 year 6 months-11 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation

HEBRON ACADEMY*1200 Brentnell Ave.Columbus, OH 43219614-253-3771Age Range: 2 years-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

JOYFUL BEGINNINGSCHILDREN’S LEARNINGACADEMY*1825 Woodland Ave.Columbus, OH 43219614-253-6886Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

OUR PLAY STATION ANDLEARNING CENTER*520 N. Nelson Rd.Columbus, OH 43219614-252-2600Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

PRECIOUS JEWELS EARLYLEARNING CENTER*3650 Sunbury Rd.Columbus, OH 43219614-471-5650Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

ST. STEPHENS COMMUNITYHOUSE - CHRIST CHILDCENTER*1500 E. 17th Ave.Columbus, OH 43219614-294-6347Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

YMCA EARLY LEARNINGCENTER*2879 Johnstown Rd.Columbus, OH 43219614-342-5836Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Two Star

YWCA FAMILY CENTER*900 Harvey CourtColumbus, OH 43219614-253-3910Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: Two Star

BURBANK EARLYCHILDHOOD SCHOOL4770 Burbank Dr.Columbus, OH 43220614-487-5155Age Range: 2 years 6 months-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

JELLY BEAN JUNCTIONLEARNING CENTER, INC.*1123 Bethel Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-451-5200Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-10yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #889*2001 Bethel Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-457-0754Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

MEADOW PARK CHILDREN’SCENTER*2425 Bethel Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-451-8814Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

SUNSHINE NURSERYSCHOOL*3750 W. Henderson Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-457-4085Age Range: 1 year-10 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KARE-A-LOT*3164 Riverside Dr.Columbus, OH 43221614-481-7532Age Range: 2 months-6 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

LABC CHILD NURTURINGCENTER*1610 W. Lane Ave.Columbus, OH 43221614-486-5567Age Range: 1 year 6 months-11 yearsAccreditation: One Star

GLADDEN COMMUNITYHOUSE PRESCHOOL*183 Hawkes AveColumbus, OH 43223614-227-1624Age Range: 3 years-5 years 6 monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

YMCA HILLTOP EDUCARECENTER*1952-A W. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43223614-752-8877Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

BRIGHTSIDE ACADEMYEARLY EDUCATION ANDCHILD CARE*3525 Cleveland Ave.Columbus, OH 43224614-262-5431Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star

CAPITAL PARK CDCFC HEADSTART*2150 Agler Rd.Columbus, OH 43224614-222-8519Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

CREATIVE CHILD CARE -NORTH*1601 Shanley Dr.Columbus, OH 43224614-261-8153Age Range: 1 year 6 months-10 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KIDS CARE ACADEMY*3360 Kohr Blvd.Columbus, OH 43224614-478-3269Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

LITTLE DISCIPLES LEARNINGCENTER*4142 Westerville Rd., Ste. 200Columbus, OH 43224614-418-9444Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12 yearsAccreditation: One Star


BRIGHTSIDE ACADEMYEARLY CARE ANDEDUCATION*3611 E. Livingston Ave.Columbus, OH 43227614-238-9470Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

COLUMBUS MONTESSORIEDUCATION CENTER*979 S. James Rd.Columbus, OH 43227614-231-3790Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Three Star

CREATIVE CHILD CARE -WESTLAND*485 Industrial Mile Rd.Columbus, OH 43228614-276-2737Age Range: 1 year 6 months-9 yearsAccreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*550 Fox Ridge St.Columbus, OH 43228614-870-7375Age Range: 1 year 6 months-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*5381 W. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43228614-851-1431Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - TAMARACK*1955 Tamarack Circle NorthColumbus, OH 43229614-433-0625Age Range: 1 year 6 months-12yearsAccreditation: NAC

LITTLE PREP SCHOOL, INC.*2350 Fuji Dr.Columbus, OH 43229614-890-9014Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12yearsAccreditation: One Star

YMCA NORTH BRANCH Y-CLUB*1640 Sandalwood Place

Columbus, OH 43229

614-885-4252

Age Range: 3 years-12 years

Accreditation: NAEYC, Start Smart

Center Accreditation, Three Star

GAHANNA CHILDREN’SCOLLEGE*230 Agler Rd.

Gahanna, OH 43230

614-476-2662

Age Range: 1 month 2 weeks-12

years

Accreditation: One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - GAHANNA*520 Morrison Rd.

Gahanna, OH 43230

614-471-3665


years

Accreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #1550*1341 Cherry Way Dr.

Gahanna, OH 43230

614-475-2116


years

Accreditation: NAC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*496 Havens Corners Rd.

Gahanna, OH 43230

614-475-6063


years

Accreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - #708*5351 Cleveland Ave.

Columbus, OH 43231

614-891-4444


years


KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*2960 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.

Columbus, OH 43231

614-891-4323


years

Accreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER-KIMBERLYPARKWAY*4235 Kimberly Parkway North

Columbus, OH 43232

614-868-8909


years

Accreditation: NAC

JELLY BEAN JUNCTION*3480 Snouffer Rd.

Columbus, OH 43235

614-792-8700


years

Accreditation: Two Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER - SAWMILL*4895 Sawmill Rd.

Columbus, OH 43235

614-764-4900


years

Accreditation: NAEYC, One Star

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER #880*2680 Sawbury Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43235

614-761-0797


years

Accreditation: NAC

KINDER CARE LEARNINGCENTER*2001 Hard Rd.

Columbus, OH 43235

614-764-2994


years


TINY TREASURES DAY CARE,LLC*3760-D Snouffer Rd.

Columbus, OH 43235

614-792-8469


years

Accreditation: Two Star

LEADS HEAD START - NORTH UNION420 Grove St.

Richwood, OH 43344

937-642-1230

Age Range: 3 years-6 years

Accreditation: Three Star

full-timecenters

Part-time Childcare Centers(preschools)

BLACKLICK/GAHANNACDCFC HEAD START6540 Havens Corners Rd.Blacklick, OH 43004614-856-0469Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

INDIAN RUN PRESCHOOL6305 Brand Rd.Dublin, OH 43016614-889-8862Age Range: 2 years 6 months-6yearsAccreditation: Two Star

NORTHWEST CHAPELCHILDREN’S CENTER6700 Rings Rd.Dublin, OH 43016614-761-0363Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5yearsAccreditation: One Star

ST. JOHN CHRISTIANPRESCHOOL6135 Rings Rd.Dublin, OH 43016614-889-5893Age Range: 3 years-5 years 9monthsAccreditation: Three Star

DUBLIN COMMUNITYPRESCHOOL81-1/2 W. Bridge St.Dublin, OH 43017614-889-0052Age Range: 2 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Three Star

LITTLE SHEPHERDSPRESCHOOL5475 Brand Rd.Dublin, OH 43017614-209-4554Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5years 3 monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Two Star

LEWIS CENTER PRESCHOOL1019 Lewis Center Rd.Lewis Center, OH 43035740-548-1934Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5yearsAccreditation: Two Star

NEW HOPE PRESCHOOL4739 W. Powell Rd.Powell, OH 43065614-766-2446Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

CENTRAL COLLEGEPRESCHOOL975 S. Sunbury Rd.Westerville, OH 43081614-794-1123Age Range: 2 years 5 months-5yearsAccreditation: One Star

PRAISE EXPRESS PRESCHOOL355 Cherrington Rd.Westerville, OH 43081614-882-8874Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

ST. JOHN’S EARLYEDUCATION CENTER700 High St.Worthington, OH 43085614-885-2315Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Three Star

WORTHINGTONPRESBYTERIAN PRESCHOOL773 High St.Worthington, OH 43085614-885-3765Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

BRICE CHURCH PRESCHOOL3160 Brice Rd.Brice, OH 43109614-866-2268Age Range: 2 years 9 months-5years 6 monthsAccreditation: One Star

DAVID LUTHERANCHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL330 Groveport Rd.Canal Winchester, OH 43110614-920-3517Age Range: 3 years-5 years 6monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation

COLUMBIA HEIGHTSPRESCHOOL*775 Galloway Rd.Galloway, OH 43119614-878-3738Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

AMAZING KIDS ACADEMY4501 Hoover Rd.Grove City, OH 43123614-539-4800Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

MIAMI VALLEY CDC -MADISON PLAINS47 Linson Rd.London, OH 43140740-490-0654Age Range: 3 months-5 monthsAccreditation: Two Star

MIAMI VALLLEY CDC -FAIRHAVEN1501 State Route 38 NELondon, OH 43140740-852-5412Age Range: 3 years-5 years 11monthsAccreditation: NAEYC, Three Star

WEINLAND PARK PRE-KINDERGARTEN211 E. 7th Ave.Columbus, OH 43201614-365-5321Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

YMCA HILLTOP PRESCHOOL2879 Valleyview Dr.Columbus, OH 43204614-276-8224Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Three Star

PARSONS PRE-KINDERGARTEN3231 Lee Ellen PlaceColumbus, OH 43207614-365-5099Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

BETH JACOB PRESCHOOL1223 College Ave.Columbus, OH 43209614-237-8641Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star


Empower yourchild to takeon the world.

Only Kiddie Academy®prepares children for school

and for life with our Life Essentials® -our proprietary curriculum.

FacepaintingBalloon Sculpting

Indoor Bounce HousesCarnival Games & Prizes Various Crafts

“Make-It-Take-It” ActivitiesDrawings and Raffles

A visit from a surprise guest,Clifford The Big Red Dog,

KA’s Got Talent live performances& a “Mommie Massage”

Enroll Your Super Hero Today!

Kiddie Academyof Reynoldsburg

6411 East Main StreetReynoldsburg, OH614.866.1422

kiddieacademy.com/Reynoldsburg

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

Winter FestivalJanuary 14th, 10am-2pm

BRIGHT MINDS START HERE.Columbus Early Learning Centers has offered quality early childhoodeducation for more than 50 years. We believe that each child is special!

Our goal is to provide a nurturing and loving environment that helps childrendevelop the cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills needed forsuccess in kindergarten and first grade.

Serving families with children 6 weeks to 5 years of ageChild-centered Creative CurriculumCaring, degreed teachersSpacious outdoor play areasNutritious lunches and snacks dailyAffordable, all child care subsidies accepted

NOW ENROLLING!CALL 614.224.9284FOR THE CENTER NEAREST YOUOR VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.COLUMBUSEARLYLEARNING.ORG

FOUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS, ONE PURPOSE!

FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCHWEEKDAY PRESCHOOL1320 Cambridge Blvd.Columbus, OH 43212614-488-0681Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

TRINITY UNITED METHODISTPRESCHOOL1581 Cambridge Blvd.Columbus, OH 43212614-488-3659Age Range: 2 years-5 years 11monthsAccreditation: Two Star

BETHANY LUTHERANPRESCHOOL1000 Noe-Bixby Rd.Columbus, OH 43213614-866-1211Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

C. RAY WILLIAMS CDCFCHEAD START4737 Etna Rd.Whitehall, OH 43213614-866-7133Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

TEMPLE ISRAEL PRESCHOOL5419 E. Broad St.Columbus, OH 43213614-866-0010Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5 years9 monthsAccreditation: Three Star

OVERBROOK WEEKDAYPRESCHOOL4131 N. High St.Columbus, OH 43214614-261-1029Age Range: 2 years 8 months-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Three Star

SCHOOL FOR YOUNGCHILDREN93 W. Weisheimer Rd.Columbus, OH 43214614-267-0254Age Range: 2 years 3 months-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

THE COLUMBUS SPEECH ANDHEARING CENTER510 E. North BroadwayColumbus, OH 43214614-263-5151Age Range: 2 years 6 months-6 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC, Start SmartCenter Accreditation, Three Star

DUXBERRY PARKALTERNATIVE PRE-

KINDERGARTEN1779 E. Maynard Ave.Columbus, OH 43219614-365-6023Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

JOHNSTOWN ROAD CDCFCHEAD START2879 Johnstown Rd.Columbus, OH 43219614-342-5837Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

ATONEMENT LUTHERANPRESCHOOL1621 Francisco Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-451-5212Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: One Star

BETHEL (UNITEDMETHODIST) CHRISTIANPRESCHOOL1220 Bethel Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-451-1117Age Range: 1 year 6 months-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

UPPER ARLINGTONLUTHERAN CHRISTIANPRESCHOOL2300 Lytham Rd.Columbus, OH 43220614-451-3736Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

MOUNTVIEW CHRISTIANPRESCHOOL2140 Fishinger Rd.Columbus, OH 43221614-451-8691Age Range: 2 years 6 months-5 years6 monthsAccreditation: Two Star

DANA ELEMENTARY PRE-KINDERGARTEN300 S. Dana Ave.Columbus, OH 43223614-365-5925Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

LINDEN LUTHERAN CDCFCHEAD START1230 Oakland Park Ave.Columbus, OH 43224614-262-9756Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

MAIZE MANOR UNITEDMETHODIST CHURCHPRESCHOOL3901 Maize Rd.Columbus, OH 43224614-267-4944Age Range: 2 years 6 months-6 yearsAccreditation: One Star

OAKLAND PARK ALT. PRE-KINDERGARTEN3392 Atwood TerraceColumbus, OH 43224614-365-6058Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

CDCFC BARNETT HEAD START1184 Barnett Rd.Columbus, OH 43227614-237-1595Age Range: 3 years-5 yearsAccreditation: Two Star

NORTHTOWNE PRE-KINDERGARTEN4767 Northtowne Blvd.Columbus, OH 43229614-365-5488Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

PARKMOOR URBANACADEMY PRE-KINDERGARTEN1711 Penworth Dr.Columbus, OH 43229614-365-5349Age Range: 4 years-5 yearsAccreditation: NAEYC

HOW TO REACHACTION FOR CHILDREN FOR MOREINFORMATION:On the web:

actionforchildren.org

On the phone:

• In Franklin County, call 614-224-0222

• In Delaware County, call 740-369-0649

• In Fairfield County, call 740-687-6833

• In Licking County, call 740-345-6166, ext. 209

• In Madison County, call 740-852-0975, ext. 15

• In Pickaway County, call 740-477-1602

• In Union County, call 937-645-2017


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Dublin • GahannaGrove City • PickeringtonPowell • PolarisWorthington • LewisCenter • Hilliard

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Mary Evans Child Development CenterServing Dublin, Hilliard and Upper Arlington614 777.4099

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http://facebook.com/DublinOhio

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dublinohiousa.gov/enewswww.dublinohiousa.gov

RECREATIONSERVICESActivities

AladdinSaturday, Jan. 28, 11 a.m.Columbus Children’s Theatrepresents the age-old storyfound in the Arabian Nights.Aladdin comes upon an oldlamp and when he accidentlyrubs it, a Magic Genie appears!Aladdin gets more than hebargained for in this storyfilled with magic, adventureand romance. Audience members play a crucial role in thisexciting play.Recommended for ages 4 and upTickets: $7 adults, $5 children and seniors

Skippyjon JonesSaturday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m.Theatreworks USA presentsa little kitten with big earsand even bigger dreams!Sometimes he pretends tobe a bird, sometimes hepretends to be a llama, andsometimes he pretends tobe a whale... anything BUT a

Siamese cat! Based on the book by Judy Schachner, Jones is anenchanting musical about unleashing your powerful imaginationand following your dreams.Recommended for ages 5 - 8Tickets: $7 adults, $5 children and seniors

Here is a snapshot of a few of our upcoming performances atthe Abbey Theater. Find fun family ideas for winter by visitingwww.dublinohiousa.gov/recreation.

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

The cat’s out ofthe bag: CentralPark Playland atWesterville Christ-ian Church is anindoor play placethat’s fun, cleanand free.

Central Park is idealfor children who love toclimb and explore. Per-fect for 2- to 10-year-olds, the space offers alarge playset of tun-nels and slides.There’s also a rockwall area. Parentscan walk aroundand supervise chil-dren from the out-side of the mainplay area, but maygo in and rescue achild, if needed.There are chairs forparents to sit andwatch.

Although locat-ed within thechurch building,visitors aren’tapproached aboutbecoming churchmembers. CentralPark is in its ownroom and isaccessed from therear churchentrance.

Socks are required toplay; cubbies are availablefor storing shoes.

The bathroom at CentralPark is spacious. There’senough room for an adultand several children. It wasvery clean during our most

recent visit. In fact, all ofCentral Park was spotlesswhen we visited for a Satur-day birthday party in Octo-ber.

Parents of children withfood allergies also will berelieved to know that foodand beverages are not per-

mitted at CentralPark during openplay hours, and awater fountain isavailable.

Food is permit-ted during parties.It costs $72 to havea Friday or Saturdayafternoon party forup to 24 children.Parties may bebooked up to sixmonths in advance.(Hint: the Saturdaytime slots go quick-ly.)

The “Stories inthe Park” programoffers stories, songsand crafts for chil-dren under age 6. It

costs $1 per child each week.Check the Central Park web-site for dates and registra-tion details.

Bottom line, Central Parkis a great place to visit anytime of the year, but espe-cially during these cold win-ter months.

family fun: PLAYGROUND PATROL

CENTRAL PARKPLAYLAND AT WESTERVILLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

BY ELIZABETH SEUFER


471 E. College Ave., Westerville, 614-891-6842, www.westerville-christian.org/ministries/children/central-park.aspxHOURS FOR OPEN PLAY: 11:45 a.m –12:30 p.m.Sunday, 9:30 a.m.–11 a.m. Tuesday, 6-8 p.m.Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.–11 a.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.–12 noon SaturdayCOST: free


HOW YOU DO IT1. Cut your sock at the turn of the heel.

You’ll be working with the part of the sock thatis the toe to the heel, which looks like an oval-shaped pouch.

2. Stuff this pouch with pillow stuffing, likePoly-fil. (Tip: Plush projects are a great way torecycle the stuffing from old pillows!) Pillowstuffing will allow you to shape your penguin,but if you don’t have any, fabric/felt scraps willalso work in a pinch.

3. Fill the small re-sealable bag withdried rice or wrap the rice in plastic

wrap. Place this just inside your sockpouch.

4. Use the needle and thread tostitch the pouch closed. This will

not be visible on your final proj-ect, so the stitching can be

messy! When finished, flip overyour project so that the rice is

at the bottom, weighing downyour object.

5. Cut out the followingshapes from the felt

scraps: 2 large blackovals (wings), 1

large whiteoval(belly),2 smallwhite

circles, 2 even smaller black circles, 1 smallorange diamond, 2 orange webbed feet.

6. Trim one side of your large black ovalsinto a point. These will be your wings! Glue oneto each side of the penguin. Glue the other blackand white shapes into place.

7. Fold the orange triangle in half to make atriangle. Put a small stitch or drop of glue on theinside of each end of the fold. Glue the beakonto the face.

8. Glue your feet to the bottom. The ricehelps weigh down your penguin and keep itstanding upright.

family fun: HANDS ON

Sock PenguinBY OLIVERA BRATICH

Warm up your winter season with an adorablecold-weather creature, the penguin! Plush makingis a fun activity for kids of any age and this projectgives purpose to those lone socks who have losttheir match. Save those single socks for a snowyafternoon of family craft time!

WHAT YOU NEED• black sock

• white, orange and black felt scraps

• tacky glue or fabric glue

• needle and thread

• plastic wrap or small re-sealable bag (3-inch-by-2-inch or smaller)

• small handful of dried rice

• pillow stuffing (like “Poly-fil” orthe stuffing from old pillows)

OLIVERA BRATICH owns Wholly Craft, 3169N. High St. The Clintonville shop features hand-made goods from more than 100 crafters andartists, including clothing, jewelry, accessories,paper goods, home décor and more! Hours ofoperation: 1-8 p.m., weekdays except Tuesdayswhen they’re closed, 12 noon-7 p.m. Satur-days, 12 noon-5 p.m. Sun-days. For more information,go to whollycraft.com orcall 614-447-3445.

WHO THOUGHT

THIS UP



SATURDAYMORNINGSWake up and dream.

Saturday Morning Art Classes at CCADGreat creative experiences for first through twelfth grades

Saturday Morning Art Classesare generously supported by

For more info

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visit www.ccad.edu/ce

The Williamand Jane SchlossFamily Foundation


Consider, for example, the tradition ofbaby showers. Tradition dictates that friendsand family throw showers for the first preg-nancy. But what about subsequent pregnan-cies? That’s where the equally delightful tradi-tion of “sprinkles” comes in.

These are baby showers thrown for theexperienced expectant mom. Long a practice inthe Southern U.S., sprinkles originally were heldwhen the second baby was a different genderthan the firstborn, but they’ve now become adelightful excuse for friends to simply gettogether and celebrate the new baby to come.

That’s what Cherie Hinson had in mindwhen she hosted a sprinkle for her friend Alis-sa Hines this past fall. Hines and her husbandTeddy — and their 3-year-old daughter Ellen— were expecting Baby No. 2.

Hinson has good reason to enjoy throwingshowers and sprinkles. As owner of PetitGreen, a baby boutique in Polaris FashionPlace, she delights in finding luxurious andpractical goodies to bequeath on her friends.And she loves the sprinkle concept.

“It’s just a casual smaller gathering and it’sfor everyone, the dads and kids, too,” Hinsonexplained before guests began arriving to herBexley home for the Sunday afternoon party.“And I know some people are bringing giftsfor Ellen, too.”

Simple bouquets of yellow rosesadorned a few tables, while Hinsonand her friends laid out a selection ofbaked goodies from the German Vil-lage bakery Pistacia Vera, and theymade their own finger sandwiches ofthe egg salad, salami and provolone,chicken salad and cucumber varieties.

Game cards with trivia questionsabout the expectant mom waited for guests.Hinson had selected a few gifts from her store,and — another sprinkle tradition — had askedfriends to contribute toward buying one biggift, in this case a Bugaboo Donkey duostroller that would accommodate Ellen and hernew sibling.

“That’s instead of everyone bringing some-thing on their own,” Hinson said, noting thatthe tradition springs from not wanting toduplicate supplies a family may still have from

the first baby. The attention was deeply appreciated by

the Hines family.“It’s just wonderful to be here with every-

one and share the moment,” said Alissa Hines,as Hinson’s daughter Riley shyly approachedher.

“That’s a baby in your belly?” she smiled.“That’s right,” Hines said. “There really is.

family fun: PARTIES

SPRINKLE partya

BY JANE HAWESPHOTOS BY TESSA BERG

Hinson also selected a few more gifts to sprinkle onthe Hines family, including:

• Bla Bla Boogaloos Johnny doll

• Dwell Studio travel case in a Transportation print

• LeSportsac Ryan diaper bag in aMilk print

• Born Free yellow twist straw cup

• Little Twig 3-pack gift set (BodyWash, Baby Powder and BodyMilk)

• Miss Brittany’s Organic Eco-TreeColored Pencils

• Clementine Art Natural Crayonsand Crayon Rocks

• Plan Toys Pull-along Dancing Alligator

Having a baby is different the second time.Maybe it’s the “been there, done that”patience that comes with having been there and done that before. But maybe theexpectant mommy feels a little wistful aboutthe now-missing special attention thataccompanied every experience during that first go-around.

Ellen Hines (right) helps her mother, Alissa, and her father, Teddy, with gift opening.

Hostess Cherie Hinson


Feb. 25 – Mar. 4Ohio Expo Center

(Ohio State Fairgrounds)

star of HGTV’s “Candice Tells All” and“Divine Design.” Appearing at the show

on Saturday, March 3, at 1 p.m.

Saturdays 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.Sundays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.CLOSED MONDAYTuesday — Friday Noon – 9 p.m.

Admission: $12. Kids under age 12 free.

In partnership with

And check out dispatchevents.com regularly: More informationand announcements are coming in the weeks and month ahead.

SAVE THE DATE!

LOOK WHO’S COMING!

KIDS DAY IS MARCH 3,WITH FUN ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS


family fun: EATING OUT WITH KIDS

Luce

LUCE3499 Market St., Powell614-881-4600lucepowell.com

HOURS: 5-9 p.m. Sundays,closed Mondays, 11 a.m.-9p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays,11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays, 5-10 p.m. Saturdays

COST: Kids’ menu ranges from $4-$5(pizza, pasta, grilled cheese with tomatobisque, and that divine peanut buttersnowball comes with each entrée); soups,salads and small-plate entrees ($4.50-$14); large-plate entrees ($10-$30)

First of all, when I was told about thisrestaurant, I thought I was going to havesome pretty good food because I am a fanof spaghetti. I’ve even learned how to cookspaghetti. You tell if it’s done by throwingit against the wall and if it sticks, it’s done.

When I first saw the restaurant, itlooked like a good and fancy Italianrestaurant. Our server was nice. The breadwas really good. You dipped it in olive oilwith roasted red peppers. I only tried itthat way once, and then I mostly ate thebread plain. I ordered salad with Italiandressing and spaghetti with two stuffedmeatballs ($9.95). They were huge and del-ish. The spaghetti was the thick typewhich means it’s good, and they had tastyred sauce. I had ginger ale for a drink.

I almost forgot dessert. I tried basilgelato with cheesecake, olive oil gelato and

donut holes. I only liked the donut holes.Kids will not like the olive oil or basil gela-to. The adults will. My mom tricked me.She said the basil gelato was mint icecream. The waitress also brought me apeanut butter snowball. It usually goeswith just the kids’ menu but they said wecould have it. It was heavenly. I wouldhave never thought to put peanut butterwith vanilla ice cream, and it had a straw-berry sauce under it.

The bathrooms were clean, they werenice and they had music in them, but therewas no TV in the bathroom, which is how Iprefer it. There was also only one stall andone urinal, but there was a diaper-chang-ing station in the stall.

Yes, I would love to go back and Iwould want to try the pizza.

—COLIN HAWES

THE KID SAYS


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HOW’D THEY LIKE IT?FOOD: BATHROOM: FAVORITE BITE:SERVICE:

MOM: dessert tapas plateKID: spaghetti withstuffed meatballs

First of all, in my defense,he asked, “Is that like mintice cream?” and I said,“Sure.” He likes pesto, so Ithought he’d be intrigued tohave the basil in a differentform. Well, more for me inthe end.

And also for me, this wasmy kind of a break fromcooking duties. I don’t knowwhy more non-chain restau-rants don’t have Sunday din-ner service anymore. My hus-band and I were comparingnotes about how, when wewere growing up, Sunday dinner out wasalways a treat. It still is and Luce definitelydelivered on that with its Sunday dinner spe-cials (the spaghetti dish and all pizzas are$9.95). Sure, the specials might be somewhatmore geared toward the adults (we also got$8 off any bottle of wine!), but it was a reallydelicious, relaxed meal with a lot of excel-lent food.

After eating way too much of their salt-crusted house bread, I made it through mostof my margherita pizza. Their dough is a lit-tle on the chewy side and they could standto add more basil, but it was still tasty, andnext time I’ll probably go with the quattroformaggio flatbread that my husband had(it’s a pizza-like concoction with a crunchiercrust and a killer combo of smooth and tartcheeses).

But dessert was the unexpected highlightof the meal. I don’t think Colin realizes it,but his peanut butter snowball came free ofcharge, probably because we had asked

about whether he could still get one, evenwithout ordering off the kids’ menu. Thatwas a very nice touch. But then, the grown-up dessert — the dessert tapas plate — wow!Some day once that kid’s palate matures alittle he will appreciate just how mind-blow-ingly delicious and well-made everything onthat plate was. At $12.50, it was the mostexpensive dish we had that night, but it wasworth it. The donut holes were meltinglyhot, right out of the fryer, lightly sugaredand served with three types of dippingsauces. And that basil gelato with mascar-pone cheesecake and macerated strawber-ries was inspired, as was the olive oil gelatoand bread pudding.

Service was very pleasant. The bathroomwas lovely but a bit on the chilly side. Theatmosphere is very relaxed and the décortends toward rustic. Loved it all, I’ll definite-ly expect to be taken back for a Sunday fam-ily dinner.

—JANE HAWES

THE MOM SAYS


booksKIDSFO

R family fun: MEDIA REVIEWS

“I WANT MY HAT BACK” by Jon Klassen Bear has lost his hat and is outto find it. Walking around, heasks all the animals if they haveseen his hat, but none of themhave. Wait! Bear has seen hishat, but where? A short fun pic-ture book perfect for readingone-on-one or to a group, youand your kids can help this bearfind his hat. FOR AGES 2 TO 7.

“JANE & MIZMOW” by Matthew S. ArmstrongMizmow is a large, furry, long-eared monster,and Jane is a young girl. Despite their differ-ences, they are best friends. Mizmow enjoysJane’s company during his snacks, and Janeshares her books with Mizmow (which of courseoften end up as his snacks). Beautifully illustratedand charming, this book shows that being bestfriends with a monster isn’t always easy, but it isvery much worth it. FOR AGES 3 TO 7.

“DINOSAUR VS. THE LIBRARY” by Bob SheaDinosaur roars at everything, and dinosaur always wins. Howev-er, can a noisy, roaring dinosaur win when he tries to roar in thelibrary? This book is best read very loudly! As a matter of fact, kidscan roar along with dinosaur as he travels to the library to roarwhere no dinosaur has roared before. Dinosaur challenges you!FOR AGES 2 TO 7.

“RIP TIDE” by Kat FallsBe warned, life in the water is tough and dangerous,and leaving the subsea farm is always a challenge.Sharks, squids and killer whales are always on theprowl. However, a new mystery surrounding asunken airplane is even more frightening. A pulse-pounding and scary adventure awaits all who dareto read about this aquatic world of the future. If thisis your type of book, also be sure to check out theprequel “Dark Life.” FOR AGES 8 TO 13.

“THE INQUISITOR’SAPPRENTICE”by Chris MoriartyThink Sherlock Holmes witha generous dose of magic,and this book just keepsdelivering from there! SachaKessler, a young Jewish boy,is pulled out of school soonafter the discovery that hecan see witches. Of course,seeing witches is not an ordi-nary feat that just anyonecan do, so Sacha is immedi-ately apprenticed to aninquisitor of the New YorkPolice Department. Set in theearly 20th century, this magi-cally driven mystery novel issure to please young readersthat enjoy page-turning fan-tasies. FOR AGES 8 TO 14.

“GREEN LANTERN: WAR OF THE GREENLANTERNS” published by DC ComicsDC Comics just rebooted all 52of their comic book series, andalmost all of them have startedfrom scratch. The GreenLantern comics, while startingfrom issue #1, have not startedfrom square one. So, beforepicking up those shiny newissue ones, “Green Lantern:War of the Green Lanterns” fillsthe readers in on all the juicydetails that lead up to the newseries, and explains every confusing matter readers may face. Ifyou or your teen love comics, this is a must read as it details thewar that forever changed the Green Lanterns and the Guardiansof the Universe. FOR TEENS.

—DUSTIN JOLIVETTE, HOMEWORK HELP CENTER COORDINATOR,SOUTH HIGH BRANCH, COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY


KIDSCLICK.ORGThis site was created by a group of U.S. librarians so kidscould find age-appropriate Web content on everythingfrom science to health to popular entertainment. Completewith links and a search bar, Kids Click! will allow your kids toexplore the internet and all its wonder without a worry. Alllinks are non-commercial and non-violent. —DUSTIN JOLIVETTE

“MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON” by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-CampIf you haven’t been lured in yet tothe hypnotically happy little worldof Marcel the Shell, then clearsome time in your schedule torelax and enjoy. Marcel is one ofthose genuine pop-culture phe-nomena that happen every nowand then. It started with a 3-minute short film a year ago onYouTube (on theMARCELTHESHELL channel); thefilm promptly racked up 14 millionviews. This past fall another 4-minute film appeared, as did a beautifullyillustrated book. Both kids and adults will enjoy the gently silly yetstrangely self-empowering musings of Marcel. —JANE HAWES

WEBSITE

“FINAL FANTASY XIII-2” (Xbox 360, Sony Ps3, $60, Rated T for Teen) Sequels often promise more of the same, butFinal Fantasy XIII-2 looks to actually fix many ofthe problems with its predecessor. A sprawling,epic story flips to focus on a search for the hero-ine of the first game while presenting an openworld and action-based combat system. Fans ofFinal Fantasy XIII should pick up this continua-tion of the story.—SHAWN SINES

“APPMATES”If your child (of any age) is a fan of Lightning McQueen, Mater, FinnMcMissle or Holly Shiftwell — all characters from Disney/Pixar’s “Cars2” animated film — buy them an AppMATes ($20 at Target) hand-held car. Then turn them loose with an iPad loaded with the free“Cars 2” iPad AppMATes app. When your child places the car on theiPad screen, the magic begins. Sensors under the cars will set the appin motion so that the car begins a tour of Radiator Springs, keygames to be played and animated auto races to be run. The worldthis app opens up is not to be believed.

“UP WITH A FISH!”The Cat in the Hat storytelling comes to the iPhone with theUp with a Fish! (App 99-cents). The story line for your child isto assist the Cat in the Hat in the quest to stack falling objectsatop his tower of fish bowls. By tilting the phone, the fallingDr. Seuss-inspired objects — including umbrellas, chairs,books and the like — ideally fall into place. If you catch thefalling fishbowls, increase your score and watch your fishmove up the stack of collected objects. Miss three fish bowlsand the game is over. The graphics, music and sound effectswill keep your kids entertained for hours on end.

GAMES“GOTHAM CITY IMPOSTERS” (Xbox 360, Sony Ps3, Windows PC, $15 Download, RatedT for Teen) Imagine running around Gotham city with an army of Bat-men or as a part of Joker’s criminal band. Gotham CityImposters is an on-line multiplayer game that places you inthe role of a Gotham citizen with a penchant for comic bookvigilantism. Modeled after Call of Duty-style team gameplay, this download title promises some wacky combat.

FAMILY APPS —PHIL PIKELNY

FAMILY BOOK AND VIDEOS


SUNDAY 1FREE! Family Scavenger Hunt,Look for nature clues and unusualobjects along the trail using a scav-enger hunt guide. Prizes available.10 a.m.-4 p.m. Blendon WoodsMetro Park, 4265 E. Dublin-GranvilleRd., Gahanna. 614-895-6365.

FREE! New Year’s Day FamilyHike, We’ll get 2012 off to a greatstart, get some exercise and enjoynature’s beauty! We’ll meet in theparking lot afterward for hot choco-late and cookies. 10 a.m.-12 noon.Char-Mar Ridge Preserve, 7741Lewis Center Rd., Westerville. 740-524-8600. preservationparks.com

TUESDAY 3Children’s Theater Company,Children’s Theater class and per-formance company. Classes open tostudents age 8-12. Course coversacting, improv, scene work, scripts,dance and vocals. End of year the-ater performance. 6-7 p.m. $50monthly. Infusion Dance, 7030AHuntley Road, Worthington. 614-220-8780. infusiondance.net

THURSDAY 5FREE! Parent’s Morning Out, Thisfree ministry is for parents who arelooking for a morning out to do allthose errands you can’t take yourchild to. Children can enjoy struc-tured play, crafts and stories in asafe and loving place. Our volun-

teers all have current backgroundchecks on file. No advanced regis-tration is needed. The community iswelcome. 9:30 a.m.-12 noon. West-erville First Presbyterian Church, 41W. College Ave., Westerville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirstpresbyter-ian.org

Pioneer Club: Discovery Zone,The program includes homeworkhelp, music, games, crafts, smallgroups and ends with dinner. Every-one is welcome! 4-7 p.m. $25 perchild per year. First PresbyterianChurch, 41 W College Ave, Wester-ville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirst-presbyterian.org

FRIDAY 6FREE! Bloom! Music TogetherMorning, Come join in a morningof singing, dancing and playingwith instruments. Experience thejoy of music together! RSVP needed.9:45-10:15 a.m. Bloom! Music andMovement Centre, 1890 NorthwestBlvd., Campus. 614-327-1534.bloommusicandmovement.com

FREE! First Friday Movies, Howabout catching a fun movie on thebig screen at the library? Bring yourbest buddy and a snack, if you wish!For grades K-5. 3:15-5 p.m. Grand-view Heights Public Library, 1685 W.First Ave., Grandview. 614-481-3778.

Friday Night Open Gyms, Join usfor an open gym! Kids will enjoytwo trampolines, large foam pit,

two large spring floors, bars, bal-ance beams and more! Ages 7 andup. Walk-ins welcome. Must have asigned waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gym-nastics & Cheer, 7708 Green Mead-ows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

FREE! Science Friday Fun, Experi-ment with plants to see how theyuse solar energy and carbon diox-ide, then build your own mini-habi-tat to watch a flower grow. Bringtwo clean, clear 2 liter bottles. 1p.m. Three Creek Metro Park, 3860Bixby Rd, Groveport. 614-895-6365.

SATURDAY 7FREE! Columbus Children’s The-atre: Meet Goldilocks, MeetGoldilocks, the star of The Colum-bus Children’s Theatre’s upcomingproduction. She will perform a hilar-ious bit from the show. Followingthe performance, children will beable to make a craft. Best of all,Goldilocks will be available for pic-tures and autographs! Free ticketsare required for this meet-and-greet, and are available beginningDec. 17. Ages 3-7. 10:30 a.m. UpperArlington Public Library, 2800Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12years old, a variety of art media willbe available for students to use.Monthly themes will be introducedbut this is a student led activity. 12

noon-2 p.m. $36/4 sessions to beused in 3 months and/or with sib-lings/friends. Gallery 202, Partners inArt, Inc., 38 N. State St, Westerville.614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/creativemindsjunior.html

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-inprogram, adults and children 6 andup can experiment with fun materi-als and create art together. Familieswill work together on gallery gamesand unique, open-ended projectsinspired by artwork in the galleries.1-3 p.m. Free with Museum admis-

sion. Columbus Museum of Art, 480

E Broad St, Downtown. 614-221-

4848. columbusmuseum.org

Saturday Horse Camp, Enjoy your

Saturday afternoon at the horse sta-

ble learning all about horses and

ponies. And yes, you’ll ride! Come

once or every Saturday - it’s up to

you. Enjoy barn activities with other

horsey kids, have fun and learn

some skills in the saddle. 1-5 p.m.

Bookmark Farms, 8824 Morse Rd.

SW, Pataskala. 740-964-2601. book-

markfarms.com

SUNDAY 8Aladdin, Presented by ColumbusChildren’s Theatre. 2 p.m. and 3:30p.m. $16-18. Jeanne B. McCoy Com-munity Center for the Arts, 100 W.Granville St., New Albany. 614-939-2245. mccoycenter.org

FREE! Bloom! Music TogetherClass, Come sing, move and playinstruments together in a relaxedfamily-friendly atmosphere. Experi-ence the joys of music together. RSVPneeded. 4:30-5:15 p.m. Bloom! Musicand Movement Centre, 1890 North-

OUT&ABOUTjanuary 2012

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

MLK DAY OPEN HOUSEMonday, Jan. 16 — During this annual event, celebrate the accomplishments and life of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From 12 noon-4 p.m., head to the King Arts Complex for live enter-tainment and check out exhibits and galleries. It’s educational and interesting for the wholefamily.

The MLK Day Open House is free and open to the public. Call 614-645-5465 or visitthekingartscomplex.org for more information.

KIRK IRWIN/DISPATCH PHOTO


Downtown 5 minutes

St. Joseph

Summit StreetOSU Campus5 Minutes

1st Street

670

315 71

St. Joseph Montessori SchoolOpen houseJanuary 27thand 29th *St. Joseph Montessori

respects the uniqueness ofeach child in reaching their

full potential.

*Come meet the committedfaculty and staff membersthat make the learningenvironment special.

*Come find out why the topschools in central Ohio seekgraduates from St. JosephMontessori School.

St. Joseph Montessori School933 Hamlet St.Columbus, OH 43201Phone (614) 291-8601www.sjms.net

Pre-K through 8th Grade

Friday, January 27th 9-11am

(Adults only)

Sunday, January 29th 3-5pm

(Children welcomed)

west Blvd., Campus. 614-327-1534.bloommusicandmovement.com

FREE! Tail Wagging Tutors, Kidsin grades K-5 are invited to joinMarty Marlatt and her trained thera-py dogs for a fun way to practicetheir reading skills. Participants willtake turns sharing stories with regis-tered therapy dogs. We’ll providethe books or you can bring yourfavorites. 2 p.m. Lane Road Library,1945 Lane Road, Upper Arlington.614-459-0273.

MONDAY 9FREE! Miller Park Mondays, Cometo our monthly story time for chil-dren who attend preschool onTuesdays and Thursdays and can’tcome to our normal story times.

Join us for stories, flannelboards andfingerplays chosen just for ages 3-5.10:15 a.m. Miller Park BranchLibrary, 1901 Arlington Ave, UpperArlington. 614-488-5710.

FREE! Mother-Daughter BookClub, Girls in grades 3-5 and theirmothers (or grandmothers!) areinvited to join us and talk books.Registration is required; call 614-807-2626. Selected title: “LibertyPorter: First Daughter” by Julia DeV-illers. 7-8 p.m. Northwest Library,2280 Hard Road, Worthington. 614-807-2626.worthingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Music & Movement, Ages2-5 years. No registration required.1-1:30 p.m. Grandview Heights Pub-lic Library, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-486-2951.

TUESDAY 10Children’s Theater Company,Children’s Theater class and per-formance company. Classes open tostudents age 8-12. Course coversacting, improv, scene work, scripts,dance and vocals. End of year the-ater performance. 6-7 p.m. $50monthly. Infusion Dance, 7030AHuntley Road, Worthington. 614-220-8780. infusiondance.net

FREE! Parent-Child Book Discus-sion, Library instructors facilitate adiscussion of the selected title toteach critical thinking and apprecia-tion for literature. This month wewill read A Single Shard by LindaSue Park. Grades 3-5. 7 p.m. UpperArlington Public Library, 2800Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Preschoolers: Coyotes,Learn about these howling caninesthrough story, songs and craft. 9:30a.m. and 11 a.m. Battelle-DarbyCreek Metro Park, 1775 Darby CreekDr., Galloway. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Reading to Rover, Meetsome therapy dogs from CentralOhio Good Shepherds, and improveyour reading skills too! Beginningreaders can read to these verypatient listeners, and learn aboutthe therapy dog program. Grades K-5. 7 p.m. Miller Park Branch Library,1901 Arlington Ave, Upper Arling-ton. 614-488-5710.

FREE! Tales for Toddlers, Ages 18-36 months. No registrationrequired. 10:15-11:30 a.m. Grand-view Heights Public Library, 1685 W.First Ave., Grandview. 614-486-2951.

WEDNESDAY 11FREE! Baby Games, Ages 0-18months. No registration required.10:15-10:45 a.m. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.

FREE! Bookworms Book Club,Read, dance, chant and craft in thisbook club designed just for pre-readers. Parents take part in the fun!Ages 4-6. Registration required. 4-4:45 p.m. Westerville Library, 126 S.

State St., Westerville. 614-882-7277x5006. westervillelibrary.org

FREE! Child Check, Child Check is afree check of developmental areasof speech/language, fine motor,gross motor, personal/social skills,vision and hearing for children agesone month through 5 years. Thisservice is organized by ECRN+, aprogram of the YMCA of CentralOhio. 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. St John’sLutheran Church, 6135 Rings Rd,Dublin. 543-9000 ext. 216.

FREE! Family Story Time, Ages 2-5years. No registration required. 7-7:30 p.m. Grandview Heights PublicLibrary, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-486-2951.

FREE! Homeschoolers: Snow Sci-ence, Take a close look at snow andice (even if it doesn’t snow outside).Ages 6-12. 1 p.m. Blendon WoodsMetro Park, 4265 E. Dublin-GranvilleRd., Gahanna. 614-895-6365.

FREE! Preschoolers: The BeechTree Puppets Discover the IceAge, Go back in time with theBeech Tree Puppets as they meetsome animals from the past. 10 a.m.Blacklick Woods Metro Park, 6975 E.Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg. 614-895-6365.

THURSDAY 12FREE! Chess Club, Checkmate!Chess lovers of all levels are wel-come to join the UAPL chess. Ourlocal teen expert(s) will moderate,help beginners and suggest strate-gies to players. Registration isrequired and begins two weeks

before each meeting. Grades 3-6. 4p.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington.614-486-9621.

FREE! Couponomy, Not only didCate Taylor slash her grocery budg-et by 60 percent when she lost herjob in 2009, she’s managed to sus-tain her saving streak for over twoyears. This local mom will discussthe best places to find coupons anddeals and ways to stay organized.She’ll also provide insights into howto bring it all together to maximizesavings. 7-8:30 p.m. NorthwestLibrary, 2280 Hard Road, Worthing-ton. 614-807-2626. worthingtonli-braries.org/calendar

FREE! Kindergarten Coffee, Comesee what St. Michael School has tooffer your child. Learn about thecurriculum, full-or half-day pro-grams, tour the school, and enjoy aquestion and answer session withrefreshments. Babysitting is avail-able; reservations are recommend-ed. 9:30-11 a.m. and 7-8:30 p.m. St.Michael School, 64 E. Selby Blvd.,Worthington. 614-885-3149.stmichael.cdeducation.org

FREE! Parent’s Morning Out, Thisfree ministry is for parents who arelooking for a morning out to do allthose errands you can’t take yourchild to. Children can enjoy struc-tured play, crafts and stories in asafe and loving place. Our volun-teers all have current backgroundchecks on file. No advanced regis-tration is needed. The community iswelcome. 9:30 a.m.-12 noon. West-erville First Presbyterian Church, 41

W. College Ave., Westerville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirstpresbyter-ian.org

Pioneer Club: Discovery Zone,The program includes homeworkhelp, music, games, crafts, smallgroups and ends with dinner. Every-one is welcome! 4-7 p.m. $25 perchild per year. First PresbyterianChurch, 41 W College Ave, Wester-ville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirst-presbyterian.org

FRIDAY 13Friday Night Open Gyms, Join usfor an open gym! Kids will enjoytwo trampolines, large foam pit,two large spring floors, bars, bal-ance beams and more! Ages 7 andup. Walk-ins welcome. Must have asigned waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gym-nastics & Cheer, 7708 Green Mead-ows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

FREE! Stuffed Toy Sleepover, It’sa stuffed toy sleepover! Bring your(second) favorite plush toy to thelibrary, share a story and tuck-in,then the toy will spend the nightand find out about the magic thathappens when all the librarians gohome! Return the next morning topick him/her up. On January 28,we’ll meet to watch a video show-ing all the crazy antics the toys didduring their stay! Registration isrequired and begins Dec. 27. Ages4-8. 4 p.m. Upper Arlington PublicLibrary, 2800 Tremont Rd., UpperArlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Superheroes to theRescue, Everyone’s heard aboutSuperman, Spiderman and WonderWoman, but did you know you canfind superheroes in all sorts of unex-pected places? Join the search! Forgrades K-3. 10:30 a.m.-12 noon. OldWorthington Library, 820 High St.,Worthington. 614-807-2626. wor-thingtonlibraries.org/calendar

SATURDAY 14Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12years old, a variety of art media willbe available for students to use.Monthly themes will be introducedbut this is a student led activity. 12noon-2 p.m. $36/4 sessions to beused in 3 months and/or with sib-lings/friends. Gallery 202, Partners inArt, Inc., 38 N. State St, Westerville.614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/creativemindsjunior.html

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-inprogram, adults and children 6 andup can experiment with fun materi-als and create art together. Familieswill work together on gallery gamesand unique, open-ended projectsinspired by artwork in the galleries.1-3 p.m. Free with Museum admis-sion. Columbus Museum of Art, 480E Broad St, Downtown. 614-221-4848. columbusmuseum.org

Family Fun Day: The Case of theMissing Orchid, Kids search forclues to solve the case of the miss-ing orchid. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Freewith $6 - $11 admission. FranklinPark Conservatory, 1777 E Broad

St., East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

FREE! Just for Kids: SnowScience, Take a close look at snowand ice (even if it doesn’t snow out-side. Ages 6-12. 1 p.m. BlendonWoods Metro Park, 4265 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., Gahanna. 614-895-6365.

PBJ & Jazz Concert Series: SeanCarney & the Sean Carney Band,PBJ & Jazz concerts are 1-hour longinteractive concerts designed tointroduce jazz and American musicto young children and their families.10 a.m. $5. Lincoln Theatre, 769 E.Long St., East Side. 614-294-5200.

Saturday Horse Camp, Enjoy yourSaturday afternoon at the horse sta-ble learning all about horses andponies. And yes, you’ll ride! Comeonce or every Saturday - it’s up toyou. Enjoy barn activities with otherhorsey kids, have fun and learnsome skills in the saddle. 1-5 p.m.Bookmark Farms, 8824 Morse Rd.SW, Pataskala. 740-964-2601. book-markfarms.com

Saturday Studio, Saturday Studiooffers students a variety of topicsand media to work with. Thistrimester we will work on illustra-tions, drawing, watercolor, print-making, carving and bookmaking.Check the website for specific top-ics and descriptions. For grades K-8. 10 a.m.-12 noon $8 members,$10 non-members per class. Deco-rative Arts Center of Ohio, 145 E.Main St., Lancaster. 740-681-1423.decartsohio.org


jan2012

FREE! Tail Waggin’ Tutors, Newreader? Just need practice? Kidsages 6 and up can sign up for tenminutes of read-aloud time withBurgh, a gentle certified therapydog. Registration required. 12 noon-1 p.m. Westerville Library, 126 S.State St., Westerville. 614-882-7277x5006. westervillelibrary.org

SUNDAY 15Architecture: Ancient Greeceand Lancaster, Ohio, What doAncient Greece and Lancaster, Ohiohave in common? Put on yourdetective hats and trench coats andcome find out! After exploring andgathering clues in the Reese-Petershouse to discover ways that theancient Greeks influenced architec-ture, we will go to the studio to cre-ate a 3-dimensional building com-plete with furnishings. For grades 4-8. 2-4 p.m. $28 members, $32 non-members. Decorative Arts Center ofOhio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster.740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

Jewelry-Making from RecycledPlastic, This is what they used tomake Shrinky Dinks in the 70s and80s but we will be recycling #6 plas-tic to make one of a kind jewelryitems. Classes are for a child withthe participation of an adult. 2-4p.m. $20 members, $24 non-mem-bers (per team of 2). Decorative ArtsCenter of Ohio, Lancaster. 145 E.Main St., 740-681-1423. decartso-hio.org

MONDAY 16Family Fun Day: Family History,Create a family tree using naturaltree branches and creative items. 11a.m.-2 p.m. Free with $6 - $11admission. Franklin Park Conserva-tory, 1777 E Broad St., East Side.614-645-8733. fpconservatory.org

FREE! Grandparents and Grand-kids: School’s Out, Bring yourgrandchildren to watch wildlife, sipa cup of hot chocolate and enjoy a

mammal display. 10 a.m.-12 noon.Blacklick Woods Metro Park, 6975 E.Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg. 614-895-6365.

Make a T-Shirt Scarf, Teens canup-cycle an old T-shirt into a trendyscarf in this crafty workshop. Regis-tration required. 2:30-4 p.m. Wester-ville Library, 126 S. State St., Wester-ville. 614-882-7277 x5006. wester-villelibrary.org

FREE! MLK Day Open House, Inhonor of the life and legacy of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., The King ArtsComplex will present the annualMLK Day Open House. A vast menuof cultural activities will be held tocommemorate this holiday. Enjoyperformances of African dance,modern dance, spoken word andinspirational music in our theaterand auditorium. Visitors will also beable to participate in hands-on stu-dio art projects, experience athought-provoking exhibition in theElijah Pierce Gallery, and permanentinstallations. 12 noon-4 p.m. KingArts Complex, 867 Mt. Vernon Ave.,King Lincoln. 614-645-5464.thekingartscomplex.com

FREE! Music & Movement, Ages2-5 years. No registration required.1-1:30 p.m. Grandview Heights Pub-lic Library, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-486-2951.

Pre-School Artistic Adventures,Children’s books can bring artisticexperiences to life! We will read astory that turns into an exciting artproject. For ages 3 and 4. Must beaccompanied by an adult. 10-11a.m. $8 members, $10 non-mem-bers per class. Decorative Arts Cen-ter of Ohio, 145 E. Main St., Lancast-er. 740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

TUESDAY 17Children’s Theater Company,Children’s Theater class and per-formance company. Classes open tostudents age 8 - 12. Course coversacting, improv, scene work, scripts,dance, and vocals. End of year the-


When your child needsurgent care,

everything matters.

Urgent Care. Close to Home.Canal Winchester • Downtown Columbus • Dublin • East Columbus • Westerville

And what matters most is pediatric expertise.

That’s why our Close To HomeSM Centers are

staffed by medical professionals who have

received additional training to care exclusively

for children. Physicians, nurses, technicians,

everybody at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

is a pediatric specialist.

This higher level of expertise enables us to

see things others may not. We know when

a simple fever could be something more

serious. We know how to set a broken bone

so it grows properly to its adult size. We

know the correct dosage of medications for

children of all ages.

Our suture techs even practice putting stitches

in the soft skin of a peach, because it helps us

minimize scarring on the soft skin of a child.

Every piece of equipment is also specialized.

Why? Try fitting an adult-sized blood pressure

cuff on the arm of a two-year-old. Or giving

an injection to a five-year-old with an adult-

sized needle.

Urgent care should be expert care. So always

call your child’s doctor first and remember

we’re here when you need us. For directions,

hours and location specific information, visit

www.NationwideChildrens.org/UrgentCare.

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

Out & About calendar, submit information by emailto [email protected] or online atColumbusParent.com.

Please submit calendar events by the 7th day ofthe preceding month.


B.O.G.O. CP 1/12

614.428.GLOW • www.GlowPuttOhio.com

161 Granville StreetGahanna, OH 43230

Gift Cards Available!

BUY ONE ROUND OF MINI-GOLFGET ONE ROUND OF

MINI-GOLF FREE(equal or lesser value)

New Weekday Rates:$5 for all age golfers for 18 holesof Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf!

Music & Movement - Birth through 5 years

Register Nowfor Winter Session

614-868-0107www.wejoysing.com

Celebrating 20 Years inGreater Columbus!

earsg

Playfully NurtureEarly Skills

10% OFF ENROLLMENT With This Ad16 Locations - Weekdays, Evenings, and Saturdays

ater performance. 6-7 p.m. $50monthly. Infusion Dance, 7030AHuntley Road, Worthington. 614-220-8780. infusiondance.net

FREE! Create It: Photo Tiles, Useceramic tiles and your own photosto make this really cool art! Space islimited, registration required begin-ning Tuesday, Jan. 3. Don’t forget tobring your photos on a flash drive!For grades 4-6. 3:30-4:30 p.m.Grandview Heights Public Library,1685 W. First Ave., Grandview. 614-481-3778.

FREE! Tales for Toddlers, Ages 18-36 months. No registration required.10:15-11:30 a.m. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.

WEDNESDAY 18FREE! After-School Drop-In ArtPrograms, Join local artist KristenBrown for some fun “make it, takeit” art projects after school. Drop inanytime during the hour, get cre-ative and have fun! No registrationrequired. For grades K-5. 3:30-4:30p.m. Grandview Heights PublicLibrary, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-481-3778.

FREE! All Things Wellington, AllThings Wellington is our annual cur-riculum night. Held each year, theevent puts teachers and students in

the spotlight to talk about Welling-ton innovative classroom projectsand philosophies. Join us to learnmore about Wellington’s approachto education that puts students inthe driver’s seat of their education.6:30-8 p.m. Wellington School, 3650Reed Rd, Upper Arlington. 614-457-7883. wellington.org

FREE! Baby Games, Ages 0-18months. No registration required.

10:15-10:45 a.m. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.


Home School Wednesdays, Forgrades K-12. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. $4members, $6 non-members (per

class). Decorative Arts Center ofOhio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster.740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

FREE! Teen Blog Editorial Board,Join us for our monthly meeting forcurrent and new members. Welearn about new technologies, dis-cuss potential blog topics andbrainstorm about future teen pro-gramming. Registration begins twoweeks prior. Grades 8-12. 4 p.m.

JANE’S MONTESSORI ACADEMY

• High Quality Education from6 weeks through 6 years

• Degreed, Montessori-trainedlead teachers and degreedassistants

• Low Teacher Turnover• A.M., P.M., or All Day

Sessions

• Before school, After school,and extended (9-4) careavailable

• Care available duringschool breaks

• An environment that fostersindividual growth for yourunique child

www.JanesAcademy.com1375 Francisco Rd., (NW Columbus

near Upper Arlington)457-6404

[email protected]

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

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

jan2012

MAGI-FEST FAMILY MAGIC SHOWSaturday, Jan. 28 — Love magic tricks? As a part of the MAGI-FEST annual convention, the

headliner show will take place at the Palace Theatre downtown at 7:30 p.m. It will be fun for thewhole family, featuring magicians who will knock your socks off during the two-hour show.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. To purchase tickets, call 614-469-0939 orlog on to magifest.org.

TOM DODGE/DISPATCH PHOTOWe are currently looking forFOSTER PARENTS in the

Central Ohio area for teens and siblings!

National Youth Advocate Program

www.NYAP.org 1-877-692-7226

givelove

getbackso

muchmore


Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington.614-486-9621.

THURSDAY 19FREE! Kindergarten: Ready orNot?, How will you know if yourchild is ready? A panel of children’slibrarians and kindergarten teacherswill answer your questions and rec-ommend resources. 7-8:30 p.m.Northwest Library, 2280 Hard Road,Worthington. 614-807-2626. wor-thingtonlibraries.org

FREE! Parent’s Morning Out, Thisfree ministry is for parents who arelooking for a morning out to do allthose errands you can’t take yourchild to. Children can enjoy struc-tured play, crafts and stories in asafe and loving place. Our volun-teers all have current backgroundchecks on file. No advanced regis-tration is needed. The community iswelcome. 9:30 a.m.-12 noon. West-erville First Presbyterian Church, 41W. College Ave., Westerville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirstpresbyter-ian.org

Pioneer Club: Discovery Zone,The program includes homeworkhelp, music, games, crafts, smallgroups and ends with dinner. Every-one is Welcome! 4-7 p.m. $25 perchild per year. First PresbyterianChurch, 41 W College Ave, Wester-ville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirst-presbyterian.org

FREE! Preschoolers: Snow Time,Learn how to have fun in the snowand how animals survive winter. 10a.m. and 1 p.m. Blendon WoodsMetro Park, 4265 E. Dublin-GranvilleRd., Gahanna. 614-895-6365.

FRIDAY 20FREE! BalletMet OpenRehearsal, Open rehearsals pro-vide a glimpse into the creativeprocess and a sneak peek of anupcoming production. 5-6 p.m.BalletMet Performance Space, 322Mt. Vernon Ave., Downtown. 614-229-4860. balletmet.org

Friday Night Open Gyms, Join usfor an open gym! Kids will enjoytwo trampolines, large foam pit,two large spring floors, bars, bal-ance beams and more! Ages 7 andup. Walk-ins welcome. Must have asigned waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gym-

nastics & Cheer, 7708 Green Mead-ows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

FREE! Spectrum Storytime, This isa new monthly story time designedfor young children on the Autismspectrum, and/or children with sen-sory integration issues. We will havestories, songs and activities toencourage literacy and positiveassociations with reading and thelibrary. Registration is required andis limited to 10 children and theircaregivers. There is no age restric-tion, however this program isdesigned for children with a devel-opmental stage of 3-5 years old. 4p.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington.614-486-9621.

SATURDAY 21AAA Great Vacations Kids Day,Meet Nickelodeon star, SpongeBobSquarePants and Snoopy the lov-able beagle from the comic stripPeanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Kidscan design luggage tags and moreat the CW at WWHO 53 Kids Corner.Adventure guide, Vesna Tyrell, willshow parents how to introduce kidsto nature and the national parks. 10a.m.-8 p.m. Tickets are available atthe door or at any AAA Ohio AutoClub store for $9 or $6 for any AAAmember. Children ages 16 andunder are admitted at no charge.Tickets can be purchased online inadvance at www.AAAGreatVaca-tions.com. Franklin County VeteransMemorial, 300 W. Broad St., Down-town. 888-AAA-OHIO. AAAGreatVa-cations.com

Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12years old, a variety of art media willbe available for students to use.Monthly themes will be introducedbut this is a student led activity. 12noon-2 p.m. $36/4 sessions to beused in 3 months and/or with sib-lings/friends. Gallery 202, Partnersin Art, Inc., 38 N. State St, Wester-ville. 614-890-8202.gallery202online.com

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-inprogram, adults and children 6 andup can experiment with fun materi-als and create art together. Familieswill work together on gallery gamesand unique, open-ended projectsinspired by artwork in the galleries.1-3 p.m. Free with Museum admis-

sion. Columbus Museum of Art, 480E Broad St, Downtown. 614-221-4848. columbusmuseum.org

FREE! Ohio Craft Museum Book-making Workshop, Families: makeyour own journal with the OhioCraft Museum! Adults and childrenwill work hand-in-hand to create ablank book using paper, ink and tra-ditional book-making techniques.Use as a journal, sketchbook or spe-cial place to write your own stories!Registration is required and beginsJan. 7. Please register each individ-ual, including adults. Grades 1-5. 11a.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington.614-486-9621.

FREE! Open Chess Club, Calling allchess players 6 and up! Keep yourskills sharp with an hour-long ses-sion of free play. Basic chess knowl-edge required. 3-4 p.m. WestervilleLibrary, 126 S. State St., Westerville.614-882-7277 x5006. westervilleli-brary.org


FREE! Saturday Story Stomp,Ages 2-5 years. No registrationrequired. 11-11:30 a.m. GrandviewHeights Public Library, 1685 W. FirstAve., Grandview. 614-486-2951.

FREE! Superheroes to theRescue, Everyone’s heard aboutSuperman, Spiderman and WonderWoman, but did you know you canfind superheroes in all sorts of unex-pected places? Join the search! Forgrades K-3. 10:30-11:30 a.m. North-west Library, 2280 Hard Road, Wor-thington. 614-807-2626. worthing-tonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Super Saturdays: StoryStew, Listen to a story and brew upsome fun at the Library. Space islimited. Sign up in Youth Services orcall 614-481-3778 beginning Satur-day, Jan. 7 for both programs. 11a.m.-12 noon. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.

Valentine Fabric Postcards,Spend the day making artwork thatyou can mail. The cards will featurefabrics, machine stitching, collage,stamping, fibers and more. Bringone sewing machine per team, aswell as a sack lunch. Classes are for achild with the participation of anadult. 12 noon-4 p.m. $28 mem-bers, $32 non-members (per teamof 2). Decorative Arts Center ofOhio, 145 E. Main St., Lancaster.740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

SUNDAY 22The Art of Felting 101, We will bere-using a few wool sweaters to cre-ate this one of a kind fashion scarf.This scarf can be whipped up quick-ly with a minimum of sewingknowledge. Participants bring theirown wool sweaters for use and asewing machine to this 2 day class.$28 members, $32 non-members.Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, 145E. Main St., Lancaster. 740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

FREE! Nature for Kids: MammalDisplay, Touch animal pelts andskulls and make a wildlife trackingscarf to take home. 2-4 p.m. GlacierRidge Metro Park, 9801 Hyland CroyRd, Dublin. 614-895-6365.

MONDAY 23FREE! Music & Movement, Ages2-5 years. No registration required.1-1:30 p.m. Grandview Heights Pub-lic Library, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-486-2951.

FREE! Preschoolers: Hoot!, Seeowl mounts up close and learnabout these birds of prey through astory and craft. 2 p.m. Three CreekMetro Park, 3860 Bixby Rd, Grove-port. 614-895-6365.

TUESDAY 24Children’s Theater Company,Children’s Theater class and per-formance company. Classes open tostudents age 8 - 12. Course coversacting, improv, scene work, scripts,dance and vocals. End of year the-ater performance. 6-7 p.m. $50monthly. Infusion Dance, 7030AHuntley Road, Worthington. 614-220-8780. infusiondance.net

FREE! Columbus Crew BookReading & Soccer Demo, A playerfrom the Columbus Crew will sharebooks, demonstrate cool soccer


moves and talk about being a MajorLeague Soccer player during thissporty story time. Ages 6+. 4-4:45p.m. Westerville Library, 126 S. StateSt., Westerville. 614-882-7277x2164. westervillelibrary.org

FREE! Preschoolers: Winter inthe Woods, Join the Discovery For-est puppets for the children’s winterstorybook “A Stranger in theWoods.” 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1p.m. Sharon Woods Metro Park,6911 S. Cleveland Ave., Westerville.614-895-6365.

FREE! Reading is Sweet, We’recooking up an hour of cookie deco-rating with a literary theme. ExploreHansel and Gretel, meet ToughCookie and discover some tried andtrue baking tips. Registration isrequired and begins Jan. 10. Grades2-5. 4 p.m. Upper Arlington PublicLibrary, 2800 Tremont Rd., UpperArlington. 614-486-9621.

FREE! Stick It!, Kids in grades 4-6will find themselves in the middle ofa sticky situation during this work-shop, where they’ll use duct tape tomake wallets and bracelets. 7-8p.m. Northwest Library, 2280 HardRoad, Worthington. 614-807-2626.worthingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Tales for Toddlers, Ages 18-36 months. No registration required.10:15-11:30 a.m. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.

WEDNESDAY 25FREE! Baby Games, Ages 0-18months. No registration required.10:15-10:45 a.m. Grandview HeightsPublic Library, 1685 W. First Ave.,Grandview. 614-486-2951.


FREE! Kindergarten: Ready orNot?, How will you know if yourchild is ready? A panel of children’slibrarians and kindergarten teacherswill answer your questions and rec-ommend resources. 7-8:30 p.m. OldWorthington Library, 820 High St.,

Worthington. 614-807-2626. wor-thingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Sing-A-Story, Join our in-house musician Brian Griffin and hisguitar for a morning of stories andsongs. 10:15 a.m. Miller Park BranchLibrary, 1901 Arlington Ave, UpperArlington. 614-488-5710.

THURSDAY 26FREE! Books and Cooks: Cookies!,Be a smart cookie and come to thisclass to hear stories about cookiesand decorate your own sweet treat.Registration is required and beginsJan. 2. Ages 3-6. 4 p.m. Lane RoadLibrary, 1945 Lane Road, UpperArlington. 614-459-0273.

Fiddler on the Roof, The TonyAward-winning musical that hascaptured the hearts of people allover the world with its universalappeal and rousing, heartwarmingscore which includes “Tradition,”“Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If IWere A Rich Man” and “Sunrise,Sunset.” 7:30 p.m. $35-45. Jeanne B.

McCoy Community Center for theArts, 100 W. Granville St., NewAlbany. 614-939-2245. mccoycen-ter.org

FREE! Lego Lit, When books andLEGOs collide, you get LEGO Lit.Each month we will share a storyand build creations around atheme. The Friends of the Libraryprovide the LEGOs, you provide thefun. (Participants will not be able tokeep their creations.) Registration isrequired and begins two weeksprior to each event. Grades K-4. 4p.m. Upper Arlington Public Library,2800 Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington.614-486-9621.

FREE! Parent’s Morning Out, Thisfree ministry is for parents who arelooking for a morning out to do allthose errands you can’t take yourchild to. Children can enjoy struc-tured play, crafts and stories in asafe and loving place. Our volun-teers all have current backgroundchecks on file. No advanced regis-tration is needed. The community iswelcome. 9:30 a.m.-12 noon. West-

erville First Presbyterian Church, 41W. College Ave., Westerville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirstpresbyter-ian.org

Pioneer Club: Discovery Zone,The program includes homeworkhelp, music, games, crafts, smallgroups and ends with dinner. Every-one is Welcome! 4-7 p.m. $25 perchild per year. First PresbyterianChurch, 41 W College Ave, Wester-ville. 614-560-1682. westervillefirst-presbyterian.org

FREE! Stick It!, Kids in grades 4-6will find themselves in the middle ofa sticky situation during this work-shop, where they’ll use duct tape tomake wallets and bracelets. 4-5p.m. Old Worthington Library, 820High St., Worthington. 614-807-2626. worthingtonlibraries.org/cal-endar

FRIDAY 27Family Friday Night, COSI staysopen late for family-friendly fun thelast Friday of every month! You can

Sensory learning, neuromuscularSensory learning, neuromuscularactivities, and spatial awareness,activities, and spatial awareness,otherwise referred to as,otherwise referred to as,

The Little Gym helps childrenreach their greatest potential.From 4 months through 12 years,classes promote developmentand build confidence during eachstage of childhood.

Call or schedule a freeintroductory class online

The Little Gym of Polariswww.TLGPolarisOh.com614-430-3355

Parent / Child Classes · Pre-K& Grade School GymnasticsDance · Karate Sports SkillsAwesome Birthday BashesParents’ Survival NightCamps

COLUMBUS CREW BOOK READING AND SOCCER DEMO

Tuesday, Jan. 24 — Yes, soccer players enjoy reading too! The Westerville Library will behosting a Columbus Crew player during this story time suitable for ages 6 and up. Listen tohis soccer tips and favorite books picks from 4-4:45 p.m. Plus catch some awesome soccerdemonstrations.

The story time is free for all. Visit westervillelibrary.org for more information and for otherlibrary programming.

jan2012

Photo courtesy Columbus Crew


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explore science, discover fun andstay late! 5-9 p.m. $8. COSI Colum-bus, 333 W. Broad St., Downtown.614-228-2674. cosi.org

Friday Night Open Gyms, Join usfor an Open Gym! Kids will enjoytwo trampolines, large foam pit,two large spring floors, bars, bal-ance beams and more! Ages 7 andup. Walk-ins welcome. Must have asigned waiver to participate! 8-10:15 p.m. $9. Gym X-Treme Gym-nastics & Cheer, 7708 Green Mead-ows Dr., St. A, Lewis Center. 614-573-8484. gymx-treme.com

Illusionist John Steven Bloom, Allages enjoy John Steven Bloom’sspecial blend of magic, humor andfamily entertainment. 2 p.m. Freewith $6 - $11 admission. FranklinPark Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St.,East Side. 614-645-8733. fpconser-vatory.org

FREE! Preschoolers: Coyotes,Learn about these howling caninesthrough story, songs and craft. Howfor coyotes on a short hike. 11 a.m.and 1 p.m. Battelle-Darby CreekMetro Park, 1775 Darby Creek Dr.,Galloway. 614-895-6365.

SATURDAY 28Creative Minds Junior Studio, Anopen art studio for students 7-12years old, a variety of art media willbe available for students to use.Monthly themes will be introducedbut this is a student led activity. 12noon-2 p.m. $36/4 sessions to beused in 3 months and/or with sib-lings/friends. Gallery 202, Partners inArt, Inc., 38 N. State St, Westerville.614-890-8202.gallery202online.com/linkpages/creativemindsjunior.html

Doodles, In this dynamic drop-inprogram, adults and children 6 andup can experiment with fun materi-als and create art together. Familieswill work together on gallery gamesand unique, open-ended projectsinspired by artwork in the galleries.1-3 p.m. Free with Museum admis-sion. Columbus Museum of Art, 480E Broad St, Downtown. 614-221-4848. columbusmuseum.org

MAGI-FEST Family Magic Show,Enjoy a night of magic, comedy,and illusion suitable for the wholefamily, featuring some of best magi-cians and variety artists in the coun-try. This show is open to the public

and part of the 81st annual Colum-bus MAGI-FEST magicians’ conven-tion...one of the largest gatheringsof magicians in the U.S. 7:30-10p.m. $20 for adults, $10 for children12 and under. Palace Theatre, 34 W.Broad St., Downtown. 614-299-8995. magifest.org

FREE! Rodeo Roundup, Calling allcowboys and cowgirls, wear yourgear and saddle up for stories,songs and activities all about theWild West! We’ll also lasso somecattle and go on a library round-up.10-11 a.m. Worthington ParkLibrary, 1389 Worthington CentreDrive, Worthington. 614-807-2626.worthingtonlibraries.org/calendar


Saturday Studio, Saturday Studiooffers students a variety of topics

and media to work with. Thistrimester we will work on illustra-tions, drawing, watercolor, print-making, carving, and bookmaking.Check the website for specific top-ics and descriptions. For grades K-8.10 a.m.- 12 noon $8 members, $10non-members per class. DecorativeArts Center of Ohio, 145 E. Main St.,Lancaster. 740-681-1423. decartso-hio.org

FREE! Stories for Babies, Babiesand their caregivers are invited for aspecial Saturday morning storytime. Older siblings are invited tobring a doll or stuffed animal to betheir “baby.” 11 a.m.-12 noon.Northwest Library, 2280 Hard Road,Worthington. 614-807-2626. wor-thingtonlibraries.org/calendar

FREE! Storytubes, Do you like totalk about books? Stop by to make ashort two-minute video using ourcameras, computers, puppets andprops. Then, enter your video in thenational Storytubes contest at story-tubes.info to win cool prizes. Allages. 2-4 p.m. Westerville Library,126 S. State St., Westerville. 614-882-7277 x5006.westervillelibrary.org

Stroll for Epilepsy, Beat the winterblahs by taking part in Stroll forEpilepsy. Participants can walk ontheir own or join a team in this fam-ily friendly walk that takes youthrough both levels of the mall.There will also be lots of great fami-ly activities and a silent auction.Walkers are requested to collectpledges from family, friends and co-workers. Walkers with a minimumof $25 in pledges or donation areeligible for prizes. Proceeds benefitthe programs and services of theEpilepsy Foundation. 8:30 a.m.-12noon Minimum of $25 in pledges.Polaris Fashion Place, 1500 PolarisPkwy., Polaris. 800-878-3226.epilepsy-ohio.org

SUNDAY 29The Art of Felting 101, We will bere-using a few wool sweaters tocreate this one of a kind fashionscarf. This scarf can be whipped upquickly with a minimum of sewingknowledge. Participants bring theirown wool sweaters for use and asewing machine to this 2 day class.$28 members, $32 non-members.Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, 145

E. Main St., Lancaster. 740-681-1423. decartsohio.org

Family Fun Day: Victorian MiniWorld’s Fair , Create paper dollsand play Victorian-era games at amini World’s Fair. Take a Victorian-themed photo and watch a Silhou-ette artist create a cameo. 11 a.m.-2p.m. Free with $6 - $11 admission.Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 EBroad St., East Side. 614-645-8733.fpconservatory.org

FREE! Kids in the Woods: WinterFun Survival Basics, Learn how tobuild a temporary shelter and start afire. 2 p.m. Chestnut Ridge MetroPark, 8445 Winchester Rd., Carroll.614-895-6365.

FREE! Natural Play Area Adven-tures: Critter Hunt, Use GPS unitsto locate critters hidden in thewoods. Limited number of GPSunits available. 2 p.m. SharonWoods Metro Park, 6911 S. Cleve-land Ave., Westerville. 614-895-6365.

MONDAY 30FREE! Music & Movement, Ages2-5 years. No registration required.

1-1:30 p.m. Grandview Heights Pub-lic Library, 1685 W. First Ave., Grand-view. 614-486-2951.

FREE! Science Attack Junior,Explore the world of science withstories and hands-on activities spe-cially designed for kids ages 5-7.Registration required. 4-4:45 p.m.Westerville Library, 126 S. State St.,Westerville. 614-882-7277 x5006.westervillelibrary.org

TUESDAY 31FREE! Backwards Day Storytime,Celebrate Backwards Day with anevening story time featuring booksfrom Z to A! We’ll start with ourclosing rhyme and end with anopening song. Don’t forget to wearyour clothes backwards for somemixed-up fun. Ages 3-6. 7 p.m.Upper Arlington Public Library, 2800Tremont Rd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

Children’s Theater Company,Children’s Theater class and per-formance company. Classes open tostudents age 8 - 12. Course coversacting, improv, scene work, scripts,dance, and vocals. End of year the-ater performance. 6-7 p.m. $50monthly. Infusion Dance, 7030AHuntley Road, Worthington. 614-220-8780. infusiondance.net

FREE! Tales for Toddlers, Ages 18-36 months. No registration required.10:15-11:30 a.m. GrandviewHeights Public Library, 1685 W. FirstAve., Grandview. 614-486-2951.


PARENTS CLUBS AND SUPPORT GROUPSGahanna Moms Network A supportgroup for stay-at-home moms residing inthe 43230 zip code and/or the Gahannaschool district. [email protected] for moreinformation.

Grandparent Support A group is form-ing for grandparents who watch younggrandchildren on a regular part-time orfull-time basis while their parents work.The group will be a place for sharing ideasof things to do and places to go with littleones, and also a place for support for thewonderful work grandparents are doing.For more information, contact MarieTakacs at 614-891-2532 or at [email protected].

Mocha Moms of Greater Columbus,Ohio A national support group for moth-ers of color who have chosen not to workfull-time, or who have chosen alternative,less-demanding career paths to allowthem to devote more time to their fami-lies. Meets the second Wednesday of eachmonth (January - May and September -December) at 9:30 a.m. Group choosesmonthly topic on which a professionalpresents. Childcare for toddlers and infantsavailable, but children are welcome to staywith their mothers. Visit mochamomsof-columbus.org/ to view current calendar ofplaygroups, moms’ nights out, and familyevents. Membership costs $40 per yearand must be purchased through thenational web site. Visitmochamoms.org/memsub.html andselect the Columbus, OH Chapter.

Mom2Mom For moms-to-be and momswith infants through school-aged childrento come, make new friends and beencouraged as they walk down the road ofmotherhood together. Meets every fourthMonday of the month from 7-8:30 p.m.(childcare provided) at Madison ChristianChurch, 3565 Bixby Rd., Groveport. Con-tact 614-491-3232.

Mommies of Miracles A growing inter-national, peer-driven support group ofmothers who have children of any agewith complex medical issues, rare or undi-agnosed conditions and/or developmen-tal disabilities. Facebook page offersnumerous links for parents of childrenwith exceptional needs. Search “Mommiesof Miracles” on Facebook and choose thefirst result.

MOMS Club of Clintonville A fun socialand support group for stay-at-homemoms and their children. Playgroups, fieldtrips and monthly moms’ nights out.Meetings are 10 a.m. on the secondWednesday of each month (locationsvary). For membership information visitclintonvillemomsclub.yolasite.com.

MOMS Club of Delaware A fun, socialsupport group for stay-at-home momsand their children with playgroups, fieldtrips and monthly moms’ nights out.Meets at 10 a.m. the first Monday of everymonth. For membership information,[email protected].

MOMS Club of Dublin Central Supportgroup for stay-at-home moms. We planweekly playgroups and activities, and amonthly moms’ night out. Meets at 9:45a.m. on the second Tuesday of eachmonth at Vineyard Church, 5400 Avery [email protected].

MOMS Club of Dublin SouthEast Inter-act with other moms, participate in play-groups, find out about local kid-friendlyactivities, enjoy informative speakers andattend a much deserved moms-only nightout every month. Meetings are the sec-ond Friday of each month at 10 a.m. Visitour website atmomsclubofdublinse.webs.com or contactour Membership VP at [email protected] to learn more.

MOMS Club of DublinWest Offers a vari-ety of activities each month. Meetings,mom and tot activities, play groups, par-ties and a moms’ night out. For moreinformation email [email protected].

MOMS Club of Gahanna Support groupfor stay-at-home moms. Also serves Black-lick and parts of New Albany. ContactShannon at 614-759-5097 or [email protected].

MOMS Club of Hilliard Northeast Asocial and support group for stay-at-homeand part-time working moms and theirchildren. Playgroups, field trips and moms’nights out. If interested in joining thisgroup, please contact Teresa at [email protected].

MOMS Club of Hilliard-Northwest Asocial support group for stay-at-homemoms and moms working part time andtheir children. We offer playgroups, field

trips, mom’s nights out and much more. Ageneral business meeting with a speakeron a topic of relevance is held the firstMonday of each month. For more informa-tion, [email protected].

MOMS Club of Lewis Center SoutheastA non-profit support group for stay-at-home moms. Actively seeking new mem-bers who live south of Orange Rd., east ofS. Old State Rd., and north of Lazelle Rd.For membership information contactSherry [email protected] orgo to http://momscluboflewiscenter.com

MOMS Club of Pickerington North Sup-port group for stay-at-home moms. ServesPickerington (North of Refugee Rd.),Reynoldsburg and Pataskala. Email [email protected] for more info.

MOMS Club of Powell Northeast One ofthree MOMS clubs serving Powell. Supportgroup for stay at home moms and momswho work part time looking to connectwith other moms. Various activities formoms and kids. For more information visitsites.google.com/site/momsclubpowellne.

MOMS Club of Sunbury A social andsupport group for stay-at-home momsand their children. Meets for business thelast Thursday of each month at SunburyUnited Methodist Church. Monthly activi-ties include play dates, local outings, cook-ing club, book club and moms’ night out.Contact MOMS Club of Sunbury at [email protected], or call 740-936-7810 for more information.

MOMS Club of Worthington Supportgroup for stay-at-home moms who wantcompany during the daytime; activitiesinclude speakers, parties, playgroups andchild-run service projects. Meets thirdMonday of the month at WorthingtonPresbyterian Church. Email [email protected] for more information.

moms2moms Gain encouragement andexplore how to become better equippedto face the challenges of motherhood. Wemeet the second Thursday of each month,September through May (except Decem-ber) from 7 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at NorthwestBible Church, 6639 Scioto Darby Rd.,Hilliard. For more information, [email protected].

MOPS Pickerington Fellowship and sup-port group open to all moms with youngchildren; 9 to11 a.m. the second Saturday

of each month; Peace United MethodistChurch, 235 Diley Rd., Pickerington; 614-837-3732.

MOPS Upper Arlington LutheranChurch A wonderful opportunity to meetother moms with young children. Thegroup meets every first and third Tuesdayat 9 a.m. at the Upper Arlington LutheranChurch, 2300 Lytham Rd. The cost permeeting is $5 and childcare is $2 per child.For more information call 614-451-3736 oremail [email protected].

Mothers of Multiples East ColumbusSupport and social group for mothers ofmultiples. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on thesecond Thursday of each month at Messi-ah Lutheran Church, 1200 Waggoner Rd.,Reynoldsburg. Email ECMom.org for mem-bership information.

“My” Food-Allergy Support Group Agroup for parents of children dealing withlife-threatening food allergies. We offermonthly meetings, occasional non-foodfamily activities and a private email groupfor additional support, sharing of concerns,successes, coping strategies, resources andtools. Email Dena Friedel at [email protected].

New Moms’ Group An opportunity fornew mothers and their babies to meetothers and share information. Meets from1:30-2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Eliza-beth Blackwell Center, 3635 OlentangyRiver Rd., Columbus. Free. 614-566-4446.

Perinatal Outreach & Encouragement(POEM, Inc.) We are moms who have sur-vived prenatal or postpartum depression(PPD) so we understand like no one elsecan. POEM is the Ohio Coordinator of Post-partum Support International (PSI), theleading authority on perinatal mentalhealth. For more information call 614-315-8989 or poemonline.org.

Radiant Life Moms—Dublin Fellowshipsupport group for moms with newbornsthrough sixth grade. Meets 7p.m. the firstThursday of each month at Radiant LifeChurch. Third Thursday is moms’ nightout. For more information call Lindsay at614-571-2995.

Westerville Moms Group Support groupfor stay-at-home moms. We have playgroups, craft days and a monthly moms’night out. Contact [email protected] for more information.

jan2012

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@jane_hawes

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Afterschool Arts Institute, Students ages 7-15 par-ticipate in 8 week, arts focused sessions featuringdance, music, theatre, and visual arts taught bysome of the top local artists in the city. 2:30-6 p.m.$10 registration; $35 per week. King Arts Complex,867 Mt. Vernon Ave., King Lincoln. 614-645-5464.thekingartscomplex.com

Baby and Toddler Kodaly Music and Movement,Parents (either mom or dad) come together weeklywith their babies and toddlers. This 30 minute musicand movement class is designed to foster all areas ofdevelopment and is appropriate for children ages 6weeks to 3.5 years of age. The Kodaly method usesthe voice to develop a sense of rhyme and lan-guage. Enjoy watching your baby develop recogni-tion of rhythmic awareness, songs, rhymes, andsocial skills and have fun together!! Thursdays 9:45-10:15 a.m. and Sundays 2:30-3:00 p.m. beginningJan. 12. First Class Free. Suzuki Violin School ofColumbus-Worthington, 4608 Indianola Ave. Suite K,Worthington. 614-547-3477. suzukicolumbus.org

FREE! Be a Smart Cookie!, this winter be a smartcookie by participating in our six-week winter read-ing program. Students ages 0-18 can register by vis-iting any of our lcoations and picking out a “cookiesheet” to record all of their new favorite books. Readsix books and be entered into a drawing for somesweet prizes - something different for each agegroup. Upper Arlington Public Library, 2800 TremontRd., Upper Arlington. 614-486-9621.

Broadway Across America: Shrek, Shrek TheMusical, based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorksfilm that started it all, brings the hilarious story ofeveryone’s favorite ogre to life on stage. Show timesJan. 10-15, times vary. $28. Ohio Theatre, 39 E. StateSt., Downtown. 800-294-1892. broadway-acrossamerica.com

Columbus Children’s Theatre: Goldilocks andthe Three Bears, Take a classic fairy tale, give it aburst of energy, add lots of audience participationand you’re in for a hilarious time with CCT’s own ver-sion of Goldilocks. In our case, the story is a flash-back. Baby Bear and Goldilocks are friends, playingand arguing about whom really broke Papa’s chair.Mama and Papa Bear can’t agree either, so theydecide to re-enact the story as it really happened.The familiar story is all there, mixed with franticentrances, exits and near-misses as Goldilocks isalmost discovered - several times! And there’salways a message. The lesson here, among others, isthat we shouldn’t lie. Goldilocks has never been fun-nier. Show times Jan. 12-15 and 19-22, times vary.$10-$21. Park Street Theatre, 512 N. Park St., ArenaDistrict. 614-224-6672. colschildrenstheatre.org

Creative Minds Art Studio, Preschool age open artstudio - in a gallery setting. Educational, fun andmessy. Activities include painting, clay, puppets,music, building and plenty of tactile! Tuesday-Thurs-day 9:30-11:00 a.m. $10 per child a session or $36 for4 sessions, $70 for 10 sessions, multi passes can beused by many. Gallery 202, Partners in Art, Inc., 38 N.State St, Westerville. 614-890-8202. creativemind-sartstudio.com

Dora and Diego Let’s Explore!, Ready? Vamonos!Embark on an active adventure in the enchantingworld of Dora the Explorer, her animal-rescuingcousin Diego, and their friends. Play with Dora andDiego and share with, care for, and help others.Through Jan. 8. Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m. Adults $14.75, Children 2-12 $9.75. COSI Columbus, 333 W. Broad St., Down-town. 614-228-2674. cosi.org

Orchids! Vibrant Victoriana, Escape to an era ofelegance and luxury with the exotic mystique of theorchid. The Victorian age serves as inspiration for anartful display of hundreds of orchid blooms of allforms, colors and sizes. Glass artist Debora Mooreoffers an imaginative interpretation on these infa-mous blooms with delicate glass sculpture. Dailyhorticulture presentations, weekly guided tours andfamily activities enhance the experience for all ages.Through April 8. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $6 - $11 admission.Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens,1777 E Broad Street, East Side. 614-645-8733.fpconservatory.org.

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