Falls Church PlayGroup

September Happenings

2010-09-10T11:32:00.003-05:00

Welcome back everyone! I hope you had a wonderful summer. It's time for playgroup to start back up again. I'm so excited for this time of year. Here's a list of some fun things coming up this month that you won't want to miss.

September
11th- Taste of Falls Church Festival http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Government/Departments/CommunityServices/RecsParks/FallFestTOFC.aspx?cnlid=2590
12th- Adams Morgan Day Festival
http://www.adamsmorgandayfestival.com/
15th- Doodlehopper: Fold and play airplanes 4pm *Sign-up required Ages 4+
15th- Tyson's Corner Kids Club 11-11:45 FREE
http://www.shoptysons.com/events.asp?id=28560&start=9/15/2010
17th- Sunset Cinema: The Frog and the Princess
http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Docs/SunsetCinema2010.pdf
18th- Kaydee Puppets are coming to Doodlehopper 10:30am FREE, no sign-up required. Performance will be "Back to School: Down on the Farm"
21st- Fun with Yoga at Doodlehopper 4pm No sign-up required (Ages 4+)
Book reading, game and yoga poses
22nd- Doodlehopper: Thumb Art 4pm *Sign-up required (Ages 4+)
22nd- Tyson's Corner Kids Club 11-11:45
http://www.shoptysons.com/events.asp?id=28560&start=9/22/2010
24th- Sunset Cinema: Where the Wild Things Are
http://www.fallschurchva.gov/Content/Docs/SunsetCinema2010.pdf
25th- Harvest Happenings at the Mclean Communtiy Center $5 per child (includes popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, face painting, arts and crafts, tot games, and inflatable amusements)
http://www.mcleancenter.org/kids-teens/childrens-events.asp
29th- Doodlehopper: Paper Bag Puppets 4pm *Sign-up required

Fun at Clemyjontri

2010-06-15T06:41:00.002-05:00

If any of your little ones have taken Music Together classes at the community center with Maddy O'neil you'll know how fun this sounds. Maddy will be at the Clemyjontri park this Friday (the 15th) from 10am-noon with her guitar.

Doodlehoppers Activites for the Month

2010-06-03T18:46:00.001-05:00

June 10th: Paper Bag Puppets
June 17th: Rock-a-doodle
June 24th: Thumb Art

All Free. Just call to register in advance. 703-241-2262

Free Family Film Festival

2010-06-03T18:44:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder that the Free Family Film Festival will be starting at the end of June. We went several times last year and it was a lot of fun---and FREE!!

Fiest Asia Street Fair

2010-05-18T12:23:00.003-05:00

This Saturday is the Fiesta Asia Street Fair from 10am-7pm on Pennsylvannia Ave NW between 3rd St and 6th St. Food, dance, music, crafts, culture, martial arts, games, and Bollywood flash mob. Everything but that last one sounds like a lot of fun. Check out the link for more info.
FREE ADMISSION!

Butterfly Craft

2010-05-11T12:22:00.002-05:00

Thanks for coming to playgroup today everyone! We had a lot of fun reading about butterflies and making these little treat bags. I've attached the link so that those of you who couldn't make it today can make it at home. Another fun idea- put a magnet on the back to hold artwork on the fridge.

Upcoming Events

2010-04-30T10:57:00.003-05:00

Hello eveyone. Here are just a few events coming up that I have come across recently. Let me know if you know of any others and we can add them to the list.

Doddlehopper has lots of fun things going on this month.
Sat. May 1st: 11 am Kaydee puppets puppet show (Free!- no registration required)
Thurs. May 6th: 4 pm Making I love Mom keychains
Thurs. May 13th: 4 pm Collage Art
Sat. May 15th: 2 pm Fabulous Fancy Nancy Spring Fling. They will have Fancy Spring crafts and storytime
Thurs. May 20th: 4 pm Foam Bead Necklace
Thurs. May 27th: 4 pm Sand Art
Sat. May 29th: 2 pm Painting wooden Thomas trains and reading a Thomas story

All of the Doodlehopper events are FREE! We go every Thursday and have loved all of the little projects that they have done. You DO have to register for Saturday events (except for the puppet show this Sat). They like it when you call ahead to sign up for the Thursday crafts as well just so they know how many crafts they will need.

I was at Micheals this morning and saw that they are having events from May2-8 for Mother's Day.For several of these you DO have to purchase the item for the craft.
May 2nd: 1-3pm Mother's Day Mug Make-it Take-it (must purchase a mug)
May 3rd: 6-8pm Mother's Day Corsage Make-it Take-it (must purchase a flower)
May 4th: 6-8pm Mother's Day Free Spa Clay Pot Event (no purchase necessary for this one)
May 6th: 6-8pm Mother's Day T-shirt Event (with purchase of T-shirt)
May 7th: 6-8pm Mother's Day Frame Make-it Take-it Event (with purchase of a frame)
May 8th: 10am-noon Free Mother's Day Card Event (no purchase necessary)
May 8th: Noon- 1pm Free Mother's Day Wilton Cookie Demo

Library Events

2010-03-31T11:28:00.003-05:00

I was just looking around at other libraries in the area and thought I would post their upcoming storytimes.

Thomas Jefferson Library: Next Wednesday, April 7th, they will be having a special storytime at 10:30am called "Let's Dig." The program will consist of stories, songs, fingerplays, and a craft. You must call to register for this class. Ages 1-5 welcome with parent.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/tj/

Tyson Pimmit Regional Library: A couple of times a month they do a children's storytime. The next one will be on April 13th. It's called "Celebrate Library Week." There will be stories, fingerplays, and songs. You must call to register. All ages welcome.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/TY/

Mary Riley Styles Library: Then of course Mary Riley Styles has open storytime every Tues and Thurs at 10:30am for preschoolers. No registration required. They also have a drop in craft on the third Saturday of every month from 11am-2pm. This month it is on April 17th. It's free.
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=stewart%40falls-church.lib.va.us&ctz=America%2FNew_York&gsessionid=rYMoIk9teoNwdXKe9iXhtA

If anyone has information about another library or activity in the area please let us know!

Falls Church Community Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-30T08:59:00.003-05:00

This Saturday is the Falls Church Community Easter Egg Hunt. It will be at Cherry Hill Park at 10am and it's FREE! Sounds like a lot of fun so check out the flyer.

Also, don't forget that playgroup is having their very own egg hunt this Friday at 10:30 at the church. Bring 5 filled eggs and your own lunch. I'll have a craft to do inside first and then we'll run outside for the egg hunt.

Also, just found out that you no longer have to register for the 4pm craft at Doodlehopper on Thursdays. Just show up for a free FUN craft. Last week we made bug jars and they were super cute.

Consignment Sale

2010-03-23T19:25:00.002-05:00

Check out the flier. This sounds like a pretty big consignment sale. Happy shopping everyone, and thanks Zoe for the tip!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

2010-03-23T19:22:00.002-05:00

Everyone loved the cupcakes that Ryan made for playgroup this morning. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Upcoming Activities

2010-03-22T10:33:00.002-05:00

Here's a list of a few things going on this week that might be fun to check out.

Wed. March 24th: Mr. Knick Knack comes every Wed at 11am to the play area on level 3 at Tyson's Corner Mall. I've been before and loved it!
http://www.shoptysons.com/events.asp?id=28560&start=3/24/2010

Thurs. March 25th: Story hour at Mary Riley Styles library in Falls Church at 10:30am
http://www.falls-church.lib.va.us/

Also, at 4pm every Thursday DoodleHopper4kids has a free craft. You must call to register though and reserve your space. http://www.doodlehopper.com/

Fri. March 26th: Tot Time at the Falls Church Community Center Gym from 10-noon. This used to be a free service but they now charge $1 per child. Still, I've heard it's a lot of fun. They provide the tunnels and trikes to play with.

Sat. March 27th: National Kite Festival from 10-4pm. http://www.kitefestival.org/

Projects and Creative Ideas for Kids

2010-03-22T06:44:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!

I thought it would be fun to post links to kids project blogs that you follow. I've just posted my favorite one - This Little Project. I am always looking for new creative ideas to do things with my kiddos and this one usually has some pretty cute ideas. If you have any blogs you would like to link to our playgroup blog just send me the info and I'll set it up! Just look under "Projects and Creative Ideas for Kids" on the blog.

Thanks!

Feathery Fun!

2010-03-09T13:08:00.002-05:00

Thanks so much for coming today everyone! We had a great turnout. I'm posting the activity here for those of you who were not able to make it. I had planned to do a bird themed playgroup last month since it was national bird month but we had to cancel for the snow.

Book: Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman

Craft#1: Print this picture and color or decorate with feathers- http://www.animal-coloring-pages.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/bird-coloring-pages.gif

Craft #2: Pinecone bird feeder- http://crafts.kaboose.com/pine-cone-bird-feeder.html
If you can't find any pinecones you could string up a bagel or a piece of toast and I bet that would work just fine.

Fun bird themed snack ideas:
http://www.childfun.com/index.php/activity-themes/animals/93-bird-activity-theme.html?start=3
Unfortunately I didn't make these little nest in time for playgroup but it sounds cute and healthy. We had chickadees (which are on sale at Target right now for about a buck).

See you in a couple of weeks!

Playgroup Activity

2010-01-29T15:39:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone. We had fun at playgroup this week. I thought I would post the activity that we did for those of you who couldn't make it.I know I'm always looking for things to do since we can't do much outside these days. Our theme was BEARS! We talked specifically about the brown bear and hibernation. I feel like hibernating on these cold winter days.

For info on brown bears go here: www.kidzone.ws/lw/bears/facts-brownbear.htm Check it out ladies- brown bears don't even wake up to give birth! Don't we wish...

For a cute bear fingerplay go here: www.suzyred.com/mbirdbearcave.html

We read "Bear Snores On" but there are lots of other books that work too. Then we did a simple craft- a bear hibernating in a cave. For the craft all you need are a few simple things.

-a brown lunch bag
-Cotton balls
-glue
-this picture: www.si.umich.edu/chico/RainbowCrow/coloring/hibernate.gif

Cut your bag in half or more, open it up and lay it on its side. Color and cut out the picture. Fold the bottom inch under and glue it inside the bag near the opening. Glue cotton balls in front to look like snow. Easy as pie. Below are a couple of pictures for a visual.

Here's a link for more fun poems, fingerplays, songs and crafts about hibernating: www.stepbystepcc.com/hibernation.html

Activity Advent Calendar in a Box

2009-11-30T21:02:00.003-05:00

In case you are not able to attend playgroup here are the instructions as to how to make the boxes for the activity advent calendar. This tutorial is for a scrapbook in a box (which are a lot of fun to make and a cheap and creative Christmas gift too!). We are only using the bottom layer for our activity box and we are gluing it together instead of letting it fall open freely when you take off the top. For the bottom of the box you only need to make one layer (12x12) and instead of cutting out the four corners completely you just make four cuts so that you can fold the tabs over and glue them to make a box. If this sounds confusing just give me a call. Have the kids decorate the box before gluing it together. Fill the box with 25 slips of paper- each with a different Christmas themed activity written on it. Each day of December pull out an activity from the box and do it with your family. I have a list of ideas I can email you if you are interested. Have fun!

50 FREE Photo Cards (Shipped Free too!)

2009-11-17T13:09:00.001-05:00

Check it out. My sister just did hers this morning and she says it works. Offer expires this Saturday.

PreSchool Fieldtrip Ideas

2009-11-02T08:34:00.002-05:00

Michelle Bradford has a couple of good websites to share in case anyone needs ideas for planning preschool trips.

http://www.nga.gov/programs/family/ : The Gallery of Art has a newsletter you can sign up for to alert you of upcoming events (you can even sign up as an educator if you want).

www.freeindc.blogspot.com :This one has some interesting things from time to time.

http://www.npg.org.uk/home.php : Homeschool open house at the Portrait Gallery. Next Saturday they also have a family Frontier Days activity. Fun (FREE!!)

Thanks for sharing these Michelle!

Friday Field Trip

2009-10-22T20:36:00.003-05:00

Every Friday one of the ward preschools take a field trip. Next Friday they are going to Cox Farms. This sounds like a really fun place. They have some pretty big slides, hayrides, farm animals and more. You get to take home a pumpkin and have as much apple cider as you want. Since it's a preschool group there will be a discounted rate. Please contact Melita Garmon for details on the cost and the time (sorry, I can only post either the date or the time- but not both- on the blog for safety reasons). If anyone else would like me to post field trip info on the playgroup blog just let me know.

December Swapmeet

2009-10-22T20:34:00.002-05:00

We have a date and time for the swapmeet in December. We will hold it during playgroup on December 8th from 10:30-1pm. Email me with suggestions. If you would like to extend the time let me know and we can work something out.

Playgroup this Week

2009-10-18T20:01:00.003-05:00

For playgroup this week we are meeting at Tyson's Corner Center on Level 3 in the play area. This is a fun little place right by the food court. It has a soft padded floor and several soft objects to climb through and over. My kids love coming here. At 11:00am an entertainer will be coming to sing and dance with the kids (the dude at the mall desk said that they even give out free kids club t-shirts if they have them). He comes every Tuesday at this time and since it's always during playgroup I thought we could schedule one there and check it out. Hope to see you there!

Free Tot Time at the FCCC

2009-10-14T13:45:00.005-05:00

This is just a reminder that the Falls Church Community Center has free tot time every Friday from 10-12pm in their gym. I spoke with someone recently who went and they had a blast. They provide all of the toys (including trikes and tunnels).

December Swapmeet

2009-10-07T11:57:00.002-05:00

I am planning a swapmeet in early December and just wanted to give everyone a head's up so that you can plan for it. Everyone is invited to bring toys and books that your children no longer use to church where we will give the kiddos a chance to pick out Christmas gifts for siblings or cousins (or for themselves=). I will also have giftwrapping and cardmaking available. Whatever is leftover will be donated to Salvation Army. I think this will be a fun and inexpensive way for the little ones to give gifts or find a new toy for themselves. So, I just wanted to let you know so that you can start setting things aside for it and making room for all of the new toys that you'll be getting on Christmas. I'll keep you posted on the date. I'm open to suggestions so feel free to post them if you have any. Thanks!

October Activities

2009-10-02T19:30:00.005-05:00

Here are a few free things happening in October I thought I would share. Just so you know I find all of my info from either the Falls Church Recreation and Parks progam guide, the Parktakes program guide, the Washington Family Magazine and the library. All of these resources are available at the Community Center or the library. There is a ton of stuff going on but I just list the free stuff here. Check out those resources for additional activities.

*16th Annual Farm Day: Saturday Oct. 10th, 10-3pm in Cherry Hill Park (312 Cherry Park Avenue). There will be hayrides, pony rides, a petting farm, scarecrow making (you must provide the clothing for the scarecrow), pumpkin making, blacksmithing and more. Admission is free but nominal fees may apply to some activites. They were not specific on which ones that would be.

*Drop in Craft: Saturday Oct. 17th, 11-2pm at Mary Riley Styles Library (120 N. Virginia Avenue).

*Disney Store Halloween "Dress Rehearsal" Party": Wednesday Oct. 21st, 3:30pm at Disney stores nationwide. There will be games, prizes and a costume parade around the store. Everyone is encouraged to dress up but kids over three who dress up like their favorite Disney charachters will receive a free gift.

*Halloween Carnival: Friday Oct. 30th, 6-7pm for the infants to 2nd graders and 7:30-8:30pm for 3rd-5th graders at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street). Candy, games, face painting, and a live creepy creature show!

*Halloween Magic Show: Saturday Oct. 31st, 11am at Mary Riley Styles Library. All ages invited and everyone is encouraged to wear their costumes and trick or treat at each of the service desks after the show.

*Halloween at the {Medical} Museum: Saturday Oct 31st, 10-1pm at the National Museum of Health and Medicine (6900 Georgia Ave., NW Wash,DC). Halloween scavenger hunt, skeleton crafts, costume conteset and prizes! They suggest bringing your lunch and adults have to bring their ID's (not sure what that's about). 703-318-1385, ext. 6# for questions/details.

*Hallowfest: Saturday Oct. 31st, 10am at the US Botanic Garden (245 First Street, SW Wash,DC). Decorate pumpkins, create a creeop craft, or attend a Monster Meal cooking demonstration. Costume parade at noon.

In addition, there are several Farms now open that sound like fun. I haven't been to any of them yet, but give us a rating if you make a visit so we'll know if it's fun.

-Frying Pan Farm Park, 2709 West Ox Road, Herndon Va 20171

This one has free admission. They have a nature trail and farm animals to visit. They also offer $3 wagon rides (there is a buy one get one free coupon in this months Washington Family Magazine- which is free and you can pick one up at the library or the community center). 703-437-9101

-Marker Miller Orchards in Winchester, VA. They are holding an Apple Harvest Festival on Oct 10th and 11th and a Pumpkin Harvest Festical on Oct. 24th. Call 540-662-1980 for costs.

- Summers Farm Adventure: Corn maze, pumpkin patch, and hayrides. Go to http://www.summersfarm.com/ for costs and details.

- Butler's Orchard: From Sept.26th- Nov. 1st they are holding their 29th Annual Pumpkin Festival. It's pricey- $10 per person (under 2 free) but there's lots to do. Hayrides, mazes, pumpkin land, Wildcat Run Slide, Hayloft, barnyard buddies, Rubber Ducky Derby, pedal tractors, pumpkin coach, inflatable farm train and tube slide. For an additional fee pony rides, crafts and face painting are available. http://www.butlersorchard.com/

Playgroup This Week

2009-09-27T21:18:00.002-05:00

Playgroup this week will be at Lincoln Park located at Lincoln Ave and Great Falls. This is a fun park with lots of shade and it's completely fenced in. I'll be bringing our golden retriever Bela for the kids to play with. He is very friendly. Also, Michelle will take some time to inform everyone about the babysitting co-op in our ward. I hope everyone can make it.

Yoga with Kristina

2009-09-11T22:21:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to give you a heads up on playgroup next week because you won't want to miss it. Kristina will be the host and she will be doing yoga with the kiddos. Remember we will be meeting at 10:30am at the church. If the door happens to be locked please ring the bell. Make sure to wear something comfortable. I hope everyone can make it!

Playgroup this week

2009-09-07T09:41:00.003-05:00

It looks like rain so let's meet at the church this week for playgroup. Again- we will be meeting at 10:30 instead of 10:00. We'll talk about Fall and make a craft (it will involve a little paint). Feel free to bring any toys/ bikes to play with in the gym after. See you then!

September Events

2009-09-02T19:28:00.003-05:00

I've come accross a few things to keep your little ones busy this month. Many of you are probably already aware of these events but here they are.

*Free Tot Time: The Falls Church Community Center will be opening up their gym every Friday (starting September 11th) from 10am-12noon. Preschoolers will be able to climb through tunnels, ride tricycles, and play with other kids. They provide all equipment (including the trikes). They ask that no strollers or food be permitted in the gym. Tot time will not be held on the following days: 9/25, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11, and 12/25.

*Sunset Cinema in the Park: Every Friday evening this month there will be a movie screening in Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Avenue) at 8pm.
9/4- Bolt (PG, 2008)
9/18- Race to Witch Mountain (PG, 2009)
9/25 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (PG, 1982)
Bring blankets, bug spray, and picnics. Popcorn, drinks, and candy will be available for purchase.

*Free Demos of Music Together 9/14, 9/15, and 9/16 at 10am and 11am at the Falls Church Community Center. She has several classes starting up at the end of the month so I think this is just an opportunity to let people know what they will be about. There should be music, instruments, dance and play.

*Mary Styles Public Library: Fall story hours begin Sept. 15. They are held every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10:30am (18-36 mo). Twilight Tales are every Wed. night at 7pm (ages 4-6). Also, every third Saturday they will be offering a "Drop-In Craft" program from 11-2pm. This month it will be held on Sept. 19th. All ages welcome and no registration.
Here is a link to check out events happening at other libraries in the area. Although free, you may have to register in advance for some of these.
http://host6.evanced.info/fairfaxco/evanced/eventcalendar.asp?et=Preschool&do=0&nd=27&dt=mo&df=list&cn=0&private=0&ln=ALL

*34th Annual Taste of Falls Church at the Fall Festival: Free admission. This will be held at Cherry Hill Park on Saturday, Sept. 12th from 10am-4pm. There will be live entertainment, children's activities, amusement rides, restuarants sampling their cuisine, and art and craft vendors.

Playgroup next week

2009-08-27T12:01:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had fun at Lion Village this week! I just wanted to give everyone a heads up for next week's playgroup because we will need a headcount. Emily has so graciously offered to have us come and swim at her community pool at Lee Oaks Place (*note the different meeting time in my email to the listserve). There are two pools. One is larger and about 4 feet deep while the other is smaller and just the right size and depth for toddlers and babies. The pool area is fenced in. Please send me an email by Monday morning if you can make it so that Emily can get a pass for you and your kiddos. I'll be bringing juice drinks. Feel free to bring a snack to share.

CROCS! Buy one get one free

2009-08-27T11:55:00.002-05:00

Most kids I see are running around in these so when I saw this sale I thought some of you might like to know. The sizes and colors are limited but there's still some cute stuff. And what mom doesn't love a shoe you can throw in the dishwasher?

In addition to the free shipping, here are a couple of online codes to save even more. I haven't used them so I can't say 100% if they work but it's worth a try.

Additional 25% off non-sale items: slx8797
10% off any order: customerloyalty09

Playgroup this Week

2009-08-24T19:22:00.002-05:00

Playgroup this week will be at Lion Village Park. The spray area is only open until Labor Day so go while you can. It was a lot of fun!

Upcoming Activity in Falls Church

2009-08-18T08:20:00.002-05:00

The Fall for Fun Celebration will be held at Berman Park on Wednesday, August 19th from 5-7pm. They entire event is free. There will be hot dogs, crafts, games, a moon bounce as well as car seat checks, school supplies, info on school and community resources, mini soccer, and chair massages. All FREE! Call 703-248-5005 for additional info. Rain date: Thursday, August 20th.

Playgroup August 19th at the church

2009-08-18T08:03:00.005-05:00

Since there is a chance of rain tomorrow, we will have playgroup at the church. I will be bringing some of our favorite Sabuda pop-up books to read. Then we will learn how to make a pop-up card (I made one with Eden this morning and it turned out really cute!). I'll be bringing some snacks to share so come have fun at the church tomorrow! 10am.

Pictures from Playgroup at Lion Village Park

2009-08-18T07:17:00.003-05:00

Playgroup this week- August 12th

2009-08-11T10:56:00.007-05:00

Initially I had planned to cancel playgroup this week since things had been so slow lately. However, there was such a good turnout last week and several people have asked about playgroup this week so let's keep it going. Playgroup is on for tomorrow! I hope this doesn't mess up anyone's schedule too badly and if we don't see you tomorrow then I hope we see you next week. Since it's so hot outside I thought we would meet at Lion Village park at 10am. They have several sprinklers to cool off the kids. Be prepared for the kids to get wet! I will also be bringing about 40 size 3 diapers that we can't use.

Kraft Promotion

2009-08-10T07:24:00.005-05:00

Since groceries are so expensive in this area, I've started looking for money saving opportunities. Here is one that I came across recently. It's a Kraft promo going on until Aug 23rd- get $25 in free Kraft products (you'll get an in store coupon for $5 off your next purchase and a $20 mail in rebate). Just click on the blog title for more info. If you have any money saving websites or blogs that you follow, please share.

Upcoming Activites in the Area

2009-08-09T19:40:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! We are starting up the Falls Church Ward playgroup blog again. Check here for details on playgroup and other activities going on in the area. Like many of you, I have only been in the ward for a short couple of months. So, if any of you have information about activities or the area to share then we would all appreciate it. Here are just a few free things going on in the area that I found out about and wanted to share.

- Storytime at Mary Riley Styles Library: Meets every Tues and Thurs morning until Aug 20th (they will resume regular storyhour schedule mid-Sept). http://www.falls-church.lib.va.us/

-Free Family Film Festival: There are two more weeks of the Regal free family film festival. Each Tues and Wed at 10am several theaters in the area show free movies. There are usually two films to choose from (either G or PG). Check out this website to find a participating theater. http://www.regmovies.com/nowshowing/familyfilmfestivalschedule.aspx?state=VA

-Kids Club Summer Series at Tyson's Corner Mall: There are two more weeks left of the Kids Club Summer Series. It is held on Level 3 in the play area from 11-11:30. Thursday, Aug 13th there will be a magician. Thursday, Aug 20th there will be a clown show. http://www.shoptysons.com/events.asp

-Perseids Meteor Shower: Aug 12th and 13th. This shower is supposed to produce about 60 per hour. http://www.theskyscrapers.org/meteors/

-Jazz in the Garden: Fridays @ 5pm at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, 7th Street and Constitution.

Playgroup Give-away

2008-04-09T08:16:00.003-05:00

The next two weeks for playgroup will be a "give-away" in honor of Spring Cleaning! I know Ayako and myself will be bringing baby clothes, boy clothes, toys, maternity clothes, etc... If you have bigger items, like furniture, please bring a photo instead! We will be meeting Tuesday the 15th and Tuesday the 22nd at 10:30 am, either at the church or the park, depending on the weather. I will post where when the time comes closer. Even if you don't have stuff to bring....come take ours! Whatever is left-over on the 22nd will go to Goodwill. If you're willing to help drop things off there, please let me know.
Charish

Playgroup for 4/8

2008-04-07T22:00:00.002-05:00

We'll be meeting at the church at 10:30. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and 46 degrees. If it feels okay when we get there, we can try the park if people want to.
Charish

Please add more!

2008-03-31T20:52:00.000-05:00

It seems I only got a few photos taken, so if anyone else has some please add them or email them to me and I will!

Easter Photos

2008-03-31T20:42:00.009-05:00

Ellie

Alex and Mom

Mallory

Tyler

Isaac

Lincoln

Playgroup for 4/1/08

2008-03-31T20:41:00.001-05:00

Playgroup will be at the church due to rain! See you at 10:30!
-Charish

Playgroup for March 25

2008-03-24T20:04:00.001-05:00

Playgroup will be at the park tomorrow at 10:30. It will be sunny and beautiful! Sorry I haven't posted photos of the Egg Hunt yet, I will as soon as I can (as well as update my own blog!).

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-17T16:48:00.002-05:00

Playgroup tomorrow is at 10:30 at the park. Please bring 5 eggs per child, and try to avoid chocolate treats. The weather is supposed to be cold, so please dress warm. We are also doing a potluck with this event, and ask everyone to bring something to share. Don't forget your camera's! If you need directions you can email me or post a comment on here. I'm not posting the name of the park for safety reasons.
Charish

Playgroup this week

2008-03-03T10:19:00.000-05:00

Playgroup this week is at the church. *sigh*, this weather just isn't letting us get out! Today is beautiful! Make sure to get out!

Links

2008-02-25T08:52:00.001-05:00

The place name or activity is a link, the post just doesn't show it. So click on the name or title for more info. For example, Mary Riley-Stiles, or this link, or Adventure Theatre, etc.
Charish

Upcoming Activities

2008-02-25T08:28:00.002-05:00

February 27th at 7 pm, Dinorock Puppet Show, will be performing "Mi Casa Es Su Casa" at Mary Rily-Stiles Library. This is a bi-lingual show that introduces Latin American culture through songs and stories. For ages 5 and up....but I don't think they'll object if you 'happen' to be at the library at the time!

There will be lots of activities going on at Cherry Hill Farmhouse: Victorian Readings (Emily Dickenson, Edgar Allen Poe, etc.), St. Patrick's Day Celtic Music Celebration, Egg Dyeing Workshops, Civil War Day, and more. For more info go to this link.

March 8th through April 20th, the Adventure Theatre will be performing "The Stinky Cheese Man", (a children's book). March 18th -20th they will be performing "Clara Barton: The Courage Within" (true life story of the founder of the Red Cross). These look great by the way!! $5-$8 a ticket

The Maryland Science Center has some neat exhibits up as well. $9.50 a ticket for kids 3-12 and adults are $14. It's expensive but is suppossed to be worth it! Very kid-friendly.

Wow it's February!

2008-02-06T07:45:00.000-05:00

I have no idea where the time went! Goodness. We're still meeting at 10:30 at the church. On the rare chance that the weather is nice, it will be at the park. I'll send email's out if that happens. Some upcoming activities in the area:

Saturday Feb. 9 - there will be a Chinese New Year parade at the Eden Center (at the corner of Roosevelt and and Wilson Blvd.) at 11 am.

Sunday Feb. 10 - Barack Obama is speaking at Cherry Hill Park during the afternoon. (It didn't specify a time).

Hope everyone is having a great New Year, and hopefully the weather stays fantastic like today!
Charish

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Just some FYI's on upcoming activities in the area.

- There is a holiday craft show Saturday December 1st: 9am-4pm, and Sunday December 2nd: 11am-4pm. Admission is $1 for adults and $.50 for kids 12 and up. Kids 12 and under are free.
Here's the link
- December 8th from 10am - 2 pm is a children's Holiday Shoppe.
Here's the link

Hope to see everyone Tuesday! Remember we're meeting at 10:30 at the church.
Happy Holiday's!
-Charish

New Meeting Time and Place

2007-11-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

Since the weather is cooling down, we will now be meeting at 10:30 am at the church from now on. Please bring toys and a snack to share. Bikes are welcome!

Let's Share Some Holiday Recipe's!

2007-10-21T19:33:00.001-05:00

Pull out that apron and get creative!

Spider Cupcakes:

1 box choc. cake mix
1 lb. licorice
1 16 oz. can frosting (depends on color of your spiders!)
Candy Corn
Red Hot Candies

Prepare cupcakes as directed. Frost. Use licorice as legs (stick on top outer edges of cup cakes). Place two pieces of candy corn on lower top of cupcake for fangs. Place two red hot's on top for eyes!

Fall 2006 Bouldins

2007-10-05T17:03:00.001-05:00

Brian dressed up last year as Periwinkle the cat from Blues Clues
Ian as Harry Potter and Ashley was a DivaHaving fun on the hayride at Cox Farm

Fall 2005 of Bouldins

2007-10-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Playing in the leaves in our backyard ...All dressed up for Halloween ...

Let's see your kids fun old photos from Halloween/Autumn!

2007-10-05T07:15:00.001-05:00

Lincoln 'helping' Daddy rake (2006) It was more like sitting and watching him do all the work!

Isaac the T-Rex (2006)

Lincoln with the 'Big Apple' from Cox Farms! (2006)

Isaac the Elephant (2005)

Lincoln in his peanut costume (2005)

Isaac in the leaves at Thanksgiving (2005)

Isaac with the pumpkin from G-ma and G-pa's (2005)

It's October?? Yikes!!

2007-10-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

My apologies for being a slacker and not posting more! With a new baby here, family visiting, pre-school starting, birthdays, and just being a mom you tend to lost track of time!! Well, we are still meeting at 9:30am at Westover Park, near the church. You are of course welcome to come at any time. We've grown in numbers, which is exciting!!
As for upcoming activities:
We're excited for General Conference this weekend! Don't forget to remind your hubbies about the Priesthood session at 8pm at the Stake Center!
Also on Saturday there is a Farm Day activity going on from 10-3 at Cherry Hill Park, which is by Mary Riley-Stiles Library in Falls Church City.
The city is also putting together a 2008 calendar. They feature children's artwork from the area. If you're interested in entering your kid's drawings the link is: http://www.fallschurchva.gov/ArtContest.html
Monday the 29th at 7pm Mary Riley-Stiles library has a puppeteer/tall-tale story teller coming. Free and no registration, ages 5 and up.
The library also has story times available for different ages. The link is: http://www.falls-church.lib.va.us/youth/summerstory.html
Here's a link of free activities in D.C. for you new people!
http://www.gallagherstravels.com/States/DC/FreeDC.html
and free kid-friendly things also:
http://www.our-kids.com/
Anyway, we hope to see you Tuesday! FYI once the weather cools down, we'll be meeting at the church!
-Charish

Fun things in the community

2007-08-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

So this Saturday at 2 o'clock at the Mary Riley Stiles library in Falls Church, there is a Harry Potter party. For those who don't know, Falls Church City was voted the "Harry-est town in America" by Amazon.com because we had the most pre-ordered books online per capita. I'm planning on going, as long as I don't have a new baby around! Also, next Friday at the Cherry Hill Park - right across the street from MRS library, the city is showing Happy Feet, a kids movie. It starts at 8:30 pm. You can check at the Falls Church website online. They'll be doing a kids movie every Friday night during the month of August. It's outside, so the kids can also play and you can pack a picnic dinner or whatnot. It sounds like a ton of fun! I believe the week after that is the Wizard of Oz, we'll definitely have to see that one! It's one of Isaac's favorites!
FYI- I won't be at playgroup for the next 2 weeks. I have family in town for the baby. So if anyone wants to do an outing on those Thursdays I won't be able to plan them. Anyone else wanting too? Have fun, and maybe see you Sunday...hopefully not right?? haha

Anyone interested in Field Trips?

2007-07-22T18:44:00.000-05:00

I was talking with Shar on Tuesday and we thought it might be fine to start doing field trips on Thursdays for those who are interested. There's so much to do around here and a lot of fun things. So if you're interested let's get something going. There's neat parks, kid's train rides, free kid movies at IMAX theaters, historical sites, museums, etc. Let's try to get a list going of things in the area and schedule a date.
Also, we'll meet Tuesday at 9:30 at the park. Email or call me for directions.

Happy 4th Everyone!

2007-07-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

We will start meeting at 9:30 am instead of 10:30 to try and beat the heat. We hope everyone everyone has a great time on Wed. If you don't already have plans for the 4th, remember the Yeates are having a bash along the Potomac. They sent out info on it on the listserv. If you didn't get it let me know and I'll email you the details. Hope to see everyone there tomorrow!
-Charish

Thomas and Friends

2007-06-22T17:39:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already heard there is a recall for the Thomas and Friends Wooden Toys. RC2 (the manufacturer) has determined that the surface paints on the recalled products contain lead. Lead is toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects. There is a list of all the toys being recalled but it looks like any thing with red or yellow paint bought in 2005 until now. If you have any of these toys you can send it back for a replacement (of the lead-free vareity). :)http://recalls.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0607.html

Welcome to June!!

2007-06-04T19:35:00.001-05:00

I seem to have lapsed on my updating. Sorry if anyone has checked looking for info. We will meet tomorrow (June 5) at the park as usual at 10:30. I know with school letting out and summer starting, schedules are changing. If anyone wants to have playgroup two days a week, or is interested in playdates...please let me know! That way everyone has a chance to let their kids have interaction with others, if they aren't able to make it Tuesdays, or are just looking for more to do! Please be sure to bring water/snacks/sunscreen, etc. Look forward to seeing you there!!
Charish

Playgroup for 5/15

2007-05-15T07:41:00.001-05:00

We'll meet at the park! Bring sunscreen and water!!
-Charish

Playgroup for May 8

2007-05-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's supposed to be a little chilly today, but should warm up. We'll go ahead with the park. I might not be able to make it. So if not, hope you all have fun...don't forget your camera's!
Charish

azaleas at the arboretum

2007-05-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

If you think it looks like a Thomas Kinkade painting in your neighborhood with all the flowers in bloom, you should visit the National Arboretum. The 454 varieties of azaleas are in bloom right now. Thousands of azaleas cover the wooded hillside in a blaze of color. We visited it last year at this time and we couldn't believe the colors and the intensity of all the azaleas, it was really surreal.

It was a little tricky to find the arboretum, so bring a good map and directions. But once we got there, we just strapped Mo onto our backs and hike the small trails that lead you through the azaleas. I think this year he will love just walking with us. I wouldn't recommend a stroller because as I recall the trails weren't paved.

Recipe of the Month

2007-05-02T18:25:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be fun if we did a recipe of the month (where we all submit a recipe once a month). That way we can have fun trying out each other's recipes and building up our own cookbooks as well! I can't wait to try everyone else's!
Charish

Charish's Recipe for May

2007-05-02T18:13:00.000-05:00

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
(Adam's favorite!!) His family always requests pie instead of birthday cake...I learned to make this one asap!!

Filling:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbl. flour
3 cups fresh rhubarb (cut into 1/2 in. pieces)
3 Tbl. quick tapioca
1 cup fresh strawberries (sliced)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbl. butter

- Mix together dry ingredients. Add fruit and orange rind. Mix well. Pour into pie crust and dot the top with butter. Cover with top of pie crust (cut vents or make a lattice top). Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.

Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup water
1 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. vinegar

-Cut together flour, shortening and salt. Set aside. Mix water, egg and vinegar. Slowly add water mixture to flour mixture and mix with forth. Press together to form ball. Handle the least amount possible. Divide in half. Roll out. Makes a double crust.

Photos from 5/1

2007-05-02T18:10:00.000-05:00

Here are the photos I took of the kids. I know they're not great...the kids weren't too interested in posing while playing!! But there are some cute one's.
Charish

Lincoln

2007-05-02T18:09:00.001-05:00

Haven

2007-05-02T18:08:00.001-05:00

Brian

2007-05-02T18:07:00.000-05:00

Preston with Mom

2007-05-02T18:05:00.000-05:00

James and Jefferson

2007-05-02T18:04:00.000-05:00

Isaac

2007-05-02T18:03:00.002-05:00

Moses

2007-05-02T18:03:00.001-05:00

Tyler

2007-05-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

Bradley

2007-05-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Playgroup for 5/1

2007-04-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

The weather is supposed to be high 70's with a slight breeze. It should be beautiful! We'll meet at the park at 10:30...see you there!
Charish

Playgroup for April 24

2007-04-24T18:30:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great time today. Sorry I couldn't be there. Does anyone want to do anything specific next week? I thought it might be fun do let the kids wear bathing suits and bring water guns or whatnot...we'll see what the weather is like.

Free Kid Activities in D.C.

2007-04-10T15:13:00.001-05:00

Here some more free activities.
-Charish

Virginia Festivals and Fairs

2007-04-10T15:10:00.000-05:00

I found a fun website that shows some free activities that will be going on in the area. Anyone else know of any?
-Charish

Yeah!! Our Blog!!

2007-04-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

This blog is for the Falls Church Playgroup. We hope everyone enjoys it! Feel free to comment, post, add, or whatever! To view the calendar, you'll need to sign in to the gmail account. We hope that by creating this, everyone will be able to see what our week's activities are and stay connected! We thought it would be fun if everyone posted activities they heard of, recipes, photos, add links of their favorite websites, or own blogs! We're excited, so have fun blogging!!
-Charish