Today, Heather recommends a fantastic ocean adventure for the whole family:

No visit to Cape Cod would be complete without some type of water excursion. And OceanQuest -- a non-profit marine education program out of Woods Hole -- was one of the highlights of our vacation. The 90-minute cruise is a hands-on, marine educational experience for kids and parents of all ages and truly has something for everyone. Passengers are introduced to the major disciplines within oceanography and are actively involved in manipulating equipment, collecting data, and discovering the wonder of ocean sciences.

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Posted by Christine Koh on 21 Aug 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Outdoors; Local
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Today, Jennifer recommends summer school for grownups:

School may be out for summer for your kids, but there's no reason we moms can't have our own fun! In the whirlwind of momhood, "fun" often includes everything from play dates to work to endless domestic duties...it's hard to remember that at some point in our lives, it was perhaps easier to explore our more creative side. Which is exactly why it's so important to take some time during the summer to unplug, recharge, and try something new -- and maybe something even a little scary (not in the sky diving kind of way, but in a singing lessons kind of way).

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Posted by Christine Koh on 27 Jun 2010 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Indoors; Local
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Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Valerie via Twitter:

Dear Christine, do you have any summer camp recommendations for a day long camp with an educational component (reading + math) for a 6-year-old? I am right in the city. Thank you!

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Posted by Christine Koh on 26 May 2010 | Permalink | Comments (6) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Development & Behavior; Local
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There are two things any mom undoubtedly could use and enjoy: spa treatment + babysitting help. So I'm thrilled that in honor of Mother's Day, and as part of my Giveaway Goodness series, three of you fabulous readers will receive a $100 gift certificate to kick back and relax at Bella Santé day spa (good at the Boston, Lexington, or Wellesley locations) + a yearlong premium membership to Care.com so you can find some child care (or tutoring, special needs, senior care, pet care, or housekeeping) help. Woo hoo! Simply leave a comment below about this giveaway by midnight, May 9, 2010 to enter to win.

Continue reading "Giveaway Goodness: Bella Santé & Care.com" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 May 2010 | Permalink | Comments (102) | Filed in Beauty, Fitness & Wellness; Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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It's a spring full of science in Boston. And as a former scientist, I applaud these efforts to make science fun for kids, particularly programming designed to encourage girls to thrive in science alongside boys (I was one of few women in my lab during my postdoctoral fellowship...it made the need to pump in my shared-with-dudes office, well, awkward). Here are three great opportunities to get your kid's science mojo running this and next month:

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Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Apr 2010 | Permalink | Comments (3) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Indoors; Local; Tweens & Teens
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Are you looking for a compact, portable reference to help navigate the kid-friendly ins and outs of our fair city? Today I share my thoughts on Kim Foley MacKinnon's new book, Boston Baby: A Field Guide for Urban Parents. Read on for my review, as well as to learn about an opportunity to meet Kim and eat well tomorrow at Aura Restaurant, and be one of three winners to receive a copy of Boston Baby:

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Posted by Christine Koh on 4 Mar 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Books & Entertainment; Childcare & Education; Food & Drink; For Grownups; Fun Indoors; Fun Outdoors; Local; Pre & Postnatal Services; Retail
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It’s been over a decade since I visited Houston and I’m thrilled to return to this city next month for the Mom 2.0 Summit. Last year I heard incredible things about this conference, which serves as a meeting grounds for moms and marketers and this year explores professional, product, and personal paths. My attendance, however, would not be possible were it not for the kind and generous sponsorship of Care.com.

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Posted by Christine Koh on 22 Jan 2010 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local; Web (Admin)
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Back in high school, audition jitters aside, I adored being on the competitive orchestra circuit. The long rehearsals led to beautiful music and amazing friendships. And if you want to learn about a local arts group that creates music, friendships, and unity across cultural and social gaps, check out the Boston Children’s Chorus tomorrow, November 5 (6-7pm), at the Boston Public Library. The BCC -- which uses music to unify Boston’s diverse communities, inspire social change, and provide kids with music education and performance opportunities -- will preview a documentary about its recent tour to Jordan and celebrate the release of their This is the Sound of Harmony CD.

Posted by Christine Koh on 4 Nov 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Indoors; Local
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My tenure as a girl scout only lasted one year but as one of the few organized activities of my youth, I have a place in my heart for the adventure seeking, camaraderie building, cookie bearing troops. This Saturday, September 12, is Girl Scout Day in Eastern Massachusetts and to commemorate the day, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts will host a series of registration and celebration events at eight area Simon Malls from noon – 3pm (see roster below). And in this era of pricey kids extracurricular fees, it's a pretty sweet deal that the membership fee for Girl Scouts is only $12 per year. Not to mention direct access to all of those awesome cookies.

Continue reading "Gear Up With the Girl Scouts" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 10 Sep 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local
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Weather being what it has been, I definitely find myself thinking about the weekend, well, not too long after the week starts. And this Sunday (May 17) our friends at Hill House will host their 3rd annual Backyard Dash at Fiedler Field on the Esplanade. The day will include races for grown-ups and kiddos (registration required), and a community picnic and kids festival. Also cool: on Monday the 18th, participating Charles Street businesses will offer special Day After the Dash deals and discounts for those wearing a Backyard Dash bracelet or medal.

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Posted by Christine Koh on 13 May 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Fun Outdoors; Local
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I’m an avid supporter of the public schools, and subsequently was interested to hear via Universal Hub about a rally for Boston public schools today. Boston Public School Parents will convene at the State House between 11:30am – 2pm to lobby for funding and legislation. Click here for information on how to support the effort.

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Posted by Christine Koh on 26 Mar 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local; Outreach
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For parents in the Greater Lowell area looking to sort out summer plans, tomorrow the Chelmsford Mothers’ Club is hosting a free Summer Activities Fair. From 7-9pm, reps from local schools, day camps, and community recreation programs will provide families with summer programming information geared towards kids 6 and under. Some information for older kids will also be available, as will refreshments and giveaways.

At the All Saints Episcopal Church, 10 Billerica Road (Rt. 129), Chelmsford

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Apr 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local
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As joyful as it is to parent children as they become increasingly communicative and independent, those developments also can, at times, test even the most patient parents. For those who feel as if they’re running on fumes, head to Lynn Lyons and Christine Cook’s Refueling Your Parenting Tank workshop on March 9 at the JCC in Newton. Parents will learn how to work through button-pushing moments and difficult transitions with kids, and the buzz on this workshop – geared towards parents of 3-10 year olds – is that Lyons and Cook are talented educators who provide parents with the ideas and communicative tools needed to refuel and hit the ground running.

Want to win two registrations to this workshop (bring a partner or friend!)? Simply email contests@bostonmamas.com by Feb. 22 (with ‘Refuel’ in the subject).

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Feb 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Development & Behavior; Family Issues; Local
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Few things stress parents like having family, friends, or professionals raise their eyebrows when they hear that your babe hasn’t done X, Y, or Z by a specific age. I’ve already made clear my thoughts on statistical variability and individual differences (see Redshirting), and today we’re grateful to Kate for sharing her story and lead regarding Early Intervention:

Continue reading "Early Intervention" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 20 Jun 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local
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A local reader wrote in with a tip about Chatterboxes, a group of pediatric speech pathologists in Boston. She writes: “We had trouble with the hospitals as their waiting lists were long and our son couldn't be seen for 7 months. Chatterboxes is the only pediatric SLP private practice in Greater Boston…we were excited to find them. Chatterboxes came through and helped our son tremendously.”

Chatterboxes doesn’t yet have a live website; contact them at 617-723-TALK.

UPDATE (8/3/07): The reader who submitted this tip wrote in with a link to the Chatterboxes website. Much appreciated!

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Jun 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local
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It’s never too late to go to Harvard.

For parents interested in learning more about how babies and kids perceive musical features and other auditory materials, contact the Auditory Cognition and Development Lab at Harvard (director Erin Hannon is a new mama herself and a colleague from my days in the field). This lab conducts short studies for infants, toddlers, and elementary school aged children to learn about how the perception of melody, rhythm and other auditory stimuli develops over time. Parents will receive information about the goals of the study their child is participating in, as well as follow-up newsletters outlining the results. Parents also can request a DVD of their child participating in the study.

UPDATE 8/7/07: Erin Hannon has moved to the University of Nevada.

UPDATE 11/20/07: Rebecca from Medford wrote in regarding Harvard’s Laboratory for Developmental Studies (the arm in which the Hannon lab used to reside). She writes, “My older daughter participated in a couple of studies when she was a baby. They were simple activities where she was held on her dad's lap and shown pictures of adults with different emotional facial expressions. I think it is interesting work and I like being able to help with the research…My new baby is going to help by participating in a study next week. They are looking for infants that are 3-4 months old and they are having trouble finding enough young babies.”

To learn more about participating (infants, toddlers, and kids welcome), click here.

Posted by Christine Koh on 15 Mar 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | Filed in Childcare & Education; Local
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It doesn’t take much to push a parent’s worry button, and the source often is another parent, either in an attempt to make conversation, or enlist you as an accomplice in their web of worry.

The other day during day care drop off another parent commented on Laurel’s maturity (a relative term, of course), looked at the birthday board, and said gravely, “Oh, you’re going to have the same problem as us.” The problem being that both of our kids were born in early September; we thus would just miss the typical cutoff date for kindergarten (August 31 or September 1 in many Mass. towns) and be relegated to an extra year in pre-school.

Continue reading "Web of Worry" »

Posted by Christine Koh on 14 Nov 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Development & Behavior; Local
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Day cares – especially those that take infants – are tough to find, but Bright Horizons offers plenty of places to look. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Bright Horizons from several mama pals. Bright Horizons is massive; they operate more than 600 child-care centers and schools across the U.S., Canada and Europe. In Massachusetts, locations that are open to the community for application include Allston, Andover, Bedford, Beverly, Boston, Boxborough, Braintree, Cambridge, Charlestown, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Hingham, Lexington, Marlborough, Milton, Natick, Needham, Newburyport, North Reading, Norwell, Pembroke, Pittsfield, Quincy, Randolph, Sudbury, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, and Wellesley. Click here to narrow your search by distance from your home; check specific locations for age limits.

Posted by Christine Koh on 24 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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A mama from Medford passed along recommendations for two local family day cares. Carol Ricker (5 Bussell Rd., Medford, 781-395-4212) takes babes from 3 months to 3 years old and comes highly recommended for infant care. Donna Swales (61 Paris Street, Medford, 781-395-5612) takes babes from 3 months to 5 years, and comes highly recommended for toddler/pre-schoolers (2.5 – 5 years).

Thanks Mama N. from Medford!

Posted by Christine Koh on 18 Jul 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | Filed in Childcare; Childcare & Education; Local
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