Fun for kids out on the town and at home

Jump, jump, jump, Jim Joe,
Shake your head and nod your head
And tap your toe.
Around and around and around you go,
You find a little partner and you jump Jim Joe!

This is a great singing game for little ones; the actions are self-explanatory. You can find this and more on Kathy Reid-Naiman and daughter Hannah Naiman’s newest CD Here We Go Zodeo – singing games and play parties for children of all ages, produced by Ken Whiteley for Merriweather Records.

With summer almost upon us parents are looking for activities for young children when they are not at the cottage. Singing games are one way to fill in the time and are lots of fun. There are summer camps that offer a variety of art and music programs over the summer.

Pegasus Studios has a wonderful week-long program for very young and older children that features music, storytelling, dance and art, all taught by experienced professionals in those particular fields. Following educational theories of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, the Pegasus program of integrated activities are designed to nurture the growth of the developing child through to young adult. Pegasus is located at 361 Glebeholme Blvd. (near Coxwell and Danforth). To enroll email pegasusstudios@rogers.com

For those just interested in art, 4 Cats Arts Studio, 2144B Queen St. E., also offers summer camp classes, from Abstract Expressionists, to Stop Motion Animation to Painting, Puppets & Sculpture. It’s a great space, very inspiring, with a multitude of programs for ages two to 15 years. They even have a splatter room hung with canvas and – you guessed it – splatter painted from ceiling to floor and wall to wall. It looks like a lot of fun and you can also book parties there to keep the mess out of your house.

4 Cats is a chain started in B.C. by a mom who home schooled her young son. It got its name from the café in Spain where a young Picasso would meet with other like-minded artists to discuss art. You can contact owner Jennifer Kenneally at 647-345-4300.

However, you may find there are times when you just want to hang out, and because it’s summer you can have a lot of fun in your own back yard. Fill up a wading pool or turn on the sprinkler for a quick wash up of those little artists and let them go to it!

A perfect activity for the back yard is foot printing.

Stretch out a good length, 1 to 3 metres, of plain paper. Lay out a few trays of primary colours. Primary colours are great as they allow exploration of mixing and discovering orange, green and purple. Let the child step in the paint and walk across the paper. Repeat with the other colours. This is when the pool comes in handy.

Try finger painting, or printmaking using different fruits and vegetables cut in half, dipped in paint and pressed onto the paper. Also experiment with kitchen utensils and see what happens – try painting with a whisk!

Let children create a summer journal using a collage board and sticking found shells, interesting sticks, stones, feathers, photos and even their own stories and drawings until the board is full. Summer is also a good time for a visit to the library for books on beading or friendship bracelets for older children to make at the cottage on rainy days.

Riddle :
The school is green and the halls are white,
The room is red and the students black, brown and white.

Answer: watermelon

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