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“Creative Kids” magazine seeks literary and artistic kids for its advisory board
Does your child like to express his creative side by writing stories or poems, drawing pictures, or taking photographs? If so, he could become part of the advisory board of Creative Kids, a magazine for kids, by kids, published by Prufrock Press, a well-known publisher of works for gifted children.
Children have until July 1 to apply. Those selected for the advisory board will give the editors feedback about the magazine’s content, review products for the magazine, and contribute original work to be published in the magazine. Although the search information doesn’t specify an age range, the magazine is intended for kids ages 8-16, so I have to assume that’s who they want.
Not ready for this level of commitment? Kids can always submit individual creative works to the magazine. Just follow the instructions in the submission guidelines.
Check out more than books at your local library this summer
I try to look far and wide to find fun, educational activities for kids. But this summer, free fun may be as close as your local library.
Sure, you already know that public libraries offer summer book clubs and reading programs for school-age children. Maybe you even know they have chess clubs and family game nights. But did you know you can build LEGO vehicles, learn Chinese, study mummies and see planetarium shows, all at your local library at no cost?
Here’s just a sampling of activities going on at metro area libraries this summer. Follow the link to your county’s public library system to see the full calendar of events. (You can sneak a peek at other counties, too, but note that some activities will be open only to county residents, so if you’re thinking about traveling across county lines, call to check first.)
- Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System: Starting this Saturday, June 4, teens can take part in a free drama camp that meets Saturday afternoons at the Dogwood branch…. Learn about mummies June 9 at the Northside branch…. A Science Academy at the Alpharetta branch on June 13 will teach kids about biology, paleontology, oceanography and even volcanology.
- Clayton County: A kids’ Scrabble club meets occasionally at the main branch…. Make stained glass on June 14 at the Riverdale branch…. Learn about the polar regions of Earth on August 6 at the main branch.
- Cobb County: The Wheeler High School robotics team will give a presentation this Saturday, June 4 at the East Cobb branch…. Middle-schoolers can get a taste of Chinese language on June 6 at West Cobb…. The East Marietta branch will host an 8-week creative writing workshop for teens, beginning June 7.
- DeKalb County: The mobile planetarium from the Fernbank Science center will be at the Chamblee branch on June 6 and at Clarkston on June 28…. Snakes and other reptiles will be at the Northlake branch on June 14…. On July 9, kids can build and race LEGO vehicles at the Stone Mountain branch.
- Gwinnett County: Reviewing the summer calendar, I see a lot more entertainment and crafts than educational programs. The Five Forks branch presents an introduction to origami for teens on July 28…. The Zoo Atlanta Zoomobile visits Five Forks on August 2.
Registration open for summer session of Saturday School at GSU
Saturday School for Scholars and Leaders, a program of Georgia State University, has opened registration for its summer session of Saturday classes.
Children in grades K-8 can choose from classes in a variety of subjects, from art to public speaking, computers to sharks. The summer session begins on July 9 and will meet for four weeks, ending on July 30. Classes meet in the mornings on the downtown GSU campus.
The Saturday School web site says there are also a few spaces remaining for its one-week summer day camp, to be held next week.
Upcoming rocketry and astronomy events at Tellus
The Tellus Museum in Cartersville has a number of space-related activities on its calendar in the coming month.
This Saturday, May 7, for National Astronomy Day, the museum will have its observatory open for solar viewing by day, and viewing of the moon and Saturn after dark. The museum also will host three lectures on astronomy.
On June 3 at 7 p.m., visitors to the museum can hear Charles Carter talk about his work on the Saturn V rocket. The next day, Saturday, June 4, Tellus will offer a model rocketry workshop, where you can build and launch a model rocket. This activity is open to ages 8 and up. There is a fee ($10 for members; $25 for non-members) and reservations are required. Call (770) 606-5700, ext. 417, to reserve a spot.
Happy Bird-days coming up at Fernbank
Fernbank Science Center in Decatur has two upcoming programs for bird lovers.
This Saturday, May 7, Fernbank will host a bird watching tour through its old-growth forest. The walk begins at 8 a.m. and goes until 10:30 a.m., although you can leave early if you like. BYOB (Bring Your Own Binoculars).
May 14, in recognition of International Migratory Bird Day, Fernbank will hold its first ever Bird Festival. Visitors can learn about creating a back yard environment that attracts birds and practice their skills with binoculars. The day also includes a bird house contest for kids and adults.
Activities at Fernbank are free and open to the public.
Upcoming Fernbank programs for space lovers
For those who love space and space travel, the Fernbank Science Center in Decatur will be the place to be in early May.
First, there are NASA Nights on May 5 and 6, 2011. The public is invited to meet Space Shuttle astronaut (and DeKalb County native) Eric Boe, catch a planetarium show about the planets of our Solar System, see the science center’s aeronautics education lab, and view the night sky from the observatory.
Then, on May 7, Fernbank will put on family activities for National Astronomy Day.
These events are free and open to the public.
Be part of a huge scientific investigation … just by watching fireflies!
This time every spring, we see the return of one of the most magical creatures of the night: fireflies.
Just by watching once a week for these bioluminescent bugs, your child could be part of a large-scale scientific investigation called Firefly Watch. Launched in 2008, Firefly Watch is a joint venture among scientists at Tufts University, Fitchburg State College and the Museum of Science in Boston. These scientists are looking for data that may reveal how firefly populations are changing and how they may be affected by factors including pesticides and artificial lighting.
You can sign up to watch for fireflies in your yard, then log your observations online. The minimum time commitment is 10 minutes one evening per week through the summer — but motivated observers could do as much as they wish. Those who really want to dig deep can also view data being collected by other observers throughout North America.
Review: My weekend at Space Camp
My son and I went to Parent / Child Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., this weekend, and I thought I’d share a bit about the experience for those who might be considering it.
The program was 48 hours long, from Friday at noon until Sunday at noon, but it was so jam packed with activities, it felt more like a week. They really keep you busy and the days are long — 6:30 or 7 a.m. wake-up and then activities straight through until 9 or 9:30 p.m.
Having done it, I’d say Space Camp is more an adventure camp than a science / educational program. “Trainees” get to use a number of simulators that are like those used to train astronauts for missions, and they get to conduct a simulated space shuttle mission, with each child and parent playing a role on the team either in mission control or on a spacecraft. It’s exciting, but I can’t say we learned a whole lot. Yes, the staff ran through some brief information about the history of space exploration, but there was not a word about the science of it.
[Plenty of scientific information can be found in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on the campus, so you could explore that on your own, but it would have to be before or after the camp, because you may not have more than 20 minutes to yourself during the weekend program. My point is, if your child is fascinated with the engineering side of space travel, you have to ask yourself whether it’s worth the $399 per person for the camp or whether you’d be better off just visiting the museum for a day or two.]
Parent / Child Space Camp accepts kids ages 7-11, but my personal take is that it’s probably better for the 9-11 crowd than for 7- and 8-year-olds. The nature of the activities and the length of the days seems a bit much for kids still in the primary grades, although I’ll admit that the 7-year-olds who attended with us (my son included) seemed very happy and showed no signs of fatigue, so maybe my concern about the long days and late bedtimes is misplaced.
If you have an anxious child or a child too young for regular Space Camp, where the minimum age is 9, the family camp is a way to give them the experience in an atmosphere where they have you with them to make them feel more secure. To make the most of the program, though, the parent or adult who is participating should be more than a chaperon. If they’re adventurous enough to try the activities, too, you’ll get more out of the weekend.
The staff was friendly, although not always as knowledgeable as I would have liked. In those rare cases where they were talking about the history of the program, it seemed there were some kids in our group who knew as much as or more than the staff members. I also ran into some issues during the camp where things did not run as smoothly as I would have expected, given their 30 years of experience running camps. That was disappointing.
If you are thinking about going, you should know that you’ll be staying in a “habitat,” which is a large building designed to look like a space station. The living quarters are quite spartan — bunks with thin mattresses, community bathrooms, doors that close but don’t lock, no windows in the bunk rooms. You also may be assigned roommates from your camp group. The whole experience brings to mind a military boot camp, minus any harsh drill instructors, of course. If that is a deal breaker for you, you can book a room at the Marriott hotel on the property and still take part in the camp. It’ll just add to your cost.
Final analysis: Good fun, great for the astronaut wanna-be, not so educational.
Solar astronomy workshop at Tellus Museum
Mom always said, “Don’t look at the sun!” Good advice, unless you’re at a solar astronomy workshop at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville.
On Saturday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., kids 8 and up can observe the sun using solar telescopes. The workshop also includes a lecture by a Tellus scientist.
The program costs $25 for non-members, and all children must be accompanied by an adult, who also has to pay for admission to the museum.
I’m not sure why this workshop isn’t listed on the Tellus web site as of this posting, but I called to verify it’s happening. To register, call the museum at (770) 606-5700.
Registration starts today for Science Night Out at Fernbank
Fernbank Science Center will host its next Science Night Out on Friday, May 6. The theme for the program is, “Things that Wiggle, Squiggle, Creep and Crawl.”
Science Night Out is aimed at science lovers in 3rd – 6th grades. The program runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Registration, which is done only by U.S. Mail, is $15 for one child and $10 for additional siblings. The class will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Gifted Atlanta 