Holiday Shopping and More at West Bradford’s Winter Bazaar!

Location: West Bradford Elementary School

Date: Saturday,  December 8, 2012

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Vendors: There are already 40+ vendors to fill all of your shopping needs for the holidays including but not limited to; handmade household items, fashion accessories, jewelry, holiday decor, baby items, toys, candles, skincare, pet products, and delectable food.  In addition, there will be representatives from popular businesses like Tastefully Simple, Scentsy, Pampered Chef, Avon and a whole lot more!

Note: They are still accepting Vendors on a first come first serve basis until they reach maximum capacity (100 vendors).  Anyone interested in being a vendor at the event can contact Rebecca Ade at jrade1728@gmail.com.

Extras: In addition to the many wonderful vendors, there will be gourmet food available, provided by Robyn’s Nest Catering, for dining at the event as well as take-out.  Shoppers looking to satisfy their sweet tooth can stop by the homemade bake sale table and pick up a little treat or a whole cake to take home. Younger shoppers have an opportunity to do some shopping of their very own at Santa’s workshop, which is loaded with many piggy bank friendly items. Don’t forget to get your child’s keepsake photo taken with Santa! Last but certainly not least, there will be a large raffle table offering all sorts of wonderful items from our very own vendors to win.   

Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post by West Bradford Winter Bazaar.

Fun Indoor Winter Activities for Kids

Winter time is here! Do you struggle with keeping your child engaged when you are stuck inside? I have put together some fun indoor educational activities that can be done with your children indoors.

Calling all writers! Here are some ways to help your child become better writers without it having it seem like work! Create a dialogue journal with your child. You can write them a letter and ask them to respond. This is a great way to promote writing while increasing communication between the two of you. Another way to implement a dialogue journal is to have your child write a critique about their favorite show or movie. After they have spend a few minutes writing you can use a different color pen to ask questions. This process can promote further dialogue between you and your child. For example: Child writes: I loved this episode of iCarly because I think Sam is so funny and she makes me laugh. Parent writes: What did Sam do to make you laugh?

I spy a Science kid! Doing fun science activities is a great way to keep your child busy and engaged while learning all at the same time! I don’t know about you but I haven’t met a kid who didn’t like making slime or volcanoes or even tornados in a bottle! You will find many of our favorites on this great link. I have enjoyed many of these experiments with my own kids. Check out http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/ for ideas.

Are you the next Picasso or Van Gogh? There is nothing like a fun art project. Sometimes a little sticky mess is just what you need when you are cooped up on a cold day! Try this art project to keep your kids smiling during this winter. Making “cotton swab” snowflakes can be lots of fun! You will need cardboard or a plastic wrap for your work area., 18 cotton swabs, tacky glue, glitter and monofilament line.To make the snowflakes, first create a work surface by covering a large piece of cardboard with plastic wrap. For each snowflake, arrange 18 cotton swabs into a snowflake shape (be creative and use your imagination). You want to make sure the ends of the cotton swabs meet each other. Squeeze a small amount of tacky glue where the ends of the swabs meet. Sprinkle glitter onto the glue and let the snowflakes dry overnight.

Carefully peel each flake from the plastic. Collect and return the excess glitter to its container. Hang your snowflakes up with monofilament line, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and watch your dining room transform into a winter wonderland!

I hope you find these activities fun and educational! Happy Learning!

Yolanda is the mom of 3 young children in the Delaware Valley. She is the Founder of Team Tutor.

50% Off Winter Tour at Eastern State Penitentiary

Sale Price: $12.00 per ticket (limit 1 per person, may 2 additional as gifts)

Original price: $24.00

Abominable snowmen are known for cold-hearted crime sprees, which invariably lead to their imprisonment by law-abiding snowmen in cages hewn from massive icicles. See a human prison with today’s Groupon for a Winter Adventure Tour of Eastern State Penitentiary, located downtown on Fairmount Avenue. Click here for more background on Eastern State Penitentiary.

What you need to know:
Expires Mar 14, 2011
Not available on 12/24-12/25/2010 or 1/1/2011
Subject to availability – reservations are strongly recommended. Not recommended for children under age 7

Highlights:
Get a tour with an expert tour guide
See Al Capone’s cell
See photograph’s of the Prison’s Christmases

No School today…Looking for Something to do? Check out our list of fun stuff to keep your minis entertained

Looking for something to do today to keep the minis busy? Hope we can help with our list of activities.

Nature Scavenger Hunt

I “Google” image searched lots of bugs, critters and nature-y type things that you would find in the typical Chester County back yard and copy/pasted the images into a word doc. My little ones will spend the afternoon running through our yard scratching items off their lists.

If you want to use my list (to the left).. let me know and I will email you the original word doc. chestercountymoms(at)gmail.com

If your family likes a scavenger hunt.. then you might want to try Geocaching. It is my new favorite thing to do.. I may have mentioned that once, twice or a hundred times.

Visit the Horses at Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines (free admission) The Farm is open to visitors daily between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. If you’d like, you may bring treats to feed the horses. But, please limit your food donations to apples (quartered) and carrots only. Click here for more info. If you visit.. please give my pal “Matisse” a few carrots for me.

1/2 Price Fun at Oasis in Glen Mills
Soft Playground – A gigantic soft playground that combines slides, tunnels, mazes, and other obstacles to challenge and entertain children from 1 to 11 years old. Within the Soft Playground there is a toddler area for children under 3. Children 2 -11 can play all day for just $6.00. Children 12 months – 23 months are $3.00 every day. Children under 1 and all parents are FREE every day! Every Tuesday and Thursday for 1/2 Price Day when all children over 12 months are $3.00.

Click here to find out whatis going on at the Chester County Library in your neighborhood.

The 13 Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four – day event from February 12th- February 15th that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent and in Hawaii. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year’s numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

Click here for special activities for kid’s.

Snowy Day Fun – An Outdoor Snow Table

We found this super cute idea online at Martha Stewart.com. It is from the 12/07 issue of Martha Stewart Living

Invite young friends to gather around a table made of snow. Tightly pack snow (wet snow works better than the powdery kind) into two large galvanized tubs, and leave it overnight to harden. Overturn one tub, unmold the snow, and then overturn the second tub on top. (To ease the way, set the frozen tubs inside a garage or a shed for a half hour to warm the snow.) For a seat, use the same trick and a 5-gallon bucket.

January & February Reduced Admission Rates for the Elmwood Park Zoo

Reduced Admission Rates for the Elmwood Park Zoo

New Admission Rates (as of Jan. 1, 2010)
ADULT (Ages 13-64) – $5.75 per adult (Jan/Feb. Only)
CHILD (Ages 2-12) -$4.25 per child (Jan. /Feb. Only)
SENIOR (Ages 65+) $4.25 per senior (Jan/Feb. Only)
BABY (Under 2 year) – FREE!
MEMBERS – FREE!
ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL – FREE

Military Personnel and their immediate family members are always admitted free.

Military ID and some form of photo ID must be shown for free admission to apply.

Fourth Graders Ski FREE!

757 Spring Mount Road

Spring Mount, PA 19478

Email: info@springmountainadventures.com

Phone: 1-888-305-5044 or 610-287-7900

(Spring Mountain, is located just minutes from the Lansdale Exit of the PA Turnpike)

To provide an opportunity for local youth to participate in winter sports, Spring Mountain will again run the Four for Free program. Fourth graders in local school districts can sign up for this special program. (See below for included schools) Students receive a free season pass with their picture on it which entitles them to ski or board the mountain anytime they are open during the 2009-2010 season!

The deadline to register for the free program with $5.00 processing fee is January 31, 2009. If you have any questions or would like further information please call or email Spring mountain Ski Area at the number/email listed above.

The Chester County school districts that are participating are Great Valley, Owen J. Roberts, Phoenixville, and Tredyffrin-Easttown. The districts were chosen because of their proximity to Spring Mountain and the ability of their fourth graders to take full advantage of their season passes.

If you do not live in one of the above districts, but would like your child to participate, you may purchase a regularly priced season pass for yourself or an older sibling and we will provide your fourth grader with a free Four for Free pass.

Special Thanks to Chesco Mom Mimi for this information! Do you know about a fun activity going on in or around Chester County and would like to share the details with other Chester County families? Click here to let us know and we will help spread the word.

Weekend Winterland Fun at DW!

Dutch Winter Wonderland offers themed rides, games, and holiday entertainment under thousands of twinkling lights! Indoor activities include cookie decorating, voting for your favorite gingerbread house, and sharing holiday wishes with Santa.

Admission:

Ages 3 and up – Only $10.95

Ages 2 and under – FREE

Always FREE Parking!

Click here for hours of operation

Koziar’s Christmas Village, Bernville (Berks County)

Last year I discovered Koziar’s Christmas Village in Bernville, PA and decided that it needed to become part of our Christmas traditions.

My husband cringes a bit about the whole tradition thing. He doesn’t get the glow of joy as the kids and I discuss the story of every ornament on the Christmas Tree. He doesn’t get all teary at the thought of reading all of the Christmas books. He couldn’t care less if we made gingerbread houses.

But he did like the Christmas Village. Or else he is humoring me. Either way, we are going back!

My “discovery” of Koziar’s was apparently a little late in the game. Many people from Chester County have been there and enjoyed it. Bernville is outside of Reading, near the airport, and on our inaugural trip last year it took about an hour to get there from our place in Chester Springs.

They are open from 6-9 Monday – Friday and 5-9:30 on the weekends. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for kids under 12.

The vast majority of the displays are outdoors, so last year, when the temps were around freezing, it was pretty nippy out there. Luckily there are a few places to duck into, get some hot chocolate or hot apple cider, and warm up before you go back for more. Hopefully this year it will be a little less frostbite inducing.

It is difficult to fully convey what there is to see. Lots and lots of lights. Lots and lots of characters – from the Peanuts, to the Flintstones, to Sesame Street – the whole gang is there on what look to be hand-painted displays. There is a path to follow that meanders through all of the displays. Music is playing.

It’s kind of like walking through the Christmas light display of the tackiest neighbors EVER. But in a completely awesome sort of way.

There are little tableaus (I think that is the appropriate word) of toy shops and candy shops and other Christmas Scenes. Some were mildly disturbing, but most were cute. Sprout proclaimed a number of things – especially those with moving dolls – to be “creeeeepy”. Luckily she also ooohhhed and aaaahhhed and WOWed about many more things!

Rudolf and Frosty were hanging around for pictures, resulting in a perfect Christmas Card worthy photo op.

There are also two impressive train set-ups, one outdoors and one indoors. The indoor one was huge and, you know, indoors – which was a plus at the point last year where I could no longer feel my toes.

Named one of the top ten attractions in PA as well as the Best Outdoor Christmas Display in the World (!), the kids proclaimed it to be “Awesome” – even Sprout, who I was told might be too old to appreciate the kitchy nature of the whole scene.

Last year Tater said we should go back next year and the next year and the next year.
So we will. And you should too!

Kristen is a new contributor at Chester County Moms. She lives in Chester Springs with her husband, daughter, Sprout (10); son, Tater (7); and two dogs. Be sure to read more about Kristen’s exploits as she attempts to keep her kids busy and entertained at http://www.thefunmommies.com/