Winona Area Family Events Calendar

sponsored by the Early Childhood Family Education PTA

March
ECFE Drop-In Playgroup • Thursdays 12:30-2:30 • Room 106, Goodview School
• Come play with your pre-K children at Early Childhood Family Education. Make a craft, play with toys, or run around the Zoom Room. Open to all; no registration required, but donations appreciated. More info: 494-0913

Family Gym Nights • Fridays, 6-7:30 pm, Mar 2—Mar 16 • Goodview School
• Come play with your preschool children! Free and open to all; no pre-registration needed. Sponsored by ECFE PTA. More info: 494-0913

Festival of Owls • Sat, Mar 3, 8am – 10pm & Sun, Mar 4, 9am – 4pm • Houston, MN
• Houston (high school, nature center, library, and other locations) Hands-on displays of live owls, owl storytelling and crafts, owl face painting, owl calling workshops, family “owl prowl,” educational presentations, singing, food, merchandise. Adult admission: $5 adults; $2 kids 4-12. Full schedule and more info: www.houstonmn.com/owlfest.htm or (507) 896-4668

Read Across America • Wed, Mar 7, 3pm – 5pm • Winona Public Library
• Childrens Dept Open House to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with storytelling, crafts, birthday cake, and tutorials on the new Young Explorer computer. Also see the new shelving, mural, and updated Storytime Room. More info: (507) 452-4592

Soar With the Eagles • Sat, Mar 10, 10am – 5pm; Sun, Mar 11, 10am – 5pm • National Eagle Center, Wabasha
• The 2007 Soar with the Eagles event promises to be the biggest and best event yet. There will be many speakers, field trips, eagles to see and meet up close, silent auction, entertainment, photo contest, children’s activities, and much more. Cost varies with event, some are free. For more info: 651-565-4989 or visit the National Eagle Center website at www.nationaleaglecenter.org/index.htm.

Prime Time on Ice • Fri & Sat, March 16th & 17th at 7pm; Sunday, March 18th at 1pm • Bud King Ice Arena, Winona
• The Winona Figure Skating Club will present their 12th annual Ice Show, Prime Time on Ice! More than 100 local skaters will perform at the Bud King Ice Arena to the music of your favorite TV shows. Ticket prices range from $4-$7 and children under 2 are free. Tickets may be purchased at Blooming Grounds, Merchants Bank, Wells Fargo and Winona National Bank.

Early Childhood Family Education Class Registration • due by noon Fri, Mar 16
• Why sign up for ECFE classes with your infant, toddler, or pre-school child? 1. Research shows early childhood education benefits kids for the rest of their lives; 2. In ECFE classes, parents talk and learn about parenting issues that matter to them; 3. It’s a fun way to take a break and improve your family life at the same time! Look for registration information in the Community Education brochure sent out by mail about Feb 26, or call ECFE at 494-0913.

Maple Syrup Making Time for the Whole Family • afternoon of Sat, Mar 17 • Whitewater State Park (near Altura)
• Presentation on the history of maple syrup and sugar making. Participants will tap trees, gather and boil sap, and taste pure maple syrup. Reservations and more info: (507) 932-3007 extension 0

This events calendar is sponsored by the Winona Early Childhood Family Education PTA. For more information about Early Childhood Family Education programs and events, call 494-0913.

Author of "Last Child in the Woods" Comes to Winona

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, will be in Winona on Thursday, April 19 to offer a professional development seminar from 1:30 - 4:30 as well as a free talk open to the public at 7 p.m. at Somsen Auditorium, WSU. Today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, says child advocacy expert Louv even as research shows that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can...be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies." Registration for the professional development seminar is $40 for CEU, $30 non-CEU. Register through Winona COunty Environmental Services; call 457-6405 for more information.

How to Handle Your Toddler

In this professionally produced 13-minute video from WNET and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, renowned experts Penelope Leach and Kyle Pruett talk with parents about how to handle toddlers: deal with their behavior, learn the right ways to talk and discipline them, and recognize when they are merely imitating what they learn from adults. You'll also learn ways to encourage and enhance a toddler's development. Topics covered include: How advanced is a toddler's language? Toddler doesn't always have to mean tantrums, biting, scratching and hair pulling? Should you yell at your toddler? How much is a toddler's behavior based on imitating those around them? How toddlers view and perceive their world. Setting boundaries with toddlers. Saying "no" to toddlers.

Note: If the video playback is jittery because of a slow connection, try pressing pause until more of the video has loaded (as indicated by the green status bar).

Infant CPR video

Here's a three-minute video demonstrating infant CPR.

Cooking With Kids: Tutti-Frutti Salad

This two-minute video demonstrates how to make Tutti-Frutti Salad, a healthy snack or breakfast option, with your kids.



From the producers of the video:

Inspired by the reality of childhood eating disorders and the lack of time
families spend in the kitchen together, Cooking With Kids television segments
were designed to motivate parents and children to cook healthy, nutritious meals
together. The 10 segments of Cooking With Kids are shown in classrooms
throughout Washington State, and received great feedback! To get your FREE
Cooking With Kids DVD and educational packet filled with worksheets, please call
(206) 682-3699. Also, don't forget to check out www.CookingWithKids.org.

Cooking with Kids: Cheesy Chicken Crunchers

This two-minute video demonstrates how to make Cheesy Chicken Crunchers, a healthy snack or dinner option, with your kids.



From the producers of the video:

Inspired by the reality of childhood eating disorders and the lack of time families spend in the kitchen together, Cooking With Kids television segments were designed to motivate parents and children to cook healthy, nutritious meals together. The 10 segments of Cooking With Kids are shown in classrooms throughout Washington State, and received great feedback! To get your FREE Cooking With Kids DVD and educational packet filled with worksheets, please call (206) 682-3699. Also, don't forget to check out www.CookingWithKids.org.

Lake Park Playground

One of the largest playgrounds in Winona, the Lake Park playground features swings (including two baby/toddler swings), lots of climbing equipment and slides (including a playset for older toddlers), a sandbox, two seesaw-type rides, and several tunnels. It's located next to the bandshell, which makes it a popular destination on Wednesday nights during the summer when the municipal band is practicing for its concert. Amenities include a water fountain (operates only during summer months), portable toilets, and picnic tables. Most of the playground is not shaded. Located at Lake Park Drive and Park Drive (near W Lake St and Main St).

Looking for something to do? Check out these links to local events calendars

If you're looking for events in the Winona area, here are some websites to check out (roughly in order of their usefulness):

Community Calendars

Winona Radio Community Calendar
It's easy to add events to this calendar from Winona Radio, which means that it lists a lot of events that would otherwise fall under the radar.

Visit Winona - Calendar of Events
From the Winona Visitors and Conventions Bureau.

Explore Minnesota - Events
This will list all the events in the southern Minnesota Mississippi River Valley and Historic Bluff Country, from the Minnesota Department of Tourism website.

Mississippi Valley Partnership - Calendar
This link will take you to the home page of Mississippi Valley Partners, a tourism cooperative extending along the river from Red Wing, Minnesota, to Winona, Minnesota, and from Bay City, Wisconsin, to Alma, Wisconsin. At the top right of the home page, click on the Calendar link to see the current month's event calendar.

La Crosse Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
To navigate to the events calendar for the current month, click on "New & Events" in the navigation bar at the top of the home page, and then choose "Events Calendar" from the drop down menu.

Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau - Upcoming Events
Events for the next three months in Rochester, Minnesota.

Events at Specific Destinations/Organizations

Winona Public Library Children's Department - News and Events
Note that this page is not always kept up to date.

Minnesota Marine Art Museum Events
The museum frequently offers events geared toward children.

La Crosse Children's Museum Events
Another page that may or may not be current.

La Crosse Center Calendar
Calendar of upcoming events at the La Crosse Center.

Minnesota Equestrian Center Show Calendar
Lists upcoming horse shows at the Minnesota Equestrian Center, just outside Winona. Very little information is provided beyond a title and a date, but a contact phone number is usually listed for more information.

Winona Mall Events
The mall frequently sponsors family-friendly events; its events calendar usually lists a title and a date, but no additional information, so call the mall for details.

Whitewater State Park events
Scroll down the page for a list of upcoming events at Whitewater State Park; some appropriate for children.

Winona National Bank - Community Involvement
Provides information on the bank's Easter egg event and summer concerts.

A note to those using this list to update/create the Winona Area Family Events Calendar:

• Generally. we only include events that would be appropriate for families with at least one child aged five and under;
• Generally, we only include events within an hour's drive of Winona, tops; even then, the event would have to be pretty good to justify driving more than 30 minutes;
• When submitting an event, please include as much information as parents need to make a decision about the event -- day(s), time, cost, address and/or directions, short description, and contact information (phone number and/or website, if available) for finding more info.
• Events can be submitted to WinonaECFEPTA [ at ] gmail . com

Why do kids have more energy than adults?

"Why has evolution given children so much energy and their parents so little?" asks NPR reporter John Hamilton. According to the scientists he interviewed, it's all about brain development. But kids' sluggish parents have a role to play, too. Read the whole story at NPR.

Homemade playdough recipe

Here's a recipe for playdough you can make right at home:

2 cups water
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 1/4 tablespoon alum
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
food coloring

Add food coloring and oil to water. Stir in dry ingredients. Knead until smooth. Stores well in a refrigerator for several months.

Creekside Playground, Rushford

This is a large wooden playground with "castles" and walkways, swings, tires, a sandbox, and various climbing equipment. The playground is partially shaded and near a picnic shelter and t0ilets. If you'd like to make a day of it, the Creamery is a good place to stop for ice cream or pizza after the playground; it's just a few minutes down Hwy 43 in Rushford (on the right, before Hwy 15, next to the bowling alley). Located near the intersection of Pine Meadows Rd. and N. Mill St., Rushford; watch for the ballfields on the left as you head into town, or view a map.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome linked to brain defects

From the Boston Globe:

Babies who die of SIDS apparently have not developed a sort of "alarm system" that would make them respond to rising carbon dioxide levels by turning their heads and breathing harder, said Dr. Hannah Kinney of Children's Hospital, who is senior author of the study, published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

You can read the whole article at the Boston Globe.

Better parenting through neuroscience?

University of Minnesota family science professor Bill Doherty has teamed up with St. Paul parents to launch Birthdays Without Pressure. The group is hoping to combat extravagant children's birthday parties. Their website (www.birthdayswithoutpressure.org) offers tips to parents, a birthday pressure quiz, research, and other resources for parents. Doherty says:

Today’s parents feel pushed to do more for children, provide more experiences and opportunities—and in less time because of overloaded schedules. Toys overflow, birthday parties become Hollywood productions, and electronic gear takes over the home. If we are not paying for something or driving our kids somewhere, it’s hard to feel we are doing enough as parents. It’s time to take a deep breath and ask ourselves how to parent wisely nowadays, beginning with small things like birthday parties.

Getting control over kids' birthdays

University of Minnesota family science professor Bill Doherty has teamed up with St. Paul parents to launch Birthdays Without Pressure. The group is hoping to combat extravagant children's birthday parties. Their website (www.birthdayswithoutpressure.org) offers tips to parents, a birthday pressure quiz, research, and other resources for parents. Doherty says:

Today’s parents feel pushed to do more for children, provide more experiences and opportunities—and in less time because of overloaded schedules. Toys overflow, birthday parties become Hollywood productions, and electronic gear takes over the home. If we are not paying for something or driving our kids somewhere, it’s hard to feel we are doing enough as parents. It’s time to take a deep breath and ask ourselves how to parent wisely nowadays, beginning with small things like birthday parties.

Video: Building Literacy Competencies in Early Childhood

The following is a four-minute video, filmed in several lively preschool and kindergarten classrooms, that reviews the underlying cognitive, social and physical requirements for literacy skills. Note: If playback is jerky, pause the video while the green bar advances beyond the arrow indicator.

Services

Posts about services for families with young children.

Places to go

Posts about places to go with small children in the Winona area.

Parenting ideas

Posts about parenting--strategies, tips, news, and fun.