Activity Rocket was an official sponsor at last weekend’s Tots2Teens Expo, a collection of the best vendors for families in the greater DC area.

On Saturday, April 20, the Washington Convention Center was bustling with parents and kids alike, looking to see the best of the greater DC’s vendors for families. Naturally, Activity Rocket was in the building. Nestled between the booths of partners Bricks4Kids and Bach To Rock, the Activity Rocket booth piqued the interest of many a curious parent.

As parents discovered the features and functionality of Rocket, they were impressed.”This is a GODSEND!” one mom remarked, ecstatic that the frustration of booking her kids was soon to be ended by Rocket.

Families were greatly entertained Rocket partner booths by My Gym, Bach to Rock, and Bricks4Kids.

Another mom mentioned how she had been putting off the headache of summer activity searching until the last possible minute; now with the ease of Rocket, there’s no more need to delay!

Kids were equally excited about the new possibilities Rocket would bring. Their worlds were about to be expanded to include the diverse activities listed on Rocket’s site. Upon hearing that Activity Rocket’s site included the option to search for Archery programs, one little girl immediately begged that mom sign her up!As parents at Tots2Teens discovered, Activity Rocket is a revolutionary new service that’s taking the entire activity experience to new heights! Come experience the Rocket power first hand at Celebrate Mama! this Saturday!

While Activity Rocket makes searching for the perfect activity a breeze, choosing from the plethora of choices out there isn’t as easy, especially with fickle kids whose interests change on a daily basis. Luckily, these tips will help you match your child’s personality with the perfect activity for him or her! Whether you have a little daredevil or a tiny dancer on your hands, this advice will help you identify some activities you may not have considered yet.

As kids get older, it’s important to make them more involved in the activity search. Ask them for their input about what activities they think they’d like to try (and can stick with.) Gaging your child’s enthusiasm for the activity before signing up will save precious time (and registration fees.)

Next, consider your child’s personality and skill sets. Does she love seeking thrill and adventure? Is he always eager to bust a move? Is she nimble in a pair of cleats?

You may think you know where we’re going here… but there are a lot more activities out there than ballet and soccer. What about for the kid who’s not sporty, but still loves being outside? Or the one who’s light on her feet, but would never dream of putting on a pair of ballet slippers? These creative suggestions have got you covered!

To read more: She Knows Parenting: Help Your Child Pick the Right After School Activity

Think you’re ready to begin the search? Here are some unique Rocket suggestions to get you started!

Have your little athlete trade swap out his baseball glove for boxing gloves! Knock out the class search with a quick one-two punch!

Have a performer on your hands? Magic classes are a fun alternative to other performing arts classes! Make classes in your area appear with just one click of your magic mouse!

Your little artist’s creativity just can’t be captured in 2D? Check out filmmaking classes! Zoom in on the perfect activity right now!

Pilates or yoga? Teeball or soccer? Dance or theatre? The activity search is already brimming with options for parents looking to expose their kids to as much as possible. But for parents of children with special needs, an extra question is thrown into the mix– to mainstream or not to mainstream?

On one hand, inclusion facilitates development and prepares kids to interact with other types of children and creates a diverse classroom that teaches valuable lessons about tolerance, cooperation, and compassion. On the other, special needs exclusive activities have instructors with specific training and level the playing field so that special needs participants don’t feel pressure to keep up with peers who don’t face similar challenges. So which should parents choose?

For Helen Shafer, founder of The Shafer Center for Early Intervention and mom of 10 year-old Hayden, the answer is a resounding…

“It depends.”

Hayden has participated in summer camp, swimming, and martial arts with different levels of accommodation for his autism spectrum disorder.

When choosing an activity, Shafer suggests parents do a few things. First, talk openly with the activity provider and instructors about your child’s special needs. They should return the same honesty about whether or not their program will be a good fit for your child.
Also, consider the culture of the activity and the participants involved. In certain sports leagues, Shafer found, instructors and other kids don’t pose a problem so much as hypercompetitive parents, who may not be so understanding when her son misses the ball or lets an opponent score.

Shafer also offers a third option some parents may not have considered—private lessons. Hayden has participated in a weekly tae kwon do lesson that allows him to do something active and cool while he develops his sensory processing skills at his own pace.

All in all, it’s about fun, Shafer says. “If you’re having fun, it doesn’t matter who you’re with, but if you’re not having fun, who you’re with matters.” The point of activities is to build self-esteem, socialize and learn new skills while having fun, so if your child is thriving and having a good time, he or she is in the right place.

Check out Activity Rocket to find activity providers in your area that accommodate special needs or cater exclusively to special needs.

Which types of activities have you tried for your child, and which have worked best? Let us know!

Horseback riding is a recreational and therapeutic activity enjoyed by individuals of all ages and abilities. As a sport, it provides the rider with the opportunity to master the skills necessary to confidently control and steer a horse through various patterns and obstacles. Horseback riding is also a means to access and explore the great outdoors. For many people, trail riding is becoming a popular recreational activity.

Just a few of the benefits of horseback riding are:

1. Improved balance and muscle strength
2. Improved coordination, faster reflexes and increased motor planning
3. Stretching of tight or spastic muscles
4. Increased range of motion of joints
5. Stimulates sensory integration
6. Improved visual spatial perception
7. Improved eye-hand coordination
8. Improved self-confidence
9. Improved risk-taking abilities
10. Development of patience
11. Emotional control and self-discipline

By Misty Brae Farm – a recognized United States Pony Club Riding Center offering horseback riding lessons, winter, spring and summer camp, and all of the benefits and opportunities available through the United States Pony Club. For more information on the benefits of horseback lessons or the 2013 – Spring Break Camp – March 25 -29 program CLICK HERE.

Our Imagination Stage Student Ensemble performed their version of Seussical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Thirty actors in grades 5-10 auditioned, were cast in, and have been rehearsing this production since September. While being an exceptionally popular production for middle and high school students in schools all over the country, the exciting draw here at Imagination Stage is that the production is being rehearsed side-by-side of the Imagination Stage professional production of Seussical. 

Both productions use essentially the same script and are performed on the same set, designed by Tom Donahue. But the similarities end there. By the virtue of being directed by two different people, the performances end up with their own unique vision and voice. 

Three years ago, we provided a similar experience, alongside Imagination Stage’s professional production of Mulan. It was an extremely successful program providing a place for our more advanced conservatory students to apply their training to performance, as well as being an entry point for newer students, many of whom joined classes and conservatories after their experience. The highlight for both the actors and me as the director was our final dress rehearsal which was attended by the entire professional Mulan cast. I had gotten the sense that they were being very polite in attending but not confident they were going to enjoy a youth theatre production. On the contrary, they ended up being thrilled with what they saw! They were impressed with the skill level of the young performers and also really enjoyed seeing an alternative version of the show they had been working so hard on. One actor jokingly invited his counterpart to show up at 9:30 am the next morning for call, as she would do an equally great job in his shoes. 

This year, the professional and student casts of Seussical have been similarly fascinated with one another. On two occasions, professional cast members have dropped by our rehearsals after their Sunday shows to get a sneak peek of this production in the works. And our student cast went as a group to watch the professional production. They loved it, and it increased the excitement for their own show, not to mention helped to solidify acting technique concepts I was instilling during the rehearsal process. One student actress even said to me, “They were great but…I think we’re pretty good, too.” 

I’m so excited for our final dress rehearsal, which will once again be attended by members of our professional ‘sister’ cast. For me, as a director, it is great fun to see them react to what I know are major directorial differences between the two shows. But mostly, I’m grateful for the encouragement and inspiration these pros have been giving to the young actors.

By Nikki Kaplan, Associate Director of Education and Director of Seussical, Jr.

[Editor's Note: Both performances of Seussical were fantastic and met with rave audience reviews]

We add new businesses and classes EVERY DAY! Check out the list of businesses below who have recently updated their programs.

MD

B2R Bethesda

B2R Gaithersburg

BlackRock Center for the Arts 

BounceU Clarksburg

BounceU Rockville

ClefTone Studios Music Together 

Dynamite Gymnastics Center 

Funfit Family Fitness 

Furlani Flute Studio 

Georgetown Prep Tennis Club

Girls on the Run of Montgomery County, MD

i9 Sports

Impact Performing Arts 

Joy of Fitness 

Kidville

Montgomery Village Rec. & Parks 

Music Together Montgomery

My Gym Bethesda

My Gym Kentlands

My Gym Potomac

Purple Crayon Studio 

Rockville Department of Recreation and Parks 

Rockville SportsPlex

Spring Knolls Cooperative Early Learning Center 

The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring

The Puppet Co. 

YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center 

YMCA Bethesda-Chevy Chase 

VA

1757 Golf Academy 

B2R Herndon 

My Gym Chantilly

DC METRO 

Hoop Education

Golden Boot Soccer 

Tiny Chefs 

We add new businesses and classes EVERY DAY! Check out the list of businesses below who are new to the site (in bold) or have recently updated their classes. 

METRO DC

Shakespeare Theatre Company 

MARYLAND

Aristotle Circle Peers

Ascendly, LLC

Brit-Am Soccer Academy

British Swim School

Donte’s Boxing Gym

Excite Soccer Programs

Imagination Stage

Kidball Baseball

Montgomery County Parks Dept – M-NCPPC

Montgomery County Recreation Department

Music Together with Miri

My Gym Bethesda

My Gym Kentlands

My Gym Potomac

Romp n’ Roll of Germantown

TLC – The Treatment and Learning Center

Traveling Players Ensemble

NORTHERN VA

4 Star Tennis Academy

Art in Hand

Artworks Studio B

Bach 2 Rock – South Riding

Encore Performers

Engineering for Kids – Northern Virginia Southeast

Every Body Golf School

Fit Kids

My Gym Chantilly

The Little Gym of Alexandria at Van Dorn 

Ask a girl who’s on a Girls on the Run team why she’s participating, and she’s likely to respond: “Because it’s fun!” But our program is designed to be more than just a fun after-school activity. Our Girls on the Run curriculum is based on the “Whole Person Concept” which stresses the importance of equally developing the emotional, mental, social and physical aspects of every girl to create a well-balanced, whole person. The lesson plans are designed to encourage exploration, conversation, and of course, physical fitness.

We read about the obesity epidemic and the need for more physical activity and see it frequently discussed in the media, and it’s a question that teachers and school administrators, parents and physicians grapple with as they seek to get our children off the sofa and engaging in a more physically active lifestyle.

There are a number of studies that support the need for a more holistic program, among the most prominent are:

• A 2006 study from the Girl Scout Research Institute:

“The more physically active girls are, the greater their self-esteem and the more satisfied they are with their weight, regardless of how much they weigh.”

• The March 1998 President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Report on Physical Activity & Sport in the Lives of Girls reports:

“Physical activity and sport are not simply things young girls do in addition to the rest of their lives, but rather, they comprise an interdependent set of physiological, psychological and social processes that can influence, and, in varying degrees, sustain girls’ growth and development.”

Our own study in the Spring of 2011 measured our program’s impact. Together, with George Mason University, Department of Health, Recreation, and Tourism we studied more than 2,700 Girls on the Run participants in Northern Virginia.

Our research showed, with statistical significance, that after a season of Girls on the Run®, girls:

• Have higher self-esteem

• Are more satisfied with their body size

• Actually exercise more

• Feel a greater sense of support for exercise from their family, teachers and friends.

Our study findings were true for all girls in the program and did not vary based on income, ethnic background, how athletic the girls are, or how many seasons they’d participated in Girls on the Run.

There is also strong evidence that participation in Girls on the Run® has a positive impact on not just the girls’ attitudes about physical activity, but their families’, friends’, and communities’ as well. Moms and girls benefited by participating in the 5K together. Not only did they bond through the shared experience, but positive attitudes about exercise were reinforced from mother to daughter, and vice versa. (34% of the adults who participated in our 5K with the girls were their mothers.)

Programs such as Girls on the Run go a long way to create not only healthier, happier girls but healthier, happier communities as a whole.

FIND GIRLS ON THE RUN PROGRAMS ON ACTIVITY ROCKET! 

ATTENTION PTAs 

IS YOUR SCHOOL A ROCKET BOOSTER? 

Share a great FREE tool for finding kids activities and camps

with your school community and earn a free assembly!

Here’s how:

Inform your parent community about Activity Rocket on your PTA website, in your enewsletter, over your list-serve, and at events. When 15% of your student body signs up on The Rocket – win a FREE assembly by one of our amazing activity providers!

Parents sign up your kids in THREE simple steps

Step 1: Visit www.activityrocket.com/login/

Step 2: Add each child – Under My Kids

Step 3: Select each child’s school from the drop down to get Booster points! 1 point per child!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ROCKET BOOSTERS

BELLS MILL ES, BEVERLY FARMS ES, BURNING TREE ES, CARDEROCK SPRINGS ES, FIELDS ROAD ES, MARYVALE ES, SOMERSET ES, WYNGATE ES

To register your school as a PTA Booster, contact Sara Love at sara@activityrocket.co

There’s good enchantment and bad enchantment and Imagination Stage’s new production of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (LWW) has them both. Imagination Stage, teaming up with The Washington Ballet, has created a bewitching interpretation of this epic tale that is easily accessible to young children. Parents and children will love the delightful set, the incredible dancing and this enthralling story performed by a talented cast of actors. Click here to see a short video about the show and click here for dates, times and tickets.

As a mother, what really commands my interest now are the life lessons in this show. You can’t tell your child a life lesson. But you can slip it in, like spinach in a brownie, using stories. In LWW there are some wonderful character building and life lessons. Here’s the biggie for me: No matter how bad your offense may be, your family will always love you.

My son is moving into middle school and I’m sure he’ll make a few bad choices along the way. When that happens, I want him to know that his dad and I will be there for him: to support him as he struggles with tween issues, to help him make the right choices, and to deal with the consequences when he makes the wrong choices.

LWW is all about choices and temptations. LWW relates the adventures of the four Pevensie children in the magical land of Narnia which is under enchantment by the evil White Witch. The character that drives the plot is eight year-old Edmund. He’s out of sync with his three siblings and frightened by the chaos of WWII. While the other children bravely solider on, Edmund is anxious and feels he doesn’t belong. Since a child can’t say this in words, Edmund acts out and tells lies. These dark and confused feelings are beautifully expressed in two very powerful scenes featuring Rafael Cuesta, the actor that plays Edmund, and Daniel Savetta, Edmund’s dancer-self.

Ultimately, these dark feelings weaken Edmund. When the White Witch offers him a delectable candy Edmund does the unthinkable: he betrays his family in order to become a king. Click here for short video about Edmund’s Story of Treachery and Turkish Delight.

Children (and adults) can identify with Edmund. We’ve all been on that fast train to self destruction at one time or another. That’s partly what makes this story so powerful. Edmund’s sins are great. He must take responsibility for his mistakes and make amends. These struggles lead to maturity. Happily, when he does ask for forgiveness, Edmund’s siblings and the parental figure of Aslan, ruler of Narnia, welcome him back into the fold. Love is the ancient magic that underpins the story, while character development drives the plot.

But, less I make Imagination Stage’s LWW sound boring and morally officious let me give you this assurance: your child will be so enchanted that he’ll NEVER know this is a parentally-approved life lesson and character building exercise. Nope. He’ll just be having fun and so will you. After the show, chat with your child about the meaning(s) of the story. What it meant to him. What it mean to you. Then, let it percolate. Amazing things grow in the fertile minds of children where enchantment and magic are ever present.

The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe will be at Imagination Stage (Bethesda) until August 12. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Click here for ticket information.

By Shellie Williams, a Montgomery County mom, who writes for DO & GO’s Behind the Scenes, offering parents tips about upcoming cultural events.

See Related Posts: Clown Around This Summer At Camp 

CHECK OUT IMAGINATION STAGE ON ACTIVITY ROCKET!