Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Keepsake Frames

Like all families, mine is weird. Recently 14 of us gathered to spend a few days at the beach. I arrived with my 3 kids, and within 15 minutes I was handed a paring knife and was "volunteered" to pit apricots. That's when I knew I was home. No, it's not the house I grew up in, but I'm home.

And, like always, there were projects to do. My mom's art teacher background was in full gear. She and my sister had spray painted frames ahead of time. Everyone rummaged through the collection of sea glass, shells, and polished rocks to decorate their frames. Some spent hours arranging and rearranging. Others were done in a few minutes. But everyone, from age 3 on up made something uniquely their own.

Next came the messy part. It's not a real project unless there is a messy part. We spread pre-mixed adhesive and grout on the frames and, one side at a time, pressed in our treasures. Some sprinkled the grout with sand afterwards and some left them plain.

The hardest part? Getting everyone to hold still for the family photo. Smile!

Note: The Keepsake Décor Frames were purchused from Michaels. They are not available online.

Mother Goosed

President Humpty sat on a wall.
President Humpty had a great fall.
Will the voters of Nurseryland put him back together?

Anne emailed me to tell me about the latest production by Fluid Movement – a politically charged water ballet extravaganza called "Mother Goosed: The Nurseryland Campaign Tales". I have to admit, my curiosity is getting the best of me with this one. You can buy tickets for $9 through brown paper tickets for both the Riverside Park shows and the Patterson Park shows.

That's scene director Holly (above), giving us a sneak peek at the costumes for the red (Republican) team The final costumes are a bit different, and feature one-of-a-kind personalized sequin swim caps. Oooo...sequins... [Thanks, Anne!]

Riverside Park
1800 Covington St.
Baltimore, MD
Mapquest Directions to Riverside

Patterson Park
148 S. Linwood Ave.
Baltimore, MD
Mapquest Directions to Patterson

Artscape

Or is it Foodscape? Either way it's always a fun event and it starts Friday, July 18th at 12 noon. Light rail is a great way to get there since parking can be tough. See you there!

Artscape
Mt. Royal and Cathedral
Baltimore, MD 21201

Mapquest Directions

National Museum of Dentistry

The Museum of Dentistry?

I figured I was going to see some quirky little row home stuffed with old dentistry tools, but nothing could be further from the truth. (I'm going to make a point here of avoiding all tooth related puns. I'm so tempted though). The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is actually 7,000 square feet of beautiful museum space. It is affiliated with the Smithsonian and houses an amazing collection of dental ephemera, from George Washington's not-so-wooden denture to a life-sized model of Penny Wilson performing her "iron-jaw" act.

I felt a little guilty walking around this great big space, practically all by ourselves. We stopped by for story time (Wednesdays through the summer) and then practiced  brushing my daughter's favorite set of chompers – appropriately named Giant Mr. Gross Mouth^TM (Yes, there is really a ^TM on that). There is so much to see here, even with little ones, including a mini-dentist's office complete with lab coats and dentist chair; vintage TV shows and films; and our favorite – old stone lithograph dental posters. Now what toddler wouldn't love those? Okay, maybe that last part was for me. 

410-706-0600

National Museum of Dentistry
University of Maryland
31 South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-1504

Mapquest Directions

Bring on the Chores

I'm a firm believer in chores. Helping out the family (without eyerolls and shoulder slumps) is a skill that can take years to master, so today was wood stacking day. We've had a few trees come down lately and many hands make light work, right? Actually, sometimes the chores take a bit longer with "help", but I am determined not to let that stand in my way. As always, there were a few neat things to see along the way: a log covered in ants, a lichen holding tight to a tree, and a creepy crawly centipede. The kids took turns loading the wheelbarrow. For my oldest, it's a lesson about using our resources (we rely on wood for a fair amount of our heat in the winter) and for the younger ones, it's a chance to show Mom and Dad what big muscles they have.

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

My sister beat me to it. The story of my life. But maybe it doesn't matter, because after all, I still get to savor the spoils. I had no idea how easy making homemade cheese could be until my sister showed me during our most recent cousin get-together. We had seven kids gathered around the stove waiting for turns to separate curds from whey. And yes, for good measure we had to repeat the nursery rhyme. For mozzarella, the temperature stays pretty low, so while there are a few parts that require a grown-up to take over, there are many parts for kids to help too. The whole process takes about 30 minutes and involves only a handful of ingredients: milk (the fresher the better), citric acid, rennet, and non-iodized salt.

Mother Earth News had a great article this month and you can see the recipe on their site. The supplies are available from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company.