Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

How TV Advertising Targets Our Kids

I recently illustrated a story about TV advertising and children. The top four categories that are marketed to kids? Fast foods, sugared cereals, sugary drinks, and candy. In other words: fat, sugar, sugar, and sugar. Oh, no! You can read the full article, by Dr. Perri Klass, here.

Free Family Art Drop-in at Creative Alliance

WHAT: Family Art Drop-in

WHERE: 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, MD 21224

WHEN: Saturdays, Jan 19-Mar 23, 12-3pm

COST: FREE

Cabin fever anyone? About this time of year I think we all need to find excuses to unburrow from our hiding places and go play. Creative Alliance is hosting a free family drop-in art class, Kerplunk! It begins this weekend and continues every Saturday through March 23. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. No registration is needed. All materials are provided so stop by and create your masterpiece!

Here are some of the upcoming activities:

1/19   Story Boxes- Transform a box into a story about you!        

1/26   Old CDs make shining jewelry. Bling Bling!

2/2     Paintings by Tom Horjus  inspire a cityscape out of straws

2/9     Build a tiny triangular tower from toothpicks and straws

2/16  Design a glowing  poster from fluorescent paper

 

 

Children's Book Illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky

Paul Zelinsky just sent me a copy of one of his children's books. Actually, it was his first-ever picture book, and was published in 1981. He has since gone on to have an amazing children's book career, and I'm thrilled to take a look back to where it started. The inscription reads in my book reads "To Joyce, for the oddest reason — happily, Paul O. Zelinsky. Isn't your curiosity piqued? 

 

The Maid and the Mouse and the Odd-shaped House, was adapted from an old rhyming story that Dorothy Brooks found in her mother, Henriette Holzer's notebook. Henriette Holzer was a schoolteacher, and as this story was told, each child would go up to the chalkboard and complete a different part of a picture. I won't tell you anymore, so you can enjoy the surprise.

Zelinsky's illustrations have a wonderful vintage feel, and although the story is an old one, dating back to before 1897, the concept is still so current.

Paul O. Zelinsky was awarded the Caldecott medal in 1998 for Rapunzel. Some of his other more well-known books include:  The Wheels on the Bus, Rumpelstiltskin, Swamp Angel and his latest Z Is for Moose.

For updates on Paul's latest projects, follow him on twitter @paulozelinsky.

Thank you for the lovely book, Paul!

Recycled Magazine Christmas Trees

We've been folding Christmas trees from old magazines. These are so much fun to make. Dave remembers making these as a kid from old TV Guides. You can spray paint them green, or gold, but I think they are rather nice plain. Little flecks of color show through, and since this one is made from last year's seed catalog, it's especially good. Little bits of spring, poking through the winter.

Crisp folds are important for this project, but some of us had a slightly more...organic approach. 

Grab a thick magazine, 200 pages or so and let's get started! 

First take a moment to break the spine, so the magazine lays flat. You may also want to remove the cover if the paper is thicker than the rest of the magazine.

1. Fold the top left corner into the spine of the magazine to make a diagonal fold. Crease neatly.

2. Fold in again to the spine. The shape it makes will look sort of like a neck tie.

3. Turn the magazine over and fold the bottom triangle up. Remember the tree will have a flat base and this is the fold that levels the bottom.

4. Tuck the triangle inside the fold.

I prefer to do folds 1 and 2 for the entire magazine, and then turn the magazine over to do the remaining folds. Pretty soon you'll have a table full of recycled (and recyclable) holiday trees.

 

Happy folding!

Gallery Success!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Spur Gallery for the BARCS show, Cats & Dogs & Dogs & Cats. If you didn't get a chance to come by, the show will be up through December 7th. Gallery hours are 9:30-5:00 M-F.

One special part of the show was the kids' project, a set of 8 notecards available for purchase. 100% of the sales price goes to support BARCS.

 

They were a big hit at the show, and we still have a some left if you didn't snag some there. Special thanks to our kid artists, Celia, Emma, Holland, Jacob, Lindsay, Madison, and Megan. Here is a link to purchase them for $12.00 (plus $2.50 for shipping and handling).

 

Another special part of the show was this guy, Ringo Starr. He's coming home with us.

He looks pretty wiped out in this shot, but it's the only one I have. He's 4 months old, and is part-cat/part-ragdoll. I think he will fit in just fine around here.

Cats & Dogs & Dogs & Cats

WHAT: Art Gallery Opening and Adoption Event

WHERE: Spur Gallery, 3504 Ash Street, Baltimore, MD 21211

WHEN: November 9, 2012 6:30-8:30 pm

Ever since we adopted Reggie, I've had a soft-spot for BARCS. If you aren't familiar with this organization BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter) is a non-profit shelter that was created in 2005 to take over operations of the Baltimore City Shelter previously operated by the city’s Bureau of Animal Control.

We're having an art show at the Spur Gallery, to help support the shelter. The Baltimore arts community has jumped in to show their support too and we have a great line-up of Baltimore illustrators and photographers who will have their work on display:

Rebecca Bradley, Julianna Brion, Kali Ciesemier, Alain Corbel, Alain Corbel, Alain Corbel, Susan Detwiler, Ann Feild Didyk, Jimmy Giegerich, Gilah Press, Chris Hartlove, Joyce Hesselberth, Greg Houston, Tracy Jacobs, Andrea Kalfas, Warren Linn, Janna Morton, Michael Northrup, Joe Parisi,Dave Plunkert, Scott Roberts, Whitney Sherman, Katie Smith, Paige Vickers, Chip Wass

We hope you will join us at the opening. It will be a kid-friendly event. Volunteers from BARCS will be on hand to introduce you to some of their wonderful cats and dogs, and answer any questions. 50% of all proceeds will go directly to BARCS.