Kid Baltimore | Family Activities with Children in Baltimore, Maryland

Our Very Own App

I've been working on this project, secretly, for months now. I am so excited to finally be able to share it. PrestoBingo SHAPES is our new ipad app for kids, ages 2-6. This project started with a simple idea: the world is full of shapes. In my illustration work, simple shapes are my focus more often than not, so it made perfect sense to make an app that played with that idea. This app teaches kids to identify basic forms of geometry: circles, ovals, diamonds, semi-circles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, and rectangles.

I'm very lucky to have a small, but dedicated team that helped put this together — from animations, to code, to voice-overs and sound effects, to general cheerleading in the background. We had so much fun that I hope there are more apps in our future!

You can download it from the app store here.

And here is a preview. Enjoy!

 

Kid-Decorated Dishes

Every year I try and fit in a project for the kids to make as Christmas gifts. Here's what some (I think rather lucky) family members got this year — hand-decorated dishes. I bought a stack of serving trays from Target. Mugs work well too. And some Porcelaine Paint Markers from Dick Blick. After cooking, the drawings will be permanent and, fingers crossed, dishwasher-safe.

1. Wipe down the surface of the dish with rubbing alcohol.

2. Draw on the dishes to your hearts content. These are paint markers, and they take a little gentle coaxing to get them started. I had one or two that wouldn't flow, but generally, they were very easy to work with. The manufacturer of the markers does recommend keeping your design from areas that will touch the food, so while I did not let them draw on the inside of the mug, I'm not too concerned about a serving tray that will be used for cookies, etc.

The kids picked a theme for each piece (cats, kites, flowers, whatever), which I think helped keep them entertained. The other rule we decided on was to limit the number of colors on each plate. We used two colors plus black. Hey, it's never too soon to discuss color theory. Am I right?

3. Place the dishes in a cold oven, and set the temperature to 300 degrees. Once the oven reaches full temperature, bake for 30 minutes.

And don't forget to make an extra one to keep. Enjoy!

Why I Love Work

I've been having entirely too much fun at work lately. I've been illustrating a project for McGraw-Hill publishing and I am thrilled to share the first part of the series, The Little Red Hen.

Over the years, I find my illustrations have become less and less serious, so children's publishing has become a wonderful match. And who can be stressed when your work-day consists of drawing farm animals?

I also love that my work is extremely portable. I can (and have) put together illustrations in the carpool line, at swim lessons, or on stay-at-home sick days with the kids. When I have a few quiet hours at the studio sans kids, that's good too. But in the real world of balancing work and kids, flexibility is key. And hard work is required — not just for the grown-ups, but for the kids too. Everyone needs to pitch-in and help. Working together is not optional.

As for the little red hen, some stories are eternal. She does the work alone, she eats the bread alone. I like my way better.

Velvlet

Recently, while visiting my parents at the beach, I found Velvlet placed on my bed. Velvlet is special. My very favorite doll from when I loved  dolls. Her real name was supposed to be "Velvet", but at age 4, I got it wrong and it stuck. She came with a big sister named Crissy that my big sister received (and hated), but I loved Velvlet and she traveled with me everywhere. I decided at some point that she needed makeup, and that explains the magic marker on her eyelids. Her hair was designed to crank in and out of her head, so that she could change hairstyles — a concept that is rather terrifying if you think about it. Now it is a knotty mess that feels like straw.

Emma, my younger daughter, seemed interested in Velvlet right away. Maybe part of it was that they both had the exact same dress. On that particular trip, Emma just happened to have brought my old flower girl dress with her, a hand-me-down that has survived many kids in amazingly good shape. Emma is quite used to hand-me-downs. In fact, she receives so many hand-me-downs (and never complains) that she has received a nick-name. Emma-hand-me-down. And before you think that her nickname isn't nice, let me tell you that she loves every single one of them. Fancy dresses from her princess cousin, or practical shirts from her big sister. Every single one of them is a brand new to her. So when Emma, who isn't all that interested in dolls, seemed interested, I gave Velvlet to her.

The two became inseparable. I find Velvlet tagging along on car rides and tucked in with her at bedtime. I love that my doll has a new home, because honestly, I hate dolls...

...but oh, do I love Emma.

 

 

Because of Reggie

It's tough to change the world when you are a kid. Big plans. Good plans. But no one lets you pitch in.

My daughter has been on a mission ever since we brought Reggie home. She wants to volunteer at an animal shelter. There's lots to be done, but most of the shelters don't have jobs for kids. After a lengthy internet search, she found a few that allow families to volunteer and we may do that in the future, but for right now we decided to make no-sew blankets for a local shelter, The Humane Society of Harford County.

They have quite a few ideas for school groups posted on their site (pdf brochure). Hands-on animal time requires training and a 6-month commitment and a few age requirements, but I love that they have ideas posted for the younger set as well.

These blankets for cats require just two squares of fleece, scissors and a little patience. Fortunately we had extra help this weekend. My nieces, who are two of our very favorite people in the world, visited for a sleepover. Little did they know they would be put straight to work. Actually, they pitched right in and were big helpers. Somehow projects are even more fun when there are cousins around. Before the weekend was over, there were 9 soft fleece blankets ready for delivery! Notice Reggie in the bottom right corner inspecting their work.

 We dropped the blankets off at the shelter. Job well done, kids. I am guessing there will be a lot more volunteer projects in our future, and let me tell you, my troops are ready and willing.

Meet Reggie

I'm in love. Meet Reggie, the newest member of our family. I think he may have the best purr in the entire world.

We have always been cat-people, and when out last cat died, at the ripe old age of 17, we took a few months to be cat free. It wasn't good. But probably necessary. We missed the old guy.

I half-way assumed that when it was time for us to have a cat again, one would appear at our doorstep. Isn't that how it usually works? Cats just kind of show up, right? Finally last week, we decided it was time to be proactive and find a cat— something I have never done before.

We piled the kids in the car and headed over to BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter), where a friend of ours volunteers. After a short wait, we were escorted back to the cat rooms — 5 in all. Each room held dozens of clean cages with cats. I expected to have a few cats to choose from, but instead there were over 100. There are so many wonderful pets to adopt here that it's a bit overwhelming. The volunteers were so patient and helpful, and the animals are all well cared for, but hey, it's a shelter, and so many animals being here is tough to think about.

photos by MP

I thought I knew what/who we were looking for (kitten, female, maybe stripey), but at the end of the day, it came down to personality. Something about this guy stuck (not kitten, not female, not stripey). When I held him, I swear he gave me a great big cat hug. What? You don't think cats can hug? Well this one did, and then he nuzzled my cheek. "Okay, fine. You can come home with us."

Reggie (his new name) is settling in quite nicely. He spent the first evening snuggled on our laps and purring away while we had family movie night. It's hard to resist that.

Welcome home, Reggie!