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Don’t miss Tuesday, April 2 in recognition of the 16th annual World Autism Awareness Day, the Abe for All series at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum will offer a Sensory Friendly Evening. During this special event from 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. They are offering guests free admission and a sensory-friendly experience. Our theater and Journey lights will be turned up, and the sound turned down. Some special effects will be turned off. A quiet room will be provided. Advance registration is not required. We have developed a pre-visit preparation packet that ranks areas of the museum based on their potential to overstimulate. This can be found in the “Plan Your Visit” section of our website or email ALPLM.GuestEntry@illinois.gov and request a packet.

We are committed to providing an inclusive experience for all and if there are other things we can do to ensure a more welcoming experience, please let us know. You can reach us 9am – 5pm daily by calling 217-558-8844 (TTY/TDD 1-888-440-9009) or email ALPLM.GuestEntry@Illinois.gov

Lace up and get ready for the happiest run and the most fun spring event of 2024!

The Asian Indian Women’s Organization presents ‘COLOR ME HOLI 5K RUN/WALK & BOLLYWOOD ZUMBA’ on Saturday April 27 at Washington Park in support of the Springfield chapter of ‘Share the Spirit Foundation, Inc’. 

The Indian festival of Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, unity and diversity by playing with colors with everyone as a group, and victory of good over evil! We are adding a dash of health and fitness to this colorful festival!

You don’t want to miss this colorful celebration of spring as you run, walk or dance to high energy music!

Click here to register and claim your complimentary swag bag, event t-shirt, holi color, and box of indian food! 

Coming Sunday, April 14 Kids Good Grief Camp hosted by Staab Funeral Home will take place from 12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. at Erin’s Pavilion in Southwind Park.

As a parent or caregiver of a child who has experienced the death of a loved one, perhaps you’re wondering how you can best support your child through the grieving process. Grieving children often feel isolated because they rarely know anyone their age who has experienced the death of a friend or family member. Grief comes in waves for children. Support can be beneficial whether it has been just weeks, several months, or even years since the death of a loved one. Kids Good Grief Camp is a supportive and fun camp for children who have experienced the death of a loved one. Open to children ages 6 – 12, it’s held annually each spring at Erin’s Pavilion at Southwind Park. Kids Good Grief Camp is an afternoon of both support and fun.

Your child will learn valuable tools to help them grief in a healthy way, while connecting with other children, making new friends, and participating in a wide range of activities.

For more information on Kids Good Grief Camp call (217) 528-6461 or email Info@StaabFamily.com 

Learn more and register here.

Foster care is a system that provides temporary care for children who cannot live with their birth families due to various reasons, such as abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Foster parents provide a safe and nurturing home environment for these children while they await reunification with safe family members or are placed into adoption. In this blog, we will discuss becoming a foster parent, assessing a child’s needs, finding a suitable home for neglected children, and the need for CASA advocates even after placement. As always, contact CASA of Sangamon County in Springfield, IL to learn more about advocacy and how you can help.

Learn more on the CASA Blog here.

This is one of our favorite resources to share our readers – the 2024 Summer Camp Directory and Activity Guide.  Our local sponsors of the directory offer a wide variety of camps available this year from half-day, full-day or week long sessions.  Topics such as art, computers, dance, music, science, sports and tons of outdoor adventures for kids of all ages!  Preschool, elementary age, counselor in training, there’s a fit for everyone to try something new this summer.

It’s all here, and we update weekly, so check back and share with your friends, too.

Enjoy your summer planning!

Organizing a special event is a thrilling venture, brimming with excitement and the potential to forge enduring memories. A crucial factor that can enhance any occasion is the selection of the venue. Whether it’s a significant birthday bash, a wedding reception, or a corporate gala, choosing the ideal facility establishes the groundwork for a genuinely unforgettable experience. The Springfield Park District emerges as the ideal destination for hosting your upcoming occasion, offering a diverse range of indoor and outdoor venues, catering to both large and intimate gatherings. Whatever your requirements may be, we have the perfect space to suit your needs.

Explore a selection of our remarkable hidden gem venues for your consideration. Click here for more information.

We also provide some of the finest birthday party choices for your little ones. Transform your child’s birthday celebration into a memorable experience. Parents can unwind and delight in the festivities while we take care of the cleanup! 

Each listed party comes with its distinct amenities. Choose the type of FUN that suits you and your little ones best. Click here for more information

Let us know your favorite boredom busters for at-home activities with your family!

FREE Virtual/Online Experiences

SpringfieldMoms Resources

  • Salt dough ornaments (not edible but super cute for dĂ©cor) are an inexpensive way to make memorable gifts for others and plan ahead for holiday gifts too! Access the Recipe link for regular or cinnamon salt dough ornaments. Local mom Lori and her daughter Addison jumped right in during the stay at home quarantine to make their own.
  • Free Coloring Pages from Local Artist Ken Pease.
  • Book Nook Recommendations for Kids and Adults
  • Headphone Harmony – see our favorite podcasts and YouTube channels for kids
  • Our Organizing 101 resource motivates you to de-clutter and fill a donation box or two! It’s also time to organize closets and drawers of clothes and “stuff” and make your piles for donation giveaways. Kids should be involved in this process. Set a goal and a timeline, then you can come back and review their progress.
  • Neighborhood Garage Sales: If you know the 2024 dates of your neighborhood garage sale please send to us for our popular guide!
  • Crafts for Kids Will the slime creation craze make a comeback? Homemade play dough is a personal favorite for all ages.
  • Spend Time in the Kitchen: Kids can help prepare meals, stir recipes, set the table, etc.  Get the cookbooks out and let them try something new. Some of our favorite recipes to start with:
  • Easy at-home activities for Toddlers using supplies we have around the house (oatmeal containers, cards, markers, paper, etc.)

More Fun at Home

  • We transformed our dining room table to a “make your own” creative station with crafts, paints, photos and scrapbooks. Uploading photos to apps (i.e. Walgreens) and ordering them to be delivered at home to update our albums and scrapbooks.
  • Window markers, sidewalk chalk or sidewalk paint
  • Squigz, Kinetic sand, LCD tablets and dry erase boards
  • Sensory bins (filled with rice or pasta, and searching for small items, magnets, etc….kind of like a scavenger hunt)
  • Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube
  • iPad Apps – Playhome and Toca Boca
  • Paint, markers or crayons and have them decorate boxes or build their own forts.
  • Magnatiles
  • Butterfly Garden w/ Live Caterpillars 

Have a birthday?

Check out a fun birthday option from a Springfield family.

Teens

Trying to keep them off their phones 24/7 is task number one. I’m designating times to help around the house. It’s time to clean out one closet and one drawer at a time! Or you can suggest these “courses”

  • AP Laundry: advanced techniques like stain removal, proper folding and what to hang dry
  • Honors Biology (pet care, feeding, cleaning, exercising)
  • Art: make cards for area senior centers and family members.
  • Home Economics: Kids can make their own lunch and set a meal plan for dinner for a few nights. Look in the cabinets what do we have available and ready to make?

Share or post your best online resources and tips for things to do with us! springfieldmoms.org@gmail.com

catMy daughter travelled to Copenhagen a few years ago for a leadership conference, her photos and those from any traveler blog will be enough to inspire a vacation to Denmark. She had left her iPhone on public transportation and got it back within hours! She said the Danes were friendly and the city was walkable for of all ages and locals’ bike everywhere. 

But did you know they are living in one of the happiest countries? 

According to data from the World Happiness Report 2023, the United States ranks 15th in happiness, with Finland and Denmark in the top spots.

So how can we live like the Danes and stay where we are?

I remembered a book on my shelf American Cozy: Hygge-inspired ways to create comfort and happiness by Stephanie Pedersen. Today it’s a below-zero winter day, and the perfect day to revisit her tips.

“Without being (and feeling) calm, you will have difficulty consistently creating calm- no matter how much decluttering, smart scheduling, or feng shui-ing you do,” Stephanie coaches on page 16 of her book. 

I’ve flagged several areas in her book, and here are some of my favorites.

  1. Decluttering: when one new item comes in two current items go out. 
  2. Single task! Stop multi-tasking, you’ll be more effective focusing on one thing at a time. 
  3. Visit the grocery often to buy fresh, eliminate waste and choose more whole foods.
  4. Eliminate your throw pillows to reduce visual clutter in high-traffic rooms.
  5. Clean daily for 30 minutes. 

#4 and #5 are going to be hard for me. 

Especially eliminating the throw pillows, but I am taking her advice and boxing them up for a month to see if our rooms feel larger. I spend most of my time fluffing them and picking them off the floors as the dogs knock them off! Clean daily for 30 minutes; I can’t say I will to this. But I will continue to think it through, lol. Stephanie also has recipes (and has authored numerous cookbooks) and additional lifestyle tips and tricks well worth the time to cozy on your couch and enjoy.

Thank you  Stephanie for your inspiration to strive for American Cozy. 

llinois Women in Leadership (IWIL) scholarship opportunities through the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. The scholarships are offered every year with applications opening January 1 and closing on March 1.

IWL offer’s one $1750 scholarship to a woman who is returning to school after earning a high school diploma or GED at least five years ago. The winner also receives a laptop donated by Molina Healthcare.  This is the link to the qualifications and there is a button at the bottom to start the application process.https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/90215

Additionally, we offer four scholarships to women who are graduating high school this year. They also each receive $1750 and a laptop. Here is the link to the high school qualifications and application. https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/89915

Photo of last year’s winners here.

The deadline is March 1; spread the word!

 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! It’s a great day for our kids to show love for family members, friends and classmates. Below are some simple craft and class party ideas for elementary age kids.

Game Ideas

  • Valentine Paper Airplane Hearts – this game is easy to prepare for and only requires paper and scissors. Head to the craft store and buy paper in pinks, reds and even cute Valentine’s patterns to mix it up. Click here to see instructions.
  • Puzzling Cards – write a sweet message on a red or pink heart-shaped piece of paper then cut into pieces. Click here to see instructions.
  • Valentine’s Heart Attack – teachers, you can use this idea to write thoughtful messages for each of your students, or parents, your kids can write messages for each of their classmates. Click here to see instructions.
  • Valentine’s Day Bingo – this game is always a favorite and you can use candy hearts or M&M’s for the game pieces. Click here for printable cards and here for instructions.
  • Marshmallow Game – all you need for this are mini marshmallows, straws, and small cups. Click here for instructions.
  • Valentine’s Day Word Puzzle – hand out this printable game to the kids and see who can make up the most words. Click here for instructions.
  • Valentine’s Day Minute to Win It – see who can make the biggest tower out of conversation hearts. Click here for instructions.
  • Valentine’s Day Toothpick Structures – see who can make the largest marshmallow tower using mini marshmallows or heart-shaped ones. Click here for instructions.

Craft Ideas

  • Valentine’s Day Coloring Pages – print these coloring pages for the kids to color in class or they can be taken home. Click here for the templates.
  • Lovebird Paper Garland – get some pieces of 12×18″ paper and draw a basic template and this becomes an easy but adorable craft idea for a classroom party. Each bird can be embellished with whatever is on hand in the classroom, brought in from home, and can also be decorated with cute small stickers. Click here for instructions.
  • Pipe Cleaner “Love Goggles” – this craft requires two things, scissors and pipe cleaners. Kids can create heart-shaped glasses (or any other shape they’d like!). Click here for instructions.
  • Thumbprint Heart Bookmark – use cardstock to make these bookmarks durable and parents will love them. Click here for instructions.

  • Yarn-Wrapped Heart – cut out a heart shape from a piece of cardboard; tape the end of a yarn spool (pink, red or whatever color you choose!) to the back of your heart; wrap yarn around the heart until the cardboard is covered; cut the yarn and loop the loose end through another piece of yarn and tie a knot.
  • Rainbow Heart Suncatchers – this craft results in a brightly colored heart that kids can make and take home. Click here for instructions.

Card Ideas

If your kids do a card exchange in class, here are some ideas to make your own. Please note, some of these include treats, so be sure to check what your kid’s classroom/school rules are regarding food.

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