8 FREE Things to Do with the Kids in September

Now that the kids are back in school, are you busier than ever? Is your head spinning like mine? Well, if you are looking for ways to keep the kids busy on the weekends ... here are a few FREE events for kids this September. 

Do you have any family-friendly events to share with our community of readers? Please email them to events@lvfamilyfun.com. We're happy to share your Lehigh Valley events on our community calendar! 

Kids Story Times at Barnes & Noble
Tuesdays & Fridays at the Lehigh Valley Mall location
View the entire calendar of events online. 

Peas & Qs - Family Programming - 2+1 Math Rocks!
Saturday, September 7, 11:30 - 12:30 p.m., SteelStacks ArtsQuest Center
2 + 1 is comprised of middle school educators who have developed and present an innovative program called MathRocks! Their program combines the music of classic rock songs with original lyrics and PowerPoint slideshows to teach math concepts that range from basic counting to algebra.

Kids Yoga at the Capital Blue Store
Saturday, September 7, 12:00 - 12:45 p.m.
Kids ages 4 - 10 are invited for a free yoga session at the Promenade Shops.  

WoofStock
Saturday, September 7, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Help raise money to build a dog park in Allentown while enjoying food, music and vendors. Event will be held at Cedar Beach Park. Rain date is September 8. Find out more on Facebook. 

Fall Festival in Werley's Corner
September 14 - 15, 12:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Farm animals, pumpkin painting, small hay maze, music, food and more! This annual fall event is hosted by the Weisenberg / Lowhill Township Historical Society and is a nice time for the entire family.

Community Music School Student Recital
Friday, September 27, 6:00 p.m.
Listen to students of Allentown's Community Music School play. There is no cost. The recital will be held at 23 North Sixth Street, Allentown, on the second floor.

Kids Discovery Expo at the Da Vinci Science Center
Saturday, September 28, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This day of fun and learning at the Da Vinci Science Center will be held rain or shine. There will be refreshments, door prizes, petting zoo, and more! The event is free and hosted Senator Pat Browne and Representative Ryan Mackenzie.

"Touch a Truck" at Parkland Community Library
Saturday, September 28, 10:00 a.m. to noon
Bring the whole family to the circle in front of the library to check out some of the coolest trucks around. We’ll have diggers, police cars, an ambulance, and more for you to explore. No registration required. 

Do you have any family-friendly events to share with our community of readers? Please email them to events@lvfamilyfun.com. We're happy to share your Lehigh Valley events on our community calendar! 

September Events for Children at the Parkland Community Library

Head over to the Parkland Community Library for a month filled with fun!

PCL Teens

Tuesday, September 3 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Help to decide what YA books the library buys, discuss what you’ve been reading, help prepare for activities and programs, and have some snacks!
For those in grades 7 to 12.
Participants earn volunteer credit. 

Night at the Movies

Wednesday, September 11
6:30 p.m.

Join us for a showing of Adventures in Zambezia.
Held in the Youth Services Room.
No registration is required. 

Fall Story Times

September 18 to October 25; Story time registration begins August 26 at 10:00am.

 

Call 610-398-1361 x 19 to register

Family Story times

Wednesdays and Thursdays 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

For children from 18 months to 3 years, but younger and older siblings may attend. An adult must stay with each child. Stories, songs, and games are shared with the whole family. Registration is required.

Preschool Story times

Wednesdays and Thursdays 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.

For children between 3 and 5 years. Parents must stay in the library but do not have to attend storytime with the children. Stories, songs, games and crafts are all part of preschool storytimes. Registration is required.
 

Drop-In Story times

Fridays 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

For families with young children and children of all   different ages. No registration is required.

Touch a Truck

Saturday, September 28

10:00 a.m. to noon

Back for its second year!
Bring the whole family to the circle in front of the library to check out some of the coolest trucks around. We’ll have diggers, police cars, an ambulance, and more for you to explore.
No registration required.

Sign Language: Helping Babies Tell Us What They Want Without the Fuss

Six years ago, when my sister-in-law mentioned baby sign language to me, my initial thought was, "Really? That seems sort of hokey." Two kids later and this mom is very happy that both of my girls learned a few important words to sign. As a baby, we taught my 5 1/2 year old to sign and now she teaches her 18-month old sister "words," too.

My daughter learning how to sign Yogurt.

Baby signing has been a blessing and saved us from major tantrums! As parents, my husband and I began introducing signs when our girls were nearly 7 months old. Every time we offered a bottle, we would use the sign for Milk. By 10 months, both girls were using the sign for Milk when they wanted a bottle. Slowly, we began introducing more and more signs.

Dena Ruege is a Certified Instructor with My Smart Hands, and teaches sign language classes for hearing babies and children, ages 0 to 5. Recently, my family attended a free session at the Parkland Community Library to see what My Smart Hands was all about.

 

TOP BENEFITS TO TEACHING YOUR BABY TO SIGN

From my own experience, I can tell you that signing greatly increased my children's abilities to communicate. By giving them signs to use, such as Milk, Nap, All Done, More, Please, Food and Potty, they could tell me what they wanted without pitching a fit.

According to the My Smart Hands program, research shows that babies who sign:

1. Talk sooner
2. Have increased cognitive development
3. Have larger vocabularies and word retention
4. Experience less frustration, crying and tantrums
5. Show more interest in books
6. Engage in more complex play
7. Score higher on IQ tests (when tested around ages 7 to 8) 

 

SIGNING IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMUNICATION & FRUSTRATION

Dena teaches the group the sign for Cheese

I thought that Dena put it best when she said, "Signing offers more communication and less frustration." That's absolutely the truth! Just think how different each day would be if your little one could tell you what he or she wanted.

During the 30-minute class, we learned how to sign the song "On Top of Spaghetti," as well as signs for various foods, including Grapes, Cheese, Milk, Cake, Cookies and Ice Cream. She also taught the parents and kids how to sign Thank You, Again, Hungry, Eat and many other everyday words.

 

WITH SIGNING, PATIENCE & CONSISTENCY ARE KEY

Kids will not pick up the signs after one introduction. It takes time and consistency to build up the association between the sign and the object. So, every time you offer your baby milk .... sign Milk. When you offer food ... sign Food. When you put them down for a nap ... sign Nap. Then, one day -- when you least expect it -- your child is going to sign and tell you what's on their mind.

And THAT is an awesome moment in parenting!

 

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

My Smart Hands is the first baby signing program to receive the Parent Tested Parent Approved award of excellence for their American Sign Language curriculum, and the program is available right here in the Lehigh Valley!

Dena offers an 8-week "Level I" class on Friday mornings and plans to start a weekend class soon. For families looking for more one-on-one time, she also offers private lessons at an affordable cost. More information is available at www.mysmarthandslehighvalley.com or by emailing Dena Ruege.