Rhode Island Feeds

The only film festival in New England dedicated to children's films offers quality independent movie alternatives to children and teens. The Providence Children's Festival hosts 6 days of films, workshops and presentations for children, youth and teens at 3 locations in downtown Providence. Watch exciting and engaging high-quality, international films, animation, and documentaries. Tickets are $7.50 general admission; $5.00 children, students, seniors which includes free admission on Saturday and Sunday (only) to the RISD Museum. Films and events at RISD Metcalf Auditorium are free with the exception of Opening night (Tickets are $15.00 adult; $10.00 children.) Discount family packages are available.

Providence Schools is restoring the practice of selecting a Teacher of the Year for the district, and is asking students, staff, families and the community to submit nominations for teachers who exemplify the best of the profession. The nominee should possess the following characteristics:

Whether your children make valentines for their entire the class or a handful for their grandparents and best friend, giving (and receiving) a handmade valentine is super special no matter how big, small, simple, or detailed the heart is. Making a large number of valentines for your child’s class can seem daunting, but choosing a project that is simple to oversee and appropriate for your child’s skill and age level can be fun and rewarding. When my boys were toddlers, I precut hearts out of paper or used heart-shaped doilies and let them paint or put stickers on each one. Now that they're older, it's helpful that they have a longer attention span and can sign their own cards.

Sunday morning, 6:58am. Not my idea of sleeping in, especially after spending half the night with my son whose cough reminds me of the call of a sea lion and whose temperature reminds me of a toaster oven. But what was I really expecting anyway? My daughter has decided to wake me up by crawling all over me, seemingly unaware of the fact that her knees and feet are kicking me in the gut and in the head. Did I mention that it’s 12 degrees outside?!

For families with kids in transition from one phase of school to the next, midwinter is application and registration time. As families get down to the brass tacks of the school choice process, I am riveted by the conversations you’re having about what’s next educationally for your kids. Yes, I am listening to you three at the corner table at Seven Stars, huddled over coffee and obsessing about which kindergarten will be the best fit for your four year olds, wondering about the unknowns of public schools, the price tag of private schools, the lottery-driven gamble of charter schools, or the possibility of moving to a new town “for the schools.” I am shamelessly eavesdropping, and sometimes I will ask to join in, because I am fascinated with parents’ motivations about their educational choices that they make for and with their children.

The Newbery, Caldecott, and Printz, which are the country's most prestigious awards for children's books, were announced Monday morning at the American Library Association’s midwinter conference in Dallas. 2012 Newbery Medal Jack Gantos has won the 2012 Newbery Medal for Dead End in Norvelt (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), his semiautobiographical tale of a boy growing up in a Pennsylvania town created during the Great Depression; the book was edited by Wesley Adams. Two Newbery Honor Books were named: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai (HarperCollins); and Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin (Henry Holt).

This is the true story of Heather Von St. James - courageous mother, wife and survivor of mesothelioma cancer. She hopes by sharing her experience she will connect and support others battling a severe illness. - Anisa A short three and a half months after giving birth to my beautiful baby girl, I received the devastating diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma — a rare disease that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure — affects the lung’s protective lining in the chest cavity. Symptoms include, but are not limited to shortness of breath, coughing, pain, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss. My symptoms where shortness of breath, fatigue and drastic weight loss.

From skating to snowplay, get out there and make this winter weather a family affair. While we wait for the next great snowfall, let's get out there and start having winter fun (and yes, some of these are great for snowy days). Snowshoeing1. Head out on a winter hike. Bring snacks and a thermos of hot soup and/or cocoa. Explore a wildlife refuge. Try it with snowshoes. 2. Make maple snow candy...

The Providence Public Library children’s room has transformed into the Children’s Discovery Library – The Story Starts Here! The new Children’s Discovery Library officially opens on Saturday, January 28 at 12:30 pm with a ribbon cutting, special guests and activities. Parents and children will have the opportunity to learn about and explore the new Children’s Discovery Library space, free and open to public. Activities include face painting, refreshments and prize drawings. To create Rhode Island’s latest family learning destination, Providence Public Library (PPL) contracted Providence Children’s Museum, which has earned both a national reputation for the excellence of its exhibits and the popular acclaim of generations of southern New England’s children and caregivers. The artful re-imagining and design of PPL’s children’s library has resulted in a captivating and enriching environment for early learners. We love collaborations and are excited to see and play in this new space!

V snuck into this recipe because U decided to go and be something else mid way through the recipe writing. And before I tell you anything about Umeboshi plums or Vidalia Onions, I need to say that my daughter ate 3 pieces of this meatloaf. This is noteworthy. She prefers carbs in all forms! Umeboshi plums are a hidden secret in the Asian section of the grocery store. These little plums are pickled and very salty and said to aide digestion and appetite. When I was pregnant it was suggested I eat one to help with nausea and I could have laughed, if I wasn’t so sick! Just the thought made me more nauseous, but now I’m loving them. A little goes a long way with these, I buy the paste and just add a tiny bit to dressings and sauces instead of salt.

Mayor Angel Taveras has announced that the City of Providence is accepting proposals for Celebrate Providence! 2012 Neighborhood Performing Arts Initiative, as the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism gets ready for another fun summer of theater, dance, music and other live performances in Providence’s neighborhoods. Organizations interested in participating must be located in Providence to be eligible for the grants and the programming must take place in the neighborhoods and public spaces of

Wanna get away? You can travel anywhere in the world from your living room rug. Enjoy a fantasy travel sketch workshop with your family. This project can be as simple as drawing a picture of your destination, or as complex as answering every one of the questions below and more! Travel Sketch MaterielsI asked my six year-old son what city in the world he might like to visit this week and a lively conversation ensued. He enthusiastically chose Jerusalem, which surprised me as I have never heard him mention the city, and delighted me with the suggestion that we look up their currency and train tickets on the web.

That’s a question that 22 Rhode Island preschool teachers and daycare providers asked their 3- and 4-year-old children as part of "Making Learning Visible: Inspiration Takes Flight," a five-month professional development seminar offered by Ready to Learn Providence and supported by Providence Children’s Museum. It turns out that the children are experts at lots of things. Many of them know how to do crafts from creating a crown to drawing happy faces, dinosaurs, monsters and self-portraits to making a sugar flour cake. They are excellent movers; they know how to run, climb on bars, dance, and do flips and jumping jacks. They have mastered many of their important daily routines, such as being a big brother, tying shoes, cleaning up, and sleeping. And not surprisingly, they are fantastic players. They can tell you how to fly like Superman, play the card game Face-Off, put on a performance, and even how to pretend to be a dog.

The administration of Providence Mayor Angel Taveras has reached an agreement with the two independent organizations that operate the libraries that serve city residents that will preserve city branches and protect every neighborhood library in the city. Under the agreement mediated by retired Superior Court Judge Mark Pfeiffer, the Providence Public Library (PPL), which operates [...]

SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING! Kidoinfo is giving readers the chance to win a family four-pack of passes to the advance screening of Universal Pictures’ BIG MIRACLE being held on Saturday, January 28 at at 10:00AM at Showcase Providence Place Cinema. I have 5 family four packs to give away. Just tell me why you (or your children) love the ocean in the comments below and I will randomly select 5 winners on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at Noon EST.

We have decided to celebrate the magic of snow (and lack of the white stuff in the northeast) by hosting a Snow Party - complete with stories, crafts, science experiments and snacks. Followed by a trip outdoors in real snow if the temperatures drop and the rain changes to snow. Read "Snowflake Bentley" (Caldecott Medal Book) by Jacqueline Briggs, illustrated by Martin Mary Azarian. This is the true story of Wilson Bentley, a farmer born in 1865 in Jericho, Vermont, a small town between Lake Champlain and Mount Mansfield. The story shows Bentley’s fascination, determination, and success in learning how to photograph snowflakes after his mother gave him a microscope when he was fifteen. Beautiful, bold woodcut illustrations.

I want my children to learn the value of saving and spending wisely so they grow up knowing how to manage their own money while being a socially responsible citizen. This isn’t an easy process but by starting early, children have a better chance of developing good money habits that will last into adulthood. Once my boys turned eight (around the time they started receiving a weekly allowance) we started an annual New Year’s tradition of counting the money in their piggy bank and dividing it into 3 equal parts:

Providence Children's Museum will feature performances of M.L.K.: Amazing Grace by Rochel Coleman and Valerie Tutson and present a special exhibit about the American Civil Rights Movement and King's work. Families can also browse an exhibit of photographs, text and a selection of carefully chosen books about the American Civil Rights Movement and Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence. Visitors can choose to participate in a thought-provoking interactive exploration of the negative power of discrimination, during which they encounter “red only” and “green only” labels throughout the Museum. Educators will be on hand to talk to families following this provocative exercise and invite them to record their responses.

Providence artist Margaret Owen has an adventurous mind. Those who’ve joined her for a painting, drawing or collage workshop have observed that even when she is teaching, Owen is always exploring and considering. She doesn’t pretend to know things, and in faithfully not knowing, she is a wonderful teacher. In a recent interview with blogger Sofia Amarchi, Owen was asked about the traits that make her a successful artist. She responded, "To continue to inhabit an attitude of playful inquiry despite the cacophony of voices in your head—and the dishes in the sink."

The start of a new year carries with it so many possibilities! I love the notion of a fresh start, or just creating a little more space in the New Year for things that are important to me and to my family. In 2012, I want to create more space for connection to the people in my life—especially my children. I thought about the activities that we’ve enjoyed together this past year- painting, simple crafts, baking, playing games- and then I wondered "what would make it easier to connect in these ways?" It always comes back to space.