Pretend City: February Events & 2 for 1 Entry!

Have you been to Pretend City lately?
They recently opened the Sushi Restaurant where the Cafe was and it is so darling!
The kids loved playing in the new digs.

This week they welcomed a new family into the home exhibit -
The Meyers Family!!!
You can find out about the Meyers' family beliefs and celebrations
around being a culturally blended family.

Along with Valentine making workshops for all ages all month long,
on February 14th there is 2 for 1 admission!!

Valentine’s Day Celebration- Tuesday, February 14^th

Fun activities all day long, including:

• Sensational Story Time: The Kissing Hand – What better way to celebrate the day than with a story about the love of family!
• Poetry Play: Love Poem – Poetry is another language used to express love and it only needs a few words. By 2 years of age your child can express themselves in simple words. Use these words to create a love poem to remind you of these special times.
• Symbols in a Second: Hearts, Cupids, and Roses – oh my! During this holiday many symbols are seen in the community that represents Valentine’s Day and so much more. Today is your chance to learn more about these symbols and what they represent.
• Good to Go Game: Pin the Arrow on the Heart – Watch your child turn into cupid as they try to pin the arrow on the heart!
  

There are several other fun things going on this month:

Way to Play Day: A Package of Learning! - Friday Feb 10^th (10am-3pm)

Prepare your child for playgroups, preschool and even kindergarten! Learn to understand your children’s developmental progress and successfully prepare them for the world.

• Developmental Check-ups from 10:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.: Assesses speech, motor, cognitive and social areas (first come, first served; limited spaces available)
• Story times, tips for learning at home and a chance to spin the wheel for a take home prize!

Baby Steps through Pretend City! - Monday, Feb 13^th (2-3:30pm)

Share your love of Pretend City with even the littlest of learners. Pretend City has amazing learning opportunities for every age, even infants! Your infant’s heart will go out to you as you explore Pretend City in a way that was designed with them in mind. This exclusive, infant only hour engages your infant in age-appropriate facilitated activities, which will teach you about your baby’s developmental milestones. Don’t forget to pick up a free Ages & Stages Questionnaire!* to ensure your little one is developing on track! They're FREE, fast and easy! * Available for Orange County residents only

RSVP: Required at http://pretendcity.org/education/classes/; max 150

Fee: $11 per adult, infants and Pretend City Members are FREE!

Connect With Your Child Through Play- Thursday, Feb 16^th (9-10am)

Did you know that children learn best through their play? Discover the connections between learning and play during this hands-on seminar. Learn why play is important and how to play with your child while fostering attachment, development, language and social skills, all while having fun! In addition, receive an introduction to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), which places an emphasis on improving the quality of your parent-child relationship and parent-child interaction patterns. Learn more about the PCIT here (link http://www.cgcoc.org/nbc_tv_video_clip.php) and keep an eye out for therapy sessions at Pretend City!

RSVP: http://pretendcity.org/education/upcoming; max 25; min 5 or subject to cancelation

Fee: $10 per adult (price includes children)

Family Autism Event- Monday, Feb 27^th (5-7:30pm)

This special evening is an opportunity for children and their parents/siblings/caretakers to have some fun in an autism-friendly environment along with other families. Many of our community partners who specialize in supporting children on the Autism Spectrum or with Pervasive Developmental Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) will be on-hand to enrich your family’s play experience with their welcoming smiles and practical support.

RSVP: Please call 949.428.3900 extension 233 or visit: http://pretendcity.org/education/classes/; max 80 families (1 ticket per family of up to 5 people); only those families who have a reservation and a confirmation number will be admitted.

Fee: This event is FREE thanks to the OC Register and The Festival of Children’s Season of Caring, Possible Dream Grant.

Celebrate the Holidays at Pretend City

There is some SERIOUS fun to be had at Pretend City this month.
Isabella asks me almost daily if we can go to Pretend City
while her brother is at school.
I think we just might have a mommy/daughter
date there this month.

IRVINE, Calif. (December, 2011) – December at Pretend City Children’s Museum is designed to discover all the wonderfully different, diverse and dynamic holiday celebrations that this season has to offer! Journey through this month’s programming with an open mind and a thirst to learn. Through exceptional classes and programs, children will learn about new and different holidays, diverse cultural celebrations and dynamic traditions that people around the world enjoy celebrating throughout the winter season! But that is not all, before the start of a fresh year, ensure your child is in tip-top shape to enter 2012 by taking advantage of our free health screenings throughout the month.

December Activities at Pretend City:

Las Posadas Celebration- Friday, December 16^th (All Day)

This day marks our annual kick-off to Las Posadas celebration. Come celebrate the first day of this 9-day celebration through special activities, which will allow your children to have a better understanding of the history of this celebration. Activities of the day will include:

• Let’s Move: Piñata Party – Help your child work on their swing while they learn more about a common holiday tradition.
• Colorful Cultures: Posada Placemat – On the 9th day of Las Posadas families will gather for a feast. Make sure you are prepared with your very own placemat.
• Sensational Story Time: Uno, Dos, Tres Posada – Practice your counting in the fun tale that counts down this special holiday.
• Symbols in a Second: Star Piñata – Join us to make your very own piñata and learn why the most common piñata shape during Las Posadas is a 5-pointed star.

Hanukkah Celebration - Wednesday, December 21^st (All Day)

Happy Hanukkah! This is a special time of celebration and learning! There are many symbols associated with Hanukkah. This is your opportunity to come and learn more about many of these symbols. Engaging activities are sure to have your little ones delighted while wanting to learn more about this special holiday. Some activities are:

• “Good To Go” Game: Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel - The dreidel is painted with letters, gimel, hey, nun, and shin which are written on the sides. Learn and play this traditional game while your 4-year-old works on cognitive skills including counting, symbol identification, and following commands.
• Colorful Cultures: Smart Art Star of David – Use your creativity and new knowledge of this holiday to make your very own Star of David ornament.

Hanukkah Olive Press Workshop - Wednesday, December 21^st (11:30am)

At Pretend City step back in time as you pretend to be a group of Macabees. Children will utilize their fine motor skills to refine the olive oil needed for the Menorah while they:

• Pit fresh olives and squeeze them with a hand press.
• Strain and then spin the extract in a centrifuge to separate the pure oil.
• Fashion a wick out of cotton for use with the oil when lighting the Menorah.

As an added bonus, each child will have the opportunity to create Hanukkah sand art and make their very own Menorah.

RSVP: Online registration through Event Brite

Christmas Celebration - Friday, December 23^rd (All Day)

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…over to Pretend City for this Christmas celebration! This Christmas festival will have you and your child wanting to keep those musical notes and dancing feet jingling throughout the city! Don’t miss out!

• Music & Movement: 11:00a.m. Christmas Concert presented by Young Music Company
• Symbols in a Second: Meet & Greet with Santa – There’s only a few days left before Christmas! Make sure to come and let Santa know what your Christmas wish is while he shares a bit of history with you about his origin.
• Cooking Up Cultures: Crunchy Christmas Tree – This Christmas tree isn’t just for looks, but for eating too! As we learn how the Christmas tree came to be, you will enjoy working on those hand and finger skills to create an edible tree.
• Let’s Move: Rudolph’s Race – When Santa called upon Rudolph they were in a race to save Christmas. Get moving in your Rudolph gear to beat the Christmas clock!

Kwanza Begins - Monday, December 26^th (10am-3pm)

Kwanzaa is a Pan-African holiday that was created to reconnect African-Americans to their African roots. The name Kwanzaa derives from the Swahili phrase “matunda ya kwanza”, meaning the first fruits of the harvest. In honor of this holiday, guests will learn about the Nguzu Saba (“seven principles of blackness”) through creative hands-on art projects, videos, and interactive story times featuring African cloths, drumming, and traditional dolls.

Ring in the Noon Year! New Year’s Eve Celebration- Dec 31^st (10am-12 noon)

Spend this New Year’s Eve ringing in the New Year Pretend City style! Today will be the day for family and friends to gather at Pretend City to celebrate the New Year. Festivities of the day will include:

• Let’s Move: Rockin’Dance Party – Ever hour as we countdown to the “Noon Year” we will have a dance party! Featuring the latest and greatest in party songs you will enjoy moving and grooving in the Orange Plaza.
• Colorful Cultures: What New Years is complete without the traditional party wear! Join us in the art studio to find color decorations to signify your New Year’s Resolution.
• Sensational Story Time: The Night Before New Years – It’s the night before New Year’s and all through the house…? Come find out during this story time followed by a fun streamer making activity!
• 12:00p.m. Ring in the Noon Year! Join us in Orange Plaza as we ring in the New Year at Noon! This party comes complete with a countdown, ball drop, and dancing!

I think that everything sounds amazing!

And celebrating the Noon Year is a genius idea!
Way to go, Pretend City!

Veteran's Day: An Invitation and FREE Printable

One of our favorite places - Pretend City - is hosting
some of our favorite people - military members -
this Friday for a Veteran's Day Celebration!

Members of the military and their immediate family
will enjoy FREE admission to Pretend City.

The Museum will be open to everyone to celebrate
our American Veterans and thank them
for their service and sacrifice.

Guests are invited to dress in red, white and blue
and member of the military are invited
to wear their uniforms.

There will be fun activities and patriotic music
throughout the day.

Friday, November 11th
9:00am-5:00pm
Pretend City Children's Museum
29 Hubble
Irvine, CA

I hope to see some of you there!

And here is the free printable I promised you!

Just a little printable I whipped up to help me remember.
You can download yours HERE.
As always, printables from FPG are for PERSONAL USE only.
Honor bloggy karma and it will honor you.

Pretend City: Halloween a Day Early!

Do you need something rad to do this weekend?
How about Halloween a day early!
Pretend City is celebrating a day early,
so bring your little spooks all dressed up in their
costumes, meet Super Why, do the Monster Mash,
and enjoy trick or treating and storytime
in the city!

Read more about the details HERE!
And use the above coupon for 2 for 1 admission.