I was so nervous that daycare would be closed Monday morning. Luckily, all was well and I didn't have to scramble to find alternative care or stay home with Jake.

Other parents weren't so lucky when most local school systems canceled classes due to Hurricane Irene-related power outages. With Baltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Harford counties canceling school for the second day, what are parents to do?

The Sun reports:

The widespread outages and resulting school closings sent parents around the region scrambling to find high school-age baby sitters (who, luckily, were available because their schools had closed as well), swap shifts with co-workers and find creative ways to entertain their stir-crazy offspring.

Some parents took their kids to the mall or any place with electricity and entertainment, while others ventured to the Inner Harbor and other tourist spots.

How are you keeping your children entertained? How are you coping?

Posted by Hanah Cho at 9:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out
        

Liz Atwood talks about keeping her kids engaged during the summer in this week's Tween Tuesday:

Summer is more than half over, and I’m in a full-blown battle against the summer slide—that time when kids lose much of what they have learned during the previous school year.

According to the Baltimore-based National Summer Learning Association, where former Charm City Moms host Kate Shatzkin now works, most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in math. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading.

Last week, the cover story in Time magazine was devoted to efforts to overcome the summer slide by developing quality summer learning programs.

In our house, we’ve had some successes and some setbacks. My 9-year-old went to a couple weeks of science camp. The older one managed to read one book in his required summer reading and is plodding through the second.

Continue reading "Summer slide" »

Posted by Hanah Cho at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out, Teens
        

Today's Monday Consult brings a warning from the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org website. Paraphrased, it is: Don't let your guard down with your kids this Memorial Day weekend.

The website reported on a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics that found holidays pose a risk of injury to children. And not just holiday-related injuries -- like fireworks injuries on the Fourth of July, for example. The authors reported that "everyday injuries" such as fractures, strains and sprains, and abrasions were common, possible because parents aren't as vigilant during celebrations.

Memorial Day was the second-most dangerous holiday studied (after Labor Day), and kids under 5 seemed to be the most at risk of injury.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Health, School's Out, The Monday Consult
        

The epic snow sculpture picture contest results are in!!!

I said I'd give four prizes -- a winner and runner-up in the most viewed and most commented categories. I'm still giving four, but after looking at the specific results, I've slightly reworked the awards to reflect the four clear winners:

--THE GONE-VIRAL, BLIZZARD OF PAGE VIEWS AWARD goes to -- who else -- the fire-breathing snowman of Bel Air. Thanks to Nick and Anna Berte for sharing him with us and, later, the world.

--THE FLAKETASTIC FAN FAVE AWARD goes to the Montgomery brothers of Dayton for their Snow Castle, which captured the most impressive combination of comments and page views.

--THE MOST COMMENTED AWARD goes to the beautiful picture of the Snow Fort of Wilson Point, the post which had the largest number of comments.

--THE SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE, coming in fourth for views and third for comments, is the tribute to Scoobie the Dog.

And what do the winners win, you ask?

Well, since more snow is expected, I have some lovely Baltimore Sun Media Group traveling soup mugs for each winner. I'll be adding some books and DVDs to that, and will get in touch with each winner to determine just what from my collection you'd each like.

I want to thank all of the many people who took time to share the pictures of their incredible snow creations around the region. Looking at them gave me a huge lift during what was a very trying week for all of us, and I know the pictures had the same effect for many other readers, too.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

The pictures of snow sculptures and snow creatures are in. Now it's time to vote for the winners.

There will be prizes for the post with the most page views and the post with the most comments between now and Wednesday at noon. A winner and a runner-up will be chosen in each category. If a winning post has pictures from two different contestants, both will win the prize.

So get the word out! Vote for your favorites, by viewing, by leaving a comment, and by encouraging others to do so.

You can see all 24 snow sculpture posts by scrolling down here. Good luck!

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Kathleen Pryor sent these pictures for our snow sculpture contest from Relay:

The first is the porthole of a fort "w/ my neighbor's daughter and snow fort builder, Brandy peeking thru!!"

The second is described as "SweatySocksSnowman whose "feet" are melting away in the hot tub at the bottom of the photo!!!"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

These pictures are from Daniel Schwartz-Narbonne, who built the structures with fellow electrical engineering students at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

The latest photo from our snow sculpture contest (yeah, we're still going, though new entries are no longer being accepted) toasts our survival of this whiteout week.

It's a bottle of Grand Marnier, which I understand was constructed near One-Eyed Mike's in Fells Point. It was sent by a couple of submitters, including Debbie Jones of Black Ankle Vineyards.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Laura Tomaschefsky writes:

"I am sending this photo on behalf of my co-worker, Sherry Wrightson. Her grandson, Todd Wheeler and his sister Skylar Keys made a fort and Todd created this photo. They are from Wilson Point. What an awesome picture!"

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (147)
        

Tiffany Dunnigan of Dundalk sends us the touching tale behind this snow dog:

"This is a snow sculpture built by my husband, Sean, in tribute to our beloved dog, Scoobie, who passed away last Friday. Pictures do it no justice."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (54)
        

Jennifer Weaver of Parkville, who describes herself as "a teacher with some extra time on her hands," sends us her cute snow creature offering.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

At my urging, Dennis O'Shea sent these pictures of an impressive igloo and tunnel complex in Rodgers Forge:

Check out the rest of our snow sculpture contest pictures here. We are soon to vote...

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Beth Hochwarth of Towson said she didn't have to do anything to get this snow creature:

"A cute picture of the snow on my bird feeder--the snow naturally formed to look like a bird."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

This multi-ethnic snow person from Columbia comes with a story:

Philipp Kastner writes:

I sent you some pictures of the snowman my friend Ji Yoon and I built on Sunday afternoon.
Maybe he doesn't look that special at the first glance but I think the story behind him is kind of unique.

Juni Schneeman (which is his name) was built in Columbia, MD where both of us (Ji Yoon is from Korea
and I'm from Austria) are currently doing an internship. Even while we were building a snowman we where
discovering some cultural differences between Austria, Korea and the US.
As you might see he has a Korean face but did you know that in Korea snowmen only consist of two
spheres instead of three? I didn't :)

Even though these cultural differences are small you'll finds similar kind of differences everywhere
for me discovering these differences is what it makes it so special to live here in the USA for 10 months.
The wide variety of different cultures and people int this country where every single one has his own unique story to tell
is just amazing!

Best greetings and a lot of fun with the snow!
Philipp Kastner

P.S.: Juni = a Korean first name
Schneemann = German word for snowman

And this beautiful snow creature hails from Woodbridge, Va.:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

This snow mariachi was attributed to John Scally of Pasadena, who is said to have created it on Sunday after the first round of snow.

The email goes on: "After being hit with another 12 inches on Wednesday, he dusted off the snowman and this is what he found!..."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Amanda Nance of Dundalk introduces our latest snow creature:

"This is my Snowoman that I made earlier this week. I am a local bellydancer and my class was canceled Sunday due to the snow, so I brought class to my yard! I suppose her name should be Holly, since I used holly branches for her hair and arms, holly leaves for her eyes, and holly berries for her mouth."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Jennifer Groman sends this entry in the snow creature photo contest on behalf of Keenan and Michaela Murphy of Abingdon. She writes: "For aficionados of the TV program for kids Max and Ruby...and Ruby's brother Max!"

I'll take new photo submissions until tomorrow morning here. Look for voting instructions soon, after I have a chance to post what I have gotten!

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

This snowman, sent by Renee Main, facility manager of the Aberdeen Proving Ground Edgewood Youth Center, seems to be taking a well-deserved break from all that shoveling.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Our latest snow creature is this cool dolphin. Eva Kerchner writes:

"I am sending this in for my sister in law, Janet Kerchner who lives in Arnold, MD."

Janet had written to her: "This is what you do with all that snow! Beats sitting on the couch all day. 8 hours to complete!"

Now that the flakes have actually stopped for a little while, I expect more creatures to spring up. Send your pictures here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

The Maryland snow creature gallery continues:

PEEBIE3@aol.com writes: "My son was visiting from Florida and had never made a snow man, so that's what we did here in Bauernschmidt Manor in Essex...The Groton Fisherman complete with fish....."

And here's "Hugh" of Eldersburg, submitted by Donna Benson, who writes: "One of our sons and several of his friends built this snowman Friday night. Jeremy (in the MD sweatshirt) is 6 ft, 3 in. tall. We measure Hugh at 8 feet tall. He has become a tourist attraction in the neighborhood: families out walking stop to take each others picture next to Hugh."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

More snow structures for our picture contest. Have you sent yours yet?

This fort has been dubbed "The SnowBeast 5000" by its creator, Matthew Cain of Anneslie. He writes that the beast "has about 12 hours worth of work invested into it so far.
I based the structure around a plastic kiddy play fort then decided to
build an accompanying dome, or lounge area if you prefer."

See a video Cain put together of the fort's construction on the Charm City Moms Facebook page:

And here's an Ellicott City igloo from Anne Willis:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

OK, if the fire-breathing snowman of Bel Air wasn't enough for you, now we have the snow-castle-building Montgomery brothers of Dayton, Md. (Howard County):

Eric Montgomery writes:
"This is Eric, Ryan, and Kevin Montgomery from Dayton, MD (ages 26, 19,
and 17 respectively), and we are three brothers who have spent the
past three days building the snow castle shown in these photos. The
towers of the gatehouse are 10 feet from street level to the top of
the crenellations, and there are six towers in total with a perimeter
wall that stretches over 140 feet. Two tunnels and a kid-friendly sled
run out of one of the towers complete the castle complex. But with
more snow on the way, who's to say it's really complete?"

In this photo, "Ryan clones himself":

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (113)
        

This morning we continue the snow sculpture and snow creature awesomeness contest with a panoramic view of what submitter Andras Frenyo describes as: "A wintertime living room addition to a home in the Joseph Lee Park Area. Furnished with chairs, coffee table and a log in the fireplace . . . ."

Click on the picture to open the panoramic version on Frenyo's cool Panoramic Photo Blog, where you can find more 360-degree Baltimore scenes, such as one of a snowy Mount Vernon. (That one takes a little longer to download, so be patient):

Watch for many more snow pics on the blog today. What, you haven't submitted your creation? Send it here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

A Ravens-themed snow fort, from Thomas Keller in Towson.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Here's an adorable snow penguin from Sue Slade of Catonsville. Keep sending me your pictures of creative snow contraptions and creatures for our snowmaggedon contest.

Don't forget to include your name and neighborhood with your photo, please.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Latest in our snow creature and snow contraption contest: a merry snowman from Hollins Market.

Shaina Wahl writes: "Here is our Snowman at Hollins Market- buttons of beer cans, a cucumber mouth. Photoed with: Peter, Brian, Trevor, Sebastian."

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Nick and Anna Berte of Bel Air sent me these pictures of the giant snowman they made with their children in front of their home. "My husband is an engineer and decided later on to make the snowman breathe fire," Anna Berte writes. "Hope everyone enjoys this snowman as much as the rest of our neighborhood does."

We like! Now if you could just get him to work on melting all the snow before the next storm comes...

Can you top this? We're running a contest for pictures of the most creative snow forts and snow creatures. Send your photos my way.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Who needs the Winter Olympics when you've got this awesome toboggan run David Hewes built for his kids (and, as he says, "anyone passing by") in Bowley's Quarters.

In case you haven't heard, we're running a contest all week for pictures of the most creative snow forts and snow creatures from Snowmaggedon Snowpocalypse SNOMG 2010.

Send them my way with your name and neighborhood.

UPDATED: Here's another view of the toboggan run:

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

I'm starting to get a few entries for our creative snow creature and snow fort picture contest. Please send your pictures early and often, and include your name and neighborhood. Looks like we'll be doing this all week.

Pictured: The White Rabbit in Halethorpe, courtesy of Qian Deng.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Now that we're finally starting to dig out -- and learning that many local schools will be closed tomorrow -- it's time for the kids to really have some fun. And for you to get them some fame for their best snow people and snow forts.

Send your pictures of creative snow buildings, snow families, snow pets, and the like to me and I will post them here, and probably elsewhere on our site. We will vote on the best ones for a fabulous prize.

By the way, there's still time to vote in our snow day screen time poll. From the results so far, it looks like kids are going to get away with a lot of TV viewing today and tomorrow.

(Snowman photo, 2002, by Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Snow picture contest
        

Dear Santa,

For next Christmas, I would like to know how to keep children who never get up at 5:30 a.m. from getting up at 5:30 a.m. because they would like to open their presents NOW and if they must get up, how to get them to whisper to each other to keep from waking the 2-year-old and his parents who have traveled a long way and are sleeping in the next room, and also how to keep the cat from crying when she has already been fed.

In the meantime, (yawn), Merry Christmas to all!

(Photo by me)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out
        

Anne Arundel, Howard and Carroll county public school districts have already announced they're canceling school again on Wednesday because of the snow. That means kids in those schools have started their Christmas break already, and won't be back to the classroom until Jan. 4.

UPDATE : Baltimore City also has cancelled school for Wednesday. Baltimore County wants students to come in two hours late.

Many parents are scrambling to handle Christmas shopping, work responsibilities, snow removal....and now extra child-care. They're paying babysitters lots of money at a time when most households don't have a lot to spare. And then there's the issue of boredom -- once the kids have built the snow fort and the snowman and been sledding a few times -- then seen all the good holiday movies -- what is there to do?

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: School's Out
        

And...the city just called it. Guess another day of cabin fever lies ahead. Will they be off until the new year??

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

Baltimore County public schools are closed Tuesday, according to our database on the right rail. Still haven't heard about other districts yet. Stay tuned.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: School's Out
        

Baltimore city schools have announced they're closed tomorrow, along with districts in Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, and Harford. More may be coming -- for all the information, watch our schools database (also on the right rail of the blog) and sign up to receive alerts from it.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

This one's from Trish Kellerman in Catonsville, who says she has a foot and a half of snow...

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

From @sbsterling:

Still taking kid pix; send them along.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

Lillian Hall has a great time in Patterson Park....Photo by Josh Hall.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

What it's all about:

I'd love it if you'd send me your great kid snow pix today. I'll post them here and add them to our snow mashup.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

Oh, here it comes -- snow. A lot of snow on the last weekend before Christmas, upending our plans to frantically tear around Target and the malls, to actually have a babysitter come while we make the rounds of parties...And then there's the question of school on Monday.

For parents, it's a perfect storm -- literally, in this case.

That's one way to look at it. But to calm my blood pressure and my racing heartbeat as I contemplate all we were supposed to do this weekend, I think about these benefits:

Quiet.
Cocoa.
Reading.
Board games.
Movies.
Time with a fluffy orange cat.
Baking cookies.
Sledding.
Blankets.
A fire in the fireplace.
Naps.

OK, the last probably won't happen, at least for me. But still, in our busy lives, sometimes these limits imposed without notice by Mother Nature are secretly freeing.

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Karl Merton Ferron)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: School's Out
        

Are you out there this Black Friday trying desperately to find the zhu zhu hamster?

If so, join the crowd. Reporter Jill Rosen tells us that every kid wants one.

Except, thankfully, for mine. Even after seeing Jill's story this morning, my son and daughter had not added the little pets to their long Christmas lists.

I always wonder what makes a certain toy that year's craze. And it's so interesting how crazy parents become in trying to fulfill their children's wishes, even when it's nearly impossible to do. What's that about?

(Photo by Baltimore Sun photographer Barbara Haddock Taylor)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out
        

 Wish me luck.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

I was a mean mommy over the weekend. I forced my kids to go to the swimming pool.

Every year, we pay more than $500 for a family membership to a local private pool. And every year, I try to keep myself from calculating the per-visit cost. Between work, thunderstorms, trips, and the like, it seems that we end up actually swimming there much less than we envision when we sign up in the spring.

This year, though, takes the cake. We went to swim early in the season, and the water was so cold that the kids were spooked. One of them doesn't even want to swim indoors now.

So when last Saturday reached good old Baltimore levels of heat and humidity, I brought down the kids' suits and told them to get ready for the pool. And they wailed.

Here's the thing: I knew they'd have a good time. But I had to actually tell them that if they didn't go to the pool that day, they'd have to start paying back part of their allowances to offset the money I'd wasted on our membership.

Yes, meanest mommy ever. But it worked. And they had fun.

Now, if it could just get really hot again....

(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: School's Out
        

In tough economic times like this, parents look for anything they can trim from the budget without making their kids suffer. Once they've done that, there's a big-ticket item that looms large in some households: private school.

Some families are making the hard decision to take kids out of the private schools they've been attending and sending them to public schools instead. The New York Times had a piece several months ago. Now we at the Sun are looking into the local angle.

If you're in this situation and would be willing to talk with a reporter about your decision to switch schools, please e-mail Arin Gencer.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out
        

Winter break is almost over, and I'm sure that for some folks, it can't come soon enough. Most school systems around here have been closed since Christmas Eve, but Howard County schools got a jump on vacation and have been shut since Dec. 19.

Once you've gotten through all the holiday celebrating, how do you entertain your crew during a vacation that long? Our reporter Jonathan Pitts would love to talk to Howard County families about what they're doing. If you're interested, give him a call at 410-715-2812 or e-mail him here.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: School's Out
        

It always brightens my day to get a text message at 12:15 p.m. that because of heating problems, school has closed -- at noon.

I rushed to school with irrational visions of my children freezing alone on the corner. Of course, the teachers would never leave them by themselves, and of course, a lot of other parents got the text late, too. We were all running up the hill in a panic with the same crazy thoughts, trying to make last-minute arrangements on our cell phones. And then we found our kids, perfectly happy in their classrooms and waiting for us.

Now I could use a tranquilizer....

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: School's Out
        

As Liz said earlier, it's been interesting to watch kids' reactions to this election -- even the young ones. You find out a little bit about what your children are made of.

For example, my son told me that he had voted for Barack Obama in his kindergarten class election. I asked him why. He said, "Well, he was going to be the winner."

Another 5-year-old I know was stricken that his slightly older sister was supporting a different candidate than the rest of the family.

And lots of kids are interested in going to the polls with parents today. If you're thinking about it, here's the Maryland election page that spells out the rules. And here's a Seattle Times piece on the subject.

If you already got back from taking your kid to vote with you, how did that go? 

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: School's Out
        

Did your mom, dad, or both have a "look" they gave you when you were growing up? A look that made you stop doing whatever you were doing wrong, immediately?

Whoopi Goldberg demonstrates her mom's look on this clip from The View last year that I found on YouTube. She and her co-hosts go on to argue that parents' looks don't carry weight anymore. Instead, we're too busy explaining ourselves.

Discuss.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: School's Out
        

Here's something else that might be fun if you're in town this weekend, again courtesy of Jennifer Choi:

Port Discovery Children’s Museum is launching Robots: The Interactive Exhibition, part of a national tour inspired by the animated film Robots.

Visitors can see how robotic arms and industrial robots function, take a ride on the Crosstown Express, which provides a journey into the world of robotic vehicles, and visit the "Movie Star Robots Hall of Fame," which has a montage of movie and television bots from different eras.

Adults and children can also build or color their own virtual robots in the Robots Explorers and Paint-A-Bot stations. (But will the robots then come home and do my dishes?)

The exhibit is open 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 8. Admission is $11.75 and free for children younger than 2.

(Photo courtesy of Port Discovery)

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: School's Out, Things to Do
        

It may not even be spring yet, but parents know it's always later than you think. Time to figure out what your child is doing this summer, especially if you are planning on sending her to camp.

 If you haven't made a decision yet, or you're looking to explore some new options, you might want to check out the annual Baltimore's Child camp fair from 12-3 p.m. Sunday at the Crowne Plaza, 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium. (For more information, call 410-367-5883.) You can meet camp directors and collect brochures on different programs. If you can't make the fair, there's a virtual version at the magazine's web site, with listings for more than 300 area camps.

I thought it would be helpful if parents could share some reviews here of camps their children have attended in the past. Which programs did your children love, and why? Which didn't quite work for you, and why not? Please tell us by hitting the blue "Comments" link below.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: School's Out, Things to Do
        

It's official: Schools are pretty well closed down today. (For an updated list, see our school closings database, which can always be found on the right rail.)

For the parents who are supposed to be in the office: Are you going to work with the kids anyway? How do you think that will go?

 If not, whose turn is it to stay home? And how do you decide? Will you be able to bring in a sitter?

And if you were supposed to be home, what are your plans now that you probably won't be driving anywhere?

If you're getting cranky about all this, remember to keep looking at those snow scenes of your cute kids. Thanks to Sharon Pula for sending the adorable picture of her daughters Isabelle (left) and Grace above. And here's a link to another cute pic  Jackie sent of her daughter Sophie.

I'm still accepting photo submissions by e-mail if you'd like to share.

And I'm sure we could all use emergency ideas for indoor activities appropriate for different ages.

Posted by Kate Shatzkin at 6:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: School's Out