Time to starting thinking...summer activities for the littles

Okay now, I'm totally not starting with preschool summer activities because this is the age near and dear to my heart. It's simply the age when a parent first goes nuts about that long summer and how to keep junior adequately occupied.

Enter Edmond's amazing list of summer activities (see last year's lineup here).

Now you can trip on down to the zoo (the hyenas are especially creepy) or the science museum (kids can't get enough of that giant robot!), which are definitely family-fun gigs. But when it comes to week-long or weekly classes, there's plenty to choose from right here in town. Here are just some of the amazing opportunities for little ones this summer (and if you're a local business, I'm always happy to add more to this list!).

Camps for the budding artist or performer....Edmond has several great opportunities for preschoolers to try their hand at the arts. The Fine Arts Institute of Edmond offers their Little Artist Camp for those ages 3 to 6, which will include painting, making collages, and creating 3-D art. Also, Dance Phase offers a Princess Camp for those ages 3 through 7, which includes dance instruction as well as other engaging activities.

Weekly sports classes...Most of the sports places listed here offer classes all year long, but some offer special summer deals as a way to try something out. Several Edmond hotspots for preschool athletics are the Edmond YMCA, Oklahoma Gold Gymnastics, Arctic Edge Ice Arena, and Edmond Soccer Club.

Mothers Day Out...Nothing better prepares those little ones to get into the swing of preschool, pre-K, or kindergarten like a fun-filled mothers' day out program (see a list here--not all will have summer availability). Becky Scharf, Director of Stepping Stones Mothers Day Out, agreed, saying, "It is important for kids to remain on some sort of schedule during the summer to keep them active and engaged." That may be true for us parents too, huh?

Vacation Bible School...For a week of faith-inspired activities and socialization, check out this year's list of local VBS opportunities here...

Swimming...And,  as always, a reminder that kids of any age, but this age in particular, have much to benefit from summer swimming lessons. Check for a list of local lessons here.

So, yes. It's time to start thinking about signing up. The problem is...what to choose? You know what? It's a good problem to have.

Stay tuned for grade school summer activities next week!

Floaties, Noodles, and Swim Diapers – Navigating the world of Edmond swim lessons

If there is anything that frightens me more than another installment of the Saw movie franchise, it’s a swimming pool right outside someone’s back door. With two kiddos under the age of four, getting my little ones water-safe is no joking matter.

So I’ve set about finding what Edmond has to offer by way of training my little puppies to swim like guppies. Or, at least, to learn how to float and maybe do some simple dog paddling.

Here’s what I’ve found. First of all, until your kiddo turns three, you’re probably going to end up in the pool with them (with the exception of one place, which is mentioned below). That sparks bathing-suit terror in me, but really, shimmying into colorful spandex  is the least of my worries when it comes to my kids’ safety.

Here’s a brief list of what I’ve found:

Pelican Bay Aquatic Center. The American Red Cross holds two-week swim lesson courses during the summer at Edmond’s water park, for ages two and up. The park offers a range of instruction, everything from parent/child classes to advance stroking and water survival skills.

Infant Swim Resources.  These lessons are open to babies as young as six months and are geared toward water survival. These are not parent/child classes. I will say that watching a tiny baby learn to float may be strange and a little unsettling, but these lessons (which go up to age six) offer skills meant to keep you child safe if they happen to fall into water. See Edmond specific (lessons at Oak Tree) information here.

YMCA. Several locations through the greater Oklahoma City area, including the Edmond and Guthrie YMCAs, offer parent/child classes for kiddos six to thirty-six months and beginner classes starting at age three.   

Transformation Fitness. This Edmond fitness center offers classes for kids ranging from six months to thirteen years of age. Again, a parent must be in the water with a child who is under age three.

Lighthouse Sports, Health, and Fitness. And for those willing to go a little farther (Lake Hefner area), this Oklahoma City fitness center also offers a variety of swim classes for ages three and up. They also have “Water Babies,” which is their equivalent of a parent/child class, with the added benefit of being “drop-in.”

With so many options, parents are certain to find something to float their boats (sorry, I just could not help myself).  Because really, getting introduced to swimming is fun and exciting for little ones, but most of all, it’s one-hundred percent necessary.