Dear Antoinette,

I confess I'm not a fan of winter weather. Yes, snow can be beautiful, and sometimes it's fun to have the kids home from school, but give me spring or summer anytime.

So, let's think ahead to warmer times and make some plans for what to do when the temperatures rise and the great outdoors is a bit more welcoming.

Child Guide is compiling our list of summer programs and camps, which will preview in March/April's Intro to Summer Camps section and be the focus of our May/June issue. One Maryland camp got an early start, advertising in our January/February issue (see page 7 of our online magazine at www.childguidemagazine.com). Read about them below and consider the unique and educational family vacation they are offering.

Kayam Family Farm Camp

Reisterstown, MD
August 14-19, 2011

Kayam Family Farm Camp is the perfect way to end the summer! Enjoy all the traditional aspects of summer camp and vacation--bonfires, arts and crafts, hikes, sports, and swimming--in an intergenerational framework with the added dimension of being part of a working, organic farm practicing ancient Jewish agricultural laws and bio-sustainable practices. So many of our values of social justice and caring for the earth emerged from our ancestors ties to the earth they tilled. Learn about tithing our harvest to feed the hungry and about the hot button issues of food justice. Through farm to table activities, your family will begin to understand how simple decisions, like eating locally-grown foods versus packaged, transported items, can impact the environment and global sustainability. Separate children and adult sessions are interspersed with family activities and free time. Professional Jewish farm educators staff the program and responsible childcare is included. Lodging options include hotel-style rooms with queen beds and private baths, family dorm rooms with bunk beds, or family cabins. Food is kosher and all meals are included and served buffet style.

www.pearlstonecenter.org/familycamp

410-429-4400 x219

Thanks for reading Child Guide. And, think WARM!

Sincerely,

Cecilia "Cis" Rhyne, Editor

Child Guide Magazine
cis@childguidemagazine.com

301-665-2817

February is National
Children's Dental
Health Month

Creating Dental Health Awareness in Children

National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) began on February 3, 1941 in Cleveland, OH as a one day event. That same year in Akron, OH, February 3-7 was designated as Children's Dental Health Week. The American Dental Association (ADA) took over the 1 day event in 1949 but it wasn't until 1955 that it was extended to a week-long event. The goal of NCDHM is to provide dental health education to all children and raise awareness about the importance of oral health.

Making Dental Health Education Fun

Schools nationwide celebrate National Children's Dental Health Month by including dental health education into the curriculum for the month of February. Classroom activities include projects that make learning about oral health fun. The ADA and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) have resources available on their websites for teachers to use in their classrooms and parents to use in their homes: http://www.ada.org/2934.aspx#sheets

http://www.aap.org/oralhealth/ncdhm.cfm#activities

Dentists and hygienists visit schools to teach dental hygiene and provide handouts for the kids to take home. Contact your state dental association about arranging for a dental professional to visit your school: http://www.ada.org/ada/organizations/searchcons1.asp

FREE Dental Activity Sheets for Kids

Free downloads for parents, teachers, and dental offices needing fun and educational handouts for children are available at Twoothy http://twoothtimer.com. These kids dental downloads are Color Twoothy T™, How to Brush & Floss, and the Ready-Set-Brush!™ Calendar and they're available in both English & Spanish! To get your free kids dental activity sheets visit http://twoothtimer.com and click on the purple 'free downloads' button. Print and share!