This exhibit is sure to intrigue kids and adults alike!  Check out THE BIG DIG at Imagination Station from May 29th – September 6th.

The BIG DIG is a mammoth exhibit stretching over 6,000 square feet, filled with tons and tons of prehistoric fun!

Visitors will have a chance to excavate their way through piles of shale, from right here in Northwest Ohio, in search of fossils that they can take home. Learn how to carefully extract real pieces of Earth’s history, preserved and waiting to be found by you.

This sensory filled exhibition will have visitors of all ages challenging their knowledge of dinosaurs and prehistoric facts, reconstructing bones and fitting together missing pieces of those that roamed the earth long ago.

Professional Sand Carver, Carl Jara, kicks off the BIG DIG, by carving a larger-than-life dinosaur sculpture out of 25 tons of sand. He’ll be creating his masterpiece between May 29-June 3.

With so many exciting opportunities to explore with your family, the BIG DIG is the place to bring the whole family for a fun-filled, educational trip down prehistoric lane.

Looking for something to do for a perfect Mom’s Night Out?  Check out the Toledo Zoo website HERE for information about all upcoming concerts! Here is a list of what you can look forward to this summer at the Toledo Zoo!

Tuesday, June 1st – Earth, Wind, and Fire

Wednesday, June 30th – Weird Al Yankovic

Friday, July 2nd – The Moody Blues

Tuesday, July 6th – Zac Brown Band – SOLD OUT

Another local pool open this weekend to celebrate the kick-off to summer!  The JCC/YMCA of Greater Toledo will open it’s outdoor pool this weekend.  If you are not already a member of the JCC/YMCA they are currently running a special.  If you join they will waive the joiner’s fee.  In order to take advantage of this deal, contact the JCC/YMCA by June 6th by clicking HERE for their website and contact information.

The hours of the JCC/YMCA outdoor pool are as follows:

Saturday, May 29- Monday, May 31 10:30 am – 8:30 pm
Tuesday, June 1 – Friday, June 4 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6 10:30 am – 8:30 pm
Monday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 8 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, June 9- Tuesday, Aug 31 10:30 am -8:30 pm

**Thursday, July 15 pool will close at 6:00 pm for Swim/Dive Team Awards Night
Wednesday, Sept 1 – Friday, Sept 3 3:00 pm -7:30 pm
Saturday, Sept 4 and Monday, Sept 6 10:30 am-7:30 pm
Saturday, Sept 11 and Sunday, Sept 12 12:00 pm-6:00 pm

It is that time of year…Memorial Day Weekend.  The unofficial kick-off to summer.  Many outdoor pools open, lots of barbeques to go to, and, of course, parades!  Here is a list of a few local parades, their times, and their locations.

• Toledo Downtown Memorial Parade
  Saturday, May 29, 2010;  10 am to Noon ~ The parade will start at Summit & Monroe . It will proceed north on Summit Street to Jackson Blvd west on Jackson Blvd to finish at the Civic Center Mall.
• Sylvania Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ The annual Memorial Day Parade will begin at Lourdes College at 10:00 am and proceed up Convent Blvd. to Main St. continuing north to Erie St. ending at Veterans Memorial Field. Call 419-882-1500 for more information.
• Woodville Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Woodville, OH) 8:30 a.m., Downtown Woodville.
• Pemberville Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Pembervillle) 9:30 a.m. Starts at Town Hall and proceeds to American Legion Hall.
• Perrysburg Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Perrysburg) 10 a.m. Starts at Louisiana and Fifth, then to Front for laying a wreath at the war memorial, then on to Rt. 25 and Ft. Meigs. Federal Bldg. on S. Main and proceeds north to Court St., east to courthouse and on to Oak Grove Cemetery.
• Clyde Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Clyde) 10:00 a.m., Downtown Clyde. Parade starts at Mitchell-Auxter Funeral Home then moves to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, then on to McPherson Cemetery. Info: 419.547.7929 www.clydeohio.org
• Grand Rapids Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Grand Rapids) 10:30 a.m.
• Bowling Green Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Bowling Green) 10:30 a.m. Starts at Federal Bldg. on S. Main and proceeds north to Court St., east to courthouse and on to Oak Grove Cemetery.
• Custar Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Custar) 1 p.m.
• Fremont Memorial Day Parade
• Monday, May 31, 2010 ~ (Fremont) Downtown Fremont. Info: 419.332.4470 www.sanduskycounty.org

With all this hot weather we have been having, I bet everyone is ready to head to the pool!  Well you are in luck, Plummer Pool in Sylvania re-opens this Saturday, May 29th.  Below are the list of prices and the pools hours.  It also has a nice playground right in front of it and a picnic area so pack a picnic lunch and take the entire family out for a fun-filled day!

Plummer Pool is a City owned facility that is operated by the Sylvania Recreation Corporation. The pool is open the Saturday prior to Memorial Day through Labor Day.

School Year Hours:
3:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Monday – Friday)
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Saturday)
1:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Sunday)

Summer Break Hours:
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Monday – Friday)
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Saturday)
1:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Sunday)

Membership Prices:
Family Membership: $125
Add Grandparents or a Babysitter: additional $25 (with family membership)
Single Membership $55
Gate Prices:
Adults $3.50 (12 yrs to adults)
Youth $2.50 (11yrs and under)

For more information visit the Plummer Pool website by clicking HERE.

Looking for another fun, FREE activity for the family??  Look no further than Fossil Park -  5705 Centennial Road, just south of Sylvania-Metamora Road

Travel back in time 375-million-years ago when Northwest Ohio was a great sea teeming with life. Experience that reality today at Fossil Park in Sylvania, Ohio. Fossil Park is one of just a handful of parks of its kind in the nation, and the Sylvania area is one of only two prime Devonian Era sites on the entire planet. Visit Fossil Park and search for these world-renowned fossils in an ADA-accessible 5-acre rock quarry in a safe and controlled environment.

TOPS prohibits tools of any kind in Fossil Park. The Devonians come from Hanson Aggregate Midwest’s large working quarries a mile south of Fossil Park and are already in shale soft enough to break with your bare hands.

Bring a brush to assist in cleaning your fossils, as well as something in which to carry your buried treasures home with you. An egg carton is excellent for smaller children, and a milk jug with the top removed but handle intact is great too.

Admission is FREE! Parking is FREE!  The fossils you find are FREE!  For open days and hours please visit the Olander Park website.  Happy Digging!

The Town Center at Levis Commons is hosting Kicks for Tix on May 25 at 6:00 p.m. in front of Rave Motion Pictures Levis Commons for Karate With Your Kid!

The first 100 kids under 12 to arrive at the outdoor karate class will receive one free pass for two to the special screening of Columbia Picture’s The Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan on June 3. Bring your little kicksters to learn beginner moves at the biggest karate class Northwest Ohio has ever seen! All skill levels and ages are welcome and it’s FREE.

Poco Piatti, Toledo.com, Swank Martini and Meig Shop invite you to the Sex and the (Glass) City Movie Party!

Thursday, May 27, 2010
At Poco Piatti in Levis Commons
party before the movie from
happy hour to close

It will be the best girl’s night out this side of Manhattan! Enjoy tasty drinks, delicious Middle Eastern cuisine and fabulous giveaways! You will feel like you’re in Abu Dhabi with the fabulous SATC foursome.

The party will feature: Swank Martini and Meig giveaways, belly dancing lessons, a chance to win tickets to the movie that night (at Showcase Cinemas in Levis Commons), and SATC drink specials:

• Miranda Manhattans
• Carrie Cosmos
• Charlotte Vanilla Martinis
• Samantha Dirty Martinis

Donations and proceeds will benefit the Victory Center on behalf of Chicks for Charity.

Now through June 27, 2010 at Imagination Station, Toledo

Wise About Eyes is designed to educate Ohio’s children and their caregivers about ways that they can keep their eyes healthy and safe. The exhibit is on display at Imagination Station through June 27, 2010.

Presented by Prevent Blindness Ohio and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery in partnership with the Ohio Association of School Nurses, the Opticians Association of Ohio, the Ohio Optometric Association, and the Ohio Ophthalmological Society. Funded by the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Child and Family Health Services, Save Our Sight Program.

Who doesn’t love a GREAT deal??  This Saturday, May 22nd from 9 am – 3 pm head down to Sylvania to find some great bargains.

This Saturday, May 22nd beginning at 2 pm, Books-A-Million will be hosting children’s author, Hope Vestergaard at Levis Commons, Perrysburg.  Hope, a teacher who resides on a small farm in Michigan, will be signing her newest book entitled “Potty Animals: What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!” illustrated by international artist Valeria Petrone. Potty Animals was written to guide parents in the potty training process.

I have had requests from a few people to post Garage Sale notices.  I think it would be hard to post each and every garage sale listing, however I think it would be fun to make a note about the neighborhood-wide garage sales!  This weekend St. James Woods subdivision in Sylvania is hosting it’s annual neighborhood garage sales from 9am – 5 pm on Friday, May 21st and Saturday, May 22nd.  St. James Woods is located off of Bancroft between King and Centennial I believe.  Happy Shopping!

If you have a information about a neighborhood-wide garage sale and would like to see it posted here, please contacted me at brandy@toledomomsblog.com 

Head out to Bar Louis this Saturday for Cirque De SoLouie. Kid’s eat FREE with any purchase from 11am till 5pm. They will have a bounce house and a dunk tank! Sounds like lots of fun.

Head out to Levis Commons on Tuesday, May 25 for an outdoor karate class at 6:00 p.m in front of the cinema. The first 100 kids 12 and under will receive one free pass for two to the special screening of Columbia Pictures’s The Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan on June 3. All skill levels and ages are welcome and it’s FREE!

2010 SUMMER READING CLUBS for all ages! June 7 – August 7 – Ask a librarian how to join beginning June 7!  Partner this with the Barnes and Noble and Borders bookstores summer reading promotions and your kids will earn all sorts of loot for reading this summer!  Parents, you can join too.  Remember your kids will want to read more if they see you reading, set a good example and sign yourself up too!

Make a Splash Read! – Preschool through 5th Grade * Make Waves at Your Library – 6th-12th Grade * Water Your Mind Read – Adults

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library invites you to dive in head-first and join one of our great Summer Reading Clubs (SRC). You’ll have a chance to win some very cool prizes! Ask a librarian to help get you started . . . Kowabunga Dudes!!!
This summer is the perfect time to participate in the Library’s 2010 Summer Reading Clubs from June 7 through August 7 with Make a Splash Read! (Preschool-5th Grade); Make Waves at Your Library (6th-12th Grade), and Water Your Mind Read (Adults). Mark your calendars now!
For younger readers, school is almost coming to a close and consistent warm weather is near, so become an SRC participant beginning June 7! You’ll have fun the entire summer by joining the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library’s SRC, so ask a librarian about upcoming programs to help you get started . . . and remember to have fun!
This year’s water theme encourages all ages to beat those dry summertime blues by coming to your library to cool off and read a new book and participate in your neighborhood branch library’s many offerings this summer, including SRC!
Nancy Eames, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library Youth Services Coordinator, says SRC participants can “Make a Splash” through reading books – youth and adults alike can open the door to new worlds and interests.
“Summer Reading Club has something for everyone. Summer reading is all about reading for fun and everyone from children to adults can earn great prizes just for reading,” said Eames.
The 2010 SRC features the following three divisions:

• Juvenile Club – Preschoolers and children entering K-5th are encouraged to read at least 15 minutes a day, and are awarded prizes after reading 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours. Every child who reads 12 hours will win a Beach Ball! As children reach the 20, 30, 40, or 50 hour and higher levels, they can enter to win system prizes provided by the Library Legacy Foundation such as gift cards for the Toledo Mud Hens, Barnes and Noble, and Toys R Us.  (Note:  Preschoolers may become SRC members by having someone read to them)

• Teen Club – These middle school and high school-aged youth fill out an entry form for each book read and place it in a marked box at any branch location or at Main Library for drawings, which will be held throughout the summer.  A grand prize drawing for prizes such as movie gift cards, Cedar Point tickets, a Kindle, a Wii game system and a digital camera will be held at the end of SRC.

• Adult Club – Adults fill out an entry form for each book read and drawings will be held throughout the summer for prizes. Adults may win book bags, Authors! Authors! tickets and more.

Last year’s SRC saw nearly 20,000 youth and adult participants! TARTA has offered free transportation to Preschool through 12th grade SRC participants. Youth members of the 2010 SRC need only show their SRC hang tag for free transportation to and from their favorite library in Lucas County.
A special Web page for SRC will be available the week of June 7th by logging on to www.toledolibrary.org.  The Web site’s SRC section will link to SRC information, prize lists, a drawing of the week, and more.
Visit any Toledo-Lucas County Public Library location for an SRC folder or entry form and sign-up beginning June 7th!

For more details, call 419.259.5207, visit any Toledo-Lucas County Public Library branch location or log on to www.toledolibrary.org

 Walk away from the water cooler and grab your blanket or lawn chair, favorite co-workers, and a brown bag full of munchies for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library’s favorite lunchtime outdoor music series.
The 2010 Brown Bag Concert Series is a free eight-week music event that runs from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m., on Wednesdays from June 9 through July 28 on the North Lawn of Main Library, 325 Michigan St., in downtown Toledo.
The 2010 Brown Bag Concert Series schedule is as follows:
June 9       Jason Quick Trio (Jazz)
June 16     John Cleveland (Jazz piano)
June 23     Randy & the Reef Sharks (Oldies)
June 30     Elixer (Acoustic Beatles)
July 7        Just Kiddin’ Around (Children’s)
July 14      Tom Turner & Slow Burn (Blues, Jazz, and R&B)
July 21      Rodney Parker & Liberty Beach (Country)
July 28      Glinda’s Bubble (Adult Rock)

Food and refreshment vendors will be on hand for those who don’t bring a brown bag lunch.  The Brown Bag Concert Series is a family-friendly event.

The way the weather report is looking for the next day or two, I thought it would be a perfect time to post some great rainy day activities to do at home with the kids so you can keep them busy!  Below I have come up with 10 fun things to do on a rainy day, or a sunny day for that matter.

1) Imaginative Play – Good old fashioned playing.  Many kids today don’t do a lot of this because of the stacks of electronic toys we have now.  Some favorites: restaurant, library, house, or school.  Fun for everyone.  Let them play with your real dishes (probably not the good china) or real school papers and they will be even more excited!

2) Board games – We all have stacks of these, the kids will love learning a new game or playing their old favorites.

3) Bake cookies or cook lunch together – The kids will love helping you make a batch of cookies or make homemade pizzas and let them put their own toppings on.  The kids will be so excited to eat their own creations.

4) Make forts – get out all your sheets and let the kids make forts over the tables, chairs and couch.  Forts will literally keep them busy for hours!

5) Movie Day – Pop in a DVD, make up some popcorn and stay in your jammies all day long.  The kids may love a movie marathon. 

6) Play-doh – Many parents have a love/hate relationship with Play-doh, we love how it occupies our kids, but hate the mess it leaves behind.  I give my kids cookie sheets and it minimizes the mess.  For even more fun, make your own play-dough with the kids using this recipe.

Traditional Play Dough

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• food coloring

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

7)  Have a dance party – put on some fun music and dance the day away.  Dress up in fun outfits and make up dance routines will make this even more fun!

8)  Arts and Crafts – get out the construction paper, markers, crayons, glue and scissors and let the kids go to town.  Or search the internet for unique craft ideas.  I know that www.nickjr.com has some great printables, coloring sheets, and activities for the kids to do.

9)  Want to get out of the house??  Why not go to Sylvania Playland for the morning?  They are open from 9 am to 12 noon Monday – Friday.  Here the kids can get their energy out whether it is rainy or sunny!

10)  Visit your local library – my kids LOVE LOVE LOVE the library.  They think it is such a big deal to pick out their own books and movies.  One fun thing we do at the library is pick out a theme for this visit and have the kids find books that fit the theme.  The kids love looking for books based on the theme.

Here is a fun activity for the family. Toledo Speedway is having a kid’s night on May 21st. Kids 14 & under get in free and get a free hotdog, chips and drink.  The fanfest opens at 4pm with racing beginning at 7:30pm.

This week brings some fun events for kids at local Barnes and Noble bookstores, PLEASE NOTE LOCATION NEXT TO DATE/TIME.

Monday, May 17th, 10 am, The Shops at Fallen Timbers, 3100 Main St #1400, Maumee, OH – Barnes and Noble Story time, Animal lovers, Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse.

Tuesday, May 18th, 10 am, Franklin Park Location 4940 Monroe St, Toledo, OH – Barnes and Noble Story time – Butterflies and Buggy Tales – If you want to explore the world of beautiful butterflies and bugs, then join us for the best books on the subject of this weeks story time.

Thursday, May 20th, 10 am, The Shops at Fallen Timbers, 3100 Main St #1400, Maumee, OH – Barnes and Noble Story time, Animal lovers, Baby Beebee Bird.

Friday, May 21st, 11 am, Franklin Park Location 4940 Monroe St, Toledo, OH – Barnes and Noble Friday’s Creativity Corner – Preschoolers explore their creativity as they cut and paste their way to making a craft every Friday morning. This month we feature spring and Mother’s Day crafts.

Saturday, May 22nd, 11 am, Franklin Park Location 4940 Monroe St, Toledo, OH – Barnes and Noble Frog and Toad Tales – Travel to the pond and meet our favorite storybook frog and toad friends this week as we read stories about these amphibians.

Now your kids can earn another FREE book just for reading this summer!  In addition to the summer reading programs at your local library and at Borders bookstores, Barnes and Noble bookstores are also offering a way to reward kids for reading this summer.

Fostering a love of reading and its rewards, the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is popular with students in the first through sixth grades and educators throughout America.

Participation is fun and an easy way for kids to earn free books. They simply read any eight books – library books, books borrowed from friends or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part, and bring a completed tear page to a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Children then choose their free book from a list of paperback titles.

Our 2010 program features Scholastic’s best-selling multi-media adventure series ‘The 39 Clues®’. Authors Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park, and Margaret Peterson Haddix will make appearances at select stores across the country, and will also participate in a Summer Reading blog at Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com/summerreading), where they will post about summer reading memories and children’s literacy. The FREE program kicks off in Barnes & Noble stores across the country May 25 and continues through September 6. Teachers, parents and children can download the Summer Reading materials for free at www.bn.com/summerreading.