O
December 2007
Short Stuff
Growing Fit Kids: America's children are in the worst shape ever. Obesity has tripled in the last 10 years and continues to rise every day. More than 60 percent of our kids do not participate in any organized physical activity outside of school. With Funfit's Kids Circuit Workout Program, your child will receive a complete heart-healthy workout. Unique to Funfit's location in Montgomery County, the program offers a fun way for kids to get or stay in shape and encourages them through creative activities, great workouts and personal fitness trainers and coaches. Funfit includes progress monitoring; lifestyle and nutritional coaching are also available, along with drop-in sessions and family friendly pricing. Join Funfit for a free consultation and workout, and discover how much fun fitness can be! Funfit is located at 17511 Redland Rd., Rockville. Call 301-975-0099, visit www.funfit.us or e-mail celia@funfit.us.
Check (It Out!) Mate: Looking for a unique winter break activity for your children? Check out the 9th Annual USA Chess Holiday Chess Camps. The largest and premier chess camp organizer in the country offers a fun and inspiring introduction to the game for beginners, a motivating and educational experience for intermediates and a stimulating and enlightening adventure for advanced students. Three- and four-day holiday camps will be held December 26-29, at the Madeira School in McLean and January 2-5 at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. USA Chess offers a positive, "hip" image of chess to the outside world. Teaching chess to children is their passion and their enthusiasm is infectious. Visit www.usachess.com for more details and registration information.
Giving Hanukkah the Green Light: Light a CFL (compact fluorescent light) hanukiah at Green Light: A Sustainable Hanukkah Celebration on Tuesday, December 11. Eat latkes and applesauce made from locally grown potatoes and apples, and get your hands busy making art from recycled materials. Learn about sustainability in the home and your synagogue. Schmooze and nosh with old friends and new ones. Cosponsored by Shomrei Adamah of Greater Washington, Jews United for Justice and Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, the event will take place at Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St., NW, Washington, D.C., 6: 30-8: 30 p.m. The recommended donation is $5, or bring a CFL bulb for low-income families. To RSVP or for more information, e-mail shomrei_adamah@yahoo.com or call Lindsey Paige Savoie at 202-489-5278.
Hope for Our Children (and Ourselves): In this holiday season, it's important to instill hope in our children and youth and the belief that they can have a positive impact in the world. One of my favorite sayings, from Gandhi, is, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." A wonderful book for families to share that message is Be the Change! Change the World. Change Yourself, edited by Michelle Nunn. The book features voices of change and stories of hope in easy readable bites. Nunn is the cofounder and CEO of Hands On Network, which engages hundreds of thousands of volunteers and manages nearly 50,000 projects a year, from building wheelchair ramps in San Francisco and teaching reading in Atlanta to rebuilding homes and lives in the Gulf Coast communities. (The organization recently merged with the Points of Lights Foundation to become Points of Light & Hands On Network.) A portion of proceeds from the sale of the book go to support the organization's activities. Ask Santa to deliver this inspiring gift to your family this year! For information, visit www.handsonnetwork.org
Set Sail for the Holidays Right at Home: You and your kids can have a terrific, free family holiday outing December 1 in Alexandria that just might create a tradition you'll come back to year after year. Alexandria's harbor lights up when brightly lit boats cruise along the Potomac River at the historic waterfront in Alexandria's 8th Annual Holiday Parade of Boats. Festivities start at 3 p.m., and the parade is 5: 30 to 6: 30 p.m. Viewing is from the Alexandria Marina at the foot of Cameron St., behind the Torpedo Factory. Visit www.holidaysinalexandria.com, or call 888-468-6449.
Kids Love Kwanzaa!: Join the Alexandria Black History Museum staff in a fun interactive program for a free Kwanzaa Craft and Game Workshop. The workshop, Saturday, December 1, 10: 30 a.m.-noon, will guide you and your children through a review of the principles of this unique African-American holiday, as well as instruct you in ways to make inexpensive Kwanzaa gifts (Zawadi). All supplies will be provided. The museum is at 902 Wythe St. Call 703-838-4356 or visit www.alexblackhistory.org.
What Hope Looks Like: This holiday season Hope House DC and the Maret School invite you to an art and literacy event, held at the Maret School, 3000 Cathedral Ave., NW, on Tuesday, December 18, 6-8 p.m. Each year at Hope House DC's Father to Child Summer Camp, incarcerated fathers and their children create beautiful murals depicting a perfect day together. These pieces will be on exhibit during the event. You will also be able to enjoy appetizers, free wine tastings and an auction featuring one-of-a-kind recordings of children's books by Martin Sheen, Tim Russert, Carol Schwartz and others. For more information, call 301-408-4499 or visit www.hopehousedc.org. |
