Winter Festivals Warm Up Western MA Celebrates The coldest, bleakest stretch of winter upon us – and it’s time to celebrate! With the coming of February comes a host of community winter celebrations and festivals of all kinds, offering families a chance to enjoy time outside, try new foods, learn about cultural traditions, support local [continue reading]

Resources for Supporting the Study of Space Science Studies of outer space can be mysterious and intriguing to young minds and there are many resources to support a students interest in the study of space, both online and in Western MA. ONLINE RESOURCES The website StarChild offers a wealth of information and basic internet-based activities [continue reading]

You Better Run “You better run, better run, out run my gun.” These are sample lyrics to Foster the People’s freakishly popular song, “Pumped up Kicks,” that my children were happily listening to the other day. When I realized that the song my 5 and 9 year old boys were dancing to with joy was [continue reading]

Biocitizen, based in Westhampton, MA, provides educational services within the field of environmental philosophy, including operating a school that teaches this subject in both traditional indoor classroom settings and outdoors at local, national and international sites. Biocitizen also conducts scholarly research, develops curricula and syllabi, trains teachers, and performs public outreach through a website, lectures

QUESTION AND ANSWERS How does your family stay entertained when you’re snowed in (and the temps dip below 0°)? Amy Meltzer writes: “Blokus, Backgammon, Spot It, Clue, puzzles…baking cookies…and what my girls call “book conferences” when we all get in bed and read together.” Andrew Woodland writes: “Play banjo!” Gillian Kyle Budine writes: “Cozy up [continue reading]

Phtheezles May Even Ensue This month I offer up a poem by A.A. Milne, of Pooh fame, that’s about being sick (or pretending to be), which a lot us can probably relate to right now. It’s also terrifically fun to say out loud. I don’t know about your kids, but mine are especially prone to [continue reading]

Asian Studies Supplemented in the Pioneer Valley Exhibit, Educator Workshop, Guided Tours, Performance Art & Free Family Day Educational opportunities are numerous over the next few months for those interested in teaching and learning about Asian art!  The Smith College Museum of Art in Northampton, MA will be opening a new exhibit on Asian art [continue reading]

Three Favorite Folktales It’s National Folktale Month! And I’m digging into the vaults to share three of my favorites, all starring leading ladies. For me, folktales are food for the soul. And when packaged into a picture book, also provide a feast for the eyes. They are an important part of your child’s literary diet, [continue reading]

Special Treatment Those words mean different things to different people. Raising a child with a serious disease, I’ve come to embrace everything that’s positive about these two words. That puts me at odds with lots of people, including with my own husband, who never wants our daughter to feel “different” because she has diabetes — [continue reading]

By Vivienne Carey
I snowshoed along this trail today and it took about 1½ hours. At other times of the year, when walking at a brisk pace, I usually need a little less than 1 hour. However, as you read on, I will show how the hike can be either shortened or lengthened according [continue reading]