Playgrounds, Parks and Community Centers are a quick and easy way to allow your child to have some fun as well as remain active this summer. We’ve searched high and low to find the best parks and playgrounds in our communities and are happy to share them with you!! Read this article to find the best parks and playgrounds in Pittsburgh. Some of the locations listed below are visited frequently by Brightside Academy for summer camp trips, field days, community events and more!
Anderson Playground
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Located near Schenley park, this playground has several different themes including dinosaurs, pirate ships and much more!
Garland Parklet
Broad St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Our summer campers at the East Liberty location love this local park! Garland Parklet has a playground, tennis and basketball courts!
Mcgee Playground
Pittsburgh PA. 15217
Another local gem! This playground is a favorite of our Squirrel Hill location, and includes slides and even a rock climbing wall. What we like most about it is that it shares Brightside Academy’s signature colors of blue and gold.
Now, with this list in hand it’s time to get the kids and have some summer fun! Have a local park or playground in Pittsburgh you think should be added to this list? Share with us in the comments below and be sure to find the nearest Brightside Academy near you for our summer camp program.
Playgrounds, Parks and Community Centers are a quick and easy way to allow your child to have some fun as well as remain active this summer. In the second part of this summer blog series we are sharing with you the best playgrounds in Ohio! Some of the locations listed below are visited frequently by Brightside Academy for summer camp trips, field days, community events and more!
Cleveland
Impett Park
3207 W 153rd St, Cleveland, OH 44111
This spacious park includes a playground, tennis courts, rugby and baseball fields, a public pool and much more!
Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy
800 Linn Dr, Cleveland, OH 44108
Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy has a play area on-site that is open to the public. Be sure to greet our Kinsman kids who are often spotted here!
Akron
Summit Metro Parks
975 Treaty Line Rd, Akron, OH 44313
14,1000 acres of land make up these 16 parks, conservation areas and playgrounds galore! If you are a resident of Summit County be sure to click on the link to find a Summit Metro park or trail near you!
Copley Community Park
3232 Copley Rd, Akron, OH 44321
In the heart of Akron lies this community park that has a well kept playground, a spacious baseball field and a gorgeous view of several acres of vibrant green trees.
Columbus
Blackburn Park
263 Carpenter St. Columbus, OH 43205
On 5.86 acres of land, this park has a playground, spray-ground, picnicking areas, a recreation center and tennis court. It is also a huge favorite of our Northern Lights location!
Barnett Community Center
1184 Barnett Rd. Columbus, OH 43227
The summer campers at Brightside Livingston can’t wait to visit this fun filled center! Equipped with a spray-ground, an art room, game room, billiards, auditorium and much more! This center is just the stay-cation your family needs!
Now, with this list in hand it’s time to get the kids and have some summer fun! Have a local park or playground you think should be added to this list? Share with us in the comments below and be sure to find the nearest Brightside Academy near you for our summer camp program.
Playgrounds, Parks and Community Centers are a quick and easy way to allow your child to have some fun as well as remain active this summer. We’ve searched high and low to find the best parks and playgrounds in our communities and are happy to share them with you!! Read this article to find the best parks and playgrounds in Philadelphia. Some of the locations listed below are visited frequently by Brightside Academy for summer camp trips, field days, community events and more! If you spot us be sure to say hello.
Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse 3500 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19121
This 6 and ½ acre playground includes the Ann Newman Giant Wooden Slide, more than 50 pieces of play equipment and a 16,000 square foot playhouse! Our summer camp at the Broad and Girard location loves this playground and they know you will too! The playground also has a website where parents can schedule trips, rent playground space and much more!
Tarken Playground
6250 Frontenac St. Philadelphia, PA 19111
Located between North and Northeast Philadelphia, Tarken Playground is small local playground adjacent to Tarken Recreation center. The six to twelve year old class at our 6000 Castor location often enjoys all that the playground and park have to offer. This includes an ice rink, dance classes, gymnastics, football, soccer and tee ball!
Starr Garden Playground 600-44 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
For a colorful yet traditional playground, grab the kids and head over to Starr Garden Playground in Center City! This playground has all the swings, slides, and monkey bars that you will see at any regular playground but has bursts of colors to amp up the fun! Next to it is an equally colorful recreation center.
Now, with this list in hand it’s time to get the kids and have some summer fun! Have a Philly park or playground that you think should be added to this list? Share with us in the comments below and be sure to find a Brightside Academy near you for our summer camp program.
Chores, chores, chores! A word that every child dreads, although they may not be much fun, chores have been proven to be beneficial to a child’s early development. Dr. Eileen Kennedy Moore, a clinical psychologist who specializes in child development, states that there are 3 major benefits of chores for kids:
Competence- Chores allow children to understand the instructions given to them and implement them around the house.
Values- The children understand the importance of helping others and supporting the greater good of the entire family.
Building Confidence- Children who contribute to the household feel better about themselves and are proud of the work they’ve done.
(Kennedy-Moore, 2013).
Now that leaves the question, what chores is my child able to do around the house? Chores vary depending upon the age of the child, you wouldn’t ask your 12 month old to do laundry. The following are some ideas for age appropriate chores your child can start helping out with as soon as this weekend:
Toddler (Ages 2-3)
Have your little one do minor chores that don’t take a lot of time, and that can also be made fun.
Time them when they are picking up all of their toys to see how fast they can clean the play area.
Have them collect their dirty clothes around their room and “shoot” them into the laundry basket.
Allowing them to clean up their own mess will not only take some stress off of you and your family but will also help them learn that cleaning up can be an enjoyable experience.
Preschooler (Ages 3 to 5)
Have children at this age get into the habit of cleaning their room regularly, including making their bed, vacuuming their room, and wiping all hard surfaces.
Allow them to do chores in areas of the household besides their room such as
Feeding the pets
Setting the table for dinner
Watering the plants
Washing dishes with adult supervision.
Find chores that are still easy to do but are no longer just focused on the child’s playing or living area
School Age (6-12)
Children in this age group are able to clean their room regularly without assistance although some may still need some guidance from you
Grab the mail
Take the garbage outside on trash day
Help with dinner, vaccum the house
Clean the microwave and much more
Children at this age are able to do a lot more tedious chores around the house and also help their younger siblings with their chores
Brightside Academy encourages our students to complete chores throughout the day at our locations. In every classroom, each child is assigned to a table, at the end of the activity/day the children are responsible for clearing the table together, whether it be a game of Connect Four or Go Fish! We are teaching the children to be proud of their space and they take this thinking with them when they go home.
For more information on age appropriate chores, and ideas for creating chore schedules be sure read more articles on Pinterest. Also, don’t forget to like and share this article on Facebook!
In 2014, the United States Census Bureau reported that the median income for families with head of the household between the ages of 25 and 44 was $54,305 to $66,700 (Frankel, 2016). For a single person household, these numbers may not seem that low, but for a family of four, it may be difficult to live on such an income. It is important that families with children understand how to save money while also not sacrificing their children’s needs and the family’s quality of life. Follow these tips to save you more money!
Cut Costs on Food!
If you’re a parent you’ve been there, on your way home your child is demanding fast food, you tell them there’s food in the house but they aren’t taking no for an answer and you cave in. You think to yourself it’s just a dollar cheese burger how could it hurt? Well, the Average American spends $1,200 annually on fast food alone! (Lake, 2015). That money could go to that family vacation you’ve always wanted to go on or a special treat you’ve always dreamed of having. By cutting down on fast food and eating more meals at home you save more money in the long run. Here are some ways to cutback on the cost of eating in your household:
Plan All Meals: Planning meals for throughout the week is a smart way to save money and prevent food waste. Create a weekly, and/or monthly “meal board” where members of the family can submit ideas of what they would like to eat for the week. Make sure to set a budget and choose meals that are within that budget. Have “pasta nights” and “taco Tuesdays”. By making the meals fun, your family won’t realize the small amount of money you are spending too feed them. Store leftovers in Tupperware containers and distribute them to your family members for lunch throughout the week.
Reserve one day out of the week for “Fast Food”: Unless your family is traveling or on vacation, fast food should be avoided at all cost. By reserving one day out of the month for fast food or eating out at your favorite restaurant, eating out becomes a treat for your entire family. Growing up with my Aunt and Uncle, we would have Chick-fil-A Fridays, everyone was so excited to eat Chick-fil-a after weeks of eating home-cooked meals. Your family will not only appreciate it but your wallet will too!
Don’t skip breakfast!: In some households, breakfast has become more and more irrelevant. Cereal sales have been on a rapid decline since 2012 and are still declining. Not only is breakfast the most important meal of the day but saves money for your family’s household. Eating in the morning will decrease the chances of you or your family grabbing an “afternoon snack” which in the long run saves you more money. No matter how busy you may get or how late the kids are to school, taking two seconds to have them a grab and apple or a pop-tart can make a load of a difference to how much money is spent on food throughout the day.
Save Everything!
Now this may seem a bit vague, but I mean just that. Save everything you possibly can, money, time, clothes, energy you name it! Check your monthly bank statements, find the thing that you spend the most money on that is not included in your necessities to live and cut back on it. You will be surprised to see how much money you’ll save. Does your family enjoy going to the movies every weekend? Opt for a movie night in, grab some store popcorn, dim your living room lights, and turn your home into your own cinema! There are so many ways to save additional costs for the household. Here are a few:
Don’t throw away old clothes: I know when we were younger we all dreaded getting our older sister or brother’s “hand-me downs” but I’m starting to see that our parents had the right idea. The cost of new clothes can add up immensely over time. If the clothes aren’t severely worn down but your children have grown out of them, save them for their younger siblings.
Cut back on Utility Usage: Monitoring utility usage throughout your household might sound more difficult than it actually is. Reminding your children to turn of the water while brushing their teeth, keeping all lights and electronics off when their not being used, using electric blankets in the winter to save heat. These are just a few of the things you can start doing to minimize utility bills. Also look into energy saving and “green appliances” that can also save you additional money.
Plan a Staycation!: That yearly trip is always fun, but the money you managed to save all year long goes out of the window and the saving process has to start all over again. Plan a vacation on a smaller scale, find local campsites in your area, take a trip to the “World’s Largest Mall in America”. Whatever you do, remain in your budget. There are so many cost effective things for children to do, make a list and do as many as possible. Your kids won’t be disappointed and you’ll save additional money in the long run. Here are links to free things to do in Pittsburgh, Ohio, New York and Philadelphia!
With these tips your family will be saving money in no time! For more helpful resources be sure to check Brightside Academy’s blog regularly and like and share this article on Facebook!
