Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in new orleans, LA

Take Five: Making the Most of Summer

by Kelly Leahy

May 05, 2009

Now that school is finishing up, you might be viewing summer with a tinge of anxiety (or is it just me?). Though I am all for enjoying the long, lazy days of summer, it wouldn't hurt to stay engaged with the community a little to prevent myself from becoming a total hermit. One way to do this AND involve the kids is to volunteer. Goodness knows there are plenty of opportunities for that around town. Here are a few:

1. Grow something. Get dirty with the Latino Farmers Cooperative. Gardening help is needed in order to meet the needs and goals of this new organization. Providing fresh produce and health information to New Orleans' Spanish speaking population is no small task and all hands are welcome.
2. Recycle. Visit the Green Project and ask them to put you to work. Sorting recyclables, fabrics and building materials might be right up your preschoolers alley. 
3. Though children must be at least 12 years old to care for animals at the LA/SPCA, there are still ways to help out with your preschooler in tow. Pull together a shopping list from the website then head on over to your nearest mega-mart. Preschoolers will enjoy picking out toys for animals and bringing them to the shelter and the animals will be happy to see some smiling faces.
4. Clean up. Get involved with Save Our Cemeteries and join the crews that keep our history from getting eaten up by weeds and beer bottles. Focusing on what's in the graves might be a little macabre for your preschooler but they will enjoy looking at the statues and even doing some gravestone rubbings while beautifying the neighborhood.
5. Feed someone. The Second Harvest Food Bank claims to have enough work for anyone and everyone looking to volunteer. Put your little worker to work sorting cans or packing boxes. Another option would be to go shopping for some non-perishables and deliver them to the food bank as a donation.

5 Foods Your Child Has Never Tried and Just Might Love

by Kelly Leahy

April 28, 2009

I don't know what I did right with my kids but they'll eat just about anything. My eldest is especially willing though she's getting a bit pickier now. I think that's entirely because of social pressure to be difficult. But I digress, I have always fed the kids what I am eating. I was too lazy and cheap to pop open jar after jar of baby food or boil a bunch of carrots to puree and freeze. The introduction of food never made me tense -- they either ate or they didn't. I think that this has helped them to develop a wide range of tastes.

Here are five foods that my kids love and yours might too.

5 Earth Day Activities

by Kelly Leahy

April 21, 2009

Since Earth Day is tomorrow, I thought that I would give a few ideas of how to celebrate with your preschooler.

1. Sign up for FREE RECYCLING within Orleans Parish. Lab Recycling will pick up your goods for free. The only cost is a one time fee of $20 for two bins. Call or email Ron Labrano at (504) 710-4833 or rlabrano@cox.net. Once you have done this, look at the bottoms of your plastic bottles and have your preschooler find the numbers 1 - 7 stamped within the recycling symbol.
2. Don't be afraid to plant something! Whether you need to reseed your lawn, grow your own vegetables or want a lone flower on the windowsill, now is a great time to bury some seeds in the ground. Bean seeds sprout quickly and are a favorite of teachers' when going over the parts of a seed.
3. Park the car for the day. Go places on foot, bike or public transportation. List the different way to get around town with your preschooler. We're lucky here that we have so many and they usually run on time.
4. Go see Disney's Earth. Culled from Discovery's Planet Earth series, this narrated movie follows three animal families across the planet. Though it's rated G, I've read a couple reviews that there were some parts that were scary for very young children. Though there is no blood, there are animal chase seeds and implied feasting. You know your kid best.
5. Make a birdfeeder out of a pinecone or hang a permanent one to feed your fine feathered friends.

Gardening Giveaway!

by Kelly Leahy

April 20, 2009

The French Quarter Festival completely slipped my mind last weekend (obviously since I said that only thing to do in town on Saturday was a trip to Longue Vue House and Gardens). For those that went, I hope you had a good time. I also wanted to mention that there is a new playground at the corner of Leonidas and Claiborne. It's a great asset for that neighborhood.

Now onto the FUN STUFF!

Gardener's Supply Company was kind enough to send me enough goods to get one lucky reader on their way to growing their own vegetables this summer. Included in this giveaway is one 3' x 3' Grow Bed, three Tomato Ladders and one Potato Bin.

Best Bet: "Be Water Wise"

by Kelly Leahy

April 17, 2009

The weather forecast does not look great for Saturday. However, if the storms hold off, my first pick for this weekend is a visit to Longue Vue House and Gardens. The weather has been mild and spring is in full bloom. What better place to spend a Saturday afternoon? If you can make there for 10 a.m., Longue View is offering a class called “Be Water Wise.”

This class teaches students of all ages how to conserve water through through games, activities, crafts, and
demonstrations. It's free for members and only $5 for non-members and is in connection with National
Environmental Education Week.

If it does indeed storm all weekend, might a suggest a screening of Monsters vs. Aliens at the Prytania Theater? I love this theater because of its neighborhood feel and the fact that I don't have to push through hoards of teeny boppers to get inside. There have been a lot of updates made to the sound and projection systems over the past couple of years that makes the quality just as good as the multiplexes.

Community Gardens

by Kelly Leahy

March 17, 2009

You may have noticed New Orleans' community gardens while driving around town. If you're lucky, you have one nearby that you can get a plot in. This program sponsored by Parkway Partners oversees around thirty active gardens throughout the city.

Each urban gardener is asked to use organic methods when it comes to fertilizer, pesticides and composting. However, it is up to the individual as to what gets planted in the plots.

Home Gardening With the Wee Ones

by Kelly Leahy

March 16, 2009

I've mentioned gardening before. This is my first year attempting to grow my own vegetables ... or anything for that matter. Once I learned about how to garden without tearing up my yard with the use of raised beds, I jumped in with both feet. My daughters did too. The three of us now spend a lot of time looking over the plants and as we reap the benefits of our first harvest, munching on lettuce leaves.

We have an indoor gardening table where my eldest , Adelaide, and I plant seeds into trays and fill clean yogurt containers with dirt to serve as pots. I purchased a grow light which have served well in starting lettuce seeds as well as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

Building Your Garden and Watching it Grow

by Kelly Leahy

February 02, 2009

Let me just start off with the disclaimer that I am completely new to gardening. I'm also a little obsessed with it at the moment. The girls and I have a great time in the dirt and I'm pleased with the method that I've chosen as it's great for my small, urban backyard. I put off growing a garden for so long because I didn't want to dig up my turf. I have a pristine plot, no trees, shrubs or  Read more...

Destressing

by Kelly Leahy

January 07, 2009

I am totally and completely overwhelmed this week by horrific news stories and the State of the City [apparently Baton Rouge has done more with Post-K funds than we have]. Meanwhile, preschool has started after the holiday recess and we are thrown back into a schedule of getting dressed and out the door in the morning [this is something most parents manage but I somehow struggle with]. So,  Read more...

How to cultivate the tiniest green thumb

by Kelly Leahy

May 19, 2008

Our growing season is very long here in the Crescent City which means there is plenty of time to kill a great number of plants off ... at least that's what I tend to do. This year, however, I am turning over a new leaf (ha ha) and trying to not only start but maintain a couple of window boxes and a container garden with the help of my eldest daughter. It's a lot for me to take on given my  Read more...

99 Things to do With Your Preschooler Before Kindergarten

by Kelly Leahy

January 27, 2008

For today we at Savvy Source are listing 99 things to do with your preschooler before the big K. I can't even wrap my head around kindergarten right now but it's fast approaching. Rather than come up with 99 things, I'm going to start off the list with nine. Please add more in the comments! Take a ride on the Algiers Ferry. I keep saying that I'm going to do this but I haven't yet. Know the  Read more...