Summer has begun and the heat is rising; it’s the perfect time to be outside with the family having fun, and one super activity that is looked forward to by many families each year is poised to begin:

THE NEVADA COUNTY FAIR
August 6-10, 2008

Yup, I can hardly believe it is time again already. I love the fair, and have a
lot of time to enjoy it with loads of wonderful children because I am one
of the Coordinators at KIDS CORNER AT THE FAIR.

I know that family activities can be costly and that the Fair is sometimes daunting for those with very young children who are not big enough for many of the rides or who may get tired of traipsing around while the older kids are running amok, but Kids Corner is your ‘port in the storm’.

If you have children under 6 and haven’t been to Kids Corner yet you are in for a treat! Kids Corner is a wonderful place for our youngest fairgoers (ages 0 through 5 years old) to explore, play, rest, have fun, sing and dance, read stories, make art, AND receive a free book to take home. And the best part of all is that it is all completely FREE OF CHARGE once you are inside the Fairgrounds. No tickets are necessary and no lines to wait in before the fun starts.

The children will be led in musical games, singing, and dancing throughout the day at our ‘Corner Stage’ at the rear of the Kids Corner area.

And this year kids can create a “Wish for the World” ornament to decorate
and hang on our Magical Wishing Tree! As in previous years, Bubble Play,
Clay Creations, Water Exploration and a simulated ‘Milking Cow’ will also
be available to be enjoyed. As always, you will leave with a small farm animal
toy and a free book in hand for each child under 6 and you will also take home (if you like) your child’s crafts and a BIG SMILE!

Kids Corner is open each day of the fair from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm – there is water available for thirsty little ones and benches available for parental relaxation while the kids are exploring our many activity areas.

An infant changing and breast feeding area is available as well. Rocking
chairs and a changing table are provided by the Breast Feeding Coalition
in a shaded area in the Kids Corner enclosure to allow for your comfort and
privacy.

You can also save 50% of the admission fee for the fair by pre-ordering your tickets at the following link until August 5th: http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/fair/tickets.html

Or, for general information and the full fair schedule, you should check out this link: http://www.nevadacountyfair.com/fair/

All in all, it promises to be another great year at the fair, the time goes so fast, don’t let it slip by without visiting us at Kids Corner this year. We are located between the Kiddie park entrance and the Railroad Museum to the West of Gate 1.

Enjoy the rest of your summer . . . can’t wait to see you at the fair!!!

Deciding upon the appropriate amount of television viewing time for children can be a tricky decision for parents, who may wonder: ‘What are they watching?  What are they learning?  Is it okay to let them watch just long enough to vacuum and make dinner? How long is too long? Are they too young?’  Well, here are some answers to those questions AND some questions for you too.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no TV at all for children under 2 and no more than two hours a day for older children.  With that guideline set firmly in mind, there have also been studies on television and its impact on children and families that support the fact that television, in regulated doses, for children 3 and older, can be beneficial in some ways.

The research found that there is evidence to suggest that educational television programs, such as Sesame Street and Mister Rogers, can aid in the acquisition of general knowledge plus improve overall cognitive knowledge among young children.

There is also evidence in the literature that children’s imaginative play can be positively affected by television content. Furthermore, there is evidence that educational television programming that emphasizes diversity can improve children’s racial attitudes. (See article at: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/ )

For some good information on how to make television a more positive experience for your family, check out this link to an article regarding guidelines provided by the AACAP (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) at http://www.aacap.org/

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Here in Nevada County, Grass Valley School Readiness in collaboration with Family Connections of Nevada County has been producing a local cable children’s television show called George and Willy’s World for over a year now.  We want to hear your opinions about the show.

George and Willy’s World is geared for children aged 3 to 6 years old.  The show features storytelling, family activities, crafts, and interviews with local community members.  The show’s host, Corlene Mapes, is a popular 3^rd grade teacher at Hennessy Elementary School.  She is joined each week by George and Willy, two lovely reading assistance dogs who work with local libraries and various schools in the area.   

This program is aired on Channel 11 (NCTV) every Wednesday at 8:30 am as well as on Fridays at 4:00 pm.  George and Willy’s World is also available for viewing online and DVD’s of the episodes are available for your checkout at both the Madelyn Helling Library in Nevada City and at the downtown Grass Valley Library.

For those of you who have never seen the show, you may preview an episode here:  http://video.google.com/ .  Your input on the show would be GREATLY appreciated. 

For those of you who have watched the show, we would also be very interested to know how often you have watched the show and how old are the children that watch it with you?

There are 40 episodes available for viewing online; after watching one or two or three of them, if you could take just a moment of your time to give us your thoughts on what you liked or didn’t like, or just to pass on some ideas for future program guests or activities that you think your child would like to see, we would love to hear them – please email your comments to GeorgeAndWillysWorld@yahoo.com or, alternatively, you can send regular mail to George and Willy’s World, c/o Grass Valley School Readiness, 235 South Auburn Street, Grass Valley, CA  95945.

We know you care about what your children are watching, and so do we.  Let us know how you feel we are doing with the George and Willy’s World program, or how we can improve, and we will look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions to guide us in future programming decisions.