Kids Corner: Saturday Morning Movies

Not ready for big movies yet? Little kids will love Kidtoons!

If you're longing for the day when your entire family can enjoy a movie in the theatre together, like I am, consider this happy compromise: cartoons on the big screen.  With a preschooler and a toddler, the day when we'll all enjoy the same in-theater movie is dismally far away. Luckily, there's a fun (and cheap!) movie dress rehearsal, of sorts, just for kids. Studio Movie Grill on Holcomb Bridge Road offers a Kidtoons Matinee movie at 11 a.m. every Saturday. From Care Bears and My Little Pony to Bob the Builder, you can enjoy a show for only $2 per person, which is a great price in case you have to leave early. The seating is tiered, so there's a better chance that even half-pints will be able to see the screen. And they serve actual …

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Kids Corner: Jeronimo Jumps

The greatest bounce house you've never heard of.

When I was a kid, moonwalks were as rare as unicorns. These days, my kids are connoisseurs and their favorite bounce house is one of our Roswell's best kept secrets. Jeronimo Jumps is located in the old Holcomb Woods shopping center on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell. They have plenty of moonwalks, super slides and mazes. But they also have ride-on toys, baby toys, a light-up dance floor, a mini climbing wall and a gated area just for ages three and under. The space is so well planned that parents can feel comfortable settling into a nearby couch with a magazine or a book and catching all the action from a main vantage point. It's a big improvement over some bounce houses where it feels like your kid could run right out the door and into …

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Helping Kids with Their Worries

Parents can help their kids cope. Here are some practical tips for managing anxiety.

Q. My 6-year-old daughter has a lot of worries. She worries about things that don't make a lot sense. Is there anything I can do to help her or should I take her to see a therapist? A.  Everyone worries. Everyone has a level of anxiety at some point in their lives.  It's normal for kids to fret. Some kids fret more than others.  When the worries get to the point where basic functioning is interrupted, it may be time to seek professional support from a children's therapist. There are some things, though, that parents can do to help so that maybe therapy won't be necessary. 1.  Do not laugh, dismiss, criticize or negate your child's worries.  Let's say your daughter comes to you in tears after the bedtime routine and says, "Mommy, I'm really…

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Kids Corner: Winnie the Pooh

Celebrate the new Winnie the Pooh movie!

The new Winnie the Pooh movie isn't in 3D. It doesn't include the voice of Justin Timberlake, or a thumping soundtrack, or neon colors and loud noises. No, it's just the Hundred Acre Wood you've come to know and love, plus a few 2011 updates to keep it fresh. And if you've got a kid born after 2005, it's their first chance to see Pooh on the big screen. Roswell's Aurora Cineplex will show the every two hours today, Sunday, July 17 from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. They also have miniature golf, so you've got the makings of a magical day, right there. I expect we'll be there with with bees painted on our cheeks, holding a stuffed Pooh by the paw, waiting to see what Eeyore will have as a tail this time around.

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Recessionival

Frugal Family: 5 Under $10 – Cheap Ways to Entertain the Kids

Activities to combat summer boredom.

Two weeks into summer vacation and we’ve already started hearing the relentless chorus of “I’m bored.” It makes my husband and I wish we lived in one of those areas that had school year-round.  It would be wonderful to have the funds to send the kids to day camp but that’s not an option for our family. Instead, we look for creative and inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained at home, especially on days when they can’t go swimming or play outdoors. The following activities are five from our “bored” list that cost less than $10 but will entertain most elementary-aged children.  Marshmallow Creations One of our favorite rainy day activities is building marshmallow creations using marshmallows and toothpicks.  Mini marshmallows and …

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How to Tell and Help the Kids When Divorce Looms

The manner in which parents handle the process of telling and supporting their children when they've decided to divorce can make all the difference in how the children make it through this difficult process.

Q:  My husband and I have decided to divorce. We want to be proactive in supporting our kids through this. Our children are ages 3 and 5. How do we tell the children? What can we do to help them through this? It's a very difficult time for my husband and for me but we want to work together for the best of our kids. A:  Those last eleven words of your final sentence above need to be the touchstone that you and the father of your children establish, maintain, and return to again and again throughout this process.  In my years of experience counseling children and parents through the divorce process, and my training as a Child Specialist in Collaborative Divorce Law, I will tell you that though divorce can be a very difficult challenge for …

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Grab & Go Kids Planner: Mar. 10

What would a duck do? Kids are about to find out!

Not sure what to do with the kids this week? We've assembled a weekly calendar of kid-friendly activities and new places to try out. Now that the chill of winter is slowly disappearing and hints of spring are sprouting, take advantage of the nice weather coming our way this weekend by taking in a little fishing, perhaps you'll enjoy racing around a track in a quarter midget race car or do a little painting. Click on the links below for more details. Kid's Spring National Charity Race: Kids Racing for Kids Where/When: Cumming Fairgrounds, 120 Castleberry Rd., Sat., March 12. Safety Instructions 7 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Registration 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Race 9 a.m. Why Go: The Quarter Midget Racing is a family oriented sport for children ages 5 …

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Grab & Go Kids Weekend Planner: Feb. 25-27

Hoping to keep the kids entertained this weekend? Check out our suggestions for five family-friendly outings.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, you and the kids are probably itching to go outside and enjoy some family time. Let Rowell Patch help you each week with our Grab and Go Kids Weekend Planner! Georgia Ensemble Theatre Presents Inherit the Wind Where/When: 950 Forrest St.; Friday Feb. 25 & Saturday Feb. 26 @ 8 p.m.; Sunday Feb. 27 @ 2:30 p.m. Why go: Because Georgia Ensemble Theatre really puts the “art” in “performance art.” Inherit the Wind digs into the heart and soul of America in a timely search for perspective and enduring hope. John Ammerman and Eddie Levi Lee lead a remarkable cast of over 20 in the theatrical event of the season. Cost: $24.30-$28.04. For more information, call 770-641-1260. YH2O Film Festival Where/When: …

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Go PLAY: An Activity Center for Kids

Roswell's best place to stay and play, especially over the holidays!

With school almost out for the holidays, mothers everywhere are excited ... and maybe a little freaked out. Long days at home with cold temperatures outside mean that even the nicest elves might turn a bit naughty. Luckily for those of us in Roswell, there's a magical place where kids can safely jump, run, screech, bounce and play. It's called PLAY Activity Center and it can be a lifesaver in more ways than one. Colleen MacDonald originally opened The Playroom in 2005 so that she could take her daughter to work at a child-friendly business. What started as short-stay child care in a shared space grew to today's PLAY Activity Center, which opened in 2008 as a 15,000-square-foot mecca of kid fun. Colleen receives requests for new locations …

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