Virtual Field TripsAre the kids—and you—ready for Back to School?

Until then, here’s a new source of inspiration. MeetMeattheCorner.org provides free educational podcasts for kids and by kids, like recent episodes on the history of pizza, a visit to a wolf rescue center in

Colorado, a look at where all the ladybugs have gone and the art in the New York sub-

way system. New episodes are uploaded every two weeks. The site also has a Big Apple Book Club with

video book reviews for kids by kids (with new reviews uploaded every Monday during the summer),

interactive lessons for the episodes and fun links.

Teaching Kids Environmental StewardshipThe Brooksfield School in McLean has gone green, incorpo-

rating weekly environmental lessons, organic gardening and mini-composters in the classrooms. Brooksfield purchased renewable energy credits and joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership. They were awarded a bronze rating, which has been upgraded to silver following changes, such as eliminating plastic and plastic foam cups and plates, installing low-flow aerators, energy efficient blinds and smart strips to reduce energy consumption. Brooksfield is now going for gold! Brooksfieldschool.org, 703- 356-5437, brksfield@aol.com.

Scary MommyAs you know, I love a good “honest

mothering” book or blog, and as Jill Smokler, who has three little ones 6 and under, says, “I’m a big fan of honesty— what’s the point in pretending? :)” Her intention with her scarymommy.com blog was to create a baby book of sorts for her children, chronicling her family’s life together, “the good, the bad and the scary.” Join her as she gets her son to eat spinach by having him pretend he’s a doggie and getting to eat his dinner on the floor, contemplates putting another son up for sale when he hits the terrible twos, frets about her little daughter’s body image and invites readers to com-ment on what they wish they’d been told before they became parents.

By Karen Kullgren

Jammin’ on the Jungle GymJustin Roberts just keeps getting better, and kids are

clamoring for more. Jungle Gym, his newest CD, is a col-lection of 12 original story-songs with iconic childhood experiences, like obsessions with trucks, the terrors of a haircut, sleepovers, snow days and the excitement of a fire drill. Roberts is joined by The Not Ready for Naptime Players, and the music features intricate vocals joined by flutes, French horns, pounding drums and vintage guitars. Daddy Dude

Rules for My Unborn Son is a collection of traditional, humorous and urbane fatherly advice for boys, by Washington, D.C., dad, writer and TV producer Walker Lamond. From the wisecracking (“If you are tempted to wear a cowboy hat, resist.”) to the practi-cal (“Keep a copy of your letters. It makes it easier for your biographer.”), the book of

rules and accom-panying quota-tions are a fresh contribution to dad literature. It combines evok-ing simpler times when Father knew best, and a suitable answer to “Why?” was, “Because I said so,” with a hip dad sensibility.

goodstuff Don’t miss an extraordinary opportunity to take your

children behind the scenes at a full-scale production, when Wolf Trap Opera Company presents “Behind the Curtain” Family Day at the Opera on Monday, August 16, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. You and your children ages 5-13 will share lunch with the artists, experience firsthand character transformations in costume and makeup, create spe-cial masks for each child to take home, capture family photos from center stage and spend time on the set of the new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (the operatic treatment of Shakespeare’s classic play). wolftrapopera.org/familyday.

Out of the Audience and Into the Spotlight

8 Washington Parent August 2010