The little ballerina doll arrived in a sheer pink drawstring bag. So cute!

With a hand-painted face and standing at about 4 inches tall, “Buttercup” was adorable. A tiny bow attached to a rick-a-rack headband nestled in her blond hair, pink Mary Jane shoes, white leggings, a pink dance dress secured with a pink ribbon … ready for little hands to begin playing and imagining a world of tutus.

Once Upon A Treehouse includes handmade traditional wooden dolls and accessories. Sisters, “Mommies” and business owners Lori Schoeneman and Tara Schoeneman-Brown use natural materials – wool, cotton and wood – to create these charming character dolls as well as dollhouses, furniture, clothing and accessories.

When the sisters were young, they played with a wooden dollhouse built by their grandfather. As they had their own families, they wanted to start a company that would provide the same inspiration for imagination they had been given as children.

So, Once Upon A Treehouse was born in 2011 with a variety of doll-related products.

But, it’s not just the gift you give your child that can make you feel good about buying a doll from Once Upon A Treehouse.

Through their “Fairy DollMother Program,” for every doll bought, another doll is given to a child in need. Go here to read more about this program.

If you would like to win “Buttercup” for your child, grandchild or another child in your life, simply email me at LLynn@opubco.com with the name of your favorite doll or toy from your childhood. Please provide your name, contact information and your mailing address. The winner will be selected randomly, so it doesn’t matter which toy was your favorite. Deadline for entry is Oct. 22, 2012.

I had many dolls I liked – Thumbelina, Skipper, Barbie — but one of my most favorite was my Raggedy Ann doll handmade by my older sister, Betty. Raggedy Ann and I enjoyed many adventures through the years.

Your child might be able to enjoy the Once Upon A Treehouse doll soon and start their own adventures in make-believe.

– Linda Lynn

LLynn@opubco.com

Follow me on Twitter @OKNewsResearch

The Zoo’s Education department is offering a mother’s day out program beginning in February. The program will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nature Explorers Mother’s Day Out Program will run from Feb. 15 to May 26 and is for children ages 3 and 4. (Child must be 3 or 4 on or before September 1, 2010.)

The program will promote interaction skills, self direction, language skills, intellectual growth and environmental awareness.

For more information, including a program handbook, tuition costs and registration forms, go to http://zoofieldtrips.publishpath.com/explorers. 

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

1. Always choose age-appropriate toys for children.  Keep toys appropriate for older children away from younger siblings.

2. Include safety gear whenever shopping for sports-related gifts or ride-on toys including bicycles, skates and scooters. Helmets and other safety gear should be worn properly and be sized to fit.

3. Be aware of your child’s surroundings during play. Young children should avoid playing with ride-on toys near streets and traffic, pools or ponds.  They should avoid playing in indoor areas near hazards such as kitchens, bathrooms or rooms with corded window blinds.

4. Once gifts are opened, immediately discard plastic wrappings or other packaging from toys.

5. Battery-charging should be supervised by adults. Chargers and adapters can pose a thermal burn hazard to young children. 

6. For children younger than 3, avoid toys with small parts and small balls. For Children younger than 6, avoid toys with small magnets. Keep all young children away from broken balloons.  Keep deflated balloons away from children 8 and younger. Balloons are a choking hazard.

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

For all workshops, pre-register by calling 425-4412.

Unless otherwise noted, all sessions are for parents and caregivers of young children.

Here’s what’s in store for this summer:

Terrific Two’s: Learn about your 2-year-old. Focus is on their developmental milestones.  All are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
June 1, Choctaw Library
June 16, Midwest City Library
June 22, Southern Oaks Library
June 19, The Village Library

Sibling Struggles: Learn methods to prepare children for the arrival of a new sibling and how to deal with sibling squabbles. Find out about sibling rivalry and what normal behavior is.  Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
June 2, Midwest City
June 30, The Village

Just for Fun: Games People Play(for children ages 8-12): Includes active games, quiet games and brain teasers. Kids will play games from the past and games from other cultures. Both are 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
June 14, Southern Oaks
June 21, The Village

Toileting Triumph: Toileting doesn’t have to be a major challenge. Focus is on signs of readiness, why it can be frustrating and much more. All are from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
June 16, Edmond Library
June 29, Warr Acres Library
July 20, Ralph Ellison Library

Making Your Morning Manageable: Time to eliminate chaos and come up with a routine. Focus is what parents can do to make this part of the day more calm and enjoyable.
June 25, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Warr Acres

Lullaby & Goodnight: Find a routine that includes reading to your child, to ease bedtime and naptime challenges.  Sleep challenges will also be discussed. Both are 3:30 to 5 p.m.
June 30, Edmond
August 17, Ralph Ellison

Look Out, I’m Three!: Learn more about your 3-year-old. Focus is on developmental milestones. All are from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 7, Southern Oaks
July 8, Midwest City
July 13, The Village
July 20, Choctaw

Toddlers at the Table: Turn common concerns about toddler’s eating habits into opportunities to teach healthy habits. Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
July 12, Midwest City
July 21, The Village

Those Playful Preschoolers:Focus is behavioral characteristics and developmental milestones of 3- and 4-year-olds.  Activity ideas will be shared to keep little ones busy. Learn it’s OK for your preschooler to be “out of bounds.” Both are 3:30 to 5 p.m.
July 27, Warr Acres
Aug. 25, Edmond

Baby Basics: Main focus is typical concerns of parents. Colic/crying, separation anxiety, sleeping through the night and other issues will be discussed.
July 28, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Edmond

Reading Readiness: Workshop will explore the necessary reading readiness building blocks and parents’ roles in helping children become readers. Both are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4, Midwest City
Aug. 9, The Village

Fun to be Four: Learn about your fascinating 4-year-old. Workshop focuses on developmental milestones.  All are 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 3, Southern Oaks
Aug. 4, Midwest City
Aug. 10, The Village
Aug. 12, Choctaw

School Readiness: Facilitators will talk about support, encouragement and opportunity all children need for school success.
Aug. 10, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Warr Acres

Tripping Through Toddlerhood: Topics include, tantrums, biting, sharing and other common toddler challenges. Parents will learn how to minimize frustrations.
Aug. 11, 3:30 to 5 p.m., Edmond

Teaching Children to be More Cooperative: Focus is on when to discipline or ignore unwanted behaviors. Learn guidance techniques used by experts.
Aug. 27, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Warr Acres

To see the Oklahoma City-County Health Departments newsletters, including schedules for upcoming play groups, workshops, and health  and child guidance screenings, click here .

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

Playgroups are FREE and for children from birth to 36 months old and their parents.  Play clothes are suggested.

Parents will be able to play with their kids and meet other parents.  Facilitators will also be there to talk about behavior of young children, language, age-appropriate play activities and positive parenting. 

Here are some dates & locations:

Edmond: Peace Lutheran Church, 2600 E Danforth Rd. 
Nov. 5, 19 and Dec. 3, 17.  
Sessions are 9 to 10 a.m.  and 10:15 to 11:15 a.m.

NW Oklahoma City: Mayfair Church of Christ, 2340 NW 50.
Oct. 28, Nov. 25 and Dec. 9. 
Sessions are 2 to 3 p.m.

Midwest City: Doctor’s Tower, 3rd floor, 6912 E Reno.
Nov. 10, 24 and Dec. 8, 22.
Sessions are 10 to 11 a.m.

To participate, you must pre-register by calling 425-4412.  And check out the health department’s schedule of upcoming parenting workshops by going to http://www.cchdoc.com/ and clicking on the Parent Express Newsletter on the right-hand side.  

-Erica Smith
esmith@opubco.com

So there he is … signed up for everything I could get my hands on.  Gymnastics: One night a week.  Swim lessons: Two nights a week.  Soccer: Practice one night, and games on the weekends.   Yes, he’s only 3.

There may be a misconception here that I’m sort of a stage mom.  A “boys-need-sports” stage mom.  But really, I just want my toddler to be active from an early age and to experience various sports so that he’ll be open to more than just one activity.  I don’t want him to get into couch-potato mode.

I just know that all the running around can leave me a bit running-ragged.  My son seems to enjoy it but ends up pretty cranky by the time it’s time to go home or leave the activity.  Carrying him kicking and screaming through the gymnastics facility’s parking lot makes me wonder if it’s really worth it. 

Any thoughts?  Do you have your young children in sports?  How do you make sure you have enough down time in your child’s day?  Comment here or email me at esmith@opubco.com

-Erica Smith

FREE Kids’ Fishing Classes

For ages 5-15, these classes teach casting, knot-tying, fish identification, angler etiquette and fishing regulations.  No license or permit required and equipment is provided.  Children must be accompanied by parent or guardian.

Dates:
July 25 – Dolese Youth Park Pond, NW 50 and Meridian
June 20, Aug. 22 – Crystal Lake, 6625 SW 15
July 11, Aug. 8 – Metro Tech Springlake, NW 36 and Springlake Drive
July 18, Aug. 15 – Edwards Park Lake

FREE Swimming

City Pools are now open and admission is free all summer.  They include:
Northeast Pool, 1300 NE 33
Woodson Pool, 3405 S. May
Carson Pool, 8301 S. Villa
Minnis Lakeview Pool, 12518 NE 36.

Swim lessons are offered for kids and adults at all area pools for $20 per session.  For more information about lessons, or to get a free parks &  pools guide, call 297-2211.

Play in the Park

This annual program offers FREE supervised activities such as arts, crafts, games , reading and field trips for kids age 6 and older.  26 metro-wide locations have the program.  Click here for more information.

Father’s Day Downtown

On Sunday, June 21, Dad gets in free (with a paid family member) to:
Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, 301 W. Reno
OKC Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive
Oklahoma City National Memorial, 620 N. Harvey.

So take Dad out on his special day and enjoy all downtown has to offer.

For more information about OKC Parks & Recreation’s events, go to  http://www.okc.gov/Parks/index.html.

-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
esmith@opubco.com

We have a ritual at our house. It involves picking up his toys several times throughout the day. Why? He loves to throw his toys and books across the room.

He’s actually better than he used to be. His tendency to throw is common among some Down Syndrome children. Physical therapists have said he did this because he liked the sensation of throwing and that we should direct his impulse toward acceptable items – bean bags, socks, soft objects – and have him aim them toward a basket.

His aim is really good, too. A pink paper fish with a colorful tail of streamers had hung  in a doorway for several years – until this past month when Cade zeroed in on the floating fish and successfully knocked it from its place after several times of pummeling it with balls, cars, pillows and other toys.

We should stop him, and we do, but sometimes we just give out. And it’s these times when we say cade, Cade, CADE! … and then duck when a remote or favorite book comes hurling toward our heads. Unfortunately, sometimes we’re not so quick or we’re oblivious to the incoming plastic missiles.

But we love him. And, our living room will continue to look like a whirlwind just plowed through. (I wonder what my daughters’ friends’ mothers must think about my little pit. – If only they had stopped by three minutes earlier)

We continue to try to correct him and encourage him to restrain from chunking the DVDs, newspapers and toys across the room.

It’s encouraging that he’s better. His throwing habit has evolved into mostly tossing across the floor or carrying toys from one location to another.

And, also promising is his willingness to clean up while he sings the “Clean Up” song.

But don’t be surprised by the socks and toys thrown in our entertainment center, behind the furniture and pushed beneath the couch if you drop by. Oh, and, Duck! — Linda Lynn

Not outside of course. It’s hot there! But in a tent in the middle of the living room.

My 5-year-old has been learning about camping at preschool, and so we thought it’d be fun to actually break out the tent stored in an unopened box in our attic.

Putting the thing together was fun for my husband because there were no directions. Bravely, he managed and we soon had a bigger-than-I-expected igloo-shaped domicile. My daughter collected an array of snacks for our “camping” trip and I turned on the Discovery Channel (the TV was right there) to find some scenery.

Despite the whirl of the ceiling fan, it was fun to imagine we were actually on a great adventure. Our dogs became “bears” prowling for snacks. We made fire-free S’mores with chocolate marshmallows and Ritz crackers.

But did we sleep there? Of course not, the floor is hard after all.

Next my daughter wants to go fishing. Maybe we’ll turn the bathtub into a “pond.” Do goldfish crackers float?

Susan”Scared of Mosquitoes” Simpson

This has worked pretty well. We now have dozens of both classic and recent movies aimed at the under-12 set. A few are regretful purchases (Mimzy and The Wild didn’t inspire repeat viewings) but most will be great to hang onto until whatever new technology completely overtakes DVD. (I’ve only recently completed my long good-bye to the VCR.)

Occasionally, we go to a REAL MOVIE THEATRE and experience the big screen, buttered popcorn and all. This is a rather expensive way to spend every weekend for a family of four.

Last week, I took my 5-year-old to see Kung Fu Panda — how could we not after all the McDonald’s toys? — and she became restless within 30 minutes of its start. The popcorn and my pleading convinced her to stick with it through the end. I liked the movie and thought the animation was well done. Will we buy this movie when it comes out on DVD? Probably not.

This weekend I really want to go see Wall-E, Pixar’s newest animated feature. It’s gotten spectacular reviews from adults and children alike. I’ll take my 5-year-old and her sister, 10. I’m already planning to totally love the movie and think my girls will too. And yes, I already plan to buy it on DVD, I’m that convinced it’ll be a classic.

Maybe it’s because Wall-E is like my outdated VCR. Still functional, but not very sleek and swift. 

Susan Simpson