The Sprout Academy

Father’s Day is Here! Looking for Something Fun to Do?

southwestcommunitycenter — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 01:40:55 +0000

Have a Berry Good Time!

As if dad needed an excuse to spend the day with his favorite people, (you and the kiddos!) Kruger’s Farm is serving up a weekend a fun by the bucket-ful at their Berry Jam on Sauvie Island. There’s activities for the entire family, from jam-making and face painting for the kids, to strawberry shortcake tasting, live music, and beer and wine for the adults. Find the hours and event details by clicking here.

More fun filled activities can be found on Red Tricycle’s webpage~!

Are you Ready?? We’re Ready for YOU!

southwestcommunitycenter — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:45:55 +0000

We just finished 2 days of comprehensive camp staff trainings for our 75+ Summer Camp Staff! Our staff learned all about safety, how to engage all campers, new games, and SO much more. Now all we need is YOU! We can’t wait!

SWCC offers 18 camps for children age 2-12 that are unmatched for their value & the lifetime memories each camper takes home.
Many camps are already full; look through our guide, pick your favorites, and call to save your spot today… 503-823-2840.

Congratulations, Sprout Pre-Kindergarten Class of 2013!

southwestcommunitycenter — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 01:16:17 +0000

Hip hip, hooray~! Our preschool held the MWF Pre-K class graduation outdoors today.
Great job, Sprouts! Teachers Debi, Rachel, and David are SO proud of each of you!

Each graduate got their very own YEARBOOK for their friends to autograph!
A great day was had by all.

Great idea: Take some time this weekend to lay down in the grass & warm sunshine
and enjoy all that is good.
See you next year for our 5th year of Sprout at SWCC~!

Schooool’s Out for SUMMER! (almost)

southwestcommunitycenter — Wed, 29 May 2013 22:21:11 +0000

I LOVE how our courtyard has blossomed into a gorgeous array of color! The students have been planting our Woolly School Garden throughout Spring and look at their success! The fundsraising we did last year to get & install this incredible vertical garden teaches children first hand about organic gardening of fruits, veggies, and flowers – it’s been invaluable! We’re looking forward to many more years of seed to harvest learning to come!

School is officially out of session this Friday May 31st. Please join us for preschool summer camps for ages 2-6 ….they’re filling FAST (some weeks are already full!).

Here’s to a fun & fruitful summer season!~

Some Quality Time Together Saturday May 11th…and it’s FREE!

southwestcommunitycenter — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:08:18 +0000

Refreshing! DIY Vitamin Water~

southwestcommunitycenter — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:19:41 +0000

Warm, sunny weather inspires! Doesn’t this picture make you think of summer? YUM! Here’s a project for you & the kiddos this weekend: Make your own vitamin water!

EASY: Slice fruit very thin or cut into small chunks & add water. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours and enjoy!

Experiment & find their favorite flavor. No preservatives or ingredients that are hard to pronounce.

I’m going to try this over the weekend, looks delicious!

Age Appropriate Chores for Kids

southwestcommunitycenter — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:55:03 +0000

Cleaning for a Reason is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that partners with various housekeeping services to arrange FREE house cleanings for people going through cancer treatments. AWESOME!

As you might imagine, they also have a Facebook page, and this is one of their recent posts (below). I thought it might be helpful to some of you parents out there wondering how to give your little ones a bit of responsibility. Have fun!

When it comes to helping kids help themselves, the biggest barrier we face as parents is that it’s often faster and easier to just to do it ourselves. But taking the time to get children involved when they’re young–-and eager to help–-is an important part of giving them the skills they need as they get older.

Tryon Creek’s Trillium Festival – THIS WEEKEND & FREE!

southwestcommunitycenter — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 18:38:05 +0000

Did you know that Tryon Creek State Park is Oregon’s only state park within a major metropolitan area? Every day, visitors come to hike or stroll the nature trails through the verdant ravine between Boones Ferry Road and Terwilliger Boulevard. It’s right in our backyard!

Cyclists of all ages bike along the paved trail on the park’s eastern edge, stopping along the way to admire a trillium. This weekend is the annual Trillium Festival that is a great family activity including a native plant sale, guided nature hikes, children’s crafts and activities, local craft and edibles vendors, live music performances and more!

Another cool tidbit: Tryon Creek is one of the only streams in the metro area with a run of steelhead trout. Neato!

That blast of sun was GREAT this past weekend but…

southwestcommunitycenter — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:57:56 +0000

Here are some healthy edible garden options for our more ‘typical’ Pacific Northwest spring weather:

*Taken from a Gro-O Neighborhood facebook post! They always have some fun tips!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…$ave Money?

southwestcommunitycenter — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:51:21 +0000

We Portlanders love to reduce, reuse and recycle … so bring on the Consignments Sales!!

Maybe you’re a new parent and have never heard of this before or maybe you heard about children’s consignment, but don’t know where to start.

These sales are sure to give you the thrill of finding that ‘score!’. It’s just one more way to practice a sustainable lifestyle WHILE saving your hard earned cash!

Visit this site for Spring 2013 Portland Children’s Consignment Sale dates. So many to choose from! Get your bargain on!