For more information on any of these programs go to www.springdalelibrary.org.

If you see something you like, be sure to click through the link in this post to make your purchase, that way Life+Kids will receive a commission from the retailers listed for any purchases you make (even on products not highlighted in the Guide). It is an easy way to help support Life+Kids!

Do you need help with your holiday shopping? Email your list to terri@lifepluskids.com and I’ll be happy to get your online shopping started.

Life+Kids reader Jenny asks: I want a concrete/cement truck for my 3 year old.  The more realistic, the better!

This question made me think of a toy that never made it to our house, but I wish it did. Our friends have a sand digger similar to the one below in their sand box. Every time we visit, someone ends up in the sandbox working the digger.  It takes a few tries for kids to figure out how it works, but once they do — watch out. Kids have loads of fun, without even realizing they are improving their motor skills!!

Click here to purchase on Amazon. Or, click hereto see all of Amazon’s Sand Diggers.

As I was searching for construction related toys, I ran across this adorable mini sandbox full of construction equipment. Consider the age of the child before buying (because you would not want sand dumped all over the floor!). But, the reviews of this product are stellar and I think it would be a great gift.  It would also look perfect on dad’s desk to keep little hands busy while he finishes “one last email.”

Click here to buy now on Amazon. To see all the My Little Sandbox scenes (including princess, outer space, and dinosaurs), click here.

As to the toy cement mixer, I’m partial to the one below from Bruder Toys. It is very realistic. The truck has a hand wheel that turns the drum and actually moves the contents which empties through the chute.

Click here to purchase from Amazon or click here to see all of Amazon’s toy cement truck options.

Of course, for durability, you can’t go wrong with a Tonka Truck. This brand survived my 36 year old brother, and both my children. The Tonka cement mixer below has working lights, motorized rotating barrel, lowering stabilizing rear wheels, and the sand chute even extends down to pour!

Click here to purchase on Amazon or click here to see all Tonka Trucks.

I also really like the Kids Galaxy radio controlled cement truck below.  My boys have always loved radio controlled vehicles, and this one seems perfect for the youngest of construction loving kiddos!

Click here to buy now on Amazon. To see all of Amazon’s radio controlled toys for kids age 2-4, Click here.

If you would prefer a wooden set of construction vehicles, you should consider the ones below by Plan Toys (a brand I LOVE!).

To buy these on Amazon, click here. To see all the Plan Toys offerings, click here.

Finally, don’t forget the ever popular Legos. They have a construction site set, both in the Duplo series (for younger kids) and the regular series for older kids.
Click on the link to buy the DUPLO Construction Site set directly from Lego. Click on this link to buy the regular Construction Site set.

Readers, what are your kids favorite construction related toys?  Leave them in the comments or email your recommendations directly to terri@lifepluskids.com.

Got a question, or need help with your list? Email terri@lifepluskids.com so I can get your online shopping started.

Trunk show merchandise includes locally designed and made jewelry, bags, handspun yarn, soaps, personal stationery, holiday items, gift wrap and more!

Local artists include: Ladybugs & Gentlemen, Lather Me Up, Night Sky Products, Punkinhead Designs, Idyll Hands, Charlotte Goodreau (Massage Therapist).

There will be a door prize drawing at 7:30 p.m.

Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Walton Arts Center’s Nadine Baum Studios 505 W. Spring Street (corners of Spring Street & West Avenue opposite corner from Grubs)

Walmart Toyland, Slaughter Pen Hollow Bike Rally Time Trials, loads of unique crafts from local artisans, live music, great food and tons of activities – this event is going to be a huge blowout to celebrate the end of the 2009 First Friday season.

You certainly do not want to miss Mayor McCaslin pardoning the First Friday Turkey at 6:00 pm on the Spark Main Stage! They’ll even be hosting a turkey gobbling contest in full pilgrim costume. You never know what you’ll see at a Downtown First Friday event.

Give a gift to yourself – enjoy a great evening on the Downtown Square!

For more information, go to www.downtownbentonville.org.

ARTS LIVE THEATRE Broadway Conservatory classes present PROM:THE MUSICAL and PROJECT SHAKESPEARE, performed by Alt Live Theatre’s teen actors.

Join Marie Vukin for Partners-in-Play–a hand-on, minds-on class for children birth to five & their adult play partners.

Parents and kids will explore dramatic concepts and stories related to the Peter and the Wolf family performance at Walton Arts Center.

$5 per family

For more information go to www.triketheatre.org.

Halloween activities will include:

• Balloon Twisting
• Face Painting
• Magician
• Trick-or-Treat at Pinnacle Hills Promenade retailers

Borders will be hosting the following activities in their store:

The Fayetteville Public Library will host a Halloween Storytime on Saturday, October 31 at 10:30 a.m. in the library’s Walker Community Room.

Children should come in costume for spooky stories and treats.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call the Children’s Desk at 856.7170.

Also, Life+Kids is apparently an “authority site” (whatever that means) on kids and families.  So, I have landed on the email list of a gazillion PR firms.  That means my inbox is full of info on cute products for kids and families.

So, readers, what items are you shopping for this holiday season? Email your list to terri@lifepluskids.com and I will incorporate my ideas to a weekly Life+Kids Holiday Gift Guide.

Don’t worry, I won’t use your name in the post just in case the receiver is a Life+Kids reader!

Let the emails begin!

Wristbands are $20 and it is sure to be a fun filled event for the children of Northwest Arkansas with food, games, the Fayetteville Fire Department’s Firetruck, Central EMS’ ambulance and more!

The children are encouraged to wear their costumes so it should be a great time!

For more information, download the PDF Fall-Carnival-Flyer

For more information, please contact Julie with the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau at 479-521-5776 or email jpennington@experiencefayetteville.com.

Many people are afraid of these beneficial creatures. Join Devil’s Den Park Interpreter Rebekah as she discusses some of the reasons to have “warm fuzzies” about these misunderstood animals!

• When: Friday, October 30, 2009 from 7-8pm
• Where: Devil’s Den State Park at the Amphitheater by Area A
• Admission: Free

For More Information Contact:
Devil’s Den State Park
Ph: (479) 761-3325
devilsden@arkansas.com

The program will begin at 10:00 with friendly ghost stories and a costume parade.  All children and adults are invited to come dressed in costume.  After the parade through the garden, kids will love the children’s concert with Jules from Shakey Bugs! 

This program will run slightly longer than usual, at 45-60 minutes.

For more information, go to www.bgo.org.

A terrifying trail ride past the habitats gives you the spine tingling experience of being watched by true night stalkers. The spooky “Trail of Terror” gets your heart racing and blood pumping as you walk through the unique haunted field. (Parents be advised, this is scary!)

Games, food and spooky storytelling is all part of the one of a kind experience, and provides fun for all ages.

The Spooktacular is Halloween night (Oct. 31) from 7-9 PM.

Call ahead for prices at 479.253.5841.

For more information, go to www.turpentinecreek.org.

On October 31st, 2009 Downtown Bentonville, Inc. and several downtown merchants will be hosting a trick-or-treat and costume parade starting at 11:00 am. Arkansas Kids will also be performing that morning at 10:30. Come down in costume and look for the stores and farmers market vendors with pumpkins cut-outs displayed in windows and on tents – it’s the sign of the spooky treats! Every participant (including adults) can also enter a drawing for free Walton Arts Center tickets.

Later that afternoon on October 31st, First Baptist Church will be holding a Fall Festival from 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm on the Square and includes inflatable rides, kids games and giveaways.

The Electra Project is a new partnership between TheatreSquared, Fayetteville’s professional regional theatre company, and the Fayetteville Public library.

They are creating an exciting club for teen girls where they’ll be reading great plays with strong female characters. Each of the plays chosen are sure to provoke rousing discussion about important issues that are relevant to today’s teens.

This club will meet once a month for five months with a possible culminating event during spring break in March.

This group is free and open to girls ages 12 – 18.

For more information or to register , email morgan@theatresquared.org.  

When and Where:
Walker Community Room at the Fayetteville Public Library
Thursdays from 4:30-7:30pm
November 5, December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4

You can find out more information and download the registration form by clicking here. I suggest you register in person (instead of by mail) to be sure you meet the deadline.

Both my boys have played in this basketball league (and will again this year).  It’s a great way to learn the sport.

They kindly gave me permission to post this article in full:

Kids with weaknesses in planning and organization have trouble independently imposing structure and order on tasks and on ideas. So, they have difficulty organizing information in their heads, as well as organizing their stuff or planning out a long-term project. When faced with a task, the disorganized child may have trouble thinking through the steps required, and she may tend to underestimate the complexity and the time needed.

Does this sound like your child?
• He neglects to turn in completed assignments.
• She arrives at an event completely unprepared.
• He underestimates the effort involved in a project.
• She is overwhelmed at juggling multiple classes and projects.
• He has trouble identifying the most important information.
• She has trouble organizing space.

If so, there are tried-and true behavioral interventions you can try–and continue to practice–with your child to help him or her with this challenge. Here are six:

Break down tasks into component parts.
For example, for a school project, divide the tasks into daily chunks, and enter these on the calendar or in an agenda book as homework. Build an extra day or two for the unexpected so your child gets in the habit of planning a cushion of extra time.

Offer organizational frameworks in advance.
Discuss the most important points to be learned before the child starts an independent reading task. Provide an outline of the major topics and subtopics from the text with space for the student to fill in specific information. Offer study questions in advance so the student understands the learning objectives before starting to read.

Teach the use of tricks and technology aids.
Buy a watch that can be set to vibrate and show a reminder phrase at the programmed time. When a student prints out an assignment, prompt her to also email it to her teacher. Teach a student to write a one-sentence summary on a sticky note after reading each paragraph that he can use later for his report.

Develop templates for repetitive procedures.
Make a checklist of everything that needs to be in his soccer bag. Laminate it and keep it in the soccer bag for last-minute checking. For young children, create photo charts with pictures from magazines for completing chores, preparing to catch the bus, and gathering necessary gear for sports practice.

Walk through the planning process with the child.
For a child who chronically loses or doesn’t turn in homework, talk through the process. Is the homework getting lost at home? Is it in the bottom of the backpack? In his locker? Is it in the right notebook but forgotten once class starts? Once you identify the sticking point, add a step to his routine to get past it.

Provide accommodations at home and at school.
Simplify your child’s schedule; consider reducing the number of extracurricular activities. For a high school or college student, it makes more sense to reduce the course load. Ask for advance notice of upcoming assignments from the teacher so you and your child can identify the most demanding times of the week or semester so appropriate adjustments can be made in her homework/study schedule.

* * * * *
Joyce Cooper-Kahn PhD and Laurie Dietzel PhD are highly esteemed clinical psychologists who specialize in learning and emotional challenges affecting children and their families. They are coauthors of Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents’ Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning. You can find out more about their book at www.latelostandunprepared.com.

And . . . Founders Park is hosting a giveaway especially for Life+Kids readers of a Sonicare toothbrush valued at $120!! How cool is that?!?! Click here to enter.  I hope you enjoy the giveaway!

For more information download this pdf Foto Fest Flyer.