DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Spend some time researching the camps you are interested in & make sure they have experienced and qualified staff and a good camper to counselor ratio. Talk to the facility directors, & your friends and family to learn about the camps history, safety standards & reputation.

FUN FACTOR
Look for camps that offer a wide variety of activities, themes and developmental games to keep your kids stimulated physically, socially and emotionally. If you know your child is having the time of his/her life while also developing valuable skills, you’ll be more likely to enjoy your day too.

REAL LIFE RELEVANCE
Look for camps that are relevant to the themes of the year! For instance, this year is an Olympic Year. Camps that relate to the summer olympics will not only be FUN for your child, but it will give you the opportunity to make the connection at home and get your child talking & thinking about real life scenarios. This expands their mind & awareness in a fun way.

So remember, don’t just sign your child up for camp, take the time to give them an experience of a lifetime with the perfect Summer camp!

View Kid Venture’s awesome summer camp schedule HERE

Set up an Art Station
Take a few extra minutes to gather art supplies from around your house, these can be conventional or creative items (crayons, markers, paper, aluminum foil, buttons, sequins—avoid glitter though!). Spread these items out on a table cloth or something than can easily be whipped clean, either on the floor or on a table. This becomes your child’s “art station”. With everything easily accessible, allow your child to engage in a variety of creative activities that could easily last hours!

Host an Indoor Picnic or Tea Party
Plan this indoor picnic or tea party just like you would any other. Pack up delicious snacks and drinks into your basket, and get out folding chairs and blankets. Have your picnic or tea party somewhere unconventional, like under the kitchen table or on the living-room floor. Surround yourselves with pillows and finger foods and encourage the children to wear their picnic clothes, safari costumes, animal outfits, or tea attire to get them in the mood.

Allow Extra Bath Time
Generally, we reserve bathroom time for serious business, but on a rainy day– the bathroom can easily transform into a battleship station, a mermaid’s lagoon– or a spa! Don’t fret; playing in the tub or sink doesn’t have to turn into a huge mess as long as rules are lined up first. Have your children take a bath with different sized cups, spoons, sponges and containers. Allow the kids to practice pouring and soaking up the water. For extra fun, add food coloring to the bath water and experiment with color mixing. And afterall… isn’t this a sneaky way to get your child to bathe?

Plan an Indoor Treasure Hunt or Scavenger Hunt
This activity takes a little planning, but is always a huge hit with kids. Leave a trail of clues around the house and have each clue lead to the next so that your kids are traveling all around the house on this treasure hunt. You can even have them answer trivia questions to receive clues too! The final “treasure” could be anything; ingredients to make hot cocoa, a new book, logos, coloring books etc. The real prize is the activity itself!

Get out of the House, and come to KV!
As always, Kid Ventures is a great escape on rainy days–and any day! Let your child explore all the different themed areas inside KV’s indoor play center, and even enjoy a play date—for you and your child!

Many of the delicious goods at the KV Café are supplied not only by local vendors, but many are provided by women owned businesses in San Diego. Sweet Cheeks, Baked in the Sun, Zanzibar Café, and Café Virtuoso are just a few examples of locally women owned businesses Kid Ventures proudly supports.

Kid Ventures has also partnered with many mom owned and operated organizations. Through the past year, Kid Ventures has built a strong relationship with such mom-lead organizations as Sign4Baby & Positively Kids; and recently joined forces with the non-profit organization Celebrate the Military Child (co-founded by…you guessed it, a mom!). These relationships continue to develop and strengthen with time, and are an imperative part of the Kid Ventures’ future.

Working with women owned businesses is an important philosophy for Kid Ventures because Kid Ventures itself was conceptualized by Debbie Solomon, a business woman and mother. With the help of her husband, Darren, the Solomon’s created an environment for families that mirrored their own values and visions of a family fun play space.

The next time you drop in to play at Kid Ventures, remember your visit is helping to support an expanding network of business minded women and mothers in your very own community. Who knew play could go so far and help so many?

Popcorn strands are classic tree decorations, but you can also use them to create a wintery wreath.

What You Need:
Paper Plate
Scissors
Waxed Dental Floss
Sewing Needle
Popped Popcorn
Ribbon

What To Do:
1. Cut the center out of a paper plate.
2. Cut a 3-foot length of waxed dental floss; tie one end to plate.
3. Thread other end through needle, and string popcorn.
4. Wrap strand around plate; tie off.
5. Add strands until wreath is covered (layer to fill gaps).
6. Loop ribbon and hang; glue on a bow.

Here’s a yummy holiday treat you can make with your kids! These Rice Krispy Ornaments are a cute treat to bring to neighbors and they look great as a holiday centerpiece.

What You Need:
1/4 C. butter + extra for your hands (you’ll need for shaping the Rice Krispy treats into a ball)
1 10-oz. package marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla
6 C. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
Holiday-colored sugar sprinkles
Rolo candy
Toothpicks

What To Do:
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until well-combined. Add vanilla, and stir again. Add the Rice Krispies cereal. Mix until all of the cereal is coated with the marshmallow mixture.

2. Butter your hands well, then and shape the cereal into six balls. Make sure they’re packed tightly. Acting quickly, roll the balls in colored sugar or sprinkles until coated.

3. For the top of the ornament, stick a toothpick into one end of a Rolo candy. The other end of the toothpick long goes into the Rice Krispy ornament.