June, 2009

Don’t miss this week’s five excellent events that are fun for the whole family. E-mail newsletter@beijing-kids.com to get each issue sent to your inbox, or check the beijingkids website for full event listings online (www.beijing-kids.com).

Thursday June 25 - Summer Sizzler
Temperatures are set to skyrocket this Thursday – there’s only one thing to do – cool off. Deck the kids out in their swimsuits and let them play in the giant water fountains at Solana or at the Village in Sanlitun.
Don’t forget: Stop off at Cold Stone Creamery for an icy cold treat.

 

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Kid-friendly outdoor activities in the heart of the CBD can be limited -- in these regards, Chaoyang Park is indispensible. It really can't be beat when it comes to the size and the selection of activities within, not to mention the venues (i.e. Solana, Lucky Street, the West Gate) lining its perimeter. It is, in short, the perfect "weekend default option" for parents looking for places to take their kids.

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My dad was good at a lot of things. He was a math and engineering whiz (back in the days when Chinese math and engineering whizzes were still a relative novelty in the States), he could cut up a chicken like a master chef, karaoke like there was no tomorrow, played a mean game of pool and had a wicked jump shot.

But his most distinctive talent – one that I have never seen emulated by any other dad, or human being, for that matter – was his superhuman ability to kill cockroaches, mosquitoes and even flies with a simple rubber band.

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The public fascination on the ugly divorce between Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger goes beyond the tabloids – even the chattering classes are chiming in on the heels of the notoriously bad-tempered Baldwin’s tell-all book A Promise to Ourselves, in which he rips into his ex-wife and divorce courts in general.

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In New York City, Meme Roth, a mother of two who is notorious for her fanatical concern with the rise of obesity (she came to fame for calling Santa Claus fat, vilifying the Girl Scouts for selling cookies, and for criticizing overweight celebrities) is involved in another nutrition battle closer to home. In order to make sure her kids’ diets remain 100 percent junk food free, she has taken matters into her own hands.

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Don’t miss this week’s top five events that are sure to be fun for the whole family. Email newsletter@beijing-kids.com to get each issue sent to your inbox.

Thursday, June 18 - Half-price Movies
Take the kids to see the latest movie release for half the price. Mega Box at Sanlitun offers 50% discounted tickets for screenings before 1.10pm. RMB 25-35. Weekdays. Mega Box, B2/F, The Village at Sanlitun.
Don’t forget to: Check out the latest family-friendly flick Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian starring Ben Stiller.

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Took a stroll down Nanluoguxiang with the family this past weekend and amidst the incessant clamor of honking cars*, we happened upon a long, snaking line of young Beijing hipsters, students and hutong punters.

It was around high noon Saturday, and the queue was baking in the bright sunshine waiting to squeeze into the small confines of the Wenyu Cheese Shop (文宇奶酪店, 49 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District).

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Bérangère and Renzenghuamao – two students at the China Agricultural University in Beijing – are heading a project to help provide clothing to people in impoverished and remote rural areas of the Qinghai province. If you have any unwanted clothes taking up space in your closet, they would love to hear from you.

Collecting sessions take place weekly. For more details, email be.bertoncello@yahoo.fr or check out their Facebook group: “Second hand clothes project in rural area”

Let’s face it, most of us struggle to hit the right balance when it comes to work, rest and play. The demands and time constraints that stem from the workplace can place limitations on our ability to indulge in a spot of R&R every once in a while. But surely, the barriers that prevent many adults from taking time out to relax should not drip-down in to the lives of children. Liu Shinnan, writing in China News Daily, provides the example of his 10-year-old granddaughter to illustrate the nonsensicality of inflicting “extra-curricular skills training” on children.

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If you’ve been away on a family vacation during the last 6 months, beijingkids would love to hear from you!

We’re interested in telling other Beijing families about your recent travel experiences. So, if you and your family have enjoyed a recent getaway (and have a minimum of 5 x 1mb photos to share with us), please get in touch. Your story could feature in our August edition!

Check out past editions of Family Travels here.

Email: imogenkandel@beijing-kids.com

BeijingDaze offers this little family friendly outing suggestion (and pics):

"closest sand & water combo, depending on where you live in the city is within a 5 to 20mn ride or a 2 mn walk from the Hou Jia Lou subway station on line 10… yup, it’s there and I got the pictures to prove it ... This little gem hides inside Tuan Jie Hu park, across from Oakwood center off of the 3rd ring road in Beijing. This inconspicuous little gates on the outside hide a marvel of a park complete with lakes, boats, bumper cars, skating ring and more importantly, an artificial wave pool with real sand!"

We popped in ourselves last Saturday with tots in tow, but were deterred by the rain and freezing water. Nevertheless, Tuanjiehu Park is indeed one of the most accessible and family friendly water parks in the greater Sanlitun/CBD area.

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Want to share your Beijing highlights with our readers? We’re looking for Beijing families who’d like to tell us their “Family Favorites” for the next edition of beijingkids.

Check out past editions of Family Favorites here.

If you’d like to be a part of our August magazine, please e-mail: imogenkandel@beijing-kids.com

Thursday, Jun 11

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Beijing International Theatre Experience (BITE) performs a “contemporary bilingual adaptation” of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream set in modern-day Beijing. Co-directed and produced by Anna Grace and Kris Chung. In English and Chinese with subtitles in both languages. Runs until Sunday, Jun 14. 7.30pm (Thurs, Fri and Sat). 3pm (Sunday). Peng Hao Theatre. www.penghaoren.com

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Hone your cooking skills (and bring your little ones) at the Hilton Hotel's Thai Cuisine cooking class this Saturday, June 13, in their Elements restaurant on the second floor.

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Calling all Beijing kiddies!

beijingkids and the team at Immersion Guides are working together to create the beijingkids Family Guide and we need models for our book cover!

We're looking for boys and girls aged between 8-11 who are available for a photo shoot within the next two weeks. Details will be confirmed with successful applicants.

Here's what our promo has to say about our upcoming book:

"Produced by beijingkids magazine and Immersion Guides, two of the most trusted sources for information about China, the beijingkids Family Guide is an indispensable resource for families residing in, or moving to the Chinese capital.

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Madeleine O'Dea writes on our sister site thebeijinger.com about Central Academy of Fine Arts Vice President Xu Bing's attempts to bridge conservation with art in his 'Forest Project':

"Over the next four months, Xu will work with more than 5,000 children aged 7-14, in ten diverse places, from the relatively rich cities of Beijing and Shanghai to the poorer regions of Sichuan, Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. He will teach the students and their teachers about the project, and about the ancient relationship between drawing and language. Most importantly, he will teach that by their own efforts they can make a difference."

More here.

The Today Art Museum at Pingod has an exhibition of his works running until June 14.

Update: Sheena has been found. Her family would like to thank everyone for their help.

16-year-old Austrian citizen Sheena Spreitzhofer has been missing in Beijing since Friday June 5th 2009.

If you have any information, please contact her family or the Austrian Embassy at 6532 5590 (9am-5pm), the Chinese police or e-mail patboehler@gmail.com as soon as possible.

Recent research commissioned by Disney/Pixar World of Cars suggests that - when it comes to ranking children’s favorite pastimes - storytime with Mom or Dad trumps playing video games and even watching TV. This may come as a surprise to many who struggle to engage their child in a good book, and it has prompted an interesting survey on the UK Times Online website which asks, “How often do you read to your children?”

 

 

Many parents cite tiredness and time constraints as the main reasons for not spending more time reading to their kids. In doing so, it seems that children are being deprived, not only of the educational and vocabulary-building benefits of books, but also the pleasures of enjoying a simple story. At least that’s what Disney/Pixar claim.

 

 

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Fears of the Swine Flu may be putting a bit of a damper on summer tourism, but the downturn may mean great holiday deals.

Meanwhile, Mashable has a useful article describing "20 survival tools for family travel" - it's skewered the States, but is useful for any family anywhere.

Click here for our previous post about great travel destinations within China.

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While scrolling through Beijing Cafe this fine summer morning, I tripped over some sad news. NU2YU-Baby-Shop has reached the end of it's days and will be closing it's doors June 30th.

After 3 and half years behind the helm, owner/operator Karen Patterson, is ready to say goodbye and focus on other ventures, like her Counting Sheep Boutique.

The good news? Until June 30th, NU2YU are offering up to 50% off the regular price on all items in stock: toys, clothes, shoes, baby carriers, breast pumps, strollers, cribs, high chairs, rockers, bouncy seats, play structures, and more!

So swing by, pick up a bargain and say thanks to Karen for all her hard work over the years.

Hats off to reader ny2stx2bj, who posted a forum topic about the Sijiqing Cherry Festival going on this month up in Haidian District.

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With 100 lazy, hazy days of summer ahead, beijingkids has found something for every day of summer to keep the kids occupied, happy, fed, learning and moving. From where to buy swimsuits to the best kids’ cooking classes, from to parks to explore and picnic in, aquariums to fish through, and semi-extreme sports for fearless kids – we’ve got it all (and much more) in our double feature summer survival guide – your guide to everything fun under the sun.

If older kids are searching for a new author, Eveline Chao has an in depth interview with young-adult book writer, Justina Chen Headley, a former China expat who writes about multicultural kids, as well as a guide for where to buy kids books, brush up on Mandarin, and stimulate young minds.

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