Family news, advice & events from Bellingham, WA

Some parents say body-fat measurements hurt children's self-esteem, pose other risks

Like the other fourth-graders at King Lab, Jennifer Dreller's daughter was discreetly weighed during gym class as part of a routine fitness assessment at the Evanston, Ill., school. But the experience took a toll on the 10-year-old's self-esteem, her mother recently told a panel of health experts...

Read story

FAMILIES BLOG

Goin’ on an Airplane Trip

The cubs and I are getting ready for their first airplane trip. These books have us dreaming big! Pilot Pups written by Michelle Meadows and illustrated by Dan Andreasen (ages 2-5) Two...
Snacks on hand

Cookies, candy, potato chips, and soda are tempting go-to snacks for a kid in a hurry for something to eat, but they’re not the sort of foods that will power a growing body through a day of ...
Monster Trucks Coming Through!

Bubbie just “vroom-vroomed” through the room, followed by an excited Cubbie. “Watchout, monster trucks coming through!” Our latest favorite library book is Monster...
Everything I Needed to Learn About Parenting I Learned at Disneyland (Part Eight of Eight)

This is the last of eight articles where I’ll share what I learned about parenting at Disneyland. With my first seven blog entries on this topic, I shared how Disneyland taught me these important...
So Be A Cartoonist

Here is a fun project for the little ones. Give them a stencil and a ruler for drawing a circle and straight lines. Once children get the idea of assembling geometric shapes to make a character, they...

blogs.bellinghamherald.com/families

Activities

Art teacher Lynn Zimmerman, center, demonstrates to her class the proper technique to apply watercolors during an afternoon art class at BellinghamART, a private art school, on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 in Bellingham. BellinghamART offers art workshops, summer camps, and weekly classes in drawing, painting and sculpting for children four and up, teenagers, and adults.

Summer camps bountiful for Whatcom County youths

It's never too early to talk to your child about summer camps, about the joy of making new friends, the challenge of trying something new, the opportunity...

News

Outdoor safety considerations for children

Keeping kids safe outdoors encompasses a range of responsibilities for parents, from packing the appropriate food and clothing and carrying a first aid kit, to teaching your children how to swim and to always wear a life jacket when boating.

Resources

Children's Library Specialist Bernice Chang reads books about cats during Time for Tales for kids at the Bellingham Public Library, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013.

List your youth group

Add youth sports, private schools, daycares, preschools and enrichment programs to our list.

Kids Media

Whatcom County librarians select best 2012 books for young readers

This time of year, many people think about books as gifts. With that in mind, several local librarians who specialize in children's literature were asked to name their favorite books from 2012 for children at a variety of reading levels.