What is hate speech? Hate speech is defined as having target groups and is characterized by harmfulness, such as belittling, humiliating, dehumanizing or threatening targets. Derogatory expressions can take the form of words, social media posts, text messages or videos. Hate speech fuels discrimination and hostility and undermines the principles of equality and respect for […]
Capital City Parent
Family event calendar
MAY Storytime – Early Learning for Ages 1–5 Thursdays, 9:30am-1:30pm. Through May 22. Each week is a magical journey with books, crafts and themed movement activities. From bear hunts to ocean waves, there’s something new to explore every class. Class for ages 1-2 is 9:30-10:30am. Class for ages 3-5 follows at 12:30-1:30pm. Register at bit.ly/Funshop_Storytime. […]
Backyard birdwatching
“We need the tonic of wilderness…we can never have enough of nature.” – Henry David Thoreau Recognizing that much of the world was becoming increasingly industrialized, American naturalist and essayist Henry Thoreau was already urging folks to reconnect with nature back in the mid-19th century. If only he could see us now, with screens and […]
Celebrate Valentine’s Day as a family
In the middle of a cold, dark winter sits a bright spot called Valentine’s Day. As a holiday, I think Valentine’s Day gets some (justified) bad PR for being too commercial, or being too snobbishly exclusive to those experiencing romantic love, but the older I get the more I figure we may as well lean […]
Third spaces for kids
Third spaces used to be ubiquitous in our cities, for both adults and children. A third space can be described as a place other than home or work (or in the case of children, school) where people to go to connect with others. Often it is intended to mean places that do not charge money […]
Adults can learn from kids’ books, too
I have found that children’s books are a great way to learn more about history in general or specific history-makers, so much so that children’s books are a large part of what I read for fun. There are a couple of books I read recently that fall into this category that are great options for […]
Try these podcasts for kids
I don’t know about you, but we have had a bevy of unwelcome germs come through our house so far this winter. Combined with the ultra-cold weather, conditions have been ripe for entirely too much screen time. And while we did exceed our Netflix limit this winter (any port in a storm), one thing that […]
Family event calendar
FEBRUARY “Journey Into Abstract” Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11am-5pm. Through March 29. This solo exhibit at The Underground Gallery features one of its juried artists and photographer, Gregory Pratt. springfieldart.org. Free. SAA Collective Gallery, 105 N. Fifth St., 217-523-2631. “Layers” Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11am-5pm. Through March 1. The first exhibit of 2025 is a striking collection of 2D and 3D […]
The museum based on children’s books
If you’ve ever imagined going down a rabbit hole and emerging into a magical world, then make it come true with a visit to a new museum fashioned as an ode to children’s literature. The entrance to The Rabbit hOle in North Kansas City, Missouri, winds visitors through a grotto-like maze to land amidst dozens […]
Children can benefit from playing Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons was released 50 years ago, and quickly fell into the stereotype of being a game for nerds. In the 1980s, DND got swept up in satanic panic. Despite its rough start, DND has been thoroughly enjoyed through the decades, and with the 2023 DND movie, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, has […]
Music for kids and parents to enjoy together
Put two parents of preschool-age children together in the same room and there’s a good chance they’ll end up having a conversation about “Bluey,” the wildly popular animated Australian TV series that’s captivated both children and parents alike. It’s a kids’ show but it can thoroughly entertain the adults in the room as well, clearly […]
Help kids learn to give back this holiday season
For many families, the winter holidays offer a chance to reflect on good fortune. The opportunity to practice gratitude is at the center of the Thanksgiving holiday, and the importance of helping others through the darker, longer days ahead is a theme that comes up again and again this time of year. Whether it’s doing […]
