Ice cream for breakfast (anytime)

Such is the hectic state of my life that I missed National Ice Cream for Breakfast day on Saturday (Feb. 6). Why someone chose to place this holiday smack in the middle of winter I’ve no idea … but I like to think the proximity to my birthday had something to do with it! What goes better with ice cream for breakfast than cake, right?

Actually, my family does occasionally eat ice cream for breakfast in the winter, because it’s absolutely delicious on top of a steaming bowl of oatmeal. If you’ve not tried it, I suggest you plan your own National Ice Cream Day tomorrow. The recipe we use for the oatmeal is this one from Eating Well magazine. Ignore the part about yogurt and top it with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. (Substitute raisins for the dates if you prefer.) Besides feeling totally decadent, the ice cream has the additional benefit of cooling the oatmeal off quickly, always a plus on school days or, as it happens, tomorrow may turn out to be a snow day, in which case the oatmeal will give your kids extra endurance on the sledding hill.

Story times with a twist (various dates)

The next Stages St. Louis storytelling session happens Wednesday (Feb. 3) with an appropriate book: 1*2*3 Valentine’s Day. If you’d like to bring your preschooler or early elementary student to see the 45-minute interactive Stories @ Stages performance and drama opportunity, you need to sign up in advance by calling 636.530.5959 or e-mailing your name, phone number (in case of inclement weather), the number of people attending and the date and time (either 10:15 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.)

The first Wednesday of each month through May brings a new story at the Stages Performing Arts Academy in Chesterfield. Remaining dates are listed on the homepage.

If you can’t make it to the Stages story time, here are a couple of other good options for somewhat out-of-the-ordinary readings:

• Stories in the Greenhouse at The Green Center, for nature stories illuminated by sunset and, later on, candlelight in the Geodome. The next one is Sunday (Feb. 7) from 6:30-7:30 p.m.; others are Feb. 21 and 28. All ages are welcome, and there’s a nominal $2 per-person fee. To sign up in advance (required), call 314-725-8314 x105.
  

• The Teachers’ Lounge in South County has themed half-hour sessions, Mondays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., with activities focused on early literacy skills for ages 2 to 6. To sign up (recommended), click the link on the calendar for the date you’ll be attending or call 314-894-7000.

This week’s theme at The Teachers’ Lounge is Groundhog Day, and I’m truly hoping those little critters across the country give us the “spring is near” omen.  I’m ready for it!

Imagining a new art museum (Jan. 24)

The Saint Louis Art Museum is celebrating its expansion with a special offering for families tomorrow (Jan. 24). From 1 to 4 p.m., kids can come up with their own models, inspired by the one that’s actually going to be built. There are also two interactive tours — at 2 and 3 p.m. — taking families on an exploration of the current museum’s architecture and talking about what the new museum will look like when it’s complete in two years.

Kid-friendly Mardi Gras (all beads, no booze) Jan. 23

Long before I moved to Soulard, I loved Mardi Gras. It all started in New Orleans, back in the early ’90s, and during the subsequent six years that my husband and I lived in Germany I learned how to beat the wind chill and enjoy a really good Fasching parade (as the whole carnival was known in our part of Deutschland).

And when we settled in here in 2001, we embraced the celebration wholeheartedly, choosing to avoid the drunken revelry that gives Mardi Gras a bad reputation and instead focus on the playful aspects of the day: the food, the parade, the fellowship with friends.

Our neighbors who live in the epicenter of Soulard during Mardi Gras don’t all share our warm feelings toward the event, and in an effort to placate them, the nonprofit that organizes the festivities (and, incidentally, donates tens of thousands of dollars back to the community each year for civic infrastructure and other good causes) continues to reach out toward groups who’re about the non-alcoholic fun. Last year’s first Family Winter Carnival was a big hit — so big they ran out of supplies quite early in the day, much to their chagrin. I don’t think they’ll underestimate demand again this year, but even if they run out of supplies to make masks, crowns and noisemakers, you can still enjoy:

• the music of our favorite children’s singer, Babaloo (11:30-12:30)
• the opportunity to paint art on an 8-by-32-foot wall
• the Rams’ football challenge
• the Saint Louis Science Center’s activity corner
• the Segway timed trials
• the children’s parade, starting at 9th and Lafayette and looping through the neighborhood

There will be food and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase, plus a free heated tent where many of the activities will take place. And the whole thing ends at 4 p.m., long before the nightlife crowd starts rolling into Soulard.

I hope you have so much fun at the Family Winter Carnival that you decide to brave the crowds on Feb. 13 to experience the parade too.  Come back in a couple weeks, when I’ll be highlighting the ways your family can make the most of the Mardi Gras parade.

A slick festival in The Loop (Jan. 16)

There is so much to love about The Loop Ice Carnival … the ice carving demonstrations, the ice slide, the ice cubes with dollars inside, the ice breaker (sledgehammer, not the flirty kind) … or, if you’re sick of ice, there are s’mores, hula hoop demos, yo-yo demos, giant non-ice slides, fire-eaters … very best of all, the streets and sidewalks are guaranteed to be ice-free by Saturday (Jan. 16).

As in the previous four years of this classically eclectic event, the shops and eateries along Delmar Boulevard will have deals and special entertainment starting at 11 a.m.  Pick up a map along the way and plan your day. I don’t have a link to the flier, but you can check out the blog for more info on the various events and participating shops at VisitTheLoop.com.

My vote as top attraction this year is for the ice carving at Fitz’s American Grill and Bottling Works. Do go inside — S. and I ate there a few weeks ago, and both of us were impressed (him with the seemingly limitless free root beer a tour will earn you, me with the much-improved quality of the food.)  As an extra bonus, it’s not far to the s’mores station at Craft Alliance!

Motivation and ideas for exploring the outdoors (anytime)

Doesn’t it feel fabulous outside? The sunshine, the temperature … OK, it’s not quite tropical, but it’s definitely an improvement on what we’ve been experiencing. Last night I was talking with some friends about what we have planned for today. Sledding and hiking were on the list for several families, which played right into my current state of mind. I’ve been reading Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder. There’s an updated version out, and if you haven’t read it, do.  I guarantee it will have you bundling up your kids on even the nastiest days for a few minutes outdoors.

In the December issue of the Missouri Department of Conservation magazine, the author of the article titled “Get Out!” has dozens of seasonal tips for outdoor activities. The piece is a fitting introduction to the department’s new kid-centric magazine, Xplor, which launches its first bimonthly issue in February. Click here to sign up for free delivery.

Warm up at the movie (Jan. 9)

I could tell you about the eagle-watching events going on for the next few weeks, but I’ve been out there when it’s cold and windy, and trust me, it’s no place to enjoy nature with your kids! Experience nature, yes. Enjoy nature, not so much. Instead I’m going to pop culture route, suggesting you warm up at Wehrenberg Theatres’ HIT entertainment every Saturday at 11 a.m. This month’s feature is a little-kid-friendly showing of Thomas and Friends: Thomas and the Runaway Kite.

Check the homepage to find out which eight cinemas are participating. Adult tickets are $5; kids 1 and under are free.

This is a nice weekend alternative to the cry-baby matinees during the week — and it’s early enough so as not to interfere with naptime!

Mr. Stinky Feet (Jan. 10)

As the snow slowly drifts down and the boys are dreaming peacefully of snowmen and sledding*, I’m going to jump right ahead to Sunday, for a rockin’ good indoor time. Jim Cosgrove, aka Mr. Stinky Feet, plays Off Broadway at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10, in KDHX’s family-friendly concert series.

M. and I took in Justin Roberts a couple of months ago at Off Broadway and had a blast. It turns out to be a good venue because it’s bar-like enough to make kids feel they’ve entered a forbidden realm (and it sells beer during the show!) but it doesn’t have that skanky smoke-smelling bar vibe. Most of the parents chose the floor seating — and I do mean floor — right in front the stage so their toddlers could get up and dance, but M. at age 6 was too cool for that, and he preferred to sit upstairs — on chairs, yay! — and chill out.

Tickets are $8 a the door, $5 in advance, kids 1 and under free.  If you’re a football fan, you may miss the end of the first game, but the concert only runs an hour, so you won’t miss much of the second.  And it’ll be worth it!

* If you’re on the blog looking for a good sledding hill, our favorite is at Lyon Park on Broadway at Arsenal!

Family Fun at Hartford Coffee Co. (Jan. 6)

The good news for 2010 is that I’ve landed a steady freelance editorial gig at Parents as Teachers. The bad news is that “steady gig” has been outside my lexicon for quite a few years now, and I’m going to have to be dusting off my time management skills! So far the work has been fascinating, especially because it directly relates to my sons’ transitions to school. It’s also nice reinforcement of my longstanding belief that the more kids play, the more they learn.

And with that in mind, don’t forget that the first Wednesday of the month (Jan. 6) is family fun night at Hartford Coffee Co., a kid-friendly coffeehouse just south of Tower Grove Park. Starting at 5 p.m., you can bring the kids for supper and a chance to let them get over any cabin fever they’re experiencing thanks to this frigid weather.

Zoo says thank you (Dec. 26-31)

I enjoy the Saint Louis Zoo much more when it’s really cold than when it’s really hot.  Blame it on my North Dakota upbringing, but I really like the briskness of winter events like Wild Lights (going on now through Dec. 23 and again Dec. 26-30, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.).

This year there’s an extra special event on the zoo’s cold-weather calendar: a celebration of its reaching an all-time high for the number of visitors in a year.  Last week it counted No. 3,065,554, and to thank the public for its enthusiasm (remember, I-64 was closed during this milestone year) and putting up with the hassles, the children’s zoo will have free admission from Dec. 26 to 31. There are also special feeding sessions for some of the animals each day; visit the special Visitor Appreciation Days page on the zoo’s site.