Puppets Under the Stars
Take the kids to a free outdoor puppet show tonight at Crane Park in Montclair courtesy of Aunt Jean’s Toys & Treats. (July 30)
Go Where the Sidewalk Ends
Catch Dreamcatcher Junior’s production of Hippopotamus Sandwich, an ode to Shel Silverstein at The Baird Center in South Orange. (July 30)
Get Grungy
Have a rock n’ roll lunch at Just Jake’s in Montclair. School of Rock Montclair performs a Radio X concert, featuring hits by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Pixies and more. (July 31)
Splash and Play
Family Fun Day promises a good time for members of the Maplewood Community Pool.
(August 1)

Looking for a family activity this summer that blends the technological with the great outdoors? Why not try geocaching? Part real world treasure hunt, part online tracking game, geocaching has grown in popularity since its inception in 2000. There are now participants in 225 countries worldwide.
Just what is geocaching? The name, derived from the words “geo” for earth and “cache” for a hiding place is an activity that involves stowing away and searching for caches or “treasure”. These caches can take the form of “micros”, really small caches, or larger boxes that contain trinkets and other loot for finders.
Participants find the location of caches by looking online for the GPS coordinates and then using a GPS device as simple as the one found in many phones to go in search of the caches.
Jersey has three Geocaching chapters. Madison resident John Neale, president of the Northern New Jersey Cachers, weighs in on just why this activity is so appealing for adults and children alike. “Kids catch on fast to geocaching. They get very excited in the buildup to finding a cache, and once that cache is found, kids want to move on to the next search! It becomes very addicting!” Kids love the trinkets and other inexpensive jewelry or toys in the caches that can make great trading amongst friends. For kids, opening a cache is like opening treasure!

According to Neale, there are chapter-run geocaching activities going on almost every weekend in New Jersey. “The community becomes very close-knit. This past spring there were 125 people at the Northern New Jersey Cachers spring picnic in Chatham.”
While the search for treasure is a practice as old as humanity, this particular brand of treasure hunting, dependent as it is upon GPS data, needed the accuracy of our present GPS devices to allow such mass-market participation. According to geocaching.com, in 2000, GPS became available to individual and civilian users in the U.S. It was only a matter of a few short months for technologically minded individuals to create the concept of geocaching and then create a website that would facilitate and centralize the activity.
The best part about geocaching is that interested people can become involved at whatever level they wish. There are fanatics who post daily, go to events and track caches all over the world. One retiree Neale knows has been geocaching for 1200 consecutive days. The man treats it like a job and has logged 10,000 cache finds. And then there are those who prefer to simply search for caches locally on a more recreational basis.
One Montclair mom shares her insights on geocaching, requesting to remain anonymous, because, she points out, “Anonymity is part of the intrigue!” She began geocaching after seeing an episode of Fetch with Ruff Ruffman. “My 6-year-old is very interested in maps and has been leaving scavenger hunt type notes around the house during the summer break. I looked up the website geocaching.com, which was free to join, and all you needed was a GPS device.” Soon, she and her son were hooked.
“It really has potential as a fun family activity. You don’t need map reading skills since it involves GPS technology, and the caches are rated by difficulty and terrain levels. You can do it on vacation too. Since some of the caches may be remote, I think it’s safe as a group activity.”
Part of the fun is the “covert” nature of the activity. Says this mom, “People (and other creatures) that don’t participate are often referred to as Muggles (as in the non-magical folks of Harry Potterism). It’s hard to find Muggle-free times in an urban area!”
Log on here to find out more about this great family activity. And then get out there!
Meetings for the Northern New Jersey Cachers are on the first Monday of each month at Fuddruckers in Parsippany.
Cynthia Darling is a freelance writer whose work appears in “Teaching Music” magazine. She is also a frequent contributor at Barista Kids

The All in For Kids Texas Hold Em’ Tournament is hoping to get poker fans out to raise money for YCS. Saltzman is on the YCS Advisory Board and came up with the idea of a poker night, because he loves to play and knows it’s a great way to raise money. He’s also good at it. He recently made it to the finals in the World Series of Poker. The money raised will go to help under-funded YCS programs, specifically The Birthday Club.
The idea of funding The Birthday Club came to Alma after Brain visited a YCS group home and learned about the program. Money raised through The Birthday Club goes to purchase gift cards for the kids, because they never get to shop for themselves. As of now, you can make a donation by mailing in a check, but soon Alma has big plans. There will be a button on YCS’s website and she is hoping that she can get bloggers and local websites to put up the buttons as well.
On a personal note, I worked for YCS for almost 10 years. It’s where I got my first teaching experience and I feel that what I learned has been invaluable in my career. I can’t say enough about how this organization helps children in need.
Here are the details….
All-in For the Kids Texas Hold ‘em Tournament
Who: Poker players, ages 21 and older, of all skill levels.
What: A poker night benefit to raise money for Youth Consultation Services.
Where: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Flether Hall, 67 Church Street, Montclair, NJ, 07042.
When: Saturday, September 25 from 7 pm – 11 pm. (Doors open at 6 pm, first card dealt at 7 pm)
Cost: See below:
NO LIMIT ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT
• $150.00 BUY-IN
• $1000 chip bonus if sent in by 9/10/10
• Players receive $6000 chips
($7000 if registered by 9/10/10)
• Blinds start at $50/$100 & increase every
15 minutes
• Rebuys and add-ons available
• Cash, checks, MC & Visa accepted at Bank (No Amex)
• Players blinded off until break (late arrivals)
• CHIPS CANNOT BE EXCHANGED FOR CASH
• Prize distribution: Top 10% of winners will receive VISA gift cards
• No cell phone usage
• Registration includes buffet and refreshments (registration limited)
• NO ONE UNDER 21 WILL BE ADMITTED
• At least 50% of entry fees, rebuys and add-ons will be included in
the prize pool
• Prize money on this event depends on the number of players, rebuys,
and add-ons purchased
• Instructional table available 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Rebuys and add-ons:
$100 receive $5,000 chips
$50 receive $2,000 chips
Register here.
The Birthday Club
Who: Anyone who wants to give a child in need a birthday gift.
What: A fund to provide children in YCS group homes with gift cards on their birthdays, so they can shop for something they want.
How: Donations can be sent to:
YCS Foundation
235 Main Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
*Please designate “YCS Birthday Club” on your check.
Save the date for a Parents Who Rock Backyard Concert (another project from Alma and Brian) on Saturday, September 11 from 12 pm – 6 pm, which will also raise money for The Birthday Club!
(Photo: Flickr/Ross Elliott)

10:30 am: Family Salsa
Bring your whole family (including the kids and grandparents!) for this family inclusive introduction to salsa dancing. No Experience Necessary!
11:15 am: NappyTabs SYTYCD Hip-Hop Class with Erin
Ever want to dance like the stars on “So You Think You Can Dance?” Well, here’s your chance to learn a Hip Hop routine from the show! No Experience Necessary.
11:15 am: Ballet and Movement Dynamics with Carrie and Kelley
Explore the elegance of Beginning Ballet and Laban based Movement Dynamics. This class will include basic ballet moves, some barre work, stretching and movement awareness exercises. Best part? No Experience Necessary.
12 pm: Zumba Class (45 minutes) with Jennifer Donayre
Get your groove on with this Latin and Hip-Hop inspired workout class. Have fun while toning your body. Ditch the workout, join the party! No Experience Needed.

National Dance Day
Who: Dancers of all ages.
What: A fun-filled dance event that encourages the nation, young and old, to move.
Where: Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 604 Valley Road, Montclair, NJ, 07043.
When: Saturday, July 31 from
Cost: Free. Space is limited, so call the studio at 973.783.8999 to R.S.V.P. Check online for more information.
Take the family over on Saturday. Your kids just might pick up some cool moves like this:

Millburn – Short Hills National Night Out
Who: All ages.
What: The “27th Annual National Night Out” (NNO), is a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. There will be Public Safety information, Child Safety Seat information, moon walks, face painting, music, free hot dogs and much more!
Where: Main Street (Millburn Avenue to Essex Street) Millburn, NJ.
When: Tuesday August 3 from 5 pm – 8 pm.
Cost: Free.
Glen Ridge National Night Out
Who: All ages.
What: The “27th Annual National Night Out” (NNO), is a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. There will be refreshments, games, giveaways, live entertainment, plus come meet your police department and see what they have to offer.
Where: Herman Street (in front of the Police Department), Glen Ridge, NJ.
When: Tuesday, August 3 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm.
Cost: Free.
Clifton National Night Out
Who: All ages.
What: The “27th Annual National Night Out” (NNO), is a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. There will be Public Safety information, Free document shredding, children fingerprinting available, giveaways from local vendors, food and much more!
Where: Clifton City Hall, 900 Clifton Avenue, Clifton, NJ.
When: Tuesday August 3 from 5 pm – 9 pm.
Cost: Free.
Bloomfield National Night Out
Who: All ages.
What: Bloomfield residents are asked to lock their doors, turn on their outside lights and spend the evening outdoors with neighbors. The BPD plans to visit all neighborhoods that are hosting block parties, with free giveaways for children.
Where: Throughout the town.
When: Tuesday, August 3 from 7 pm – 10 pm.
Cost: free.

The Glen Ridge Library celebrated the conclusion of the Summer Reading Program with a party at the gazebo. Mime Craig Babcock entertained the crowd to the delight of the audience. Kids enjoyed the games, crafts and refreshments. It was a fun afternoon in The Glen.

The newly released guidelines also emphasize the rarity of transmission through indirect means such as brushes or hats. Lice are typically contracted through direct head to head contact. And while the sesame-size pests are certainly a nuisance, they aren’t contagious. They’re not even a health hazard. They don’t spread disease, and they aren’t a sign of poor hygiene.
But the pests are hard to spot and crawl pretty darn fast, which is how they travel from head to head. I know because my daughter brought some uninvited guests home from school one day. This was after the school was declared lice free.
I never even noticed her hair was crawling with them, mostly because I don’t typically stare at her scalp but also because lice are practically the same color as human hair, no matter what the shade. I’m convinced lice share genetic material with chameleons. My hairdresser found them, thankfully, and counseled me on how to treat them, which turned out to be the same as the ones offered by the AAP this week.
Both my hairdresser and the AAP advocate treatment with over-the-counter products such as Rid or Nix, which contain pesticides to kill the live lice. The directions call for a follow-up treatment after 7 to 10 days, which is advice best headed since any remaining eggs will hatch in that time and will require another dose to kill them off.
The AAP and my hairdresser differ in the importance of using a fine-tooth “nit comb.” The AAP merely suggests using it, but my hairdresser (and the instructions on the lice “shampoo” box) insists on it.
Here’s how it’s done: apply a generous amount of lice “shampoo,” to the hair, section the head with hair clips and run the little Barbie brush through each partition from the scalp to the ends. Then rinse or wipe the comb off on a paper towel (thereby removing any lice and eggs, known as nits). Repeat for the next three hours until all of the hair has been combed through with the miniscule comb. After that, you should be lice free. But just in case you’re not, make sure you reapply the treatment in 7 to 10 days to get every last louse.
If that doesn’t work the AAP suggests contacting your pediatrician for possible prescription medications. Or you could contact a lice lady. I believe the proper term is professional nit-picker. A crop has popped up in recent years to help families deal with the scourge.
The scourge, though, isn’t as scourgy as commonly thought. The AAP guidelines highlight the pest cannot survive without a host for more than a day. Lice need the blood and warmer temperature of the human body to live. So while ridding your hair and home from the vermin is essential, the group notes excessive cleaning measures are unnecessary. They simply advise washing household items such as pillow cases that have come in contact with the infested head in the 48 hours preceding treatment. Those items that can’t be washed such as stuffed animals should be sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks to ensure any surviving eggs, which may hatch in the bag have expired before removing the contents. That’s it.
Then you should be free to send them off to school. Although your school might not agree. Verona still has a no-nit policy, but if you are lucky enough to live in Millburn, which repealed its no-nit policy in 2008, you can send them in, nit or no nit.
Would you send your kid? Or is a no no-nit policy a nit-wit policy?
(Photo: Flickr: Eran Finkle)