Celebrate Earth Day
Help your kids become stewards of the earth by involving everyone in the recycling routine. Save this sorting guide as a reference for the whole family! PAPER PRODUCTS Newspaper Paper soda/beer cartons Junk mail Wrapping paper (no foil lining) Shredded paper Computer paper Cereal boxes (remove plastic lining) Paper egg cartons Shoe boxes Paper towel/toilet paper…
Calendar
Mondays Kids ROCK(!) Choir SINGING — Sing Bend introduces Kids ROCK(!) Choir to Central Oregon. Kids 12 and under are welcome to come sing with only one goal: to have a great time! No training, experience, or long-term commitment required to join. Just a good attitude! Broken Top Bottle Shop | $10 singbend.com Mondays, April 30-…
Heading South
Looking for an interesting get-away for the whole family? Recently, my wife and I took a road trip with our six-year-old son and the grandparents to Ashland, where the grownups attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and found some exciting outdoor and cultural experiences along the way. There are about as many ways to get to…
School Gardens
During their lunch break, a handful of tweens bounce back and forth from several giant containers of water and a long table scattered with test tubes, eye droppers, additives and charts associating colors with chemicals in parts per million. The entire scene could easily be mistaken for a mad scientist’s laboratory. But creating a monster…
Best Children’s Optometrist
Dr. Gabby Marshall 1. Why did you decide to specialize in treating children? I realized that although I completely and thoroughly love everything about being an optometrist, the best part was helping kids. Not everyone likes to have kids in their office all day long, but since I enjoy it, I decided to make a special…
Best Day Camp for Older Kids
Carolyn Nesbitt, Curator of Education 1. How did you come up with the idea of a day camp for kids? We wanted to offer local families, especially our members, a way to engage with the Museum in more meaningful ways. Camp themes connect to the Museum’s mission and exhibitions, giving kids the opportunity to delve deeper…
Best Kid’s Menu and Best Family Restaurant
Aaron Christenson, Manager/Owner 1. How did Jackson’s Corner get so good at keeping kids happy? Trial by fire. We have kids ourselves and know the struggles that can come with attempting to go out with them. If you take care of the kids first, parents can relax. Happy kids, happy parents. We try to offer…
Best Place for a Child’s Haircut
Shawnde Russell, Owner 1. Obvious first question: How do you keep kids relaxed and happy while cutting their hair? We now have multiple televisions for kids to view Netflix or a DVD of their choice. We also have lollipops—which are a huge hit. Plus, we have plenty of toys for kids to play with before,…
Best Dance Studio
Sarah Hall, Owner/Director 1. How do kids benefit from dance? Dance is a great way for kids to progress in motor skill development, engage multiple senses and gain an understanding of a classroom/studio community environment. As dancers grow in age, dance can become an amazing opportunity to learn the value in creativity, self-expression, confidence, body…
What is IB Anyway?
Imagine the scene: An auditorium of young teens and their parents or guardians, sitting down to listen to a program detailing how they can make their high school careers even more challenging. Yes, this really happens. As a parent, you’ve probably heard of Advanced Placement, often called AP, offering students a more rigorous high school…
Stepping Up Sexual Abuse Prevention Measures
With stories of gun violence in schools splashed across the Internet, newspapers and television screens, it is hard to escape the feeling that you are alone in the effort to protect your children—especially when they are not in your care. While the debate over gun control and school safety rages on, there is news to…
Pure Gold
Miina McCown has always loved to draw. This Bend High freshman’s talent was recently recognized with one Silver and three Gold Keys from the 2018 Central Oregon Scholastic Art Awards. Not bad for a 14-year-old whose schedule is too busy for art classes. I met up with Miina at COCC’s Pinckney Gallery, where the almost…
Nest News
Hurray for Hard-Working Students! Bend-La Pine Schools’ Graduation Rate Highest in History Last year’s Bend-La Pine Schools Class of 2017 marked an all-time high for the percentage of students graduating on time, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The Department of Education computes an adjusted graduation rate for states by tracking students beginning in…
Summer Camps
Athletic Club of Bend offers a wide variety of summer day camps with activities for kids ages 3-12. Themes include junior tennis clinics, great outdoors, multi-sport, wet and wild, mountain bike camp and more! Sign up for weekly sessions running June 18 – August 31. athleticclubofbend.com Base Camp Studio offers week-long art camps for kids…
Mom Hacks
Mother’s Day is right around the corner and families are about to scour the local shops for the prettiest potted plants, best chocolates and the sparkliest jewelry out there. But before you go adding to mom’s chores with more greenery to keep alive or ruining her diet with a sugary gift, consider giving her what…
Mindful Mama
Being a mother of four with a school-age brood myself, I love being with new moms. Conversations about the myriad struggles mixed with newborn baby snuggles offer a magical blend of a familiar life stage to me. Recently, the sun came out and a new-mom friend and I decided to put her littles in the…
Q&A: Dr. Logan Clausen
Q: When my kids were little, we were all about the checkups and vaccination schedule. Now that they are older, do we need to schedule a check-up annually? At what age can we stop? A: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends yearly well-child checks for ALL children 3 years and older, and we at COPA…
Editor’s Note
This is an exciting issue! The results are in…and we present to you the Best of the Nest winners! What an inspiring group of businesses that go that extra mile to make Central Oregon such a family-friendly place to live. Thanks for voting and congrats to all the winners! It’s almost Mother’s Day. Instead of…
Best of the Nest 2018
New to town? New to parenting? In search of a date night, tutor or pediatrician? We’ve got you covered. In fact, we’ve got the best of the best! With our Best of the Nest Ballot, local parents recently voted for their favorite businesses, from the most kid-friendly restaurant to the doc that makes the boo-boos better. We…
