Science Classes at The Learning Tree

It will be Science Wednesday for kids this summer at The Learning Tree!

Wednesdays in June and July, we are offering science classes at our Corinth store.

Fossil Dig:

Become a paleontologist! Dig for real fossils that are millions of years old. Children will dig for a real fossilized shark tooth, brachiopod shell, gastropod shell and squid shell. These real “millions of year old” fossils are embedded in a brick and are revealed by using the supplied scraping and brush tools similar to those used by paleontologists.

Volcano Kit:

Kids will construct and decorate their own paper mache volcanoes. They’ll then “erupt” them and learn about real volcanoes. Kids can take home their volcanoes and repeat the activity again and again.

Test Tube Science:

Get ready to experience REALLY COOL science and discover lots of fun things about the world around us! Activities will include some of the following activities as time permits: growing insta-snow, magic sand, making a lava-lamp, making a color changing bracelet, making ghost crystals, disappearing water, making a bloody handprint, making instant worms and jiggly fish eggs. This is an on-the-premises activity, without anything substantial to take home.

Fossil Dig – Wednesday, June 2 – 10:30am      $10
Build and erupt a volcano – Wednesday, June 16 – 10:30am      $15
Test Tube Science – Wednesday, June 30 – 10:30am      $10
Fossil Dig – Wednesday, July 7 – 10:30am      $10
Build and Erupt A Volcano – Wednesday, July 14 – 10:30am      $10
Test Tube Science – Wednesday, July 21 – 10:30am      $10

Call us at 913-385-1234 to register!

Here’s a PDF file with all the details…

summerScienceActivities

Kids Flea Market June 5th – Sign Up Now for a Space!

Ready to get rid of those unused and outgrown toys cluttering up the house? Here’s your chance!

It’s our 2nd Annual Learning Tree Corinth Square Kid’s Flea Market!

The Learning Tree is sponsoring (and marketing!) a flea market for your kids to re-sell their gently used toys, books and games. And what kid doesn’t have toys they haven’t out-grown or just gotten tired of?

The Learning Tree will provide a space for children to sell their used items at whatever price they decide. We will market the event to make sure that other kids looking to buy quality toys at a discount, will know what’s happening when.
Best of all? The cost per booth is only $5!

Here’s what you get for $5:
• One space (approx. 8′ x 8′)
• A $5 ticket you can apply as a $5 coupon on any item in The Learning Tree on that Saturday.
• A chance to get rid of all the unused toys, games and books in your house that are way too good to throw away.
• Your child gets the opportunity to run his or her own business for a few hours. From set-up to sale, they will have a great experience merchandising, selling, making change, make new friends, AND possibly learn how to negotiate and bargain.
• Your child will have extra money to spend on themselves, for a charity, or save for a rainy day.
Details:
• SIGN UP EARLY, SHOW UP EARLY! Call us to sign-up or if you have questions: (913) 385-1234
• Space is limited and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday morning.
• Set-up time starts at 9am. Bring your own tables, signs, chairs and blankets – everything you need to display and sell your items.
• All items must be clearly priced.
• All items must be in good condition and complete.
• Bring cash box with lots of small bills and change to make a sale.
• Bring water, hats, sunscreen, etc. to keep your kids and you comfortable from set-up to tear-down.
• After the flea market, any items not sold will be donated to a local children’s charity.

Note: The Learning Tree is the facilitator of the flea market and not responsible for any of the individual transactions taking place, nor the quality of the merchandise being sold.

June 5th 10am to 1pm
Set-up 9am to 10am
Cost: $5 for 1 booth

Any Questions?

Call us at 913-385-1234

or email us at info@the-learning-tree.com!

Kidtivities Are Back

Here’s our new Kidtivities schedule for Summer 2010.

If you have any questions, call our store at 913-385-1234.

Download the 2010 Kidtivity flyer PDF

Art Open House At Park Place

We had a great time at the Art Opening last Friday at our Park Place store. Some of our little artists came by, along with Julie Flanagan, their Artrageous art teacher.

The artwork looked really nice hanging over the cash wrap area of the store. The weather was perfect for getting out to Park Place  and doing a little shopping. Cupcake A La Mode provided yummy cupcakes for our customers so that was an added treat!

The Rice Gallery had an opening also. They are right across the street from us so everyone got their art fix last Friday.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and seeing us. We have so many tools and kits for artistic kids at The Learning Tree so come see us for all your creative pursuits. Click here to see all our art supplies, kits, and books for sale online.

Art Open House April 23rd

Kids had a great time creating beautiful art during our Artrageous event last Saturday. Thanks to Julie Flanagan and all her students!

We have the artwork they created all framed up and hanging in our Park Place store. Here’s a small sample from 2 of our artists.

Come by to see their masterpieces any time during  The Learning Tree store hours and  come out to our Art Open House on Friday, April 23rd from 5 to 8pm to meet our young artists!

For an extra treat, we’ll have cupcakes courtesy of Cupcake A La Mode, our wonderful neighbor here at Park Place. Yum!

So, come see us, our young artists and their creations for our Art Open House!

And of course you can see all the new toys we have to help you and your kids get outside and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

The Learning Tree Art Open House
when: Friday April 23rd 5pm – 8pm
where: Park Place
11536 Ash St.
Leawood, KS 66211

Questions? (913) 498-1234

April Events

2 Art Classes on April 10th

Come create a masterpiece with ARTrageous artist, Julie Flanagan. Kids will create a fun mixed media project.

when: Saturday April 10th at 11am or 1pm
where: Corinth Square Learning Tree
who: Ages 5 and up
price: $18
how: Call 913-385-1234 to register

Remember, after the kids create their masterpieces, they will be on display in our Park Place store until April 23rd, for our first Learning Tree Art Open House, 5pm – 8pm.

Story Time

April 3: Come see us for Story Time at Corinth this Saturday. Miss Lori will read The Curious Garden and kids can stay and make their own tissue paper garden.

April 17: Miss Lori will read The Giving Tree and kids can create a leaf rubbing decoration at our Corinth store.

Story Time starts at 10:30am at our Corinth store in Prairie Village Shopping Center at Mission Road and 83rd St.
This event is always free.

April Diaper Drive

Happy Bottoms is setting up diaper collection points throughout the metro area to help local families living in poverty.  Collected diapers will be distributed to low income families struggling to make ends meet, right here in our community!

The Learning Tree will be a collection point for diapers.

Please help us reach the goal of 2000 Diapers in April. Just bring in a pack or two of disposable diapers to help our neighbors in need.

Why Diapers?

1.    While safety-net programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) cover the cost of infant formula, they do NOT cover diapers.
2.    Diaper companies do NOT give diapers away.
3.    Diapers cost exponentially more at an inner-city convenience store than they do at a big box store or online.
4.    Most laundromats do NOT allow you to wash cloth diapers. If you are poor, you probably don’t own a washing machine.
5.    Most licensed daycare centers (especially free or subsidized) do not accept cloth diapers. Parents must provide disposable diapers.
6.    If a family can’t afford diapers (e.g., they need that money for shelter, food, transportation), a baby will spend extended periods of time, sometimes days at a time in the same soiled diaper.
7.    Washing and reusing disposable diapers is unhealthy and unsanitary.
8.    Unhappy babies are crying babies. Crying babies are more likely to be abused by an already stressed-out caregiver.
9.    If you cannot afford diapers, you cannot take your child to free/subsidized childcare. Therefore, you cannot make your commitments such as  work, school, or job training.
10.    Start over.
It’s a vicious cycle, but by doing something so simple as donating a pack of diapers, you can help make a real difference in someone’s life.

HappyBottoms is a program of www.GiveWhatYouGot.org
Think Giving. Think Local.

Mrs. Fisher Cat Visits Storytime!

Miss Kathleen read The Leaf Man today at Storytime and who showed up?

None other than Mrs. Fisher Cat from the Calico Critters Fisher Cat family!

Storytime was lots of fun today. We had a nice group of kids at our Corinth store to hear Miss Kathleen read Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert.

Leaf Man, published in 2005, is a beautiful and very creative book. Ehlert collected leaves in a plastic bag and photocopied them to keep their beautiful colors. She found leaves of all shapes and sizes around the country – even in Kansas City! Then she made the leaves into colllages, creating chickens, ducks, geese, pumpkins, turtles and lots more. Ever page is a different collage of brightly colored leaves.

The story is about finding the Leaf Man that blew him away and where the wind took him. The book allows kids to use their imaginations and intelligence to spot all the animals, vegetables and plants created with the leaves.

It’s a great story and picture book for kids ages 4 to 8, published by Harcourt Inc. The Leaf Man is a Junior Library Guild selection. It sells at The Learning Tree for $16.00.

After Storytime, Miss Kathleen and the kids made leaf collages to take home. They also got to meet and talk to Mrs. Fisher Cat. And of course we have LOTS of Calico Critters for sale! Come on in to either store to take a look!

Find Your Marbles at The Learning Tree AND Learn How To Play!

Lost your marbles?

Come in to The Learning Tree at Corinth Square or Park Place and take a look at all the new marble assortments that just arrived! They’re not just pretty…they are super fun to play with!

Our selection of Mega Marbles is huge! The names of the sets are very descriptive of what the marbles look like. We have Jupiter marbles, Mars marbles, Cat’s Eye, Steely Torpedo, Fiesta, Jungle….you name it!

Each net has 24 marbles (mibs) and 1 shooter. The mibs are 5/8″ and the shooter is 1″. It also has 2 plastic display rings for showing them off.

Marble games have been around for generations…But how do you play marbles?

The most popular marble game is Ringer.

Each player (2 to 6 per game) has a shooter, which is a larger sized marble than the others.

If you’re playing outside, draw a circle on the sidewalk with chalk. (or use a stick in dirt) that’s at least 3 feet across. The bigger the circle, the harder the game will be.

To see who plays first, one at a time, each player stands behind a line drawn at the edge of the circle and tosses their shooter into the circle, trying to get as close to the opposite edge of the circle as they can. whoever gets closest, goes first. This process is called lagging. They can also “knuckle down” when they lag if they want to.

This photo shows a player knuckling down. Your knuckle must touch the ground when you shoot the marble.

13 marbles are placed in the circle in a cross formation in the middle.

The first player knuckles down and tries to knock one of the 13 marbles out of the circle. If he does, and his shooter stays in the circle, he or she gets another turn. He can shoot from inside the ring which gives him an advantage since he can get closer to the marbles.

A player can’t go inside the circle unless their shooter stayed in on their turn.

If he don’t knock another marble out of the circle and his shooter stays in the circle, the next player stays at the edge of the circle and knuckles down and shoots. She can aim at the other players shooter and try to knock it out. If she does, she wins all the marbles and the game.

Or, she can try to knock out another marble. If she misses, the next player shoots from inside the circle where the shooter landed from his previous turn.

The best strategy is to try to keep your shooter in the circle to stay closer to the marbles you are trying to knock out. Whoever knocks out the most marbles, wins the game.

You can also make up your own rules. There are tons of variations to marble games.

Also, the players need to decide up front what the rules are. Including whether to play for “fair” or for “keeps”. If you play for fair, when the game is over, everyone gets their marbles back. If you play for keeps, the winner keeps all the marbles.

Marbles is a classic, fun game that’s been played all over the world, generation after generation. You can play indoors or out, on any flat surface, with just a circle, some marbles and some friends or family.

Join the fun and start playing marbles today!

Kids Flea Market A Huge Success!

Yes, it was hot…but so were the deals!

The Learning Tree at Corinth Square was a very busy place today! Over 50 kids signed up to sell their wares on the sidewalk. Lots of bargains to be had and lots of kids were happy to part with their old stuff and find some new playthings.

Kids of all ages were shopping for kids, grandkids, sisters, brothers, and friends.

Kids Make Worms, Snow and Lava Lamps at Kidtivities!

Last Friday’s Kidtivities event, Test Tube Magic , turned kids into Mad Scientists!

They made a lava lamp in a test tube, grew instant worms, made sand underwater, created fake snow, and more.

They even took a trip out of the Rainbow Room at our Corinth Square Learning Tree into the sunlight in front of the store to see the bracelets they made turn colors in the sun…only to have them turn white again when they went back inside!

Miss Lori and Miss Hayley amazed the kids with lots of experiments and activites and gave them each a test tube to take home (with lava inside, of course, along with some magic balls that expand overnight.

This session will definitely be remembered by all the kids. And who knows, some of them may grow up to be real scientists some day!

We will be repeating Test Tube Magic on July 31st.

Here’s a link to the complete schedule.

The session is $10 and will fill up fast!

Call us now to sign up and be amazed! 913-385-1234

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