Downtown Halloween Kid Events

Here are a few Halloween kid events in the downtown neighborhood, courtesy of North Loop Kids' Anna Larsson:

• Saturday, Oct 15 at 10:30am: Childish Films: Halloween 'Toons for Tots at the Minneapolis Central Library's Pohlad Hall.

• Saturday, Oct 15 at 11:30pm: Great Pumpkin Giveaway at Edina Realty located at 226 Washington Ave N. The event will be hosted in the back, complete with snacks and beverages from neighborhood businesses, face painting and a free pumpkin!  Come dressed up!

• Saturday, Oct 29 at 12:30am: Corner Coffee Kids and Dog Day located at 514 North 3rd St.  This event will feature dogs and children in costume along with hayrides, a scavenger hunt, face painting and treats for dogs.

• Sunday, Oct 30 at 3:30pm: Indoor Trick-or-Treating at 801 Washington Lofts.  This event starts with a social at 3:30 with door to door trick-or-treating at 4pm inside the Washington Lofts.  The entrance is located at 8th Ave, across from Bunkers Bar.  North Loop Kids' Anna Larsson is coordinating this event.

Hope to see you at one of these events!

Newest member to join RiverWest Kids...

...is Peter Henry Laska, born Oct 2, 2011.

Help! My child is sick and can’t go to daycare!

Have a sick child and stuck for childcare? Try Under the Weather Sick Childcare Program. They can provide at-home care for sick children (as young as 6 weeks), as well as a Sick Childcare Center in Brooklyn Park for youth ages 16 months to 12 years. 

More specifically, Under the Weather offers:

•                Experienced professionals with First Aid and CPR Certifications.

•                Nurses on staff for caregiver support.

•                After Hours phone answered for last minute needs (6am to 10pm).

Service charges are billed at an hourly rate, with a four-hour minimum charge. A number of employers in the Twin Cities area will also cover a portion of these fees for their employees.

Thank you to Cari for passing along information about this valuable resource!

Kids at the Library

Growing up I remember how much fun it was going to the library for story hour or finding a cozy corner to immerse myself in a fantastic adventure book.  The Hennepin county libraries have continued this tradition with storytime, events, games and even homework help.  At the Minneapolis Central library in downtown Minneapolis, there is baby storytime for children up to 2 years old on Thursday mornings at 10:30am or children's storytime for children over 2 on Saturday mornings at 10:30am.

The Hennepin county library website is also a great resource for different children's book lists, ELSIE books and other helpful tips on early literacy.  And to help us busy parents, they also have an email newsletter, which features books, songs and a storytime hours.

I have no doubt that we'll be taking advantage of the many library resources on cold winter days.

Thanks Hennepin county libraries!

North Loop Kids

Our downtown neighbors at the North Loop Neighborhood Association have been actively thinking about children and families in the North Loop and Downtown areas.  Their organization, North Loop Kids, has published a family friendly guide to the downtown area and also maintains a helpful Yahoo Group Listserv where you can connect with other families in the downtown area and learn about upcoming family events.  North Loop resident Anna Larsson does a great job maintaining and answering questions on the Listserv as well as acting as the point person for North Loop Kids.

The North Loop Kids group's crowning achievement, in my opinion, is a new playground located along the river.  Many organizations partnered together to deliver a sawmill themed playground complete with water pumps and a play river bed. Your kids will love the tunnels and swings while also meeting other children in the neighborhood.

Another gem in the North Loop neighborhood is Your Corner Coffee Shop's downstairs Kids Space. Families can reserve the space at no cost during business hours but do need to clean up afterwards and are required to give a credit card in advance as a damage deposit.  Expectations and a reservation form are posted online. And, as an added bonus, this coffee shop has live music, neighborhood events, and some tasty nibbles for everyone.

Thank you North Loop Kids!

Committee Request to Condo Board

Committee Request to Condo Board