ShortStuff

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

You can’t help but have a soft spot in your heart for Dr. Seuss. His special way with words inspire kids to be silly, but also offer deeper meaning and life lessons that keep his legacy alive. March 2nd also kicks off the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day. This is a nationwide reading celebration where thousands of schools and libraries across the country bring together kids and books to promote a love of reading. Wish Dr. Seuss a happy birthday by picking up your favorite book and sharing your love of reading with your children, their friends, and classmates! Visit seussville.com for more ideas, activities, and printables.

Poison Prevention Week is March 19th–25th

Did you know that 9 out of 10 poisonings occur within the household? The Poison Prevention Week Council is working to spread the word about poison prevention and has themed each day of Poison Prevention Week with an important message. Parents can visit makesafehappen.com for safety tips on poison prevention and beyond. Tips can be searched by child's age, location, and risk category. Topics include Falls & TipOvers, Safety on Wheels, Fires & Burns, Car Safety, Sleep Safety, Water Safety, and more. Tech-savvy parents can also download the app with room-to-room safety checklists, to-do lists, reminders, and progress tracking.

Free Event: Shop for Summer Programs at Camp Fair '23!

Soon fog will be just a memory, the mercury will soar into the hundreds, and children everywhere in the Valley will whine, “I’m BORED!” But fear not, you can keep your cool and turn whiners into happy campers with a visit to our Twenty-Ninth Annual Central California Parent Camp Fair ‘23.

Whether you’re looking for full-day or half-day programs, sleep-away or day camps, it’s all here! And there’s something for every kid on the block. Parents and children can speak with camp representatives about enrichment programs, sports activities, performing arts, and more!

Camp Fair '23 is the perfect opportunity to:

• meet one-on-one with camp representatives

• ask questions specific to your child

• see videos and presentations

• collect information on multiple programs

• grab something to eat

• enter for exclusive raffles

• collect freebies and coupons

• and more!

Join us for Camp Fair ‘23 on Wednesday, March 29th from 3–7 p.m. at The New Manchester, 1901 E. Shields Avenue in Fresno. RSVP on Facebook (@ccparent) to stay in the loop!

Don’t miss out on this one-stop camp extravaganza! For more information, contact Central California Parent at ccparent@ccparent.com or (559) 435-1409.

Some Shorter Stuff

Ping Pong Pickup! Can you make a device out of paper, string, tape, and paper clips to pick up a ping pong ball and return it to a start line? What is the greatest distance over which your device can work? Students across the globe are invited to try this challenge and submit their results by March 19th to be entered (where eligible) in random drawings for $10,000 in prizes. What can you build? Visit sciencebuddies.org/engineering-challenge for more information and entry details.

AFSA 2nd Chance Scholarship is now open and takes only 10 minutes to enter for a chance to win one of five $1,000 college scholarships! Winner selection is not based on financial need, GPA, or demographics. Winners should already be enrolled for Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 sessions. For more information and eligibility, visit afsascholarship.org/secondchance and enter by August 31st.

Weekly Giveaways! Be sure to stay connected with Central California Parent at ccparent.com and all our social platforms for a chance to win cool prizes every week! Last month we gave away performance tickets, children's products, gift cards, and more!

Free, At-Home Programming for Little Foodies! The Food Explorers Club is for children ages 8 to 11, and a new email will arrive once a month in a parent’s inbox, with recipes for delicious, healthy dishes and fun, corresponding activities. Farm to Book Storytime is perfect for children ages 6 to 7. Each video lesson is a storytime, featuring a book about every human’s relationship with food––whether it is learning to farm or being adventurous with new vegetables. Visit spoonsacrossamerica.org to sign-up and learn more about these programs.

We want to hear from you! We’ll be honoring the Valley’s most family-friendly establishments with our 19th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards in an upcoming issue. Tell us your favorite destinations that truly deserve to be noticed. Ballots are available at ccparent.com/articles/readers-choice-awards and the deadline is March 31st. Once you complete and send in your ballot, you’ll be entered to win a $100 Smart & Final Gift Card!

Meet our Cover Kid, Ezra! Ezra is an energetic and friendly five-yearold from Fresno. He loves outdoor activities like swimming, camping, and collecting rocks. He also loves creating works of art and dressing up. He loves spending time with family, including his cousin, Elliot, and his grandparents. Ezra loves school and is currently enrolled in a dualimmersion program to learn Spanish and English.

The Call For Kindness is a chance to participate in a dynamic leadership development fellowship and win up to $3,000 in funding for a project that inspires kindness and strengthens local, national, or global communities. Students ages 13–22 are invited to submit projects tackling anything from equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections within their school or community. Deadline to apply is April 2nd. Visit rileysway.org/call-for-kindness for more information.

Always at ccparent.com! Visit us online to view the digital edition of this month’s issue, our calendar of family events any day of the week, local resources, and so much more!

News for Budding Young Inventors! Discovery Education and 3M are sponsoring the Young Scientist Challenge! Students grades 5th–8th can submit a short video that describes an original solution to an existing problem. Entries are due April 27th for a chance to win $25,000. Visit youngscientistlab.com/annualchallenge/about-the-challenge for more information.

Do You Know A Young Hero? Established in 2001 by author

T. A. Barron, the Barron Prize annually honors outstanding young leaders ages 8–18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment. Top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education. Learn more and apply at barronprize.org by April 15th.