Snow and Ice Treats - Fun Things to Do

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1 CHILD CARE INFORMATION SERVICES OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY PARENT/PROVIDER NEWSLETTER WINTER Route 30 Greensburg, PA Phone: Toll Free: Fax: Office Hours: Monday Friday 8:30 AM 5:00 PM Closed Weekends and Holidays The Incredible Family from ParentWISE It s Incredible! And Fun! Parenting is a lot of hard work! Join with us to find ways to make parenting easier and fun for both you and your child. The Incredible Family Parenting Series Tuesdays, January 29 - May 7, 2013 Dinner at 5:30 Class 6-8:00 PM Ruffs Dale Elementary School 842 State Route 31 Ruffs Dale, PA Check out page 3 to find out how to turn freshly fallen snow into homemade ice cream! Thursdays, January 31- May 9, 2013 Dinner at 5:30 Class 6-8:00 PM Seton Hill Child Services Jeannette Early Care and Education Center Sacred Heart Church 320 North 7 th St. Jeannette, PA Enjoy a meal, earn incentives and have fun while you learn! For details contact: Shana Orlic ParentWISE Program Family Services of Western Pennsylvania Ph: ext. 705, or via at orlics@fswp.org Need Help With Your Taxes? Check out the following websites and local agencies for assistance with your 2012 taxes: Free Federal Electronic Filing: H & R Block TurboTax File your state returns free via phone: Complete the Fast File Booklet and call File Your state return free electronically: PA Direct File Want local agency assistance? Contact Westmoreland Community Action at Inside this issue: ParentWISE Classes 1 Tax Help 1 Snow Day Activities and Recipes Lead Hazards in Holiday Toys PA Recycling Laws for Electronic Devices PA Resources for Your Family s Health Winter 2013 Parenting Classes The Nurturing Program for Parents of Adolescents Building Blocks Conference Current Trends Workshop 7

2 Homemade Snow Cream Gather 4-5 cups of fresh, CLEAN snow. Make sure you do not pack the snow during collection. If you have time, place a clean bowl outside for the snow to fall into. If you want to gather it yourself, make sure it is in an undisturbed area. The saying, Don t eat yellow snow! applies well to this recipe! If you re not going to use the snow immediately, you may place it in the freezer until you are ready. If you don t want to use snow, you can used shaved ice instead. Mix together in a separate bowl, 1 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Slowly add the snow to your mixture, continually stirring until it becomes the consistency of ice cream! Homemade Snow Paint Kids always wish they could bring the snow indoors to play with. Try these homemade tricks for painting with snow. Also known as puffy paint, it will dry fluffy and works great with making snow scene pictures: Glue & Shaving Cream Puffy Paint Recipe: Mix equal parts white glue with white shaving cream. Brush mixture onto paper with finger or paint brush. For younger children, if you are worried about the risk of accidental consumption, you can make a non-toxic version. Non-Toxic Puffy Paint Recipe : - 1/2 flour - 2 tsp baking powder - 2 tsp salt - 1/2 c water (only add as much as needed to reach paste consistency) - food coloring -Ziploc food storage bag Pour dry ingredients into plastic bag. Mix thoroughly. Add water until mixture is the consistency of paste. To add coloring to the paint, add 4-5 drops of food coloring. Mix until color is consistent throughout the bag. For mess-free painting, move mixture to one side of bag and snip a small opening in the bottom corner. Rather than finger painting or using a paint brush, squeeze your paint through the hole in the bag to create your artwork. Lay artwork flat to dry. Make Snow Creatures Don t let the winter weather cloud your creativity. Who said igloos, snowmen and snow angels were all you could make with snow? You can adapt a snowman s face for ears like a rabbit or a cat. Whiskers are easy with the addition of twigs or pipe cleaners. How about 8 snow legs for an octopus? Check out this idea for a snow caterpillar. Decorate with twigs for antennas. Page 2

3 Lead Hazards in Holidays Toys The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wants parents to be aware of toys that could potentially have lead hazards. Toys made from other countries, antique toys, or collectibles passed down through generations have a higher risk of containing lead. Children are often exposed to lead through normal handling of the object. Older houses with lead-based paint, or plumbing also pose a threat. Only a certified laboratory can test for lead levels. If you are concerned about your child s exposure, contact your child s health care provider. He or she can perform a blood test to see whether your child has been exposed to lead and if medical treatment is necessary. High lead levels can lead to delays in children s learning and proper development. Most children do not display any symptoms. For more information on this topic, go to The Covered Device Recycling Act In November 2010, a state law known as the Covered Device Recycling Act was passed changing how certain electronic devices are disposed and recycled. Beginning January 24, 2013, landfills and waste disposal facilities will no longer be allowed to accept covered devices or their components. Such devices include, but are not limited to computers, computer monitors, televisions, and laptops. Beginning from this date forward, these devices must be recycled. The disposal ban will affect traditional curbside collections. For more information, go to PA RESOURCES FOR YOUR FAMILY S HEALTH The Lead Information Hotline is LEAD (5323). Preventative resources, publications for residents, landlords and contractors are available. The Special Kids Network System of Care offers information and resources to families of children and youth with special health care needs. They can be reached at The Brain Injury Helpline is available for survivors, families, educators and service providers. Referrals are accepted. Publications are available upon request. Call The Healthy Kids Hotline offers health and human services information, referrals, and medical coverage information KIDS (5437). Concerns about prenatal care, health insurance, WIC, breastfeeding information and support can be given through the Healthy Baby Line at BABY (2229). Text4baby offers free weekly text messages to pregnant women and new mothers to help them and their babies have the best start in life. To sign up text the word BABY to Page 3

4 Winter 2013 Series Parenting Classes ACT: Raising Safe Kids January 21 to March 11, 2013 Mondays 6:30 to 8:30pm Raising Safe Kids is an anti-violence program that helps parents of children ages birth through 9 years raise children in a safe, secure environment and teaches children non-violent behaviors. (Free) ******** Parent 2 Parent: Training on AD/HD February 2 to March 23, 2013 Saturdays from 12:00 to 2:00pm This class is a must for any family with a child that has AD/HD or an associated diagnosis. Gain insight; find out how to manage behaviors at home and school and how to advocate for your child. ($145 book + class) Both classes will be held at: FSWP Office, 211 Huff Ave., Greensburg, PA Call ex 702 for information or to register. Page 4

5 Thursday Evenings, 7 to 8:30 PM ParentWISE Program of Family Services of Western PA 211 Huff Avenue, Suite One Greensburg, PA Topics Covered in this Program Include: Teen Development; Parent/Teen Communication; Guidance and Discipline; Dealing with Stress and Anger; Developing Personal Power and Conflict Resolution; Helping our Teens Deal with Anger, Peer Pressure, and other Developmental Concerns. This program is provided free of charge, however, parents are encouraged to purchase the Nurturing Program Handbook to use in the sessions. For more information or to register, please contact Bob Brinker at ext. 704 Page 5

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