Thinking about homeschooling? We’ve gathered some common first timer homeschool questions and asked Dianna Broughton, director of Carolina Homeschooler, to help us with some answers.
Carolina Homeschooler is an Option 3 Homeschool Association. Dianna also runs Traveling Homeschoolers, a group that provides domestic and international group travel for homeschoolers and their families. She’s also the author of a book for new homeschoolers called, Homeschool Essentials: A Practical Guide to Getting Started.
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Looking for more help? Don’t miss the Kidding Around Greenville Homeschool Guide with homeschool classes, activities, co-ops, field trips and more in the Upstate, SC area.
Planning a day out at one of Upstate, South Carolina’s State Parks? There are some beautiful state parks near Greenville, SC, each with their own things to do and unique natural treasure to discover. Parks in this area have great hiking, many offer biking trails, there’s fishing, picnicking and even some putt-putt and equestrian trails. Check out what our Upstate South Carolina State Parks have to offer and plan your next little adventure.
Planning on baking some of your own bread? If you haven’t been able to find yeast in the store, one option you have is to bake your bread with a sourdough starter. Great Harvest Bread Company’s sourdough starter is named Carl, and they have been giving bits of Carl away free to anyone who wants to try their hand at sourdough bread baking.
Could baking with a sourdough starter be your new Coronavirus quarantine acquired skill? Yes, it could. I picked up a bit of Carl just a few days ago and after a bit of experimenting and chatting with friends more knowledgeable than I, Carl is not only still alive, he’s also made sourdough biscuits and a simple overnight sourdough bread.
Wondering if that event is taking place or that favorite shop or park is open due to Coronavirus? Here’s a list of places reopening and what remains closed in Greenville, Spartanburg and Upstate locations.
We’ll be updating this list regularly with new information. Please let us know if you are aware of a family or kid friendly event or venue that’s been reopened.
Looking for something unique to do this month? We have just the thing. Collect some cardboard and build yourself a boat. That’s right, a boat. Take it to the Westside Aquatic Center on February 29, 2020 and prepare to race that cardboard boat in Greenville’s Cardboard Regatta!
Looking for some holiday family fun? The Roper Mountain Science Center has laser shows in their planetarium just for the holidays. These shows are full of festive music, holiday graphics, lights and holiday cheer. We sent a local mom to check out the show and asked her a few questions about her experience and what her family thought of the show. Here’s a local mom review of RMSC’s Holiday Laser Show.
One of the best parts of my week is walking into Dance Without Limits for my five year-old daughter’s Twinkle Stars dance class. It is such a joy to see her genuinely happy face and bright eyes, ready to learn. She loves her teacher, Beth Bradley (also known as Miss Beth) who owns Dance Without Limits, and she loves her friends in the class. In fact, each child in my daughter’s class walks in with a grin on her face and a happy shout of greeting. It’s a delight for this mama’s heart.
Thank you to Dance Without Limits for sponsoring Kidding Around.
What Makes Dance Without Limits Unique?
My daughter has always loved to dance and told us pretty much since she could talk that’s she’s going to be a “dancer or a singer on a stage.” Two years ago I signed her up for a dance class at a different studio, and I was pretty surprised after about 6 weeks of class when she put her foot down and adamantly refused to go again. For several weeks we went and she refused to enter the classroom. She told me it wasn’t fun. I couldn’t see the class at that studio, I didn’t know what the problem was, and we stopped going. But she didn’t stop wanting to dance. When she started asking to take dance again this past summer I knew we’d have to find a different studio, somewhere she’d be comfortable, with high quality instruction, but that would still be a lot of fun. I can confidently tell you after one year of classes at Dance Without Limits, that we have found all those things.
Owner Beth Bradley started her own studio because she saw a need for a dance studio with a unique culture. Dance Without Limits operates with several key values including: Dance is for everyone, Every child has worth, Hard work is worth it, Winning isn’t everything, Family first and Let kids be kids.
Every Child Has Worth
Beth grew up in a large family, one that adopted many children with unique and special needs. So when she says “dance is for everyone” and “every child has worth” those words are seeded deeply, coming from a lifetime of experience. Beth says, “I firmly believe that every child is worth our time, talent, attention and our best, whether they will be professional dancers one day, or will quit after their first season.” You can read more about Beth and the Dance Without Limits culture of “Dance is for Everyone” in her blog post.
Let Kids be Kids
Another Dance Without Limits value that sets them apart is “Let Kids be Kids.” They are committed to age appropriate music, costumes and choreography. Dance Without Limits has also chosen not to participate in competitions. Beth notes that while there are benefits to competitions, such an environment can promote “unhealthy expectations and undue pressure to be the best.” She says, “I would rather have a studio that welcomes ALL dancers, provides them with excellent training and other performance opportunities, and allows them to just be kids.”
More Than Words
The studio culture at Dance Without Limits is everything they claim it to be. You’ll be greeted with a smile and a cheerful hello into a bright and welcoming waiting area. This is not a boring waiting area, families are served here. There are many toys, a train table and soft carpet for accompanying siblings to be entertained, making a weekly trip to the dance studio so much easier for parents with younger children in tow. Parents can watch their child’s class through a window in the waiting room so they can see the class without disrupting it. There’s also coffee and tea for the grown-ups. They really have thought of everything.
Classes and More
Dance Without Limits offers classes for children as young as 18 months. Their preschool programs include a Mommy and Me class for kids 18 to 24 months, as well as ballet and tap combination classes for kids up to 5 years-old, divided by age. These classes are Twinkle Babies for kids 2-3 years-old and another for kids 3-4 years old and then a Twinkle Stars class for kids 4-5 years old. Their preschool acro program is called Tumble Bugs and there is one for children ages 2 -3 and another for ages 4 -5. The school age program includes various ballet, tap, lyrical, acrobatics and hip hop classes. Dance Without Limits offers a specific Limitless Friends class for children with special needs, but also encourages students with disabilities to take their typical classes as well. Classes culminate in a recital at the end of each semester.
Summer Camps
Over the summer, Dance Without Limits offers some fun half-day summer camp opportunities for kids ranging from ages 3 to 10. Stay tuned for the summer camp themes for 2020!
Out of the mouths of babes
I asked my daughter what she thought other people should know about her dance class. She said, “Miss Beth is a very good teacher for me. She is always happy to see us and fun. I know she would be a good teacher for everybody, too.”
Do you have a young one who loves to build, create and learn? Ignite Learning Center in Greer offers amazing learning opportunities for children in STEAM subjects of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Kidding Around’s Maria has enrolled her children in Ignite’s camps and classes. She loves the strong educational component of the activities and how they stretch her children to think about unique ways to problem solve while also learning the mechanics of what is actually taking place in their STEAM explorations. Read on to find out about the classes, camps and activities that Ignite offers and how you can experience Ignite for FREE!
Ready for a new pastry and coffee shop? Old Europe has arrived in Greenville! Serving delicious coffee, pastries, desserts and breakfast options Old Europe brings some tasty new options to Greenville’s West End. We think you’ll want to give them a try!
Have you heard about Junto Coffee? The coffee shop and roaster recently opened in Taylors Mill. They offer a selection of coffee roasts and drinks in a gorgeous space at Taylors Mill. So get some friends together and meet up for a cup of coffee this week. You’ll be glad you did!
