Update! Free-Range Picnics this Saturday! You’re Invited!

Hi Folks! Here’s the lastest listing of Free-Range potluck picnics coming up this Saturday, June 23, with the newest ones on top. If you’d like to host one, just put the who/what/when/where/RSVP info in the comments and I’ll post one last blast before Saturday. – L.

TORONTO – GTA

WHERE:  Oriole Park, Yonge & Davisville in Toronto

DATE: Saturday June 23

TIME: Noonish until mid afternoon

BRING: Kids ready to meet new friends, a picnic lunch for your family, bathing suits for anyone who wants to use the wading pool/splash pad.

INFO/RSVP: Folks can email ebardon@gmail.com for questions and more details.

*  *

MT PROSPECT, IL

DATE: Sat., June 23

TIME: 10am-1pm.

PLACE: Melas Park, 1326 W. Central Road, Mt. Prospect

EVITE:  http://new.evite.com/l/K4R26D2XHZ).

*  *

LOGAN SQUARE, CHICAGO — THIS ONE IS ON SUNDAY!!!!

DATE: Sunday, June 24

TIME: 1:00 PM until the kids wear out

HOST:  Christina Matthews

WHERE: Palmer Square Park – Logan Square (corner of Palmer Blvd. & Kedzie Blvd.),   Chicago, IL 60647

BRING: Your family, a picnic lunch and any balls/games of interest to your kids.  We’ll be on the west side of the park near the “bunny hill.”  We are a family of four with identical twin (almost 5 years old) boys, so we’re usually pretty easy to spot.  I’ll try to be organized enough to string a sign or some balloons to mark our spot 🙂
RSVP: christinamatthews42@gmail.com

*  *

NASHVILLE, TN

No specific time or place set, but this Free-Ranger writes:

Free Range parents in Nashville TN (I’m in south Nashville/North Franklin area) email me suznericward@gmail.com. Would love to meet like-minded parents in my area!

*  *

AND LAST WEEK’S LISTINGS AGAIN:

*  *

LENORE’S POTLUCK PICNIC!

GET THERE BY CAR OR BUS, ABOUT AN HOUR OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY (in MONROE, NY 10950)

Date: Sat., June 23 (rain date: Sunday, June 24)

Time: 2- 10 p.m.

Place: Rosmarins Cottages, 12 School Road, Monroe, NY 10950

Directions by car (and pix of the place!): Bungalowsummer.com.

By bus: Take the Short Line bus from Port Authority to Monroe, NY at 1:15 or 3:10 (an hour and 20 min ride). We’ll pick you up from the bus (a 5 min ride).

Bring: Something yummy and bathingsuits!

RSVP and questions: heylenore3@gmail.com

*    *

TACOMA, WASHINGTON

Date: Sat, June 23 (rain date: Sun. June 24)

Time: 2 – 5 p.m.

Place: Titlow Beach

Bring: A dish to share, shoes and towels for the kids who go crabbing on the rocky beach.

RSVP: soulemarilyn@yahoo.com

*  *

SAMMAMISH, WASHINGTON

Date: Sat., June 23 (rain date: Sun, June 24)

Time: 11 a.m . – 1 p.m.

Place: Ebright Creek Park (1317 212th Ave SE, Sammamish, WA 98074)

Bring: Kids ready to play and have fun with new friends AND a picnic lunch for your family.

Hosts: Adam and Melanie

RSVP and questions: adamel@comcast.net

Official online invite, click here.

*  *

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

Date: SUNDAY — NOT SATURDAY!! — JUNE 24

Time: 1 p.m.

Place: Montrose Park (Corner of Rollins Ave and Congressional Ln)

Host: Anna

RSVP: asjuha@hotmail.com (and if you are a Free-Range family who wants to meet up but can’t make it that day, please email anyway and we’ll meet!)

Note: Party is on as soon as at least one other family RSVPs!

*  *

ALAMEDA, CA

A Free-Range, old-fashioned, play outside block party!

DATE: Sat., June 23

PLACE:  Laurel Street between Clinton and Powell
TIME: Anytime after 3 p.m. and stay for the potluck.
BRING: Food and other balls and game equipment. Also, your own eating-ware (plates, utensils), as this will be a no-waste event, too. Here’s the Facebook page. (5 families already coming!)
*  *

NW OHIO – REQUEST FOR PICNIC

Maggie in Eastern Lucas County would like to co-host a picnic.  If you’re interested, here is her email: spitlermaggie@yahoo.com

* *

PHOENIX, AZ

Date: Sat., June 23 (rain date? This is Phoenix! If it rains, we’ll dance in it and enjoy every moment!)

Time: 4:30 – dark

Place: Country Gables Park, 85053

Bring: A dish to share. I’ll bring paper plates, utensils, drinks and also some food to share, of course!

RSVP: Jenna  jboettgerboring@gmail.com . (Please do RSVP so we know someone’s coming and won’t be sitting out there, all by our lonesome!)

HAVE FUN!!!!

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW!!

BERKELEY, CA

Please join us for the first annual Free Range Kids picnic!

Where: Cedar-Rose park (between the playgrounds) in Berkeley

When: Saturday June 23 between 11 am and 2 pm

Who: I’m Andi Jones, mother of Kyle who just finished 2nd grade at Washington. I also have a three year old daughter and would love to meet other Free-Range (or similarly-minded) parents/families in the community. Learn more about Free-Range Kids here: https://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

What to bring: a picnic lunch for your family and any park games or balls, etc. that you may want to bring

More info here: http://new.evite.com/l/DUVJMWXE7V

UPDATE: CAMP-OUT  IN ST LOUIS!

DATE: June 23

DETAILS: We belong to an nonprofit athletic/social club that offers kids, adults and families a variety of classes and activities at a ridiculously low cost.   It is a very Free-Range organization and the members all keep an eye out for each other and the kids too!  Thanks for posting the details for our Campout!Come one come all!

Concordia Turners is hosting a Campout on Saturday, June 23 as part of the Great American Backyard Campout. $10 per tent. Each family receives a plot of land and a table. Activities include swimming, campfire and stargazing. Families must supply their own food.  Quiet hours from 11pm to 7am so we don’t make our neighbors angry.  Please bring some donuts to share for breakfast.  You do not need to be a member to attend but you might like it so much that you join before you leave!

We will host two more campouts in the city this summer:
July 21st
and
August TBA

You can use the map below to help locate our building near the intersection of Gravois & Holly Hills in South Saint Louis, MO.  If you need detailed driving directions, click the link below and you will be taken to a Google page where you can get driving directions.

Concordia Turners
6432 Gravois
Saint Louis, MO  63116

Get Directions

Find Concordia Turners on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Concordia-Turners/150649161668931

http://www.concordiaturners.org/ The purpose of our organization is to promote the health and well-being of our members and our society.  While we have a strong emphasis on gymnastics, we also support a wide variety of athletic and social activities to meet the changing needs of our members.Concordia is a member of a national organization called the American Turners.  It is composed of similar organizations located throughout the United States.  The first Turner societies in the United States were organized toward the close of the year 1848.  Trace the history of physical education in the United States and you trace the history of the American Turners.  The American Turners spent much of the first half of the 20th Century promoting the addition of physical education to U.S. schools.  They also created the first College of Physical Education.  The school still operates today as a division of the Indiana University in Indianapolis.  The American Turners is among the oldest continuously operating athletic organizations in the world. Best Regards, Deborah Rose

How to Host a School Picnic (With Almost Zero Planning)

Hi Readers! As you know, one of the things that I believe makes folks feel safer and more ready to Free-Range their kids is COMMUNITY. The more connected we are, the less threatening the “world out there” seems, since “out there” is now familiar, even friendly. That’s why I love the idea of block parties and school get-togethers and all that, but I know (since I have never had the guts to organize one myself) that volunteering to make one of these wonders happen can be daunting. That’s why I loved reading this note from a mom in Portland, Oregon, named Mitzi. Here’s what she discovered about organizing an all-school picnic:

Dear Free-Range Kids: Our school started what we hope becomes a new tradition—a Fall Family Picnic on the school grounds one of the first evenings of school.

The idea is to have a low-key, casual picnic where families can meet, mingle, and re-connect after the summer break. We kept it super-simple: prep was limited to spreading the word about the picnic, putting up signs on the school yard for each grade so families could more easily meet others at their kids’ grade levels and having a pizza company come in to sell slices (and as a PTO fundraiser). Other than some ice-breaker games for Kindergarten kids, we had no planned activities: no bouncy houses, no rock wall, no clowns or face-painting or relay games. As PTO President, I was basically in charge of the event and wanted to keep it simple. I had a moment of panic about half an hour before picnic started: WHAT WERE WE THINKING?? What if we have 100 (or more) kids show up and they’re totally bored because we have nothing to entertain them with!? Will I have a bunch of angry parents shocked that I hadn’t planned activities? While there is a big play structure at the school, I hadn’t even requested to use the school’s playground balls and equipment. I threw some of our own kick balls, hula hoops and sidewalk chalk into the minivan, said a prayer and headed to the school.

And the result? Kids, everywhere, playing and having a blast. On their own. At least I assume they were having a blast—I was too busy mingling and chatting with other parents to pay much attention to my kids, other than to offer another slice of pizza when they came back to our blanket for a water break or to say hi. But if the shrieks of laughter and good-natured playing yelling were any indication, all the kids had fun. It’s amazing, isn’t it, what happens when we just let kids play? — Mitzi