Group Library Time & Social Time/Playgroup

Wow, can you believe we are almost through the second week in November? This fall season has been zipping by and winter is almost here. If you are looking for some indoor social opportunities MMT will have two new options for you starting in December.

Group Library Time- We will meet in the Children's Room at the Auburn Public Library. There are some toys for the younger ones, tables for coloring and such, big pillows for reading, and computers. This will not be a structured activity. Just a relaxed time to go to the library with friends. If however, if any of the older kids are interested in starting a book club this might be a good time for that.

All Group Library Times are on Fridays, 1-3 pm Auburn Public Library (Free)
12/4, 1/22, 2/5, 3/5, 4/2, 5/7

Social Time/Playgroup- This will be a time for our children to have an opportunity to just play and spend time with their friends. We will meet at the Toy Library on College Street in Lewiston (located in the New Life Community Center). This is an indoor playspace--there is a gym (with some ride on toys for the younger kids, lots of room to move around for the bigger kids--there are basketball hoops too), there is a large play area with tons of toys downstairs. There is also a lounge/kitchen with couches and chairs. So if older kids or parents wanted to bring things to do like handcrafts/card games/board games or whatever, there is room. This is a public playspace so we would be sharing this space with whoever else visits. The cost is $2 per child for admission. The Toy Library does sell a yearly membership family pass for $65.

All Playgroup/Social Times are from 2-4pm on Fridays at the Toy Library ($2/child).
12/11, 1/29, 2/26, 3/19, 4/16, 5/14

:) MMT Co-Op

Start of a new year!

Wow, it is hard to believe that we are already into our second week of September! Did we even have a summer? Ha!Ha! Many of you are busy planning out your schedules for the new year...to make it easier on you to see what activities are out there we now have an activity calendar on our blog. You will find it at the very top of the blog (you shouldn't be able to miss it). If you know of an event that should be on this calendar please let us know.

For this Fall we are doing things a little differently. Last year we had events planned primarily on Fridays and each Friday was alloted a different activity (nature hikes, legos, etc). Unfortunately, this didn't work out so well. This year is kind of a free for all...if you have an activity that you would like people to know about then feel free to tell us about it. It doesn't matter what day it is on. Let us know. We are hoping that this year can become a truly cooperative effort. Lots of hands make light work~! Plus combined we all have so many talents to share.

If you are looking for something regularly occuring and structured to do with your children we have several members who have some really cool activities planned:

There is a Nature-Based 4-H Group 'Nature Kids on Outdoor Adventures' (NKOA) that will be meeting on Wednesday's from 1-3pm. They will be primarily meeting at the Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Cooperative Extension office in Lisbon but have lots of field days on their calendar too. For more information contact: vkettelhut@aol.com or tamra_hartley@yahoo.com or visit NKOA's blog at: http://nkoa4-h.blogspot.com/

Tamra is also coordinating a Gym Day (Mom's get a circuit workout too) that will meet on Mondays at Pettengill Park Recreation Center from 9:30-11am. Visit: http://funandbones.blogspot.com
to stay up to date on the Gym Day and to learn more about staying fit.; She is also running a Lego Robotics group that meets in Auburn on Tuesday's 10-12pm. FMI: tamra_hartley@yahoo.com

The very popular Lego Day will be held on the 3rd Friday of the month (primarily) from 9:30-11:30am at the Auburn Public Library. This year the library is charging us a $15 use fee which will be split amongst the families attending. FMI: louisej12@gmail.com

For more activities please check out the Activity Calendar...if we forgot to add your class or event our apologies! Thank you for doing what you all do! Have a great Fall!!

Pine Tree State Arboretum, Augusta

Today was the last day of Maine's Arbor week; and it was also the day that we visited the Pine Tree State Arboretum in Augusta. Splitting up into two groups, the younger children explored the arboretum and learned about various types of trees; spotted and listened to various birds (including a hawk); and did a hands-on tree observation activity. The older children also explored the grounds and learned how to use a dichotomus key to identify trees. After exploring the grounds we all gathered for a picnic in the cool shade. Each child also went home with a tree sapling to plant. I think we all could agree that we had a great time, and all plan to visit again.

If you would like to visit the Pine Tree State Arboretum in Augusta please check out their website:

http://www.pinetreestatearboretum.org/

A few April Highlights

4/3: Cooperative Learning Day, Auburn Public Library--Spring Theme

We had a small group but lots of spring-related activities! We had fun making rain gauges; planting seeds; creating collages; paper folding butterflies; attempting to make popsicle stick trees and lots more! It was a fun morning and everyone went home with an arm load of creations!

4/10: Get Outdoors Day: Summer St Park, Lisbon

Several families got together for a spring hike and lunch afterwards. Everyone had a great time and new friendships were made!

4/24 Field Trip: Maine Wildlife Park, Gray

Besides the beautiful and unseasonably warm weather, we were fortunate to have tour guides for our visit. Both the children and adults that visited on this day learned a lot of interesting facts about the animals in the park. At this particular spot on our tour we visited the porcupines in their new enclosure. Sadly, this enclosure is the first time that the porcupines have been exposed to actual earth. Before this they had been in concrete pens for over 15 years! The park has plans to create more suitable housing for the rest of the animals in the future.

Other interesting facts we learned: most of the animals at the park have been there for 10-15 years+. One of the bears at the park has been there for 20 years. Before that she had been used as a side-show attraction and stored in an old school bus. Not all Black Bears are black in color. One of the foxes is blind but gets around like she can see. Some of the birds are not nice neighbors to one another. I could go on and on...but you will just have to visit yourself.

At certain junctures in the park they have boxes with specimens on display. Certain children seemed more interested in one article versus the other. It became a joke in our group that there was a 'Skull Man' and a 'Scat Man' (another factoid-the scat is made of rubber). So at each box they got to touch and hold their preferred specimin.

After our tours the we took a time out for a lunch and to play. The kids had a great time climbing on the tree stump near our picnic table. It was a great day had by all!

April was a great month for the Making Memories Together Co-op! I hope that we can create more memories like these together in the future!

Welcome to Making Memories Together Co-op!

Welcome to the new blog of the Making Memories Together Co-op! Formed in September 2008, Making Memories Together Co-Op (MMT) exists to give parents and their children an opportunity to make memories together. In a group format, parents and their children come together to play, socialize and learn together. The majority of MMT's members homeschool and/or stay-home with their children. We all share a common goal: to create meaningful relationships with our children. It is our hope that you will use the MMT Co-op as a chance to help create that meaningful relationship with your child(ren); while at the same time enriching your children's lives through play, knowledge and friendship.

It should come as no surprise that the parents of MMT take an active role in: arranging outings and events; planning crafts and lessons; and leading group activities. Together with their children parents also get a chance to make new friends; learn new things (or relearn old information); and have an awesome first hand opportunity to see their children do the same!

Although we primarily get together in the Lewiston-Auburn area for our regularly scheduled events... we are open to anyone who is willing to travel. Currently we have members hailing from several different Maine counties: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Oxford and Franklin counties. We also take fieldtrips throughout the state.

The Making Memories Together Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/makingmemoriestogether/ is a forum to share ideas; to talk about: parenting issues, homeschooling, homemaking, craft ideas, etc. Please use this also as a place to inform the group of other events that may fall outside of our regularly scheduled activities. If you would like to host a cooperative learning opportunity please let us know! We look forward to getting to know you and your children and hope that you enjoy Making Memories Together!