Kid's Corner

Arthur Ave Pumpkin Contest

As a kid, there are many holidays or events you look forward to...Halloween is usually one of them! This year the annual traditions of classroom parties and trick or treating may not be a reality for many children. With COVID-19 keeping families from participating in these types of events, we have to find ways to keep our spirits up.

Arthur Ave residents have organized several socially distanced events this year to help cure the COVID-19 blues such as: the Arthur Ave marathon, a kids' bike parade, a positivity sidewalk chalking day and the most recently a pumpkin decorating contest.

On Sunday October 25th, families on Arthur Ave set out their best decorated or carved pumpkins to be voted on by a few special guests.  Lakewood's Fire Chief Dunphy, Assistant Chief Bennett, Captain Schmook and Police Officer Laskowski all took a walk down Arthur Ave from Madison Ave to Lakewood Hts. to pick their favorite pumpkins. The kids were excited to show off their masterpieces for a chance to win a Halloween prize bucket, but getting to meet and talk with the fire and policemen was an added bonus and the highlight of the event!

 

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Volume 16, Issue 21, Posted 8:02 PM, 11.04.2020

LFD And Emma Surprise Me Again - The Soap Box Derby

Last week Fire Chief Tim Dunphy and I were talking at the funeral for ……….. he mentioned to me that he would be busy this weekend tending to the Lakewood Fire Department’s Soap Box Derby car. I exclaimed, “What!” He went on to describe how the Lakewood Fire Department had gotten involved with Soap Box Derby cars about 5 years ago, and they love it.

I can see why Fire Chief Dunphy and crew would love it, from the Soap Box Derby website… “The Soap Box Derby is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to build knowledge, character, and create meaningful experiences through collaboration and fair and honest competition." It is everything being a Lakewood Fire Department member is all about.

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Volume 16, Issue 19, Posted 4:33 PM, 09.16.2020

No More Monkeys Is Celebrating One Year And Its Great Big Grand Reopening!

Come one come all! The Monkey Place is back open as of Tuesday February 11th.

NMME is so very excited to announce its Great Big Grand Reopening on its One Year Anniversary of opening. Join Miss Heather and the kiddos to play on National Make a Friend Day! Miss Heather had her big surgeries and is ready to get back down to Monkey Business. No More Monkeys Enrichment opened on February 11th of last year and is so happy to be a part of the Lakewood community.

No More Monkeys Enrichment is a drop in play zone featuring free coffee, tea, cocoa and wifi. This cozy little gem in The Northland Plaza has comfy couches and plenty of socialization for the kiddos and grownups alike. NMME is all about Manners, Kindness and Diversity! Original classes featuring music by local artists, tea parties, bubble dance parties, birthday parties, and date night childcare are just a few of the fun goodies offered. They even offer drop in childcare and some full time childcare too. Everything from Girl Scout patches to Craftint fun can be found at this amazing little Lakewood find.

 

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Volume 16, Issue 3, Posted 4:31 PM, 02.05.2020

Everyone Plays For Free At No More Monkeys This Saturday May 11th

No More Monkeys Enrichment, an indoor play zone and enrichment center here in Lakewood, is now offering a Donation Only Day every second Saturday of each month. I'm owner and founder Heather McCormick and I know all too well how difficult it can be raising kiddos nowadays, let alone as a single parent or a family struggling financially. I raised my daughter as a single parent and one of the reasons NMME was created was to offer a budget-friendly space to single parents. This is precisely how Second Saturdays at No More Monkeys was born. I want everyone to be able to enjoy this happy happy place whether they can afford to or not. 

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Volume 15, Issue 9, Posted 8:01 PM, 05.08.2019

Preschool Information Night Is On October 22nd - Open To All

The Lakewood Early Childhood PTA (LECPTA) is hosting its annual Preschool Information Night on Monday, October 22nd from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Hayes Elementary School (16401 Delaware Avenue) in the Cafeteria. Representatives from area preschools will provide information about their programs at tables and answer individual questions from parents and caregivers. Preschool Information Night is a great opportunity for young area families to learn about the variety of preschool options in our community.

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Volume 14, Issue 20, Posted 2:25 PM, 10.16.2018

Rangers Cruise Past Comets

The Lakewood boys basketball team defeated Amherst Steele 77-35 Friday night at the new LHS gym. The victory lifts the Rangers record to 2-1 overall on the season, and 1-0 in Southwestern Conference play. The game was competitive in the early stages, as Lakewood led only 17-12 at the end of the first quarter. Lakewood pulled away in the second period, outscoring the Comets 25-5 to take a commanding 42-17 halftime lead. The game was never in doubt during the second half, as Amherst never got closer than 22 points. 

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Volume 13, Issue 24, Posted 10:28 PM, 12.08.2017

ZOOM! Lakewood Adventure Guides Hold Pinewood Derby

The Lakewood YMCA Adventure Guides - Lake Trail Nation held their annual Pinewood Derby on April 9, 2016. It was quite exciting as the cars raced down the track, some achieving speeds of over 200 mph! The winners of the 2016 Derby were: 1st place: Eliza Bala, 2nd place: Luke George and 3rd place: Luke George. In addition, prizes were awarded for best paint job, sportiest, most artistic, most intimidating, people's choice, fastest time and safest driver.

In the Pinewood Derby, children build cars from kits that contain a block of wood with wheels. The parent and child then design and cut the shape, place weights, and paint the car. Cars are raced down a track powered only by gravity, and winners are awarded trophies. In Adventure Guides dozens of children race as a part of our Derby Day, which also features a lunch and finals for the cars with the top speeds in their age group.

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Volume 12, Issue 9, Posted 3:24 PM, 04.26.2016

Recycling Facts For You

Recycling facts and information for kids…

Here are some recycling facts for you. We all know it's important for our enviroment. So here are some facts to read up on. :)

Paper should not be thrown away, as it is not biodegradable (Cannot Break Down)

If you threw away paper 43 years ago, it would still be there today.

You can recycle paper, plastic, aluminum, metal cans and glass.

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Volume 11, Issue 13, Posted 4:18 PM, 06.23.2015

Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?

If it comes to life or death, every little thing counts. In a study, Newsworks reports they found that only about 1 percent of 8th graders say they have ever used drugs, and only about 14 percent said that they have ever drunk alcohol, other than in religious ceremonies. Among students who were tested for drugs and alcohol, 6 percent said they had ever consumed alcohol. These are middle school kids, kids who have a wonderful life ahead of them. One of these 6 percent could be the next world known actor/actress, one could be the first female president, one could even be the first to solve the unsolvable.

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Volume 10, Issue 23, Posted 12:41 PM, 11.11.2014

The World Would Be A Better Place If........

The Annual PTA Reflections Competition is an opportunity to celebrate the artistic talents of Lakewood’s young people, ages Pre-School to High School. The PTA Reflections competition welcomes all grades and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Annually, hundreds of our students will reflect on a common theme and create original works of art in the categories of dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography ,visual arts and Special Artist. The Special Artist is a new category to the competition that we are all excited about seeing added this year. This is a non-graded category and limited to students with physical, cognitive or mental health challenges.

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Volume 10, Issue 20, Posted 2:16 PM, 09.30.2014

Greater Cleveland Aquarium Announces Exciting News Summer Camps

The Greater Cleveland Aquarium has a very important mission this summer, and that’s to use educational and aquatic adventures to make it FUN. Last summer, we created memories with trips to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and aboard the Nautica Queen Cruise Dining Ship. The summer camps, which sold out, were well received by parents and (most importantly) received great reviews from the camp kids.

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Volume 10, Issue 5, Posted 8:46 PM, 03.04.2014

Gordon Square's Historic Haunts Event Is Back This Spooky Season

The West Clinton Historic Haunts Walking Tour is back and filled with more frighteningly good fun than ever. This year’s event will be held Friday, October 4, and Saturday, October 5, with tours departing from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Beginning at Cleveland Public Theatre’s Parish Hall (6205 Detroit Avenue), the tour, led by lantern-carrying guides, will visit neighborhood porches, parks, churches and public buildings where guests will meet noteworthy and disreputable former residents and hear real-life tales of horror.

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Volume 9, Issue 19, Posted 11:41 AM, 09.20.2013

The Miraculous Metamorphosis Of Caterpillars To Butterflies, Part Two

Some of my second grade classmates' comments didn't make it into the notes for the article we wrote about the butterfly cycle in the Lakewood Observer so I am adding them now.

Jack Gollon: "I loved watching the butterflies break out of the chrysalises and fly around our classroom cage." Koen Childers: "It was amazing to watch the stages from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. It was really cool." Afrah Haque: "I liked when the butterflies flew into the air and some landed on children's bodies! A few butterflies even followed us home!" Nadeem Syed: "Butterflies have a long straw called a proboscis to drink the nectar from the flowers." Montaz Phelps: "The butterflies had orange, black and brown on their wings." Hunter Tate:"Caterpillars spin a chrysalis." Michael Burnley: "I was amazed by the whole cycle."

Now that it is cold, we hope they have all arrived in their warm homes.

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Volume 8, Issue 25, Posted 10:01 PM, 12.11.2012

The Miraculous Metamorphosis Of Caterpillars To Butterflies

My class (Mrs. Berry's) and Mr. Schreiner's class got caterpillars and we put food in there, and we were assigned partners. I was partners with Casey. We watched the whole entire cycle, starting with baby caterpillars, then bigger caterpillars, and then chrysalises and then finally, butterflies. We let them go in a butterfly ceremony in Grant's garden, where we sang songs and released them into the sky.

We decided that all of us wanted to write an article about it for the Observer. Here it goes, first Mrs. Berry's class:

Sam Nelson and Max D'Apollo: "Inside the chrysalis the caterpillar changes its head, loses the jaw used for chewing, and develops compound eyes."

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Volume 8, Issue 24, Posted 1:17 PM, 11.28.2012

Harding's Election Simulation

Did you ever vote in a presidential election when you were in 6th grade? Well, we did just that in Mr.Spooner’s 6th grade class at Harding Middle school. I’m Sofi Dunay, I was randomly chosen as a Republican and I’m Abby Allio, I was a Democrat, and we got to take part in the election simulation. Our class participated in an election simulation. The simulation was a process including learning about real world issues, learning to run a campaign, being an educated voter, and participating in society.

To start off the campaigns, our roles were somewhat randomly chosen because we put in what we wanted our roles to be and Mr. Spooner randomly chose our roles according to who wanted to be what, though he chose our parties without any input from us. The roles we could choose included: candidate, campaign manager, speech writer, policy analysts, finance manager, and P.A.C. member-sponsor/mudslinger. Each student had an important part in making the election simulation work. Not only did everyone have to perform their roles in the campaign, but we each had to be an undecided voter. The Democrats had a question and answer session, explaining their views on the solutions for real-life issues. The Republicans had a rally, trying to get people excited about voting for Mitt Romney. So, now that you know what the Election Simulation is, let’s tell you about our experiences.

 
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Volume 8, Issue 24, Posted 1:17 PM, 11.28.2012

Lakewood Presbyterian Church Hosts Music Camp

On Saturday, September 8 from 1-2:15 p.m., Lakewood Presbyterian Church (LPC) will host a free music camp for children in preschool through grade 12. The goal of the camp is to introduce Lakewood's children, youth, and families to the many high-quality music ensembles that are led by skilled and experienced professionals at LPC. Inspired by the knowledge that musical training for children leads to literacy and helps children to develop critical thinking and social skills, LPC is pleased to offer three music ensembles for children and youth. 

Children in preschool and kindergarten are invited to participate in Children of Note, led by Natalie Welty and Sara Lindberg. These children have the opportunity to engage in age-appropriate rhythm and singing activities. Parents are encouraged to attend Children of Note to observe and participate in family music activities. Children of Note sing/play in worship occasionally during the church's program year. 

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Volume 8, Issue 18, Posted 9:58 PM, 09.05.2012

Breakfast With The Bunny

On March 31, the City of Lakewood’s H2O (Help to Others) program will transform the Women’s Pavilion at Lakewood Park into a seasonal, Springtime wonderland and serve a breakfast featuring pancakes, sausage, fruit, and beverages with the Easter Bunny!

Keepsake photos with the Bunny will be available for $5 – or you can pose with the Bunny for free if you bring your own camera. Raffle tickets will be sold for the opportunity to win themed gift baskets donated from local businesses.

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Volume 8, Issue 6, Posted 9:13 PM, 03.20.2012

What It's Like As A Lakewood Business Owner's Son

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the son of Lion and Blue business owners? Well, I’ll tell you all about it. Lion and Blue is like my second home, I’ve spent probably a quarter of my life there. This is good and bad.

The good thing is that I have experienced a lot of interactions with customers and employees. This is good because it’s good to interact with new people. It’s also given me an opportunity to make new friends. One of my friends came to the store and he got to go in the back of the store and behind the counter and he said, “It’s so cool to be your friend and be able to go back here.” Another reason is that I can learn stuff that kids usually don’t learn. I’ve learned how to do the sales tax, marketing, and own a business. Sales tax is the sub total times whatever the government wants, but lately it’s been $0.0775. My mom showed me how to market. She has an ad in the Lakewood Observer every two weeks. I don’t intend to run Lion and Blue when I am older. I am going to be a billionaire but these skills will help a lot. 

 

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Volume 8, Issue 1, Posted 8:41 PM, 01.10.2012

The Iberian Lynx

The Iberian Lynx ( Felis pardina ) is a solitary wildcat with tufted ears and a spotted coat. It lives in southwestern Europe, and it’s diet consists of rabbits, fawns, ducks and other small animals. Due to loss of habitat and prey the species has become endangered. In fact it may be the first feline to go extinct since 2,000 years ago. The future looks dim for the Iberian Lynx, but the species may pull through. Only time will tell.

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Volume 7, Issue 20, Posted 7:27 AM, 10.05.2011

Lakewood Early Childhood PTA Hosts An Open House

The Lakewood Early Childhood PTA is hosting an Open House in conjunction with our monthly Children’s Party on Friday, September 16 from 6 -8 p.m. at Harrison Elementary. We will kicking off the school year and football season with a pint sized tailgating party! We will have training camps for our future football players and cheerleaders, crafts and other activities. And, of course, no tailgating party is complete without food!

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Volume 7, Issue 18, Posted 10:48 AM, 09.07.2011

In A Role-Playing Game Far Away

In a galaxy far far away, a world full of lightsabers and Jedis awaits you, you just need to know the right place to go. I go to Lakewood Public Library very often and love it there. They always have something to offer. Recently I was part of a role playing game with the theme of Star Wars that met in the library's MultiPurpose Room. I had a blast.

On the first day I made a lightsaber and was put into a team. The goal here was to win enough points at the end of the session. Every time we met (once a week)  we did an activity whether it be a making a lightsaber exercise with our group, or a scavenger hunt inside the library, or maybe trivia about Star Wars.

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Volume 7, Issue 12, Posted 8:19 AM, 06.15.2011

Horace Mann Elementary News Crew

Morning announcements have come a long way. When you were in school, maybe your teacher told you the morning announcements, or maybe you heard them over the P.A. system. Nowadays, at Horace Mann Elementary, we are fortunate enough to be able to watch them on our Promethean Boards in our classrooms each morning, courtesy of our News Crew.

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Volume 7, Issue 11, Posted 2:53 PM, 06.01.2011

The Black-Footed Ferret: The Endangered Weasel Of The USA

The Black-footed ferret is a small North American mammal, that lives on prairies and grasslands. It is closely related to the steppe polecat, and belongs to the same family as weasels, minks, polecats, martens, otters and badgers. They are 18 to 24 inches long and weigh up to 2 ½ pounds. They have white or cream colored coats with patches of dark brown.

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Volume 7, Issue 8, Posted 8:28 AM, 04.20.2011

Truth In Journalism Panel Discussion, Mr. Spooner’s Classroom

Truth in Journalism reporting by Liam Gamez, Sophia Mack, and Sophia Nanni

It was an exciting day in Mr. Spooner’s class On Friday, March 18th, unlike any other day, his morning group was there also. There were people who came in his class to read the book "Nothing but the Truth." The students asked a wide range of questions based on truth in journalism and the panelists’ particular occupations. That is why the people came to the discussion. The people that came to answer our questions were Mr. Gill from Scene Magazine , Mr. O’Bryan and Ms. Voinovich from the Lakewood Observer, Doctor Hammel from Ursuline College, Mr. Mulready from Cool Cleveland.com, and Mrs. Neff and Mr. Neff from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

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Volume 7, Issue 7, Posted 10:26 PM, 04.05.2011

Dr. Pap And Toby The Tooth

Our den had a visit from my dentist, Dr. Pap and his friend, Toby the Tooth!

Dr. Pap talked to us about foods that are good for your teeth, and foods that are bad for your teeth. It's good to eat meat, vegetables, and milk, but sweets like candy and pop can give you cavities.

We talked about how important it is to brush your teeth and floss them every day.

Then, Dr. Pap's friend, Toby the Tooth came in! He talked about teeth too, and let us brush him with a giant toothbrush! It was fun, and he made us laugh! When Dr. Pap and his friends left, he gave us all some new toothbrushes! I can't wait to visit Dr. Pap again at West Side Family Dental.

Next time, I'll make sure there are no more cavities. I think he and Toby will be proud of me!

 

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Volume 7, Issue 7, Posted 10:26 PM, 04.05.2011

Darwin's Fox: The Endangered Canine Of South America

The Darwin’s Fox is a South American fox with short legs & a dark coat. These foxes’ rainforest homes are being destroyed, but the main threat to the Darwin’s Fox are feral dogs.

Feral dogs often kill Darwin’s Foxes, they can also pass diseases (such as rabies) to the Darwin’s Fox. There are so few of these magnificent creatures left in the wild that the ICUN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) has proclaimed it criticly endangered.

So visit your local Zoo or hop a plane to Chile because this may be your last chance to see the Darwin’s Fox face to face.

 

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Volume 7, Issue 7, Posted 10:26 PM, 04.05.2011

Earning Our Communications Badge

"The Day I Went To Lakewood Park" by Jordan Fougerousse

I went to the park with my aunt. While we were there we played tag in the park. We also played football and swung on the swings.

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"I'm A Legomaniac" by Quinn Pauly

Did you know there are lots of things you can build with Legos?

Some things that I have made are ships that can fly or float, such as spaceships and boats. I have also made houses, cars and people. But, my favorite things to build with are my Star Wars ships and figures. I have built many kinds of Star Wars things, like the Hoth Snowman, Boba Fett, Slave One and General Grievous' Starfighter.

There are so many other things you or I can build from Legos. All you have to do is use your imagination.

Believe me... It's fun!

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Volume 7, Issue 5, Posted 2:20 PM, 03.08.2011

Meeting Ms. Maria: A Skype Video Conference

When the war began in 2003, it changed many lives, especially one Kurdish girl’s. The students in Mr. Spooner’s social studies class had a Skype video conference with Ms. Maria, a Kurdish lady that now works for the United States State Department as an interpreter. Her story of survival is inspiring.

We had this opportunity with Ms. Maria because she works with Lt. Demro (who we Skyped with a few weeks ago).  She knows many languages and practices Kurdish religious ceremonies. Some questions we asked her were about how her troubled childhood has affected her current life, how she felt going through the many hard times, and about her interesting culture. We felt this Skype video conference really tied into our social studies class and helped us to learn a lot about what the United States does for people around the world.

Earlier in her childhood, Ms. Maria’s family fled to the desert to escape Sadam Hussein’s regime. He was showing every educated person that could stand up to him that he was in control. From where she was hiding in the desert it was an hour to the nearest town. Her father did not work, so the quality of their financial state dropped quickly. Her family had to live in the desert for three years. She said that her faith was what kept going.

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Volume 7, Issue 5, Posted 2:20 PM, 03.08.2011

A Visit With Dr. Posman

On March 1. 2011 Mr. Spooner’s social studies class from Harding Middle School had a visit with Dr. Ellen Posman, a world religions professor at Baldwin-Wallace College. Mr. Spooner’s class recently conducted a study on five of the world’s religions; Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. Each student researched all of the religions, and then chose one to go deeper with. Together in groups of five, they created a digital encyclopedia incorporating the five religions they became masters on.

Dr. Posman helped fill in the blanks with the information the students did not find. She presented a PowerPoint with maps and pictures of the Holy places in each religion. She also showed us pictures of her travels abroad.

Her presentation was followed by a question and answer session where each student could ask Dr. Posman a question they had on the religion they studied further.

Here are some thoughts from students about Dr. Posman’s visit:

Was having a professor come into your class a good way of learning? Why?

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Volume 7, Issue 5, Posted 2:20 PM, 03.08.2011

Eodromaeus: The Fossil Find of 2011

It seems as though whenever a new dinosaur is discovered it’s almost always unique. Whether it’s bucktoothed, feathered, stocky, tiny, or humpbacked they are all unique, but one run of the mill reptile could be one of the greatest palentological finds since Sue the T- rex.

Meet plain Jane Eodromaeus, a 4 foot long, 10 to 15 pound Triassic dinosaur. The reason Paul Sereno is so excited about plain Jane is because Eodromaeus could be the ancestor of all dinosaurs. Paul Sereno is a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and is also the man who discovered Eodromaeus in Ischigualatso, Argentina.

Eodromaeus is also closely related to Eoraptor and T-rex. So as you can see Eodromaeus deserves the title as Fossil Find of 2011.

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Volume 7, Issue 3, Posted 4:07 PM, 02.08.2011

Breakfast With Santa At Calvary Preschool

Preschool parents, church volunteers, and neighboring businesses are coming together again this year to create a little holiday magic and good cheer in Lakewood at Calvary Preschool. Breakfast With Santa will take place on Saturday, December 4, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church (16305 Hilliard Road).

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Volume 6, Issue 24, Posted 9:02 AM, 12.01.2010