Goin' Bananas- Party & Play Ventures

Goin' Bananas- Party & Play Ventures

15710 SW 56 Street Miami, Florida 33185. Phone (305) 401-5954

Play places are now the trend for having your child's party. New ones are popping up all over Miami. They have so many pros it's hard to resist not throwing a party at a place that does everything for you. What makes this place stand out? Well they are connected to a bistro for starters. This means kids can play and explore while parents relax, and enjoy AMAZING food from their Restaurant Frenchies Bistro. Your kids can play in a fun and safe environment. 

My boyfriend decided to throw his 5 year old her birthday party there a few weeks ago. The owner was great & worked with us, the staff was super friendly & nice, kids of all ages were entertained because there was so much to do. Even the adults enjoyed themselves because there was a pool table & domino table set up. The party was absolutely flawless, so we were pleasantly surprised. Their party package included 4 hours of use of their facility, unlimited soda, they do all the decorations & centerpieces, they provide a piñata, unlimited popcorn & snow cone, pizza, invitations, face painting, nail painting, a hostess to play games, what MORE could you want???? They even had a HUGE dollhouse full of dolls. Package we got was for a party of 50 people, additional people were only an extra $5 per person. Most places charge $10-15 per extra person. All we had to bring was a cake & candy for the piñata. After the party is over, the staff cleans up everything, & they do a great job leaving the place spotless. This place exceeded our expectations.

Goin' Bananas offers 

·         Cool Party Themes.

·         Spa Party

·         Little Picasso party.

·         Cool Chef party.

·         Mommy and Me Classes.

·         Open Play.

·         After-School Enrichment Programs.

·         Graduation Party and many more

They have computers for kids to play games, plasmas for video games such as wii, and an ultra cool tri-level playground. They offer open play Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 4pm-9:30pm. Their parents’ night out are usually until midnight, most places only watch your kids until 10pm. For open play on weekends you must call to confirm availability & time. They also offer specials for holidays, like on Valentine’s Day they offered dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine, plus your kids supervised in the play area while you eat for $100. On Sundays, drinks are 2 for 1 all day. Parking is FREE & there's plenty of it.

Check out their website for more info. 

Check out their Facebook page!

 

Jump A Roos Inflatable Play & Party Center

Jump A Roos is located very close to me & I take my daughter very frequently, she loves this place so much. Everytime we come she never tires of it, sometimes we stay until closing time that's how much Angel loves this place. I love it too, the food is great, the prices reasonable, the parent area is full of comfortable couches, a plasma, tables, & free WIFI, plus everytime I come here my daughter wears herself out into an early bedtime ha ha. Parking is free, adults & babies free. Kids admission age 1-13 is $10.  location in Southland Mall, next to the Regal Cinema, is the largest indoor inflatable bounce house party and play facility in Miami-Dade County. With nearly 11,000 square feet of space and 4 party rooms, they are the top choice in birthday parties, open play, field trips and fundraisers for toddlers to 12 

   If you're tired of the usual Chuck E Cheese & Dandy Bear this place is for you, you don't have to buy any tokens! Kids must wear socks but if you happen to forget to bring they sell socks for $1.50 a pair. Jump A Roos is an indoor playground that consists of 7 huge bounce houses, more like inflatable obstacle courses. You can bring your kid to play for $10, on Tuesdays the admission is $6. They also have memberships, if you plan on coming more often, that makes it MUCH cheaper per visit.
Or, you can plan a party. You are assigned a helper/waitress/party-planner who does everything. She goes over the details with you before the party, sets up (decorations, paper plates, music, cart for presents...) They have an arrangement with SAL's Italian Restaurant, across the mall so the catered food or pizza is pretty darn good. Your helper will set up the food, lead the birthday song, help cut up cake and pass it out, and most importantly... CLEANS UP EVERYTHING. She will even help you carry the presentsto the car.You can even print out invitations from their website.

   On top of being  a great place to take your kids & a great party place they also offer classes. They offer classes from music, martial arts, gymnastics, & parenting. My Gym Palmetto Bay closed down their My Gym but have partnered up with Jump A Roos and are giving their classes there. Classes start at $15 per session with no registration fee required.For a list of classes click here http://www.jumparoos.com/classes/

	Jump A Roos at Southland Mall 20505 S. Dixie Highway Cutler Bay, FL 33189
Phone	(305) 238-JUMP (5867)
Email	info@jumparoos.com

https://www.facebook.com/JumpARoos

http://www.jumparoos.com/

Headstart A program for kids

Head Start and Early Head Start

The Head Start / Early Head Start Program provides comprehensive child development services for low income children and families in Miami-Dade County. The program is open to children ages new born through age 5, and provides care and instruction for children in a classroom setting.

To apply: The following items are needed before completing the Head Start/Early Head Start application process:

1. Children must be 3 or 4  years of age on or before September 1, or no more than five (5) years old after September 1. NOW some locations are taking newborns & up!

1. Proof of parent’s/legal guardian gross income for the past 12 months or the last calendar year (2010).  Documents include a signed Income Form Tax 1040, W-2 forms, pay stubs, pay envelopes, Unemployment Compensation,  written statements from employers, or documentation showing current status as recipients of public assistance, Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI), TANF, or Child Support.

1. Picture identification of parent(s)/legal guardian – driver’s license, state issued picture, employer issued I.D.

1. Proof of Dade County Residency.

1. If your child has a diagnosed disability, you must attach the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or the Individualized Family Support Plan or evaluation report (IFSP).  Disabled child are eligible for the Head Start Program on or after their third (3^rd) birth date.

Online application http://www.miamidade.gov/caa/Documents/HeadStart/recruitment/11-12hsappeng.pdf

Once you apply you take your application to a headstart center. Applications are being accepted now for the 2012/2013 school year & space fills up fast, usually by February.

List of headstart centers http://www.miamidade.gov/CAA/Documents/HeadStart/recruitment/hscenters11.pdf

For more information on headstart the website is http://www.miamidade.gov/caa/head_start.asp

CDS childcare help in Miami

CDS stands for child developement services which is a service that helps you pay for childcare. Also called school readiness program.

Child Development Services Bureau

 

Mission statement

Miami-Dade County Child Development Services is committed to the provision of culturally comprehensive, quality school readiness services for families, through a network of child care providers, coordinated resources and support services throughout Miami-Dade County.

CDS is staffed by a cadre of dedicated professionals committed to assisting families seeking child care information, resources, referrals and financial assistance for early care and education.  

Assists parents and families needing financially assisted child care (School Readiness and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) for children from infancy to 9 years of age. 

Services include eligibility determination and placement of children through a network of licensed child care facilities throughout Miami-Dade County. 

Other services include: 

• Resource and Referral information on child related services,
• Developmental Screening and Assessment Services- to identify children at-risk for developmental delays
• Inclusion Training and Technical Assistance- for child care teachers and providers
• School Readiness and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) providers payments
  
  
  Where to apply https://spe.schoolreadiness.org/pe/spe_main.asp
  more information http://elcmdm.org/
  
  
  I was on the waiting list for this service 3 years, if you apply and get a notice in the mail that the list is closed you must reapply every 6 months or they take your name off the list. If you get an appointment letter, what to expect?? They want your child's birth certificate, social security cards for both, and last 3 paystubs (it's the most important). With your paystubs they input your gross income into their computers and calculate how much your portion of daycare will be it can range from $4 to $56 a week, they pay out the daycare a subsidy which means they don't pay the entire difference but most daycares accept it. Some private preschools make you pay the difference.
  
  

  Eligibility Offices

   

  Mail-In Redetermination UnitMaria Escobar, Manager
  (305) 514-6211
  Email: vivar@miamidade.gov

  Naranja Eligibility OfficeCarmen Gutierrez-Mesa, Manager
  (305) 258-5471
  Email: cgumesa@miamidade.gov

  Frankie-Shannon Rolle Eligibility Office (Coconut Grove)Barbara Thomas-Robinson, Manager
  Email: BTHR@miamidade.gov

  Miami Gardens Eligibility OfficeNathasis Sonny, Manager
  (305) 626-7969
  Email: P61417@miamidade.gov
  
  
  
  

VPK what you need to know

Voluntary Prekindergarten or VPK gives children a jump start by preparing them for school and enhancing their pre-reading, pre-math, language and social skills. By developing the skills children need to become strong readers and students at an early age, children are more likely to be successful in school. VPK classrooms offer high-quality programs that include high literacy standards, developmentally appropriate curricula, manageable class sizes, and qualified teachers.

If you live in Florida and have a child who turns 4 years of age by September 1, your child is eligible for Florida’s FREE VPK program. Your child can attend one of the two programs offered annually. The school-year program includes 540 hours of instructional time and begins in August. The summer program consists of 300 instructional hours and can begin as early as May 1.

There are a number of private child care and public school providers offering the VPK program across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. For information in Miami-Dade call (305) 373-3521 and for information in Monroe call (305) 296-5557.

What is VPK??

VPK stands for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. If you live in Florida, and your child turns 4 four years of age by September 1, your child is eligible to participate in Florida's FREE Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education program.

Benefits of early education and the VPK program

• The most important growth and development in the brain happens by the age of five.
• The early years are the learning years. A child’s ability to be attentive and to follow directions emerges in the early years. Structured early learning fosters these abilities for later success in school and in life.
• Pre-K prepares children to be ready for school. Children who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs develop better language skills, score higher in school-readiness tests and have better social skills and fewer behavioral problems once they enter school. They are also better prepared for Kindergarten, especially in the areas of pre-reading, pre-math and social skills.
• Pre-K promotes a love of learning in children. Pre-K enhances what a child learns at home and instills a love of life-long learning.

Where to get VPK certificate, VPK registration sites

Frankie Shannon Rolle Neighborhood Service Center
3750 South Dixie Highway
Miami, FL  33133
Phone: (305) 694-3510

Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm (noon) 

Miami Gardens
16405 NW 25th Ave.
Miami Gardens, FL 33054
Phone: (305) 626-7969
Fax: (305) 628-0130

Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm (noon) 

Naranja Office
13955 SW 264th Street
Naranja, FL 33032
Phone: (305) 258-5471

Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm (noon) 

What you need to bring to get your VPK certificate

*Child's birth certificate

*Social security cards for child * parent

*current FPL bill

*driver's license of parent

Please note that these sites only see a certain amount of parents per day from 8am to 10am, it's first come, first serve. For more information just go to http://www.vpkhelp.org/

Tuesdays at Southland Mall

Terrific Offers for Terrific Tuesdays!

• Enjoy Big Flix & $6 Tix at Regal Cinema every Tuesday.
• Hungry...try Buffalo Wild Wings $0.50 Traditional Wings. or, stop by Sal's Italian Restaurant for Customer Appreciation Day on Tuesday and get a large cheese pizza for only $6.99!
• Eating on the go, then try Subway's Tuesday "Value Meal" deal: a 6-inch sub, 21oz drink, chips or cookie for only $4.50 plus tax!
• The kids need something to do? Bring them to our inflatable play and party center, Jump A Roos, on Tuesdays, it's 50% off the regular price of admission. Pay only $6 per child, instead of $10!
• The kids can also take advantage of 'double punch' Tuesdays at the Island Carrousel! For each ticket the customer buys, they'll receive two punches instead of one on their Frequent Rider card. Collect 9 punches and the 10th ride is FREE!
• Already an Old Navy card holder? Receive an additional 10% simply for using your Old Navy card at time of purchase!
• At Fast-Fix Jewelry & Watch Repairs, with a $20 purchase or higher, you receive 15% OFF your jewelry and /or watch repair.

Southland Mall 20505 South Dixie Highway, Miami Florida 33189 305-235-8880

Free Museum Day for Bank of America & Merrill Lynch customers

I just found out today that if you have a bank of America debit card you get free entrance to many museums in Miami! Bank of America customers can go to some of the coolest museums without ever swiping a credit card. Bank customers get into museums and attractions for FREE the first weekend of each month just by showing their debit or credit card. The Miami sites participating in the bank's Museum on us program are:

Miami Science Museum
Miami Art Museum
Miami Children's Museum
Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
Young at Art Children's Museum
Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science
South Florida Science Museum

For more information go to http://museums.bankofamerica.com/arts/MOU.aspx

To qualify for Museums on Us, customers simply present their Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution on the first full weekend of every month.

Play-In

This summer has been scorching hot!! Thankfully a lot of new indoor playgrounds have been popping up all over Miami. A few weeks ago my sister & I decided to take our kids to Play-in, a multi-sensory activity center. Our kids being used to going to My Gym every week welcomed the change. Think of Play-In as an all-purpose indoor fun zone. 

Munchkins of all ages can enjoy open play, after school programming, homework helpers (kids 5-11) and various therapy offerings. When I walked in I was like "WoW this place is so uber cool, so modern, so edgy, and so unlike anything I had ever seen". They had a really cool zipline that ended in a ballpit. Of course this was everybody's favorite activity (Warning: The zipline is only open for about 15 minutes of every hour). All the kids zipped dozens of times. They had an art room full of crafts & paint supplies. They had awesome silk ropes hanging and a little boy hoisted himself on it, and started doing acrobatics (he was a Play-in camper). They had a a big cave, that once you climbed up it was a slide inside. 

This place is quite innovative with so many things to do, things to swing from, things to climb up on,and to things to jump on, that I honestly wanted to be 5 years old again. We were there 3 hours, & the kids did not want to leave at all. Best of all it wore them out!

From their website: Play-In is an indoor multi-sensory environment, where all children can come together to stretch, play, learn, feel and grow. We are unique from all other indoor playgrounds because our play area is set up with each child's sensory system in mind, and offers specialized equipment to help kids achieve balance. Play-In provides a creative and innovative space where kids of all ages can climb, jump, swing, spin, hang, build, glide and feel their way through a variety of different environments. Play-In is a safe space for genuine exploration, imagination, and fun.

The open play is a little pricey & of course super far from Kendall. But if you're in the mood to try something different, or if you're in the neighborhood this place won't dissappoint.

Play-In Features

• Indoor Open Play — Drop in any time and stay as long as you want!
• Assisted We-Play — Structured, guided play sessions with one of our staff.
• ABA and Recreational Therapy
• Occupational and Speech Therapy
• Homework Helper — After school program for kids ages 5 and up.
• Trazos Art Academy — Fine art, clay modeling, Photoshop and more!
• Birthday Parties — Unique private parties for children of all ages
• Summer Camps— RecTherapy & art summer camps
• Mini-Gallery Night— Second Saturdays during Wynwood Art Walk
• Yoga for Kids and Families

They are located 2501 NW 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33127 • 305.576.7604
in the Wynwood District. Plenty of parking!!

If you are in the area long enough for a meal there are a lot of good places to eat between there and the design district (just about 10 blocks north). Here are some good ones (that are very kid friendly):
Lost and Found Saloon: http://www.yelp.com/biz/lo​st-and-found-saloon-miami
Buena Vista Deli: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bu​ena-vista-deli-miami
Crumb on Parchment: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cr​umb-on-parchment-miami "

Also if you go on I Am the Maven she has coupons for Play-In! What is I Am The Maven? Connecting savvy moms with fabulous local deals at the best places. That means tons of FREE online coupons you can't find anywhere else.

Swimming Lessons!

Traci Cole

Miami moms are always on the search for for swimming lessons. I know I was when Angel was small. My parents had a pool in their backyard and I had always heard horror stories of drowning being the number one cause of death in toddlers and the scary statistics of toddlers drowning, especially in South Florida. 


I was born in the Dominican Republic so my older sister and I learned to swim very young. It was important for us to make sure our kids learned water safety and basic floating, swimming, etc. We had a friend that used to attend our church who was a private swimming instructor, so we reached out to her to teach our kids to swim. My daughter was one and a half and my nephew was two and a half. The summer of 2008 we hired Traci Cole, an experienced swim teacher and swimming coach. She came to our pool to teach our kids swimming. She gave each child a 30 minute lesson and we purchased 10 sessions each. 


I have to admit I was really wary that she was going to be able to teach my daughter, who was so young, anything at all. The first few sessions my daughter was screaming murder and I felt like someone was going to report me for child abuse! It was so heart wrenching watching the first few lessons but halfway through something amazing happened she stopped crying, screaming, and was actually putting her head under the water. By the last lesson she could actually paddle, kick, and swim short distances alone. My nephew picked it up quickly and was swimming like a pro. I liked Traci because she did private lessons, it was only one child at a time. Traci worked with our shedule, came to our pool, was very warm, professional, and all around excellent. She charges $40 per lesson, but gave my sister, a friend, and I the group rate of $20 per child, per lesson. 


A year went by and I didn't take Angel to the pool much since my parents moved away to Orlando and I didn't have their pool to practice in. When the summer time came again and I took Angel to the pool, I realized she had lost most of her skills and needed swimming lessons again. My nephew didn't need to take swimming again, so I opted for a more inexpensive class than private lessons. This time I took her to Little Swimmers, located at the Killian Palms Country Club, where they promise your child will learn to swim in 5 lessons. I was a little skeptical but I tried it out, her instructor was very good and patient with her but I missed 1 lesson and when I tried to reschedule a make up they were always giving me the runaround so I never got it. So really Angel got 4 lessons and on her last day they kind of push the kid to the water to show what they learned. She swam but it didn't really stick, so I wasn't very satisfied with the program. She was mostly wearing floaties the rest of the summer. At the moment I felt like she learned the technique but a few weeks later kind of forgot about it. 


The following summer, when Angel was 3, I enrolled her in a summer camp for 8 weeks that offered swimming. I felt this would help her master and keep her swimming skills. She got swimming lessons from Swim Gym, a swimming school that has a location in Cutler Bay, and also teaches swimming at private schools & camps. With these swimming lessons, I felt like it was baby swimming.  I felt that she wasn't really learning how to swim independently. The classes promoted water safety and learning how to be comfortable in the water. I wanted something a little more advanced. 


This year she is 4, enrolled in the same camp, taking swimming lessons from Swim Gym again and I have to say my long journey into teaching Angel how to swim may finally be coming to end because she is now swimming from one end of the pool to the other end by herself!!! She will also continue to get swimming lessons throughout the school year at her preschool from Swim Gym because her school offers swimming twice a week as part of her curriculum. I believe she needs the practice and consistency to improve. This might be why her swimming has progresses slowly since after the summer is over I typically do not take her to many water activities. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!


Additional information on the instructor and schools mentioned above:


Traci Cole
http://fit4lifezenstudio.com/
(305) 796-8838
Special Savvy Hookup: 2 or more kids in private lessons at a rate of $20 per child, per lesson. Also, purchase 10 lessons and get the 11th free! Just mention the Savvy Hookup sent you.


Little Swimmers
http://www.littleswimmers.net/


Swim Gym
http://swimgym.net/main.php

Check out a free museum pass at your local library

Miami Dade public libraries have started a museum pass program months ago, I noticed that many people don't know about it and are not taking advantage of it! We are in a recession, these passes are a great way to take your children out for free.

Library Museum Pass Program
Your FREE entry to art, culture, entertainment and so much more!
Miami-Dade Public Library System proudly presents the Museum Pass! Just visit your nearest branch library, see staff for availability and use your library card to check out a museum pass. The Museum Pass offers patrons FREE admission for a family of four to the Deering Estate at Cutler, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, HistoryMiami, Miami Art Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Fruit & Spice park, and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
.

How the pass works: Pass is good for up to a family of four. Pass is good for one visit. Pass is not renewable or available for reserve. Pass is valid for seven days from the time of check out. Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pass will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Only one pass may be checked out at a time. Museums may apply restrictions including blackout dates or separate admission to special event/exhibits. Here's how to get it, Miami has 49 libraries. Each library has for each attractions only 1 pass per library. Go on www.mdpls.com on your top left you will click on "LIBRARY CATALOG". Under search you type "MUSEUM PASS PROGRAM". Then it will pop up the 7 attractions, you click on the one you want to check out & it will show you the 49 libraries, and which library has the pass. The libraries re-up on the passes after the 7 days are over so if you check out a Science museum pass on a Monday, the following Tuesday the pass will be available to check out again. So everyday different libraries have different passes. One library might have Art musuem, across town another library may have Miami Children's Museum. Librarians cannot hold the pass for you if you call & ask them to(believe me I have called & begged!!). Sometimes if you show up to a library a little bit before they open you might see that there is already a line in front of library door of people waiting for the library to open, yes they are in demand! I have checked out Zoo Miami pass maybe 6 times, Miami Children's Museum twice. To get it I have shown up to the library 30-40 minutes before they open & stood in front of the door like i'm crazy lol. Or I drive to libraries that are kind of far like downtown, or near Opa Locka those libraries never run out of passes. The ones in Kendall, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay the most demand passes (MIami Children's, Science) run out by opening time, week after week. The library used to offer Zoo Miami, but they no longer offer it right now.