Kids Will Go Bananas at Cheeky Monkeys 

We recently heard about a new play place from my other mommy friends and decided to check it out. Cheeky Monkeys is a brand from Dubai and is a soft playland and party venue that is 800 sqm big. The Philippines is the 4th country to have Cheeky Monkeys and is managed by Mommy Em and Sir Darwin. There are daily free kids activities, various party packages, a huge seating area that can accommodate 150-200 heads and a snack bar! Check out my photos of the place below:

Parents won't have to look far for party venues. They have two party rooms called Bubble and Star. Bubble can accommodate 50-60 pax while Star can hold 20-25 pax. They have all sorts of party packages like Spectacular Package, Raz-Ma-Tazz Package, Princess Package, and Pirate Package. Parents can choose from the packages and there are add-ons available for the packages. If you don't like fussing about party preps, this is the best thing to do for your kiddie party.

I really liked how spacious the place is, and how the toddler area is separate from the big kids' area. This feels like it would cause fewer accidents when kids are playing. Another thing I liked was how soft the play area is, no sharp corners and no small items that could be choking hazards. My son tried both the toddler area and the bigger playland with tunnels above my head and he had such an awesome time that he didn't even want to leave (me too, actually.) Photos of his adventures below:

The big difference for me is the snack bar inside. They have partnered with UCC and FIC for coffee and ice cream for the guests. They have a wide range of menu items, and we tried some of them during our stay. I gotta say I really liked how they thought of the parents as well, and how open they are for playdates. Mommies and daddies can reserve tables at a fee and spend the day with the kids playing. 

I didn't see any bag lockers, but there are shoe cubbies for when kids and adults enter the soft play areas. The whole place is UV Care protected by the way, and cleaned daily. Another offering is the free WIFI for visitors. And the staff is superb! All of them have trained in First Aid and all have a background in Performing Arts or Early Childhood Development. They really interact with the kids and not just stand around chatting.

They have a Weekday Summer Promo where it's only P350 for 3 hours of fun and that is already a great deal! This weekend they will have an Easter Egg Hunt event. There will also be a Summer Camp from March 11 to May 18. Visit their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information about these events and promotions. For those interested in the hours and rates, you can check here. I highly recommend Cheeky Monkeys Manila, and feel like we will be visiting a lot! 

Themed Fun Worksheets for Kids Pt. 2

Themed Fun Worksheets for Kids Pt. 2

So it's been a few months since I have been toying with the idea of homeschooling. I have been browsing through websites and blogs and checking out forums on how to go about it. My favorite online resource for worksheets for kids is still Education.com where you can join for free or join for a fee. They continually update their website's selection of printable worksheets, games, workbooks, activities, lesson plans, exercises, songs, and stories which is a big help to any beginner homeschooling mom!

I already made a post about this previously and you can check that out here. I am also inviting homeschooling parents or those wanting to homeschool to follow them on their social media: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Pinterest.

Here are some worksheet types to choose from:

• Maze
• Matching list of words with images
• Word search
• Crossword puzzle
• Word scramble
• Subtraction
• Division
• Multiplication

Spelling is spooky and fun with this worksheet! Be sure to check out Education.com for more educational resources. Below is an example of their themed worksheet for kindergarten, and if you like what you see, head over here for more!

My First Crayola Playdate and Workshop

My First Crayola Playdate and Workshop

Coloring activities are one of life's best stress-relievers and educators, it teaches both kids and adults lessons like creativity, coordination, awareness, self-expression, and confidence. I was thrilled when I was contacted by Baby Company about the My First Crayola Playdate and Workshop sponsored by Ogalala World and Richwell Trading Corporation. It was held last April 22, 2018, at the 4th Floor activity center of SM Makati. The workshop was both by invitation and also welcomed walk-ins. The event started at 2 PM and ran for 2 hours, which gave the kids plenty of time to learn and have fun.

The facilitator is Teacher Jenni S. Daez, a preschool teacher from the UP Child Development Center. She is a graduate of UP Diliman with a BS in Family Life and Child Development. Currently, she is also a Faculty Member of the Department of Family Life and Child Development of UP Diliman. This makes her an invaluable resource speaker when it comes to workshops for kids.

The program began with opening remarks from Ms. Ayra Magtibay of Richwell. Then Teacher Jenni gathered the kids to sing and dance. The kids looked so adorable singing along and trying to dance! After the song came story time, which was all about a kid discovering colors. And finally, it was coloring time! The kids used Crayola crayons and markers to show their skills as they were divided into 5 groups to facilitate teamwork and encourage sharing and fair play. My son was so excited and I helped him a bit with coloring the fish that was assigned to them. When everyone was done with their artwork, Teacher Jenni called them all up front for a group photo.

I was so happy to have my son included in a workshop like this. I'm a firm believer in how art heals and strengthens and I want my son to cultivate his artistic talents as early as now. As parents, we should encourage our children to scribble, doodle and draw. Crayola helps with this as they have coloring materials groups in stages according to age; Stage 1 for scribbling, Stage 2 for doodling, and Stage 3 for drawing. Hopefully, there will be more workshops from Ogalala and Baby Company that cater to young children and other kinds of arts and crafts. We truly enjoyed attending and we hope to join more playdates like the My First Crayola Playdate and Workshop in the future!