Toy Drive 2010

THANK YOU

for ALL your toy donations!

We had our annual Toy Drive hosted at the Summer For Kids Store on Saturday January 16th to collect new and used toys for children who are less fortunate in the Santa Barbara community.

The purpose of this toy drive was to remind children of the Santa Barbara community the principle of giving without receiving. For most children the holiday season means that new toys are on the way. After the holiday season the new toys are put to use while the old ones are left unused. Summer For Kids’ intentions for this toy drive was to encourage children to participate and donate their old toys to children in need. These children then should receive a good feeling in their heart for donating their toys to children who are less fortunate.

The children who donated toys were able to participate in painting, coloring and playdough acivities & the entire Summer For Kids Store was 10% OFF.

*Thank you Clementine Art for the soy crayon & playdough donations!*

It was so much fun to see kids and parents come and donate their toys! All the toys donated this weekend will make such difference in other kiddos lives all around Santa Barbara!

The kids thoroughly enjoyed finger painting and the art they created will be hanging in the SFK store window this week for the community to view :)

Also we would like to remind the community that there is a toy drive every day at SFK and we are happy to take toy and clothing donations any day of the week because there are always families who need these items.

THANK YOU!

www.summerforkids.com

The Book and Dvd for every parent

The Happiest Baby & Toddler On The Block!

Dr. Harvey Karp is a nationally renowned pediatrician, child development specialist and also the Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine. In pediatric practice for almost 30 years Dr. Karp has taught thousands of parents from working moms to superstars like Madonna, Michelle Pfeiffer and Pierce Brosnan, his secrets for soothing colic babies, boosting infant sleep, reducing tantrums, promoting patience and ...making parents and children happy! We are happy to announce that Summer For Kids now carries THE MUST book/ dvd for every family with babies and toddlers. Dr. Karp teaches parents how to successfully meet the needs of young children... and help them be happy! I myself have read these books and watched these dvds among other books and dvds. I can honestly say that Dr. Karp is an amazing teacher. The techniques taught in his dvd's and books truly help make our kids happy. Dr. Karp's books and dvd's have helped me tremendously by making me understand how babies and toddlers brains work. I have seen the results of Dr. Karp's techniques on my own toddler. Therefore I decided that Dr. Karp's books and dvd's belong at Summer For Kids the store that truly cares about children and their safety, well being, happiness and health. All kids deserve to be the happiest on the block! Books and Dvds are NOW available at Summer For Kids, 1235 Coast Village Road, Montecito, CA open 7 days a week from 10-5

100% of store profits are donated to CALM and Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation.

LEAD FREE LUNCHBOXES

The Danger of Lead in Lunchboxes and Bibs

Childhood lead exposure has a profound effect on developing brains. Small exposures can lead to brain damage, lowered IQ, attention deficit, and behavioral problems.

Lead has a profound ability to damage children’s intellectual and behavioral development. Children who have been exposed to higher levels of lead score lower on IQ tests than children with less exposure, they are also more impulsive and have shorter attention spans.

Since the summer of 2004, CEH ( Center of environmental health )has purchased and tested over 200 children's soft vinyl lunchboxes and found that many of them contained high levels of lead. Lead was usually found in the lining of the lunchboxes where it could come into contact with food. In addition to being a known carcinogen and reproductive toxin, lead is a neurotoxin that can cause health effects such as behavioral problems and hearing problems in children that are exposed to low levels.

Summer For Kids carries only Lunchboxes safe for our children made by Milkdot and Thermos.

Buy Bibs that are not made of vinyl. We recommend that you purchase bibs made from organically grown cotton and bamboo whenever possible. Tell your friends to do the same! If you need a bib with a waterproof layer, look for bibs that are advertised as PVC-free or vinyl-free. Nobody should have to worry about lead poisoning when a baby puts a bib into her or his mouth.

As always, Summer For Kids cares about safety of our children! Please come in and check out our selection of safe bibs and lunch boxes
Please keep your children safe!

www.summerforkids.com

PREVENTING CHILD ABUSE

Hi Friends,

We at Summer for Kids know that it has been a rough and stressful year on everyone. Between the economy and fires, our local community has been hit hard. We’d like to just say thank you for your continued support through these hard times and remind yourself of all the positive things in your life when the times are feeling rough.

Child abuse cases are on the rise, in part because of the stress parents are incurring in this economy. Not only is the number of cases rising, but the severity as well. Please don’t let your children be a part of this statistic!

Though their footprints may be small, their dreams are big and every day that their parents are happy, and optimistic, so are they. Remember in these stressful times that you are raising little ones that get their outlook on life from you. So try to remember the most important things in life: THEM. And when the going gets tough, reach out to your friends, family, and neighbors and get through it as a team. Your children are counting on you.
Please don’t let this sad story become their reality:

http://www.cbsne
ws.com/stories/2009/05/20/business/childofrecession/main5029133.shtml

If you need help please do reach out to CALM 805.965.2376 http://www.calm4kids.org/
or contact Summer For Kids and we will try to give you more resources.

Child abuse has long been recognized as the greatest threat to a child’s healthy development. Physical,
sexual and verbal abuse, as well as neglect, can result in serious problems in social, emotional, and intellectual development, and has been linked to a wide range of problems in mental health,
substance abuse, school success, and criminal involvement. 

Please do Not abuse and do Not let others
abuse our Children!

Summer Dreaming

www.summerforkids.com