This week, a SouthernMamas subscriber will win $50 off an inflatable rental from Savannah Inflatables.

Great for children’s birthday parties, pool parties, community and corporate fund-raisers. The set up and delivery is included in the price. Available seven days a week.

Here are the giveaway rules:
# To enter to win, visit the Savannah Inflatables Web site here and tell us what item you’d rent, either comment below this post or email your answer to anne@southernmamas.com.
# Entry period closes 9 pm Thurs. June 4. We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner here Fri. June 5.
# You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to do so.

Here’s a way to encourage your budding Cousteau. The inaugural BLUE Ocean Film Festival coming to to downtown Savannah June 10-14.

The festival includes about 50 ocean films from the best of the best ocean filmmakers. Among the selection will be some kid-friendly flicks. On Sat. June 13, children’s ocean films will be shown 10:30-noon @ Trustees Theater and throughout the day at the All About The Oceans family street fair 10 am-4 pm in Oglethorpe Square.

Walt Disney Studios’ Disneynature kicks off the festival with an 8 pm June 10 screening of its first theatrical release, EARTH, a documentary that opened this year on Earth Day. The G-rated film centers on three animal families – polar bears, elephants and whales – that struggle to survive over the course of a year. James Earl Jones narrates. Admission is included in all community festival patron passes.

Other festival films that may appeal to kids include “Ice Bears of the Beaufort” and “Saving Luna.” Click here for a schedule of films.

Inspire your tween to follow their ocean-exploring dreams @ the FREE Career Paths Insights workshops for young adults on Sat. June 13 at Telfair’s Jepson Center for the Arts. The workshops feature talks with Brian Skerry, National Geographic underwater photographer; Fabien Cousteau, Ocean Explorer and Advocate; Paul Gasek, Executive Producer Discovery Networks show including “Deadliest Catch”; Dr. Emory Kristoff, National Geographic photographer, filmmaker and ocean explorer.

Patron passes and individual tickets for the event can be purchased through the SCAD box office. Individual tickets will be $8 for the public and $6 for students or seniors. Some events are FREE including National Geographic Explorer Brian Skerry’s Ocean Wild Photography Exhibit on display at Red Gallery throughout the festival.

Tickets for the general public are available here. 912-525-5050.

Every now and then, a SouthernMamas fan asks me “Do people really win your weekly giveaways?”

YES! Every week.

I’d love to post pictures of each and every one of our winners wearing or taking part in their win. Here’s one: The Aultman family recently won a SouthernMamas giveaway: $300 gift certificate from Taproot Photography.

The Aultmans just had their photo session. Above is a sweet photo from their shoot. See more on the Taproot blog.

Grand opening party @ Bouncing Angels, the indoor inflatable play center, 2123 E. Victory Drive
Fri. May 29-Sun. May 31
Half-price admission, music, candy, prizes, free popcorn. Elmo is expected to visit. Call ahead to find out when.
912.691.8797

Family fun day @ Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Pooler
Sat. May 30
Special admission rate of $20 for a family of our.
Children can participate in a history scavenger hunt throughout the museum. Prizes.
FREE showings of “My Dog Skip” @ 10 AM, noon & 2 PM
912.748.8888

Saturday Explorations @ The Aquarium (SEA) Programs @ UGA Marine Education Center & Aquarium on Skidaway Is.
1pm-4pm Sat. May 30
For all ages. Fishing clinic. Bring a rod and reel, they’ll provide the bait.
Cost: $10/person. Fee includes admission to the aquarium.
Pre-registration required.
30 Ocean Science Circle
912.598.3474 or email fish@uga.edu

Free parent-and-tot Make A Joyful Noise music class preview @ White Bluff Presbyterian Church, 10710 White Bluff Road
Sat May 30
9-9:30 AM: Family Music for Toddlers (18m – 2 yr)
9:45-10:15 AM: Twist & Turn ( 3 – 5 year olds)
10:30 – 11:15 AM: Music Makers: 5 – 7 year olds
For more info, click here.Contact Vicki @ MakeAJoyfulNoiseMusicStudio@comcast.net or call 912.920.6542.

“Hubba Hubba” @ Savannah Children’s Theatre, 2160 E. Victory Drive
A program presented by the Teen Theatre.
Cost: $10-$12
912.238.9015

Hilton Head/Bluffton area

Parents’ Night Out @ The Island Playground, 1538 Fording Island Rd. Suite 104, Bluffton near HHI bridge
5:30-9:30 PM Sat. May 30
Drop off your child @ this indoor playground featuring inflatable fun. Kids will participate in free play, staff-led fitness games, arts & crafts, movie & pizza dinner. Potty-trained children ages 3 and older are welcome.
Space is limited. Advanced registration required.
Cost: $25 per child includes pizza & drink
The playground will be closed to the public starting @ 5 PM
843.837.8383

Music & entertainment @ The Salty Dog Cafe @ South Beach Village. A guitar-player performs 7 nights a week, 5- 9 PM in May and 6-10 PM June. Cappy the Clown will be at the Salty Dog Cafe 7-9 PM Friday – Monday. Click here for entertainment info.

Sing-along legend Gregg Russell plays for free under the Liberty Oak @ Harbour Town
8-9:30 PM. Sun-Fri May-Sept (dates vary call 843.842.1979 to confirm.)

Kate Faford, Nikki Smith & Heather Alkire!!

Congratulations. Each wins $25 tickets to the Savannah Derby Devils’ 2009 Roller Girl Boot Camp taking place June 7-12.

For those who didn’t win, but still want to partake: The boot camp is Sunday through Friday evenings (Excluding Wednesday) @ Garden City Gym, 160 Wheat Hill Rd. (Off Hwy. 21 behind Groves High School). To register, click here or contact Felony Melanie at felonymelanie@rocketmail.com. Cost is $20 early bird expires May 31; $25 late registration. On site registration available through June 9.

Date night is back – thanks to The Sandbox.

The interactive children’s museum on Hilton Head Island is now hosting WEEKLY “Parent’s Night Out – Kid’s Night In” programs at their 18 A Pope Avenue location. The program will be 6-9 PM Wednesday nights during June, July and August.

Can you say marriage-saver? And it’s available for tourists and residents.

It’s for children 3 to 9 years of age (all children must be potty trained) and includes a pizza dinner, summer arts and crafts projects, supervised play throughout the hands-on museum and take home toy for each child.

Cost: $30 per child, with a reduced $25 fee for siblings and Sandbox Members.

Eventually, local restaurants will provide discounts to parents dining out on these evenings. A complete list of dining partners will be included on The Sandbox’s website here. Release forms may also be downloaded from the website.

Call 843.842.7645 for more info or to make a reservation.

You always wanted to try a parent-and-me early childhood music program with your little one.
This summer’s your chance.
Attend a FREE demo Make A Joyful Noise music class Sat. May 30. Here’s the schedule:
9-9:30 AM: Family Music for Toddlers (18m – 2 yr)
9:45-10:15 AM: Twist & Turn ( 3 – 5 year olds)
10:30 – 11:15 AM: Music Makers: 5 – 7 year olds

Vicki Mills, who has a masters in vocal performance and more than 20 years of experience teaching children, offers the Make A Joyful Noise early childhood music program.

Summer classes include:
Music for Toddlers: 18m – 3 year olds
Cycle of Seasons/Twist & Turn: 3 – 5 year olds
Music Makers: 5 – 7 year olds
Sounds of Praise: Intro to Choir 7 – 15 yr olds
August Camp: Sounds of Praise 7 – 15 yr olds starts Aug. 3-7

Make A Joyful Noise also will hold auditions in June for Sounds of Praise Children’s Choir, noon-2 PM Sat. May 30-June 6; 6-8 PM June 4. Pre-register here. The 2009-2010 Choral Season begins September 10th

The classes and choir audtitions are @ White Bluff Presbyterian Church, 10710 White Bluff Road on Savannah’s Southside.

To find out more about summer class times and to register, click here.Contact Vicki @ MakeAJoyfulNoiseMusicStudio@comcast.net or call 912.920.6542.

A free family film fest begins in June and runs through August.
Starting in mid-June, you and the kids can see selected G & PG movies at 10 AM each Tuesday & Wednesday at Savannah Stadium 10 theater at Savannah Mall. FREE. It’s on a first come, first serve basis.
What a great way to spend a hot weekday morning. This would make a great outing for moms groups.
Tickets for Regal’s 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at the theater’s box office on the day of the show. Click here for schedule of movies.

Wouldn’t you love to have a kickin’ nickname and hot bod, courtesy of Roller Derby? This week, two SouthernMamas readers will win $25 tickets to the Savannah Derby Devils’ 2009 Roller Girl Boot Camp taking place June 7-12.

The boot camp week offers women ages 18 and older an unconventional kind of fitness program and an outlet for all your mommy stress. Not only do you get to try the fastest-growing, full-contact sport for women, but you also get a moniker like Felonie Melonie. No mad skating skills necessary; just a passion for playing hard.

You never know who’s gonna fall in love with roller derby, says Derby girl “Fear Abby.” A few mamas on the team can’t live without it. And their husbands are so proud to brag about their rollergirl wives.

The boot camp is Sunday through Friday evenings, June 7-12 (Excluding Wednesday) @ Garden City Gym, 160 Wheat Hill Rd. (Off Hwy. 21 behind Groves High School)

Here are the giveaway rules:
# To enter to win, tell us your desired roller derby nickname and your real name either by commenting below this post or emailing the info to anne@southernmamas.com.
# Entry period closes 9 pm Thurs. May 28. We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner here Fri. May 29.
# You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to do so.

At Roller Girl Boot camp, you can freshen up your roller skating skills, get a challenging workout, learn the basics of roller derby and other skills needed to join the Savannah Derby Devils. Men interested in roller derby refereeing are also encouraged to register.

Can’t wait for the giveaway? For info on the bootcamp or to register, click here or contact Felony Melanie at felonymelanie@rocketmail.com. Cost is $20 early bird expires May 31; $25 late registration. On site registration available through June 9.

SouthernMamas has you covered with a list of kid-friendly spots that are open on Memorial Day, Mon. May 25. Click on the link to get address and contact info.

Starlight  Pottery, Open Memorial Day, 10 AM-6 PM New location a block from former location. Click here.
Bouncing Angels, the indoor inflatable play center: Open Memorial Day 10 AM-8 PM.
Skukuzoo indoor jungle playground with tubes, mazes and ball pools, indoor mini-golf, Savannah Mall. Open Memorial Day, 10 AM-9 PM
Oatland Island Wildlife Center Open Memorial Day 10 AM-4 PM.
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Open Memorial Day, 9AM-5 PM
Old Fort Jackson, cannon demonstrations at 10 AM, 2 PM & 4 PM. Open Memorial Day, 9 AM-5 PM
Roundhouse Railroad Museum Open Memorial Day, 9 AM-5 PM
Jepson Center for the Arts, includes the children’s ArtZeum. Open Memorial Day 10 AM-5 PM)
Fort McAllister Historic Park, Richmond Hill. Open Memorial Day 8 AM-5 PM)

Hilton Head/Bluffton area

The Sandbox, An Interactive Children’s Museum, 18A Pope Ave., HHI
Open Memorial Day, 10 AM-5 PM.

The Island Playground, indoor playground featuring inflatable fun & creative play, near the HHI bridge on the Bluffton side. Open Memorial Day, 10 AM-5 PM

Leo Hart Tedder & Martha Bryant

I dread saying goodbye to my son’s beloved first teachers this week when school ends. So much so I wrote about it in my regular Sunday column. Read it here.

My son loved his first year at First Presbyterian Preschool in Ardsley Park with Ms. Martha (pictured here with my son) & Ms. Laura. I’m am so thankful to the staff there for making him feel so welcome.

Great thank-you gift idea for teachers

How I wish I had thought of this great teacher thank-you gift from the darling blog tutus & turtles: a picture of all the classmates holding up letters to spell out “thank you” to your child’s teachers.

The idea is to give your amazing teachers a copy of the image pictured here and a small book in which each child has a page with their picture and their thoughts on why they love their teacher and what their teacher does that makes them laugh. Great suggestion for those who still have time to get it done before summer begins.

Want to get the word out about your business, while also helping the community? Consider making a donation from your business to auction off at an online fundraising auction to promote childhood literacy.

Proceeds from the Ferst Things First online auction, set for the first two weeks of October 2009, will benefit The Chatham County branch of the Ferst Foundation for Childhood Literacy.

The Ferst Foundation aims to instill a love of books and a readiness to learn to read in all Georgia preschoolers by providing registered children with a free, age-appropriate book mailed to their home every month from birth to age 5. There is no cost to the families of registered children – all costs are covered by the local Community Action Team in each county. The cost of the program is approximately $36 per child per year.

At The Ferst Things First online auction, anyone and everyone will be able to bid on auction items. I will be working on publicizing the auction as widely as possible and will, of course, mention our donating sponsors at every opportunity.

Some wonderful SouthernMamas sponsors have already donated auction items including a $100 gift card from Just for Baby & More; Kindermusik sessions; photography sessions from LeeAnn Ritch Photography, Taproot Photography; a Kate Rees outfit; and more.

Donations are being spotlighted on a Web site that will be updated as more donations come in. Click here.

If you want to donate to the auction, email me at anne@southernmamas.com or contact auction organizer Ashley Waldvogel Gaddy at ashleygaddy@comcast.net or call 912.507.6721

Jennifer Hodge!
Congratulations. Jennifer wins a free 6-week Early Goals soccer summer session from  Savannah Celtic

If you want to sign up your baby Beckham, the Early Goals program will be June 9-July 21 @ a new location – the fields @ the corner of Bee Rd and Washington, 3000 Bee Road across from Grayson Stadium. Practices are approx. 30-45 minutes. Session cost: $50.
Select from one of these days:
Tuesday 5:15 pm for 3 year olds
Tuesday 9:30 am mixture of 3 & 4
Thursday 5:15 pm for 4 year olds

Sign up for the Savannah Celtic summer session by calling 912.495.9996 or click here.

Enjoy fellowship and inspiration @ a FREE 3-day parent seminar in June @ the First Baptist Church of Richmond Hill.

Learn what classical education is, why it is such an advantage to our children and how to teach and nurture them using it.

This is for parents and teachers of all grade levels desiring to practice teaching from a classical Christian perspective. Seminar facilitators love teaching the fundamentals of learning to help you bring success to your child’s education. Plan to use your brain and laugh a lot.

The Classical Education Seminar (For adults and teens) is 9 AM-4 PM Tues., June 2 — Thurs., June 4
First Baptist Church of Richmond Hill is @ 9184 Ford Ave., Hwy 144, Richmond Hill, GA 31324
(I-95 Exit 90, between I-95 and Hwy 17)

While you attend the seminar, your children can either attend a writing or art camp for $11 a day or, for children 2 and younger, there’s a nursery.

Registration is required. Click here

I am so smitten with my children’s portraits from Taproot Photography.

Matt & Shayna Hobbs, the husband & wife team behind Taproot Photography, have a gift for putting children at ease, even my shy Hart, 2, and Francie, 5 months.  Not one forced smile. Not one “say cheese.” Not one toddler meltdown.

As Matt writes on the Taproot blog, “90 percent our sessions with kids are usually very easy for the parents. We’re almost like hiring babysitters to take pictures of your children.”

So true. The Hobbs made the session fun and comfortable. As a result, I have oodles of sweet shots of Hart & Francie and the difficult task of figuring out which ones to order. A terrific problem to have!

But I’ll be quiet now and let the photos speak for themselves. Check out the slideshow below, too.

Taproot’s Matt & Shayna Hobbs recently moved to Savannah. How lucky are we? Contact Taproot Photography via email @ mail@taprootphotography.com or call 229.848.7033.

Keep up with the Hobbs and see more of their work on their blog.

Savannah folks typically opt for Tybee over Hilton Head. But lately, SouthernMamas has received requests from readers who are Tybee-weary and want to make the trek to Hilton Head for a day @ the beach.

Private-access beaches

If you go, we recommend shelling out $5 for a day pass to Sea Pines Resort. You can spend the day at the beach, then grab a bite to eat at one of the Sea Pines restaurants before heading back to Savannah. The daily pass – which you can purchase at the Sea Pines Greenwood or Ocean gates – gets you access to most Sea Pines highlights.

Beach it

We recommend going to the beach @ the Sea Pines Beach Club . You’ll have access to restrooms, food service, a bar, picnic tables, showers, entertainment. The beach is attended by lifeguards and has some parking, which fills up quickly.

You can grab dinner right on the beach (without giving up your coveted parking space) @ the Surfside Grill, located at the Beach Club.

Post-beach in Sea Pines

Other Sea Pines restaurant-entertainment options:
The Salty Dog Cafe @ South Beach Village. A guitar-player performs 7 nights a week, 5- 9 PM in May and 6-10 PM June. Starting Fri. May 22, Cappy the Clown will be at the Salty Dog Cafe 7-9 PM Friday – Monday. Click here for entertainment info.

Harbour Town, children’s musician and sing-along legend Gregg Russell plays for free under the Liberty Oak 8-9:30 PM. Sun-Fri May-Sept (dates vary call 843.842.1979 to confirm.) Check out the playground at Harbour Town named after Gregg Russell, too. Here’s a list of places to eat in Harbour Town.

Public-access beaches

Not interested in going the Sea Pines route? Hilton Head has four main public entrances to the beach and pay parking is available at each.

The most popular is Coligny Beach, located at Coligny circle which intersects Pope Avenue with North and South Forest Beach Drive. Coligny Beach is across from Coligny Plaza, where you can find places to eat and shop. The beach has restrooms, water fountains, outdoor showers. Check out the legendary Tiki Hut outdoor at the neighboring Holiday Inn.

Park at the public parking lot for Coligny Beach for $4 for the day ($2 after 2:00 PM ) which allows you to come and go throughout the day with your receipt.

Click here for other public beach entrances on HHI. Most of the same beach rules apply as on Tybee except dogs are allowed on leashes BEFORE 9 AM and AFTER 5 PM between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Rain options

Don’t head directly home if your beach day is rained out. Take the kids to:
The Sandbox, An Interactive Children’s Museum, 18A Pope Ave. The museum will be open Memorial Day Mon., May 25 from 10 am-5 pm.
or
The Island Playground, an indoor playground featuring inflatable fun & creative play. 1538 Fording Island Rd, Suite 104, near the HHI bridge on the Bluffton side.

If you’re headed to Atlanta for the long holiday weekend, make plans to check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

You can catch “Moore in America,” the landmark exhibition of monumental works by famed English sculptor Henry Moore, and entertain the kids @ the delightful two-acre Children’s Garden. We were there over Mother’s Day weekend and were thrilled to catch a Mother Goose show by storyteller Betty Ann Wylie in the Children’s Garden Amphitheater.

Click here for a list of upcoming children’s activities, storytimes and performances @ the Amphitheater.

Sometimes all you can do is dance. Especially on rainy days when the kids just can’t stop moving.
Enter European Playground, which was released today (May 19). It’s the newest CD from the Putumayo Kids’ Playground series.

The collection of 15 songs has been my life-saver these past few rainy and unseasonable cold days. My son and I spend the indoor afternoons dancing, galloping, jumping and kicking to these lively and engaging tunes by contemporary artists.

Each song takes us to a different country. We sing along, even though we don’t know the language (but you can download the lyrics and their English translation here.). My son’s favorite is the bouncy Swedish tune “Trampolin” by Sas & Kopp about jumping on a trampoline with friends in the backyard. “In our garden, we have a trampoline. It’s like a very big tambourine.”

I’m partial to Alain Le Lait’s French love song of good food complete with plenty of ‘chocolat’ references and the English “Change Song” by London’s Herbie Treehead. He writes sometimes change is good, like when you change your wet socks after a rainstorm, when tadpoles change into frogs or when seeds change into plants. “We all have to change sometimes.”

You’ll also enjoy the Dutch tune by the children’s musical group De Band Krijgt Kinderen, which means “The Band Has Children.” It’s about all the things you can imagine when you play the piano “I play a pop star/I play happiness/I play fierce, tender, sad.” I play we’re traveling through Europe without even leaving the house, thanks to this spirited music.

Sample a few of the tunes from European Playground here and get ready to bounce.

This is the weekend to head to Charleston, SC.

It’s the kickoff of Piccolo Spoleto, which starts this Fri. May 22 in Charleston and is the official outreach festival to Spoleto. The festival is a fun, laid-back, kid-friendly time featuring music, dance, parades, story-telling and more.

Saturday’s events include a wonderful-sounding Children’s Festival in downtown Charleston complete with Dance Carolina performing Alice in Wonderland; Robert Ivey Ballet performing The Velveteen Rabbit; The Electric Company’s breakdancing; Panjamdrum Steel Band and more.

Plus jump castles, pony rides, and even gymnastics. There’s also the zany Seed & Feed Marching Abominable Band from Atlanta, Georgia, dressed in their kooky outfits. The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry will help kids make colorful kites, wind socks and more. Click here for festival location info.

Piccolo Spoleto includes a FREE outdoor family-friendly symphony concert, 8-9:30 pm Fri. May 22 @ the US Customs House, Concord and Market streets in downtown Charleston.

The festival runs May 22-June 7.

Savannah Celtic is giving away a free 6-week Early Goals soccer summer session.

The Early Goals program normally costs $50. But this week, a SouthernMamas reader will win a session that includes six-weeks of once-a-week soccer lessons, a practice T-shirt and end-of-season medal and certificate.

The summer session will be June 9-July 21 @ a new location – the fields @ the corner of Bee Rd and Washington, 3000 Bee Road across from Grayson Stadium. Practices are approx. 30-45 minutes.
Days:
Tuesday 5:15 pm for 3 year olds
Tuesday 9:30 am mixture of 3 & 4
Thursday 5:15 pm for 4 year olds
If you can’t make any of those day, please don’t enter to win the giveaway.

Here are the giveaway rules:
# To enter to win,  tell us one thing you hope to do this summer. Comment below. Don’t forget to tell us your name.
# Entry period closes 9 pm Thurs. May 21. We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner here Fri. May 22.
# You have to be a SouthernMamas subscriber and a SOUTHERNMAMAS FACEBOOK FAN to participate. Subscribing is free. Click here to do so. So is becoming a SouthernMamas fan. Click here to become our fan.

Can’t wait for the giveaway? Sign up for the Savannah Celtic summer session by calling 912.495.9996 or click here.