Model behavior Want appreciative children? Show them what “thankful” looks like By Lynne Mulligan This column usually includes ideas for seasonal activities you can do with your children. But during this month of Thanksgiving, instead of creating activities that might encourage your children to be thankful, try modeling thankful behavior. So many of our days [...]

Haunted happenings On the job with Tennessee’s own “ghost hunters” By Amy Petulla With the explosion in the popularity of shows like Ghost Hunters, I thought it would be appropriate, for my annual Halloween story, to share with you some tales told to me by some of Chattanooga’s very own ghost hunters, the folks at [...]

This is a test By Billy Baker Photo courtesy of the Jukebox Junction I’m a professional clown; I’ve been doing it all my life. If I ever have to grow up, I’m going to be out of a job. In God’s job description, he allows clowns to be a 3- or 4-year-old child at a [...]

Going to the birds Grab your flock, take a walk, and explore the world of feathered friends Story and photos by Matt Lea With the scorching days of summer being replaced by the cool breezes of fall, now is a great time to start thinking about interesting and economical ways for your family to enjoy [...]

Museums, matchmaking and the new media Do kids and the arts require a high-tech connection? By Janis Hashe One of the biggest concerns shared by traditional arts organizations is the “graying” of their audiences or visitors. How to reach out and include teenagers and kids is a subject of discussion for boards of directors across [...]

Vacuumusing… Promises, promises By Tara Williams To me, there are few things more exciting than an empty spiral bound notebook; pair that with a pack of new pens and, my goodness, the possibilities are endless! I love this time of year…an abundant selection of school supplies in every store, a clean slate of potential stretched [...]

Chattanooga-area teaching artists Not all children are lucky enough to have access to art lessons through their schools. For other children, the hour a week they may spend in school art class just isn’t enough to satisfy their creative spirit. And then there are the children who want to learn something a little different from [...]

Picnic paints Hot summer art fun with ketchup, mustard and fruit pops By Liza Blair Summer is a great time to pack a picnic, take the kids outside and find a place where everyone can play and relax together. So why not use this time to do a little bit of painting? Using some items [...]

Create.  Discover.  Explore. Reinvent the family walk By Alison Butt These days we’re all looking for ways to keep our families active and introduce more exercise into our lives. But sometimes it’s difficult to generate enough excitement to make everyone want to get up and go. Maybe it’s time for a rethink of the type [...]

Beyond Kumbaya Specialty camps target budding artists, athletes and more By Janis Hashe Believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about summer camp again. Our area is especially rich in camp opportunities of all kinds—so how do you and your child choose? First, are you looking at sleepaway (resident) or day camps? According [...]