Wednesdays With Sylvia: Storytime, Bikes, and Balls

My granddaughter Sylvia was born in October of 2020, right in the thick of the pandemic. Because of that, our relationship has been different than the one I had with Sylvia’s older brother at the beginning of his life. I love to take my grandchildren places and see them discover the world. Because of the pandemic, my experiences with Sylvia have been altered. We’ve spent our time outside at parks, the zoo, and the Gathering Place. Most of our time together has been at her house or mine.

Now the world is reopening, and I couldn’t be happier exploring new outings and adventures with her. Wednesday mornings are my special time with Sylvia, and our recent outings have been storytime at Schusterman-Benson Library and Bikes and Balls at Whiteside Recreation Center. Wednesdays with Sylvia are becoming better and better!

Storytime

Storytime at Schusterman-Benson is back with our favorite librarian, Miss Joy. Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. is storytime for pre-schoolers, and Wednesday is baby and toddler storytime. They both begin at 9:30 before the library opens to the public. Storytime is twenty minutes long, which is the perfect amount of time for babies and toddlers.

Sylvia has been a bit tentative about getting involved but is slowly getting in the swing of things at storytime when she’s not busy telling Miss Joy about her bow (which she ripped out of her hair after about five minutes) and her new shoes. Miss Joy keeps their attention with a perfect blend of songs, movement, two books, shakers, and the grand finale of bubbles! There is something so special about watching young children discover the joy of books, and the return of this weekly event is something I have been anxiously anticipating!

Bikes & Balls

After storytime, we headed to Whiteside Recreation Center for Bikes and Balls. Bikes and Balls is open gym time for kids ages one through five on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 until 11:00. (It will not be held during Spring Break.) There is a one-dollar fee per child, which is an excellent bargain for an hour and a half of entertainment.

It was our first time attending, so I didn’t know what to expect. I took one of Sylvia’s riding toys and some balls, but it wasn’t necessary. There were plenty of balls of all sizes, riding toys, slides, and room to run free. There were about eight kids, so there was plenty of space and toys to share.

Sylvia discovered a slide that was the right size for her. She climbed up and slid down over and over. She also climbed up the slide, which I learned is a beneficial activity for kids. Climbing up strengthens the core and arm muscles. It also provides a needed risk and challenge in play which is good for kids. Attending Bikes and Balls was a fun opportunity for Sylvia to practice motor skills, burn off some energy, and begin getting used to being around other children.

I urge you to take a look at the Spring program guide for the parks in your area. I was amazed at everything Whiteside has to offer! I love my Wednesdays with Sylvia at Schusterman-Benson for storytime and Whiteside for Bikes and Balls. They’re fun grandparent and grandchild activities for us to enjoy together. Sylvia’s favorite phrase right now is “I go, I go!” and I love the fact that now I can say yes, let’s go!