Let the Neighborhood Games Begin

Beginning August 8 and stretching over 17 days, the world’s greatest athletes will converge in Beijing, China to compete in the Olympic Games. The rest of us will either take no notice, or watch some of the spectacle on TV.

But why should all the hubbub be reserved for the mighty elite? Wouldn’t you like a little spectacle on your own street? Why not gather the kids and share a festival of “Olympic” events with the whole neighbor-hood! It isn’t necessary to be competitive, or even coordinated, to have a grand time playing straightforward games like whiffle ball and soccer, or classic childhood favorites like Kick the Can, Mother May I and SPUD. It’s easy to change the rules for basketball and other games to make them silly and fun for even the least-skilled participants.

Have bicycle races, bubble-blowing contests (soap or chewing gum), and find out who can read the most books in two weeks. Swim laps or dive for coins at the local pool. If it rains, play balloon volleyball in the house.

You can hold opening and closing ceremonies by singing the national anthem, doing some celebratory dancing and providing lots of good eats. Make construction-paper prize ribbons for good sports, heroic efforts and first place finishes.

When you can’t remember how to play Ghost in the Graveyard, or if you want to learn a new game, look it up at gameskidsplay.net.

Home-grown “Olympic” games will get your children moving and playing. After all, nobody wants his kid to be a gold medalist in TV Tag.

Learning to Smile Again

Chad Bonadonna, 15, is a 10th grader at West Point High School who likes traveling, boating and playing video games. He is also a youth volunteer with the Bon Secours Hampton Roads bereavement group, Kidz-N-Grief, where he counsels children who have lost someone close to them due to illness, accident, suicide and war. And he is now a published author on the subject.

Chad’s book, Good Grief, is the story of a 10-year-old boy whose father has died. Chad created “Good Grief” believing that young readers will find comfort in the knowledge other kids are going through the same complicated feelings of fear and sadness. He hopes that his book will help children to know that “even though the person that they have lost is not with them physically, that they will always be a part of their lives.”

The young author chose Richmond Parents Monthly’s own graphic artist Ryan T. Hooley to illustrate the book. “I liked his work right away,” Chad explained in an email. “It’s edgy without being too extreme.” He continued, “Ryan did a great job in the facial expressions of the main character going from despair to acceptance and moving forward.”

Chad’s empathy and expertise come from his own grief at losing his father to cancer. Kidz-N-Grief was there to support him through the difficult adjustment, but he discovered that there were no insightful books especially for boys. When his mother told him to write one, “Good Grief” was born.

Chad Bonadonna is donating all proceeds from the sale of his book to the American Cancer Society and to Bon Secours’ children’s bereavement program. The book is available online at xlibris.com/bookstore and will be available at selected local booksellers.

Hair Today, Trim Tomorrow

Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you’ve been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer and the kids are beginning to look a bit shaggy.

Lucky for you, those back-to-school haircuts can be yet another tool for teaching the virtue of charity to your children, because for every child who gets his tresses trimmed from August 1-15, Hair Cuttery will donate a free haircut to a disadvantaged child in the community.

Hair Cuttery partners with local social service agencies to provide back-to-school haircuts to children in need. Over the years, more than 380,000 haircuts have been donated.

There are many Hair Cuttery locations throughout Virginia. Find a salon near you by visiting haircuttery.com.

Check Out the School Bus

Thinking of sending your tiny child on the big, yellow, smoke-belching school bus in September might make you a little nervous. Her, too. Give your child a chance to adjust to the idea by getting a close look at a parked bus at a local library.

Several Henrico County libraries will help children entering kindergarten get used to “riding the cheese” by offering tours and les-sons on how to be safe when riding the bus. Children can practice getting on and off, and each child will receive a bookmark and a school bus cut-out to take home.

Aug. 6, 1 p.m. Dumbarton 6800 Staples Mill Rd.

Aug. 12, 2 p.m. Twin Hickory 5001 Twin Hickory Rd.

Aug. 13, 2 p.m. Tuckahoe 1901 Starling Dr.

Aug. 25, 10:30 a.m. Fairfield 1001 N. Laburnum Ave.

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