With Halloween just around the corner, the Spruce Hill Community Association has announced details for the 22nd annual Halloween Parade and Party.

The parade, where families with little tots (6 and under) are invited to show off their costumes, will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. at 45th and Larchwood (gathering will start at 4 p.m.). The parade will end on the 4200 block of Osage Ave., aka “Little Osage”, where neighbors throw their annual block party-style Halloween Party. Once the parade is over, the Tots and their families will be treated to cider and baked goods from neighbors and local businesses. There will also be plenty of trick-or-treating opportunities in the neighborhood. While walking around, make sure to stop by the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th St. for some goodie bags.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Clark Park Youth Soccer

The success of local community soccer programs depends on volunteer help. The fall season of Clark Park Youth Soccer begins on Sept. 22, and the program organizers are still looking for volunteer coaches.

It takes place on Saturdays at Clark Park, with kids ages 5 to 7 playing from 10:30 to noon, and ages 8 to 11 playing from noon to 1:30. Volunteer coaches will be asked to commit to being there most of the Saturdays through the season, until mid-November. The organizers try to assign three to four coaches to each team so that they always have backup. The program is especially in need of coaches to work with older kids from noon to 1:30 p.m.  Continue Reading

The Jewish Farm School, a Philly-based environmental education nonprofit, recently received a grant to run a series of early childhood garden-based education program in West Philadelphia. The Side Yard Seedlings program is launching May 31 and will offer a dozen sessions on weekdays and Sundays this summer and fall. Children ages 2 to 6 and their caregivers will be gathering at the Jewish Farm School garden at 50th and Cedar for 90-minute sessions to care for plants and for age-appropriate games and activities connected to the cycles of the seasons and the themes of the Hebrew calendar.  Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia is inviting parents and guardians of prospective students to Kindergarten open houses this week. During the District’s Kindergarten Open House Week, running May 7 through 11, schools across the city open their doors so that prospective students and parents can visit and get acquainted with their neighborhood schools, ask teachers and principals questions, and even register for school.

A full list of Kindergarten Open House Week events and schedules can be found online here. Children are eligible for kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year if they will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018. More information about kindergarten registration can be found here.

Science in the Park was held April 21 at Clark Park (Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Science Festival).

The Philadelphia Science Festival kicked off Friday, April 20 with tons of fun and educational events being held around the city. The goal of this annual event is to “educate, inspire, and engage the region with the science and technology that surrounds our everyday world.”

In West Philadelphia, West Philly Star Party and Science in the Park were held last weekend. This Friday (April 27), West Philly STEM-A-THON will take place at White Rock Baptist Church. More details are below.  Continue Reading

Several Easter Egg hunts will be held this weekend – at local parks, schools, churches and libraries. Check out the list below for more details. If you know of more egg hunts happening this weekend feel free to post them in the comments section below.

Saturday, March 31

West Philly Egg Hunt with 10K eggs, West Philadelphia High School (4901 Chestnut St)

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Transform Church is hosting its first annual “Epic Easter Egg Hunt” this Saturday at West Philadelphia High School. More than 400 children between the ages of 1 to 10 years old, invited from the neighborhood and area schools are registered to attend. Youth will search for over 11,000 eggs (including 300 golden eggs) in both the outdoor field and inside the gym of the school. Additional activities including face painting, games, and prizes will be held just after the egg hunts. Event registration is still open to the public. To register, email: hello@transformphilly.church or call (484) 452-4107.  Continue Reading