Programs for Families
We know that family time is precious time. We also know that with all the stresses of our daily lives, creating time with your family that’s both fun and educational is of utmost importance. At the CFEC, we’ve created programs that are designed to bring parent and child together in a playful and educational way.
Star Glazers
pottery painting family fun!
Ceramics gets children in touch with nature, feeling the earth, understanding where clay comes from, and even allows children the opportunity to explore early chemistry and physics – how clay changes when it is fired, how glazes change color and mix to form new colors. Playdough is rolled up and packed away when playtime is over, but with pottery children can create pieces that are kept forever. This fosters a child’s self-esteem and children see themselves as capable of engaging in a truly purposeful activity. Join us for some pottery family fun – think Valentines Day gift-giving!
- Saturday, March 10th
- Open Studio format: drop in any time between 10:00 & 12:00
- Age appropriateness: 1 year and up
- Cost: pieces start at $8, plus a $2 studio fee
- To register, please e-mail ann@starglazers.com
*If you didn’t learn of this event until less than 48 hours prior, please call u591-2332 to confirm that it is still being held.
Whale of a Tale
interactive story time
Instill the love of reading within your child from infancy upward by participating in our multi-sensory story hour. Weekly themes incorporate story telling, singing, and rhyming. The many benefits of reading to children include increased attention spans, enhanced vocabulary development, and curiosity – a trait that must be fostered in young children or they will never acquire it. Many children who are read to begin reading on their own without any formal instruction. Come with your “listening ears” on!
- Birth to 5 years
- Thursdays; 10:30-11:00
- bilingual story time with Miss Aimee!
Week 1: Elephants Have Wrinkles
Week 2: Hugs & Kisses
Week 3: Caring & Sharing
Week 4: Snowball Fight!
Cost: Complimentary
*No need to register, just show up!
Chatterpillar
multilingual play groups
Guten Morgen! Bonjour! Hola! Young children acquire language at an astonishing rate, beginning in infancy. By the time they’re 24 months old they’re actually ready to acquire a 3rd and even 4th language! With this in mind, the CFEC is hosting weekly foreign language play groups. Don’t know the language? No problem! You and your child will be immersed in target language play, a fun and effective way to learn a language, for both of you! Don’t be shy, give it a try!
- German play group: on hiatus for the Winter Term
- French play group - Wednesdays @ 9:30
*Please check our Facebook page before attending to avoid cancellations.
*If you speak another language and would like to serve as a play group coordinator please contact Bridget for possible inclusion in our Chatterpillar play times.
Tiny Tunes
musical play
This joyful class of musical play incorporates songs from all over the world emphasizing many different cultures. The use of simple musical instruments and free expression dance encourages tempo and rhythm awareness. Singing, rhythmical music games and finger-play enhance the development of your child’s cognitive, motor, and memory skills and promote freedom to experiment all the wonders of sound, improving listening skills, concentration, and self-esteem. We’ll shake, rattle, and roll!
- Ages: Birth to 5 years - an option for families with 1 or more children
- Mondays, Jan. 2 – Mch. 5 (Class Code: TT3); 10:30-11:15
- Saturdays, Jan. 7 – Mch. 10 (Class Code: TT4); 12:30-1:15 - open for FlexPass users
- 10-week Winter Term
*For classes broken down into smaller age groups, such as Birth to 14 Months or 15 to 23 Months, click here to register on the “For Kids” page
Cost: $100 per term; $150 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Tiny Tunes ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Tiny Tunes ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Tiny Tunes ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Tiny Tunes ($135, Two people, Members)
Signing Safari!™
more signing, less whining!
Join your child in singing, signing, playing, & rhyming! Research shows that once hearing babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are taught to sign their brains actually become more developed! Early childhood benefits include preverbal communication, earlier speech development, larger vocabularies, enhanced intellectual development, enhanced literacy skills, and less frustration (less crying, fewer tantrums!). Children can “talk” with their hands as early as 9 months! Why whine when you can sign?!
- Ages: 6 to 20 months
- Wednesdays, Jan. 4 – Mch. 7 (Class Code: SS1)
- 10-week Winter Term; 11:30-12:15 - open for FlexPass users
- Ages: 21 to 35 months
- Wednesdays, Jan. 4 – Mch. 7 (Class Code: SS2)
- 10-week Winter Term; 9:30-10:15 -open for FlexPass users
- Ages: 6 to 35 months
- Saturdays, Jan. 7 – Mch. 10 (Class Code: SS3) - FULL
- 10-week Winter Term; 9:30-10:15
Cost: $115 per term for one child; $165 for 2 children (fee includes a Signing Safari children’s DVD of your choice)
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering, along with how many parents will be attending if you’ve chosen a Saturday class.
Register for Signing Safari!™ ($115.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Signing Safari!™ ($103.5, One person, Members)
Register for Signing Safari!™ ($165.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Signing Safari!™ ($148.5, Two people, Members)
Signing in Cincy
squirrels & penguins & bears, oh my!
Do you already have a “signing star”? Imagine how much for fun your visits to local Cincinnati family favorites would be if your child’s signing vocabulary was even larger! This advanced signing class, using our familiar format of singing, signing, and rhyming, will teach all the signs your family will need to know to make your visits to the Cincinnati Zoo, Newport Aquarium, and local parks even more educational and entertaining!
- Ages: 12 months through 3 years
- Wednesdays, Jan. 4 – Mch. 7 (Class Code: SIC)
- 10-week Winter Term; 10:30–11:15
- It’s strongly recommended that your child has participated in 1-2 sessions of the Signing Safari class prior to attending this advanced version.
Cost: $100 per term for one child; $150 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Signing in Cincy ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Signing in Cincy ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Signing in Cincy ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Signing in Cincy ($135, Two people, Members)
Imagination Station
art exploration
Encourage your child to release their inner creativity during our weekly story-themed art classes. We’ll explore with a wide variety of mediums, such as paint, clay, sand, products from nature, and everyday recyclable items. Giving your child the freedom to express themselves artistically enhances their cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, manual dexterity, and sensory awareness. Watch their self-esteem blossom as your child is encouraged to let their imagination run wild! (and no clean-up time for you!)
- Ages: 18 months to 5 years
- Wednesdays, Jan. 4 – Mch. 7 (Class Code: IS1) open for FlexPass users
- Saturdays, Jan. 7 – Mch. 10 (Class Cose: IS2)) open for FlexPass users - CLOSED JAN. 21 DUE TO ICE
- 10-week Winter Term; 10:30 – 11:15
Cost: $100 per term; $150 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Imagination Station ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Imagination Station ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Imagination Station ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Imagination Station ($135, Two people, Members)
Family Fiesta
a Spanish celebration!
Children should begin learning a second language as early as possible because a child’s brain is capable of storing different languages in different areas, something that an adult brain is incapable of. Through simple games, puppetry, and stories and songs already familiar to your child, they will easily become familiar with colors, numbers, and typical daily words and phrases. Come join our family fiesta – no sombrero needed!
- Ages: 18 months to 5 years
- Thursdays; 9:30-10:15 (Class Code: FF)
- 10-week Winter Term, Jan. 5 – Mch. 8 open for FlexPass users
Cost: $100 per term for; $150 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Family Fiesta ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Family Fiesta ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Family Fiesta ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Family Fiesta ($135, Two people, Members)
Animal Action
family fitness fun!
No time to exercise? Our new parent-child fitness class gives you the opportunity to get in shape while having fun monkeying around with your child! We’ll wiggle like worms, balance like flamingos, hop like frogs, and stomp like elephants as we encourage our little ones to express themselves creatively with the help of animals from all around the world. So get your (dolphin) tails ready to dive on into Animal Action!
- Ages: 2 to 5 years
- Fridays, Jan. 6 – Mch. 9 (Class Code: AA1); 10:30-11:15
- Saturdays, Jan 7 – Mch. 10 (Class Code: AA2); 1:30-2:15
- 10-week Winter Term
Cost: $100 per term; $105 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Animal Action ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Animal Action ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Animal Action ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Animal Action ($135, Two people, Members)
Cupcake Kids
finger lickin’ fun!
Designed to accommodate our littlest chefs, each up-to-your-elbows-in-fun cooking class is designed to familiarize children with diverse foods, provide an opportunity to learn about where food comes from (besides the supermarket!), and to show that healthy eating can be fun and tasty! Each class your culinary cutie will practice their math, motor, sensory, and social skills as they learn how to measure, mix, pour, and create age-appropriate recipes. Cooking is hands-on yummy fun which gives children the self-confidence and independence to sample new things and explore new tastes. As we “stir up” a delicious mix of culinary and educational fun-damentals for all, perhaps you’ll begin to notice less power struggles about eating at home!
- Ages: 2 to 5 years
- Thursdays, Jan.5 – Mch. 8; (Class Code: CK)
- 10-week Winter Term; 11:30–12:15 open for FlexPass users
Cost: $120 per term; $190 for 2 children (includes a $20/child cooking supplies fee)
*This class may contain nuts – no pun intended! No, seriously, if your child has food allergies, please enroll them in a different class. We have lots to choose from!
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering.
Register for Cupcake Kids ($120.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Cupcake Kids ($108, One person, Members)
Register for Cupcake Kids ($190.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Cupcake Kids ($171, Two people, Members)
Signing for Success
an advanced signing adventure!
Which language is the most fun to learn? American Sign Language! Whether you’ve been a Signing Safari pro since babyhood or you’re a newbie, our Signing for Success class will be “hand”-fuls of fun! This advanced signing adventure includes imaginary play, singing, storytelling, and rhythmical music games, all of which enhance the development of a child’s cognitive, motor, and memory skills. The ASL alphabet and number system will be learned and reinforced through real-life role-play. Research proves that young children who sign develop enhanced writing, spelling, and beginning reading skills due to memory and comprehension improvement, increasing their communication and academic success! So “sign” up today!
- Ages: 30 months to 4 years
- Saturdays, Jan. 7 – Mch. 10 (Class Code: SFS)
- 10-week Winter Term; 10:30-10:15
- It’s strongly recommended that your child has participated in at least 2 sessions of the Signing Safari and/or Signing in Cincy classes prior to attending this advanced version.
Cost: $100 per term for one child; $150 for 2 children
*Please include your Class Code & phone # when registering, along with how many parents will be attending.
Register for Signing for Success ($100.00, One person, Non-Members)
Register for Signing for Success ($90, One person, Members)
Register for Signing for Success ($150.00, Two people, Non-Members)
Register for Signing for Success ($135, Two people, Members)
*WINTER TERM SPECIAL!
Register for any two 9-week classes and receive a 3rd one of your choice for 1/2 price! (sorry, but this doesn’t apply to Playful Learning classes)
Don’t need a 3rd class? Give it as a gift to a friend who hasn’t been to the CFEC before with our compliments!
• No need to register here, but during the PayPal process for your second class registration, please let us know you’d like to participate in a 3rd class by noting it in the “comments” box. If you’re giving it as a gift, please give us the name of your friend and have them send us an e-mail with their class selection.
Gift Certificates
Experiences are such amazing gifts! Think of all the ways a CFEC gift certificate could be used: a Tummy Time class for a shower gift, a children's series as a birthday present, a parent workshop for a spouse, a membership for a friend. And as a thank you to the purchaser, you'll receive one free class of your choice! Stop by the center today to pick one up for your next special event.
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.”
— Kay Redfield Jamison
Parent Testimonials
I would like to have my son's first birthday party at the CFEC since he has spent most of his life up to this point at the center taking classes. You all have done such a wonderful job with him, this is a great way for me to continue to support the center!
— Taisha
I LOVE the CFEC! Saturday mornings are such a treat for me and Piper! You should be so so so proud of the Center and the people who work there. They are all so nice and I truly feel like I’m visiting my friend’s house every time I go. It’s so cozy and inviting!
— Amanda
I told my husband that CFEC is just a place that you know you want to be a part of as soon as I walked in the door...you can feel that you just do good things. I could feel the warmth of friendship, support, and a real sense of nurturing. I just left feeling like I had to be more involved.
— Stephanie
Thank you for making me feel so welcome during our first visit last Thursday! It was great to be able to spend time focused on Ivy while Emory played happily in a new place. Your center is so bright and beautiful and we really enjoyed storytime and then some time in the sunny weather out on the deck.
— Michelle
Thanks so much for your comforting and encouraging words this morning. I'm not sure what I would do without you and the CFEC. Really!!
— carolyn