What's summer without ice cream? It is generally thought that the invention of the ice cream cone happened on July 23,1904 at the World's Fair in St Louis when a waffle, which was sole separately, was rolled and filled with ice cream.
You can join in the fun and make your own waffle cone. To make your own waffles, try the recipes at http://tinyurl.com/26vqrgo. To make homemade ice cream try this recipe:
1/2 gallon Half and Half
1 pint Whipping Cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon Vanilla flavoring

Mix the ingredients together and then follow the cooling directions for your ice cream maker. Explore the many toppings you can add.

Cooking with your kids is a fun way to practice reading and math skills!

Special needs kids now have an amusement park that caters just to them! It is Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, where all rides are wheelchair accessible and there is even a sensory village. The park has a capacity of only 1,000 people so be sure and call ahead (210-637-3434) or go online at morganswonderland.com to get a reservation. People with special needs attend free and family members pay $5.00. What a great park to have so close to the Dallas/Ft. Worth! Enjoy!

Does your child love animals? Then Critter Camp may be the place for them this summer. The SPCA of Dallas and McKinney offer week long day camps for children 8-11. The goal of the camp is for campers to learn the basics of animal care and hear how rescue teams work to stop animal cruelty. It also teaches students how to make a difference in their own neighborhoods and communities. There are lots of activites and games to help them learn more about animals! The first session is June 7-11 and the camps run each week of summer until the week of Aug. 6th. For more information you may call 214-461-1811 or e-mail education@spca.org.

AMC Theaters and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families of children with sensory needs a way to see their favorite movies. Each month there will be a showing of "Sensory Friendly Films", which is a new program at AMC.
The movie auditoriums will have their lights on and the sound will be turned down. Families will also be able to bring in their own healthy snacks and there will be no previews. Talking will be allowed as long as it is not disruptive to others.The next showing is May 22 and the movie is Shrek Forever After. In June there is a showing of Toy Story 3. Theaters that are participating in the Dallas area include AMC Stonebriar 24 in Frisco and AMC Firewheel in Garland.

Autism is a developmental disability that affect's a person's ability to communicate. It is a "spectrum disorder" that is defined by a set of behaviors. Thus, it is different for each person who is diagnosed with it. It is the result of a nerological disorder that impacts the developement of social interactions and communication skills. Children and adults with autism will typically show difficulty in verbal and non-verbal communitation, social interactions, and leisure play.
In December of 2009 a report was released by the U.S. government that showed that autism is prevalent in 1 out 110 births in the U.S. and almost 1 in 70 are boys.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADDM autism prevalence report).
Early diagnosis and intervention is crucial. Here are some signs to look for:
*Lack of or delay in spoken language
*Little or no eye contact
*Difficulty in initiating or substaining play with peers (prefers to always
play alone)
* Repeating the same language/words and/or motor movements (such as twirling,
spinning, flapping arms)
*Fixating on parts of an object

If you think your child has these characteristics, please see your physician. There are no medical tests for autism but they can help and refer you to other professionals. If they are at least 3 years of age or older, you may also contact your local school or school district.