Inside a gigantic twig nest, 5-year-old Colter Vincenti flaps his arms. “Help me find food,” he trills. Colter and his mom, Leora Vincenti, have come for the first time to Wildrock, a new nonprofit nature “playscape” located in northwestern Albemarle County. “It’s pretty simple,” says Vincenti. “Kids are boiling with energy and nature can absorb it.” […]
Gone are the days of a simple cap-and-gown shot. A senior portrait in 2017 means a photo that’s personal, creative and authentic. “The senior portrait is one of those historical visual documents that we come to treasure later in life,” says photographer Jen Fariello. “[It’s] become so much more real and I think that really […]
Summer’s here and it’s hot, so don’t let the risk of dehydration ruin your little one’s fun in the sun. Local pediatrician Paige Perriello offers a few tips to tell whether your child could use a gulp of water and how to keep it flowing all season long. “The first thing that kids will usually […]
On a recent Thursday, Julian Waters was giving blood while answering a magazine reporter’s questions—a typical morning of multitasking for a busy politician. But Waters isn’t your typical politician. The Western Albemarle High School senior is running for the Samuel Miller District seat on the Albemarle County School Board. The youngest person ever to do […]
After a decade spent living with a hand-me-down outdoor playhouse, Charlottesville’s RiverBluff community decided to do its children a favor and upgrade. “Originally, the community was designed with a small private playground in mind,” says RiverBluff resident Janet Evergreen, who helped spearhead the project. “So when we held our annual homeowners association potluck [in 2015], […]
Before Hannah Barnaby became a writer, she was an editor at Houghton Mifflin. It was there that the process of creating picture books first fascinated her. Yet it wasn’t until after the birth of her children that she began to read enough picture books to really understand how they worked. During the five years that […]
It’s a little odd to hear a 12-year-old talk about her “greatest focus,” but for Chloe Carpenter, who’s been dancing for nearly 10 years, that’s exactly what the sport has been. “Dance is my passion,” she says. She takes tap, lyrical and performance group classes each week at The Wilson School of Dance, which this […]
For the past 15 years, Charlottesville children’s book author Anne Marie Pace’s life has been marked by a series of leaps. First, she made the move to leave her job as a high school English teacher and become a full-time mom for the first of her three children. Then, in 2001, after her husband had […]
If you can’t put your daughter to bed without her favorite dolly, or if your son won’t go anywhere without his toy train, you’re not alone—this could be classified as an extremely intense interest, which research finds that one third of children develop in their early stages. “This was one of my favorite pieces of […]
When school lets out, capitalize on Charlottesville’s amazing camp offerings to make this summer one your kids will remember. From outdoor survival to modern dance to computer programming, the following camps are guaranteed wins. Nature and outdoors Triple C Camp An area favorite for 25 years, TCC has options for day and overnight campers ranging […]
“If you’re brought up in Charlottesville, this city is the center of the universe,” says Laura Mulligan Thomas. “It’s a great town; a wonderful place,” the long-time conductor of the Charlottesville High School Orchestra quickly adds. But when her young musicians perform further afield (in France, Italy, England and Switzerland, for example), she says it […]
While it’s important to be generous year-round, the holidays provide parents with an opportune time to teach kids about giving back, either by donating their time or goods to those in need. Here are some local ways to help out this season, from food-delivery to gift-wrapping. By Shea Gibbs and Wistar Murray Better together Mature teens […]
Charlottesville is fortunate to boast a rich local theater scene with myriad opportunities to get involved. Theatrical training is worthwhile even if you don’t have stars in your eyes; but for kids hungry for that theater life, growing up on C’ville’s stages provides the training and support they need to take their next steps. Read […]
Mountaintop Montessori’s new head of school, Patricia Colby, has spent most of her adult life working in education. From South America to California to New York, Colby’s journey to Charlottesville has been long and fascinating. After completing her undergrad work at the University of Houston, the Venezuela native pursued a doctoral degree in social psychology […]
Age 6 months: Finally sleeps through night. Age 9 months: Stops sleeping through night. Age 1: Finally sleeps through night. I mean, sometimes? Age 1.5: Can eat all allergen foods. Wait, except peanuts. No, wait, do you now introduce those before 1? Gah. Age 2: Potty trained. Just kidding. Age 3: Preschool! Everyone in household […]
“Moms deserve to have a space that is dedicated just to them.” Mary Coleman should know. As a mother of seven, she’s the entrepreneur behind Ma Spa, a new business in the Legend Building on Woodbrook Drive in Charlottesville. Ma Spa’s slogan pretty much sums it up: “Come pamper your soul.” Coleman offers moms of […]
For a young teenager, Ally Miller sure has a lot on her plate: She’s an eighth-grader at Henley Middle School, a student at the Wilson School of Dance and the CEO of her own company. In May, the then-12-year-old founded a custom cake pop company, called Pop Art By Ally, and has so far sold […]
Naming your kid is a pretty big deal. If, as they grow up, you look at them and think, “Well, you’re not a D’Artagnan at all,” it’s fairly difficult to about-face. Publishing, on the other hand, isn’t like that. So when, as we were putting together this issue, we stumbled upon a moniker that communicated […]
Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival founders, Juilliard School graduates, members of Dave Matthews Band…scroll down the list of local musicians who have played in the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia, and you won’t doubt the almost-40-year-old organization’s claim: “Music begins with us.” “We’re the only opportunity in the community for young people who play winds and […]
Urban legend goes like this: Chefs cook so much on the job, they eat simple stuff when they’re cooking at home. But what about when they get their kids involved—their ravenous but picky, ever-growing but moody kids? Three local chefs told us a few things they like to pack in their kids’ lunches and what […]
By the time Priya Mahadevan’s youngest daughter was 5 years old, Mahadevan had completed drafts for six children’s books. But it wasn’t until earlier this year that she published the first one: Princesses Only Wear Putta-Puttas, the semi-true story of a visit to India with her daughter for a wedding. “The trip was so profound […]
Penny Shuster started playing the drums in fifth grade, with the snare in her school band. But she made the switch to a drum set last year, when she started at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, because it afforded her more opportunities to play different kinds of music. “Plus,” Shuster says, “it’s cooler.” She takes lessons at […]
Welcome to C-VILLE Family (formerly C-VILLE Kids). Things might look a little different around here (we’ve made a few visual changes), but we’re still doing what we do best: introducing you to the coolest, most industrious kids in the area, keeping you up-to-date on health and wellness news and showering you with ideas for kid- […]