Exciting News from Twirl!

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Hello Twirl Friend!

School's out for the summer (here in Taos, anyway!) and we're ready for some serious fun at Twirl. Next week will see the start of our daily activities. We'll have a play station set up with different things to play with every day - bouncy balls, paint brushes, bubbles, crazy costumes, and musical instruments - along with all the other fun stuff in the courtyard including some new giant games and interactive panels to try out.

Don't forget, we now have free Baby & Toddler playgroups taking place in the inner courtyard on Thursday mornings at 11.30am and 12.30pm. So far, we've had a great turn-out, so come and join us. Drinks, snacks and activities provided.

May's Toy Play Day takes place this Friday 28th May between 3pm - 5pm. We'll put hands and mind to work as we assemble a brand new toy straight out of the box. This month's is a very cool Magformers Magnetic toy and one lucky child will get to take it home with them.

We have a new Hoop Dancing class taking place on Wednesdays in June - sounds like a lot of fun. See below for details of all our class times and prices.

Two other important dates for the diary!:-

June 17th, 4-6pm. Twirl, in conjunction with The Mountain radio station, will be hosting a party to celebrate the launch of Toy Story 3. Take a trip down memory lane in our exhibition showcasing The Story of Toys, and reminisce about your favorite toys growing up. Enjoy free Pizanos pizza, door prizes, giveaways and the chance to win tickets to the premiere of the Toy Story 3 movie on the 18th, plus a pair of weekend Solar Fest tickets.

June 20th is not only Father's Day, it's also the first of our Ice-Cream Sundae parties, taking place between 2 - 4pm, with games, giveaways and FREE ICE-CREAM! Happy Father's Day to all the dads reading this! We know we have some!!

Please help us win a fantastic new playground system for Taos!

We have been looking into investing in an innovative, new, eco-friendly and portable playground system that is taking the nation by storm. We fell in love with Imagination Playground in a Box after reading a New York Times article and thought how fantastic it would be if Taos could have one. In a nutshell, it is "a customizable and interactive play system that allows children to constantly build, sculpt, imagine and reconfigure their own play environment, addressing a spectrum of play needs through opportunities for fantasy play and socio-cooperative play." Phew! The photos on their website do a much better job.

Our plan was to make it available to local children, schools and non-profits, either by hosting groups on site here at Twirl or by taking it to a chosen location for a group to use for the day. Then we heard about a contest to win one for FREE for your community, which would be amazing as they are expensive! All you have to do is become a "Fan" of Twirl on the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder. The playspace with the most fans will be reviewed by KaBOOM! on the basis of how much of an impact it will have on the lives of children in the community. Please fan Twirl here. You have to be quick - the deadline is this Sunday 30th May. It does take a couple of minutes as you have to register, but your vote will make a difference, so please spend the time and make this happen for our community. Thank you.

Out and About!

Thanks to everyone who came to see us at our booth at the Mother's Day Music Festival and at Youthfest. Next up is the Solar Music Festival. Hope to see you there.

Highlights of other family-friendly events taking place in June include:

June 4 - 6 Chile Challenge Mountain Bike Festival at Angel Fire The second largest mountain bike race in the U.S. Enjoy the thrills and spills. www.angelfireresort.com

June 4 - 6 Red River Classic Car Show. Annual car show with night parades, hula and bubble gum blowing contests, cake walks and pancake breakfast! www.redriver.org

June 12 Triathlon to benefit Youth Heartline. Taos Tennis 88 State Rd 150. AGES 4 thru TEEN and Parent categories. Distances are age appropriate. Solo and team entries. Ribbons, t-shirt and Cid's fruit and Taos Cow ice cream for all participants, prizes for 1st place boy and girl in each age category. Call Janet Shipley 741-1323 or Youth Heartline 758-0106 with any questions about race details or sponsoring event. Full details at in the events section of our website.

June 12 - 13 WeBeRacing Motorcycle Hare Scramble at Angel Fire. www.weberacingcom.

June 13 San Antonio Feast Day. Traditional corn dances. Taos Pueblo Plaza. ww.taospueblo.com

June 17 The Story of Toys at Twirl, 4 - 6pm. See above.

June 18 Premiere of Toy Story 3 at the Storyteller, with Twirl and the Mountain.

June 19 Father's Day Fishing Derby at Sipapu. www.sipapu.NM.com

June 20 Ice Cream Sundae at Twirl!! 2 - 4pm. See above.

June 24 San Juan Feast Day. Sunrise mass followed by traditional Corn Dance. Taos Pueblo Plaza. www.taospueblo.com

June 26 - 27 Annual Rodeo de Taos Experience the fun of the rodeo! Barrel racing, roping, bull riding, and more!

June 26 - 27 Taos Solar Music Festival in Kit Carson Park. Showcasing renewable energy through the universal language of music and art. There will be a Solar Sculpture Garden and a SolarFest Forest to help in this Celebration of the Sun in the heart of Taos. 10:30am-10pm daily. Stop by the Twirl Booth for fun, games and free ear plugs!

Full details of all these events plus other family-friendly activities available at twirlhouse.com.

Be sure to check out all the fun outdoor and recreation hot spots for summer at http://twirlhouse.com/taos_recreation.html. You might also want to check out our Summer Camp section for a comprehensive round-up of camp options including some new additions.

Classes and Activities

Details of all activities and classes as follows. Drop-ins welcome. Cost is $5 with punchcard, $6 without, unless otherwise stated.

Mondays

10am - 11am Mommy and Me Pilates with Sadie. Recommended for infants.

Tuesdays
4pm - 4.45pm Radiant Child Yoga w/ Laura ages 3-8

Wednesdays
10.15am - 10.45am Family Music for Babies
11.00am - 11.30am Family Music

2:00pm - 2:45pm Hoop Dancing with Liz Passman (in June.)

Thursdays

11.30am - 12.30pm Baby Playgroup. Free

12.30pm - 1.30pm. Toddler Playgroup. Free.

3pm - 5pm Twirl Creative Adventures. Free.

Jun 3 Wild Windsocks
Jun 10 Summer Solstice Puppet Making Workshop
Jun 17 Mosaics
Jun 24 Summertime Shrinky Dinks

Fridays
11.15am - 12pm Ballet for preschoolers with Amber

Saturdays

11am-1pm Twirl Explorers. Free

Jun 5 Sensational Seashells
Jun 12 Summer Solstice Puppet Making Workshop
Jun 19 Father's Day Gift/ Summer Solstice Event at Town Plaza starting at noon
Jun 26 Clown School

Sunday June 20 Ice-Cream Sundae 2 - 4pm.
Games, giveways and free ice-cream. Happy Father's Day, Dads!

We're so happy to have you as part of the twirl family and always welcome any suggestions you might have for improvements either to the store, the playspace or this newsletter.

Warm regards,

the twirl team