Junior Gap2Gap

JUNIOR GAP2GAP RELAY | Boys and girls, ages 6-14. Young athletes can test their endurance and skill in this 20th annual youth relay May 30 on the Yakima Greenway. (Gap2Gap, the grown-up counterpart, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.)

New this year is a division for ages 6-7, which features a shorter bike leg, run, roller blade race and obstacle course. Other youth divisions are for ages 8-10, 11-12 and 13-14. There’s also a sportswear competition.

Juniors may compete as individuals or teams. There’s a $15 fee; register by May 21 to avoid late fees. Register online at yakimagreenway.org, or call Jeff at 453-8280 for more information.

MOPS – First Presbyterian

MOPS — FIRST PRESBYTERIAN. 9-11:15 a.m. Meeting dues: $5. Child care, food, fellowship, speakers. First Presbyterian Church gymnasium, 9 S. Eighth Ave., Yakima. Sherrie: 966-0604.

Toddler and Preschool Art Studio

TODDLER AND PRESCHOOL ART STUDIO. 10 a.m. to noon. Drop-in open studio for children age 5 and younger. Cost: $5. Red Art Gallery, 30 N. Third St., Yakima. 469-2766.

CAPE Homeschool Convention

C.A.P.E. ANNUAL HOMESCHOOL CONVENTION. “Homeschooling: Reaching Our Community,” organized by the Christian Association of Parent Educators. Admission is $25 for individuals, or $35 for a family. Activities include a music and curriculum fair, workshops and speakers. Keynote speaker will be Tim Roth of Christian Heritage Home Educators of Washington.

Convention hours are 5:30-8:30 p.m. May 1 and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 2. Meets at Stone Church, 3303 Englewood Ave., Yakima. For more information and registration, visit www.yakimahomeschool.com or 930-2103.

Funky Friday Night

FUNKY FRIDAY NIGHT. 7-8:30 p.m. Rockin’ recreational swim featuring loud ’80s music. Cost: $1 adults, $0.50 youth, or $3.25 family. Lions Pool, 509 W. Pine St., Yakima. 575-6046.

Night Action: Late Night

NIGHT ACTION: LATE NIGHT. 8-11 p.m. Special activities for youth in grades 6-12 include movies, pool parties, dances and dodge ball tournaments. Organized by Yakima Parks & Recreation and supervised by AmeriCorps members. Southeast Community Center gym, 1211 S. Seventh St., Yakima. 575-6114.

Home Depot Kids Workshop

HOME DEPOT KIDS WORKSHOP. 9 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects for kids 5-12. The Home Depot, 2115 S. First St., Yakima. 452-3016.

AWARE Soccer Tournament

AWARE SOCCER TOURNAMENT. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission for spectators. Local 5-on-5 youth and adult soccer tournament, culminating with exhibition game featuring Yakima Reds Soccer Club v. Central Washington University. Marquette Stadium, 5400 W. Chestnut Ave., Yakima; Lisa Kanelopoulos, 509-248-2063. awareyakima.org

Ace Kids Club

ACE KIDS CLUB. 10 a.m. to noon. Free drop-in projects for kids ages 3-12. Hometown Ace Hardware, 3700 Tieton Drive, Yakima. 972-4400.

Borders Story Time

BORDERS STORY TIME. 11 a.m. Free. Borders Books, 1700 E. Washington Ave., Union Gap. 248-4018.

Family Field Day

FAMILY FIELD DAY. 1-4 p.m. Free, all-ages event promotes nutrition, fitness and playing together as a family. Apple tasting, soccer, jump rope, obstacle course and more. Bring a water bottle. Sarg Hubbard Park, just east of WalMart in Yakima. Yakima Greenway Foundation: 453-8280. yakimagreenway.org

Free Comic Book Day

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Participating comic book shops give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. What a steal! To get your free comic, stop by Ron’s Coin and Book Center, 6 N. Third St., Yakima; 248-1117.

Free comics, donated by Ron’s, are also available for kids under 18 at Yakima Valley Libraries.

Saturday Nite Live

SATURDAY NITE LIVE. 7-9:30 p.m. Free drop-in program open to youth ages 7-15, in partnership with Yakima Valley Young Life. Swimming, sports, games, Christian message. Yakima Family YMCA, 5 N. Naches Ave. 248-1202 or 961-9898.

Cinco de Mayo: Eighth Annual Fiesta Grande

CINCO DE MAYO: EIGHTH ANNUAL FIESTA GRANDE. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dancing horses, music, food and craft vendors. In front of the Capitol Theatre at Third Street and Yakima Avenue, Yakima. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: 453-2050.

Car seat safety checks

Don’t learn the hard way that your child’s car seat isn’t being used correctly. Call Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital’s Community Education Center at 388-8846 to schedule an appointment with a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. There’s no charge for the service.

By appointment, specially trained car seat experts can teach you how to correctly install your car seats, as well as how the child should fit in the seat.

“It’s very rare that we see a seat and a child come in where they’re both correct,” says Kurt Tyrrell, one of the safety techs. Yikes!

The most common problems, Tyrrell says, are outdated seats and infants facing forward too soon. Infants should ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 1 year old and weigh more than 20 pounds.

A forward-facing seat should be used until age 4. Then, the law requires children to ride in a booster seat until they’re either 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

MOPS – Christian Church of Selah

MOPS — CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF SELAH. 9-11:30 a.m. Casual discussion group. Breakfast, coffee and child care provided. Craft fee: $3. Christian Church of Selah, 112 N. Wenas, Selah. Erin: 594-1198.

Mom & Baby

MOM & BABY. 10 a.m. to noon. Discussion group for moms with infants under 1 year; bring your baby. Free. Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital’s Community Education in the Nob Hill Plaza, 2506 W. Nob Hill Blvd., Yakima. 575-8484.

Free ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ show Friday

Missoula Children’s Theatre is back in Yakima this week, working with students at Franklin Middle School. A public performance of “Rumpelstiltskin” will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 8, in the Franklin gymnasium, corner of 19th Avenue and Tieton Drive, Yakima. Everyone is welcome; admission is free.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre touring company hosts residency workshops and performances where local kids are the stars of the show. The workshops are designed to develop life skills through participation in performing arts.

Cinema Circle announces May flicks

Note: Children’s admission price has been changed to $5. 5/10/09

Cinema Circle, a movie program for parents of preschoolers, will host special screenings of “Earth” and “Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” in May. Also, a children’s costume contest will be held at the “Museum” screening.

Both screenings are open to parents or caregivers accompanied by a baby or preschooler. Cost: $6 adults, $5 children ages 4-6; one child 3 and younger free with each paying adult. Families with older children are asked to attend a regular matinee. The Majestic, 1919 S. 14th St. (behind Toys R Us), Union Gap. Circle of Success: 469-9888.

11 a.m. May 14 — “Earth,” rated G, is a Disney nature film narrated by James Earl Jones. It tells the remarkable story of three animal families and their journey across the plant earth. The documentary captures action and intimate moments of the wildest creatures.

11 a.m. May 28 — “Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian,” rated PG, features Ben Stiller as the bumbling night security guard, Larry Daley, in a comedy fantasy where history comes to life.

Prior to this showing, Cinema Circle will sponsor a children’s costume contest from 10:30-11 a.m. A costume parade in the theatre will be at 10:50 a.m. and the costume winners will be announced at 11 a.m. Prizes will be awarded based on theme, color and originality. Children ages 0-5 are eligible to participate. Costume ideas from the movie include: Museum guard, Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Darth Vader, Ivan the Terrible, Sacagawea, General Custer, Al Capone, dinosaur or your favorite historic character.

Prepare for baby at Memorial

Expecting a visit from the stork? Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital offers a variety of childbirth classes to help you prepare for the new arrival.

Register around the 25th week of pregnancy and end classes one month before the due date, if possible. A $75 registration fee (medical coupons accepted) includes the childbirth class and a choice of two other classes: Successful Breastfeeding, Comfort Measures, Baby Basics and Boot Camp for New Dads.

* Six-week series childbirth courses are held from 7-9 p.m. beginning on May 11, June 4, June 30 and July 29.

* Saturday classes will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 16, June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15.

* Sunday series classes meet 1-5 p.m. on two consecutive Sundays: June 7 and 14, July 12 and 19, Aug. 9 and 16.

* Young and Pregnant, an eight-hour childbirth class designed for mothers who are 19 years old and younger, will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, July 25 and Aug. 29. Participants who complete this class will receive a free car seat.

The following single-session courses may be taken separately, or packaged with a childbirth class:

* Successful Breastfeeding. Two-hour course teaches helpful breastfeeding techniques and solutions for common breastfeeding issues. Dads or support persons are asked to attend. Meets at 6:30 p.m. May 5, June 10, July 8 or Aug. 6. Cost: $10.

* Comfort Measures: A Doula Shares Her Tips and Tricks. Two-hour class focuses on comfort techniques to help mom during labor. Meets at 7 p.m. May 27. Cost: $10.

* Baby Basics: Novices with Newborns. Class covers basics from diapering and bathing to recognizing baby’s cues. Meets from 6:30-9 p.m. May 14, June 16, July 16 and Aug. 11. Cost: $10.

* Boot Camp for New Dads. Veteran dads orient fathers-to-be on the realities of fatherhood in this three-hour course. Meets at 9 a.m. May 9, June 13, July 11 or Aug. 8. Cost: $10.

Also, guided tours of The Family Birthplace are offered one weeknight each month. Call for an appointment.

For more information, or to register for classes, call Memorial’s Community Education at 575-8484. Online registration is available at www.yakimamemorial.org.

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