Arts & Entertainment
Kids Off From School? Here Are Some Places to Go!
Area arts and cultural centers, museums and zoos have a host of special programs this week designed especially for children.
It’s President’s Week 2011 and many school are on break this week. If you’re looking to get out with the kids, here are a few fun and (shhhh…educational) ideas to explore.
Most local libraries offer museum passes to library card holders that provide free or discounted admission to a number of area museums and attractions such as the Beardsley Zoo (Bridgeport), the Maritime Aquarium (Norwalk), Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport, the Discovery Museum (Bridgeport), the Peabody Museum (New Haven) and the Eli Whitney Museum (Hamden). All of these places make great day trips for you and the kids. Here's what some have to offer.
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For Presidents' week they have a special Celebration of Dinosaurs
Monday to Saturday, Feb. 21 to 26, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.
Museum admission is required ($9 adults/$5 kids 3-18).
There will be plenty of hands-on activities for the whole family: Peabody's famous fossil dig, an extensive fossil touch table and dinosaur arts and crafts. In addition, this year, the Leitner Family Planetarium, just two blocks from the Peabody, will offer free planetarium shows Monday at 3 and 4 p.m.
Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Also this week at the Peabody (witha admission):
Roxi Fox Puppet Shows: Monday to Friday, Feb. 21 to 25 at 11 a.m.
- Join Roxi Fox for epic adventures through prehistoric time in these popular Betty Baisden puppet shows! "Roxi and the Dinosaurs" plays Monday to Wednesday, and don't miss "Roxi's Quest for the Torosaurus" on Thursday and Friday.
Birds of Prey: Saturday, Feb. 26, 11 a.m. and 12:15 and 1:30 p.m.
- Birds of prey, or raptors are hunting birds with hooked beaks and powerful grabbing feet armed with sharp talons. These birds-among them eagles, hawks, falcons and owls-also boast the best eyesight and the sharpest hearing in the animal kingdom. This presentation by Wingmasters, which features five live birds, will explain raptor predation, their place at the top of the food web, their different hunting adaptations and their status in a rapidly changing world. Come see these endangered raptors and learn about why they face an uncertain future.
Other cultural centers with special Presidents' week activities for the kids:
From Monday, Feb. 21, through Friday, Feb. 25, the New Haven Museum will be offering a week filled with drop-in art activities, interactive workshops, short, guided tours, special guests from the 5th Connecticut Regiment and the Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps and a special workshop the Yale University Art Gallery.
The overall theme for the program is Colonial New Haven. Each day will highlight a particular aspect of the colonial period.
Refreshments will be served at the Museum, but visitors are welcome to bring their own lunch. All activities are designed for children (ages 4 up) and their families.
The cost is $5 per child, per day. For more information, contact Michelle Cheng, director of education, at 203-562-4183, ext. 11, or education@newhavenmuseum.org.
3. Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
The Zoo offers a number of fun activities, including a vacation week program from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, Feb. 22-24, for children ages six through 12 who love animals, the environment and learning. Each day may include zookeeper talks, behind-the-scenes tours, hands-on learning, games, crafts and more. Children may sign up for a day or more.
The cost of the program is $35 per day; $30 for Zoo members. Pre-registration is required and may be made by calling 203-394-6563 or visiting the zoo's website (link above).
4. Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop
The February school break coincides with Engineer's Week, and the Eli Whitney Museum has a host of entertaining and educational programs each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $59/day; $55 for museum members.
Engineers solve problems with science, math, art and cleverness...the ingenious part of engineering. The Museum offers challenges from Leonardo, who examined the world with an artist's keen senses and a scientist's careful analysis.
Monday: The Art of the Arm (ages 7-9).
Monday: Leonardo's Garage (ages 9-12).
Tuesday: Helicopters and Flying Saucers (ages 7-9).
Tuesday: Leonardo's Ropemaker (ages 9–12).
Wednesday: Drawing from Leonardo (ages 6-9).
Wednesday: Leonardo's House of Light and Mirrors (9-12).
Thursday: Leonardo's Bridges (ages 6-9).
Thursday: Leonardo's Drum Set (ages 9-12).
Friday: The Rollbot (ages 7-9).
Friday: The Wave Machine (ages 9-12).
For detailed information on all these programs click on this link.
There's always tons to see and do at Mystic Aquarium. Cost of admission is adult, $26; senior (age 60+), $23; children (age 3-17), $19; children (age 2 and under), free.
The Seaport is running a vacation week special, Liberty Days, through this week, Feb. 19-27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free kids' admission with paid adult admission (A coupon is required for this deal. Download and print coupon: Download and print coupon now).
Mystic Seaport celebrates winter school vacation the way that sailors have enjoyed their days off from work (Liberty Days) for many years! Make a souvenir silhouette of yourself or a loved one, take a special tour of the last American wooden whaling ship Charles W. Morgan - from a child's point of view learn about the local unsung heroes and inventors of Connecticut that have shaped our way of life through interactive storytelling. Warm up in the Tavern and hear about sailors' experiences during their Liberty Days on shore, participate in Storytime in the Children's Museum, explore its newest activity Pastimes & Playthings and play with traditional games and toys, and participate in a sailor's music program.
7. Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
In addition to their current special exhibits, the Maritime Aquarium offers Vacation Week Adventures for Ages 6-9, Feb. 21-25. A special series of activities at The Maritime Aquarium allows you to attend one, some or all days in the week-long session. The program is filled with age-appropriate crafts, experiments and animal encounters related to a different daily topic.
Programs meet from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day.
Bring a bag lunch, a snack and an appetite for adventure. The cost is $85 a day or $385 for the full week. Space is limited; advance reservations required. Call 203-852-0700, ext. 2206.
