Kids Stuff

February 9, 2012

Written by Sally Sanders
Thursday, 09 February 2012 00:00

A selection of events planned for youngsters and their families — see other calendar listings for more comprehensive coverage of area performances and activities.

Summer Opportunities Fair, camps and teen programs for students ages 8-18; hosted by Laura Rumbough of Tips on Trips and Camps; Sat., Feb. 11, 1-3:30 (snowdate Feb. 12); Darien High School, cafeteria, 80 High School Lane; info., This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 203-563-9964.

Katonah Art Center First Annual Chili Out Scholarship Fundraiser, Sun., Feb. 12, 11-2; participants will choose a pottery bowl to fill with chili or mac and cheese; $15/adults, $10/children; all proceeds go to KAC scholarship fund; snowdate Feb. 18; 131 Bedford Rd., Katonah, N.Y.; info., 914-232-4843 or visit katonahartcenter.com.

Free Young Persons’ Concert with clarinetist Narek Arutyunyan, Sat., Feb. 11, 2 p.m.; Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave., Southport; free master classes follow the concert (res., 203-938-3843 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

The Stowe School (UK) Music Scholars, directed by Simon Dearsley; choral, vocal and instrumental music; Sat., Feb. 11, 5 p.m.; free and open to the public at the historic Meeting House of The Congregational Church of New Canaan, 23 Park St.; info., 203-966-2651 x33 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

New Haven Symphony Orchestra: Haydn to Hip Hop, a concert for children and families, Sun., Feb. 12, 2 p.m., tickets $15/adults, $12/srs., $5/children; Shelton Intermediate School, 675 Constitution Blvd., Shelton; res., 203-865-0831 x10 or newhavensymphony.org.

Norwalk Youth Symphony, Sun., Feb. 12, 3 p.m., five tiered ensembles performing; Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave.; ifno., 203-866-4100 or norwalkyouthsymphony.org.

Songs from the Civil War, Sunday, Feb. 12; craft project for youngsters, 2-2:30, followed by songs and readings by musicians Stefanie Kies and Nick Carter plus local musicians, 2:30-3:30; Greenwich Historical Society Vanderbilt Education Ctr., 39 Strickland Rd., Cos Cob; $15/person; reg., 203-869-6899 x10 or greenwichhistory.org.

I Dream A World, benefit concert for A Better Chance (ABC) of Wilton, music conducted by Rollo Dilworth of Temple U., performed by the Brooklyn High School of the Arts Choir and the Middlebrook School Choir, Sun., Feb. 12, 4 p.m., at The Clune Center, Wilton High School, 395 Danbury Rd./Rte. 7; patron tickets start at $75; gen. adm. $20/adults, $10/students; info., 203-834-1882.

Exploring the Orchestra with the Stamford Symphony, for children 4-8, up-close-and-personal; Sun., Feb. 12 and March 25, at 1 and 2:30; at Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd.; adm. $15/adults, $8/children; info., stamfordsymphony.org or call 203-325-1407 x10 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Wilton Playshop, Lovers Lane, off Rte. 33; 203-762-7629 or wiltonplayshop.org: Life with Father, Feb. 10-12 and 16-18, shows at 8, except Sun. at 2; tickets $20/adults, $15/students and srs.

Pinkalicious: The Musical, produced by Vital Theatre of New York City, Sun., Feb. 12, at 1 and 4; tickets $18; Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court; 203-227-4177 or westportplayhouse.org.

Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport; 203-576-1636 or downtowncabaret.org: Pinkalicious The Musical, Jan. 15-Feb. 19, Sat.-Sun. at 11 and 1:30, tickets $18.

Toy Makers competition for children 5-14, as part of new exhibit Toy Stories, entries due Fri., Feb. 10; Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Ave.; info., 203-222-7070 or westportartscenter.org.

Westport Youth Film Festival, submissions now open, through March 10, for filmmakers 13-19 in genres of comedy, drama, documentary, experimental, music video, animation and social action; info. at wyff.net.

NATURE

New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, 203-966-9577; satellite site for NY Botanical Garden programs (800-322-6924); buildings open Mon.-Sat., 9-4 (closed major holidays); Saturday Explorers Club, 2 Sat./month for ages 6 and up and families, 1:30-2:45; First Saturdays, 1st Sat. of the month, free guided activities for visitors, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.: Feb. 4, 11-12:30, “Winter Survival”; Free Live Animal Presentations, Sat. at 3, lasting 15-20 min., dif. animal each week; Fall Registration Open for children’s programs, see Web site; Owl Moon Night Hike, Sat., Feb. 11, 5-6 p.m., $8/person, reg. in adv.; Winter Break Programs, Feb. 14-16, 9-3, $60-$90/day depending on age group (3-5 or 6-9).

Darien Nature Center, 120 Brookside Rd.; free adm. Mon.-Fri., 9-4; Sat., 9-1; 203-655-7459: Ongoing exhibits.

Devil’s Den/Lucius Pond Ordway Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property, 33 Pent Rd., Weston; open dawn to dusk to passive recreation; 20 miles of trails; info., concerns, 860-455-0716; natureconservancy.org.

Woodcock Nature Center, 56 Deer Run Rd., Wilton; center open 9:30-5, Tues.-Sat., two-plus miles of trails open daily, dawn to dusk; reg. in advance for programs, 203-762-7280; www.woodcocknature center.org.

Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 N. Water St., adm. $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors, $9.95 for children 2-12; open 10-5 daily (till 6, July and August); info., 203-852-0700, ext. 2206: Toy Boat Workshop on Saturdays and Sundays between 11 and 3, 20-min. workshop, $5/child, no res. required. Winter Creature Cruises: Sun., Sat., Feb. 18, 1 p.m., 2.5 hrs., for ages 8 and older, tickets $20.50, adv. purchase strongly recommended.

IMAX Theater at the Maritime Aquarium, 10 North Water St., Norwalk; daytime films, $9/adults, $8/srs., $6.50/2-12; Hollywood films, $11.50, $10.50, $9.50; info., 203-852-0700 or maritimeaquarium.org: Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World, at 11 and 2 daily, Jan. 13-April 19; Born to Be Wild, at noon weekdays, Jan. 13-April 19; Search for the Great Sharks, at 1 and 3 daily, Jan. 13-April 19.

Stepping Stones Museum, 303 West Ave., Norwalk; adm. $14/adults and children (under 1, free), $10/srs.; steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203-899-0606: Cyberchase — The Chase Is On!, traveling exhibit based on the PBS series, Sept. 24-Dec. 31; Energy Lab; Tot Town; Healthyville, learn about your body and how to keep it healthy; Build It!, learning about architectural design and construction; art studio and science lab; ColorCoaster; Light Gallery; café and gift shop. Around the World Performance: Maori Stories and Songs with Ataahua Papa, Sat., Feb. 11, 2 p.m. Summer Workshops: for children 7-11, create comic books July 9-13, puppetry July 16-27, build and launch rockets July 30-Aug. 23; call for info. or visit website.

Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Rd., call for program res., 203-869-5272 or greenwich.audubon.org; program fees: $5/adults, $3/children, srs. (incl. adm. to Center & Grounds); trails open dawn to dusk weekends; Kimberlin Nature Center open daily, 9-5; nature store open Tues.-Sat., 9-5. 1st Sunday Bird Walks at Greenwich Point, March 4, 9-11 a.m., free, meet at second concession stand, bring binoculars (info., 203-413-6756 or 203-637-9822); Winter Vacation Adventures, Feb. 14-15 and Feb. 21-22, for grades K-5, $75; Great Backyard Bird Count: A ‘Training Session,’ Sat., Feb. 18, 1-2:30, all ages, call for res..

Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford; 203-322-1646 or www.stamfordmuseum.org: Heckscher Farm, daily, 9-5 (Animal Embassy open Tues.-Sun., 10-3:30); Bendel Mansion (main building), Mon.-Sat., 9-5, Sun., 11-5. Teddy Bear Tea Party, Sat., Feb. 11, 2-4 p.m., $35/person; Exploring the Orchestra: Play Me A Story, Sun., Feb. 12, at 1 and 2:30 p.m., adults $15, children $8, res. required; Astronomy Night: Globe at Night and Other Citizen Science Projects, Fri., feb. 17, 7 p.m., $3/adults, $2/children 5-17.

Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens, 151 Brookdale Rd., Stamford; 203-322-6971 or bartlettarboretum.org: Signs of Spring, Sun., Feb. 12, 1-2 p.m., $10; Winter Vacation Camp, Feb. 20-24, for children ages 5-11, $350/wk., $75/day, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Open Exploration at the Arboretum, Tues. & Thur., 10-11 a.m., ages 2-8, $10.

Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport; open Mon.-Sat., 9-5, Sun., 1-4 (closed major holidays); adm. $7/adults, $5/ages 1-12 & srs.; free adm. to trails and property, daily 7 a.m.-dusk; interactive nature museum, live wildlife, family program on Sat.; 203-227-7253; earthplace.org: School Break Fun, Fri., Feb. 17, drop-in activities w/reg. adm.: meet an animal at 10 a.m., trail walk at 2:30; February Vacation Fun, drop-activities at 10 and 2:30, Tues., Feb. 21, through Fri., Feb. 24, free w/reg. adm.; February Vacation Days, drop-off program for ages 3 1/2 to first grade, 9:30-12:30 Tues., Feb. 21, and Wed., Feb. 22, pre-reg. required..

The Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport; 203-372-3521; Tues.-Sat., 10-5, Sun., 12-5; museum and planetarium, $8.50 adults, $7 children, seniors, students, free under 5: daily planetarium shows (The Little Star That Could, for ages 8 and younger; Dawn of the Space Age, for ages 8 and older), Challenger Learning Center, call for schedule; many interactive exhibits.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport; adm. $12/adults, $10/children 3-11 and seniors, free for children under 3; open daily 9 to 4; 203-394-6565, www.beardsleyzoo.org.

Tilly Foster Farm, Rte. 312, Brewster, N.Y.; open to visits daily 10-4; farm store open Fri.-Sun., 10-4; info., 845-279-4474 or visit tillyfosterfarm.org.

MUSEUMS, Etc.

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-4519, www.aldrichart.org: Family Drop-In Hours, third weekend of every month in the Education Center, free w/gen. adm.; Aldrich Buddies, weekly learn and play workshop series for children and families, begin. Wed., Feb. 22, 10-11:30 a.m., $30. ‘Found’ Exhibits: Barrao: Mashups, Jan. 29-June 10, first US solo exhibition by the Brazilian artist Barrao; Jim Dingilian: Subtractive Images Jan. 29-June 10; Roy McMakin: Middle, Jan. 29-June 10; Regina Silveira: In Absentia (Collection), Jan. 29-June 10; Kathryn Spence: Dirty and Clean, Jan. 29-June 10; Xu Bing: Tobacco Project, Jan. 29-June 10.

Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-5485: tour hours, Wed., Sat., and Sun., 1-4, last tour at 3:30 (closed Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas); special exhibits in the Cass Gilbert Dining Room; adults/$5, srs., under 12/$3.

Weir Farm National Historic Site, 735 Nod Hill Rd., Wilton, 203-834-1896 or www.nps.gov/wefa: grounds open daily dawn to dusk; Burlingham House Visitor Ctr., Wed.-Sun., 9-5; call for info. on tours. Admin. offices open Mon.-Fri., 9-5; info., incl. current program and tour sched., call or visit Web site.

Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road (Route 7), 203-762-7257: period rooms in the Betts-Sturges-Blackmar House, gift shop; Tues.-Fri., 10-4:30, Sat., 1-4, 2nd & 4th Sun., 1-4, adm. $5; period rooms in the Betts-Sturges-Blackmar House, gift shop, Tues.-Fri., 10-4, Sat., 1-4.

Greenwich Historical Society, Bush-Holley Historic Site, 39 Strickland Rd., Cos Cob; open Fri.-Sun., 12-4 (docent-led tours at 1, 2 and 3); 203-869-6899, ext. 10 or www.hstg.org; adm. to gallery, visitor ctr. & house museum, $10/adults, $8/srs. and students, under 6 free (half-price on opening day); group tours at $7/person avail. on public and non-public days; library and archives open Wed.-Thur., 10-4; adm. offices open Mon.-Fri., 9-5: Everyday Heroes: 24/7 Throughout History, Sept. 14-Aug. 26, history of fire, police and emergency medical service workers in Greenwich; gallery hours Wed.-Sun., 12-4.

Silvermine Guild Arts Center, 1037 Silvermine Rd., New Canaan; 203-966-9700: Art Spy Bingo, game for children ages 5-12 as they view gallery artwork. Classes for all ages.

Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St., Danbury; 203-778-8337; danbury.org/drm: adm. $6/adults, $5/srs., students, $4/children (3-12); open Wed.-Sat., 10-4, Sun., 12-4.

The Bruce Museum, One Museum Dr., Greenwich; 203-869-0376: Tours of Museum Exhibitions, free with mus. adm., Fridays, 12:30-1:30; Walter Wick: Larger Than Life, projections of pictures for interactive observation experience guided by a museum educator, for ages 3 and up, Sat., March 10, 10:30-11:15; Look and See for Young Museum Visitors: Can You See What I See?, Thur., Feb. 23, 12:30-1:15, for ages 3-5, $7/child. Changes in Our Land, long-term exhibits in the Environmental History Galleries. Bijoux: The Origins and Impact of Jewelry, July 16-March 11; Walter Wick: Games, Gizmos and Toys in the Attic, Jan. 28-April 22, retrospective of the author/creator of children’s books, from 1973 through 2011; Coming Full Circle: Greenwich Art Society Celebrates 100 Years at the Bruce Museum, Feb. 11-April 1. Astronomy Family Day, Sun., Feb. 12, 1-4 p.m., Starlab Planetarium shows running continuously, talks by members of the Astronomical Society; Look and See for Young Museum Visitors: Can You See What I See?, Thur., Feb. 23, 12:30-1:15, for ages 3-5, $7/child.

Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Ave.; 203-222-7070 or westportartscenter.org: Education Programs, sessions Jan. 30-March 19, and April 9-May 28 (see Web site for info.) Toy Stories, 20 major artists who work with toys in a wide range of media, Jan. 27-March 18.Animation with Experimental Materials, Sat., Feb. 11, 10-noon, ages 11-14, New Media Lab, 42 Main St.

Fairfield Museum and History Center, behind the old Town Hall; open Mon.-Fri., 10-4 (Thur. till 6); Sat.-Sun., 12-4; research library closed Mon.; adults, $5, students w/ ID, $3, children 5 and under, free; info., www.fairfieldhs.org or 203-259-1598: Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County, Sept. 25-March 18.

Katonah Museum of Art, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, N.Y., 914-232-9555: In the Sculpture Garden and South Lawn: Joseph Wheelwright’s Tree Figures, through May 2012. Target Picture Story Saturdays, Sat. at 10:30, with guest readers, free; See-and-Do Art Activities, ages 3 and up (accomp. by an adult), Sat. at 1, Sun. at 1:30, free.

Military Museum of Southern New England, 125 Park Ave., Danbury; 203-790-9277; www.usmilitarymuseum.org: more than 30 armored vehicles; massive collection of military artifacts; Story of the 10th Mountain Division; Life-size dioramas with major military vehicles; The World in Flames, story of World War II 1939-1945; The War in the Pacific, expanded exhibit; large gift shop; summer hours, Tues.-Sat., 10-5; Sun., 12-5; From the Beginning to the End: The Story of 9/11, marking the 10th ann. of the attacks; winter hours (Dec. 1-March 31), Fri.-Sun. only; adults $6, active duty military, children and srs. $4; under 5, free.

John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Rte. 22, Katonah, N.Y.; 914-232-5651 or www.johnjayhomestead.org: guided tours offered Tues.-Sat., 10-4; Sun., 11-4; $7/adults, $5/srs., students, free up to age 12: Slaves, Slavery and the Jay Family, through February, 2012.

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