Category: Family Fun

Family fun for whenever

Keep the comics coming

• The children get a comic convention of their own at Kids Con New England, which will take place Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road in Concord. The event features artists, illustrators and authors; performers such as Sages Entertainment magic and musical guests Clemenzi Crusaders; cosplayers as princesses, superheroes, Star Wars characters and more; game makers and gaming; vendors of comics, collectables and more, and activities such as Jedi training, according to kidsconne.com, where you can see a list of scheduled participants and purchase tickets. Tickets cost $15 per person, $12 for seniors and military and $55 for a family-of-four bundle; under 5 get in for free but all children must be accompanied by an adult, according to the website.

More books

• Nashua Public Library will be hosting children’s author Meg Medina, the Library of Congress’ current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, for a special afternoon of food, books and lively conversation with on Sunday, May 12, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. where a complimentary lunch is provided and kids and teens will receive a free Meg Medina book and a flower they can give to a caregiver, courtesy of the Friends of the Nashua Public Library, according to their website. NPL is one of four public libraries selected this year for Medina’s national tour to introduce her new platform, ¡Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books!, according to the same website. She’ll also talk about Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. Medina will sign your books and copies of her books will be available for purchase from Balin Books, according to the same website. Visit nashualibrary.libcal.com/event/12307515.

Fun with foxes

• On Monday, May 13, Concord Public Library (45 Green St.) will host Fabulous Foxes from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., recommended for families with children of all ages. Registration is required. Participants will explore the curiously cat-like member of the dog family before learning how to mimic a few of their fascinating features. Visit concordnh.gov for more information.

Kids on stage

• The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts Teens will present Les Miserables, School Editionon Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 11, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry, majestictheatre.net, 669-7469). The school edition features updated orchestrations based on the Tony-nominated 2014 Broadway revival; this approved edition has been abridged to a running time of just over two hours while maintaining the integrity of this musical masterpiece, according to a press release. Tickets range from $15 to $20.

• The Peacock Players will present Godspell as their spring teen mainstage production at the 14 Court St. theater in Nashua on Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 11, at 2 p.m., and Sunday, May 12, at 2 p.m. and will run through Sunday, May 19, according to their website. Godspell was the first major musical theater offering from Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Children of Eden), and it took the world by storm with an eclectic parade of beloved songs, in which a small group of people help Jesus Christ tell different parables by using a wide variety of games, storytelling techniques and a hefty dose of comic timing, according to the same website. Admission is free. See peacockplayers.org.

• The Flying Gravity Circus (222 Isaac Frye Hwy. in Wilton, 413-313-1778, flyinggravitycircus.org) presents its Big Show at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford, 672-1002, amatocenter.org) Friday, May 10, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 11, at 2 and 7 p.m. The Flying Gravity Circus is a nonprofit youth organization promoting positive development in children and teens through comprehensive circus arts education, according to the website. The Big Show will feature 45 troupers, ages 10 through 18. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for children 3-12 and seniors 65+.

Cheer your team

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue a string of games this week against the Harrisburg Senators. Games start at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, (which is Wizards & Wands Night) and Friday, May 10 (which will feature Atlas Fireworks). On Saturday, May 11, gametime is at 4:05 p.m. and the team will play as the Manchester Chicken Tenders. On Sunday, May 12, take mom to a 1:35 p.m. game, where the first 1,000 fans through the gates can get a Fisher Cats sun hat, according to milb.com/new-hampshire, where you can purchase tickets, Manchester Chicken Tenders merch and more.

• New Hampshire Roller Derby opens its season Saturday, May 11, with a mixed public scrimmage from 5 to 9 p.m. at JFK Memorial Stadium (303 Beech St. in Manchester, 624-6444). For more information, visit NH Roller Derby’s website, nhrollerderby.com.

Fun with mom

• Celebrate Mother’s Day at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia), where they are offering free admission to moms when accompanied by their children who are 12 years and under on Sunday, May 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., making it the perfect family outing, according to their website. Explore their scenic farm, see firsthand how animal mothers care for their young, enter into a raffle with the possibility of winning a unique birdhouse, and even take rides on a pony, tractor, or a horse-drawn carriage, according to the same website. Moms will also enjoy a 10 percent discount in the gift barn and children under 23 months are free, regardless. Tickets range between $22 and $29 and moms with up to five children are free. Find out more at visitthefarm.com.

• Guess who has meals for kids that Mom doesn’t have to cook? Many area restaurants! Find a listing of spots offering special meals for brunch or dinner on Sunday, May 12, in the May 2 issue of the Hippo. Find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story starts on page 24.

Family fun for whenever

May the Fourth

• Celebrate the other pop culture holiday happening this Saturday with a screening of Star Wars Episode I — The Phantom Menace (PG, 1999). The now 25-year-old film will begin screening at O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square in Epping (oneilcinemas.com) on Friday, May 3. Multiple screenings per day are listed through May 9.

Make a wood craft

• The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road, Bedford) invites kids and adults to join them for a fun craft time at their open studio walk-in on Sunday, May 5, at 11 a.m. Visitors can choose from a variety of wood projects and craft it right then and there, according to their website. Most projects take 45 to 90 minutes depending on what you choose, and price is based on project but no registration or reservation is needed to attend, according to the same website. Projects start at $10. Visit thecanvasroadshow.com

Animals

• Head to Strawbery Banke Museum (14 Hancock St. in Portsmouth) for Baby Animals: Heritage Breeds at the Banke to learn about domestic livestock typical on coastal northern New England farms on May 5, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., according to their website. Demonstrations are included with event tickets. Combo tickets are available to access Baby Animals and tour Strawbery Banke Museum’s historic houses, exhibits and heirloom gardens, according to their website. Adults ages 18 and older are $36, seniors and students are $32, children between ages 5 and 17 are $22, children ages 1 to 4 are $12, children under 1 are free, and family tickets (two adults plus children) are $80, according to their website. Baby Animals Event tickets by themselves are $12 for nonmembers and children under 1 are free, and general admission to the museum is free for members, according to the same website. Visit strawberybanke.org/baby-animals or call 433-1100.

Gaelic sports

• Eight teams are slated to play in the Saturday, May 4, hurling tournament held by the New Hampshire Wolves Hurling Club at the Anheuser-Busch Sports Fields (221 DW Highway in Merrimack), according to the club’s Facebook page. The first match starts at 9 a.m. Kids can get involved at 2 p.m. when the club will host an “Intro to Gaelic sports” featuring football, hurling and camogie. according to a post, which says the event is free for kids to “jump in and learn.” Find the club on Facebook for more information.

Scottish dance

• New England Scottish Arts Centre is offering a free Highland dance course called “Tartan Tots” for kids ages 4 to 6 starting Sunday, May 19, at 1 p.m. at the Creative Dance Workshop (1355 Route 3A, Bow) with instructor Marielle Webster, who was the Highland dance instructor at Lyon College. Dancers typically start with the basic motions and then begin the first Highland dance that all beginners learn, the Highland Fling. The first lesson is free; after that, the charge is $15 per class, with family discounts available, according to the site’s FAQ. Visit nhssa.org/dance.

• Scottish Arts also has ongoing Highland dance classes for kids 7 and older with the first lesson always free and subsequent lessons $15 per class, according to their website. Classes are held on Sundays at noon and will be at the same Creative Dance Workshop in Bow, according to the website. Visit nhssa.org/dance.

Review books, read books

• Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) is looking for aspiring book reviewers for their Student Reviewers Club. Interested readers under age 18 can sign up at gibsonsbookstore.com/student-reviewers-club. Gibson’s will provide the book, and they ask that you bring it back with a short review telling them what you thought about it and a star rating of 1-5. When the book is released, Gibson’s will include your review on display. Reviewers will be given a $2 certificate toward a new book.

• The Whipple Free Public Library will host a junior book club for children in grades 1 to 3 on Monday, May 6, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The group is limited to 20 members, who will enjoy a book, have fun and eat snacks, with parents taking turns to provide snacks and drinks, according to their website. The book for this Monday is Mr. Tony Is Full of Baloney by Dan Gutman, copies of which are available to be picked up, according to the same website. Visit whipplefreelibrary.org or call 487-3391. — Zachary Lewis

Family fun for whenever

Extra aviation

Check out the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) on Thursday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — one of the extra days the museum is open for April vacation week. From 1 to 4 p.m., operators will be on duty for kids ages 12 and up to try the Elite Flight Simulator, according to a press release. Admission costs $10 for ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12 (and for veterans) and free for kids under 6. The museum’s regular hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.

A quieter storytime

Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua) will host Sensory Story Time on Thursday, April 25, from 1:30 to 2 p.m. This is designed for kids in grades K-5 who have sensory processing challenges or autism, according to the website. The program will include a set schedule for kids to follow along, quieter music, and dimmed lights. Participants are encouraged to bring their own sensory seating and fidgets, according to the website. Visit nashualibrary.org.

A senatorial storytime

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan is scheduled to attend the storytime on Friday, April 26, at 1:30 p.m. at Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com). The event is free; register online.

Movie night

Need some family entertainment? Shrek 2 (PG, 2004) is screening at the Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester (707 Huse Road; chunkys.com). See it Thursday, April 25, at 2:30 p.m.

Science Playground

Weather permitting, the Science Playground at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Way in Concord; starhop.com) will open for the season on Wednesday, May 1. The center itself is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sunday, April 28 (and then reverts to regular school year hours of Wednesdays through Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The playground is part of the regular admission to the center, which costs $13 for adults, $12 for ages 13 through college or 62+ and $10 for ages 3 to 12. Planetarium shows cost an additional $7 per person; see the website for a schedule.

Family fun for whenever

Earth Day at the Museum

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; 742-2002, childrens-museum.org) will hold an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20, with sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. The planned activities include Earth-friendly crafts, planting, a scavenger hunt and more. Reserve spots online for a session in advance; admission costs $12.50, $10.50 for seniors.

Art camp!

• The Currier Museum of Art’s (150 Ash St., Manchester) April Vacation Art Camp: Sailors and Sea Monsters runs Monday, April 22, through Friday, April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Currier’s exhibit “Stories of the Sea” is the impetus behind this camp, which will include a variety of exciting multi-media art-making experiences, guided museum tours and gallery activities, according to their website. Three cohorts will be composed of kids ages 6 and 7, ages 8 to 10 and ages 11 to 14. An exhibition of their artwork will be held Thursday, April 25, at 3:45 p.m. Registration is $375 for non-members, $337.50 for members, with tuition discounts available, and all art materials will be provided, according to the website. Visit currier.org or call 518-4922.

Teddy bears!

• Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester) is hosting its annual Teddy Bear Picnic on Tuesday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m. Participants will gather with their teddy bears in the children’s room and then, when everyone is ready, parade through the library and out to the side lawn for a picnic, according to the website. Participants should bring their own bag lunch and beverage to enjoy at the picnic. At noon Mr. Aaron will be on the south lawn for a foot-stomping concert, according to the same site. Registration is not required. Call 624-6550, ext. 7628.

Experiment!

• Later that same day, Tuesday, April 23, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Manchester City Library will host Elementary Experiments. This activity is for anyone in grades 1 through 6 and includes activities and crafts with a STEAM focus (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). Participants can join in at the library or watch the video online; this week’s theme is food science. If you want to attend in person, register in advance so there are enough supplies. Elementary Experiments takes place in the Winchell Room. To register, visit manchester.lib.nh.us or call 624-6550, ext. 7628.

No small parts!

• Shakespeare for Youth, a nonprofit homeschool theater group that rehearses in Nashua and Milford, has four performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Amato Center (56 Mount Vernon St., Milford), on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, at 2 and 7 p.m. on both days, according to their website. This is the group’s third year of performing Shakespeare’s works with a cast made up of kids approximately ages 6 to 18 from all over New Hampshire and Massachusetts, according to a press release. Tickets online are $6 for individuals, $5 for seniors, and $25 for family tickets for parents and up to four kids. Call 399-9609 or visit bit.ly/sfytix.