Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

The younger moviegoers

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) has some events this Friday, May 20, for younger moviegoers. Shrek (PG, 2001) is this month’s“little lunch date” screening, when lights are slightly dimmed, at noon at Chunky’s in Manchester, Nashua and Pelham. Admission is free but secure seats in advance with a $5 food voucher.

All three Chunky’s will also hold a sensory-friendly screening of The Bad Guys (PG, 2022) at 4 p.m., when sound is turned down and lights are up. Tickets cost $5.99 each.

Happy Birthday, Ralph Baer!

• Celebrate the 100th birthday of inventor Ralph Baer, credited with being the father of the video game console, on Saturday, May 21. A program at Arms Park in Manchester will start at noon (with a food truck social hour) and at 1 p.m. feature speakers and presentations, including the unveiling of a new plaque for the sculpture honoring Baer in Arms Park. Starting at 2 p.m. the public will get free entry to SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org), where there will be family drop-in activities (from 3:to 4:30 p.m.) such as pixel art making and playdough circuits; the FIRST Robotics Team 6763 Fusion from Manchester School of Technology and Manchester MakerSpace will introduce visitors to robots; and Saturday will be the exhibit closing event for Video Game Art Exhibit (the final display day is Sunday, May 22) and an opportunity to speak with the artists, according to the SEE’s website.

Showtime!

• The middle school students at High Mowing School (Pine Hill Campus, 77 Pine Hill Drive in Wilton; highmowing.org/hilltop) will show off their circus skills and tell the story of Winnie the Pooh at the 2022 Hilltop Circus: In the Hundred Acre Wood. The seventh- and eighth-grade students will present their show of juggling, acrobatics and more on Thursday, May 19, at 4 p.m.; Friday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 21, at 4:30 p.m. The event is described as family-friendly and is open to the public; bring a donation to the Wilton’s Open Cupboard Food Pantry and get a free bag of popcorn, according to a press release. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

• The Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts (for youth and teens) will presentCharlotte’s Web at the Majestic Theatre (880 Page St. in Manchester; majestictheatre.net, 669-7469) on Friday, May 20, at 7 p.m.; Saturday May 21, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for 65+ and $10 for ages 17 and under (plus fees online).

• The Palace Youth Theatre will present The Little Mermaid Jr. on Wednesday, May 25, and Thursday, May 26, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Tickets cost $12 to $15 for these shows, which feature performers in grades 2 through 12.

Family fun for the weekend

Play dough science

• The Ralph Baer Projects Club will hold a Play Dough Circuits event at the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0404) on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The drop-in lab will explain electrical current and the basics of an electrical circuit, which kids can then create (safely!) with play dough, according to the website, which recommends advance reservations.The event is part of the regular admission to SEE (which costs $10 for everyone ages 3 and up). SEE is open on Saturdays (and Sundays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays).

The event is one of several events and exhibits related to celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday of Ralph Baer, the Manchester resident who is credited with creating the first prototype of a video game, the website said. A Ralph Baer birthday celebration will be held Saturday, May 21, in Arms Park in Manchester (from noon to 2:30), with activities at SEE from 2 to 5 p.m. See the SEE’s website for details.

See the show

• Dav Pilkey fans: Head to the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) for Dog Man: The Musical, based on the comics of George and Harold (in the books by Dav Pilkey), a live musical about the titular hero. The show will come to the Cap Center on Saturday, May 14, with performances at 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets cost $15 per person or you can get a family four-pack for $50.

• The kids of the Bedford Youth Performing Company will present Descendants the Musical, a musical production based on the Disney Channel movies about the children of Disney villains and heroes, on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 15, both at 1 p.m., at Goffstown High School. Tickets cost $17.50 for adults, $15 for students and seniors. See bypc.org for more on the dance, theater and music school and for links to the group’s social media, where you can find information on purchasing tickets.

Little gardeners

The New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road in Concord; nhaudubon.org, 224-9909) will kick off its Buds & Blooms Series for kids and families — a “compilation of six in-person public programs intended to introduce participants to the magic and wonder of our native plants and pollinators,” according to the website — with “Beginner Botany” on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event is free but registration is required. The website says the material is best suited for children ages 4 to 12 and the first program will include exploring the McLane Center’s Pollinator Garden and a scavenger hunt.

Get out and play

The YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown (116 Goffstown Back Road in Goffstown) will hold a Healthy Kids Day on Sunday, May 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, according to the YMCA’s Facebook post about the event, which said it will feature a bounce house, archery, a low ropes course, crafts, a book fair, snacks and more. Call 497-4663 for more information.

Fairies & gnomes

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; 742-2002, childrens-museum.org) is holding its first ever Fairy House & Gnome Home Spring Celebration this weekend, Friday, May 13, through Sunday, May 15. On Friday, bring a homemade fairy house or gnome home to drop off at the museum to display in Henry Law Park starting Saturday. Or visit the museum to make a packing peanut gnome or fairy house or a paper mushroom hut (and participate in other fairy-related activities and crafts). The fairy and gnome fun continues on Saturday and Sunday, when you can check out the houses brought in and displayed in the park and the museum’s Play Patio (and make your own to add at the natural material building station). Visitors to the museum can take part in more fairy crafts and activities and check out special performances scheduled for the weekend: on Saturday, May 14, it’s Lindsay and her Puppet Pals at 11 a.m. or 1:30 p.m., and on Sunday, May 15, Musical Arts Dover will do a short Fair Ballet performance at 10 a.m.

Admission costs $11 per person, $9 for 65+ (no charge for children under 1). Reserve a spot and pay online in advance; the museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays with sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. and on Sundays with a session from 9 a.m. to noon. (The museum has mask-required and mask-optional sessions; see the website for details.)

Save the date for: Winnie the Pooh at the circus

The middle school students at High Mowing School (Pine Hill Campus, 77 Pine Hill Drive in Wilton; highmowing.org/hilltop) will show off their circus skills and tell the story of Winnie the Pooh at the 2022 Hilltop Circus: In the Hundred Acre Wood. The seventh- and eighth-grade students will present their show of juggling, acrobatics and more on Thursday, May 19, at 4 p.m.; Friday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 21, at 4:30 p.m. The event is described as family-friendly and is open to the public; bring a donation to the Wilton’s Open Cupboard Food Pantry and get a free bag of popcorn, according to a press release. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for kids.

Family fun for the weekend

Fantastical adventures

See a performance of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth) on Friday, May 6, at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, May 7, at 2 and 7 p.m. Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, the show is directed and choreographed by UNH senior Ro Gavin. It follows the story of Percy Jackson, the half-blood son of a Greek god, who discovers he has powers he can’t control. Admission starts at $25. Visit 3sarts.org.

All natural

It’s New Hampshire Day at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road, Holderness) on Saturday, May 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., when Granite Staters may visit the live animal exhibit trail for an admission of $5. Advance tickets are required and are online at nhnature.org.

Fun at the farm

Visit with the animals of Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) every Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning May 7 and through September, and on select Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through June, July and August. Charmingfare Farm is home to all kinds of animals, from alpacas and cattle to donkeys, horses, ponies, pigs, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and more. Admission is $22 per person (free for kids under 23 months old) and tickets must be purchased online.

Play ball!

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats return home for a six-game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, Tuesday, May 10, through Sunday, May 15. Game times are at 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, 6:35 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1:35 p.m. on Sunday. Stick around after the May 14 game for a special fireworks display courtesy of Atlas Fireworks. Kids will also get to run the bases following the conclusion of the May 15 game. Tickets start at $8 per person. Visit nhfishercats.com.

Save the date: for Mutts Gone Nuts

Join the Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester) for Mutts Gone Nuts, a show on Friday, May 13, from 7 to 9 p.m., featuring comedy duo Scott and Joan Houghton. They bring a unique blend of humor and circus acts to stages worldwide, their show participants all from animal rescues. Admission is $40. Visit muttsgonenuts.com/tour to purchase tickets.

Family fun for the weekend

Family chickens

Learn all about the care and keeping of backyard chickens at the Beaver Brook Association’s Maple Hill Farm (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) on Friday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The cost is $25 per person (children are free but need to be registered in advance).

When the chicken class is done, stay for a hike. Find hiking trail maps and a guide to early spring flowers on the Association’s website.

Take them out to the ball game

The New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue their run of home games at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester against the Reading Fightin’ Phils through Sunday, May 1. Games through Saturday, April 30, start at 6:30 p.m.; the Sunday, May 1, game starts at 1:35 p.m. See milb.com/new-hampshire for tickets and the lineup of promotions such as the pop-it giveaway (Friday, April 29) and Princesses at the Park (on Sunday, May 1).

Kids on stage

The Palace Youth Theatre presents its production of 101 Dalmatians Kids on Saturday, April 30, at 11 a.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for kids.

A week of storytimes

• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) finishes up its vacation week schedule of daily storytimes. Register online; storytimes are free, crafts cost $10. On Thursday, April 28, at 10 a.m. the story will be Ada and the Galaxies and the craft will be a galaxy jar. On Friday, April 29, at 10 a.m. the storytime will focus on Ralph Baer, the Manchester-based father of video games, with the book The Boy Who Thought Outside the Box.

Vacation days outings

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road in Holderness; nhnature.org, 968-7194) opens its public trails season on Sunday, May 1, with regular daily hours from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last trail admission at 3:30 p.m.). The three-quarters of a mile live animal exhibit trail features coyote, fisher, foxes, bobcats, black bear, river otters, deer, owls, raptors and more, according to the press release, which recommends planning a two-and-a-half-hour visit to walk the trail, which winds through meadows, forests and march boardwalks. Admission costs $22 for adults, $20 for ages 65+, $16 for ages 3 to 15 and is free for children 2 and under.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) is regularly open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. This week the museum will also be open Thursday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for 13 and over and $5 for 65+, children ages 6 to 12 and active military and veterans. Children 5 and under get in free and the family maximum is $30.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., admission is free as part of the Art After Work programming, when the museum features live music, tours and live music: This week, Old Tom and the Lookouts is slated to perform on April 28. Otherwise, admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for 65+, $10 for students and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (children under 13 get in free).

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) is open Tuesdays through Sundays, with sessions from 9 a.m. to noon all six days as well as from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission costs $11 per person, $9 for 65+ (no charge for children under 1). (The museum has mask-required and mask-optional sessions; see the website for details.)

This week’s lineup of activities includes World Culture Thursday, when the museum features a craft or other activity celebrating a different culture around the world. On Science Fridays, kids can participate in messy experiments and activities that demonstrate a scientific concept, according to the website. These programs are part of regular admission. As of April 25, there was still availability for the 2 p.m. programs.

• The SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Purchase reservations in advance via the website (masks are required for all visitors age 2 and up); admission costs $10 per person ages 3 and up.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) is open daily through Sunday, May 1, from 10:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. There will be four planetarium shows daily, according to the website, which recommends purchasing timed tickets in advance. Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors and $8.50 for kids ages 3 to 12 (admission is free for children 2 and under; masks required for visitors over the age of 2). Planetarium show tickets cost $5 per person (free for children 2 and under); see the website for the schedule of planetarium shows and for the mask requirements by day.

Save the date: for Dad

The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org) is holding a Dad & Me Expedition on Saturday, June 18, with start times at 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Meet at the farm stand and enjoy an all-ages-friendly walk in the woods, according to the website. The cost is $18 per family.

Family fun for the weekend

For the littles

• The Nashua Public Library and the Greater Nashua Smart Start Coalition are holding an Early Childhood Fair on Saturday, April 23, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Greeley Park on Concord Street in Nashua. The day will include a performance by children’s musician Mr. Aaron, storytelling by Uncle Bobby, storytimes with Nashua area libraries and representatives from local agencies with resources for kids (such as Beaver Brook Association, NH Hunger Solutions, Constellations Behavioral Health Services, area libraries, Little Pilgrim School, UNH Cooperative Extension: Nutrition Connections and more), according to a press release. Contact the library at 603-589-4631 or kids@nashualibrary.org for more information.

A week of storytimes

• Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) has multiple storytimes in the upcoming week, starting with a reading of Lobstah Gahden: Speaking Out Against Pollution with a Wicked Awesome Boston Accent! by Alli Brydon and illustrated by EG Keller on Saturday, April 23, at 11:30 a.m. This special Earth Day storytime will also include a recycled water bottle lobster craft. On Monday, April 25, at 10 a.m. the book will be Just Be Jelly and the craft will be a jellyfish. On Wednesday, April 27, the 10 a.m. storytime will feature Eddy the Manchester Police Department’s comfort pony. On Thursday, April 28, at 10 a.m., the story will be Ada and the Galaxies and the craft will be a galaxy jar. On Friday, April 29, at 10 a.m. the storytime will focus on Ralph Baer, the Manchester-based father of video games. And be sure to save the date for Saturday, April 30, which is Independent Bookstore Day.

See the show

• As of April 18, tickets are still available to Peppa Pig’s Adventure, a live show based on the popular cartoon, at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $39 through $59; a $50 VIP add-on gets you a post-show photo experience.

And speaking of beloved characters: Dog Man: The Musical, based on the comics of George and Harold (in the books by Dav Pilkey), a live musical about the titular hero, will come to the Cap Center on Saturday, May 14, with shows at 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets cost $15 per person or you can get a family four-pack for $50.

Museum outing

Looking for an activity during April vacation? Here are the operating hours of area museums.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., admission is free as part of the Art After Work programming, when the museum features live music, tours and more (Kevin Horan is slated to perform on Thursday, April 21, and Old Tom and the Lookouts is scheduled for April 28). Otherwise, admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for 65+, $10 for students and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (children under 13 get in free).

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org) is regularly open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. For vacation week, the museum will also be open Thursday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for 13 and over and $5 for 65+, children ages 6 to 12 and active military and veterans. Children 5 and under get in free and the family maximum is $30.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) is open Tuesdays through Sundays, with sessions from 9 a.m. to noon all six days as well as from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission costs $11 per person, $9 for 65+ (no charge for children under 1). (The museum has mask-required and mask-optional sessions; see the website for details.)

The museum will celebrate Earth Day — Friday, April 22 — with special craft activities, a scavenger hunt, a Science Friday project to make a mini window greenhouse (at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.), a project to plant a flower to take home (at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m.) and more.

And little makers may want to save the date now for a Fairy House and Gnome Home Spring Celebration in May. On Saturday, May 7, learn to make a fairy house at a child and adult workshop (the cost is $20 for one pair plus $5 per additional child). On Friday, May 13, bring a homemade fairy house or gnome home to drop off at the museum (or attend the museum to make one there) and then have them added to a display of fairy houses and gnome homes in Henry Law Park and the museum Play Patio. Kids can make houses on-site throughout the weekend, when the museum will host special performances and activities.

• Though normally closed on Mondays, the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) will be open Monday, April 25, as well as Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Purchase reservations in advance via the website (masks are required for all visitors age 2 and up); admission costs $10 per person ages 3 and up.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) is open daily through Sunday, May 1, from 10:30 a.m. through 4 p.m. There will be four planetarium shows daily, according to the website, which recommends purchasing timed tickets in advance. Admission costs $11.50 for adults, $10.50 for students and seniors and $8.50 for kids ages 3 to 12 (admission is free for children 2 and under; masks required for visitors over the age of 2). Planetarium show tickets cost $5 per person (free for children 2 and under); see the website for the schedule of planetarium shows and for the mask requirements by day.