Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

WinterFest fun

LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry) will celebrate WinterFest on Saturday, Jan. 14, and Sunday, Jan. 15, featuring tastings and other events. Especially for the kids: on Sunday, LaBelle will hold a WinterFest Family Bash from 3 to 5:30 p.m. The celebration will feature children’s musician Steve Blunt, winter animal activities with the Audubon Society, and hands-on crafts and story time with the Derry Public Library. Admission to the Family Bash costs $10 for ages 4 and up (kids 3 and under get in for free). Admission to LaBelle Lights, the walking tour through a light display, costs $16 for ages 13 to 64; $10 for 65+; $8 for ages 4 to 12 and is free for ages 3 and under. LaBelle Lights runs daily, Wednesday through Sunday, from 4:30 to 9 p.m. and has been extended through Saturday, Jan. 21. Purchase tickets for LaBelle events at labellewinery.com.

Learning artsy things

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org) has a full slate of winter classes for kids, both in person and online. In-person classes include “Pen, Pencil and Marker!” a four week drawing class running Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 25) and “Draw, Paint, Print!” a four week class on Saturdays at 12:15 p.m. (starting Jan. 28). On Tuesday, Jan. 17, a five-week “Comics for Kids” class begins running from 4:30 to 6 p.m. via Zoom. All three classes are for students in third through fifth grade. The Currier also has four-week in-person classes for kindergarten through second grade: “Art Explorers” on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 26) and “Strawberries, Ice Cream and Candy” on Saturdays at 10:15 (starting Jan. 28). For grades 6 through 9, a four-week in-person “Expressive Landscapes” class runs Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 25). For teens, a five-week online class “Character Design for Storytelling” runs Saturdays (starting Jan. 21) from 1 to 3 p.m. and a four-week in-person class “Patterns, Paints and Printmaking for Teens” (14+) is on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. (starting Jan. 26). Go online to register.

• Kids who are curious about learning music can take a free trial class at the Nashua Community Music School (2 Lock St.) on Thursday, Jan. 12, at 6:30 p.m. Students ages 8 to 11 can meet one of the teachers, Miss Holly, and test out two of the classes: Master Musicians and Intro to Singing. While the trial is free, the school does request reserving a spot in advance. Visit nashuacms.org for more information. Library activities

• Kids in grades 4 through 6 can join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a hot chocolate bar and book swap on Thursday, Jan. 12, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The library recommends bringing a couple of books to swap over a steaming cup of hot cocoa topped off with goodies from the library’s topping bar. Registration is recommended and can be done at nashualibrary.org.

• The Heights Branch Library (14 Canterbury Road, Concord) is hosting storytime stations on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 9:30 a.m. There will be stories, crafts, activities, felt boards and more. Kids and their caregivers can take their time at each of the stations without feeling rushed through the activities during the two-hour story time. For more information about this event, visit concordnh.gov.

• The Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.) is hosting a train party on Tuesday Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. There will be train games and a simple craft, a sing-and-dance-along featuring songs like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” and a special train-themed story time. This program is designed for kids ages of 2 through 5. Registration is recommended and can be done by calling 624-6550, ext. 7628. Visit manchester.lib.nh.us for more information.

Showtime!

• Come to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) to see Frozen Jr. on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. The show follows the plot of Disney favorite Frozen (PG, 2019) and is cast with teens in the Palace Theatre’s youth theater program. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at palacetheatre.org.

Save the date

Look forward to Dragons and Mythical Beasts at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sunday, Jan. 22. The show brings audience members face to face with fantastical creatures like the Stone Troll, the Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy, a unicorn and a majestic griffin through the puppet mastery of Nicoll Entertainment. Ticket prices start at $25. The show starts at 2 p.m., doors open at 1 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ccanh.com.

Family fun for the weekend

On ice!

“Find Your Hero” is the theme of this weekend’s Disney On Ice show at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com, 644-500). Princesses, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Olaf the snowman and other Disney characters will take to the ice on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets start at $18.

On the seas!

The Super Stellar Friday program on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) is about “New Hampshire’s Rye Riptide STEM Miniboats.” Learn about the unmanned mini sailboats gathering wind and currents information, according to the website. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will be followed by planetarium and telescope viewing. The cost (which includes admission to the exhibits and a planetarium show as well as the Super Stellar programming) is $12 for adults, $9 for kids ages 3 to 12, $11 for seniors and students. The program can also be viewed virtually; see the website for information.

In the skies! (Well, imagine they’re in the skies)

The “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft” exhibit continues at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) and features more than 2,000 aviation toys and models, according to a press release. The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 22; the museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 per person ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65 and up; ages 5 and under and veterans and active military get in free, the release said.

In nature!

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road in Holderness; 968- 7194, nhnature.org) will hold the first of its Wild Winter Walk events for 2023 on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m. The program runs through 11:30 a.m. and includes a naturalist-guided walk through the live animal exhibit trail to see how native animals adapt to winter, according to the website. The program will be all outside and is recommended for kids ages 7 and up (kids must be accompanied by adults). An afternoon program at 1 p.m. may be offered if the morning program fills up, the website said. The cost is $13 per person; register online.

For the littlest littles

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) begins its series of baby storytimes on Thursday, Jan. 5. The storytimes run every Thursday from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and are geared to ages 6 months to 2 years, according to the website, where you can reserve spots for the morning play session (9 a.m. to noon). Admission costs $12.50 for adults and children over 12 months old; $10.50 for ages 65+.

Family fun for the weekend

Out of the house

Looking to get your family out of the house during the holiday break? Check out the Kiddie Pool column in last week’s (Dec. 22) issue, which features a list of some of the area museums open extra days or hours for the vacation. The e-edition is available at hippopress.com and the story is on page 17.

While you’re there, also check out our listing of places offering light attractions and holiday light tours, on page 16 of last week’s issue.

Getting crafty

The last chance to sign up for Drawn to the Music is Saturday, Dec. 31. The program, put on by the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra, invites elementary school kids to listen to classical music and draw what they experience while listening. Winners of the competition have their artwork displayed at a concert by the Phil, and win free tickets to see the performance. To sign up, visit nhphil.org.

Library fun

• Tweens can travel the world on their plate at an international taste test at the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) on Thursday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. Kids in grades 4 through 6 will try a variety of food from around the world. The food will contain some allergens, and the librarians can provide more information if contacted at [email protected]. Registration is required for this event and can be done at nashualibrary.org.

• Visit Pelham Public Library (24 Village Green, Derry) for a chance to read to a dog on Tuesday, Jan. 3, from 5 to 6 p.m. The therapy dog, named Blondie, will be a safe, judgment-free listener as kids practice reading out loud. Registration is required for this session and can be completed at pelhampubliclibrary.com.

• Take on a reading challenge at the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.). Teens can participate in the winter reading challenge starting on Tuesday, Jan. 3, and running through March. Teens who participate by reading library books and attending events will gain points that can be used to earn prizes and a free young-adult book of their choice. Teens can sign up at manchesternh.readsquared.com and pick up their challenge packet at the library.

• Another reading challenge at the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St.) is 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, designed for children and their caregivers to encourage literacy for kids 1 to 4 years old. Once entered in the program, kids can earn little prizes upon completing different goals. To sign up, visit the library’s website at manchester.lib.nh.us. After signing up, parents should pick up the reading packets at the library.

Save the date

Watch the magic come to life at Disney on Ice Find Your Heroes at the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester). Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy will take the audience on an adventure that includes scenes from beloved Disney movies, including Moana, Frozen, Tangled and The Little Mermaid. The ice show opens on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m. and will have shows on Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Ticket prices start at $18 and tickets can be purchased at snhuarena.com.