Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Kids in history

• The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; manchesterhistoric.org, 622-7531) will present “Help Wanted: Children of the Mills,” a program geared toward school-age kids according to the website, on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 and children must be accompanied by ticketed adults, the website said. The event looks at the mill jobs for kids as young as 9 in the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. mills during the second half of the 19th century, what jobs they did and what it was like for them, the website said. The event will include a pail lunch and hands-on activities, the website said.

Kids in the show

• The performers of West Running Brook Middle School in Derry will present Moana Jr.on Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. at Stockbridge Theatre (Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre). Tickets cost $10 each.

• For teen audiences who want to see teen performers: The Palace Teen Company will present Cabaret, featuring student actors ages 12 through 18, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for ages 6 to 12, $15 for adults.

• And save the date for the High Mowing School middle schoolers (Pine Hill Campus, 77 Pine Hill Drive in Wilton; highmowing.org/hilltop, 654-6003) who will show off their circus skills with their show Circus with a Chance of Meatballs on Thursday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children; bring a donation for the Wilton’s Open Cupboard Food pantry for free popcorn, according to a press release.

Hearts & dinosaurs

• Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) will feature the book How to Catch a Loveosaurus during the storytime on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 11:30 a.m. After the story, kids will make a tissue paper heart collage craft, according to the website, where you can reserve a spot for this free event.

• As of the morning of Feb. 7, spots are still available at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; 742-2002, childrens-museum.org) for the Dinosaur Valentine’s Day Party on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. Make dinosaur- and Valentine’s-themed crafts, hear dinosaur stories, meet a costumed dinosaur and take home a treat, according to the website, where you can purchase tickets for $16 per person (kids under the age of 1 get in free).

Give a toothy grin

• All February long, the Children’s Museum is celebrating Dental Health Month. The museum will have tooth-brushing and dental health-related activities and free toothbrushes from Northeast Delta Dental (while supplies last), according to the website. On Wednesdays, Feb 15 and Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23, the Tooth Fairy and Holly the comfort dog from Haas Dental Associates (in Dover and Derry) will be at the museum to meet guests from 10 to 11:30 a.m., the website said. Reserve a spot to attend the museum in advance via the website. Tickets cost $12.50 for everyone over 12 months old; $10.50 for ages 65+ (children under 12 months get in free), the website said. The museum is open Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to noon; Wednesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon.

Family fun for the weekend

Library excitement

• Ever wanted to be in an episode of Stranger Things? The Manchester City Library (405Pine St.) is offering something like that at its teen escape room on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 3 p.m. Teens in grades 6 to 12 are invited to hang out during the Teen Thursday, where the escape room will be happening in addition to usual activities including snacks and gaming sessions on the library’s Nintendo Switch. For more information, visit manchester.lib.nh.us.

• Join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a special event called take your child to the library day, sponsored by children’s musician Steve Blunt and author and illustrator Marty Kelley on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Blunt and Kelley will perform a show with music, books and laughter all about going to the library. This event is free to attend. Visit nashualibrary.org.

Soccer star

• Kim Chafee, a children’s author, is slated to attend the storytime and crafts event at Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11:30 a.m. She will read her new book Courage in Her Cleats: The Story of Soccer Star Abby Wambach and the event will include soccer-themed activities, according to the website. The event is free; register online.

Beary fun

• A special Girl Scouts build-a-bear workshop is opening at the New Hampshire Girl Scouts council office (1 Commerce Drive in Bedford) on Saturday, Feb. 4, with a special gala taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The location will have Girl Scouts branded merchandise for troop members to choose from. The gala will have raffles and giveaways while customers get the chance to explore the new location. For more information about this event, visit girlscoutsgwm.org.

Outdoor adventures

• The New Hampshire Audubon Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org, 668-2045) is hosting a cold creatures and hot cocoa event on Saturday, Feb. 4, from noon to 1 p.m. Families can learn all about cold-blooded creatures like snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards and more, as well as meet some of them in person, all while sipping on delicious hot beverages. The Massabesic Center recommends this program for kids ages 5 to 13. It costs from $15 per family and registration can be completed at nhaudubon.org.

• The NHScots second annual great kilt skate will be on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m. at White Park (1 White St. in Concord). The organization will have Scottish tunes, hot chocolate, coffee and a few other wintery surprises. The group invites everyone to don a kilt, but dress warmly, and take to the ice with them in the free event. There is a warming house available for anyone who gets too cold. Visit nhscot.org for more information.

• Dreamer’s Ranch (125 N. Lowell Road, Windham) is hosting a Fire and Ice Winter Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4, from 4 to 8 p.m. Take a wagon ride from the ranch’s parking lot to the festival grounds, where there will be sledding, skating and other winter activities. Live music will be provided by local bands, and the ranch will have bonfires to help visitors keep warm. There will also be hot dogs and hamburgers from the grill. Tickets for the event cost $15 and can be purchased in advance at youthstorm.org/dreamersranch.

Family fun for the weekend

Museum fun

• On Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) will be hosting Lighter Than Air, an educational program and lecture about the people who pioneered flight through hot air balloons. The event will have photographs of the early pioneers of air travel, many of whom were in the Manchester region. Tickets to the event cost $10 for nonmembers and are free to members. Visit nhahs.org for more information.

• Join the Children’s Museum (6 Washington St., Dover) for a Robotics Petting Zoo presented by Sages Entertainment on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. Kids will learn about what makes robots special, how people use them in everyday life, and the code that brings robots to life. There will also be a robot scavenger hunt and robot-themed craft in the Muse Art Studio at the museum. Join the event by purchasing morning or afternoon play tickets at childrens-museum.org. Tickets cost $12.50 for children and adults, $10.50 for seniors older than 65. Children younger than 1 year old are free.

• Build a plane with the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) at their student and family plane-build open house on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. The open house is to promote a program with the Manchester School of Technology, where students will work with volunteers to build a plane from scratch during the school year. The program is free for students who meet the age requirement, and students from other schools or districts or who are homeschooled are able to participate as well. To learn more about the program, visit nhahs.org.

Showtime

• All three Chunky’s (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham) will have a little lunch date showing the movie Shrek (PG, 2001) on Friday, Jan. 27, at 3:45 p.m. The family-friendly showing will have dimmed lights. Admission is free, but reserve a seat with a $5 food voucher at chunkys.com.

• Get your claws and whiskers ready for a family-friendly production of Cats: the Young Actors Versionby the Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway). Opening night is Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. and following shows are on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 and 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for seniors ages 65 and older, $10 for youth 17 and younger. Purchase tickets at majestictheatre.net.

• Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St., Concord) is screening Frozen (PG, 2013) on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. as part of the Concord Winter Festival. Tickets cost $10 per person; visit redrivertheatre.com to purchase tickets.

Save the date

• Get prehistoric with the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover) with a dinosaur-themed Valentine’s Day party on Sunday, Feb. 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. The party will have a dinosaur-themed craft, stories, and a meet and greet with a friendly dinosaur. This event is a special ticketed event. Tickets cost $10 for members, $16 for nonmembers, free for children under a year. Ticket sales start on Wednesday, Jan. 25, for members and open to the public on Monday, Jan. 30. To purchase tickets, visit childrens-museum.org.

• Winter vacation is just around the corner, and Park Arts (19 Main St., Jaffrey) is holding a winter vacation camp for all the little performers starting on Monday, Feb. 27. The camp will run the whole week and include a performance on March 4. The play for elementary students will be The Elves and the Shoemaker and the play for middle school students is Mystery Anyone? Each camp costs $90 for admission, with an optional $12 for a commemorative T-shirt. Registration is open and can be done at theparktheatre.org.