Category: Family Fun

Kiddie Pool 22/03/17

Family fun for the weekend

Art of the video game

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) is now displaying “Video Game Art,” an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ralph Baer’s birthday. Baer is the Manchester inventor who crafted the prototype for the first video game (find a statue commemorating him in Arms Park). The exhibit features pieces from 14 artists, according to the website, and is on display during SEE’s regular hours, Tuesdays through Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends). Admission costs $10 for guests ages 3 and up; advance registration is recommended.

SEE is offering a workshop for kids 12 and up next Saturday, March 26, wherein the kids make their own “Simon Says”-style game. The cost of the workshop is $5 extra and the workshop runs from 2 to 4 p.m. See the website to register and for materials requirements.

For more about Ralph Baer Projects Club, see ralphbaerday.com.

First veggies, then baked goods

Get kids excited about picking up some veggies, then grab a baked good or two at area winter farmers markets.

The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 7 Eagle Square. This coming Saturday, March 19, musicians Eyes of Age will perform. Find a list of vendors at dcwfm.squarespace.com.

Also on Saturdays is the Contoocook Farmers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Maple Street School (194 Maple St. in Contoocook).

On Sundays, head to LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry) for the Salem NH Farmers Market, which operates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find their list of vendors at salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

More maple

Like the cover story says, we are in maple season. In Warner, the maple producers are holding a town-wide maple celebration this Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, according to a press release. Seven sap houses will be offering syrup demonstrations; find maps for the houses in Warner area businesses, the release said.

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Pillsbury Free Library (18 E. Main St. ) will offer a children’s craft. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with maple sugaring demonstrations, acorn pancake samples, fry bread and maple treats for sale, a book sale, walking tours and more, according to the museum’s website. Admission to the museum costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children (ages 6 to 12) and $26 for a family, the website said.

On Sunday, head to the Warner Town Hall from noon to 3 p.m. for a maple syrup tasting contest, where you can vote for your favorite.

Find more details on the event at warnerhistorical.org and if you haven’t already, check out the cover story for a listing of more area sugarhouses and their plans for this weekend and the rest of Maple Month.

On stage

The Palace Teen Apprentice Company will present Wizard of Oz: Young Performers Edition at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Tuesday, March 22, and Wednesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for kids (ages 6 to 12).

Older theater lovers, teens in particular, may want to check out teen drama 1950s-style at Bye Bye Birdie, the Palace Theatre’s current production, which runs this weekend at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19; at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday, March 20. Tickets cost $25 through $46. The show runs through Sunday, April 3.

Outdoors after school

Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) will hold a “Hike and Sketch” program Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for kids in grades 4 through 6. Kids will walk Maple Hill Farm with their sketchbooks and draw in different locations (or in the Spear Room, if necessary due to weather), according to the website. The season, which runs March 28 through May 23, costs $120.

Treasure Hunt 22/03/17

I am hoping you can guide me. I have this wedding band that belonged to my sister. I have no use for it and am wondering what I should do with it. It’s marked 14KT with no other markings. If I had to guess, I’d say it was from the 1970s.

Can you help by telling me what would be the best way to find it a new home, maybe with a jeweler or a gold buyer?

Karen

Dear Karen,

I think the first thing you need to do is confirm it is gold. It’s tough to really tell these days when there are so many fake marks out there.

Step 2 is find someone you can trust to do business with. The markup on jewelry is so high, returning it for a wedding band to sell again might not give you the best value.

I would see what the secondary buyback value is and then what the gold value is, assuming it is gold. That’s why dealing with someone you can trust is important. I can give you a couple names of who I always dealt with for gold and silver if needed. They can determine gold, weight and best value.

Treasure Hunt 22/03/10

Dear Donna,

Can you provide me any information on this kitchen cabinet? Age and possible value?

Jacob

Dear Jacob,

Your Hoosier cabinet was produced in the early 1900s to 1940s by the Sellers company of Indiana. Their first cabinet was done in the late 1800s, but painted versions were later.

They were made to hold all your baking needs in one cabinet. Some had built-in flour bins, sugar jars, spice jars, bread boards, and many more useful items at arm’s reach. Also the wonderful enamel top on yours was perfect for a working surface.

Complete ones in original factory paint and condition are tough to find because they were so heavily used in the time and then repainted over and transformed into just a storage cabinet. There are many people who still decorate with them today.

Jacob, the history of Hoosiers is an interesting one to read about. Even how the cabinets got their name.

The value on them can range from $200 to $3,000. This depends on age, original condition, contents, etc. Repainted ones usually are in the range of $200 to $400.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for sharing your sweet useful cabinet.

Donna

Kiddie Pool 22/03/10

Family fun for the weekend

Free family fun

Saturday, March 12, is the monthly free-admission day at the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144). Admission to the Currier for New Hampshire residents is free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day’s offerings include a family-friendly Creative Studio activity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Make an alcohol ink tile, inspired by a piece from the collection, in the green studio, according to the website. No reservations are necessary but masks are required, the website said.

Science Saturday

Head to the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) on Saturday, March 12, for an event they’re calling “Play Dough Circuits.” The Ralph Baer Projects Club, a club celebrating the Manchester inventor who crafted the prototype for the first video game, will present an activity from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. that safely teaches kids about electricity and circuits, according to the website. The event is included in the regular admission and is recommended for ages 5 and up, the website said. The center is open Tuesdays through Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends). Admission costs $10 for guests ages 3 and up; advance registration is recommended. For more about Ralph Baer Projects Club, see ralphbaerday.com. (March 8 was the 100th anniversary of Baer’s birth; he died in 2014 and a statue commemorating him is in Arms Park.)

Princesses and a pony

The Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) will host Miss Manchester and Miss Outstanding Manchester Teen for storytime on Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. The featured book is the kids’ book The Princess and The Pony by Kate Beaton (whom adults may know from Hark! A Vagrant). After story time, Eddy, the Manchester police department’s comfort pony, will make an appearance, according to the website.

On stage

Marvel’s comic book character Squirrel Girl comes to the stage with Squirrel Girl Goes to College, a presentation of the Palace Youth Theatre, on Tuesday, March 15, and Wednesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org). Tickets cost $15 for adults.

Kiddie Pool 22/03/03

Family fun for the weekend

Aviation Thursday

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820) will open on Thursday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — a vacation week addition to the regular hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under.

Science Friday

• And if you want more fun with a side of learning, go to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) on Friday, March 4, for their “Science Friday” programming, part of the regular admission to the museum, which 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). Reserve admission online.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) is open daily through Sunday, March 6, with sessions from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 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 after a day in person at the center, get an extra helping of science programming with this month’s Super Stellar Fridays online event, “The Dinosaurs and Geology of Thermopolis, Wyoming.” In this presentation, Discovery Center educator Brendan Clement will discuss his summer internship at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, according to the website. The event starts at 7 p.m. and is free but online registration is required.

Story Saturday

• The Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) will feature a St. Patrick’s themed story time on Saturday, March 5, at 11:30 a.m. with the books Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk by Gerald McDermott and Three Ways to Trap a Leprechaun by Tara Lazar and illustrated by Vivienne To, according to the store’s website. After stories, attendees can make rainbows out of paper plates, the website said.

On stage

• Disney’s The Aristocats Kids, featuring a cast of student actors in grades 2 through 12 from the Palace Youth Theatre’s vacation camp, will hit the stage at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12.

• On Wednesday, March 9, head to the Music Hall (28 Chestnut St. in Portsmouth; 436-2400, themusichall.org) to spend some time with Rosie Revere, engineer, and her buddies Iggy Peck, architect, and Ada Twist, scientist. The musical stage show Rosie Revere, Engineer, and Friendswill feature the characters from the popular books by Andrea Beaty and will be presented at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. The shows last about an hour and tickets cost $7, according to the website.

Save the date: for that first gig

• NH Music Collective and the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. in Laconia; belknapmill.org, 524-8813) hold a Young Performers Open Mic at the Mill on the fourth Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. The open mic sessions will run for two hours and are open to all middle and high school students, according to a press release. The events will run through May 22 and are family friendly, according to the press release.

More summer camp

• The Children’s Theatre Project of the Community Players of Concord will hold a summer camp for young actors ages 8 to 14, Sunday, July 31, through Friday, Aug. 5. The kids will rehearse Peter Pan Jr. which will be presented on Friday evening, according to a press release. The camp begins with a meeting at The Players Studio (435 Josiah Bartlett Road in Concord) on July 31 from 1 to 3 p.m. and then runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, through Thursday, Aug. 5 p.m. On Friday, the camp moves to the Concord City Auditorium from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $225; see communityplayersofconcord.org or email k.braz@comcast.net with questions, the release said.

Treasure Hunt 22/03/03

Dear Donna,

I’m hoping you can provide me some help. I have three of these antique cast iron brackets. I would like to use them but would need to have a fourth. Can you shed any light on where to find a match?

Charles

Dear Charles,

Your Victorian-era shelf brackets look to be in great condition. The design is sweet! Finding a match could be tough but you might get lucky.

I think there are several ways to search. Today with the internet right at our fingertips, some difficult finds can be easier. I would start there looking for Victorian-era cast iron brackets. You know the measurements, so look carefully and see if you come up with one or even several.

Next I would look in antique shops, flea markets, thrift stores, etc. The hunt can be fun. It just depends on what you feel comfortable with. All of it could be necessary to find that exact one you are looking for. Good luck in your hunt, and I too will keep my eyes open if you can send me dimensions. Who knows, maybe even a reader has one or another pair.

As far as what you might expect to pay, a single one would be around $10. A pair is tougher to find so expect to pay $30 to $40 depending on size.

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