Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Blaze of glory

The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; theeducationalfarm.org, 472-4724) will hold its second annual Burning of the Greens on Saturday, Jan. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. Bring your Christmas tree for the Bedford Fire Deparment-tended bonfire and enjoy s’mores, hot cocoa and (weather permitting) ice skating at the farm rink.

You can also visit the farm any day from dawn to dusk (find information about hiking trails on the website). The rink is open when the weather is cold enough and skating costs $5 per skater. Looking for some fresh eats? The farm stand is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Fire and ice

All ages can find fun this weekend at LaBelle Lights, the light display on exhibit at the winery’s Derry location (14 Route 111) through February. The display is open Thursdays through Fridays; on Friday, Jan. 14, and Saturday, Jan. 15, LaBelle is celebrating a Fire & Ice Weekend with performances, bonfires, fire and ice-themed eats at the market and themed cocktails at the restaurant Americus. Tickets for the light display cost $15 for ages 13 and up, $10 for 65+, $8 for ages 4 to 12; kids 3 and under get in free, according to labellewinery.com. Find our story about the LaBelle Lights display in the Dec. 30 issue of the Hippo; the e-edition is available at hippopress.com.

Family race

• As the name indicates, you’ll want to layer appropriately for the Freeze Your Buns 5K race series, which kicked off on Jan. 2 and has its second race Sunday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. on the road between the Conway Arena and the Nashua YMCA in Nashua. Show up early to register on site; the cost is $20 for the remaining races ($12 for ages 17 and under). See the course map at gatecity.org/freeze-buns-5k-series. The remaining races will take place Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27.

• Or spend Sunday morning tackling the 3-mile HPM Insurance Snowflake Shuffle in Bedford. The race starts at 9:30 p.m. at 25 Constitution Dr. and follows a course along Route 101 to Pilgrim Drive, Meetinghouse Road and Liberty Hill Road before circling back to Route 101, according to the course map at millenniumrunning.com/snowflake. Registration costs $35 for 21+, $30 for youth and is open through Saturday, Jan. 15, at 9 a.m. (there is no race-day registration), the website said.

Outdoor adventure

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road in Holderness; nhnature.org, 968-7194) has programs for adventurers this Saturday, Jan. 15. A Mt. Fayal Winter Hike will begin at 9:30 a.m. Geared at ages 12 and up, the guided hike will include a search for signs of animals and winter tree identification, with snowshoes available if needed, the website said. The cost is $11 per person

At 1 p.m., catch the guided tour of the live animal exhibit trail, an event open to ages 6 and up. Learn about how the animals adapt to winter. The cost is $11 per person. For either program, registration is required by noon on the previous day.

• Kids looking for more exploration in their outdoor experiences may want to check out programs at Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787). Starting Wednesday, Jan. 19, kids in grades 4 through 8 can take part in the afterschool hiking club from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. The 2-mile hike will feature trail exploration, education about hiking, trail games and survival basics, according to the website. The seven-week series runs through March 9 and costs $105. Beaver Brook also kicks off a homeschool : outdoor adventures program for ages 9 through 13 on Jan. 19. That seven-week session runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and costs $210. Kids will learn to identify animal tracks and signs, build forts and fires, snowshoe, play games and do woodworking along with sledding or hiking, the website said.

Save the date

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold its Dinosaur Valentine’s Day Party on Sunday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. Tickets cost $16 per person (kids under 1 year old are free). The day will feature special Valentine’s and dinosaur crafts, dinosaur stories, a meeting with a costumed dinosaur and a sweet treat, according to the website. Space is limited and masks are required for all over 24 months old, the website said.

Family fun for the weekend

Winter fun

• Snow tubing opens Thursday, Jan. 6, at McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Court, Manchester), from 4 to 6 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on its “Bonneville Thrill Hill.” Special rates are $23 and can be purchased at McIntyre’s Guest Services (tubing tickets are available for purchase 30 minutes prior to each session). You can also dress in your favorite neon-colored clothing for a special ’80s-themed race on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., which is open to all ages and abilities. Registration is $20 (includes your lift ticket) and $15 for season passholders. Visit mcintyreskiarea.com or call 622-6159.

Stories and shows

• Join the Bookery (844 Elm St., Manchester) for a Saturday storytime and snowflake craft event on Saturday, Jan. 8, at 11:30 a.m., featuring a reading of Trouble with Trolls by Jan Brett. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Visit bookerymht.com or call 836-6600.

• Tickets are on sale now to the Palace Youth Theatre’s production of Matilda Jr., which runs from Wednesday, Jan. 12, through Thursday, Jan. 20. The show is performed by student actors in grades 2 through 12. Visit palacetheatre.org or call the box office at 668-5588 to buy tickets.

State of the art

• New Hampshire residents receive free admission to the Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) on Saturday, Jan. 8, when the galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including an exhibit from local children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola that runs until Feb. 13. As of Thursday, Jan. 6, Covid vaccination cards are required for all visitors ages 5 and up. Masks are also required for those ages 2 and up. Visit currier.org or call 669-6144.

• The Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester) will hold a family clay sculpting workshop on Friday, Jan. 7, at 4:15 p.m. that’s available to all ages and skill levels. Choose between one of three projects: pinch pot animals, a slab mug or bubble jars, animals or fairy houses. Most projects are widely customizable, and the instructor is also available to help. The cost is $25 for the one-hour session. Visit 550arts.com or call 232-5597.

Cold-blooded friends

• Join New Hampshire Audubon for cold creatures and hot cocoa, a special event happening on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Massabesic Audubon Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn). Attendees will meet some of the center’s animal ambassadors and learn all about the survival strategies of snakes, turtles, frogs and other cold-blooded animals during New Hampshire’s harsh winter conditions. Hot cocoa will be provided. The cost ranges from $12 for Audubon members to $15 for non-members and masks are required. Visit nhaudubon.org or call 668-2045.

Out of this world

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord) is holding its next Super Stellar Friday event online via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. Presenter and museum education director Mirka Zapletal will explore the climates of the Moon and Mars, as well as the conditions that astronauts have to contend with as they journey away from Earth. Admission is free but registration is required. While its Super Stellar Fridays are virtual, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Now through Feb. 23, applications are being accepted for the museum’s annual Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship. Visit starhop.com or call 271-7827.

Family fun for the weekend

Head to the museum

Get the family out of the house by sending them to a museum.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) is closed on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Otherwise, the museum is open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $15, $13 for 65+, $10 for students and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (children under 13 get in free) and can be purchased on site (masks for all are required), according to the website. This Thursday, Dec. 30, Kevin Horan will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of the museum’s weekly Art After Work programming (admission to the museum is free after 5 p.m.). On Sundays the Winter Garden Cafe offers a special brunch menu starting at 10 a.m. featuring mimosa flights, according to the website. Current exhibits include “As Precious As Gold: Carpets from the Islamic World,” “WPA in NH: Philip Guston and Musa McKim” and “Tomie dePaola at the Currier,” featuring the works of dePaola, writer and illustrator 270 children’s books.

• 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 (it will be closed New Year’s Day) and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Current displays and exhibits with hands-on examinations of science include BiologYou. 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 Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum) is closed New Year’s Day but otherwise open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the Millyard Museum costs $8 for adults, $6 for 62+ and college students, $4 for children 12 to 18 and free for children under 12. In addition to the permanent exhibits about Manchester’s history, the museum currently features the “New Hampshire Now” photography exhibit.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820), featuring exhibits about the people and events of New Hampshire’s aviation history, will be closed for New Year’s Day but open Wednesday, Dec. 29, through Friday, Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 2, from 1 to 4 p.m., and thereafter Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Exhibits include the annual “Festival of Holiday Toy Planes and Model Aircraft.” Admission costs $10, $5 for 65+ and children (6 to 12) and a family max of $30; children 5 and under get in free (masks are required), according to the website.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive in Concord; starhop.com, 271-7827) is closed New Year’s Day but will be open daily through Friday, Dec. 31, and Sunday, Jan. 2, and Monday, Jan. 3, with sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The center 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 are also available and cost $5 per person (free for children 2 and under); see the website for the schedule of planetarium shows.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) requires pre-purchased admission (which costs $11 per person, $9 for 65+ and no charge for children under 1). The museum will be open Tuesday, Dec. 28, through Thursday, Dec. 30 (from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.) and Sunday, Jan. 2 (from 9 a.m. to noon). Masks are required for all guests over 24 months, the website said.

The museum will hold its annual family New Year’s Eve celebration on Friday, Dec. 31. Two time slots are available to reserve, from 9 a.m. to noon or from noon to 3:30 p.m. Museum staff will stage four “countdowns to midnight,” at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. during the morning session, and at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. during the afternoon session. Everyone will receive a noisemaker and will get to create their own sparkly party hat.