Category: Family Fun

Kiddie Pool 21/01/21

Family fun for the weekend

Planes and iBOTs

Take a hike

Beaver Brook Association is offering a Kids Fitness Hiking Club that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays for four weeks, starting Tuesday, Jan. 26. The hikes run from 3:45 to 5 p.m. and are open to students in grades 4 through 8. These “vigorous” hikes explore the trails of the Beaver Brook campus at 117 Ridge Road in Hollis. Students will also learn a bit about hiking and survival basics and play some trail games. Masks are required when meeting in a circle but may be removed during the hikes when physical distancing is possible. The cost is $120. Visit beaverbrook.org or call 465-7787.

New Hampshire’s Audubon centers are still closed, but their sanctuary trails are open for families who want to get outside and safely enjoy nature. There are miles of trails at the center in Concord (84 Silk Farm Road, 224-9909) and in Auburn (26 Audubon Way, 668-2045). The trails are open from dawn until dusk. Visit nhaudubon.org.

Or take a family walk throughAmerica’s Stonehenge (105 Haverhill Road, Salem, 893-8300, stonehengeusa.com), a 4,000-year-old stone construction that was built by ancient people as an astronomical calendar to determine solar and lunar events of the year. Take a tour (mostly outdoors) and learn about the site, which was also used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Kids can dig for gemstones with tools used by real archaeologists, and interactive tools are now available, including a free audio tour that parents can download to their smartphones. The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last entrance at 3 p.m.). Admission rates are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors age 65 and up, $7.50 for kids ages 5 through 12, and free for kids age 4 and under.

Treasure Hunt 21/01/14

Dear Donna,

I have an assortment of these wood block letters in many sizes. I collected them for years and ended up with a large collection. I’m wondering if prices have changed for them and if they are still collected now. Any information would be helpful.

Angie

Dear Angie,

I can relate to how things turn into collections easily! Collecting is a fun thing to do.

The print block letters you have served their purpose first in print shops. Now they are rarely used for that. Instead, they tend to be displayed decoratively.

I’m not sure what you paid when you collected them, but today the value on them runs from $2 to $4 each. Larger ones can net more, so if you have a collection of them it could bring a bit of a value in total. They have stayed in the same value range for a while now.

One thing I have learned over the years is to never let children play with them. They were made in a time when using lead was common. The lead is still present even after washing, so keep these away from children.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo

Kiddie Pool 21/01/14

Family fun for the weekend

Planes and iBOTs

Beat three-day-weekend boredom at the museum! Along with their regular exhibits, two local museums are currently offering special events. The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) is hosting a Festival of Planes, a walk-through exhibit that includes aviation-themed toys, models and puzzles, plus vintage aircraft piloted by celebrities like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse. According to a press release, the toys span the 20th century, from custom-made cast iron planes to today’s mass-produced Hello Kitty airplane toys. In addition, hundreds of collectible model aircrafts will be displayed on a new Wall of Planes in the museum’s learning center. This weekend, the museum will be open Friday, Jan. 15, and Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 17, from 1 to 7 p.m. The exhibit is included with museum admission of $10 per person; $5 for seniors 65+, veterans/active military and students under 13. Members and children under age 5 get in free.

Or head to the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) to watch a special demonstration of an iBOT. The center is open Saturday, Jan. 16, Sunday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 18, with sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 to 5 p.m. The iBOT wheelchair is SEE’s newest demonstration and shows how technology can help people with limited mobility do things they could never do in any other wheelchair. The demonstration is part of regular museum admission, which is $9 per person for ages 3 and up. Registration is required to reserve a time during one of the sessions; register online or via phone.

Skate sessions

At the Everett Arena in Concord (15 Loudon Road, concordnh.gov), public skating hours are Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Admission is $6 for ages 14 and up and $5 for ages 4 to 13; kids 3 and under skate for free. Skate rentals are available for $5. Public skating has been reduced to 50 percent capacity, and masks are required inside the building and while on the ice. Tri-Town Ice Arena (311 W. River Road, Hooksett) is offering public skating sessions for $6, with skate rentals available for $4. Skating times vary and are subject to change; visit tri-townicearena.com for an updated schedule. All skaters and spectators entering the facility are now required to complete a Covid-19 screening online the day of their visit before arriving at the arena. After completing the screening, a QR code that will allow access to the entry system at the front doors will be provided.

Treasure Hunt 21/01/07

Dear Donna,

For years I’ve been meaning to contact you regarding my curiosity about a basket that was found in an old late 18th-century house in Chichester. The basket was found in the mid 1970s and I bought it at a yard sale!

Thank you for any information that you can offer me!

Lil

Dear Lil,

Baskets are tough for an appraisal and to know for sure when some of them were made. I think that my suggestion would be to see someone who has a lot of experience with baskets, such as Skinners in Bolton, Mass. You can send them a photo and they should be able to give you more information than I can. I would say it has an Asian look to it, which is another reason why it’s tough!

The form is similar to a funeral basket for flowers. If that is the case then the value would be under $100. As I said, though, my view is based only on my own limited experience. Please let me know if you find out any more information!

Kiddie Pool 21/01/07

Family fun for the weekend

Math discoveries

Have “Phun With Math,” a virtual program from the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord) being presented on Friday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. Phun With Math is the theme for this month’s Super Stellar Friday event. STEM instructor and Discovery Center educator David McDonald will explore fun patterns and numbers in nature, explain what you could do with a rope that circles the Earth at the equator, and show you how to increase your chances of choosing the right door in “Let’s Make a Deal.” This event is free, but registration is required at starhop.com.

Library fun, at home

Many local libraries are closed or have limited hours and services, but they’re still offering plenty of fun for kids and families. The Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., 589-4600, nashualibrary.org) has virtual story times posted on its website, along with monthly interactive virtual activities — January’s is “Case of the Missing Snowman.” The library also offers age-appropriate craft projects on the second Saturday of each month; materials can be picked up curbside.

At the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., 624-6550, manchester.lib.nh.us) kids can find a new Messy Art project online each Wednesday afternoon. The projects can be done at home with items around the house. The next new project will be posted on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. Also on Wednesdays starting Jan. 13, the library will host “For the Young & Young at Heart – Movement and Songs” via Zoom, starting at 10 a.m. Registration is required for the live, 20-minute program, which encourages all ages to get moving.

And at the Concord Public Library (45 Green St., 225-8670, concordpubliclibrary.net) parents can pick up craft kits for their kids (and, every other week, for themselves). On Monday, Jan. 11, the Fun Coloring Kit will be made available to kids, while supplies last. The library is also hosting Book Bingo, challenging readers of all ages to complete as many squares as possible by Feb. 26. Fill in the squares with the names of books you’ve finished, and every time you get five in a row you’ll earn a raffle ticket. Register online to have the game board emailed to you, or pick it up curbside.

To discover the virtual events and activities that are happening at your local library, visit its website — most town and city libraries have revamped their programming to offer safe, at-home fun for families.

Blast from the past

Robinson decries white supremacy, pays homage to the ’80s in Exo-Hunter

Science fiction, sociopolitical satire and 1980s nostalgia are the basis for Seacoast author Jeremy Robinson’s newest novel Exo-Hunter,released last month.

Exo-Hunter follows a Black Marine known as Dark Horse in 1989 who, after a mission gone wrong, is launched with his team a millennium into the future. In the year 2989, humans have abandoned Earth and expanded colonization throughout the galaxy under the rule of a white supremacist government called The Union. Separated from his team and now the only Black man in The Union, Dark Horse takes control of a space vessel and sets out to find his teammates, disguised as an Exo-Hunter, a space explorer seeking new planets for the Union to colonize.

Robinson said he had been contemplating a “sarcastic, fun, ’80s sci-fi” while also reflecting on the racial tensions felt throughout the country over the last few years.

“I thought I’d kind of just mash all of that together,” he said. “White supremacy … is a serious topic, but I wanted to address it with a sense of humor, similar to how the movie Jojo Rabbit did with Nazi Germany — funny but also moving and revealing.”

The humor in Exo-Hunter comes mostly in the form of sarcasm, Robinson said, with some sci-fi- and ’80s-related jokes thrown in.

“I think sarcasm can be helpful for us now as we look back at 2020 and all the bad stuff,” he said. “It’s a good way to deal with it all.”

The book also provides a comic look at the absurdity of a society without diversity.

“I wanted to kind of poke fun at how weird and strange it would be and how dull life would be,” Robinson said. “I guess the main moral of the story is, a world with diversity is just a better world.”

Readers who lived through the ’80s will get a healthy dose of nostalgia with references to ’80s pop culture, particularly sci-fi movies and new wave music. Additionally, Robinson created a playlist of the referenced songs as a musical companion to the book (available on his website) with hits like “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics and “Heroes” by David Bowie.

“A lot of the story hinges on these songs because they’re applicable to what is happening and are just perfect for the situation,” Robinson said, adding that pausing to listen to the songs as they are mentioned in the book can create a more immersive experience for the reader.

A New York Times and No. 1 Audible bestselling author, Robinson has written and published more than 70 books in a number of genres, including science fiction, action adventure, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, thriller and horror, as well as several comic books. Prior to writing novels he did primarily screenwriting, and he continues to write with the ultimate goal of getting his stories made into movies and TV series, he said. A couple of his books are currently in the process of being adapted for the screen, and a TV series based on one of his books has been in development for the last five years. (He is not yet at liberty to say which books, he said.) As for Exo-Hunter, Robinson said, he is “absolutely” envisioning it as an action-packed movie for the big screen.

“It was written with that intention, as most of my novels are,” he said. “[The production] would be really big and cost a lot of money, so [the book] will have to sell really well first for Hollywood to take the risk, but we’ll see.”

Exo-Hunter by Jeremy Robinson
Exo-Hunter is available now on Amazon and Kindle and locally at Jetpack Comics in Rochester. The audiobook is set for release on Audible and iTunes in February. To learn more about the book, visit bewareofmonsters.com/exo-hunter-dark-horse-rising, and check out the companion playlist at bewareofmonsters.com/playlist.

Art

Call for Art
• 35TH ANNUAL OMER T. LASSONDE JURIED EXHIBITION The New Hampshire Art Association seeks submissions of artwork from NHAA members and non-members. The theme is “Beyond the Boundaries.” Submit up to three pieces. Open to all artistic media. Deadline is Fri., Feb. 5, by 5 p.m. Submission form available online. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.

Exhibits
• “THE COLORS OF GREY” Theme art show presented by the Seacoast Artist Association. On display now through Jan. 30. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Visit seacoastartist.org or call 778-8856.
• “A NEW DAY” Exhibit features work by 35 new members of The New Hampshire Art Association. Viewable online, in the front windows at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth) and at the gallery in person by appointment. On display now through Jan. 31. A virtual opening reception will be held on Thurs., Jan. 7, at 6 p.m., on Zoom. Call 431-4230 and visit nhartassociation.org.
• “BRAVE NEW WORLD: RESILIENCE IN THE TIME OF COVID” Outdoor public art display features paintings by 80 students from the Nashua School District that convey a message of hope and resilience amid the challenges of Covid-19. Amherst Elementary School (71 Amherst St., Nashua). On display now through Feb. 14. An opening reception at the exhibit location to celebrate the student and teacher artists will be held on Friday, Dec. 18, at 2 p.m. Visit sites.google.com/nsd42.net/bravenewworld/home.
• “THE VIEW THROUGH MY EYES” The New Hampshire Art Association presents works by pastel artist Chris Reid. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Gallery, 49 S. Main St., Concord. On display now through March 18. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Tours
• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Theater

Shows
• WHERE DO I BEGIN? New Hampshire Theatre Project’s SoloStage program presents. Fri., Jan. 22, and Sat., Jan. 23, 8 p.m., and Sun., Jan. 24, 2 p.m. Performances held virtually and in-person at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth. In-person show tickets cost $30, and virtual show tickets cost $20. Call 431-6644 or visit nhtheatreproject.org

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!