Category: Family Fun

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.

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.

Family fun for the weekend

High-flying show

• The Grand Shanghai Circus will show off their acrobatic feats in shows at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) this Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $24.50 to $54.50. Search “Grand Shanghai Circus” to see clips of their shows featuring aerial acrobatics, juggling and more.

Fun with pool noodles

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (2 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) 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). On Thursday, Feb. 24, catch the second day of the Pool Noodle Workshop with Homeslice Puppetry. At 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the museum will host a virtual class by Eric from Homeslice and provide materials so kids can make a puppet to take home, according to the website, which says the workshop is included in admission to a Thursday session. The website describes the project as being good for ages 3 and up with a grownup to help. Or head to the museum on Friday — both Feb. 25 and March 4 have “Science Friday” programming on the schedule. Reserve admission for the museum online.

Science outing

• 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.

• Though normally closed on Mondays, the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) will be open Monday, Feb. 28, as well as Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Winter fun

• McIntyre Ski Area (50 Chalet Court in Manchester; 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com) has holiday hours: The lift is slated to operate daily through Saturday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday, March 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The snowtubing Bonneville Thrill Hill hours are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 to 3 p.m., 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., 6 to 8 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. daily through Saturday, March 5. See the website for daily updates on weather and ski conditions.

• NH Audubon is holding a “Winter Woodland Wander” on Tuesday, March 1, at the Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way in Auburn; nhaudubon.org, 668-2045). A $15 ticket covers a family of four. During the hour-long program, attendees will hit the trails in search of tracks and other signs of wildlife, according to the website, where tickets can be purchased.

• Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) is holding a Snow Snake Winter Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 26, and Sunday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Learn to play the Abenaki outdoor game Snow Snake, featuring a wooden snake. The outdoor event, which is free and open to the public, will also feature a used book sale. Admission to the museum itself costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $7 for children 6 to 12 and $26 for a family of two adults and children under 18.