Category: Family Fun

Family fun for the weekend

Plane fun

• It’s the final weekend to see “Festival of Planes,” an exhibit of more than 1,500 model planes and toy aircraft at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4820). Museum admission costs $10 per person; $5 for children under 13, seniors and veterans and active military, and is free for children age 5 and under. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. According to a press release, the exhibit “features aviation-themed toys, models, puzzles, and promotional items from the past 100 years. Themes range from the Wright Brothers to sci-fi favorites as Star Trek, Star Wars, and more.” There is also a “find Santa” challenge with prizes for kids who spot him.

Snowshoe season

• If this week’s Winter Festival in Concord (see the story above) has you looking for more snow-themed fun, check out last week’s story in the Hippo about snowshoeing. On page 16 of the Jan. 20 issue, Meghan Siegler looks at where you can rent snowshoes, including locations such as the New Hampshire Audubon centers in Manchester and Concord, American Stonehenge in Salem, Beaver Brook in Hollis and Pats Peak in Henniker. She also discusses a few of the more snowshoe-friendly trails in the area.

On stage

• Head to the magical land of Oz at the Majestic Theatre’s young performers presentation of The Wizard of Oz at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). The show, a young performers edition of the tale, according to majestictheatre.net, will run Friday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students 17 and under. Call 669-7469 or go to majestictheatre.net.

• At the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; 668-5588, palacetheatre.org), the Palace Youth Theatre group (featuring student actors in second through twelfth grade) will present Matilda Jr., the younger-performer version of the musical based on the Roald Dahl book. The show will run Tuesday, Feb. 1, and Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m.

Crowns and a pony

• This week’s storytime at the Bookery (844 Elm St. in Manchester; bookerymht.com) will feature the books The Princess and the Pony and Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of the Girl Who Floated, read by Miss Manchester and Miss Manchester Outstanding Teen, according to the website. The storytime will start at 11:30 a.m. and after the stories the Misses will be available for photos. Also slated to make an appearance is Eddy, the Manchester Police Department’s new comfort pony, the website said. The event is free; go online to register.

Family fun for the weekend

At the movies

Catch some family-friendly screenings at area Chunky’s Cinema Pubs (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham, chunkys.com) this weekend. On Friday, Jan. 21, the “Little Lunch Date” screening is of Happy Feet (G, 2006). The show starts at 11:30 a.m. and admission is free but reserve seating with purchase of a $5 food voucher.

On Friday, Jan. 21, it’s a “Lights Up, Sound Down” sensory-friendly screening of recent release Sing 2 at 3:45 p.m. Tickets cost $6.49.

And if you’re always on the lookout for kid-friendly screenings, you may want to save the date for a screening of Smallfoot (PG, 2018) on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 10 a.m. at Red River Theatres (11 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org). The event is part of the city’s Winterfest and tickets cost $5.

On the stage

Catch the final performance of the Palace Youth Theatre’s January presentation of Matilda Jr. on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). All of the roles are performed by student actors in grades 2 through 12, according to the website. Call the theater for tickets.

In a book

Jack Dalton, the kid conservationist and 11-year-old author, will read the book Kawan the Orangutan: Lost in the Forest at the Bookery Manchester (844 Elm St. in downtown Manchester; bookerymht.com) on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 11:30 a.m. for storytime and crafts.

In nature

Looking for something to get little ones outside during the week? The New Hampshire Audubon is holding nature outings at the Brockway Nature Preserve in Hopkinton for 3- to 5-year-olds and their parents on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month from 10 to 10:45 a.m. This next session, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, is titled “Who Made that Track?” Admission costs $10 per family and space is limited; go to nhaudubon.org to register.

At the museum

Or get some science indoors on Tuesday at the SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) for Storytime Science Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for ages 2 to 5 and their caregivers. Pre-registration is required and space is limited to 10 family units. The program will cover STEM topics through storytelling, movement, experiments and more, according to the website. The program costs $3 in addition to admission, which is $10 for ages 3 to adult and free for kids under 3 years old.

On the court

Catch some UNH basketball live and in person (masked up, according to school rules). The men’s team plays UMass Lowell on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. On Wednesday, Jan. 26, the men’s team will play Maine at 7 p.m. (a game rescheduled from Jan. 12). Also Wednesday, catch the women’s team in their game against Maine at 4 p.m. All games will be played at Ludholm Gym on the UNH campus in Durham. See unhwildcats.com for directions, policies and to buy tickets, which cost $10 general admission, $8 for kids and seniors.

In the kitchen — save the date

Looking to get kids some hands-on kitchen experience but not, you know, in your kitchen? The Culinary Playground (16 Manning St. in downtown Derry; 339-1664, culinary-playground.com) has several upcoming classes for kid-parent teams. While many of the January and February classes have sold out, there are still openings for March and April classes on cinnamon rolls ($58 for a parent-child team, ages 6+), I Love Paris baking class, which includes French macarons ($60 for a parent-child team, ages 8+), and a homemade pasta for cheese ravioli class ($50 for a parent-child team, ages 6+). Call or go online to register.

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.