A selection of events planned for youngsters and their families — see other calendar listings for more comprehensive coverage of area performances and activities.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Memorial Day Workshop, May 19, 11 a.m., Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road, Wilton. Museum Educator Lola Chen will discuss Memorial Day traditions, from parades to red paper poppies, visiting cemeteries, laying wreaths, and how we can remember the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers. Tickets $10 per child member, $15 per non-member child. Info: wiltonhistorical.org.
Summer Camp at Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Pl., Westport. The camp is for children ages 7-12. Each week-long session meets from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features a special theme, including a day-long field trips to Adams Academy, the Compo Beach and Wilton Historical Society along with an end of camp Friday celebration. The camp dates are New World Explorers, June 25-29, History Detectives, Aug.13-17,Global Archaeologists, Aug. 20-24:Aug. 20-24. Info: westporthistory.org
NATURE
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 North Water St., Norwalk; 203-852-0700 or maritimeaquarium.org; open daily, 10-5 (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas); sharks, seals, river otters, sea turtles, jellies and more than 100 other species; Marine Lab, Ocean Playspace for toddlers, seal feedings at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 and 3:45 p.m. daily. Fish Tales for preschoolers, Fri., 10:15-11 a.m. Special exhibits: Meerkats, Dragons, Journey with Jellies displays of local and exotic species. Sensory-Friendly Morning on April 29 is for folks with sensory-processing differences.
Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield, 2325 Burr St., Fairfield; adm. $2/adults, $1/children; 203-259-6305 x109 or ctaudubon.org: 155-acre wildlife sanctuary, 7 miles of trails through woodlands, streams, meadows, marshes, ponds, open daily dawn to dusk; Birds of Prey compound; nature center w/exhibits and Nature Store, open Mon.-Sat., 10-3.
New Canaan Nature Center, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, 203-966-9577; satellite site for NY Botanical Garden programs (800-322-6924); buildings open Mon.-Sat., 9-4 (closed major holidays); Saturday Explorers Club, 2 Sat./month for ages 6 and up and families, 1:30-2:45; First Saturdays, 1st Sat. of the month, free guided activities for visitors, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Free Live Animal Presentations, Sat. at 3, lasting 15-20 min., dif. animal each week.
Darien Nature Center, 120 Brookside Rd.; free adm. Mon.-Fri., 9-4; Sat., 9-1; 203-655-7459: Ongoing exhibits.
Devil’s Den/Lucius Pond Ordway Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property, 33 Pent Rd., Weston; open dawn to dusk to passive recreation; 20 miles of trails; info., concerns, 860-455-0716; natureconservancy.org.
Woodcock Nature Center, 56 Deer Run Rd., Wilton; center open 9:30-5, Tues.-Sat., two-plus miles of trails open daily, dawn to dusk; reg. in advance for programs, 203-762-7280; www.woodcocknature center.org.
Audubon Greenwich, 528 Riversville Rd., Greenwich; program fees: $5/adults, $3/children, srs. (incl. adm. to Center & Grounds); trails open dawn to dusk weekends; Kimberlin Nature Center open daily, 9-5; nature store open Tues.-Sat., 9-5; 203-869-5272 or email [email protected]
Stepping Stones Museum, 303 West Ave., Norwalk; open daily 10-5, Memorial Day-Labor Day, and Tues.-Sun., Labor Day through Memorial Day; adm. $15/adults and children (under 1, free), $10/srs.; Early Childhood Classes for ages 6 mon.-6 yrs. and After School Adventures for grades 3-12, reg. online; other ongoing events; Around the World Creative Kids, programs Sat. at 2; steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203-899-0606.
Stamford Museum and Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford; adm. $10/adults, $8/srs. (65+), $6/students (18+ valid ID), $5/children 4-17; 203-322-1646 or www.stamfordmuseum.org: Heckscher Farm, daily, 9-5 (Heckscher WILD! new live exotic animal exhibit); Bendel Mansion (main building), Mon.-Sat., 9-5, Sun., 11-5.
Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport; open Mon.-Sat., 9-5, Sun., 1-4 (closed major holidays); adm. $7/adults, $5/ages 1-12 & srs.; free adm. to trails and property, daily 7 a.m.-dusk; interactive nature museum, live wildlife; Story and Animal Program, Thur.-Fri., 10-10:30 a.m., age 5 and younger, free w/adm.; Nature Encounters, every Sat. at 2:30, free w/adm.; Animal Feeding, Mon., Wed., Fri. at 11 a.m., Animal Hall, and Tues., Thurs., Sat., Birds of Prey at 4 p.m., free w/adm.; 203-227-7253; earthplace.org.
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport; open daily 9-4; adults $14, children 3-11 and seniors, $11, under 3, free; beardsleyzoo.org. Amazing Animal Adventures, every Thurs.-Sun., 10-2. Picnic Presentations, every Thurs.-Sun., noon.
EverWonder Children’s Museum, 31 Pecks Lane, Newtown; open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; adm. $7 for visitors older than 1; info., everwondermuseum.org: Story Lab for Young Explorers Tues. and Thurs., 10:30-11 a.m. New Art Lab projects, Straw Logic Puzzles and Life Cycle Crowns. EverWonder has joined Blue Star Museums, collaboration that offers free adm. to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Discovery Museum, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport; discoverymuseum.org or 203-372-3521; Tues.-Sun., 10-5; open Mon. for most school holidays, plus school and homeschool groups with a reservation; museum and planetarium, $10 adults, $8 children, seniors, students, free under 2; Challenger Learning Center, simulated space missions for groups 15-30, res. required (schools, scouts, corporate team building, birthday parties); scout science badge classes; exhibits and daily Planetarium shows; weekend workshops. Snowflake Festival Week, Dec. 27-Dec. 30.
Wolf Conservation Center, South Salem, N.Y.; adv. reg. required, nywolf.org.
MUSEUMS, Etc.
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, open Sun., Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Friday: 12 to 5 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 29-Sept. 4, Sun., 12-4; $10/adults and $5/srs.; free adm. for full-time teachers and students in grades K-12, and for active-service military families; free for all on Tuesdays; 203-438-4519 or aldrichart.org: Group tours avail. by appointment, 203-438-4519 or email [email protected] Spotlight tours every Mon. and third Sat. of each month, 1-2 p.m.; Third Saturdays Family Workshops, free, 10-noon for ages 2-5, 1 to 3 p.m. for ages 6-10. Third Saturdays, free arts activities and tour of exhibits. Afternoon Studios: Plantable Paper, April 9, 2-4 p.m. Studio Tots: Spring Has Sprung, April 10, 10 a.m. Little Living Landscapes, April 11, 9-5 p.m. Afternoon Studios: Agricultural Animals, April 12, 2-4 p.m. Afternoon Studios: Terracotta Planters, April 13, 2-4 p.m. Glass Bending Workshop, April 19, 5:30-7 p.m. Register for programs online.
Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-5485 or keelertavernmuseum.org; open 1-4 p.m., Sat., Sun., & Wed., last tour at 3:30; closed during January; Feb. 1-Dec. 31; $8/adults, $5/srs., youth under 18 and students w/ID; 300 years of Ridgefield history.
New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge (Rte. 124), in the Town House Gallery; Tues.-Fri., 9:30-4:30, Sat., 9:30-12:30; 203-966-1776 or nchistory.org: Americans at Play, how people spent their leisure time in the late 1800s and 1900s, and the sport attire that went along with their favorite pastimes; From the Archives: D. Putnam Brinley, works by the impressionist and mural painter.
Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Halpin Lane; 203-438-8863: classes for kids, teens and adults, call for info. or visit website, rgoa.org.
Brookfield Craft Center, 286 Whisconier Rd.; brookfieldcraft.org: classes, open studios in clay, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal. Gallery Shop open Sat., 11-6, and Sun., 11-5. Blacksmithing, bladesmithing, jewelry making, glass arts, ceramics, weaving and fiber arts, woodturning and more. Info: brookfieldcraft.org or 203-775-4526.
Weir Farm National Historic Site, 735 Nod Hill Rd., Wilton, 203-834-1896 or www.nps.gov/wefa: grounds open daily dawn to dusk; art programs, Junior Ranger activities, visitor center, museum store, historic house and studios; open Wed.-Sun. 10-4 (May 1-Oct. 31); Weir House Tours, offered Wed.-Sun. at 11 a.m., 1, 2, and 3 p.m. (May 1-Oct. 31), reg. required; group tours and field trips offered, reg. required.
Wilton Historical Society, 224 Danbury Road (Route 7), 203-762-7257: period rooms in the Betts-Sturges-Blackmar House, Betts Store, offering unique American-made items, from fine art to jewelry, books to redware, toys and more; gift shop; Tues.-Sat., 10-4.
The Bruce Museum, One Museum Drive, Greenwich; brucemuseum.org or 203-869-0376: $10/adults, $8/students and seniors, free/under 5, free adm. for all every Tues.; Docent-led Exhibition Tour Tues., 1:30 p.m., and Fri., 12:30 p.m.; Marine Tank Animal Feeding, every Tues. and Fri., 2:30-2:45 p.m. Bruce Beginnings. Family Gallery Tours. Art Adventures.
Greenwich Historical Society, Bush-Holley Historic Site, 39 Strickland Rd., Cos Cob; open Fri.-Sun., 12-4 (docent-led tours at 1, 2 and 3); 203-869-6899, ext. 10 or www.hstg.org; adm. to gallery, visitor ctr. & house museum, $10/adults, $8/srs. and students, under 6 free (half-price on opening day); group tours at $7/person avail. on public and non-public days; library and archives open Wed.-Thur., 10-4; adm. offices open Mon.-Fri., 9-5; gallery hours Wed.-Sun., 12-4.
Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St., Danbury; 203-778-8337; danburyrail.org: adm. $6 per person, age 3 and up; Train Rides $3 extra (weekends April-Nov.); call for special events adm. rates; winter hours: Wed.-Sat., 10-4, Sun., 12-4; (summer hours: Mon.-Sat., 10-5, Sun., 12-5); tour vintage equipment such as 1907 steam engine, 1910 Railway Post Office car, 1973 caboose, 1953 Rail Diesel Car; vintage diesels on display.
Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Rd., behind the old Town Hall; open daily, 10-4; research library open Tues.-Fri., 10-4; adults, $5, students w/ ID, $3, children 5 and under, free. Info: www.fairfieldhs.org or 203-259-1598.
Barnum Museum, 820 Main Street, Bridgeport; 203-331-1104 x100 or visit barnum-museum.org: Recovery in Action, Thur.-Fri., 11-3, free adm., enter through double doors at rear of historic building.
John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Rte. 22, Katonah, N.Y.; 914-232-5651 or www.johnjayhomestead.org: guided tours offered Tues.-Sat., 10-4; Sun., 11-4; $7/adults, $5/srs., students, free up to age 12.
Katonah Museum of Art, open Tues.-Sat., 10-5, Sun. 12-5; adm. $10; srs. (60+) and students, $5; under 12/free; Rte. 22/134 Jay St., Katonah, N.Y., 914-232-9555, www.katonahmuseum.org.