Tag: family fun

Step Into Art™ at Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Have your kids ever wanted to curate their own gallery, create a self portrait at a designated computer station, take part in an art hunt through an exhibit and let their imaginations run wild by creating as many different images as possible at the three-dimensional Pattern Puzzle? Now through May 12 kids can do all this and more by literally stepping inside the framework of famous paintings and experience art in Framed: Step into Art™, at Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk located on 303 West Ave. For information www.steppingstonesmuseum.org or 203-899-0606. For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Step Into Art™ photo credit: Minnesota Children’s Museum
Step Into Art™
photo credit: Minnesota Children’s Museum

Kids enter the special exhibit by stepping through an over-sized frame and instantly become immersed in the worlds created by well-known artists. Each work is re-created as a three-dimensional, sensory, walk-in environment that includes a print of the artist’s original work, as well as important facts about the artist’s life and painting style.

There are four featured paintings in this bi-lingual exhibit that provides a different cultural experience for participants. Dinner for Threshers by Grant Wood for example teaches children about rural life at the turn of the century. Kids can tend to a chicken and eggs, prepare a meal in the kitchen, set the dining table, enjoy a noontime dinner, and mix and match the farmers’ patterned shirts. The detail the featured painting provides includes theme of patterns, the farmers’ tan lines and the hour of the meal.

John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara Minnesota Children’s Museum
John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara Minnesota Children’s Museum

At the popular Camp at Lake O’Hara visitors are transported to the Canadian Rockies circa 1916 to the John Singer Sargent’s Camp at Lake O’Hara. Children can climb inside a tent and explore camping gear like Sargent would have used. After cooking a pretend meal over the campfire, kids can tell stories around the fire and arrange items in a magnetic frame to show what a painting of today’s campsite may look like.

The Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter is a salute to Louisiana’s most famous female artist and folk art icon that creates imaginary animals like Hunter’s “goosters” by mixing body parts. Children and adults can load the cart in this exhibit with cotton, climb behind the reins of the giant rooster and take their load to town.

Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter Minnesota Children’s Museum
Big Chicken by Clementine Hunter Minnesota Children’s Museum

Travel south of the border when visiting Corn Festival by Diego Rivera through this work from the Court of Fiestas in the Ministry of Education Building in Mexico City. Kids will have fun exploring a rendition of one of Rivera’s frescos while adding their own whimsical flourishes such as flowers and ribbons of “corn husks” to the flower tower and on a miniature building’s mural.

About Framed: Step Into Art™
Framed: Step Into Art™ was created by the Minnesota Children’s Museum for the members of the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative (YMEC): Bay Area Discovery Museum, Boston Children’s Museum, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, Children’s Museum of Memphis, Long Island Children’s Museum, Minnesota Children’s Museum and Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The exhibit is sponsored locally by Xerox Foundation.

About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org. The museum is open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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Winter Wonderland Children’s Ball February 23

Calling all little princes and princesses! Stepping Stones is rolling out the red carpet as the museum transforms into a snow-kissed wonderland for its fifth annual Winter Wonderland Children’s Ball on Saturday, February 23 from 6:00 – 8:30 pm. Children are invited to dress up in their party best for a memorable evening of fun and entertainment.

Moms and Dads, sons and daughters will be treated like the princes and princesses that they are as they enjoy a magical wintry celebration featuring dancing, hors d’oeuvres and full access to all the exhibits in the museum. Families will enjoy posing for the paparazzi as they arrive, learning ballroom moves from Robin Poska’s Ballroom Magic of Norwalk and making wonderful winter crafts.

Be sure you bring your camera. Photo opportunities abound as we celebrate the magic and wonder of the season amidst a whimsical winter backdrop of a lighted courtyard, a play-sized igloo, a life-sized snow globe, spectacular winter murals, snowflake-adorned galleries and a myriad of snow people.

Tickets for this unforgettable evening for the whole family cost $10 per person for museum members and $12 per person for non-members. Children under the age of one will be admitted for free. Winter Wonderland Children’s Ball tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Registration is required. Space is limited, so register early. Call 203 899 0606, ext. 247 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/wonderland. For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

About Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, state-of-the-art Multimedia Gallery, Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store.

Stepping Stones is located at 303 West Avenue, exit 14N or 15S off I-95 in Norwalk. Museum hours are Monday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children. Children under 1 are free. To learn more, call 203 899 0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

JanetLeave a comment

February Fun at White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield Hills

The White Memorial Conservation Center, an Environmental Education Center and Nature Museum, is located in the heart of the 4000-acre White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield.

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The Conservation Center operates a Nature Museum with exhibits focusing on the interpretation of local natural history, conservation, and ecology, as well as a Museum Nature Store.
The grounds includes the wildlife sanctuary maintained by the White Memorial Foundation that comprises 4000 acres of fields, water, and woodlands, trails, campground and boating facilities.

In February, White Memorial is planning some exciting programs for children and adults. On Feb. 3 for example, at 1 p.m. learn to paint a winter sunset in watercolor with internationally celebrated botanical artist Betsey Rogers-Knox. Step by step instruction will be offered for all levels for ages 12 and up. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for non-members and pre-registration and payment is required.

The Center is also hosting the 2nd Annual Adult Museum Sleep In: A Sense of Wonder! So, pack your sleeping bag, your love of nature, sense of childlike wonder, and hearty appetite and stake out your floor space in the Museum or the Carriage House Bunk Room and celebrate the life and times of Rachel Carson! Night walks, day walks, and readings by Ilvi Dulac and David Leff, sing-alongs too are all part of the fun. This program is limited to 20 happy campers! All meals provided but BYOB! Members: $70.00 Non-members: $ 90.00. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required.

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If you are interested in winter wildlife tracking, don’t miss the free walk on Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. with Deneen Bernier to look for clues left behind by animals that tell the story of how they live this time of year.

The Star Party, an astronomy program organized by members of the Litchfield Hills Amateur Astronomy Club and the Mattatuck Astronomical Society is back on February 15. The topic will focus on our magnetic sun and weather permitting there will be star gazing after the program at 7 p.m. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. You are invited to bring your own telescope or binoculars.

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On February 16, Gerri Griswold leads participants on a winter walk through five ponds to look for animal tracks and listen for birds. This brisk stroll is capped off with hot chocolate and a sweet treat in the A.B. Ceder Room. Meet at the museum at 2 p.m. and head to the trailhead to start this invigorating walk.

White Memorial Foundation is located on 80 White Hall Rd. in Litchfield. For program information call 860-567-0857 or http://www.whitememorialcc.org. For area information http://www.litchfieldhills.com.

JanetLeave a comment

January Events at Stepping Stones Museum for Children

At the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, the new year begins with the final days of the show titled Native Voices: New England Tribal Families that will end on January 6th. This unique exhibit is an introduction to Native Americans living in New England today. By visiting five different communities from northern to southern New England, visitors learn about Native American traditions and how modern families balance contemporary life with preservation of important cultural identities through stories and songs. Free with museum admission.

Opening on January 21 is a show titled Framed: Step into Art™ that was produced by the Minnesota Children’s Museum for the members of the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative (YMEC). This exhibit allows you to enter the framework of famous paintings and experience art like never before. Art viewers become art as they physically enter a scene and are encouraged to interpret, express and connect with art. They can ride a giant chicken attached to a wagon, set up a camp in the Canadian Rockies, prepare dinner for a group of hungry farmers. They can become an art gallery director, selecting and exhibiting art in their own gallery, as well as explore the exhibit through Art Hunt Cards.

January’s Around the World program focus’s on India. Stepping Stones takes children and parents to 12 different places around the globe, bringing the culture and its people to life. Now in its fourth year, the Around the World Performance Series presents professional artists, musicians, dancers, storytellers and youth performers representing a variety of cultures and traditions.

In its first year, the Museum’s quarterly Accessibility Day program proved to be so popular that they are now offering it on a monthly basis. Accessibility Day falls on Jan. 12 from 9 am – 11 am and offers free admission for families of children with special needs.

On Wednesday, January 16 parents are invited to the Parent Zone from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm where they will learn simple techniques to help their children with numbers, estimation and describing and comparing shapes. This is a parents only workshop. Free childcare for children 3 and older. Free dinner included. Limited space. Registration is required.

On January 25 the Stepping Stones Museum Presents the Story Book Pajama Party from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event will consist of a compelling reading the tale in front of a large screen showing the pages in the book for all to see. After the story, the reading is brought to life when children meet the storybook character (bring your camera). There will also be a hands-on craft activity and a musical parade featuring the storybook character. Dinner is available for purchase in the museum’s cafe.Members $10/person, Non-members $12/person. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Space is limited, registration recommended.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT, exit 14 North and 15 South off I-95. Museum hours are Monday-Sunday from 10 am-5 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children and $10 for seniors. Children under 1 are free. To learn more visit steppingstonesmuseum.org or call 203 899 0606.

For regional information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

JanetLeave a comment

Puppet Show at Stepping Stones Museum For Children

For most people, developing a handcrafted puppet show from scratch is not something that you do in your spare time. After all, putting together a high-quality, entertaining children’s show is a daunting, time-consuming process. However, Alan Louis is not like most people.

Louis, the Public Programs Manager at Stepping Stones Museum for Children, has had a nearly 30-year career in puppetry. There isn’t a type of puppetry he has not performed with: shadow puppets, hand puppets, rod puppets, marionettes – even larger-than-life-sized puppets in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Louis has performed with a variety of touring companies, taught puppetry workshops in the United States and Eastern Europe and spent a decade as the Education Director for the Center of Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. Needless to say, Louis knows a high-quality puppet show when he sees one and he definitely knows what it takes to bring one to the stage.

After attending a puppet festival in New York last December, Louis was inspired to start working on a production of The Frog Prince that has grown into an awe-inspiring and magical production of The Frog Prince and Other Tales. Created exclusively for Stepping Stones Museum for Children, four classics of children’s literature will come alive on November 10th when this enchanting puppetry spectacle debuts at the Museum.

The enduring tales of kindness, determination and loyalty will be performed with beautifully handcrafted puppets and scenery. These tales of fantasy and imagination are sure to provide an unforgettable children’s theater experience. Each 40 minute performance is followed by an art of puppetry demonstration and question and answer session with the puppeteers.

The show is free with museum admission; however, seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a limited engagement with performances scheduled from November 10th through December 14th. For more information and performance times, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/frogprince.

About Stepping Stones Museum for Children
Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, Conn., is an award-winning, private, non-profit 501(c)(3) children’s museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. Located on five acres in Mathews Park, the LEED Gold certified museum encompasses five hands-on galleries, state-of-the-art Multimedia Gallery, Family and Teacher Resource Center, cafe and retail store.

Stepping Stones is located at 303 West Avenue, exit 14N or 15S off I-95 in Norwalk. Museum hours are Monday – Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Admission is $15 for adults and children. Children under 1 are free. To learn more, call 203 899 0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

JanetLeave a comment

5th Annual Washington Green Cemetery Tour Oct. 26

The 5th Annual Washington Green Cemetery Tour, with a special Gunnery theme, will take place on Friday October 26th from 6:30-8:30pm.

Costumed guides will lead groups of visitors every ten minutes from the Gunn Museum to the Washington Green Cemetery where the town’s departed citizens will be stationed at their gravestones to tell their tales of tragedy and triumph.

Tour groups will follow a path of 1,000 luminaries spanning a quarter of a mile through the shadowy cemetery and will hear the dramatic experiences of past students and faculty from the Gunnery.

Features of this magical theatrical evening will include tales of murder, town controversies, the Titanic disaster, Civil War soldiers, abolitionists and more. This event is not to be missed!

Tours depart every ten minutes from the museum and last about 45 minutes, bring a flashlight. Complimentary refreshments will be served in the Gunn Library. While this event is free, donations are greatly appreciated. The rain date is Sunday October 28.

The Gunn Museum is located at 5 Wykeham Road, at the intersection of Wykeham Road and Route 47, on Washington Green, Connecticut. Call 860-868-7756 or view www.gunnlibrary.org for information.

JanetLeave a comment