Friday, June 26, 2009

OnwWorld Community Playgroup

Today's playgroup will meet inside because of the rain. We meet in the basement of the Baptist church on the corner of Livingston and Edwards in New Haven.

This is an open playgroup and anyone is invited to come!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Thumbelina

Saturday, June 27th at 1:00 pm.
Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk.
Hans Christian Anderson’s Thumbelina – a reader’s theatre presentation.
No bigger than a thumb, tiny Thumbelina embarks on a series of adventures through which she finds her true love in this charming, Danish fairytale.

What's Going On This Weekend?

June 26-29 - Essex
Hot Steamed Jazz Festival. Essex Steam Train, 1 Railroad Ave. Traditional jazz, ragtime, and Dixieland bands perform in various places on the grounds of the Valley Railroad, food vendors. Fri. 7 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 12-5:30 p.m. & 6 p.m.-midnight, Sun. 12-5 p.m. Admission: $25-$50. (800) 348-0003

June 27 – Clinton
St. Mary's Summer Fair. St. Mary's Church Summer Fair on Liberty Green, Rte. 1. Crafters, baked goods, food and raffle. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 860-669-8512

June 27-28 - North Haven
Connecticut Irish Festival, North Haven Fairgrounds, Washington St. (Rte. 5). Offers the best in Celtic dance, sports, crafts, music and culture. Enjoy great traditional and contemporary Irish music, and much more. Sat. 12:30 p.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission: $10, children (under 16) free. (203) 488-4902

June 28 – Guilford
Taste the Shoreline in Guilford. On the Town Green. Entertainment, food booths, kids area and Business expos. 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Free admission. www.guilfordct.com 203-453-9677

June 28 - Middlebury
Karate Day - Quassy Amusement Park, Rte. 64. Get your kicks out of this entertaining event. Noon-6 p.m. Admission: Parking $5. www.quassy.com (800) FOR-PARK

You-Groove Dance Party

Celebrate July 4th at LOVE TO DANCE
Saturday 7:30 til 10:30

http://you-groove.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Summer Clearance Sale!


Once Upon A Child is having a huge Summer Blow-Out Sale this Thursday!

The sale is from 2:00-9:00 pm. As they advertise, the later you go, the more you save. Here's the breakdown:

From 2:00-5:00, you save 60%
From 5:01-7:00, you save 70%
From 7:01-9:00, you save 80%

If you've never shopped at Once Upon A Child, you are truly missing out! My little family went to a wedding last weekend and my two-year old son had nothing to wear. I ran over to Once Upon A Child and got him the cutest Gymboree dress shirt and sweater vest set for $5.00!

Here are the participating CT locations:

Bristol
Weathersfield
Manchester
Hamden
Milford

Happy Shopping!

Monday, June 22, 2009

FREE Weekly Kids' Film Series


Bow Tie Cinemas in TRUMBULL (*not* New Haven ... but not too far away) is offering a weekly free movie for kids starting tomorrow, June 23! Sounds awesome. Click on this link for more info.

UPDATE: Just to add to Fleur's earlier post, I (Pokolodi) just spoke to someone at Bow-Tie Cinemas, and there are several locations participating in the Free Kids Club Film Series. Here is a link to the list of participating theaters and the films.

Friday, June 19, 2009

OneWorld Community Playgroup

We are going to take advantage of the one dry day on the 10 day forecast and meet in East Rock Park this morning.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

OneWorld Community Playgroup

The playgroup formally known as RWW is meeting at 9:30 as usually tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, the forecast is so iffy, we have decided to hold of on choosing a location until tomorrow morning. Check back in tomorrow morning to see if we'll be indoors or outdoors (and keep your fingers crossed for outdoors!).

As usual, anyone and everyone is welcome to join us!

If you have any questions about the playgroup, please either email us (newhavenkids@gmail.com) or the playgroup coordinators (owcplaygroup@gmail.com).

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

What's Going On This Weekend?

Happy Father's Day to all you wonderful papas out there! There will be lots to do with the family this weekend so get out there and celebrate!

Of course, don't forget about New Haven's International Festival of Arts and Ideas! Check their calendar for the long list of events and activities happening this weekend.

In addition, here's what's happening in other parts of CT:

June 19, 26 - Milford
Summer Nights by Harbor Lights, Rotary Pavilion, Fowler Field. Variety of music including big band, rock and roll, country and everything in between. Free. 7 p.m. www.milfordct.com (203) 878-0681

June 20 - Brooklyn
Build Your Own Sundae
Creamery Brook Bison, 19 Purvis Rd, Brooklyn. Celebrate Dairy Month! Build your own ice cream sundae and then take an evening ride to see the bison and their babies in the field where they roam. 5:30 PM $8.50 per person www.creamerybrookbison.net 860-779-0837

June 20 - Hamden
Strawberry Festival. Hindinger Farm, 835 Dunbar Hill Rd. Tons of fresh strawberries for shortcakes and ice cream; hay rides, other activities for all ages. Free. (203) 288-0700

June 20- New Haven
Touch A Truck - St. Bernadette School 20 Burr Street. Touch A Truck is a fun low-cost family activity where kids can explore all kinds of interesting vehicles from street sweepers to police bomb squad vehicles. The New Haven Rotary Club is also sponsoring free Amber Alert ID & Registration Kits.10 am to 3 p Family admission $20.00 http://lapolt.net/touchatruck/ 203-619-1003

June 20 - Norwalk
The Gullquist Family Celebration Courtyard Opens! Stepping Stones Museum for Children, 303 West Ave, Mathews Park, Norwalk Enjoy the summer in this enhanced outdoor space filled with hundreds of giant foam blocks and noodles for children to build and create, as well as life-sized outdoor games including chess, checkers, hopscotch and four square. Children under 3 will enjoy a special exploration area sectioned off from the bigger kids. New interactive bubble-making machine makes its debut too! 10 am - 5 pm Free with admission. www.steppingstonesmuseum.org 203-899-0606
June 21 – East Haven
Father’s Day on the Trolley, Shore Line Trolley Museum, 17 River St. Dads are the honored guests and rides for free on the trolley with her family. Admission: Adults $8, seniors $6, children (2-15) $4. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (203) 467-6927

June 21 - Hartford
9th Annual Concorso Ferrari Show- Father's Day State Capitol Building, 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. Benefits Connecticut Children's Medical Center and other charities •100 vintage and modern Ferraris on display •Parade of Ferraris picking up Connecticut Children’s patients and arriving at the Capitol for 11:30 AM •Live Music •Face Painting/Juggler/Balloon Artists and more!
•Judged car show and awards ceremony •Sales of “regalia” (clothing and other items) •Silent Auction and sales of food, sodas and ice cream http://tinyurl.com/ferrariprogram 11 AM - 5 PM FREE to Public. 860-610-5700

June 21 – Windsor Locks
Open Cockpit Weekend. New England Air Museum, Rte. 75. Climb into about 10 airplanes and play pilot. Activities for children including the new Kids Corridor with interactive computers. Food available. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: Adults $10, seniors $9, children (3-11) $5, 3 and under free. www.neam.org (860) 623-3305

Thursday, June 11, 2009

OneWorld Community Playgroup

OneWorld Community Playgroup (formally RWW) will meet indoors tomorrow in the church basement on the corner of Livingston and Edwards (in New Haven) beginning at 9:30 am. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us!

Baby Picture!

Need I say it again? BEST. IDEA. EVER.

Here’s the Baby Picture for the month of June:

Connecticut Post 14 Cinema de Lux

Film: THE PROPOSAL Starring Sandra Bullock

Rating: PG-13
Price: $5.25

Date: 6/25/2009
Time: 12:00 (noon)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Big Sale

Once Upon A Child - a pretty sweet chain of consignment stores, if you're not familiar - is having a "Clearance Blowout" sale this Saturday that sounds too good not to pass along. From 10 am - 2 pm, they're offering half off selected spring and summer clothing; then from 2-4 pm it's all 60% off and from 4-6 pm, 70% off. For locations and all of that good stuff, visit their website.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

That Baby Floats!

I'm not much of a worrier - or at least I didn't used to be - but due to the fact that my in-laws live on a lake and my parents both have pools, I'd like my baby to start learning how to float sooner than later. Other friends around the country had recommended Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) as a good way to acclimate babies and toddlers to the water, and my 10-month old is now in his 2nd week of lessons.

Although it's sort of um, interesting to witness (stressful might be a better word), it's also amazing to see him learning to float after only 9 days of one-on-one lessons at Healthtrax in North Haven.

Yesterday, our ISR instructor was featured on WTNH's Connecticut Style ... click here for the video and link to her website, which explains the program philosophy in more detail. Jody is a great instructor and I'd recommend her to anyone. If you have questions feel free to email or post in the comments section! -nicolette

What's Going On This Weekend?

Summer has arrived...and so have the events. Here's what's going on this weekend:

June 12-14 - Mystic
Sea Music Festival, Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Ave. (Rte. 27) One of the world’s premier maritime music events. Featuring nationally and internationally renowned performers who carry on the classic traditions of the Golden Age of Sail. Admission: Museum admission, evening concerts additional. Museum open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., plus evening concerts. (888) 973-2767

June 12 - Norwalk
Family Fun Night with Madeline. Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Mathews Park, 303 West Ave.
Evening includes pizza, hands-on activities, story time and the children can get their picture taken with Madeline. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Admission: $12.00 www.steppingstonesmuseum.org (203) 899-0606

June 13 - Varied

Connecticut Open House Day. Cultural organizations and tourism attractions throughout the state will open their doors to Connecticut residents, inviting them to discover and rediscover Connecticut's fascinating world of art, history, and tourism with a variety of special visitor incentives. Click here for Henry Whitfield Museum details and here for CT Open House Flyer. For details of all the places to visit on June 13 visit http://www.ctvisit.com/featured.aspx?id=65 1-888-CTVisit

June 13 - Cheshire
Barker Cartoon Museum Grand Re-Opening. The Barker Cartoon Museum, 1188 Highland Avenue. Grand Re-Opening- Open to the public from Noon to 4 o'clock. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 & under, free to children 2 & under. Noon to 4:00 p.m. $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 & under, free to children 2 & under www.barkermuseum.com (203) 699-3822

June 13 - Cheshire
Strawberry Festival, First Congregational Church on the Green (Rte. 10). Old-fashioned festival with fresh strawberry shortcake, lunch, musical entertainment, games, activities for children, pony rides, petting zoo and antiques and collectibles show. Admission: Free. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (203) 272-5323

June 13-July 18 - East Haddam
"All the Comforts of Home", Gillette Castle State Park, 67 River St. Live theater presented by the East Haddam Stage Company performing a Victorian Drawing Room comedy by William Gillette. Also performed at East Haddam Historical Society, 264 Town St. at 3:30 p.m. Admission Charged. 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. (860) 873-3521

June 13 - Hartford
Juneteenth Celebration. The Amistad Center for Art & Culture at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Juneteenth is the oldest celebration marking African American freedom and achievements. ARTivities include make your own five-dollar bill, create a costume, join in the scavenger hunt, enjoy a guided tour of the Museum. Radio Disney games from noon to 1:30; Art in Motion, a community dance performance from 1:30 to 3:30. Event runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: Free. (860) 278-2670

June 13 - Meriden
Jimmy Fund Plant Sale/Craft & Vendor Fair Kelly and Gary Fuerstenberg's House, 76 Applewood Dr. Fundraiser for The Jimmy Fund. Superhero Parade at 11:30 a.m. Kids should come dressed as a superhero. Children's activities, plant sale, crafters and vendors. Free. 9 am-2pm
KellyCooks07@cox.net (203) 440-3092 www.jimmyfundwalk.org/kfuerst

June 13 – Middlebury
School Music Festival. Quassy Amusement Park, Rte. 64. School bands and orchestras perform throughout the afternoon. Noon-6 p.m. Admission: Parking $5. www.quassy.com (203) 758-2913

June 13 – Middlefield
Strawberry Fest at Lyman Orchards, Jct. Rtes. 147 & 157. Activities include a strawberry scavenger hunt, pie eating contests, food tastings, strawberry treats, live music and more great family fun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission: Free. www.lymanorchards.com (866) 349-6015

June 13 – Milford
Captain Kidd Treasure Hunt, Downtown Milford. Treasure hunt throughout the downtown area features a treasure map, free booty, lots of entertainment, and of course Captain Kidd and his pirates and wenches. Admission: Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (203) 878-2625

June 13- New Haven
Footprints in the Sand Lighthouse Point Park-2 Lighthouse Road New Haven. 3rd Annual Walk -Walk in the Memory of Someone You Love. Free event/refreshments served. 1pm-5pm free sandra_watts@sbcglobal.net (203) 889-6205


June 13 & 14 - Brooklyn
Bears & Bison Powwow & CT Open House. Creamery Brook Bison, 19 Purvis Rd, Brooklyn. Powwow with grand entry @ 12 :30, Birds of Prey 11 - 12 both days. Wagon ride to see bison Saturday ONLY @ 12 & 1:30. Open 10AM - 5PM. Powwow Admission. $5, under 14 FREE, Ride Admission $7.50, under 12 $6. www.creamerybrookbison.net 860-779-0837

June 13 – 27 New Haven
International Festival of Arts & Ideas at various locations throughout the New Haven area. An internationally renowned festival featuring world-class artists, thinkers, and leaders who engage with a diverse audience to celebrate and build community. Admission: Most events free. www.artidea.org
(888) ART IDEA (888-278-4332)

June 14-New London
“Gifts”. Palmer Auditorium at Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave., New London. Connecticut Dance Continuum, under the direction of L’Ana Burton, features “Gifts,” a unique dance concert that presents an opportunity to view a wide spectrum of contemporary dance from young students to seasoned professionals. Tickets: $10. 4 PM. Free Seating available for needing families. This concert celebrates CDC’s 20th anniversary. Call 860-439-2831 to reserve.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

As my (nearly) two-year-old and I stare out the window at what appears to be a full on typhoon, I'm reminded of one of my very first posts on this little ol' bloggity blog.

Let's visit the archives, shall we?

Friday, June 5, 2009

They Might Be Giants-- Mark Your Calendars!

The New Haven International Festival of Arts and Ideas is upon us again. As usual, they have a ton of family-friendly activities on the list of events, but perhaps the one we're most excited about is the free concert in the green with They Might Be Giants!

Mark your calendars: Sunday, June 14th at 6 pm in the New Haven Green. See you there!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Touch-A-Truck!!!

How did we miss this one? (Can you tell I've got a son?!)

Sunday June 7th, 2009
11:00-3:00
Eisenhower Park, Milford
$4.00 pre-sale (available at Milford Photo)
$5.00 at the door Rain or shine!
Featuring: Thomas The Tank Rides
Star Wars Storm Troopers and Darth Vader!!
Overflow parking & shuttle bus at Platt Tech School
Please contact Barbara Zink at (203)-464-2598 for tickets

CLICK HERE for the flyer.

What's Going On This Weekend?

June 5-6 - Milford
Fair on the Green 168 Broad St., Milford Green. More than 100 fine artist and crafters display their work; plant, bake and tag sale, refreshments. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. http://mtm-umc.org/fair (203) 874-1982

June 6 - Guilford
Little Folks’ Fair on the Guilford Green, Rte. 77. Old-time games and attractions including storyland, petting zoo, live entertainment, food, crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults $2, children (2-12) $1, under 2 free. (203) 453-5500 . For more information, visit our more detailed post HERE

June 6 - Guilford
Tag Sale with a Purpose. Women & Family Life Center, 96 Fair Street. Not an ordinary tag sale-all proceeds benefit the programs and services of WFLC. High-quality women's business clothes, bikes, furniture, baby & kids items and practical items. It's a great community cause! Join us! 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Donations of gently used items also accepted on Friday, June 5th. Call the center for details. (203) 458-6699

June 6 - Hamden
Helen Street School's Community Day, 285 Helen Street, Hamden CT. Around the World in 80 Minutes.
A cultural twist to traditional carnival games and events. Raffles, professional face painting and much more. 11am - 3pm. Free. hsptaprez@live.com

June 6 - New Haven
Audubon Arts on the Edge, Audubon Street (between Whitney Avenue and Orange Street) Audubon Arts on the Edge is a favorite destination for parents with children of all ages as the neighborhood’s arts organizations, galleries, and retailers present a wealth of free, family oriented performances, programs, and hands-on activities. 12-5 p.m. Free. www.newhavenarts.org (203) 772-2788

June 6- Norwalk
Scandinavian Stories at Stepping Stones Museum.
Listen to folktales from Denmark, Norway and Sweden and illustrate the stories at 11:00 am & 2:30 pm. This is part of their 2009 Around the World Program.

June 6- Stratford
Stratford Day is an event where you can have fun, meet your friends, enjoy free entertainment, get some great food, check out some cool cars and motorcycles, play some games, people watch and just stroll around. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. http://stratfordday.com/

June 7 – Hamden
Hike-A-Giant 2008 / National Trail Day. Sleeping Giant State Park off Rte. 10. Two to three simultaneous hikes, varying in length and difficulty. Wear comfortable shoes, bring snacks and water. Admission: Free. 1:30 p.m. (203) 272-7841

June 7 - Old Saybrook
Old Saybrook Fire Dept- Firefighter Competition & Family Fun Day Clark Memorial (Fireman's) Field, 210 Elm St & Ingham Hill Rd. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature up to 9 area volunteer fire departments competing in numerous firefighting competitive events, from a fire-suppression obstacle course, to add-a-length fire hose events and water-drafting contests. 9:30 AM osfd@aol.com, www.oldsaybrookfire.com (860) 857-5300

June 7 - Orange
Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival. On the Green--205 Meetinghouse Lane. Hot dogs, hamburgers, fresh salads, drinks, and of course, strawberry shortcake! Crafts and games/face painting for the kids. "Furious George" will perform live! Sponsored by the Orange Congregational Church. Admission is free. 11:30am-5:30pm. 203 795-9749.

Lyman Orchard's Pick-Your-Own!

Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, CT is opening their Pick-You-Own season this Thursday, June 4 with Strawberries!
Call their 24-hour pick-your-own hotline 860-349-6015 before coming out to pick for the day’s hours and conditions.
See the website at www.lymanorchards.com for more info on events, picking info, and sign up for a discount email!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Little Folks Fair!

The Annual Guilford Little Folks Fair is Saturday June 6 from 11am-4pm.

The fair has been going on since the 50's and benefits scholarships for the nursery school in town.

Lots of old-timey fun-pony rides, petting zoo, crafts, music/entertainment, face painting, mazes, bouncy castle, edutainment stuff, food etc. It's run by the nursery school so it's perfect for little kids. Anyone older than 2nd grade would find it powerfully lame.

Best of all-it's practically free! Kids $1.00, Parents $2.00. Under 2 FREE.

Click Here to read WTNH's article about the fair.

Thanks to several of our readers for passing on info about the fair! As we've said before, we rely on readers like you to act as contributors to our blog, so please don't hesitate to email ideas and events to us: newhavenkids@gmail.com.