Pantochino Productions Inc. presents:

Teen Santa!  The new holiday musical by Bert Bernardi & Justin Rugg

December 15-18!  Seven Performances Only!

The Off-Broadway Theatre at Yale

41 Broadway (directly behind Toad’s Place)

Thursday & Friday at 7:30pm

Saturday at 12pm, 2:30pm & 5:30pm

Sunday at 12pm & 2:30pm

“Teen Santa” is a new pop musical about a 17-year old boy who discovers his super-hero powers and uses them to save Christmas…and the world! Written by Bert Bernardi and Justin Rugg, the show features teen band sensation Nothing2simple who perform live on stage. Fast, funny, heartwarming, “Teen Santa” is perfect holiday entertainment for the entire family. Produced by Pantochino Productions Inc, Connecticut’s new non-profit ‘ridiculously entertaining’ theatre company.

All seats $15. For tickets visit www.teensanta.com

Neighborhood Music School invites you to its free Faculty lunchtime concert series titled “Bach’s Lunch.” Music lovers are encouraged to bring their lunch to the concerts and enjoy a “musical feast” each Friday from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. in the NMS Recital Hall, 100 Audubon Street in New Haven.

The fall 2011 series also includes free evening concerts at 7:30 p.m. on selected Fridays. In celebration of Neighborhood Music School’s Centennial, many of the concerts focus on music from the past century.

Bach’s Lunch Concerts 12:10 – 12:50 p.m. Fridays

November 11: What Were They Playing Then?  A Centennial Program of sextets highlighting the first half  of the 20th century

Featuring Naomi Senzer, flute; Kathryn Giampietro, oboe; Julie Asuma Levene, clarinet; Emily Fine, French horn; Sara Kohane, piano. Guest artist Becky Noreen, bassoon. Composers: Francaix (L’Heure du Berger in honor of the centennial of his birth,1912), Poulenc, D’Indy.

November 18: Songs & Arias of the Western World

NMS and University of New Haven faculty member Terrence B. Fay (tenor) is joined by fellow UNH faculty member José García-León (piano) in songs and arias by composers of Western Europe and America, including Brahms, Duparc and Quilter, among others.

December 2: Music of the Americas

Featuring Neal Fitzpatrick, solo classical guitar

Composers: Heitor Villa-Lobos, Leo Brouwer, Augustin Barrios, Neal Fitzpatrick

December 9: Ceremonial Music for the Holiday Season

Seasonal music from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods plus contemporary works. Featuring Lawrence Zukof, recorders, voice & viol; Julia Blue Raspe, voice, recorders and concertina; Mary Larew, voice and violin; Patty Smith-Romanski, voice, viols and cello

Please visit our website at www.neighborhoodmusicschool.org for concert details and to learn about future concerts. To arrange for a large group to attend, please call 203-624-5189.

…

Neighborhood Music School (NMS) is a non-profit community arts school which provides joyful and enriching programs in music and dance for people of all ages and abilities, all backgrounds and financial circumstances. 

The school offers more than 400 weekly classes and over 200 events and performances each year.  Its 3000 students come from all over the Greater New Haven area and range in age from 6 months to over 80 years.  The financial aid/scholarship program at NMS awards more than $225,000 in tuition assistance to approximately 350 students each year, providing access to quality instruction for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it.  NMS programs are made possible in part with support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, along with many other generous foundations and individuals.

FIRST NIAGARA PRESENTS SCHOOL NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY
Greater New Haven Families invited to attend NHSO concert FREE of charge

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) is pleased to announce an exciting partnership with First Niagara to present School Night at the Symphony. All Greater New Haven grade K-12 students, faculty members, and their families are invited to be guests of First Niagara’s at the Symphony on Thursday, October 13, 7:30pm at Woolsey Hall, New Haven.

First Niagara presents School Night at the Symphony will expose students, teachers, and their families to classical music while cultivating a new generation of classical music lovers FREE of charge. This long standing NHSO program complements First Niagara’s commitment to youth mentoring and development programs throughout New Haven.

“We are pleased to partner with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to bring this program to the school children of New Haven and their families,” New England Regional President David Ring said. “At First Niagara, we believe in supporting organizations and programs that enrich our community, and the Symphony is one of the jewels that make New Haven sparkle.”

The program for the evening, Mozart’s Clarinet, features three of the composer’s masterpieces.  This exciting program includes Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major, Symphony no. 39 in Eb Major, and Clarinet Concerto in A Major, as performed by master of the clarinet David Shifrin.  Rounding out the evening is a work by Yale composer Christopher Theofanidis, Muse for Strings and Harpsichord.

Parents and teachers are encouraged to reserve tickets by contacting Aric Isaacs at aisaacs@NewHavenSymphony.org or 203.865.0831, ext. 10 to reserve tickets.

Who’s afraid of math? No one who visits Stepping Stones Museum for Children this fall when the museum opens Cyberchase – The Chase Is On! ™ It’s one of the most unique, educational and fun exhibits that presents math to children in a 100%, interactive, kid-friendly environment.

Based on Cyberchase, the Emmy award-winning math series and website on PBS KIDS GO!, the exhibit encourages children to make use of their critical thinking skills and approach math with an investigative, positive attitude.  The exhibit will be open daily September 24 – December 31, 2011 and is included with general admission.

Building on the classic paradigm of good vs. evil, Cyberchase – The Chase Is On! pits the dastardly villain, Hacker — who is attempting to overtake Cyberspace — with Matt, Inez, Jackie and Digit, three curious kids and one cyberbird pal determined to stop him.  Young real-life visitors will dash into Cyberspace through a special portal to explore favorite cybersites including Control Central, the Grim Wreaker and Poddleville. There, they join forces with the CyberSquad to help protect the virtual universe from the villainous Hacker while exploring math concepts such as place value, algebra, geometry, fractions and probability.

Throughout the exhibit experience, children and their parents will not only “do” math, but be able to apply the principles of math through the many activities and interactive components presented in creative, positive ways.   Activities and challenges include:

·               Reinstall the “power circuits” removed by the dastardly Hacker in Restore the Power

·               Attempt to pedal to a million with the Cyber Cycle

·               Prevent Hacker’s rocket from reaching Control Central and explore probability in Stop the Launch

·               Strategize a winning plan in the Dragon Dilemma problem-solving challenge

Cyberchase – The Chase Is On! was developed by the Children’s Museum of Houston in partnership with Thirteen/WNET New York and is nationally funded by the National Science Foundation. Cyberchase is produced by THIRTEEN for WNET and can be seen nationally on PBS KIDS GO! and locally on CPTV weekdays at 4:30 pm.

Cyberchase is produced by THIRTEEN for WNET. All rights reserved. Cyberchase is a trademark of the Educational Broadcasting Corporation. The PBS KIDS GO! logo is a registered mark of PBS and is used with permission.

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.

For more information about the grand re-opening, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON

America’s No. 1 Children’s Museum” by Parents Magazine, winner of Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks “Best Museum in Houston 2009 & 2010,” Click2Houston’s “Best Museum 2010,” the Children’s Museum of Houston is a Citysearch.com’s nationwide 5-star children’s museum. Founded in 1980 and housed in a whimsical building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Robert Venturi, the Children’s Museum of Houston offers a multitude of innovative exhibits and bilingual learning programs. The Museum serves more than 1,100,000 people annually. It is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative, child-centered learning with a vision to spark a passion for lifelong learning for all children. It is a Playground for Your Mind™ Can your mind come out to play?™ Visit www.cmhouston.org for more information.

About WNET New York Public Media
WNET is America’s flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as Great Performances, American Masters, Nature, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Noah Comprende and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through SundayArts, Reel 13, NJ Today and the new online newsmagazine MetroFocus.

Directed by Annie DiMartino

Musical Direction by Carol Taubl
STAGE II
All Performances at 7 PM
Tickets: $10
Call the Box Office or order online now!

Sixteen young actors from all over the state have joined together to create the Shake-It-Up Shakespeare Youth Ensemble to present two incredible shows.

READ THE GREAT STORY IN THE CT POST (Thursday, August 18, 2011)

In Hamlet they meld Shakespeare’s famous language with modern musical artists, such as Queen, Death Cab for Cutie, Jeff Buckley, Evanescence, Celine Dion, and Johnny Cash.

Threads of a Spider Web, a world premiere written by LWT’s own Director of Education, and with original music by Carol Taubl, explores the interwoven lives of strangers as they consider love, loss, acceptance, and the question of what might have been.

The company is comprised of Danielle Bonanno (Ellington), Jessica Coppola (North Haven), Chelsea Dacey (Wallingford), Nina Dicker (Old Saybrook), Bowen Kirwood (Orange), Jane Logan (Branford), Anthony Rockford (New Haven), Ryan Ronan (West Haven), Marisa Sullivan (Wallingford), Jack Taubl (New Haven), James Taubl (New Haven), Jeremiah Taubl (New Haven), Sam Taubl (New Haven), Kira Topalian (Milford), Erik Van Eck (Ivoryton), and Dawn Williams (Trumbull).

See, I’m a planner.  A do-er.  I like to think it’s one of my best qualities…but know that it can also be my worst enemy, particularly when things just aren’t going my way.  Welcome to my August.  I’ll spare you the details (a phrase I’m using way too often lately), but to make a long story short: I had other plans for August.  But instead, I’ve found us living in a constant state of Plan B.

Welcome to Mommy Camp.  Mommy Camp is me with two kids, all day, everyday and no real plans.  It’s me thinking on my feet.  It’s me wondering what today’s road block will be, because I’m telling you, they just keep coming.  It’s me pulling my Mommy-self up by my bootstraps every morning and repeating the Mommy Camp mantra, “Remember, they’re yours to keep forever, so be nice.”  :)  Thought I’d share some things I’ve pieced together after nearly 2 weeks of full-on Mommy Camp.  Some days it’s felt like a really bad episode of Survivor and other days it’s felt like what Summer is supposed to feel like!

Made a bird feeder

M is into Sid the Science Kid and is keen on “reusing” things after watching it on Sid.  She insisted we make something out of a milk container.  I whipped up some glue using flour and water – which was equally interesting to her, it turns out – gave her some tissue paper remnants and let her go at it.  Got the idea for using tissue paper from Pink and Green Mama.  Knocked on the neighbor’s door and asked to “borrow” some bird seed.  Filled it, hung it.  Done.

Let M Yarn Bomb Our Trees

Not even sure how this happened, but I found M wrapping our trees with yarn and building a gigantic web.  I swear it wasn’t my idea!  She kept asking for more yarn and I kept giving it to her.  It’s not the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen (which I would never tell her), but it was literally, hours of entertainment for her.  Later that day, we sat down and Googled “Yarn Bombing” and I showed her some of the really incredible projects other folks have done.  She was totally amazed.  She especially liked this tree.

Made Homemade Playdough

We hadn’t made playdough in a while so we made some on that really rainy Monday we just had.  The dough hasn’t left the kitchen table for two days now.  One or both of the kids seem to have their hands on it anytime we’re in the kitchen.  I love, love, love this recipe.  Quick and easy as long as you keep a stash of Cream of Tartar around.

Practiced Writing Numbers

It’s the teacher in me, sorry.  A white board, some dry erase markers, a rag and we’re golden.  Can I tell you how much I love white boards?  I have this odd, oblong shaped one that is perfect for this.  I think every kid should have their own mini-whiteboard at home.  Come school, it’s great for practicing things like spelling words, math facts, handwriting…  Not that M is doing any of those things yet, but we’re already getting lots of use out of her whiteboard.  It’s amazing what 20 minutes with one-on-one attention can buy you.  Worth mentioning that I’m also a huge fan of Priddy Book’s Wipe Clean books.  Same concept as a white board, except in workbook form.

Painted

Paper, paints, brushes for M (including an oversized brush she found in the garage) and fingers for E.  Easy.

Made a Garden Stone

In our craft cabinet, I stored away a couple of crafty gifts M had gotten for her birthday.  Took out a Make Your Own Garden Stone kit.  It was one of those projects where I did a lot of the work; it required cement mixing, afterall.  But she liked the pretty stones.  Still have to find a home for it in our yard.

Made Homemade Donuts

A while back I had told M a story about Grandma’s delicious donuts and she couldn’t believe that Grandma actually knew how to make a donut.  It wasn’t the shock that Grandma could do it, it was more a disbelief that anyone could do it!  I guess she’d never stopped to think how a donut was made.  When the weather’s lousy, my first instinct is to bake something.  Last rainy Sunday’s project: donuts.  I hadn’t made donuts since I don’t know when, but damn, I’ve still got the touch!  Sprinkled with a little powdered sugar – delish!  M loved making donuts together, she really did.  It was like watching myself as a kid.  Learned everything I know being my own Mommy’s sous chef in her kitchen and now look at me :)  Good stuff.

Made Flower Bouquets

The black-eyed Susans are aplenty right now.  Found M pulling them out of the garden and just rolled with it.  For a quick minute I thought maybe it wasn’t such a good idea, but ended up giving her a pair of scissors to cut them instead of yank them roots and all.  Turns out my sweet gal had this idea to make flower bouquets that she tied together with some sparkly pipe cleaners so that she could leave them on the neighbors’ doorsteps.  How sweet is that?

Made Tissue Paper Butterflies

My favorite kind of craft these days is the open-ended kind.  With a 1 year old that walks around the house looking, searching for things to climb, it’s not an exactly ideal setup for lengthy craft projects with M.  The other day she invented these whimsical butterflies using tissue paper and more of those sparkly pipe cleaners.  It’s not so much the craft that’s important here as the concept I’m trying to move to with her:  Sit.  Experiment.  Think.  Create.  You decide, not Mommy.

Had a Travelling Lemonade Stand

When your lemonade stand isn’t getting any foot traffic, put that show on the road!  We did just that the other day with the neighbor kids and boy was it a hit.  Whipped up a batch of Lemonade, grabbed some cups and a money box and had the kids pull it around the neighborhood in a wagon.  They had the best time, so much, they begged to sell a second pitcher.

Made Mud Cupcakes

Saw this cute idea to make mud cupcakes and so we did.  The kids were covered in mud when it was all said and done, but it was nothing the kiddie pool couldn’t solve.

Tie Dyed Some T-shirts

Why not?  Got a couple of Once Upon a Child white shirts (not a special trip, we were already there) and some dye from Michael’s next door, came home and reminded myself of the basics here.  This was a M-only project while E napped.  We wore aprons, set up outside, and make-shifted gloves by tying plastic shopping bags around our hands.  This was a very imprecise project as I eye-balled the amount of dye I mixed with salt water, but it seemed to work just fine.  There’s something extra fun about “coloring” a plain white shirt, isn’t there?  It’s like supervised mischief :)

Played at the Beach

When all else fails, we lather up with sunscreen, get buckets, shovels, an umbrella and play at the beach (I’m a minimalist by nature).  Mommy Camp has very luckily coincided with afternoon low tide and it’s truly my favorite time to be at the beach with the kids.  Plop ‘em on the sandbar and everyone’s happy :)

Fieldtrips in the Works:

Connecticut Science Center in Hartford

Peach Picking in Cheshire

Now you tell me, what things have you done at your own Mommy Camp, or perhaps Daddy Camp?

A long-time kidHaven reader recently asked if I could whip up a little something to get folks talking about their children’s Summer Camp experiences.  Says she’s been hearing a lot of mixed reviews about some of the popular camps around the area.  And I agree.  I hear a lot about a handful of Camps when talking to other parents – Common Ground, Schooner, Eli Whitney and The Y.  These camps ALWAYS come up in conversation.  What are your experiences this year at any of these camps?  But what about other camps in the area – Creative Arts Workshop, Alphabet Academy, Peabody, Audubon Society, Parks & Rec, to name a few.  I know there are a TON of other camps out there, too, what about those ones?

People tell me all the time that they are sooo grateful to hear what other parents have to say when they pose a question here on kidHaven.  It does seem like a pretty awesome idea to collect some of your thoughts about Summer Camps now, while it’s fresh in your mind.

I know what you’re thinking, who has the time to sit down and write a long, beautiful, thoughtful review about What Your Kid Did This Summer?!  So keep it short and simple if you have to.  No worries.  What’s important is your honest feedback.  Doesn’t have to be an essay (but it could be!).  It isn’t going to be graded either way :)  Shucks.  Make it easy on yourself.  Open your computer, go to this page, pose the questions to your child, “What did you like about (blank) Summer Camp?  What didn’t you like?”  Type their answers then and there, fill out the rest of the form and done.  Actually, I think it would be fruitful to include some of our kid’s thoughts among these reviews.

Here are some basics to be sure to include in a Camp Review:

• Name of the Camp
• Age of your Camper(s)
• A few sentences (or more) with some honest feedback – good, mixed, not so good.
• Specify child-written reviews otherwise it will be assumed your review is parent-written.
• Note: Your first name will appear below your review unless otherwise requested.

Send me some feedback about Summer Camp in whatever way is easiest for you:

• in a Comment below
• in an email to: kidhaven@email.com
• or, on kidHaven’s Facebook page

Endless thanks for sharing your thoughts!  ~kim

The New Haven Museum will offer In the Garden, a Family Day, at the Pardee-Morris House on Sunday, August 14, 2011 from 1-5 PM. There will be an interactive tour of the herb garden at the House, allowing visitors to smell, taste and touch some herbs and learn how herbs would have been used in the colonial period. Afterwards, children will be able to plant their own herbs and flowers in small containers after learning about them on the tour. Children will also be able to paint stones to make garden decorations…

In addition, the House will be open for tours and feature an art exhibition of local artists’ work. The House is open to the public free of charge every Sunday from 1-5 PM through August.

Free admission to the Family Day program. Light Refreshments will be served. On-street parking is available near the Pardee-Morris House, located at 325 Lighthouse Road in New Haven.

For more information, contact Michelle Cheng, Director of Education at (203) 562-4183 ext. 11 or education@newhavenmuseum.org.

The only Aquarium focused on Long Island Sound presents sharks, seals, river otters, sea turtles, jellyfish and more than 100 other species from Long Island Sound and its watershed. Two staffed touch tanks allow hands-on close encounters with intertidal animals and a chance to pet a stingray. “Frogs!” exhibit displays local species and exotic amphibians from around the world. “Go Fish!” explores our cultural relationship with the sea through fishing and the sustainable seafood movement. “Ocean Playspace” offers fun for toddlers and a rest for big people. Marine Lab shows visitors how we care for marine animals, including raising baby seahorses and jellies. IMAX^® theater offers the largest movie screen in Connecticut. Simulator ride-film is fun for kids and adults. And, on weekends (daily in July & August), exciting hands-on study cruises aboard the research vessel Oceanic…

Special Exhibits

“Dinosaur Summer”

Special exhibit open daily June 18-Sept. 5

Kids can imagine what it might have been like to grow up as a young dinosaur in a fun and playful exhibit of life-sized robotic dinosaurs, part of the “Dinosaur Summer” offerings at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The exhibit explores these concepts – how fast young dinosaurs grew, how big they got, what they ate and how they were protected from danger – by pairing young and adult dinosaurs of four species: Stegosaurus, with the line of bony plates across their backs; the long-necked Apatosaurus; the crested Parasaurolophus; and Tyrannosaurus rex.

The dinosaurs move, roar – even blink their eyes – in realistic fashion. But they’re fully lighted – not dark and scary – in presenting an educational dinosaur exhibit fit for even the youngest visitor.  One display will even offer a peek inside a robotic dinosaur that kids can control.

And an outdoor fossil dig will entertain budding paleontologists.

The exhibit is presented by Purdue Pharma L.P. and is free with Maritime Aquarium general admission.

Starting June 18, The Maritime Aquarium offers a “Dinosaur Summer” triple play with the robotic dinosaur exhibit, a screening of the IMAX movie “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous” (showing May 26-Sept. 5) and a jaunt on the simulator ride-film “Dino Island II: Escape from Dinosaur Island” (June 18 – Sept. 5).

“Meerkats”

Special exhibit open daily through February 2012

A family of meerkats, one of Africa’s most entertaining species, burrows into visitors’ hearts in this special exhibit at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

First popularized by the comical sidekick Timon in Disney’s “The Lion King,” and then celebrated in the Animal Planet television series “Meerkat Manor” (2005-2009), meerkats are members of the mongoose family that live in social “mobs” in the Kalahari Desert, in the southern African nations of Botswana and South Africa.

No mere cats, meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are fascinating for living in structured but cooperative societies, including a foraging strategy where adults take turns standing guard upright on their hind feet, watching for predators, while the others eat.

The exhibit features six sibling meerkats – three males, three females – born in the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Their exhibit offers the meerkats lots of opportunities for climbing, digging and exploring, with several feeding locations to keep them always on the alert for incoming crickets. And a viewing bubble lets visitors pop up right among the meerkats.

It’s made possible by Bank of America and Fifth Street Capital, and is free with Aquarium admission.

“Africa: From the Desert to the Sea”

Special exhibit open daily through February 2012.

Explore the aquatic wonders of Africa and discover how the continent’s fish – though much different from those in Long Island Sound – face similar environmental challenges.

See amazing fish from the Nile River, the lakes of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, the Red Sea and Africa’s shorelines, including the remarkable ecosystem of Madagascar.

Species highlighted include exotic air-breathing lungfish that can survive for a year if their waterhole goes dry, and electric catfish that use bioelectric radar to sense surroundings and zap their food in a dark and murky habitat. Other exotics include knifefish, bichirs and – appropriately for Africa – elephant-nose fish. Colorful cichlids and coral reef species shine in shimmering rainbows.

Interspersed throughout are important messages about animal adaptations, the importance of habitat preservation and conservation, and stories that show how fish from the other side of the world face challenges similar to those in Long Island Sound.

Sponsored by Bank of America and free with Aquarium admission.

In The IMAX Movie Theater

Connecticut’s largest IMAX theater, with a screen that’s six stories high and eight stories wide.  For the latest movie schedule, call, go online or text “TMA” to 71297. (Regular texting charges apply.)

Daily through Sept. 5:

•  “Born to Be Wild”

Call, text or go online for times.

An inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals, “Born to Be Wild” follows orphaned orangutans and elephants, and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them – saving endangered species one life at a time.

This heartwarming adventure transports audiences into the lush rain forests of Borneo with world-renowned primatologist Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas, and across the rugged Kenyan savannah with celebrated elephant authority Dame Daphne Sheldrick, as they and their teams rescue, rehabilitate and return these incredible animals back to the wild.

Narrated by Academy-Award® winner Morgan Freeman.

•  “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous”

Call, text or go online for times.

Your heart will pound with excitement – and the IMAX Theater will pound under the thunderous footsteps of a Tyrannosaurus rex – in this fun trip back in time.

“T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous” is a fictional tale of a teen-ager named Ally Hayden, whose dad is a museum paleontologist. When Ally accidently disturbs a special fossil egg, she is magically transported back through time, where she meets famous dinosaur experts doing field research and eventually ends up 65 million years in the past, at the end of the Cretaceous Period. See Pteranodons with 20-foot wingspans, duck-billed hadrosaurs and and one miffed T-rex momma, rendered in incredible detail on the giant IMAX® screen.

The film will be a great “add-on” for visitors this summer when the Aquarium presents a special exhibit of robotic dinosaurs. “(“Dinosaur Summer” opens June 18.)

•  “Dolphins”

Call, text or go online for times.

Follow marine biologists, including Connecticut native Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, as they research the communications and behaviors of everyone’s favorite marine mammals in this Academy Award-nominated film.

“Dolphins” goes beyond the romanticized images of marine-park dolphin shows to reveal how scientists are slowly gaining an understanding into these creatures’ complex world. Dive with Dudzinski as she studies dolphin communication, join Dr. Bernd Wursig for his research into dolphin behavior, and witness the stirring bond between naturalist Dean Bernal and a lonely dolphin named JoJo.

Narrated by Pierce Brosnan, with music by Sting.

Behind-the-Scenes Tour

Sat., Aug. 20 at 8:15 a.m.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk opens its backstage spaces for a rare behind-the-scenes tour. Conducted before the Aquarium opens, from 8:15 to 10 a.m., the guided tour offers unique opportunities to see how the animal-husbandry staff meets the varying food and water needs of some 2,000 resident animals.

The tour includes stops at the Aquarium’s “fish kitchen,” where 18 tons of fish a year is prepared, and above the 110,000-gallon Open Ocean tank, where the dorsal fins of 8-foot sand tiger sharks cut through the water surface. Learn the delicate requirements of a jellyfish “nursery.”  And perhaps get the chance to hand-feed the cow-nosed rays.

Participants must be at least 10 years old; under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $32.50 ($22.50 for Aquarium members) and includes Aquarium admission.

The tour is limited to 25 people, so reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-up tickets will be sold, space permitting.

For reservations or more details, call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

Marine Life Study Cruises

In July & August:  at 1 p.m. daily.

In September & October:  at 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Cruise out for close encounters with crabs, fish, lobsters and always a few surprises when you come aboard the research vessel Oceanic for The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk’s new season of Marine Life Study Cruises.

These exciting outings reveal what is, to many, a surprising diversity of marine life just off our shores in Long Island Sound.  Aquarium educators put participants to work in collecting and examining animals from all levels of the water column:  tiny wriggly plankton gathered at the surface (and viewed with a videomicroscope); little crabs and worms grabbed from the muddy bottom; and an always-unique variety of fish, crabs, lobsters and surprises brought up in the Oceanic’s trawl net.

Marine Life Study Cruises will occur at 1 p.m. Saturdays through June 25.  Beginning July 1, they’ll depart at 1 p.m. daily through August. They’ll continue in September and October at 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Weekday chartered cruises are available for school groups.

Tickets for a Marine Life Study Cruise are $20.50, or $18.50 for Aquarium members.

Maritime Aquarium Study Cruises are good for ages 8 and older.  Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Space on the Oceanic is limited so advance reservations are strongly recommended.  Walk-up tickets will be sold, space permitting. The cruises depart from the dock outside the Aquarium’s IMAX movie theater.

To purchase tickets, go online to www.MaritimeAquarium.org.  Or call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

3-D Simulator Ride-Film

Departing every 10 minutes throughout the day. Riders must be at least 36 inches tall to board.  Tickets are $5.50 (Aquarium members save $1) in addition to Aquarium admission.

•  “Dino Island II: Escape from Dinosaur Island”

Daily June 18 – Sept. 5.

In this rollicking 3-D simulator ride-film, join an international team of scientists trying to save prehistoric animals from an island about to be destroyed by a volcano. Strap in to the team’s all-terrain/submersible vehicle to encounter flowing lava, an angry stegosaurus, a primordial swamp and Tony the T-rex.

A perfect tie-in with the “Dinosaur Summer” exhibit and the IMAX movie “T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous.”

Toy Boat-Making Workshop

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily in July & August.

Visit the toy boat-making area on weekends for a fun 20-minute boat-building project.  Build and decorate a toy sailboat to take home as a special keepsake of your visit.  Cost: $5 per child (plus Aquarium admission).

Safe Boating Course

Sat., Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New boaters or boaters who feel they’d benefit from a refresher course on handling a boat safely should plan to attend the Safe Boating Course at The Maritime Aquarium.

The course is a requirement in Connecticut for the operator of any motorboat or sailboat over 19.5 feet. This accelerated course prepares boaters and personal watercraft operators for a safe season on the water and earns them a state-required safety certificate. Topics covered include safe and correct boating techniques, navigation rules, legal requirements and safety at sea.

Cost is $85. Participants can bring a lunch or purchase one in the Aquarium’s cafeteria. (The hour-long lunch break includes the opportunity to explore The Maritime Aquarium.)

Advance registration is required. Call (203) 852-0700, ext. 2206.

10 N. Water Street, Norwalk, CT ~  (203) 852-0700

www.MaritimeAquarium.org

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; open until 6 p.m. in July and August.

New Exhibit to Help Visitors Gain Better Understanding of Challenges Facing People Living with Disabilities

On June 18, Stepping StonesMuseum for Children will unveil access/ABILITY, a new exhibit on tour from the Boston Children’s Museum which will remain at Stepping Stones until Labor Day.  access/ABILITY is a highly interactive, engaging and sensitive exhibit that shows the similarities and differences in how each of us, with or without disabilities, go places, communicate, have fun and learn.  access/ABILITY will be located in the museum’s new Traveling Exhibit Gallery which will be host to a variety of new exhibits on an ongoing basis, creating a succession of fresh and exciting experiences for museum goers.

“The opening of the access/ABILITY exhibit is a huge milestone for Stepping Stones,” said Rhonda Kiest, the museum’s executive director. “Not only is this the first time we are hosting a touring exhibit in our own Traveling Exhibit Gallery, the very message of access/ABILITY significantly supports Stepping Stones mission to broaden and enrich the educational opportunities for children. This exhibit delivers the very important message to children, parents and educators that as human beings, we are more alike than different.”

Designed to raise awareness, encourage curiosity and showcase the latest technologies that enable all people to participate fully in society, access/ABILITY is organized into six main exhibit areas:

• Going Places, visitors can try out a wheelchair obstacle course and a Multisensory City Walk
• Talk With Me, guests learn phrases in American Sign Language, type their name in Braille, and communicate using pictures
• Just For Fun!, museum goers can try a hand-pedaled bike, and create art to experience through sight, touch and sound
• Think About It, guests can test their attention and memory skills
• Invent It, experience a design challenge, see how there is more than one way to do something, and learn how things can be designed to work for the most number of people
• Resource Area, learn more through books and online resources

To celebrate the launch of the exhibit, Stepping Stones will host Accessability Day on June 25 with free museum admission before 10 am for families with children who have special needs. This one-day event focuses on the inspirational stories of those who overcome disabilities every day and guests are encouraged to participate in different programs and activities and will have access to informational resources.

This exhibition was created by the Boston Children’s Museum for the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative and was funded in part by the Connecticut Department of Education.

About Stepping StonesMuseum 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. For more information about the museum, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

About Boston Children’s Museum – Boston Children’s Museum exists to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live. It is a private, non-profit, educational institution that is recognized internationally as a research and development center and pacesetter for children’s exhibitions, educational programs and curriculum. Boston Children’s Museum incorporates two strategies – engaging families and building communities – to impact five outcome areas for children: Creative Kids, Curious Kids, Global Kids, Green Kids and Healthy Kids. More information about Boston Children’s Museum can be found at www.BostonChildrensMuseum.org.

About MetLife Foundation - MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to continue the company’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. Grants are made to support health, educational, civic and cultural organizations and programs. The Foundation contributes to arts and cultural organizations, with an emphasis on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broad audiences through inclusive programming, and making arts more accessible for all people. For more information, please visit www.metlife.org.