10/30 Update:  Due to the unexpected Halloween nor’easter, this morning’s Kidical Mass ride will be CANCELLED :( It’s unfortunate the bizarre weather got in the way of the inaugural ride for our group, which we were all looking forward to. However, we will be in touch to figure out whether we can reschedule today’s ride for another weekend before the next winter storm rolls through … in the meantime, get out your winter weather riding gear!!

This event has been POSTPONED until Sunday, 10/2 due to the weather.

photo courtesy of Chicargobike

Our middle guy is starting to talk about his upcoming birthday party – “upcoming” meaning, we’ve still got some time to plan.  Lots of time, in fact.  In the meantime, it makes us think about what we did last year: a make it ourselves Bike Festival.

Our party had three parts: bike decorating, a freewheeling parade, and cake time.

pre-Party:

• Beforehand, we found out if each kid we invited was a two wheeled or training or balance bike rider. We had test ridden the route for the parade a few days ahead of the party. We live close to a university campus which is a great place for this kind of fun. If you are heading to a park or just around the block you’ll need some grown-ups at all the alleys and intersections to keep an eye on everyone.

Bike Decorating:

• 

  photo courtesy of Chicargobike

  On the day of the party, there was a table out in front of our house with a pitcher of punch, small sandwiches, and snacks. In fine Chicago tradition, garbage cans across the street closed off our small cul-de sac. A better method for closing the street might be to call your Alderman and get it officially blocked off! People looking for parking kept trying to sneak by. A boom box was playing techno music good for biking. Then we pulled all of our extra bikes and trash bikes out so that grown-ups who “forgot” bikes could ride if they wanted to. A pump and some tools got a lot of use – everybody needed to fix something.

• As the kids and their parents arrived we helped everyone unload their bikes and welcomed them. We gave everyone bells, pinwheels, spoke covers, and silly handlebar streamers (bought in bulk from Irv’s Bikes old stock and a party store) for favors at the start and got to work winding crepe paper into spokes and getting the bells and streamers on.
• We cut up thick plastic disposable plates to get 2 rectangles out of each, popped 4 holes in each rectangle and threaded a zip tie through in a figure 8, around the seat stay or fork: instant bike motors! This was the cheapest and most fun part, and all those kids still seem to have the motors on their bikes many months later.
• The decorating took ages – but everyone had a blast fiddling and munching and talking. With snacks it was fun and a little bonk insurance for the kids who might not have had lunch yet.

Freewheeling Parade:

• After decorating the bikes and getting everyone full of snacks and ready to go, we got organized for our parade. Older kids helped get everyone up on their bikes and they mixed in with the younger riders to keep the pace right. There was a big range in the skills of our paraders and we wanted everyone to have fun. A couple of shy riders got into the box or onto the tandem right off the bat so that they would not worry about riding at all.
• We rode down our street and then up onto the sidewalk to the campus, where we rode in a big circle and looped around many times before turning home. Tired paraders got hoisted into the box or tandem or we just slowed the parade a bit to pace everyone to get back home.
• Parents silly enough to get on one of our trash bikes – rescued and refurbished zombie bikes that live in our garage – helped keep the ride moving, and some wrapped themselves in crepe paper to do it. One had the loud portable radio. Other parents relaxed at our house, talking out front.

Cake Time:

• When we got back, we pulled all the bikes up on the sidewalk and cut the cake. All the guests and any neighbors that happened to be out visiting got some.

Then it was time for everyone to pack up and go. We heard some kids even fell asleep on the way home.

It was wheely fun.

photo courtesy of Chicargobike

Our tips for making a bike fest work:

• Check with a bike store to see if you can get streamers or bells or something silly in bulk (we had a good experience with Irv’s in Pilsen). Just winding crepe paper was fun. Don’t forget the plastic plate spoke buzzer motors.
• Try to make sure everyone has had a little food before the parade.
• Tote a loud radio with fun music.
• Know which kids are less confident riders and keep the pace light. It should be fun for everyone and faster riders will just have fun rolling with all those other kids all decorated up. We went in circles so people could go at their own pace but never get left behind.
• It’s handy to have a sag wagon or other option for tired riders. You don’t need a cargo bike – a trailer to sit in, or a scooter to borrow while a parent carries the child’s bike might do just as well.
• Don’t ride all those kids in the unblocked street – it’s not Kidical Mass. We had parents watching the intersections and keeping everyone going but we had a huge pack of kids and only a few parents, so we stayed on the sidewalk until we got to the campus.
• This is also a good party to just have in a nearby park. No traffic to watch at all then.

…

We are two parents who ride everywhere in Chicago with our three children ages 10, 7 and 3. We’ve kept riding as our kids grow and our lives get more complicated. Our lives biking before kids color our ideas about staying on the road. Before our ten years here in Chicago, D. lived in Munich for eleven years. I spent a year and a half in Munich. I led unsupported bike tours for kids, and I helped run an after school off-road bike and racing program for at risk kids in a small town in Massachusetts, fit around my day job as a baker. Our posts are written by one or the other of us and our opinions reflect who is behind the keyboard.

For the month of October the grounds and gardens of the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme become a site for creativity and wonder. Of Feathers & Fairy Tales: Enchanted Birdhouses at the Florence Griswold Museum is sure to delight all ages. From October 1 through 31 over 40 artists transform the Museum’s eleven acres into a magical land featuring birdhouses based on classic fairy tales. Visitors to the month-long event find clever renderings of Jack and the Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, Snow White, Three Billy Goats Gruff, and others along the self-guided fairy tale trail. Children will delight in the fun and whimsical creations while adults marvel at the creatively conceived and handcrafted works of art. ons while adults marvel at the creatively conceived and handcrafted works of art. ”It was great fun for me to go outside my normal medium for this project,” states pastel artist Laurel Friedmann of Old Saybrook, who sculpted much of her version of The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. “It was a joy to bring to life this classic tale that will be shared among generations.” Visitors can have their picture taken in front of the Giant Fairy Tale Book and make a wish at Ye Olde Ever-Flowing Wishing Well. Photo opportunities abound!

The Museum is located at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT, exit 70 off I-95 and is offering extended hours for this event. The Museum will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm and two Mondays, Columbus Day, October 10 and Halloween, October 31, from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $14 for adults, $13 for seniors, $12 for students, $5 for members. Children 12 and under are free. Admission includes the birdhouses as well as the Florence Griswold House, Chadwick Studio, Rafal Landscape Center and Krieble Gallery featuring the special photography exhibition, The Exacting Eye of Walker Evans. Of Feathers & Fairy Tale is sponsored in part by an Anonymous Grant, Mr. & Mrs. Robert F. Schuman, and the Platner Family Foundation.

Special events held in conjunction with Of Feathers & Fairy Tales.

DAILY STORYTELLING

Once Upon a Birdhouse: The Telling of a Single Tale

Tues-Sat at 11am & 3pm

Sundays at 1pm & 3pm

Columbus Day at 11am, 1pm, & 3pm
Halloween at 11am & 3pm

Included with Museum Admission

Meet one of the artists or a guest storyteller and walk to a birdhouse for an informative and enthusiastic telling of a specific tale.

MONDAYS at the MUSEUM

Open Columbus Day and Halloween

Mondays, October 10 & 31

10am -5pm

Discover the Enchanted Birdhouses on Columbus Day and Halloween.

Explore the Museum as well as Of Feathers & Fairy Tales with your family.

Teddy Bear Tea Parties

Participants enjoy treats, a story, crafts, and a short tour of the birdhouses. Costumes and stuffed animals encouraged.

$14 per child and adult pair (members $12); extra guests $7 (members $6)

Reservations required. Call (860) 434-5542, ext. 111 or FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org

Mon., Oct. 3, 11am & 2pm : Goldilocks and the Tea Bears Party

Mon., Oct. 17, 11am & 2pm : Rapunzel’s Hair-Raising Wig Party

Mon., Oct. 24, 11am & 2pm : Jack’s Giant Magic Bean Bash

Mon., Oct. 31, 11am & 2pm : Cinderella’s Masquerade Halloween Ball

SATURDAYS at the MUSEUM

The Handmade Bird: A Sewing Workshop for Kids

Sat., Oct. 1 at 11am

Presented by Linda Zimmerman, Master Teaching Artist

$15 (members $12). Reservations required. Enrollment limited. (860) 434-5542, ext. 111 or FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org

Join fiber artist Zimmerman for a creative hands-on workshop to design your own soft bird sculpture made from felt and embellished with buttons, beads and ribbon.

Whooooo Knew? Connecticut Birds of Prey

Sat., Oct. 8 at 11am & 2pm

Presented by Kim Hargrave, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic.  Included with Museum Admission

Join Hargrave for a live bird presentation and introduction to the birds of prey of Connecticut. Learn how both the screech owl and American kestrel seek out nesting boxes to lay their eggs and care for their young.

A Real Tweet: A Drop-In Program to Learn About the Songbirds of Connecticut

Sat., Oct. 15 at 11am -3pm

Presented by Kim Hargrave, Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, Mystic.  Included with Museum Admission

Join Hargrave for a fun and informative introduction to the songbirds of Connecticut. Learn ways to identify our native birds through interactive games, listening to bird songs, and hands-on activities.

Friendly Ghosts and Silly Zombies: Songs & Stories with Steve Elci

Sat., Oct. 22 at 11am & 2pm

Included with Museum Admission

Back by popular demand, join children’s musician Steve Elci for a fun-filled program of story and song perfect for the Halloween season.

Halloween Costume Parade & Pumpkin Party

Sat., Oct. 29 at 10-5pm

Included with Museum Admission

The Halloween fun lasts all day with treats and crafts. Visitors are encouraged to dress up and march the Fairy Tale Trail. Parade begins at 11am. Costume prizes awarded for Best Fairy Tale Character, Not-So-Very-Scary, and Laugh-Out-Loud Funny. Candy, cider, and doughnuts for all.

SUNDAYS at the MUSEUM

Hands-On Fairy Tale Crafts

1-5pm & Included with Museum Admission

Hands-on fun in the Hartman Education Center. A different project each week!

Of Feathers & Fairy Tales Family Day

Sunday, October 9 at 10am-12pm

$45 per family (includes 2 adults & up to 4 children); $40 per family for members.  Reservations required. Call (860) 434-5542, ext. 111 or FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org

Families with children are invited to tour Of Feathers & Fairy Tales before the Museum opens to the public! Enjoy a light breakfast before exploring the imaginative birdhouses, each based on a beloved fairy tale, and create a fanciful craft in the Education Center. A morning of magical fairy tale fun for the whole family!

MOVIE MUSICAL at the MUSEUM

Into the Woods

Sun., Oct. 9 at 1:30pm & 3:30pm

Included with Museum Admission

Enjoy a free screening of Steven Sondheim’s fairy tale-inspired musical Into the Woods. A delightful mash-up of famous fairy tales told with funny lyrics and contagious tunes.

Hamden Hall to Host Touch-A-Truck Event to Support Food Pantry

Up close, hands-on exploration of vehicles like fire trucks and police cars is usually off limits to children, but an upcoming Touch-A-Truck event sponsored by Hamden Hall Country Day School will allow youngsters to investigate all they want.

The Hamden Hall Touch-A-Truck event takes place Saturday, Sept. 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at the school’s main campus at 1108 Whitney Ave. in Hamden.  The event is open to the public and will feature entertainment and prizes.

Admission is a non-perishable food item or donation to the Hamden Food Bank, which will have receptacles on site.

“Many thanks to the faculty, students, and staff at Hamden Hall for organizing this great event and for all of their efforts,” said Hamden Community Services coordinator Darlene Butler.  “We are always excited when the community as a whole can come together in support of those who are less fortunate.”

Families can explore and touch all kinds of trucks, big and small.  Parked on site will be the Hamden Fire Department’s new tower truck, Hamden Police cars and members of the department’s K-9 unit, construction trucks, U.S. military vehicles, a stretch limousine, snowmobiles, and more.

Hamden Fire Chief David A. Berardesca said his department is proud to participate in Hamden Hall’s premier Touch-A-Truck event.

“The Fire Department’s mission statement includes protecting our community through education. Interaction between our firefighters and the youth of the community through events such as Touch-A-Truck provides a proactive and enjoyable approach to fire safety and prevention,” he said.

The event is weather permitting.  There is no rain date.

Hamden Hall Country Day School is a co-educational college preparatory school enrolling nearly 600 students in PreSchool through Grade 12.

The school was founded in 1912 with the mission of challenging students to develop a strong sense of personal integrity and social responsibility while preparing them for demanding academic programs at the collegiate level.  Hamden Hall celebrates 100years of educational excellence during its 2011-2012 school year.