KidsOutAndAbout Fairfield County latest e-newsletter

Special Winter Break KidsOutAndAbout newsletter for Families in Fairfield County

Dear KOA readers:

We have a link-filled newsletter for you in the special Winter Break edition of KidsOutAndAbout.com's newsletter.

What's coming up that's FREE? 172 free events are on our calendar. Check them out.

Looking for events for a particular day? Check out our day by day calendars:

Monday, February 18
Tuesday, February 19
Wednesday, February 20
Thursday, February 21
Friday, February 22
Saturday, February 23
Sunday, February 24

Indoor Play Centers in southwest Connecticut:

• BounceU - Stratford
• Fun Factor - Brookfield
• Fun Factor - Middlebury
• Smiles Family Entertainment Center - Milford
• Fun For Kids - Stamford
• Laser Planet - Waterbury
• YMCA of Greenwich - Greenwich
• Norwalk YMCA - Norwalk
• Westport-Weston Family Y - Westport
• Central Connecticut Coast YMCA - New Haven
• Pump It Up of Norwalk - Norwalk
• The Little Gym of Westport - Westport
• The Little Gym of Darien - Darien
• The Little Gym of Stamford - Stamford
• The Little Gym of Fairfield - Fairfield
• The Little Gym of Ridgefield - Ridgefield
• Sportsplex at Fairfield - Fairfield
• Sono Field House - Norwalk
• The Sports Zone - Trumbull
• My Gym Children's Fitness Center - Orange

Day by Day Highlights
Remember, there are more events than appear here! Check out the full calendar for details.

MONDAY

Monday, February 18: February Winter Break Enrichment Program at Woodcock Nature Center at Woodcock Nature Center. We will offer an enrichment program for children ages 3-5 during the February break which this year is from February 18-22 . As most of the elementary schools are open, we are going to offer this camp only for our youngest campers.

Monday, February 18: Winter Break Out Day: Extreme Explorers! at Stamford Museum & Nature Center.

TUESDAY

Tuesday, February 19: BINGO ! at Norwalk Public Library. 

Tuesday, February 19: Manners Matter! at Fairfield Public Library Main Library.

Tuesday, February 19:  Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China at Bruce Museum at Bruce Museum. Chinasaurs offers a glimpse of the unprecedented evolution of dinosaurs and their dominance over the world for more than 155 million years.

Tuesday, February 19:  Identity: An Exhibition of You! @ Connecticut Science Center: HARTFORD at Connecticut Science Center.

Tuesday, February 19: Vacation in History at New Haven Museum. Special 1-hour workshops during school vacation week: Kids can participate in hands-on programs that will teach them about different items from the Museum’s collection and allow them to make a craft to take home.

Tuesday, February 19: Let It Snow! Children’s Book Art at Bruce Museum. Original illustrations by regional artists tell tales of winter fun and frolic.

Tuesday, February 19: February Winter Break Enrichment Program at Woodcock Nature Center. We will offer an enrichment program for children ages 3-5 during the February break which this year is from February 18-22. As most of the elementary schools are open, we are going to offer this camp only for our youngest campers.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, February 20: Gaming: Xbox and Wii Favorites at Burroughs & Saden Branch, Bridgeport Library. Large screen gaming for teens!

Wednesday, February 20: Let It Snow! Children’s Book Art at Bruce Museum at Bruce Museum. Original illustrations by regional artists tell tales of winter fun and frolic.

Wednesday, February 20: Writers Club for Kids ages 8-12 at Norwalk Public Library. 

Wednesday, February 20: CT Whale game at the XL Center, Hartford at XL Center. Come out and enjoy the action as CT Hockey Hall of Fame coach Ken Gernander leads the Whale against the top talent in the AHL.

Wednesday, February 20: Little Rocks at Black Rock Branch, Bridgeport Public Library. Join us for our popular Little Rocks program for children up through age 3 with a caregiver. Stories, rhymes, music, movement, short films, and time for play are all part of the mix!

Wednesday, February 20: Preschool Playtime at the Library at Danbury Library.

THURSDAY

Thursday, February 21: Jazz Thursday at Westport Arts Center. Join our Artistic Director Brian Torff, for a free-wheeling jam session.

Thursday, February 21: Living Desert Dry Exhibit @ Bruce Museum: GREENWICH at Bruce Museum. Family Friendly Exhibit

Thursday, February 21: Summer Internship Application Deadline for the Beardsley Zoo: Feb 28 at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo. Internships available at the Zoo!

Thursday, February 21: Terrific Toddlers Ages 2 and 3 at Danbury Library. A program to enhance children's listening, motor and social skills. Simple stories, activities, movement, music, movies and crafts will provide children with what they need to form those important pathways in expanding brains and bodies.

Thursday, February 21: Feeding Frenzy: Mammals at Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield. Gulp, crunch, slurp, chomp! It’s meal time for the animals at the Center. This month come see what’s on the menu for the Center’s resident mammals. Discover fun facts and get an up-close view of these amazing critters as our naturalist feeds them.

Thursday, February 21: Special Story Time: Playful Pets at R.J. Julia Booksellers. Join us for a furr-tastic story time and coloring activity all about our favorite animal pals! This event is FREE and is recommended for ages 3+ Registration is NOT required.

FRIDAY

Friday, February 22: Color Play: the Art and Science of Color at The Discovery Museum and Planetarium: BRIDGEPORT at Discovery Museum and Planetarium. This exhibit's centerpiece is the Color Playhouse which beckons children to enter and explore.

Friday, February 22: Kidologie Gets Ready for Summer, March 10th. Enter today to Win the "Golden Ticket" a $3,000 Summer Family Getaway Package to Woodloch Resort at Connectologie LLC. Kidologie Gets Ready for Summer, Children's Fair, March 10, Reed Intermediate School, Newtown, 11am-4pm Enter today to win the "Golden Ticket" by purchasing admission tix. Children Under 12 FREE. Adults $5. Log onto www.connectologie.com.

Friday, February 22: Big Kids Storytime Ages 3 1/2 - 5 at Danbury Library. This story time is perfect for children who are developing pre-kindergarten skills. It will incorporate stories, movies and crafts, and there will be an emphasis on pre-reading skills such as letter and word sounds.

Friday, February 22: We're Going on a Book Hunt! at R.J. Julia Booksellers. We're Going on a Book Hunt! Join us for an adventurous story time followed by a Book Themed Scavenger Hunt! This event is FREE, no registration required. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, February 23: Chess Club for Boys & Girls at Fairfield Public Library Branch Library. Play begins at 9:30 am and instructional play begins at 10:30 am. For children in grades 3-5. Registration required.

Saturday, February 23: Mini World Cup - Ski Racing for Kids at Hunter Mountain! at Hunter Mountain Ski Area and Resort. The Mini World Cup is a kids racing event developed by the Rip Van Winkle Ski Council hosted by Hunter Mountain and other areas within the council. This competitive race series gives kids & parents an opportunity to learn how racing events occur.

Saturday, February 23: Critter Encounters at Earthplace- The Nature Discovery Center at Earthplace - The Nature Discovery Center. Meet some of the Earthplace animals, take a trail walk to see what critters you encounter or make a craft to bring home. Programming varies weekly, but is sure to be fun for the whole family. Included with the cost of admission.

Saturday, February 23: 5th Annual Winter Wonderland Children's Ball at Stepping Stones Museum at Stepping Stones Museum for Children. Calling all little princes and princesses!

Saturday, February 23: John Lennon Imagined: Beatles and Solo Years featuring the Nutopians  at Downtown Cabaret Theatre. 

Saturday, February 23: Freckleface Strawberry @Downtown Cabaret: BRIDGEPORT at Downtown Cabaret Theatre. Based on beloved book by Julianne Moore

At the Museums
What's happening at these local museums? Check out our links.
Bellarmine Museum of Art
Bruce Museum
Connecticut Air and Space Center in Stratford, CT
Connecticut Antique Machinery Association, Inc
Connecticut Children's Museum
Connecticut Science Center
Discovery Museum and Planetarium
Eli Whitney Museum
Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
Fairfield Museum and History Center - featuring puppet shows on Wednesday
Imagine Nation Museum
Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Seaport
New Britain Youth Museum
Shore Line Trolley Museum
Silvermine Arts Center
Stamford Museum & Nature Center
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum - workshops and tours all week
The Danbury Railroad Museum - open Wed-Sat
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk
Westport Historical Society
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

I bet you know other families who are interested in receiving this newsletter... especially for Winter Break! Please forward it on to them. They can then use this link to sign up for the newsletter themselves!

Enjoy the week!

Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com