Cape Cod Kidz

Get Your Hands on a Helicopter!

Get your hands on a helicopter!

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at the Cape Cod Children's Museum

Come see, touch and learn about one of the most exciting and powerful machines in America's defense, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

The Black Hawk will be in the museum parking lot from 11am-3pm on Saturday, July 12.

Admission to this special event and the museum is FREE with your donation of non-expired, non-perishable items to benefit the Falmouth Service Center.

Frank's franks, cotton candy, popsicles and popcorn will be available.

All proceeds benefit the Cape Cod Children's Museum.

No parking will be allowed at the museum. All parking will be at the Wampanoag Tribal Council.

The event is sponsored by Eastern Bank, Broderick Building and Remodeling, Multi-State Restoration, Inc., Murray & MacDonald Insurance and the Ridge Club.

The Cape Cod Children's Museum is located at 577 Great Neck Road South in Mashpee. Call the museum at 508-539-8788 or visit the website here.  The museum is a non-profit organization where families can "learn to play together". The museum has hands-on exhibits, an indoor planetarium, a pirate ship, puppet theatre, toddler area and daily programs to entertain and educate your children.

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Cape Cod Museum of Natural History Announces KidSummer 2008 Schedule

Museum offers hands on kids' events and workshops June 23 through August 21, 2008

KidSummer - instilling a sense of wonder and discovery to last a lifetime. Offers a range of 4 programs for ages 3 to 12, encouraging learning and appreciation of the environment through age-appropriate indoor and outdoor activities led by educators/naturalists.

Nature walks, field study, and habitat exploration give children a unique Cape Cod experience. Museum campus is surrounded by 350-acres of marsh, dune, barrier beach, woodlands, alewife stream, and wildflower gardens.

First Encounters for ages 3-4
Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-12:00 noon. 5-session week. $165 /members or $190/nonmembers.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:30 am-12:00 noon. 3-session week. $115/members or $140/non-members.

Children's sense of wonder and independence are fostered through fun, non-competitive peer interactions, live animal encounters, and exploratory activities with the natural world. Topics include plants, animals and habitats found both inside and outside the museum. Sessions led by a teacher certified in early childhood education. CHILDREN MUST BE TOILET-TRAINED TO ATTEND.

Nature Sleuths I and II for Ages 5-7
Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-12:00 noon. 5-session week. $165/members or $190/nonmembers.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:30 am-12:00 noon, 3-session week, $115/members or $140/non-members.

An opportunity to develop a child's science skills through games, stories, creative projects, experiments and lots of outdoor exploration. Each week is unique and will cover enough variety in experiments and outdoors sites visited to fully engage the child who comes multiple weeks.

Two Groups - I for Grades K-1, II for Grades 1-2, depending on age. When enrollment allows grades will be separated as described or they will be in one group, limited to twelve.

Terra Nova for Grades 1-4
Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., 5-session week, $225/members or $250/non-members.

Hands-on projects are the foundation for the wide range of topics investigated each week. Children explore nearby woodlands, ponds, marshes and beaches in age-appropriate science observations and activities. Engaging outdoor activities utilize museum exhibits and aquarium. Group A: Grades 1 and 2; Group B: Grades 3 and 4. When enrollment allows grades will be separated as described or they will be in one group, limited to twelve.Completed and signed medical and permission forms are required.

Extreme Science for Grades 5-7
Monday - Friday, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, 5-session week. $250/members or $275/non-members.

Programs designed to engage the serious student in real scientific field studies in various types of wetlands. Participants travel to select locations to sample and collect live specimens and data at each site. In the well equipped classroom/lab, activities revolve around microscopes, lap top computers and aquarium animals that they will learn to care for. Completed and signed medical and permission forms are required. Note: July 4th week. 4-day week.

• First Encounters $135/members or $155/non-members
• Nature Sleuths $135/members or $155/non-members
• Terra Nova $180/members or $200/non-members
• Extreme Science $200/members or $220/non-members. 2-day week.
• First Encounters $80/members or $95/non-members
• Nature Sleuths $80/members or $95/non-members.

Special Week August 18-21
An opportunity for parents, grandparents and children to interact with naturalist instructors in two learning opportunities over the course of four days (Monday-Thursday) 10:00 am-3:00 pm. Also open to children or adults on their own. Limited to twelve per class.

Participants must provide their own lunches.

Archaeological Dig Centered on Wing Island
$170/members or $185/non-members. Archaeological field methods, hands-on exploration, lab work, discussion of the prehistory and history of the area.

Exploring Aquatic Habitats of Cape Cod
$170/members or $185/non-members. Participants will visit freshwater and saltwater environments, collect specimens, learn identification techniques and become knowledgeable about aquatic life on Cape Cod.

NOTE: Nancy Church will be the 2008 Program Director and is currently preparing the new program. For more information please check the website for updates. E-mail inquiries should be directed to info@ccmnh.org.

A complete 2008 KidSummer schedule is available in PDF form here.

The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History is on Route 6A in Brewster, 508-896-3867.

Above images, courtesy of the Museum.

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More Fun Summer Workshops & Classes for the Kids!

Arts, acting, nature, science and sports workshops are available to Cape kids

There are many activities, classes and workshops sure to keep the kids interested and busy this summer.  Be sure to contact the centers soon as many classes are limited to a certain number of students.

The Creative Arts Center in Chatham is offering some new art classes for kids in varying age groups. 

New this summer at the Creative Arts Center Children’s Art Classes is the inclusion of an eight week pottery session for teens ages 12-16. It will be taught by CAC instructor, Susan Williams, who also owns Barn Hill Pottery in Chatham. The class is limited to 9 students and will start on Wednesday, July 9th from 6:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.

Two other new additions are Chinese Ink Brush Painting for ages 8-12  on Tuesdays, 10 am -12 noon, July 15, 22 and 29 with Coletta Moran and Puppet-making and Set Design for ages 5-8 starting Wednesday July 9,16, 23 and 30th from 10 a.m. to 12 noon with Will Hopper.

Other traditional offerings include Creative Crafts, One Stroke Painting and Jewelry making with beads. All classes for the summer are listed on the Creative Arts Center web site www.capecodcreativearts.org.

The center is located at 154 Crowell Road in Chatham. Give them a call at 508-945-3583 or visit the site here.

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The Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill is offering many interesting art workshops for kids this July and August in varying age groups and mediums. 

Workshops include Paper Cut Outs, Ceramics, Mural Painting and Found Object Sculpture among other things. 

The center is located at 10 Meetinghouse Road in Truro. Give them a call at 508-349-7511 or check out the kids workshop page for dates and specifics here.

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Cotuit Center for the Arts will offer  Kids for Kids Theater Workshop beginning August 4 - August 22.  Designed for children ages 8-12,  Stefanie Sertich conducts this workshop that will teach students the nuts and bolts of putting on a play.  Everything from backstage to on stage!  Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm.  The fee for this 45 hour workshop is $250 ($225 for members).  Pre-registration for the whole workshop is required and class size is limited.  To register, please call the arts center at 508-428-0669 or register online at www.CotuitCenterForTheArts.org.

Students will learn acting fundamentals as well as stage production concepts.  All students will be cast in an ensemble play which utilizes all of the skills taught in the 3-week class (along with self confidence and team building exercises.)  A final performance will end the never forgotten experience, open to family, friends and the community.

The center is also offering Summer Stock, a three-week theater immersion workshop leading to performance. Robert Bock instructs this workshop which is open to all skill levels and designed for teens ages 13-18.  Skills taught during the workshop will include acting, stage movement, as well as technical skills in set construction and painting, properties, costumes, stage management, lighting and set management.

Classes begin on July 21 and meet Monday - Friday from 1pm to 4pm through August 8.  Pre-registration for the whole workshop is required and class size is limited.  The cost is $250; $225 for members.  To register your child for this beneficial and fun workshop, please call the arts center or register online.

The Cotuit Center for the Arts is located at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit, 508-428-0669.

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Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) to host Incredible Invertebrates, a children’s program, on Monday, July 14 at 11 a.m.

On Monday, July 14 at 11 a.m. the PMPM will offer a free children’s program, “Incredible Invertebrates” for children 8 and up, maximum 20 children. The program will last one hour and is conducted by staff from the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Service.

Children will be introduced to a variety of live and preserved invertebrates such as: shrimp, hermit crabs or spider crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, snails, jelly fish and sea sponges. As part of the program, each child will make a colorful jellyfish to take home.

PMPM is located on High Pole Hill Road in Provincetown, 508-487-1310. Visit the website for future children's programs scheduled for this summer.
 

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Cape Cod Art Association Announces Summer 2008 Kids Schedule

The Cod Cod Art Association announced its schedule of children's workshops and classes for Summer 2008.  There are a variety of classes including painting, printmaking and digital photography for different age groups. Register online here.

Summer 2008 - Classes beginning June 23

Cape Colors - Young children will explore art with colors and textures inspired by Cape Cod sky, sea and plants. Paintings mixed with materials that encourage discovery and development will be made with a caregiver to assist. Begins June 23.
10am-10:45am Mondays, six weeks
Taught by Laura Abbady
$75  includes materials

Animal Art - Ages 4-5
Animals are the inspiration for multi media art. Each week a different project will explore where animals live, their patterns, faces and forms. Non toxic materials will be used for paintings, sculpture, masks and more. Begins June 23.
11:15am-noon Mondays, six weeks
Taught by Laura Abbady
$75 includes materials

Still Life Painting – Ages 8-12
Still Life Painting gives the artist will create and experiment with the placement and lighting of objects. They will learn about composition and design as they choose what to paint. Students will use acrylic paint on canvas. June 24, 25, 26.
10am-noon, 3 days
Taught by Lenore Lyons
$75 includes materials

Sand Art - Ages 7-12
Every week will be a new art project made from sand. Sculpture, printing, painting, candles and jewelry will be beautiful and unique Cape Cod Art! Non toxic. Begins June 24.
1pm-3pm Tuesdays, six weeks
Taught by Marci Easterbrook
$150 includes materials

Folk Tale Art - Ages 7-12
Folk tales from different cultures will inspire art that can be worn, used in play and theatre, or make magical books and masks that you will enjoy throughout the year. A variety of methods and materials will inspire creative thinking and retelling of stories. Begins June 24
4pm-5:30pm Tuesdays, six weeks
Taught by Marci Easterbrook
$120 includes materials

Drawing for Teens Ages - 12-18
Want pre-college experience in drawing for your portfolio? Ready to challenge yourself to draw in many methods and materials while learning basics of design? We’ll work in sketchbooks and on large easels using charcoal, inks, pastel and crayon to draw many subjects. Some printmaking techniques will be combined in your work. Begins June 24.
6:30pm-8:30pm Tuesdays, six weeks
Taught by Marci Easterbrook
$150 includes materials

Culture Club - Ages 7-10  
Different cultures offer traditional art forms that open student's eyes to the world of art. Students will interpret African, Indian, Asian and European arts to invent beautiful objects, masks, kites, instruments, jewelry and books. A variety of methods and materials will develop vonfidence and visual awareness.
12:20pm-2pm Thursdays, six weeks
Taught by Marci Easterbrook
$120  includes materials

Matisse and More - Ages 8–12
Master Artists will inspire projects in three and two dimensional art. You’ll see and do collage, photo, paint, sculpture, books, printmaking and drawing with new eyes!
10am–noon Fridays, six weeks, begins June 27 
Taught by Marci Easterbrook
$150 includes materials

Afternoon Art Studio I - Ages 5-7
Innovative techniques are yours as children use a wide variety of materials to explore drawing and painting. Sculpturing with air dry clay, paper pup and fabric will develop your creative ideas and challenge new ideas. Dress for mess! Begins June 26.
4pm-5:30pm Thursdays, six weeks
Taught by Kendra D’Angora
$120 includes materials

Preschool Art Studio - Ages 3-4
Explore color, texture and many ways to create wonderful piees of art using water based paints of all kinds plus marbles, toy trucks, brushes an other unusual things to paint by playing. Recycled materials will create instruments and objects of delight and function. Begins June 27
2:15pm-3pm Fridays, six weeks
Taught by Kendra D’Angora
$75 includes materials

Art Studio II - Ages 8-10
For children ready to develop real art in an art setting. Students discover many new ways to express their creativity in color pencil, paint and clay. Begins June 27.
4pm-5:30pm Fridays, six weeks
Taught by Kendra D’Angora
$120 includes materials

Cape Cod Printmaking - Ages 8-12
Make more than one: Printmaking is one of the oldes forms of art; to make a print, ink is transferred from one surface to another. In this class, students will create white line prints in the tradition of the Provincetown print. Students will keep the plate so they can make more prints at home. They will each frame one print. Also, they will use a silk screen press to make Cape Cod notes.
10am-noon, three days, July 1, 2 , 3
Taught by Lenore Lyons
$75 includes materials

Fairy Houses - Ages 6-10
Students will use natural and "magical" materials to create their own miniature home for indoor fairies. They will build the basic structure with dowels and vines then decorate the walls of their little house. They will make a variety of accessories to make the house inviting and comfortable for tiny visitors.
10am-noon, Tues/Wed/Thu begins July 8
Taught by Lenore Lyons
$75 includes materials

Castle Art - Ages 7-10
Students will use natural and "magical" materials to create a MEDIEVAL ADVENTURE fit for any king, queen, knight or princess. Children will create a variety of art forms that glitter, glow and inspire the imagination. Shields, shirts, hats, crowns and more will be designed and made to be worn. Multiple projects reference delightful book characters to encourage dramatic play.
10am-noon, Tues/Wed/Thu begins July 22
Taught by Laura Abbady
$75 includes materials

Mural Arts - Ages 7-12
Come and explore the world around you and express your ideas through paint. Children will collaborate on a large mural based on a theme the classes chooses together. By brainstorming and combining ideas, children will have the opportunity to share, design, and create a cooperative piece of art. Each child will then take home a piece of the mural when the class is finished.
10am-noon, Tues, Wed, Thur, July 29,30, 31
Taught by Sue Fellows
$75 includes materials

Animal Masks - Ages 4-6
One wild morning of beasts and birds that will be yours to bring to life and come home with children for fun all year. Materials with textures to stimulate motor skills and exploration will be used. Learn about animals, and their habitats and howls.
10am-noon Monday, August 4
Taught by Laura Abbady
$25 includes materials

Nature Art - Ages 8-12
Students will make art inspired by the beauty of Cape Cod. They will draw, sculpt and paint as they use a variety of materials to represent the nature of the air, land and sea.
10am-noon ,Tues/Wed/Thur
Taught by Lenore Lyons
$75 includes materials

Digital Photography - Ages 8-12
Learn how to take digital pictures, using your own camera or one we provide. Many fun activities taking pictures, learning how to manipulate and print. New project every week.
1:30pm-3pm Wednesdays beginning June 25, six weeks
Taught by Anna Meagher
$120 includes materials

EVERY MONDAY!  Make Art with Artists - Age 6-12
New projects every week. No reservation required, just come!
$20/class  begins June 23

Register online here.  Visit the site here.  The Cape Cod Art Association is located at 3480 Route 6A in Barnstable. 508-362-2909.

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Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary Announce Summer Family Programs

Family and Children's Programs Announced for Summer 2008

The Massachusetts Audubon Society's Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary has announced a series of interesting, outdoor summer programs catered for children (ages 6-11) and families.

Consult CapeCodToday's calendar of events and the sanctuary's site to confirm times and for more details.

Secrets of the Sand

Learn to read the signs of the tidal flats, such as twisting trails, holes, and mud piles, that reveal how creatures live, walk, eat and burrow down under. We will explore the shore with dip nets, digging tools, and magnifiers to discover creatures and uncover their secrets for survival in an environment inundated twice daily by the tide.  

Program dates: 6/28 – 1pm, 7/7– 9am, 7/12– 1pm, 7/17– 8am, 7/19– 9am, 7/24- 9:30 am, 7/26-10am, 7/31- 3pm,  8/2– 9am, 8/7– 10am, 8/9– 11am 8/14-3pm, 8/16-9am, 8/21-9:30am, 8/23– 9:30am, 8/28– 3pm, 8/31– 9am.

Cost: $6 children, $8 adults ($4 and $6  members ).  No registration required for this program.

Horseshoe Crab Encounters

In a mass May migration, horseshoe crabs journey to the bays, coves, and tidal flats of Cape Cod to spawn and lay clusters of eggs. Many locals recall the bay bottom covered by a carpet of these armored arthropods so dense that there wasn’t space for a single footstep. Join us as we seek out horseshoe crabs and examine their amazing anatomy, life cycle, and adaptations and discover the challenges facing these ancient creatures today.

Program dates: Thursday, June 26 at 10:30am, Thursday, July 3 at 7am, Thursday, July 10 at 10:30am.

Cost: $8 ($6 for members). No registration is required for this program.

Butterflies of Cape Cod

In early July, blooming milkweed is a magnet for butterflies in old Cape Cod pastures. Tor Hansen, naturalist, illustrator, and co-author of Butterflies Across Cape Cod, will lead us on a magnificent journey into butterfly habitat and inspire both children and adults with his love of Lepidoptera.

We will see several of Cape Cod’s 76 species, such as the Monarch, Painted Lady, and Red Admiral and learn the visual clues of cryptic coloration, wing patterns, eyespots and fringe.

We will also discover the miracle of metamorphosis from larvae to chrysalis to  adult.

Program dates: Wednesdays, July 2 and 9 at 9:30am.  

Cost: $6 kids, $8 adults ($4 and $6 members).

What’s That Bird?

Why do songbirds sing? How do feathers function? How are beaks, feet, and food connected? Join us as we observe birds through binoculars, learn bird language and lifestyles, and build a bird box or nest!             

Program dates: Tuesdays,  July 15 and August 5 from 9:30am—11:30am. 

Cost: $15 ($12 for members)

Brave Little Beach Birds

Discover how Piping Plovers and Least Terns raise their tiny, fluffy chicks on open, ocean beaches despite fierce storms, blazing sun and unpredictable predators. We will learn how scientists are helping these shy shorebirds, play Piping Plover games, and create a project to help protect endangered birds.        

Program dates: Tuesdays, July 22 and August 19 from 9:30am—11:30am.

Cost: $15 ($12 for members).

Aquatic Adventures and Tantalizing Turtles

Nymphs, whirligigs, backswimmers, and boatmen are just a few of the unusual inhabitants of ponds. We will uncover the murky world of aquatic invertebrates that are concealed under rocks, lily pads, and the mucky pond bottom. We will also seek turtles that lurk in these still waters and study them up close.

Program dates: Tuesdays, July 29 and August 12  from 9:30am-11:30am.

Cost: $15 ($12 for members).

FOR KIDS - Wild Arts!

Spend your summer surrounded by awesome sights, sweet smells, mysterious sounds and amazing artistic adventures. With Mother Nature as a guide, Teacher and Artist Carrie Quenneville will help you let your imagination run wild. At Mass Audubon, you will embark on an enriching journey of creativity.

Together, through drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking, illustration and countless other expressive experiences, we will embrace the nature and culture of Cape Cod.

Program dates: Fridays through August beginning June 27 from 9:30am—noon.

Cost: $18 ($15 for members and those taking 2 or more classes)

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Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 345 Bone Hill Rd., Cummaquid off Route 6A. Children’s Programs are for children ages 6—11 years.  For more information or to register for children’s programs, please call 508-362-7475 or email jmontoya@massaudubon.org or visit www.massaudubon.org.

Release and image courtesy of the Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary.

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