Weekend Fun: Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year was on January 23 this year, but the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, has saved the best for last.  From 10:30 to 4 on Saturday, February 4, the PEM will have a series of performances, story times, and an art activity for all ages (the film The Fate of Old Beijing is listed for adults and teens only).

Visit the PEM Calendar for details of all the New Year fun that waits for your family this Saturday and visit their Family Visit page for the many other things to see at this wonderful museum.

Happy year of the dragon, everyone!

Weekend Fun: Get Moving!

The snowfall last night reminded me that this can be a tough time of year for everyone, especially if this is your first New England winter. As a teacher, I love winter because it gives kids time to sit indoors, reading books. But even I have to admit that there can be too much reading and not enough playing! In January and February every year, I notice energy, attention, and grades going down for many kids. This is often because of less physical activity and less social time with friends. So kill two birds with one stone and invite a friend to go on an adventure with them.

Until May 10, the Boston Children's Museum has an exhibit that is all about moving our bodies: Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action. The New Balance Climb and Kids Power are just two more exhibits to get them moving. A word of caution: their website explains that the subway is "about a three-block walk" from the museum, but they are three long blocks which will seem even longer going home when kids are worn out from all the fun.

For older kids, a visit to the Wellesley College Greenhouses can be a fun way to get out of the house. These are working greenhouses, with rooms of seedlings and experiments, as well as the beautiful permanent displays. Neither the delicate plants nor the other visitors make this a good place to run and shout, but there are strange plants to discover and it is warm! If your child likes to draw or write, bring a notebook and enjoy the benches tucked into quiet corners. The college's website has a PDF map to take with you and virtual tour to look at on the computer. The greenhouses are free, but a donation is encouraged if you can. Be sure to read the driving directions carefully, because the greenhouses are well hidden!

Weekend Fun: Magic Tree House Author

Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Tree House books will give a presentation, at 2pm at the Wellesley Middle School (map). After the presentation, Ms. Osborne will also sign books.

This event is sponsored by Wellesley Booksmith, an excellent local bookstore (its sister store, Brookline Booksmith, is also great). The store expects a big turnout, so read their information about when the doors will open, getting in line for autographs, and how many books the author will sign.

The books' vocabulary and grammar are both pretty basic, making them accessible to English learners. They can really help kids who are having trouble following social studies or science classes. If your child's class will soon be studying ancient Egypt, for example, have him or her read Mummies in the Morning a week or two before they start the unit at school. Students can read them at their own pace and get a head start on the special vocabulary for each subject. Many books also have non-fiction research guides (such as the Mummies & Pyramids partner to Mummies in the Morning), which can be a good second step if your child wants even more information about the subject.

Magic Tree House: The Musical will be in Boston February 21-28. The 40th MTH book, Eve of the Emperor Penguin, was published last September

Movies: More Than Just Entertainment

When kids are new in town and trying to make friends, seeing a few popular movies can give them something to talk to their friends about, even if they don't understand all of the words yet. Also, sitting in a movie theater with other people will help them find out which parts are the jokes, which may not be easy to understand when watching TV or a DVD at home.

For movie information, Rotten Tomatoes gathers reviews from many different websites and newspapers. The Washington Post's weekly Family Filmgoer gives information on what films are appropriate for different age groups and why.

If you are looking for a DVD, perhaps for a playdate with a new school friend, Wall-E is an excellent film for kids still learning English. The robots communicate with sounds and body language, not words. In fact, Wall-E can also help a child understand that you don't need to know lots of words to make new friends.

Weekend Fun: Groundhog Day

February 2 is Groundhog Day. This is not a holiday, just a family-friendly fun way to break up the long, cold winter. According to legend, the groundhog comes out of his hole on this day to see if it is spring yet. If he sees his shadow, he will be frightened back into his hole, and we will have six more weeks of winter. If not, we can enjoy an early spring. The most famous groundhog prognosticator is Punxsutawney Phil, in Pennsylvania.

We have had so much snow this year that I hope Monday is cloudy and shadow-free.

Drumlin Farm in Lincoln is having a special Groundhog Celebration on Sunday from 9am-4pm. Activities include crafts, stories, science investigations, and hot cocoa drinking.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

To-do this Saturday: listen to a live broadcast of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The BSO has great resources online and on the radio:

• Podcasts of previews, interviews, and more are available on the BSO website.
  
• Program notes are available from the podcast page, including this weekend's concert.
• WGBH, 89.7 FM, broadcasts the live concerts Fridays at 1 pm.
• WCRB, 99.5 FM, broadcasts the live concerts Saturdays at 8pm.

In the summer, get out of the city with a trip to the Berkshires and BSO's summer home at Tanglewood.

Weekend Fun: Harvard Square

The weather is temporarily warming up, a nice opportunity to see Harvard Square, where limited parking means you'll have to walk. One favorite winter Saturday includes these three activities:

• Ice skating at the Charles River Hotel - a small outdoor rink
• Hot chocolate at L.A. Burdick - the richest drink you've ever encountered
• Glass flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History - lifelike and wonderful

If kids still have energy after that, finish with a visit to the Curious George bookstore.

The museum recommends public transportation. The hotel has an underground garage, which is easy but expensive. On-street metered parking is hard to find and limited to one or two hours.

However you get there, it's a fun plan for a winter weekend!