Kids VT, February 2015

EAT. LEARN. PLAY

Copublisher/Executive Editor Cathy Resmer cathy@kidsvt.com ext. 74 Copublisher Colby Roberts colby@kidsvt.com ext. 77

Managing Editor Megan James megan@kidsvt.com ext. 73

Lead Designer Brooke Bousquet brooke@kidsvt.com ext. 41

Associate Editor Alison Novak alison@kidsvt.com ext. 75

Marketing & Events Manager Corey Grenier corey@kidsvt.com ext. 76

Account Executive Kaitlin Montgomery kaitlin@kidsvt.com ext. 72

Editorial in Kids VT is for general informational purposes. Parents must use their own discretion for following the advice in any editorial piece. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute service/product endorsement. Kids VT is a proud member of the Parenting Media Association. Kids VT distribution is audited for accuracy.

Da Capo Publishing shall not be held liable to any advertiser for any loss that results from the incorrect publication of its advertisement. If a mistake is ours, and the advertising purpose has been rendered valueless, Da Capo Publishing may cancel the charges for the advertisement, or a portion thereof as deemed reasonable by the publisher. Da Capo Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertising, including inserts, at the discretion of the publishers.

Copy Editor Paula Routly

Proofreaders Marisa Keller Kathryn Wysockey-Johnson

Production Manager John James

Creative Director Don Eggert

Designers Aaron Shrewsbury

Rev. Diane Sullivan

Circulation Manager Matt Weiner

Business Manager Cheryl Brownell

Contributing Writers: Angela Arsenault, Thea Lewis, Mary Ann Lickteig, Ken Picard, Erinn Simon

Photographer: Matt Thorsen

Illustrator: Pat Lewis

Light My Fire

ParenTing has broughT my husband, Daniel, and me closer in many ways, but it’s also strained our relationship. Couple time has been elusive since our daughter, Joni, was born nine months ago.

When she was just 9 days old, we bundled her into the Moby wrap and ventured to Pizzeria Verità in Burlington for my birthday. I spent the whole time checking to make sure she was breathing.

So we’ve started hanging out together in our unfinished basement.

We recently bought our first house, which has a wood-burning furnace in the basement. When outside temps plunged below zero a few weeks ago, we put Joni to bed and took our dinner downstairs.

Our subterranean getaway isn’t glamorous; it’s a concrete room filled with clutter, a washer and dryer and our cat’s litter box. But when we opened up the furnace door, switched off the lights and cozied up to the fire, we felt transported to another time and place. We talked to each other, without interruption, for the first time in months.

When you’re a parent, one-on-one time with your partner can feel invigorating and exotic. And it leaves you wanting more.

In the months that followed, Daniel and I made the occasional foray to Mule Bar in Winooski to scarf down chicken wings while Joni slept in the frontpack. Often she’d start wailing, and whichever of us was wearing her would have to leave to take a brisk walk around the block.

Now that she has a regular bedtime, Daniel and I rarely leave the house together after 6:30 p.m.

I love being a mother and adore watching Daniel blossom as a father, but I miss the old us. And so does he.

In honor of Valentine’s Day on February 14, Kids VT devoted this issue to one of the biggest challenges of being a parent: keeping romance alive. Thankfully, Daniel and I got to be one of four pairs of parents assigned to go out on, and write about, unconventional dates in “Need a Night Out?” (p. 18). In “Go Ask Dad” (p. 16), we generated even more ideas when we interviewed local fathers about the best dates they’ve had since becoming parents. And in “Use Your Words” (p. 55), executive editor Cathy Resmer wrote about how purchasing a pair of electronic fitness trackers helped her reconnect with her partner — literally one step at a time.

We hope these stories remind you that you don’t need to splurge on an extravagant night out to reignite the spark with your partner. A night in — by the heater — may be all you need.

By Megan jaMes, Managing editor

some of this month’s Kids VT contributors:

erinn simon (“Mealtime”) makes lunch at the Burlington Children’s Space and writes about it on her blog, bcslunchlady.blogspot.com. She lives in Burlington with her husband, photographer Sam Simon, and their three kids. She plans to drive her family across the country and back in an Airstream trailer someday.

Ken Picard (“Endless Summer”) is a longtime staff writer for Seven Days. He and his wife, Stacy, are raising their two kids, Manya and Ezra, in Charlotte according to their own self-styled philosophy of organic, freerange parenting.

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romance by the furnace

SEE AND SAY ReadersRespond

A story in our December/January issue, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pump: Breastfeeding moms go to great lengths to go with the flow at work,” inspired this reader to share her own experience.

I was working at a parking garage after my baby was born, and the best they could do was let me tape black garbage bags all around the windows and pump right there in the booth, at the exit of the garage! My bags only fell down a couple of times while I was pumping. It was that or the bathroom.

The new laws [requiring employers to provide a private pumping room] are great, but we really need more! Every workplace should be required to have a plan in place and published in the company policy handbook.

THERESE

Spectacular! Spectacular!

Bestofthe Kids VTBlog

On the Fly: Home

BY JESSICA LARA TICKTIN

For four months, Kids VT contributor Jessica Lara Ticktin traveled the world with her family, homeschooling three daughters along the way — while pregnant. In the final installment of her blog series, “On the Fly,” she wrote about adjusting to being home again.

…Returning to our normal lives here is bittersweet. I have loved being together as a family for so many days, getting in tune, stepping to our own rhythm. Adam and I have fallen in love in new ways and our special bond has strengthened deeply, profoundly.

CARLISLE ST. ALBANS

In December, Kids VT put on its first-ever kids talent show, the Spectacular Spectacular. Dozens of young performers sang, danced and hammed it up at Higher Ground in South Burlington. Here’s what some of the audience members had to say about the show.

What a wonderful opportunity for the amazing youth we have in our area to share their talents in front of an audience. My son and I loved attending and have promised each other that in the years to come, he will be on the stage showcasing his talents just like so many wonderful kids did this year. Thanks again!

LEIF TILLOTSON MONTGOMERY CENTER

My daughter Myk performed, and she’s so grateful for the opportunity. She had a great time and made new friends.

REBECCA REY VERGENNES

Zani had a great time, especially being on WCAX-TV. At intermission during the show, a woman approached him and told him that she had come to the show from Montpelier just because she had seen him on the news!

LORI LEWIS BURLINGTON

The first night home we looked at each other, incredulous, laughing, as if to say, “We did it! We pulled this o and we made it back safe and sound!!” We were amazed at our own temerity.

Babysi ers Club

At times during the trip, we were not sure how things would go, times when we had not planned well or at all, when we put our family’s safety in the hands of total strangers. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more.  Our team of five traveled to some of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the world Going out for a night with your partner can be a lot of fun. Finding someone to watch the kids? Not so much.

Back in November, when we first started planning our date-nightthemed February issue, we posted a New York Times piece about babysitting on our Facebook page. In it, the author lamented the lack of teenage sitters willing to charge less than $20 an hour.

That rate sounded crazy to us. So we asked our readers how much they typically pay.

Here are some of their responses:

“For $20 an hour, the babysitter better whip up an organic meal for my kids!”

CARISSA NEWTON RICHMOND

“I pay $10-12, depending on age and experience, but that’s if I can even find [a babysitter]. It’s practically impossible in Burlington, it seems.”

JAMIE GARVEY BURLINGTON

“For those struggling to find sitters, I am the owner of Babies to Boomers, a local nanny/sitter/eldercare agency. Hourly rates start at $12 per hour for one child, plus agency fee. Generally speaking, I find that my nannies make anywhere from $12-$20 per hour, though most make between $12-$15.”

CORI FINE UNDERHILL

“I charge $10 an hour for one child and $2 on top of that for each additional kiddo.”

BECCA RAYMOND GEORGIA CENTER

“My 13-year-old daughter sat for two young kids last night (for less than $10 an hour) and came home filled up with competence and money for her school trip she’s saving for. When I asked her what she liked about sitting she said, ‘Making the kids laugh.’”

ANDI

COLNES EAST MONTPELIER

“My 14-year-old daughter charges $7-8 an hour and had quite a few gigs where she had to jiggle babies for hours and clean up poop in the tub. That money felt welldeserved to her!”

GENEVIEVE HENRY

The winners of our three gift certificates to Champlain Lanes are …

COLORING CONTEST

— Tokyo, Beijing, Cape Town, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Athens — and also stepped o the beaten path to small towns and coastal areas. We explored and swam in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans; the Mediterranean, Red and Dead Seas.

Read more at kidsvt.com.

We cared for and amused each other, slept side by side across eight

countries spanning three continents. We leaned in close and held on tight for the ride of our lives. I put the girls to bed in so many di erent rooms, hotels, apartments, trains, tents and huts, and marveled at their adaptability. We watched each of our daughters grow resilient, strong, confident, open and caring…

Choosing just three winners for this month’s contest was a bear. We received 118 astoundingly creative entries over December and January. We let out a collective “Aw!” when we saw 10-year-old Maxwell McCalla’s sweet depiction of father and son bears making snow turns together. Eight-yearold Mehren Blair’s “Wonder Bear,” swirling in a blizzard of question marks, made us laugh. And Rebecca Moriarty, 11, blew us away by transforming her bear on skis into a reindeer, with candy canes instead of ski poles. Keep the artistry coming and congratulations to all the winners!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

COLORFUL CONFETTI

Jakobi Kmiecik, 5, Worcester

SWEET SNOWMAN

Colby Simpson, 4, Georgia

TOTAL TRANSFORMATION

Rebecca Moriarty, 11, Jericho

HOT STUFF

Home Cookin’: Baked Oatmeal

BY ERINN SIMON

On a freezing school-day morning, cereal for breakfast just isn’t enough. I want to give my kids something warm and delicious that will fill their bellies and guard against the chill.

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped dates

2 cups whole or 2-percent milk (or substitute non-dairy)

½ -1 cup pears, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup brown sugar

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter divided (2 tablespoons melted, 2 tablespoons room temperature)

1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil a 9x9-inch baking dish, pie plate or a cast-iron skillet.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. If you’re baking right away, pour this mixture into your dish and sprinkle the chopped fresh fruit over the top. If you’re going to hold it overnight, put the dry mixture into a Ziploc bag. Don’t cut the fresh fruit until you’re ready to bake in the morning.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, egg, half of the brown sugar, and the 2 tablespoons melted butter. If you’re baking right away, pour this mixture over the oats and fruit in your pan and make sure it’s evenly distributed. If you’re holding overnight, pour this mixture into a Tupperware container and pop it into the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake, sprinkle a little more of the brown sugar over the top, and dot here and there with the rest of the room-temperature butter.

Bake for 25 minutes. You might need a few more minutes to achieve oatmeal perfection.

Let it cool for just a minute or two. Breakfast is served!

Nora Jacobsen, 11, Burlington

SPRING FLING

Iana Mecca, 9, South Burlington

SPECTACULAR SUNSET

Anouk Von Bernewitz, 10, Burlington

ENDLESS POSSIBILITY

Mehren Blair, 8, Essex Junction

PUFFIEST CLOUDS

Sadie Hult, 7, Burlington

SARTORIAL SCARF

Natalee Kneeland, 8, Lowell

LUSCIOUS LASHES

Emilia Carini, 6, Underhill

SHOOTING STAR

Grace Bachand, 8, Georgia

TOP TITLES

“CRASHING INTO TREES”

Virginia Cobb, 9, Westford

“BETTER THAN HONEY”

Estelle Emmons, 9, Charlotte

“SKIING TO THE BOWLING ALLEY!”

Veda Urban, 4, Middlesex

Find this month’s coloring contest on page 53. The deadline for submissions is February 16

Maxwell McCalla, 10 RUTLAND

“Like Father, Like Son”

Fiona McCormick, 5 HINESBURG “Skier Bear”

Ambiana Glavin, 8 WORCESTER “Block Bear”

the BeAt

Q one To WaTcH

name: Katie Holmes

Age: 17 town: Cornwall

KaTie Holmes didn’t like what she saw in women’s magazines — so she created her own. There are no Photoshopped images of models or tips on how to please your boyfriend in the first issue of Holmes’ FuTure Game cHanGers, currently available as a digital publication on issuu.com. Instead, its pages are brimming with stories and ads featuring strong women and girls. “I wanted to shift the focus from beauty to leadership and adventure,” says the 17-yearold Middlebury Union High School senior.

“I’ve always been interested in women’s empowerment,” says Holmes. A year ago, after meeting a Middlebury College student who had attended a secret school in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as a young girl, Holmes raised about $3,000 for that country’s first allgirls school.

She started working on her magazine — which features an interview with the Afghan student, Marjeela Basij-Rasikh — last summer and continued through the fall, earning school credit for the undertaking. Next

stop: Kickstarter. Holmes is launching a fundraising campaign to make the magazine a reality.

The first issue of Future Game Changers includes an interview with former Washington governor Christine Gregoire and a book review of Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, among other articles. Holmes even created all the ads. One, for an imaginary school called the Holmes Flight Academy, features a little girl in aviator goggles holding up a toy airplane. The copy reads, “She believed she could, so she did.” — MJ

FuTure Game cHanGers: Virtually thumb through the magazine at issuu. com/katherineholmes5/ docs/futuregamechangers. Or visit facebook.com/ futuregamechangersmagazine.

“One to Watch” is a new feature that shines a spotlight on a young Vermonter who is going places. Know a local child, age 17 or under, who’s recently done something amazing? Nominate him or her at kidsvt.com/vermont/ kidsvtonetowatch/page.

WinTer

Frozen Fantasy

Artist Brent Christensen takes ice sculpture to a new level. Since 2009 he has created massive, LED-lit ice casTles around the U.S. This winter, his spectacular exhibit spans two acres at Stratton Mountain Resort. Explore frozen waterfalls, mazes, enormous archways, tunnels, ice thrones and other formations, all created entirely by hand using icicles and water. “It’s magical,” says Christensen. “And what’s really special is that every visitor gets a distinctive experience since the ice is constantly melting, freezing and being reshaped.” – MJ

ice casTles: At Stratton Mountain Resort in South Londonderry through March 31, weather permitting. Sundays through Thursdays, 2-9 p.m.; Fridays, 2-10 p.m.; and Saturdays, noon-10 p.m. $8.95-$12.95 for visitors ages 12 and older; $6.95$10.95 for kids ages 4-11. Info, icecastles.com/stratton.

BOOKS Monkey Business

A simian escape artist stars in a new children’s book by Shelburne author Laurel Neme. ORANGUTAN HOUDINI is based on real-life orangutan Fu Manchu, who stymied his caretakers at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. The book shows Fu bartering for a tool, picking a lock and freeing himself and his pals to romp in the elm trees above the zoo’s elephant enclosure. How did he do it? His secret won him honorary membership in the American Association of Locksmiths, and his story charmed Neme, a National Geographic contributor who has researched endangered orangutans. She wanted kids to know about Fu. “When you start to learn about any individual orangutan — or whatever animal — you get interested and you care,” Neme says. “And once you care, then maybe you can help.” – MAL

EDUCATION

Bad Behavior

Vermont public schools were two to three times more likely to suspend students with disabilities during the 2011-12 academic year, according to a report recently released by Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont School Discipline Reform Coalition. The report, titled KICKED OUT! UNFAIR AND UNEQUAL DISCIPLINE IN VERMONT’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, also tracked suspensions for Native American students in Franklin County and African American students in Chittenden County. It found that both groups were more likely to be suspended than their white peers. In addition to recommending that schools prioritize positive behavioral interventions over suspensions and expulsions, the report suggests that students should be given opportunities to keep learning while they’re suspended. Wrote lead author Jay Diaz, “When kids are kicked out of school, they don’t learn anything other than that school isn’t for them.” – MJ

ORANGUTAN HOUDINI: By Laurel Neme. Published by Bunker Hill Publishing, 32 pages, $13.34 on Amazon. Neme has been speaking at Vermont schools. To schedule a visit and find a teacher’s guide, go to laurelneme.com.

Just how dangerous are button batteries and toy magnets?

Toys WiTH ligHTs and electronic sounds are tantalizing to young children — but so, too, are their small, disc-shaped lithium batteries. You’ll find these “button batteries” everywhere: in cameras, hearing aids, bathroom scales, fitness watches, calculators and flashlights. But don’t leave them lying around, says Dr. Lewis First, head of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital; when swallowed, they can be fatal.

Kids VT: Are button battery-related child poisonings on the rise?

LEWIS FIRST: Yes. Nationally, there’s been a significant increase over the last 15 years. Every three hours, a child in the U.S. swallows one. Last year there were about 3,500 calls to Poison Control Centers, and at least 2,800 visits to emergency departments, all because of button batteries. In the past decade, the number of injuries and deaths has increased ninefold. Fifteen children have died in the last 10 years, 11 of them within the last six.

KVT: Why are button batteries so dangerous?

LF: These shiny, candy-like objects are very appealing to children under age 5, in particular to toddlers and infants, who want to put them in their mouths. The larger batteries can get caught in the esophagus, where they can cause choking and difficulty breathing. Other times they just lodge there. Then, saliva mixes with the battery casing and conducts an electric current, which can burn the esophagus within one to two hours. That can cause a perforation or even death. If there’s sufficient acid coming up from the stomach, or if the battery stays in the stomach for eight to 24 hours, the casing can break down, releasing sodium hydroxide, which is incredibly caustic.

KVT: What symptoms should parents look for?

LF: If your child is having difficulty breathing or is drooling, vomiting or listless and has been around a device that has a button battery, call 911. If the child is asymptomatic but a parent or guardian suspects that he or she swallowed one, they should see a doctor right away. These batteries will show up on an X-ray.

KVT: What should parents do next?

LF: They should not induce vomiting.

That can create other problems. They should not let the child eat or drink anything unless the emergency department says it’s OK. I can’t stress enough how serious the injury is from something so small.

KVT: How can parents prevent poisonings?

LF: Any unused batteries should be out of children’s sight and reach. They shouldn’t be left in drawers that kids can get into. Button batteries should always be screwed into products. If they’re not, parents should cover the compartment that holds them with duct tape. It’s also a good idea not to insert or change batteries in front of children so they don’t see how it’s done. Old batteries should be recycled appropriately.

KVT: Why are toy magnets so dangerous?

LF: One swallowed magnet will do no harm. Two magnets, or a magnet and a button battery, are a dangerous combo. They can pinch intestine walls. If one magnet is in one part of the digestive system and the other is further down, they’ll attract each other and drive through the walls of the intestine or obstruct it, leading to infection, vomiting, fever or perforation, which is an abdominal catastrophe. These can be found in desk objects not made for kids, such as Buckyballs — tiny magnetic ball bearings that look like silver candy. They’ve caused some major child catastrophes. Even costume jewelry, such as fake nose and tongue piercings, have magnets that can be swallowed. These should all be kept away from young children. K

Private party space staffed by a Vermont Teddy Bear Ambassador.

Grappling

Kids GrapplinG club

Kids in grades four through eight can drop in for free on Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 p.m., through February 17 at the robert miller community & recreation center, 130 Gosse court, burlington. info, 846-0123.

Early Childhood Programs designed specifically for the developmental needs of children.

Monday - Friday 7:00 am to 5:30 pm for children ages 6 weeks - Pre-K Full-time and part-time openings Richmond Berlin 434-3891 229-2869

GrapplinG looKs rouGh. If you were to judge the sport by the photo that accompanies this story — a kid holding another other kid in a leg lock — you might think, Uh-uh, I’m not signing my kid up for this. Too violent.

“Give it a chance,” urges Noah Weisman. The 35-year-old father of two is an ex-pro mixed martial artist. In 2010, he won a nationally televised event called “King of the Cage: No Mercy.” This month, he’s teaching a weekly grappling class at the Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center in Burlington for kids in grades four through eight. Grappling, he argues, is “actually anti-violent.”

The martial arts combat style teaches practitioners to take opponents to the ground. It’s used in wrestling, sumo, Russian sambo, luta livre, jujutsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, in which Weisman has a brown belt. “Jiu-jitsu,” Weisman says, literally means “gentle art” in Japanese. And grappling cred, he says, can help get kids out of fights, not into them.

“You need to know that you can handle yourself,” he says. “That way, you can walk away from a situation if you need to.”

Weisman was 22 when he started practicing martial arts. “It’s given me direction, and it’s given me something to love,” he says.

Four years ago, at the height of his martial-arts career, Weisman worked out for 18 hours a week. Now he sells real estate and spends his former training time driving his sons to sporting events. He’s excited about this class and the opportunity to use the sport to teach life skills: teamwork, respect and planning eight moves ahead. He’s offering this six-week session for free because he believes kids need to explore to find their passion.

Ten students — seven boys and three girls — showed up for the inaugural class in January. Mats covered the floor.

After introductions and warm-ups, Weisman taught lesson one: how to fall.

“When you fall, you slap the mat,” he said. Demonstrating with his right hand, palm down, fingers splayed, he whacked

the mat. Thwack! The kids followed, landing practically in unison. Thwack! Next up: a throw. This got everyone’s attention. Weisman demonstrated on his 13-year-old son, Zachariah. He put his right arm under Zach’s left armpit. His right hand, he said, could point up or rest on Zach’s back. His left hand went on Zach’s right tricep.

The key, Weisman stressed, is bending your knees and getting your hips under your opponent’s. “He could be a 250-pound person right now and I’d have the same luck sending him over,” Weisman said. He stepped in and flipped the boy to the mat. Giggles ensued.

Nine-year-old Cooper Bevins wanted to be next. Cooper’s body slapped the mat and a smile cut across his face. “Awesome!” he said.

Afterward, Kate Wheeler said she likes the fact that the class gets her 10-year-old daughter, McKenna, moving and that it instills confidence. The kids like it for different reasons. Said 9-year-old Evan Eleck of Burlington: “It’s fun to throw people around, and it’s fun to learn about it.” K

It’s given me direction, and it’s given me something to love.

noah WEisman

Love Stories

In honor of Valentine’s Day on February 14, Kids VT asked librarians to recommend books with love or friendship themes

Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild!

BY MEM FOX, ILLUSTRATED BY MARLA FRAZEE

Spirited Harriet gets herself into one mess after another over the course of the day. Her mother tries to be patient, but after Harriet spills juice, drips paint on the carpet and pulls a tablecloth o the table, she is sent to her room for a time-out. Upon discovering yet another mess, her mother begins to “yell and yell and yell.” But soon that turns into laughter, hugging and cleaning up with Harriet.

Ages 4-8

Liza Comiskey, library director of Highgate Library, calls this book “a sweet and humorous tale that demonstrates unconditional love and acceptance.” The story also helps children understand that sometimes accidents and mistakes just happen, and that’s OK, she says.

Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart

BY MARY ANN HOBERMAN, ILLUSTRATED BY MICHAEL EMBERLEY

Children’s poet Mary Ann Hoberman chose the poems in this collection — by luminaries such as Carl Sandburg, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gertrude Stein and Emily Dickinson — because they lend themselves to memorization. Many of them are about friendship and love.

Ages 3+

Write-Your-Own Contest Winners

Congratulations to these enthusiastic young writers who submitted their creative stories inspired by Ezra Jack Keats’ The Snowy Day. Each wins a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington. We loved reading about your cool adventures. We’ve shared an excerpt from one of the winning stories below.

Ages 8-12

Wendy de Forest, assistant director of the Richmond Free Library, likes the anthology because it moves “beyond the familiar, poetic gateway” of roses are red, violets are blue, “into the sweet and playful realm of children’s poetry.” She suggests choosing a poem with your child and learning it by heart for Valentine’s Day.

Seven Stories Up

BY LAUREL SNYDER

Meeting her grandmother for the first time, 12-year-old Annie is heartbroken to discover the older woman is jaded and cruel. The next morning, a mysterious girl appears in Annie’s room. Our protagonist soon realizes she’s traveled back in time to 1937, and that the girl will grow up to become her grandmother. Together, the two seek adventures in Depression-era Baltimore.

Caitlin Corless, youth services librarian at the Essex Free Library, calls this book “a heartfelt, uplifting story that has it all: time travel, history, intrigue and love.” The story, she says, “reminds us of the power of friendship and the remarkable influence one life can have on another.”

“The snow is piling up. Jamie is desperate to go outside but her mom will not let her until she’s done reading, which is not very convenient because she’s dying to go outside in the snow. The book she’s reading is called The Snowy Day When she hears the beep of the timer, the reading is done. When she’s outside, she realizes that she forgot to put on her snow pants, jacket and hat. The eagerness got the best of her. After putting on her warm clothes — snow pants, mittens, hat and a neck warmer just in case — she opens the door and before her eyes is a winter wonderland…”

Ella Emmons, 9 CHARLOTTE

Other winners:

Mason Remington, 10 JERICHO

Parker Quigley, 5 CUTTINGSVILLE

Val Keepin, 8 BURLINGTON

The Learning Center at Healthy Living

EASY WHOLE-MILK RICOTTA CHEESE

Ingredients: cups whole milk − tsp salt − TB fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Line a colander with 4 layers of cheesecloth; set aside. Bring milk and salt to a simmer (about 190-200°F) in a heavy-bo omed, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Let simmer until curds form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a finely slo ed spoon or skimmer, scoop curds from pot and transfer to your cheesecloth-lined colander. Let the mixture drain for 20 minutes (curds will still be a li le wet). Transfer the curds to a medium bowl. Cover and chill until cold, about 3 hours. *It takes half a gallon of milk to get 1 1/2 cups of fresh rico a.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN IN FEBRUARY

Spring Rolls Thursday, / from - pm

I Love You, Cupcake Thursday, / from - pm

Preschool Chefs: We <3 Pizza! Friday, / from - am

Chicken Enchiladas! Saturday, / from - am

Lasagna Roll-Ups Friday, / from - pm

All classes require pre-registration. For a full schedule, or to register, go to healthylivingmarket.com; or call Customer Service at 802.863.2569.

Homemade Jelly Candy

When i Was a Kid, my family took summer trips to the Jersey Shore. My parents were not big on sweets, but they loosened the rules on vacation. At the boardwalk candy shop, they’d let me buy a tiny bag of colorful candied fruit slices dipped in sugar — and I’d make it last as long as I could.

Despite — or, perhaps, because of — parental efforts to limit my sugary snacks, I grew up to be a candy lover. Whenever I’m at a craft or cooking-supply store, I check out the gear in the candy-making aisle: molds, thermometers, decorations, tiny plastic bowls, whisks and spatulas. It looks like so much fun. But it also appears to be a lot of work. I almost always come to the same conclusion: Candy making is too hard.

That’s why I was surprised, while looking for a Valentine’s Day project to make with my three kids, to find two fairly simple jelly-candy recipes that I had ripped from magazines and stashed away years ago. I could use them to create a version of my beach candyshop favorites, no special equipment required.

My kids were eager to test the recipes — one for jelly hearts, one for sugarplum snowflakes — from back issues of Parents magazine.

The jelly hearts had just three ingredients: strawberry jelly, sugar and gelatin. We melted the first two together in a saucepan, stirring wildly to make a smooth paste, while the gelatin set in a bowl of water. When the jelly sauce had boiled for a few minutes, we added it to the gelatin and stirred well. Then we spread it into a shallow pan and popped it into the fridge to set overnight.

In the morning, we were pleased to find it solid and springy. We cut it into small squares and tossed

them around a plate of sugar until they were coated and sparkly on all sides. The kids were happy with the tooth-achingly sweet taste, but not with the consistency.

“Too mushy,” my 11-year-old son, Eli, complained, and he was right. They were more like Jell-O blocks than the gummy candy from my childhood. Worse, after sitting on the plate for a few minutes, they started to ooze. They soaked up their sugar coating and turned even mushier. So much for recipe number one.

Slightly discouraged, we moved on to recipe number two the next night, with much better results.

jelly candies

The process was almost the same, except for the addition of liquid pectin, a thickening agent. This batch came out just like I hoped it would, perfectly reminiscent of the fruit-slice candies of my youth. My kids and I plan to experiment with different shapes — I’m thinking hearts, stars and letters; they’re thinking worms, fish and superhero logos —as well as different jelly and gelatin flavors. We’ll distribute them on Valentine’s Day to friends, neighbors, the crossing guard and the lady who works at the corner store. Maybe we’ll send a batch to my mom and dad, too — with a reminder not to eat too many, of course. Sweet revenge! K

Adapted from the December 2008 issue of Parents magazine

spoiler alerT: The ingredients are mostly sugar and red dye. if you feel slightly dismayed by this, like i did, remember that everyone only needs a small taste of the finished product. Still wavering? Just think of the whole endeavor as a science project rather than a cooking one, and you’ll be fine!

ingredienTs:

1 16-ounce jar of jellied cranberry sauce, or any seedless berry jelly

1 cup sugar (plus more for coating)

3 3-ounce boxes of strawberry (or any berry flavor) gelatin

1 3-ounce pouch of liquid fruit pectin

direcTions: Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, making sure it extends over the edges of two sides, so that you can lift it out of the pan easily once the candy is set.

Heat the jelly or cranberry sauce on high and whisk like crazy until it’s very smooth. next, whisk in the sugar and gelatin. bring the mixture to a boil, scraping down

the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the mixture boil gently for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.

remove the pan from the heat and pour in the pectin, stirring until it’s well blended. (you might need to squeeze the pectin pouch from the bottom like a toothpaste tube to get it all out.)

Pour the mixture

into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Let it set uncovered in the fridge for at least six hours.

When it’s very firm, lift the candy from the pan — using the foil overhang as handles — and lay it on a cutting board. using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut out small shapes.

(We rubbed our knife with a bit of oil first, which made cutting a cinch.)

Dust a plate with sugar and dip each piece of candy until all sides are coated. (Don’t let uncoated candies touch each other or they’ll stick together!) The sugar dusting is a fun job for little and big kids alike.

enjoy! and if you have any candies left over, they’ll last for about a week in a covered container.

What’s the best date you’ve gone on since your kids were born?

James HenaulT rICHMOND

OwNer, Harvest LIgHt DesIgN

Daughters Penelope, 3, and Elise, 1

Last spring my wife, Justine, told me to keep a particular date open, but she kept what we would be doing a surprise until the day came. She had arranged for friends to come to the house to watch our girls so we could go to Petra Cliffs, an indoor climbing center. I had never been. We hadn’t gone out together in a while, and nothing says “freedom” like hanging by a rope from a rock. There were trust exercises, like belaying each other so we wouldn’t hit bottom too fast. It turned out to be a great, fun experience.

Afterward, we went to the Farmhouse Tap & Grill for hamburgers and Rookie’s Root Beer. We got a table by the window. It felt so relaxing to sit in the sunshine and talk about anything and everything without worrying that someone was going to spill something.

eli FarnsworTH COLCHester

saLes, ODwaLLa JuICe

Daughter Reilley, 16; son Austin, 8 months

Last fall, when our son, Austin, was about 4 months old, my wife, Beth, and I wanted to see a Hunter Hayes concert, so we arranged for Austin to stay at her parents’ house. We were both a little nervous because we hadn’t been away from him yet. I have a 16-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, but I had forgotten what it’s like to unplug from a baby. It felt weird not having to rush to change or feed him. Beth would call her parents every once in a while to check in, and they would assure her the baby was in good hands.

It was great having time to ourselves and being able to focus and enjoy the show. And because Austin spent the night with his grandparents, we got to do something else we hadn’t been able to do in a while: sleep in the next morning.

leVar Barrino sOutH burLINgtON

sIte DIreCtOr, burLINgtON bOys aND gIrLs CLub Sons Avery, 15, and Tavian, 11; daughter Isabella, 8

For my wife, Kelly, and me, the best date night is dinner and a movie. Now that our kids are a little older, we’re able to get out to do that more often. We usually eat someplace like Leunig’s Bistro, which we both love, or the Windjammer Restaurant. Like most teenagers, our son Avery doesn’t like to talk on the phone, so we check in by text to see how things are going. We usually get one-word answers like, “Fine.” If we get through dinner, and it seems like everybody at home is settled, we can make it to a movie. It’s something we’ve always enjoyed. K

We hadn’t gone out together in a while, and nothing says “freedom” like hanging by a rope from a rock.

James HenaulT

Making Chocolate Bars

“do i haVe To wear one of those bonnets?” my 7-year-old daughter, Mira, asked, eyeing the hairnet-clad participants in our chocolate-barmaking class.

When I informed her that yes, hairnets were required, she reluctantly put one on. “I look weird,” she proclaimed. But once the class at Burlington’s South End Kitchen got started, she quickly forgot about her unfashionable headgear.

Eighteen of us — three kids, the rest adults — bellied up to a long counter at the front of the Education Kitchen. Photos of the chocolatemaking process flashed on a screen above us as Education Kitchen coordinator

Ashley Fitzgerald explained that chocolate comes from pods grown far from Vermont, in the warm, humid cacao belt located between 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the Equator.

She passed around some cacao nibs to sample. I enjoyed the nutty flavor of these dried and fermented pieces of raw chocolate, despite feeling a little like I was chewing on coffee beans. But Mira promptly spit them out. She was happier with the next sample — a selection of white, milk and dark chocolate chips.

Fitzgerald directed our attention to the metal vats of melted chocolate behind us. It had been heated overnight to 120 degrees, then cooled to around 90 degrees. This process, called tempering, is what gives the end product a glossy finish.

Tempering also gives chocolate a smooth texture and that satisfying snap when you break it. Making chocolate bars is simple, albeit a little gooey. Each participant got a plastic mold containing chambers for four square bars. We started by filling each two-ounce chamber with Fair Trade milk or dark chocolate from manufacturer Barry Callebaut. My mouth watered as I watched Mira ladle the silky, fragrant stuff from a big metal vat into the mold. I resisted the urge to grab the ladle out of her hand and do it myself.

After banging the mold on the table to burst any air bubbles, we custom-

ized our bars by adding an array of fun ingredients, including roasted nuts, dried cherries, Rice Krispies, white-chocolate discs and sea salt. “The topping part really wowed me,” Mira declared when we were finished.

We decided two of our confections would be kids’ bars, for Mira and her 5-year old brother, Theo, and two would be adult bars, for me and my husband, Jeff. We scattered toppings all over the chocolate’s smooth surface, making sure the chili flakes ended up only in the adult bars. After securing our toppings with a

final drizzle of chocolate, we handed our mold to Fitzgerald’s assistant, who popped it into an industrial fridge so the bars could harden. While we waited, Mira and I created labels to adorn each bar, naming the candies according to their characteristics. “Minty” was a milk-chocolate bar studded with mint-candy pieces, while “Hot Coco” had toasted coconut, almonds and chili flakes.

The bars only took about 15 minutes to solidify and fell easily out of the mold when we flipped it. After wrapping them in parchment paper, secured with a sticker, and tying a cute cotton string around each one, we were finished. Mira and I marveled

souTh end KiTchen offers chocolate-bar-making classes several times per month. hourlong chocolate-bar classes cost $25 and are geared to adults and kids ages 6 and up; kids under 9 must be accompanied by an adult. in February, special Valentine’s day-themed chocolate classes for kids cost $35. 716 Pine street, Burlington. For a full schedule, visit southendkitchenvt.com.

at how professional our confections looked.

“I’m totally telling everyone in my class I made chocolate,” Mira told me as we walked out of the Education Kitchen. “I’m the chocolate queen!” K

my mouth watered as i watched mira ladle the silky, fragrant stuff from a big metal vat into the mold.

Mira Novak at South End Kitchen

Need a Night Out?

Raising kids is a lot of things — challenging, gratifying, maddening, joyful — but romantic it is not. Parents of young children are sleep-deprived, overworked and run ragged much of the time. They cling to one precious goal: Make it to bedtime in one piece.

Under those circumstances, maintaining a loving relationship with a partner can be a real challenge.

Last October, Williston writer and mom of two Angela Arsenault found a novel way to tackle it. She launched a blog series on the Kids VT website called “Will You Go Out With Me?” In the first post, she explained her plan to start “dating” her husband, Guster lead singer Ryan Miller, again. They’re not just heading to dinner and a movie — Arsenault and Miller are getting outside their comfort zones, trying new activities in an attempt to see the world, and each other, with fresh eyes.

“Can we keep our relationship healthy if it remains on the periphery of our child-centered world?” she wrote. “The answer, I fear, is no. I’ve finally come to understand that if we’re not paying attention to the relationship that started it all, we’re doing it wrong.”

Her reports of their first two dates —at Talent Skatepark and Satori Float Spa — struck a chord with readers, who responded immediately, and enthusiastically. “Brilliant!” wrote one commenter on our website. “I can’t wait to read more!”

We got the message. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Kids VT sent four writers, including Arsenault, out for unusual date nights aimed at shaking up the routine. The goal was for each couple to do something they’d never done together, such as roller-skating or fashioning a homemade lamp.

We hope the date-night dispatches below — and the ones on our blog — inspire you to get out of the house and try something new. As we discovered, it doesn’t take much to make time without the kids feel special — just a good laugh, a great burger or an afternoon lounging in robes.

ANGELA ARSENAULT took her husband, Ryan Miller, to SKATELAND VERMONT in Essex. Here’s her take on the date.

How did you meet? I was working for Ryan’s band, Guster. I had been a fan and met the drummer after a show. We became friends, and when I graduated from college, he asked me to tour with them as the “merch girl” — the one who stands behind a table and sells T-shirts and CDs. There was no immediate love connection between Ryan and me, but after a few months living on a bus together, it became obvious that we liked each other — like, liked each other.

Couple: Angela Arsenault and Ryan Miller

Years together: 9 married; 14 total Kids: Lionelle, 6, and Dashiell, 4

Best date before kids: Four days in Bermuda.

Typical date after kids: Dinner at a restaurant with minimal conversation and habitual checking of phones for texts, emails and social media posts. Then probably a movie.

Kids VT date night: We went roller-skating at the newly opened Skateland Vermont. For Ryan, it was a nostalgic trip back to fifth grade — he was at a roller rink when he held a girl’s hand for the first time and got his first taste of independence. I, on the other hand, had never been on roller skates in my life. I was curious to see, hear and feel what would motivate humans to roll around in circles for hours.

How much did you spend on the date? $20 for two tickets; $5 each to rent roller skates.

… on childcare? We were fortunate to have the best kind of childcare known to humankind: our awesomely qualified and totally free-of-charge

Nana and Papa, who were visiting for the holidays.

High point of the date: When I finally felt comfortable enough to release the white-knuckled grip I had on Ryan’s hand. I let go … and I was roller-skating! He was proud of me, I was proud of me and, more importantly, I was reminded that I’m always OK on my own, especially when I know that my husband is nearby.

Low point of the date: It actually happened after the date — when my heretofore unused roller-skating muscles started complaining a little bit.

Did you learn anything new about your partner or relationship? Before this date, I had no idea that Ryan spent a good year of his life hanging out at a roller rink. It reminded me how much we each lived before we met one another. We’ve told each other a lot about our childhoods, but there’s still so much about adolescent Ryan that I don’t know.

What about you, Ryan? My wife looks super hot in roller skates.

Skateland Vermont, 8 Susie Wilson Road, Essex, 876-7082, skatelandvt.com

Four pairs of parents reignite romance on unconventional dates

If we’re not paying attention to the relationship that started it all, we’re doing it wrong.

ANGELA ARSENAULT

ragged

TOP: Angela and Ryan at Skateland BOTTOM: In Bermuda, before kids

Need a Night Out?

ALISON NOVAK and her husband, Je , spent an evening playing Pac-Man and other retro games at TILT CLASSIC ARCADE AND ALE HOUSE in South Burlington. Here’s how it went.

LEFT: The Novaks’ wedding in New York City MIDDLE Hiking in N.Y., 2002 RIGHT: Jeff and Alison at Tilt

intrigued. Je and I aren’t gamers, but we thought it would be a fun change of pace.

How much did you spend on the date? $60 for dinner and drinks, and about $10-15 in game tokens.

… on childcare? $40 for three hours. We used a local high school student we found through Front Porch Forum this summer. We pay $12 an hour and always round up.

MEGAN JAMES treated husband, Daniel Houghton, to a lamp-making class at ARTSRIOT in Burlington. Below is her dispatch.

How did you meet?

her

3

Couple: Megan James and Daniel Houghton

Couple: Alison and Jeff Novak

Years together: 11 married; 14 total

How did you meet? We met in Ms. DeBello’s secondgrade class in Chappaqua, N.Y. Je was a transplant from Winston-Salem, N.C., with a penchant for grey sweatsuits. His flu y hair always looked freshly shampooed. We became fast friends and, briefly, in fifth grade, boyfriend and girlfriend. Alas, after several months, that ended with an unceremonious breakup on the playground. We drifted into di erent social circles in middle and high school. But at our five-year high school reunion, we locked eyes and starting chatting. The rest is history.

Kids: Mira, 7, and Theo, 5

Best date before kids: Five months after we got married, in 2004, we moved from New York City to Vermont. That summer, we bought a guidebook to local hikes and vowed to do as many as we could. We spent Saturday mornings in the car, drinking co ee and listening to “Car Talk” as we headed to one trail or another. I have great memories of those times, being out in nature and doing something physically challenging together.

Typical date after kids: We usually go out for a leisurely dinner. Some of our Burlington-area favorites are Misery Loves Co. and A Single Pebble; Hen of the Wood and Trattoria Delia for special occasions.

Kids VT date night: We went to Tilt Classic Arcade and Ale House. I read about it in Seven Days and had been wanting to check it out since it opened in July. It’s just five minutes from our house. The menu includes mostly local, organic pub food, with many vegan options. I was

High point of the date: It’s been a long time since Je and I just vegged out together. We don’t really have time to put up our feet after a long day of work, or relax on the couch all day watching bad TV. Hanging out at Tilt was the closest we could get to that kind of lazy indulgence — and still be on a date. We ate delicious fried cheese balls (filled with Maplebrook Farm mozzarella), drank beer and stared mindlessly at big screens. It was kind of glorious.

Low point of the date: Most Tilt patrons were clearly more experienced gamers than we were. After watching a guy engage in an epic game of Street Fighter that involved cursing and banging the machine, I felt pretty lame getting beat to a pulp after, like, 20 seconds. The place is loud and doesn’t have much ambiance. Je declared it “a hipster Zachary’s.”

Did you learn anything new about your partner or relationship? One of the reasons I fell in love with Je was his unbridled enthusiasm for life. I don’t always appreciate that quality in the day-to-day grind. Laughing together, about something as trivial as Pac-Man, was refreshing. I got to see the fun-loving, enthusiastic guy I fell for.

What about you, Je ? We were both pretty lame at the games, but we just laughed it o . There was another couple there, who looked like they were on a first date. I remember thinking this experience could either make it or break it for them; gaming really brings out the true nature in people. I also remember thinking that if this had been our first date, I’d be pretty psyched about how it went.

Tilt Classic Arcade and Ale House, 7 Fayette Drive, South Burlington, 489-5350, tiltvt.com

We both ended up at the same party during our final semester of college. I went because I had a crush on the guy throwing the party. But I didn’t make it farther than the front door, where Daniel stopped me and demanded to know every detail of my senior thesis — and my life. We talked about writing and art and broken hearts, and when we decided to dash across the snowy campus to go dancing, he let me wear his fingerless gloves.

Best date before kid: The summer after we graduated, we took simultaneous but separate cross-country road trips (we’d planned them — Daniel with his dad, me with a good friend — before we met). After weeks of tracking each other’s westerly progress, we met up at Zion National Park, where we hiked Angel’s Landing in the hot sun and cooled o in the Virgin River.

Typical date after kid: Lately, after Joni goes to bed, we’ve been taking our dinner, and two chairs, down to the basement where we open up the door to our woodburning furnace and watch the fire while we eat and talk. It’s actually really romantic.

Kids VT date night: We went to a three-hour lamp-making class at ArtsRiot. Local artist Alissa Faber taught us how to make pendant lamps using wine bottles or twine and glue. We recently bought a house and figured we could kill two birds — romance and home décor — with one art class. Plus, I’d

If this had been our first date, I’d be pretty psyched about how it went.

JEFF NOVAK

heard great things about the food at ArtsRiot, and our class included free drink tickets!

How much did you spend on the date? $90 for two tickets to the class; $25 for a burger, General Tsao chicken sandwich and basket of fries, which were all delicious.

… on childcare? Nada! We have friends with a daughter just two months younger than Joni, and we’ve been babysitting for each other’s little ones. It’s a great way to save money.

High point of the date: Laughing together and gorging on an amazing burger. Daniel says he loved watching me accidentally drill a hole through a plastic worktable as I fashioned a wooden brace for my lamp.

Low point of the date: Realizing that I was having a hard time staying awake, let alone operating a power drill, at 8:30 p.m.

Did you learn anything new about your partner or relationship? Daniel doesn’t excel at fashioning lamps, but he has a flair for self-deprecation. When he finished his wine-bottle pendant, which he had etched with grass-like markings using acid, he o ered this self-assessment: “It looks like it came out of the Walmart Artisan Series.”

What about you, Daniel? I learned that we both seem to like experiences the most when something quirky goes wrong. I enjoyed watching Megan’s glue-and-string lamp collapse in a heap after the teacher told her it was safe to pop the balloon holding it up when it was most certainly not safe to pop the balloon. If everything had gone well, the night would have felt flat somehow.

KEN PICARD spent an indulgent day at STOWEFLAKE MOUNTAIN RESORT AND SPA in Stowe with his wife, Stacy Graczyk. He shares more below.

How did you meet? On Match. com, while I was I living in Colchester and Stacy was living in Plattsburgh, N.Y. She sent me an email, which I overlooked for six weeks. We dated briefly — Stacy calls it our “first pass” — then broke up but remained good friends. After she moved to Burlington several years later, we reconnected and she gave me another chance.

Couple: Ken Picard and Stacy Graczyk

Years together: 6 married; 9 total

Kids: Manya, 5, and Ezra, 2

Best date before kids: A romantic winter evening wandering around Montréal, dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant, then ice skating on the canal.

Typical date after kids: Few and far between. Typically, dinner and a movie when Stacy’s sister-in-law visits.

Kids VT date night: We had to cancel our previously scheduled date, a sword-fighting class, after I broke two ribs the day after Christmas in a parenting-related injury — I fell from a park play set while spotting my daughter, who was climbing above me. Instead, Stacy and I enjoyed an amazingly relaxing day at Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, which included massages, Jacuzzis, a mineral bath, waterfall pool, a healthy lunch and lots of reading and lounge time. In robes.

How much did you spend on the date? About $300, including tax and gratuity. Worth every cent.

… on childcare? Zero. Eighty-year-old

Grandma Phyllis drove up from Long Island to spend the day with the kids. All three slept soundly that night.

High point of the date: For me, it was the massage and chill time together. Ditto for Stacy, plus the hilarious stories she heard from her masseuse, Marty, who’s worked at Stoweflake for 27 years. Also, eating lunch in public wearing nothing but a robe.

Low point of the date: Our dinner afterward at Charlie B’s wasn’t great, but the service and drinks saved it.

Did you learn anything new about your partner or relationship? I realized that Stacy got her hair cut the previous day. Also, that she likes wearing a robe in public, and still finds it relaxing to gab throughout her entire massage!

What about you, Stacy? I did learn something new about Ken, a story or experience from his past that I’d never heard before, but, for the life of me, I cannot recall what it is now! As for our relationship, I’d say the date strengthened my resolve to commit to regular, at least monthly, date nights. Not that I didn’t know that before, but having so much chill time together was a reminder that, “Oh, hello, I remember you now!”

Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, 1746 Mountain Road, Stowe, 253-7355, stoweflake.com

The Practice Series, curated by ONE Arts Collective at ArtsRiot, 400 Pine Street, Burlington, 540-0406, artsriot.com, oneartscenter.com

I was having a hard time staying awake, let alone operating a power drill, at 8:30 p.m.

MEGAN JAMES

LEFT Getting married in Warren, Vt., 2012

RIGHT: Megan and Daniel at ArtsRiot

LEFT Stacy and Ken at Button Bay State Park, 2007 RIGHT Lounging at Stoweflake

2015 Camp guiDe

Get out your summer calendar — and your checkbook. if you haven’t already signed your kids up for camp, it’s time to start thinking about it. This story about the director of the nation’s oldest summer camp, just across the lake in Westport, N.Y., should conjure up your camp spirit. Find a list of traditional day and sleepaway camps in the camp Guide on page 27, and at the Kids VT camp & school Fair on saturday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hilton Burlington.

enDless summer

If you loved summer camp, Matt Storey has got your number. Don’t forget to ask about his.

Storey spent 15 summers as a camper and later a counselor at the all-boys’ Camp Dudley, on the shores of Lake Champlain in Westport, N.Y. Five years ago, he became the camp’s director. Today, the 40-year-old former camper lives there year-round — in the director’s house across the street from camp — with his wife and three kids.

fits in the continuum. Currently at 23,700, the tally will easily surpass 24,000 this summer. Storey rattles his number off without hesitation: It’s 13,804. His dad is 8,804.

Exploring the timeless appeal of the nation’s oldest camp

By Ken Picard

In the off-season Storey travels around the world speaking with parents about why they should send their kids to camp. Invariably, he meets fellow Dudley alums, who ask him what his number is, and proudly share theirs.

As the oldest continually operated summer camp in the United States, Camp Dudley has its share of traditions. For example: For more than a century it has counted its campers. Each new recruit is assigned a number that indicates where he

“The boys all know their number. They never forget it,” Storey says. “It’s this thing we all have that we connect with each other.”

This quirky custom has a kind of cultlike appeal that may be hard to fathom for those who’ve never attended summer camp. But campers say it’s a healthy bonding ritual for boys and young men — something

Boys playing lacrosse at Camp Dudley

Camp Dudley

that’s in short supply in contemporary culture. In that respect, Camp Dudley fills a unique niche. It’s a seemingly timeless place where boys learn from older group leaders and sta about loyalty, responsibility, sportsmanship and respect for others. Indeed, the camp’s motto, engraved in large, bold letters above its open-air pavilion, says it all: “The Other Fellow First.”

The motto’s gender-specific nature

is no accident. Camp Dudley, founded in 1885 by YMCA volunteer Sumner Dudley, has been a boys-only camp since day one, and that’s unlikely to change.

“We feel the single-sex experience is really important, for boys to be boys and to not worry about the pressures of wearing the right thing and all that,” Storey says. “All that social stu is gone. It’s a nonissue.” The same, he adds, holds true at Dudley’s sister camp in Vermont, the all-girls Camp Kiniya in Colchester.

In recent years, as summer camps have been moving toward ever-narrower specialization — camps for tae kwon do, cheerleading, Asian cooking, digital photography, coding and robotics — Dudley has bucked that trend. It thrives as a generalist camp aimed at developing athletic, creative and well-rounded boys. And it clings

Pregnancy & Baby Expo

Camp Dudley director Matt Storey

Camp is one of the most important influences on my life.

MATT STOREY, CAMP DUDLEY DIRECTOR

to many summer camp traditions that might seem quaint to some, including the military-like bugle calls of reveille each morning and taps at night.

Dudley emphasizes four general program areas: arts, athletics, spirituality and the outdoors. Boys aren’t allowed to opt out of any activity, and each camper is assigned to a sports team. Kids compete on the athletic fields during the day, then perform on stage that night, acting in a skit, singing in a chorus or playing a musical instrument.

“No kid is excellent at everything, and no kid is awful at everything,” Storey says. “So here the boys get the opportunity to try new things that they’re not getting at home.”

Dudley was originally founded as a Christian camp and still adheres to certain core Christian principles, but it’s “not a church camp,” Storey emphasizes. Boys of all religions, or none at all, attend. That said, every Sunday morning the entire camp gathers for a nondenominational outdoor chapel service along the lake. All the boys are expected to shower

and dress up. Campers sing, engage in discussions and listen to a guest speaker — a pastor, college professor, coach or former politician. The goal, Storey says, is to set aside time each week for the boys to slow down and be introspective in a tranquil setting.

Camp Dudley also emphasizes leadership and mentoring. Typically, boys are campers for four years.

When they turn 15, they can start a leadershiptraining program. Each cabin includes eight kids and three leaders: a 15-year-old aide, a 16- or 17-year-old assistant leader and a cabin leader who’s 18 or older.

“Nearly all the aides and leaders came up through the ranks,” Storey says. “They know the drill. Most were campers here, and they’ve been working toward this goal forever.”

Storey fits that description. A

native of Williamstown, Mass., he began attending camp at age 10 and estimates that he’s spent about 75 percent of his life there. When asked what impact Camp Dudley has had on him, Storey is unequivocal.

“Camp is one of the most important influences on my life,” he says. “My best friends today are guys I spent my summers with. And that was always the case.”

Talk to other Camp Dudley alumni and you’ll hear a similar refrain. Jake Rutter, a 41-yearold special educator at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School in South Burlington, says he started attending Camp Dudley when he was “still in utero” and was there from 1984 to 1997. Rutter’s number is 13,758. His father, 9,411, was a camper there, in 1959, as was his great-grandfather, whose number was 410.

“So, we go back a bit,” he says. “And that’s not unique, either.”

Roughly half the campers each summer have some familial connection to Dudley or Kiniya. Storey’s own 13-year-old son, Carter, attends Dudley; his daughters Ellie, 14, and Rachel, 11, likewise will return to Kiniya this summer. Many of Storey’s staff members have been there for 25 years, and a few have been there for 40 years or longer.

What is it about this place that instills such loyalty?

“It’s the people,” Rutter suggests. “The place is beautiful and the facilities are amazing. But it’s the people who were my role models. My dad’s friends? I idolized them. And I’m still friends with them … Outside of my immediate family, camp is responsible for me being the person I am today.”

Rutter says he was “blown away” when Storey, with whom he attended camp in the 1980s, was appointed director.

“Matt is a great friend and a wonderful leader,” he says. “He sets the example for what all of us are going to get up and do for the day.”

The place is beautiful and the facilities are amazing. But it’s the people who were my role models.

JaKe RuTTeR, foRmeR campeR

Every Sunday, the camp gathers for an outdoor chapel service by the lake where the boys can slow down and reflect on spiritual matters.

For his part, Storey says his aim since becoming director has been to create that same “magical community” he enjoyed when he was a camper. That’s meant drawing talented staff from all over the world, some of whom have come up through the system but others of whom bring fresh blood into the community.

Last summer Camp Dudley drew campers from 33 U.S. states and 12 foreign countries, mostly through word of mouth. Dudley doesn’t advertise or table at camp fairs, but it still sells out both of its three-anda-half-week sessions each summer; occasionally, families are turned away.

Tuition isn’t cheap —$5,100 for a single session, or $8,450 for the season. While its steep price tag and legacy system may sound elitist, Storey

“They struggle with it and don’t want it. And their parents think they’ll never make it. But eventually, it’s a huge relief to these kids, to not worry about what they’re missing, who called them and texted them. It’s terrific.”

There are exceptions to the screen rule. Last year, campers watched some of the World Cup soccer tournament on a large-screen TV. Additionally, the camp’s art program includes digital photography and videography.

“We’re not turning a blind eye to technology,” Storey explains, “but we’re not having it be a part of our daily lives, either.”

Camp Dudley hasn’t changed much since Storey was a camper. But as director, he has implemented some 21st-century improvements, such as solar panels on the roof of the

emphasizes that last year the nonprofit camp gave away $825,000 in scholarships. About 25 percent of campers received some financial assistance, whether it was “just enough to take the edge off” or full scholarships covering everything from room and board to transportation, clothing and camp trunks. The goal, he says, is to ensure a rich diversity of campers from all walks of life.

Still, Storey admits that Camp Dudley isn’t the right fit for everyone. Who might not fit in? Someone who’s interested in just one activity, he says, as well as the boy who’s averse to trying new things, or leaving behind the comforts of home.

Camp Dudley enforces a strict no-fly zone for helicopter parents. Though boys are expected to write letters home to their parents each week, they’re not allowed access to cellphones, computers, televisions or other electronic devices, except in emergencies.

“At first it’s hard,” Storey admits.

dining hall and a local-food program. For years, Dudley contracted with a large, corporate food vendor. Now it does all its own cooking and baking, and bought $100,000 worth of local produce last summer.

“This was an awesome opportunity,” he says. “When we buy corn, we buy a lot of corn. When we buy ground beef, we buy cows. We can really have an impact.”

So how does a summer-camp director keep busy in February? He oversees a $5.5 million operating budget and more than 250 staff, including 20 year-round employees. Off-season, local youth groups have access to the playing fields on the grounds.

Storey says summers are actually the easiest and most enjoyable months of his year. “I pinch myself. This is where I get to come to work every day,” he says. “I get to be in front of a community of 550 people who all want to be here and play and have fun. I get to ref a game and go swim with them. It’s a dream job.” K

Ken Picard

Heartworks

Heartworks

• Renaissance • Endeavour

HEARTWORKS PRESCHOOLS

Ages: 2 - 5

•

RENAISSANCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The Renaissance School is an independent, co -educational, elementary day school, located at Shelburne Farms. The Renaissance School offers inquirybased learning with a strong focus in differentiated education for Mathematics and Language Arts. Outdoor learning often takes place as all of the aspects of Shelburne Farms are incorporated into the learning.

E N D E A V O U R O P E N H O U S E F E B R U A R Y , 8 • 4 : 0 0 w w w .h ear tw o rk s vt .c o m /mi d d le -sch o o l /

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 985.2153 • WWW.HEARTWORKSVT.COM

CAMP DIRECTORY PART 1 I

n Vermont, schools let out in mid-June and start back up again at the end of August. For 10 weeks or so, kids are hanging out at home — unless you can find something else for them to do.

Luckily, the Green Mountain State is home to a vast array of camps and summer programs that o er the kind of learning experiences you just can’t find in the classroom. At camp, kids can make new friends, get outdoors and test their independence by spending time away from home.

Or if you’d rather have your little learners concentrate more on academics, there are camps for that, too.

To help you understand all of your options, we’ve created an easy-to-navigate directory of area summer camps. We’ve noted the type of camp, the age of the campers, the location and the dates of the sessions. We’ve also included phone numbers and websites where you can find program details and fees.

This month, we’re listing traditional day and sleepaway camps, academic camps and adventure camps. In the March issue, we’ll feature camps focused on arts, athletics, religion, science and nature and specific themes like computer programming. We’ll also point out camps that serve specific types of campers — kids with parents serving in the military, for example.

Got specific questions? Ask them in person at the upcoming Kids VT Camp & School Fair on Saturday, February 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hilton Burlington. We’ve noted the camps listed here that, as of January 23, had registered to exhibit.

Good luck filling up those long summer days. They’ll be here before you know it!

— CATHY RESMER

WINTER VACATION CAMP

February 23 – 27

Are you looking for an engaging way for your child to spend February vacation week? Join us for Winter Vacation Camp at Shelburne Museum. Children will explore the grounds, visit galleries, and make art in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education.

$60 per child each day or $250 for the full week. To register your child, contact us at 802-985-3346 x3395.

CAMP DIRECTORY, P. 29 »

TYLER PARKER

2015 CAMP GUIDE

General interest day camps

From swimming to science, arts and crafts to archery, these programs offer a well-rounded summertime experience. Some camps have themes that change each week.

camp abenaKi mascoma (Girl scouTs)

Girls • ages 5-18 • June 29-July

10 • Thetford • 888-474-9686 • girlscoutsgwm.org/general/page/ camp-abenaki-mascoma

camp edGe

Day • coed • ages 5-12 • June 15August 28 • Essex/Williston/South Burlington • 879-7734 • edgevt.com

camp GreylocK

Coed • ages 6-15 • June 23-August 22

• Ferrisburgh • 652-8139 • gbymca. org/youth-development/camp/ greylock

camp Koda (ymca)

Coed • ages 5-12 • June 23-August

22 • various locations • 652-8150 • gbymca.org/youth-development/ camp/koda

camp Twin Hills (Girl scouTs)

Girls • ages 5-18 • June 29-July

17 • Richmond • 888-474-9686 • girlscoutsgwm.org/general/page/ twin-hills-richmond-vt

Farm & wilderness barn day camp

Coed • ages 4-10 • June 29-August 14

• Plymouth • 422-3761 • farmandwilderness.org

Green mounTain day camp

(Girl scouTs)

Girls • ages 5-18 • June 22-June

26 • Salisbury • 989-4449 • girlscoutsgwm.org/general/page/ green-mountain-day-camp

HearTworKs summer camp

Coed • ages 2-5 • June 22-August 14 • Shelburne • 985-2153 • heartworksvt. com/summer-programs

renaissance enricHmenT academy

Coed • ages 6-11 • June 22-July 24 • Shelburne • 985-2153 • heartworksvt. com/summer-programs

saxon Hill summer camp

Coed • ages 3-9 • Call for dates • Jericho • 899-3832 • saxonhillschool.org

THe scHoolHouse

Coed • ages 5-13 • June 22-August

21 • South Burlington • 658-4164 • theschoolhousevt.org

CaMP direCtory, P 31 »

registered to exhibit at the Kids VT camp & school Fair

2015 CaMP guide

Traditional sleepaway camps

Kids ready for a taste of independence will find a home away from home at these camps, which are filled with sports, arts and nature activities — and bonding with best buds around the campfire.

Day Camp For Adopted Children & Teens

BURLINGTON,

registered to exhibit at the Kids VT camp & school fair

AlohA cAmp for Girls

Girls • ages 12-17 • June 24August 12 • Fairlee • 333 -3400 • alohafoundation.org

Brown ledGe cAmp

Girls • ages 10-18 • June 25-August

19 • Colchester • 862-2442 • brownledge.org

cAmp ABnAKi

Boys • ages 6-16 • June 21-August 15 • North Hero • 652-8180 • campabnaki. org (day camp option)

cAmp BeTsey cox

Girls • ages 6-15 • June 28-August

22 • Pittsford • 866-213-4717 • campbetseycox.com

cAmp Birch hill

Coed • ages 6-16 • June 28-August 9 • New Durham, N.H. • 603-859-4525 • campbirchhill.com

cAmp dudley

(See “Endless Summer,” page 22.)

Boys • ages 10-15 • June 23-August

24 • Westport, N.Y. • 518-962-4720 • campdudley.org

cAmp hAwKeye

Coed • ages 8-16 • June 29-August 23

• Moultonborough, N.H. • 718-3151297 • camphawkeye.com

cAmp hocheleGA

Girls • ages 6-17 • June 28-August 15

• South Hero •862-7520 • ywcavt.org/ programs/camphochelega (day camp option)

hosmer poinT

Coed • ages 5-15 • June 21-August 14

• Craftsbury Common • 586-7767 • hosmerpoint.com (day camp option)

cAmp KiniyA

Girls • ages 9-15 • June 23-August

24 • Colchester • 893-7850 • campdudley.org/kiniya

cAmp sAnGAmon

Boys • ages 9-16 • June 28-August 22 • Pittsford • 665-7505 • campsangamon.com

KeewAydin dunmore

Boys • ages 8-16 • June 28-August 22

• Salisbury • 352-4770 • keewaydin. org

poK-o-mAccreAdy cAmps

Girls/boys/coed • ages 6-16 • June

28-August 15 • Willsboro, N.Y. • 518963-7656 • pokomac.com

sonGAdeewin

Girls • ages 8-16 • June 28-August 22

• Salisbury • 352-9860 • keewaydin. org/songadeewinforgirls

CaMP direCtory, P. 33 »

Mini Monkeys: ages 5-8

Youth Climbing Team: ages 8-16

Find

Camp Mère Clarac — a camp with values!

Operating since 1957 by the Soeurs de Charité de Sainte-Marie, Camp Mère Clarac offers the same quality of supervision for which the École MarieClarac de Montréal-Nord is famous. Accredited by the Association des camps certifiés du Québec.

• ratio of 1 monitor per 5 youngsters, to 1 monitor per 8 older children

• high level monitoring for higher risk activities

• strict rules for every activities

• all activities relate to the age of the child

• 60-hour training program for camp monitors

• medical care accessible at any time; and 5 minutes from the local CLSC

• high-quality drinking water, and dietician approved menus, etc.

A camp with values in a Christian environment. Situated on the shores of the beautiful Ouareau River in SaintDonat, Lanaudière, Camp Mère Clarac is 115 acres large with great facilities.

k8h-PetraCliff_1114.indd 1 10/30/14 12:00 PM Kids VT K ids VT .com February 2015 31

Should you need further information, please call Sister Marie-Julie 617-469-5246 in West Roxbury, MA 4t-CampMere0514.indd

2015 CaMP guide

adventure camps

Attention adrenaline junkies and outdoor enthusiasts! These camps build skills in rock climbing, skateboarding, hiking, canoeing and more.

champlain discoVery

Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 13-16 •

June 22-July 25 • Vergennes • 4752022 • lcmm.org

Green mounTain FreesTyle cenTer

Day • coed • ages 6-18 • Call for dates • Williston • 652-2454 • green mountainfreestyle.com

Green mounTain rocK climbinG cenTer

Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 7-18 • July 6-August 14 • Quechee/Rutland • 773-3343 • vermontadventuretours. com/summer-camps.html

Farm & Wilderness

Sleepaway • girls/boys/coed • ages 9-17 • July 1-August 16 • Plymouth/ Mt. Holly • 422-3761 • farmandwilderness.org

KeeWaydin TemaGami

Sleepaway • coed • ages 10-18 • June 20-August 11 • various locations • 352-4709 • keewaydin.org

laKe champlain mariTime museum laKe adVenTure camps

Day • coed • ages 4-16 • June 22August 14 • Burlington/Vergennes • 475-2022 • lcmm.org

niGhT eaGle Wilderness adVenTure

Sleepaway • boys • ages 9-14 • June 28-August 8 • Cuttingsville • 4466100 • nighteaglewilderness.com

norThern liGhTs rocK and ice

Day • coed • ages 6-15 • June 22August 21 • Essex Junction • 3163300 • northernlightsvt.com

peTra cliFFs

Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 6-16 • June 15-August 21 • Burlington • 657-3872 • petracliffs.com

raised Jay Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 6-15 • July 6-August 14 • Jay • 327-2596 • jaypeakresort.com

smuGGs camp

Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 5-15 • June 15-July 31 • Smugglers’ Notch • 332-6841 • smuggs.com/pages/ summer/kids/specialtycamps.php

TalenT sKaTeparK

Day • coed • ages 5-13 • June 15August 21 • Williston •864-2069 • talentskatepark.com/lessons-camp/ summer-camp

VermonT adVenTure camps

Sleepaway • coed • ages 13-17 • June 14-August 15 • Thetford Center • 591-0328 • vermontadventurecamps. com

CaMP direCtory, P. 35 »

registered to exhibit at the Kids VT camp & school Fair

academic camps

Looking to avoid the summer slide? These programs offer instructional support in subjects including math, reading, social skills and foreign languages.

FuTure einsTeins

Day • coed • ages 6-12 • June

9-August 21 • Colchester • 288-9035 • futureeinsteinsvt.weebly.com

inTernaTional children’s school

Day • coed • ages 3-6 • July 6-24

• South Burlington • 865-3344 • internationalchildrensschool.com

Kumon maTh & reading oF The upper Valley

Day • coed • ages 3-18 • June

1-August 30 • Norwich • 649-1416 • kumonoftheuppervalley.com

middlebury monTerey language academy

Sleepaway • coed • ages 13-18 • June 21-July 16 • Colchester (French, Chinese) / Poultney (Arabic, German, Spanish) • 888-216-0135 • mmla. middlebury.edu

sTern cenTer For language and learning camp compass

Day • coed • call for ages and dates • Williston • 878-2332 • sterncenter.org

sylVan learning cenTer

Day • coed • call for ages and dates • South Burlington • 864-5600 • sylvanlearning.com

TalenT deVelopmenT

insTiTuTe

Day/sleepaway • coed • ages 9-14 • June 21-27 • Johnson • 658-9941 • tdivermont.org

Y VACATION CAMPS

registered to exhibit at the Kids VT camp & school Fair

FEB CALENDAR

Ant’s Eye View

What if we could zoom in and see an ant colony from the perspective of the ants? What connections could we draw between them and us? ‘FARMERS, WARRIORS, BUILDERS: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF ANTS’ explores these ideas with 39 close-up photographs by renowned entomologist and photographer Mark Moffett. Visitors will learn how ants obtain and distribute resources, allocate labor and energy, maintain civil unity, and defend against outsiders. An aluminum cast of a harvester ant nest, a bronze model of a leaf-cutter ant 50 times its actual size and a live ant colony enhance the experience.

‘FARMERS, WARRIORS, BUILDERS: THE HIDDEN LIFE OF ANTS’: Saturday, January 24, through Sunday, April 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich. All ages. Regular museum admission, $11-14; free for members and children under 2. Info, 649-2200. montshire.org

See “First With Kids” videos at uvmhealth.org

Highlights

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7

DANCE SHOWCASE

A bevy of graceful groups — including Spielpalast Cabaret, Jeh Kulu Jr. and Bryce Dance Company — strut their stuff in a benefit performance. Black Box, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20-23; proceeds benefit Puppets in Education. Info, 860-3349.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: I LOVE YOU, CUPCAKE!

A petite confection, with a pretty pink heart baked right in, makes a sweet Valentine’s Day gift. All ages. Healthy Living Market and Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $20 per parentchild pair; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

SAT., FEBRUARY 14- SUN., FEBRUARY 22

SLEIGH RIDE WEEK

Winter lovers are pulled by horses through frozen farm fields and try out a jack jumper sled, a single ski with a seat mounted on top. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21

PLAYDATE! FARM & FOOD FUN

Little explorers meet up with friends for theme-based, indoor activities at a leisurely pace and an encounter with a live owl. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch or snack. Ages 2-5. Shelburne Farms, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $3-5 per child with accompanying adult; walk-ins welcome. Info, 985-8686.

1 SUNDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Postnatal yoga: Moms bring their pre-crawling kids to an all-levels flowing yoga class focused on bringing the body back to strength and alignment in a fun, nurturing environment. Evolution Yoga, Burlington, first Sunday of every month, 12:15-1:30 p.m. $14. Info, 864-9642.

Burlington Prenatal yoga: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina, comfort and a stronger connection to their baby in this all-levels class. Evolution Yoga, Burlington, 10:05-11:30 a.m. $14. Info, 864-9642.

community

shelburne Farms sleigh Rides: Weather permitting, jingling horses trot visitors over the snow on a wintry tour of rolling acres. Rides leave every 20 minutes; seats are first come, first served. Shelburne Farms, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $810; free for children under 3. Info, 985-8686.

Waterbury Winterfest: Ice sculpting, a Christmas tree bonfire, a 5K fun run and an outdoor carnival are part of this community event. Downtown Waterbury, Feb. 8. Free. Info, 244-7174.

Games

Family Fun sunday: 12-and-under gamers cap off the weekend with a kids meal and two tokens. Tilt Classic Arcade & Ale House, South Burlington, 3-7 p.m. $7 per child. Info, 489-5350.

Health & Fitness

childLight yoga for kids: Young yogis come together to explore the beauty of new beginnings. Ages 4-8. Parents and caregivers welcome. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-1:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

essex sunday open Gym: Little gymnasts stretch, bounce and jump in an open play space. The under 7 crowd is welcome from 1-2:30 while the 7-12-year-olds come from 2:30-4 followed by ages 13 and up from 4-5:30. Regal Gymnastics Academy, Essex, 1-5:30 p.m. $8. Info, 655-3300.

2 MONDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See February 1.

5:45-7:15 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal yoga: Pregnant women breathe, stretch and strengthen in preparation for birth. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 5-6 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

La Leche League: Moms and moms-to-be drop in for help with specific nursing questions and to connect with others. Babies and older

children welcome. Vermont Department of Health, St. Johnsbury, first Monday of every month, 10:30 a.m. Free,. Info, 274-1023.

montpelier Prenatal yoga: Pregnant mamas focus on movements that will ready their bodies for the next phase of life. Yoga Mountain Center, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. $15. Info, 778-0300.

vergennes Prenatal yoga: Moms-to-be learn different breathing techniques and positions in preparation for birth. 2 Wolves Holistic Center, Vergennes, 6-7:15 p.m. $14. Info, 870-0361.

community

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Games

milton Lego club: Builders fashion architecturally sound constructions. Ages 7-12. Milton Public Library, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: Energy-filled kids flip, jump and tumble in a state-of-the-art facility. Ages 6 and under. Regal Gymnastics Academy, Essex, 11 a.m.-noon. $8. Info, 655-3300.

itty Bitty Public skating: Tiny feet learn the art of sliding on ice through fun and games.

Ages 5 and under. Leddy Park, Burlington, 1011:30 a.m. $8 per family; $1 skate rentals. Info, 865-7558.

Little yogis: Music, games and playful poses encourage the bitty set to learn and have fun. Ages 18 months-3 years with a caregiver. 2 Wolves Holistic Center, Vergennes, 9-10 a.m. $14. Info, 870-0361.

shelburne open Gym: Tumbling tots burn energy on trampolines, balance beams, rings and more. Gymstar Gymnastics, Shelburne, 10 a.m. 12 & 5:30 p.m. $3-6. Info, 985-8948.

tots yoga: Preschool posers develop their practice away from caregivers with tunes, storytelling and creative movement. Ages 3-5. 2 Wolves Holistic Center, Vergennes, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $14. Info, 870-0361.

Williston open Gym: Petite gymnasts bounce, bend and balance. Ages 9 months-6 years, accompanied by an adult. Green Mountain Gymnastics, Williston, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 per child; $15 per family. Info, 652-2454.

Library & Books

Babies & toddlers Rock: Little musicians ages 24 months and under sing songs and engage in early literacy activities. Rutland Free Library, first Monday of every month, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860.

count me in!: Preschoolers and their parents learn hands-on activities to incorporate into their daily lives that will foster a love of math.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

Read to van Gogh the cat: Feline fanciers sign up for 10-minute sessions with a furry friend. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3:30 p.m. Free; preregister for reading slot. Info, 878-4918.

Write Now!: Best-selling authors-to-be get inspired to start penning a book or poem. Grades 6-12. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660. young adult advisory Board: Teens help make the library a destination for their peers. Ages 12-18. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

music

music for Preschoolers: Lively tunes with Peter Alsen or Derek Burkins strike the right note among the wee crowd. Ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11 a.m. Free; limited to one session per week per family. Info, 878-4918.

Nature & science

Books & Beyond: science for Preschoolers: Children’s literature and hands-on activities combine for fun science learning and exploration. Ages 3-5 with a parent or caregiver. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 10:15 & 11:30 a.m. Regular museum admission, $1114; free for children under 2. Info, 649-2200.

3 TUESDAY

arts & crafts

creative tuesdays: Artists engage their imaginations with recycled materials. All ages, but kids under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See February 1. 4:15-5:30 p.m. and 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: New moms get a workout with their babies in tow. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 646-206-0514.

shelburne Prenatal yoga: Yoga postures, breathing exercises and relaxation techniques nurture bodies and create a loving connection between moms-to-be and their babies. Women at all stages of pregnancy are welcome. Yoga Roots, Shelburne, 5:45-7:15 p.m. $15. Info, 985-0090.

Games

chess club: Checkmate! Kids of all ability levels scheme winning strategies. All ages. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Classes

List your class or camp here for only $20 per month! submit the listing by Febuary 16 at kidsvt.com or to classes@kidsvt.com.

ymca annual youth triathlon: A great event for beginner and experienced athletes on Sunday, March 8.  Orientation begins at 1 p.m. and first wave of swimmers starts 1:30 p.m. Flotation allowed for swimming. Ages 6 & 7, 100 yard swim, 10 min. bike, 0.5 mile run. Ages 8-10, 200 yard swim, 15 min. bike, 1 mile run.  Ages 11+, 300 yard swim, 20 min. bike, 1.5 mile run. $25 for the first child and $15 for each additional child. First 30 children registered receive a T-shirt. Race day certificates & snacks provided to all.  Info: Jess Lukas, jlukas@gbymca.org, 652-8143.

infant yoga & massage and Baby yoga at evolution: Come bond with your baby while learning tools to help with temperament and digestion. Wednesdays: 9:45-10:30 a.m., Infant Yoga and Massage (6 wks.-6 mos.); 10:45-11:30 a.m., Baby Yoga (6 mos.-crawling). Next session begins in March, $78 for 6 weeks or $130 for 10 weeks. Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: evolutionvt.com, 864-9642.

kids and teen yoga ages 5+ at evolution:  Yoga builds confidence, strength, and creativity in children of all ages. Wednesdays:  3:45-4:30 p.m., After School Special (ages 5+); 4:45-5:30 p.m., Teen Yoga (ages 12+); Sundays, 2:30-3:30 p.m., YoGirls (ages 7-11). Next session begins in March. $78 for 6 weeks. Location: Evolution Yoga, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: evolutionvt. com, 864-9642.

kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Kids Program is designed to promote self-esteem, discipline, bully-proofing, cooperation with peers and overall health and well-being. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu promotes mental toughness and perseverance and builds and instills courage and self-confidence. Your son or daughter will interact with other kids and have a chance to make new friends! Ages 4-7: Weekly on Wednesdays, 4:15 p.m. & Saturdays, 8:15 a.m.; Ages 8-14: Weekly on Wednesdays, 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. First class is free! Vermont Brazilian JiuJitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. Info: julio@ bjjusa.com, 660-4072, vermontbjj.com.

Camp It Up

Warm, sunny days may seem far away, but it’s not too early to start thinking about summer camp.

THE Kids VT cAmP & scHooL FAiR is a great place to start. representatives from dozens of schools and camps will provide detailed information about their programs — from rock climbing to theater, sailing to gymnastics. also happening on the same day are the Penguin Plunge at burlington Waterfront Park; Family expo and Winterfest at ecHo lake aquarium and Science center; and Winter Weekend on the church Street Marketplace. ccta will provide a free shuttle between church Street and ecHo so no one’s left out in the cold.

Kids VT cAmP & scHooL FAiR: Saturday, February 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Hilton Burlington. All ages. Free. Info, 985-5482. kidsvt.com

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2, noon & 2 p.m.

Williston open Gym: See February 2.

Holidays

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Library & Books

Fairfax Game Night: Moms, dads and kids bring their own boards — or borrow from the library's collection — for some tabletop fun.

Ages 5 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Gaming For Teens & Adults: Players of all skill levels engage in Magic: The Gathering and other amusements. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult or have parental permission to attend. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. Read to a dog: Pet-loving kiddos share books with registered therapy pooches. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

Winter Warm-up: Virtual fitness adventures help athletes stay in shape for the slopes and spring sports. Ages 5-10. South Burlington Community Library, 4-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

movies

Youth media Lab: Aspiring Spielbergs film, edit and produce videos while exploring other areas of digital media. Grades 4 and up. Follows the school calendar. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

music

children's sing-Along With Lesley Grant: Parents sip coffee while wee ones break into song with a local musician and educator. Preschool-age kids and younger. The Bees Knees, Morrisville, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 888-7889.

colchester Preschool music: Youngsters have fun with songs. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

music With mr. chris: Singer and storyteller Chris Dorman leads kids in music and dance. All ages. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

4 WEDNESDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m. montpelier Postnatal Yoga: Brand-new mamas and their littles relax, stretch and bond. For moms with babies 1 and under. Emerge Yoga, Montpelier, 10-11 a.m. $12. Info, 778-0300.

community

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Education

one-on-one Tutoring: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences students school elementary-age kids in reading, math and science. Ages 6-12. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4-7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2, noon. Williston open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Build a Lego Winter Village: Builders in first through fourth grade create a wonderland of blocks on their early release day. Waterbury Public Library, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036. celebration of the New Year for Trees: This early learning enrichment program introduces young learners to the Jewish holiday of Tu B'shvat, as they discuss the importance of trees in our lives and how we can give back to the environment. Recommended for ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

dorothy canfield Fisher Book discussion: Avid readers ages 8-11 engage in a spirited conversation about Frogged by Vivian Vande Velde. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Read to a dog: Book lovers choose stories to share with a furry friend. Ages 5-10. Fairfax Community Library, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Free; preregister for 15-minute time slot. Info, 849-2420.

spanish musical Kids: Niños celebrate Latin American culture through songs and games en español. All ages. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 388-4095. Youth creative Writing Workshop: Young scribes explore new worlds and create characters through writing prompts, games and other exercises. Ages 9 and up. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

music

Rockin' Ron the Friendly Pirate: Small scallywags "ooh" and "aargh!" during swashbuckling songs, movements and guessing games. Ages 7 and under, accompanied by an adult. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

Nature & science

EcHo story Explorers: shadows: Preschoolers learn what makes a shadow then experiment with light. All ages. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Regular museum admission; $10.50-13.50; free for members and children under 2. Info, 877-324-6386.

5 THURSDAY

Arts & crafts

Webby's Art studio: snappy Portraits: Using Polaroid cameras, kiddos play with concepts of portraiture and self-portraits, inspired by the museum's “Kodachrome Memory” exhibition. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular winter museum admission, $5-8; free for members and children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Baby & maternity

Postnatal core class: New moms tone and shape their postpartum bodies. Babies welcome. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

community

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. itty Bitty Public skating: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2, noon & 2 p.m.

Yoga with danielle: Curious toddlers and preschoolers learn movement techniques through social interaction, repetition and play. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1800.

Library & Books

colchester Lego club: Mini-makers participate in surprise challenges with colorful interlocking blocks. Ages 6-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Food for Thought Teen Group: Young adults chow down on pizza as they discuss the library's special events and book and DVD selection. Grades 7-12. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

submit your march events for print by February 16 at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com.

3 TuEsdAY (continued)

Hinesburg Lego Club: Interlocking blocks, board games, snacks and books entertain kids ages 6 and up. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

Read to Zyla the Dog!: Budding bookworms share their favorite stories with a library therapy dog. Ages 4-10. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister for a 15-minute time slot. Info, 879-0313.

Spanish Musical Kids: Niños celebrate Latin American culture through songs and games en español. Bring food to share and stay for a Latin potluck lunch after class. Ages 1-5 with a caregiver. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 917-1776.

Winterfest Words: Community members ages 8 and up create seasonal acrostic poems then use a variety of art materials to illustrate them. Waterbury Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See February 2, 10:30 a.m.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': In a fictional Jewish village in Russia, Tevye struggles to instill old-world traditions in his five daughters. Woodstock Town Hall Theatre, 7:30 p.m. $1522. Info, 457-3981.

6 FRIDAY

Community

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Food

Foodie Fridays: Gordon Ramsays in training expand their palates with delicious after school snacks. Grades 4-12. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4095.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon, 2 & 6 p.m.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Early Bird Math: Young children and their caregivers put two and two together using interactive books, songs and games to explore arithmetic concepts. Ages 3-6. Richmond Free Library, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.

Music

Kids Music With Linda 'Tickle Belly' Bassick: Toe-tapping tunes captivate kiddies. Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 660-9346.

Music With Derek: An immature audience shakes out its sillies with song-filled activities. All ages. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

Music With Robert: Families sing along with a local legend. All ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5.

7 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Kids Building Workshop: Handy helpers learn do-ityourself skills and tool safety as they construct seasonal projects. Ages 5-12. Home Depot, Williston, first Saturday of every month, 9 a.m.-noon. Free; preregister at workshops.homedepot.com. Info, 872-0039.

Kids Craft: Valentine's Bucket: A container for candy, notes or gifts makes for a heartfelt craft. Ages 5 and up. Creative Habitat, South Burlington, 1-3 p.m. $5. Info, 862-0646.

Webby's Art Studio: Snappy Portraits: See February 5.

Community

Penguin Plunge: Stouthearted swimmers in creative costumes dunk themselves in Lake Champlain to raise funds for Special Olympics Vermont. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.; plunge at 11 a.m. Waterfront Park, Burlington. Free to watch. Info, 863-5222.

Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1.

Waffle Breakfast & Silent Auction: A hearty breakfast of wa es with Vermont maple syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, bacon, bagels and more fills up hungry bellies. A silent auction with lots of local, handmade items adds to the fun. Hinesburg Community School, 8-11 a.m.

$4-6; free for children under 2; proceeds benefit Hinesburg Nursery School. Info, 557-1620.

Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Dance

Dance Showcase: A bevy of graceful groups — including Spielpalast Cabaret, Jeh Kulu Jr. and Bryce Dance Company — strut their stu in a benefit performance. Black Box, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, Burlington, 7 p.m. $20-23; proceeds benefit Puppets in Education. Info, 860-3349.

Education

Dr. Christine Murray and Dr. Peter Casson are pleased to announce the opening of Northeastern Reproductive Medicine.

FAMILY FUN FOR ALL AGES

Services offered:

■ Infertility evaluations

■ Assisted reproductive techniques including IUI/IVF/ICSI

■ Preimplantation genetic testing in new, state of the art onsite laboratory

Family Fun For All Ages

■ Fertility preservation

■ Care for endocrine issues like PCOS, irregular cycles, and pediatric gynecology

■ Full range of gynecologic ultrasound services

(802) 655-8888 / www.nrmvt.com

Evergreen Preschool Open House: Prospective parents of little ones ages 3-5 view the learning space and hear about the 30-yearold school's philosophy. Evergreen Preschool, Vergennes, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 877-6702.

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Fairs & Festivals

Family Expo: Arts and crafts and activities lead to all-ages fun. Free movie passes for the first 200 kids that visit. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $4. Info, 864-0123.

‘Kids VT’ Camp & School Fair: Parents and campers-to-be get personal attention and detailed information as representatives from dozens of camps and schools from Vermont and beyond present their programs. All ages. Hilton Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 985-5482.

Food

Rutland Winter Farmers Market: More than 50 vendors sell local produce, cheese, homemade bread and other made-in-Vermont products. All ages. Vermont Farmers Food Center, Rutland, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 753-7269.

Family Fun For All Ages

• Shadowtales performed by Rick Adam — discover the timeless magic of hand shadows through familiar stories, tales, and fables set to original music. Saturday, 11am & 2pm

• Grandma Greenbean with Carol Ann Margolis — Share the magic in growing your own beanstalk, just like the one in Jack & the Beanstalk. Saturday, 12:30–1:30pm

• No Strings Marionettes — will be performing Bully! For the Three Big Pigs. Sunday, 11am & 2pm

• Vermont Garden Railway Society — a landscaped display complete with moving trains!

For more information call 888-518-6484 or visit www.greenworksvermont.org

tickets in advance at Gardener’s Supply Company stores, all Price Chopper Stores or www.greenworksvermont.org

On going hands-on activities and craft projects beginning at 10:30 am each day.

Playgroups

MONDAY

Barre Open Gym: Sunrise Gymnastics, 10 a.m.-noon, $10 per child; $5 for additional siblings. Info, 223-0517.

Burlington Crawlers, Waddlers & Toddlers: St. Joseph School, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 862-2121.

Burlington Playgroup: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 578-6471.

Chace Mill Walkers Playgroup: Burlington, 9-10:30 a.m. $3 suggested donation. Info, 829-0211.

Charlotte Playgroup: Charlotte Central School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 764-5820.

Fusion 802 Playgroup: Fusion 802, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Jericho Playgroup: Jericho Community Center, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Richford Playgroup: Richford Elementary, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 370-4797.

Swanton Playgroup: Swanton Elementary School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Williston Playgroup: Alice in Noodleland: Buttered Noodles, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

TUESDAY

Bradford Playgroup: Grace United Methodist Church, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

Brookfield Playgroup: First Congregational Church of Brookfield, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

Burlington Dad’s Night: VNA Family Room, 3-7 p.m. Free. Info, 860-4420.

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures

Playgroup: Maple Street Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Johnson Baby Chat: Church of the Nazarene, fourth Tuesday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3470.

Kids enjoy fun and games during these informal get-togethers, and caregivers connect with other local parents and peers. The groups are usually free and often include snacks, arts and crafts, or music. Contact the playgroup organizer or visit kidsvt.com for site-specific details. Most playgroups follow the school calendar.

WEDNESDAY

Barre Open Gym: See Monday.

Burlington Playgroup: See Monday.

Chace Mill New Mothers/Infants Playgroup: Burlington, 1:30-3 p.m. $3 suggested donations. Info, 829-0211.

Essex Building Bright Futures Baby Playgroup: Move You Fitness Studio, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Fairfield Playgroup: Bent Northrop Memorial Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 827-3945.

Hinesburg Playgroup: Hinesburg Town Hall, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 482-4667.

Montpelier Little Sprouts: Montpelier Recreation Department, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 225-8699.

Richmond Playgroup: Richmond Free Library, 8:45-10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Shelburne Playgroup: Trinity Episcopal Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 764-5820.

South Royalton Playgroup: United Church on the Green, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 6852264, ext. 24.

St. Albans Building Better Families Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, St. Albans, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Williston Babytime Playgroup: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, first Wednesday of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Williston Evening Playgroup: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, first Wednesday of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

THURSDAY

Alburgh Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, Alburgh, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Brandon Stories & Crafts: Brandon Free Public Library, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 247-8230.

Burlington EvoMamas Playgroup: Evolution Yoga, 10:20-11:50 a.m. Free. Info, 864-9642.

Burlington Playgroup: See Monday.

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Playgroup: See Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m.

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Spanish Playgroup: Maple Street Recreation Center, first Thursday of every month, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Hinesburg Infant Playgroup: Carpenter-Carse Library, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 482-4667.

Montgomery Playgroup: Montgomery Town Library, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Morrisville Baby Chat: First Congregational Church of Morrisville, first Thursday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3470.

Randolph Playgroup: White River Craft Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

West Fairlee Playgroup: Westshire Elementary Playgroup, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

FRIDAY

Barre Open Gym: See Monday, 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m.

Huntington Playgroup: Huntington Public Library, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Marshfield Open Gym: Jaquith Public Library, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Montgomery Tumble Time: Montgomery Elementary School, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 347-1780.

Randolph Toddler Time: Kimball Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073.

Swanton Playgroup: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3033.

Underhill Playgroup: Underhill Central School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415. Williston Playgroup: Allen Brook School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555. Worcester Playgroup: Doty Memorial School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 223-1312.

SATURDAY

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Preschool Open Gym: Maple Street Recreation Center, every other Saturday, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-1613.

SUNDAY

Barre Older Kid Open Gym: Sunrise Gymnastics, 5-7 p.m. $10 for one child; $5 for additional siblings. Info, 223-0517.

7 SATURDAY (CONTINUED)

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: Youngsters master basic yoga poses through games, songs and dance. Mindfulness activities help them improve their focus and concentration. Ages 3-9. Evolution Yoga, Burlington, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15. Info, 864-9642.

Parents Night Out: Adults looking for some alone time drop o their young yogis for dancing, game playing, pizza eating and relaxation activities with di erent themes each month. Ages 4-11. Evolution Physical Therapy and Yoga, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $25 for one child; $15 for siblings; preregister. Info, 864-9643.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2. 9 & 10:10 a.m.

Snow Days: Vermonters of all ages try out cross-country skiing and snowshoeing gratis as part of a Blue Cross Blue Shield initiative to encourage physical activity during the winter months. Located at the resort's Nordic Center. Bolton Valley Resort, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 434-6804.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2. Winter Trails Day: The Green Mountain Club hosts a day of winter hikes, indoor and outdoor kids' activities, live music and more. All ages. Green Mountain Club, Waterbury, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $8-10; free for children under 13. Info, 241-8320.

Yoga Tots: Young yogis stretch it out in exercises meant to build self-esteem and positive attitudes toward physical activity. Ages 2-8. Highgate Town O ce Building, 9 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Library & Books

'Fancy Nancy' Tea Party: Games, crafts and lovely warm drinks await elegantly-dressed little ladies. Ages 4-7. Milton Public Library, 1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Fun at the Library: Enriching activities include dodging ice boulders, learning about yaks, making nature journals and painting with marshmallows. Ages 3-10. South Burlington Community Library, 9:15-11 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539.

Katherine Paterson: 'Stories of My Life': Newberry Medal and National Book Award winner Paterson — author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins — discusses her recently published memoir. Ages 7-adult. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 11 a.m. $2 tickets can be purchased at Burlington or Essex Phoenix Books. Info, 448-3350.

Mardi Gras Story Time Fun: Children ages 2-8 enjoy a fun-filled story time with songs, puppets and crafts. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Therapy Dogs of Vermont: Canine enthusiasts visit with a friendly pooch from Therapy Dogs of Vermont. Ages 3 and up. Milton Public Library, first Saturday of every month, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Toddler Yoga and Stories: Stretchy small fries perform simple poses and listen to a read-aloud. Ages 1-5. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

Movies

Father & Kid Movie Day: Little ones ages 2 and up and their dads nosh on popcorn while watching a modern animated classic featuring Woody and Buzz. Aldrich Public Library, Barre, 2-3:30 & 4-5:30 p.m. Free; RSVP. Info, 505-1436.

Nature & Science

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

Family Night: Owls: Who's that hooting?

Moms, dads and kids venture out into the winter woods, stopping for stories, calling out to the night birds and warming up by a campfire. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 7-8:30 p.m. $10-12 per adult-child pair; $4-5 for each additional child; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

Forester for a Day: Kids don hard hats as they observe a woodsman fell a tree, then take to the woodshop for hands-on fun. Ages 5 and up. Shelburne Farms, 10 a.m.-noon. $10-12 per adult-child pair; $5-6 per each additional child; preregister. Info, 985-8686.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5. Saturday Drama Club: Thespians help Very Merry Theatre produce a show in just three hours. Ages 5-12. 333 Stage Performing Arts Studio, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $15 or pay what you can. Info, 863-6607.

8 SUNDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1.

Community

Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1. Waterbury Winterfest: See February 1.

Games

Family Fun Sunday: See February 1.

Health & Fitness

Essex Sunday Open Gym: See February 1.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5. 5 p.m.

9 MONDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

Montpelier Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

Vergennes Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

Games

After-School Games: Gamers bring their own Magic, Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, or borrow a deck from the library. Snacks provided.

Grades 3 and up. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2.

Itty Bitty Public Skating: See February 2.

Little Yogis: See February 2.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2.

Tots Yoga: See February 2.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See February 2.

Musical Story Time with Lesley Grant: Tuneful kids sing along with a local musician and educator. Ages 18 months to 4 years. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

10 TUESDAY

Arts & Crafts

Creative Tuesdays: See February 3.

Teen Art Studio: A changing lineup of artists inspire young adults to create in di erent mediums. Ages 11-18. Helen Day Art Center, Stowe, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 253-8358.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington La Leche League: New moms bring their questions to a breast-feeding support group. Babies and older children welcome. Lending library available. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, second Tuesday of every month, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 985-8228.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1, 4:15-5:30 p.m. & 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See February 3.

Shelburne Prenatal Yoga: See February 3.

Education

Homeschool Science Program: Circuitry is the topic of study in this workshop that gives kids a chance to experiment with squishy circuits and littleBits electronic kits. Ages 7 and up. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 1-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

Games

Chess Club: See February 3.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon & 2 p.m.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & Adults: See February 3. Read to a Dog: See February 3.

Winter Warm-Up: See February 3.

Movies

Youth Media Lab: See February 3.

Music

Children's Sing-Along With Lesley Grant: See February 3.

Colchester Preschool Music: See February 3.

Music With Mr. Chris: See February 3.

Nature & Science

ECHO Story Explorers: Owling: Budding scientists learn what adaptations make this nocturnal bird an excellent hunter. All ages. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Regular museum admission; $10.50-13.50; free for members and children under 2. Info, 877-324-6386.

11 WEDNESDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See February 4.

Education

History for Homeschoolers: An examination of the way Vermonters have celebrated birthdays, Valentine's Day and President's Day through the years is the topic of this session for young learners, ages 6-12. Vermont History Center, Barre, 1-3 p.m. $4-5; free for parents and nonparticipating children; preregister. Info, 828-1314.

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4.

Games

Family Game Night: Players sit down for friendly competitions of Candy Land, checkers and Monopoly. Bring your own board or borrow from the library. Georgia Public Library, Fairfax, second Wednesday of every month, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-4643.

Night Rider Series: Teenage skiers and riders compete for prizes under the lights of the resort's terrain parks. Bolton Valley Resort, 5:30-8 p.m. Lift ticket required plus $15; preregister at Guest Services from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Info, 434-6804.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon. Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Fairfax Lego Club: Mini-makers participate in surprise challenges with colorful interlocking blocks. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Pajama Story Time: Flannel-clad kiddos bring their favorite stu ed animals for Valentine's Day tales, crafts and a bedtime snack. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Youth Creative Writing Workshop: See February 4.

Music

Community Sing-Along: Songbirds raise their voices with the instrumental accompaniment of Rich and Laura Atkinson. All ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:45 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Moving & Grooving With Christine: Tots let loose to the rhythms of rock-and-roll and world music. Recommended for ages 2-5, but all are welcome. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Rockin' Ron the Friendly Pirate: See February 4.

12 THURSDAY

Arts & Crafts

Webby's Art Studio: I Heart Art: Little sweethearts make a special gift for the ones they love using photos. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular winter museum admission, $5-8; free for members and childrenn under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Baby & Maternity

Postnatal Core Class: See February 5.

Ongoing Exhibits

ECHO LAKE AQUARIUM AND SCIENCE CENTER

Info, 864-1848

Playing Together: Games: Families reconnect while playing a multitude of games that span generations and cultures, from nine men's morris to mancala. Through May 10.

MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

Info, 649-2200

Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants: This Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit explores how the little insects obtain and distribute resources, maintain civil unity, and defend against outsiders. Through April 5. (See spotlight on page 36.)

'The Light Around Us': What are the properties of light? This visiting exhibition explores both the physics of light and how we see it, giving visitors the chance to experiment with colors, shadows and prisms. Through May 10.

STRATTON MOUNTAIN

Info, 297-4114

Vermont Ice Castles: Frozen archways, tunnels, canyons, ice slides and glacial waterfalls create a Narnia-like display for families to explore. Through March 7 (weather permitting).

Community

Father & Daughter

Valentine Dance: Girls and their dads, male relatives or special friends enjoy a night out filled with dancing, refreshments and fun. Capitol Plaza, Montpelier, 6:30-8:30 p.m. $15 per family in advance; $20 at the door. Info, 225-8699.

Education

History for Homeschoolers: See February 11.

Food

Kids in the Kitchen: I Love You, Cupcake!: A petite confection, with a pretty pink heart baked right in, makes a sweet Valentine's Day gift. All ages. Healthy Living Market and Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $20 per parent-child pair; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Games

St. Albans Legos: Block lovers keep busy with the library's giant collection. All ages. St. Albans Free Library, second Thursday of every month, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Itty Bitty Public Skating: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2. noon & 2 p.m.

Yoga with Danielle: See February 5.

Library & Books

Colchester Lego Club: See February 5. Hinesburg Lego Club: See February 5. Read to Zyla the Dog!: See February 5. Spanish Musical Kids: See February 5.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See February 2, 10:30 a.m.

Nature & Science

Tricky Tracks: Preschoolers and their parents learn about the comings and goings of furry friends as they explore the outdoors in search of fresh footprints. Ages 3 to 5. Audubon Vermont, Huntington, 9-10:30 a.m. $10-12 per adult-child pair; $4 -5 for each additional child; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

Parenting

Children & Sleep: Parents and caregivers learn how to help infants and toddlers develop healthy sleeping and bedtime habits in this educational workshop. Mary Johnson Children's Center, Middlebury, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 388-4304.

13 FRIDAY

Education

Homeschool Project Day: Out-of-classroom learners share their current projects with an audience of parents and siblings. Grades K through 12. Milton Public Library, second Friday of every month, 2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Fairs & Festivals

Milton Winter Festival: This community celebration includes snow sculptures, moonlight laser tag, a bonfire, sledding, sleigh rides, a chili cook-o and more. (See spotlight on page 44.) Various locations, Milton, Free. Info, 893-4922.

Food

Foodie Fridays: See February 6. Preschool Chefs: We Love Pizza: Parents drop o their preschoolers for an hour-long cooking session, where they'll prepare cheesy, heartshaped pies. Healthy Living Market and Café, South Burlington, 10-11 a.m. $20; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon, 2 & 6 p.m. Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Early Bird Math: See February 6.

Music

Kids Music With Linda 'Tickle Belly' Bassick: See February 6.

Music With Derek: See February 6. Music With Robert: See February 6.

Nature & Science

Montshire Unleashed: An Evening for Adults: The museum opens its doors after hours so grownups can let their inner curiosity run wild. Beer and wine available for purchase. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 6-9 p.m. $14 museum admission; free for members. Info, 649-2200.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5.

14 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Valentine’s Parents Night Out: Moms and dads enjoy a romantic night alone while artistic kiddos engage in fun, creative activities, nosh on pizza and watch a movie. ONE Arts Center, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. $30 for the first child; $10 for an additional child; preregister. Info, oneartscollective@gmail.com.

Webby's Art Studio: I Heart Art: See February 12.

Community

Mother & Son Valentine Bowling: Boys and their moms, female relatives or special friends celebrate Valentine's Day by knocking down pins. Twin City Family Fun Center, Barre, 121:30 p.m. $15 per person. Info, 225-8699. Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1. Sleigh Ride Week: Winter lovers are pulled by horses through frozen farm fields and try out a jack jumper sled, a single ski with a seat mounted on top. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Fairs & Festivals

Milton Winter Festival: See February 13.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

Rock On!

From 1973 to 1985, the original “Schoolhouse Rock!” television program breathed life into often-dry subjects such as grammar, math and history with its animated musical segments. The pop-culture phenomenon gets a makeover for a new generation in ‘SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE!’ The stage show focuses on Tom, a nervous teacher preparing for the first day of classes. When he turns on the TV to relax, different characters emerge, showing him imaginative, musical ways to win his students over. “Conjunction Junction” explains the purpose of phrases and clauses with a catchy beat while “Interplanet Janet,” brings the solar system down to Earth.

Calling Young Writers!

Have you read Charlotte’s Web? It’s a classic story of friendship. Can you remember a time when someone was kind to you?

Write about it by February 16 for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Crow Bookshop!

See page 51 for details.

‘SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK LIVE!’: Sunday, February 15, at 2 p.m. on the Flynn MainStage in Burlington. Recommended for ages 6 and up; supportive environment for audience members on the autism spectrum or with other sensitivity issues. $15-20. Info, 863-5966. flynntix.org

Hardy Party

Come out of hibernation for the Milton winter festival, a three-day event packed with snowy fun. It starts with a bang on Friday night: A party in Bombardier Park features laser tag, ice skating, a bonfire and fireworks. Cool happenings continue on Saturday with a community breakfast, a guided snowshoe excursion, organized sledding and two different evening dance parties. Sunday’s festivities include sleigh rides, sled-dog demos, ice skating, snow games and a chili cook-off that’s sure to heat things up.

MILTON WINTER FESTIVAL: Friday, February 13, through Sunday, February 15, at various times and locations in downtown Milton. Free. Info, 893-4922. miltonvt.org

Library & Books

Food

Burlington Winter Farmers Market: Farmers, artisans and producers o er fresh and prepared foods, crafts, and more in a bustling indoor marketplace with live music and lunch seating. All ages. Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 310-5172.

Norwich Winter Farmers Market: Farmers o er produce, meats and maple syrup, which complement baked goods and handcrafted items from local artists. All ages. Tracy Hall, Norwich, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 384-7447.

Rutland Winter Farmers Market: See February 7.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See February 7.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, 9 & 10:10 a.m.

Colchester Book Sale: A wide variety of gently used books and audiovisual material for kids and adults is priced to sell. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Meet Paddington Bear: The adorable creature from the classic Michael Bond stories holds court. Stories, activities, face painting and buttered noodles add to the furry fun. Buttered Noodles, Williston, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 764-1810.

Valentine Story Time: Love is celebrated with stories, snacks and crafts. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: Believers and skeptics alike become cryptozoologists as they explore the facts and legends surrounding our resident lake monster. All ages. ECHO Lake Aquarium

and Science Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 2. Info, 877-324-6386.

ECHO Story Explorers: Owling: See February 10.

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike: Hot chocolate fuels walkers for a sparkling stroll under lunar light. Snowshoes provided. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7-8:30 p.m. $5-10; preregistration recommended. Info, 229-6206.

The Great Backyard Bird Count Open House: Ornithologists-in-training visit the museum's feeding station, explore exhibits and learn more about the bird count, an annual four-day event. All ages. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular museum admission; $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167.

The Great Backyard Bird Count: BirdMonitoring Walk: Avian enthusiasts look for feathered wings in flight. All ages. Meet at the Audubon Center o ce. Green Mountain

Audubon Center, Huntington, 8-10 a.m. Donations accepted. Info, 434-3068.

Igloo Build: Bundled-up families learn to construct insulated, sturdy snow dwellings during this long-running Montshire tradition. All ages. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Regular museum admission, $11-14; free for members and children under 2. Info, 649-2200.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5. Saturday Drama Club: See February 7.

15 SUNDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1.

Community

Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1.

14 SATURDAY (CONTINUED)

Sleigh Ride Week: See February 14.

Fairs & Festivals

Milton Winter Festival: See February 13.

Games

Family Fun Sunday: See February 1.

Health & Fitness

ChildLight Yoga for Kids: See February 1.

Essex Sunday Open Gym: See February 1.

Snowshoe Story Walk: A trek through the woods is made more fun with a tale along the way. Snowshoes provided. Bombardier Park, Milton, 1 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Story Times

MONDAY

Barre Children’s Story Hour: Aldrich Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-7550.

Burlington Stories With Megan: Fletcher Free Library, February 2, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Colchester Preschool Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Essex Drop-In Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Milton Infant Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Northfield Children’s Story Time: Brown Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 485-4621.

St. Albans Story Hour: St. Albans Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

Stowe Story Time for 2- to 3-Year-Olds: Stowe Free Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145.

Waitsfield Story Time: Joslin Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 496-4205.

Waterbury Baby & Toddler Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

Woodstock Baby Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295.

TUESDAY

Alburgh Story Hour: Alburgh Community Education Center, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 796-6077.

Barre Children’s Story Hour: See Monday. Colchester Toddler Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Georgia Pajama Story Time: Georgia Public Library, third Tuesday of every month, 6:307:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-4643.

Highgate Story Time: Highgate Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3970.

Hinesburg Preschool Story Time: Carpenter-Carse Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Hinesburg Toddler Story Time: Carpenter-Carse Library, first Tuesday of every month, 9:30 a.m. and 9:30-10 a.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

Theater

'Fiddler on the Roof': See February 5, 5 p.m. 'Schoolhouse Rock Live!': The pop culture phenomenon returns in this family- and autism-friendly version of the Emmy-winning '70s Saturday morning series. (See spotlight on page 43.) Flynn MainStage, Burlington, 2 p.m. $15-20.

Early-literacy skills get special attention during these read-aloud sessions. Some locations provide additional activities such as music, crafts or foreign-language instruction. Contact the story-time organizer or visit kidsvt.com for details. Most story times follow the school calendar.

Middlebury Infant & Toddler Story Time: Ilsley Public Library, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

Milton Preschool Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Montpelier Story Time: Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Richmond Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.

South Burlington Tiny Tot Time: South Burlington Community Library, 9:15 & 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Williston Story Time: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, February 3, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Woodstock Preschool Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295.

WEDNESDAY

Colchester Pajama Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, February 18, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Essex Toddler Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Highgate Story Time: See Tuesday.

Johnson Story Time: Johnson Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 635-7141.

Marshfield Story Time & Playgroup: Jaquith Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Norwich Story Time: Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1184.

Quechee Story Time: Quechee Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 295-1232.

Randolph Morning Story Time: Kimball Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073.

South Burlington Baby Book Time: South Burlington Community Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539.

South Burlington Story Time: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

Swanton Story Hour: Swanton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 868-7656.

Warren Preschool Story & Enrichment

Hour: Warren Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 595-2582.

THURSDAY

Colchester Preschool Story Time: See Monday.

Essex Preschool Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Middlebury Preschool Story Time: Ilsley Public Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

Northfield Children’s Story Time: See Monday.

Rutland Story Time: Rutland Free Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860.

Shelburne Story Time: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.

St. Albans Story Hour: See Monday.

Vergennes Story Time: Bixby Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 877-2211.

Westford Story Time: Westford Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-5639.

Winooski Preschool Story Time: Winooski Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 655-6424.

FRIDAY

Brandon Preschool Story Time: Brandon Free Public Library, 1 p.m. Free. Info, 247-8230.

Burlington Stories with Megan: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, February 6, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Enosburg Story Hour: Enosburg Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 370-4797.

Essex Musical Story Time: Essex Free Library, third Friday of every month, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Fletcher Story Time: Fletcher Memorial Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 228-8921.

Georgia Preschool Story Time: Georgia Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 524-4643.

Huntington Story Time: Huntington Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 434-4583.

Lincoln Toddler/Preschool Story Time: Lincoln Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 453-2665.

Milton Toddler Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Montpelier Story Time: See Tuesday.

Rock, Roll & Read Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

South Burlington Pajamarama: Barnes & Noble, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

South Burlington Story Time Adventures: South Burlington Community Library, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539.

16 MONDAY

Arts & Crafts

Crafternoon: Local artists provide kids with an afternoon of creativity and fun. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

St. Johnsbury Story Time: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

Stowe Baby & Toddler Story Time: Stowe Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145.

Waterbury Preschool Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

SATURDAY

Barre Story Time: Next Chapter Bookstore, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-3114.

Burlington Story Time at Phoenix Books: 11 a.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.

Colchester Saturday Drop-In Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Fairfax Preschool Story Time: Fairfax Community Library, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Franklin Story Time: Haston Library, first Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.

Middlebury Saturday Story Time: Ilsley Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

South Burlington Story Time: See Wednesday.

St. Johnsbury Story Time: See Friday. First Saturday of every month.

Swanton Story Hour: See Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

Winooski Saturday Story Time: Winooski Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 655-6424.

SUNDAY

Williston Russian Story Time: Buttered Noodles, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 730-2673.

16 MONDAY, P.46

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

montpelier Prenatal Yoga: See February 2. Vergennes Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

community

Bolton Family Week: This winter celebration includes indoor inflatables and video games, camp fires, ice cream socials, kids' movies and balloon sculptures. Bolton Valley Resort, 2-7 p.m. $8 for general public; $6 for Bolton Valley lift ticket holders; $5 for season pass holders. Info, 434-6804.

sleigh Ride Week: See February 14, 10 a.m. -4 p.m.

Education

Babysitter Boot camp for military Youth: Prospective caregivers ages 11-17 gain the knowledge, confidence and skills for safely and responsibly supervising and interacting with babies and young children. Lunch provided. Courcelle Building, Rutland, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 656-0346.

Games

milton Lego club: See February 2.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2.

itty Bitty Public skating: See February 2.

Little Yogis: See February 2.

shelburne open Gym: See February 2.

Tots Yoga: See February 2.

Williston open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See February 2, 10-10:30 a.m.

Nature & science

champ Weeks: See February 14.

17 TUESDAY

Arts & crafts

creative Tuesdays: See February 3.

Baby & maternity

Breastfeeding cafe: Moms nurse their babies, chat and pose questions to a certified lactation consultant. Pregnant women, dads and siblings welcome. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 349-3825.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 4:15-5:30 p.m. and 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See February 3.

shelburne Prenatal Yoga: See February 3.

community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16. 2-8 p.m. sleigh Ride Week: See February 14. Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2. noon & 2 p.m.

Williston open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & Adults: See February 3. Read to a dog: See February 3.

Winter Warm-Up: See February 3. Young Writers Group: Budding authors write and illustrate original stories for submission to the PBS Kids Writers Contest. Grades K-3. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

movies

Youth media Lab: See February 3.

music

children's sing-Along With Lesley Grant: See February 3.

colchester Preschool music: See February 3. music With mr. chris: See February 3.

Nature & science

champ Weeks: See February 14.

EcHo story Explorers: champ: Kids with active imaginations hear a tale of the famous Lake Monster and conduct an investigation. All ages. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Regular museum admission; $10.50-13.50; free for members and children under 2. Info, 877-324-6386.

18 WEDNESDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See February 4.

community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16. King street center opening celebration: Community members celebrate the renovation and reopening of the not-for-profit organization for children and families. King Street Youth Center, Burlington, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 862-6736. sleigh Ride Week: See February 14.

Education

21st century Learning: Teaching children to Think, innovate and collaborate: Educator Sage Bagnato, founder of the new Vermont Day School, teaches parents specific strategies for incorporating learning skills at home. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

one-on-one Tutoring: See February 4.

Fairs & Festivals

Brave Bears: Wild Animal Tracking: Nature lovers learn tracking skills, then embark on a snowshoeing adventure in forests and fields. The mini-camp ends with a campfire. Ages 6-9. The Nature Museum at Grafton, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $2025; preregister. Info, 843-2111.

Games

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

Night Rider Series: See February 11.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Young Writers Group: See February 17. Youth Creative Writing Workshop: See February 4.

Movies

Marshfield Family-Themed Movies: A wholesome flick entertains viewers of all ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, third Wednesday of every month, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Music

Moving & Grooving With Christine: See February 11.

Rockin' Ron the Friendly Pirate: See February 4.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

19 THURSDAY

Arts & Crafts

Webby's Art Studio: Photo Collages: Young artists get inspired to create with old photographs. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular winter museum admission, $5-8; free for members and children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Baby & Maternity

Postnatal Core Class: See February 5.

Community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16.

Sleigh Ride Week: See February 14.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2.

Itty Bitty Public Skating: See February 2.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon & 2 p.m.

Yoga with Danielle: See February 5.

Library & Books

Colchester Lego Club: See February 5.

Hinesburg Lego Club: See February 5.

Read to a Dog: See February 4.

Read to Zyla the Dog!: See February 5.

Spanish Musical Kids: See February 5.

Young Writers Group: See February 17.

Movies

Middle School Books-to-Film

Discussion: Bookworms read a novel in advance, then watch the movie version over snacks. Call library for book title. Snack provided. Milton Public Library, 3:30 & 7 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See February 2, 10:30 a.m.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

20 FRIDAY

Community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16.

Sleigh Ride Week: See February 14.

Food

Foodie Fridays: See February 6.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon, 2 & 6 p.m.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Early Bird Math: See February 6.

Music

Kids Music With Linda 'Tickle Belly' Bassick: See February 6.

Music With Derek: See February 6.

Music With Robert: See February 6.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

21 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Webby's Art Studio: Photo Collages: See February 19.

Community

Pet Adoption Center Birthday Party: Pet lovers of all ages join adoptable animals for a fifth anniversary celebration featuring kids activities and refreshments. Central Vermont Humane Society, East Montpelier, 10 a.m.2 p.m. Free; bring an item for the Humane Society wish list to be entered to win a prize. Info, 476-3811.

Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1.

Sleigh Ride Week: See February 14.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Great Expectations

Preparing for a baby can be daunting. childbirth educator and doula eron cardinal created VERmoNT’s oRiGiNAL PREGNANcY & BABY ExPo to make it a little easier. The expo helps parents-to-be learn about resources related to pregnancy, labor and child rearing. exhibitors at the fourth-annual event include lactation consultants, midwives, belly painters, childcare services, photo studios and even a specialist in placenta encapsulation. demos in prenatal yoga, baby wearing and car-seat installation help ensure that mom and dad feel calm and prepared when their bundle of joy arrives.

VERmoNT’s oRiGiNAL PREGNANcY & BABY ExPo: Saturday, February 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in Burlington. $5 for adults; free for children. Info, 363-9597. vtspregnancybabyexpo.com

Food

Kids in the Kitchen: chicken Enchiladas: Fans of Mexican food whip up a zippy, savory sauce, then drizzle it on a chicken-filled tortilla rollup. All ages. Healthy Living Market and Café, South Burlington, 10-11 a.m. $20 per parentchild pair; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Rutland Winter Farmers market: See February 7.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids saturday Yoga: See February 7. shelburne open Gym: See February 2. 9 & 10:10 a.m.

Library & Books

Family make & Take series: Crafty folks celebrate Mardi Gras by making fun masks with moving eyes. Ages 3 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 849-2420.

How do You spell Love?: Ms. Virginia tells stories all about L-O-V-E to children in preschool through third grade. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10 a.m. Free; preregister by February 18. Info, 868-3970.

Therapy dogs of Vermont: See February 7. third Saturday of every month, 10:30 a.m.

movies

movie day at the Library: Film buffs catch a flick on the big screen. Call for film title. Snacks provided. Milton Public Library, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Nature & science

champ Weeks: See February 14.

EcHo story Explorers: champ: See February 17.

Playdate! Farm & Food Fun: Little explorers meet up with friends for theme-based, indoor activities at a leisurely pace and an encounter with a live owl. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch or snack. Ages 2-5. Shelburne Farms, 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $3-5 per child with accompanying adult.; walk-ins welcome. Info, 985-8686.

Theater

saturday drama club: See February 7.

22 SUNDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1.

community

shelburne Farms sleigh Rides: See February 1.

sleigh Ride Week: See February 14, 10 a.m.4 p.m.

Food

Exploring Tropical Fruits: Wee ones tantalize their taste buds, creating dishes from bananas, pineapples, mangos and more. Ages 4 and up. City Market, Burlington, 9:30-10:30 a.m. $5-10; preregister. Info, 861-9757.

Games

Family Fun sunday: See February 1.

Health & Fitness

Essex sunday open Gym: See February 1.

Nature & science

champ Weeks: See February 14.

snowshoe Tracking Walk: Eagle-eyed explorers look out for wildlife active during the winter during this 3.5-mile tour of Colchester Pond. Bring sturdy boots, extra layers, water and snacks. Colchester Pond, 10 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 863-5744.

23 MONDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal Yoga: See February 2. montpelier Prenatal Yoga: See February 2. Vergennes Prenatal Yoga: See February 2.

community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16. 2-5 p.m. operation military Kids February Vacation camp: Children with parents in the armed forces learn how to unravel mysterious crime scenes using fingerprinting, hair identification and blood-drop analysis during this February break enrichment opportunity. Starbase Vermont, Colchester, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 656-0346.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. Little Yogis: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2. Tots Yoga: See February 2.

Williston open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

dragon doodles: Young artists sharpen their claws and scratch a mythical pal onto a piece of magic color paper. Ages 3 and up. South Burlington Community Library, 4-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

intergenerational dessert Book discussion: Lit lovers gather for a good read-and-rant session, complete with something sweet. Grades 6 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

music

music for Preschoolers: See February 2.

Nature & science champ Weeks: See February 14.

24 TUESDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 4:15-5:30 p.m. and 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See February 3.

shelburne Prenatal Yoga: See February 3.

community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16, 6-8 p.m. operation military Kids February Vacation camp: See February 23.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See February 2. shelburne open Gym: See February 2, noon & 2 p.m.

Williston open Gym: See February 2.

21 sATuRdAY (conTinued)

Library & Books

Drop-In Maker Activitiy: Kids on school break play with electricity using squishy circuits and electronics kits. All ages. Children under 9 must be accompanied by an adult.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See February 2, 10:30 a.m.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; preregistration required. Info, 878-4918.

'Fancy Nancy' Tea Party: Kids don their finery for a fashionable a air with food, fun and frolicking. Ages 3 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Gaming For Teens & Adults: See February 3. Lego Family Fun Night: Fun abounds as moms, dads and kids undertake building challenges, read books and do crafts. Snacks provided. Recommended for ages 2 and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Lego My Library: A block party to celebrate the winter break gives kids something constructive to do. Preschool and up. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Movies

Stories On The Screen: A popular children's book comes to life in this family movie featuring a brave Viking and his winged friend. Call the library for movie title. South Burlington Community Library, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Youth Media Lab: See February 3.

Music

Children's Sing-Along With Lesley Grant: See February 3.

Colchester Preschool Music: See February 3. Music With Mr. Chris: See February 3.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14. ECHO Story Explorers: Champ: See February 17.

Parenting

Marshfield Parenting Group: Moms and dads share tips and troubleshoot common frustrations with peers. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7-8 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

25 WEDNESDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See February 1. 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See February 4.

Nursing Beyond a Year: Moms and their nurslings discuss the joys and challenges of breastfeeding in a non-judgmental atmosphere. Aikido of Champlain Valley, Burlington, fourth Wednesday of every month, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-3000.

Community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16, 4-5 p.m. Operation Military Kids February Vacation Camp: See February 23.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2. noon.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Dragon Eyes: A virtual field trip to a cookie factory is followed by a real-life cooking adventure, whipping up a batch of dragoneye cookies for a snack. Ages 5 and up. South Burlington Community Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Highgate 'Drive-In' Movie: The library supplies vehicles, popcorn and a familyfriendly flick for mini movie goers. Ages 3-8. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10, 11:30 a.m. 4:30 & 6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Movies

Movie Day at the Library: See February 21.

Music

Moving & Grooving With Christine: See February 11.

Rockin' Ron the Friendly Pirate: See February 4.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

26 THURSDAY

Arts & Crafts

Webby's Art Studio: Black & White in Color: Taking a page from the 1800s, little ones brighten up black-and-white photos of the museum's grounds and garden. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular winter museum admission, $5-8; free for members and children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Baby & Maternity

Postnatal Core Class: See February 5.

Community

Bolton Family Week: See February 16. 4:306:30 p.m.

Operation Military Kids February Vacation Camp: See February 23.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2.

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2. noon & 2 p.m.

Yoga with Danielle: See February 5.

Library & Books

Castles & Catapults: Library goers raid the art closet for supplies, then make medieval devices that launch pompoms over book towers. Ages 3 and up. South Burlington Community Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Colchester Lego Club: See February 5.

Hinesburg Lego Club: See February 5.

Movies

Stories On The Screen: See February 24.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14.

27 FRIDAY

Community

Operation Military Kids February Vacation

Camp: See February 23.

Vermont Flower Show: Fascinating displays of flora with a "Spring Reflections" theme wow green-thumbed visitors, while a family room provides hands-on activities and entertainment. Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $3-15; free for children under 3; $30 for three-day pass. Info, 888-518-6484.

Food

Foodie Fridays: See February 6.

Kids in the Kitchen: Lasagna Roll-Ups: Budding chefs sweat vegetables, create a red sauce from scratch and mix up an herby-ricotta filling to create an Italian family favorite. All ages. Healthy Living Market and Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $20 per parent-child pair; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See February 2. Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, noon, 2 & 6 p.m. Williston Open Gym: See February 2.

Library & Books

Early Bird Math: See February 6. Medieval Madness: History bu s train as a knight, compete in a joust and use earned jewels to decorate a sword. Ages 3-10. South Burlington Community Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Movies

Family Movie Night: Film-lovin' families settle in for an entertaining flick. See library's website for movie title. Ages 4-12. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Music

Kids Music With Linda 'Tickle Belly' Bassick: See February 6.

Music With Derek: See February 6.

Nature & Science

Champ Weeks: See February 14. Friday Nights for Teen Tinkerers: Would-be Ben Franklins create, design or build something cool. Grades 6-9. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 6:30-8 p.m. Regular museum admission, $11-14; preregistration encouraged. Info, 649-2200.

28 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Webby's Art Studio: Black & White in Color: See February 26.

Baby & Maternity

Pregnancy & Baby Expo: More than 30 vendors showcase their services related to pregnancy, birth and parenting, complete with demos and giveaways. (See spotlight on page 48.) Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $5; free for children. Info, 363-9597.

Community

Shelburne Farms Sleigh Rides: See February 1. Vermont Flower Show: See February 27.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See February 4, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Raising Poultry for Food & Fun: Milton resident Jim Ballard gives a brief overview of the history of chickens in America and around the world, then touches upon topics including egg production, housing, feeding and more. All ages. Milton Town O ce Community Room, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4922.

Food

Burlington Winter Farmers Market: See February 14.

Norwich Winter Farmers Market: See February 14.

Rutland Winter Farmers Market: See February 7.

Games

Vertical Challenge: Families enjoy recreational racing while working toward earning prizes. Bolton Valley Resort, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; lift ticket required. Info, 434-6804.

Health & Fitness

Shelburne Open Gym: See February 2, 9 & 10:10 a.m.

Williston Open Gym: See February 2. Wintry Wander: Adventurous families snowshoe through the woods in search of checkpoints during this three-hour race sponsored by the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association. All ages. Bolton Valley Resort, 10 a.m. $5 per person; free for children in backpacks and sleds; preregistration recommended. Info, 734-8514.

Library & Books

Spanish Musical Playgroup: Rhymes, books, songs and crafts en español entertain niños. Snacks provided. Ages 5 and under. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Nature & Science

Animal Tracking Workshop: Environmental educator Kristen Littlefield shares her knowledge of the natural world with children ages 4 and up, teaching them tracking basics and helping them create casts of animal prints. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 482-2878.

Champ & Me: Ed Shankman, the author of Champ and Me by the Maple Tree, reads from and signs his picture book, geared to kids from preschool to third grade. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Regular museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 2. Info, 877-324-6386. Champ Weeks: See February 14.

Q

conTesT Write Your own

For inspiration

Sponsored by attach

Calling all bookworms!

In E.B. White’s classic story of friendship, Charlotte’s Web, barn spider Charlotte shows true kindness to Wilbur, a pig, by weaving sweet messages about him into her web, to encourage his owners to keep him.

Write a paragraph (5-7 sentences) about a time when someone was kind to you, or make up a story in which one character shows kindness to another.

We’ll pick the four most creative entries and publish one of them in the next issue. Winners receive a $25 gift certificate to crow Bookshop. Deadline to enter is february 16.

Send your entries to: Kids VT, attn: Book Review, P.o. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

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LeT iT go: The bakers weren’t wild about the existing carpet in the art room, but rather than replace it, they decided to let it get dirty. They also allow the kids to draw on one of the walls.

organize: brenda baker recommends keeping supplies in “modular containers that are labeled” so kids know what belongs in each of them. keeping supplies at a child’s eye level also makes it easier for young artists to help put things away, she says. at her house, finished work gets stacked in big bins, which baker weeds through occasionally (sans kids), saving only special pieces of art.

sPread The WeaLTh: baker also keeps stacks of paper and tubs of markers and colored pencils downstairs in a small annex off the kitchen, so her kids can do projects at the kitchen table.

Art Room

When They moVed here from Colorado four and a half years ago, Brenda Baker and her husband, Tom, knew they wanted their new home to have a designated space for creating art. Brenda, the front office manager at Lake Champlain Waldorf School in Shelburne, is a painter and a strong believer in art as a means of expression (and entertainment — the Bakers don’t own a television).

Parents: brenda and Tom baker

Kids: Zeke, 10, Zoey, 8, Cleo, 5

third-floor room with vaulted ceilings, ample windows and a skylight. The built-in tables on one side of the room were the perfect place for a drawing station. The Bakers added a large farmhouse table for painting projects.

“I’m just so not into coloring books,” Baker explains. Lately, the kids have been cutting out little paper shapes to hang on mobiles, she says. During the holidays, they used wax to make their own candles.

The family of five found the ideal spot in their St. George home: a

Built-in bookshelves are stocked with plenty of supplies — acrylics, watercolors, yarn, beads, modeling wax and lots of blank paper for letting the imagination run wild.

Baker only lets her kids break out the paints when she’s there to supervise. She acknowledges that things often get messy anyway — the room’s aging carpet is now covered with paint and glue — but that’s just part of the creative process. K

The Baker family

Cleo and Zoey Baker

COLORING CONTEST!

Three winners will receive 1 game and shoes for a family of 4, a large pizza and a pitcher of soda at Champlain Lanes Send Kids VT your work of art by February 16. Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the March issue of Kids VT. Send your high-resolution scans to art@kidsvt.com or mail a copy to KidsVT, PO Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

PUZZLE PAGE

Jumble

BY DAVID L. HOYT & JEFF KNUREK

The letters of these crazy words are all mixed up. To play the game, put them back into the right order so that they make real words you can find in your dictionary. Write the letters of each real word under each crazy word, but only one letter to a square.

Birthday Club

Winners get gift certificates to:

Maze

GRAND-PRIZE WINNER

KAIA lives in Jericho and turns 9 on February 18. She likes to ski, draw and do all kinds of crafts. She is creative and kind.

Kaia wins a birthday-party package for up to 10 kids.

Print

Puzzles4Kids

Riddle Search — WORLD CROPS

Look up, down and diagonally, both forward and backward, to find every word on the list. Circle each one as you find it. When all the words are circled, take the UNUSED letters and write them on the blanks below. Go from left to right and top to bottom to find the answer to this riddle: Why should you never tell a secret on a farm?

BY HELENA HOVANEC

AIDAN lives in Hinesburg and turns 10 on February 21. He’s a fun and friendly guy who likes skiing, football, art and playing video games with friends. He plans to be a computer programmer when he grows up and has already written games using the programming language Scratch.

To enter, submit information using the online form at kidsvt.com/birthday-club.

Just give us your contact info, your children’s names and birth dates, and a photo, and they’re automatically enrolled.

Aidan, Hannah and Ethan each win a player pass.

VT’S BIRTHDAY CAPITAL

More to do under one roof than anywhere in VT!

HANNAH lives in Barre and turns 7 on February 11. She is an adventurous girl who likes to climb trees. She also enjoys reading, watching musicals, singing and dancing.

MINI-GOLF • GIANT PLAY STRUCTURE PIZZA • CAKES • LASER TAG ARCADE • BATTING CAGES BIRTHDAY CROWN OR TIARA

Riddle Answer:

ETHAN lives in East Hardwick and turns 12 on February 25. He loves fishing, hunting and fantasy books. He has hiked to the top of Mount Washington every summer since he was 4 years old.

Taking Steps

How getting Fitbits helped our family

LAST FALL, my partner, Ann-Elise, and I wanted to reenergize our marriage. Juggling two kids and two careers had left us with little time to nurture our relationship. After 16 years together — eight of them as parents — we were in a rut.

Nothing romantic about it, but in November, we purchased Fitbits, electronic fitness trackers we thought might help us get back on track. Mine is lightweight plastic, about the size of a quarter, and fits into a black silicone case. Every morning, I clip it into my left-hand pants pocket.

Throughout the day, the Fitbit records my steps and the distance I’ve walked on its simple digital display. More expensive models also keep track of the wearer’s heart rates and sleep cycles.

But the best thing about it is that it lets me compete with Ann-Elise, who wears her own Fitbit every day.

The device synchs my daily step total to my Fitbit app, which connects me to my “friends,” one of whom is my spouse. She and I use the app to keep track of each other’s progress, send smiley faces to cheer each other on, or, even more enjoyable, taunt each other when one of us springs ahead. The recipient of a taunt gets a message with an emoticon sticking out its tongue, essentially saying, “Look at me, I’m winning.”

Before we had kids, Ann-Elise and I used to compete all the time. For months, we played a nightly game of Scrabble. That ended when I began entering Scrabble tournaments and memorizing words. Ann-Elise didn’t want to study flashcards, or play against someone who did.

Then we tried Boggle, but Ann-Elise trounced me every time. Before long, we quit that, too. For a while we played mancala. Then there was an Othello phase. At some point, we switched to Bananagrams, a word game that suits us both equally.

It didn’t really matter what we played. Our matches were an experience we could share, something unrelated to the dreary business of managing our household and finances. Playing games was a way for us to have fun together.

But then we had kids. And who has time for Bananagrams when there’s a dirty diaper to change, or breast-pump parts to wash?

When Ann-Elise started nursing school a few years ago, our game time mostly disappeared. It dried up completely when I went through a busy stretch at work and she started working nights at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Last year, we struggled to find time to talk, much less match wits. Our relationship su ered.

And then I heard about the Fitbit. At first I sco ed. How could tracking my steps make me more fit? And why would I want to store that data? It seemed Orwellian and weirdly compulsive.

But then I realized that Fitbits were the perfect gaming devices for a split-shift couple. Ann-Elise could rack up steps at 2 a.m.; I could pick them up during the day. Better yet, the competition would boost our physical activity, something we both wanted to improve. Ann-Elise was into the idea. On one of her days o , she went to Best Buy and came home with hers-andhers Fitbits, which we began wearing immediately. Because Ann-Elise is a runner, she confidently predicted that she would cream me every week. “I expect to get two or three times as many steps as you do,” she boasted when we turned them on.

Ann-Elise was into the idea. On one of her days o , hers Fitbits, which we began wearing immediately. Because Ann-Elise is a runner, she confidently predicted that she would cream me every week.

“I expect to get two or three times as many steps as you do,” she boasted when we turned and I take more steps. I think it’s because I

But it hasn’t worked out that way. AnnElise gets many more steps on the days when she runs, but my average daily totals tend to be higher. She thinks it’s because I’m shorter, and I take more steps. I think it’s because I keep moving all day long. I pace while on the phone. I dance in the kitchen while cooking dinner.

Our kids support our competition. “How many steps do you have?” our son, Graham, asks regularly. “Slow and steady wins the race,” our daughter, Ivy, coached me one December morning.

One night when Ann-Elise and I were both home, we noticed we were neck and neck for the day, so we started trying to raise our totals. While I took the dog for a walk, Ann-Elise did laps inside the house, high-fiving the kids as she passed them.

When I got home, I jogged around the house behind her, and the kids cheered us on. “M-V-S-A! M-V-S-A!” they yelled, shorthand for Mom VS Aimo, which is what the kids call me.

When Ann-Elise stopped for a minute to concentrate on making dinner, Ivy grabbed her leg and lifted it. “Come on, Mom,” she pleaded. “Keep moving! She’s killing you!”

We’re not the only couple bonding over our Fitbits; these gadgets cross cultural and generational divides. Ann-Elise and I are Fitbit friends with my retired aunt and uncle who live on a golf course in Myrtle Beach, S.C., as well as a friend who works at Tufts University and her researcher wife in Boston.

I knew this competition strategy was working to strengthen our marriage recently when I got a Fitbit message early one morning from Ann-Elise, who was finishing up her shift at the hospital. She had just seen the taunting message I had sent about having more steps than her.

“I wish there were a taunt giving you the finger,” she wrote. Now that’s love.

“I expect to get two or three times as many steps as you do,” she boasted.