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baystateparent FREE

JULY 2017

18 FUN WAYS TO STOP THE SUMMER SLIDE

DADS

BY DAY BLUE

BY NIGHT YOUR 2017 MASSACHUSETTS BEACH GUIDE SEE BOSTON LIKE NEVER BEFORE

ARTS and

enrichment Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

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Experience our innovative, new summer program that combines the visual arts with STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.

Choose from 5 week-long sessions for youth and teens.

Early morning, extended day and lunch options available.

Classes begin July 10 Enroll today! worcesterart.org

2 JULY2017

That moment in the ER when you realize you could

AT HOME

We understand that waiting in the ER is no fun. That’s why we’re offering an online check-in service at www.stvincenthospital.com to reserve your time online and comfortably wait at home. It’s quick, easy and you’ll be seen by a healthcare professional within 15 minutes of your scheduled time.

ER CHECK-IN ONLINE www.stvincenthospital.com If you have a life threatening emergency, call 911.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 3

Thank you for recognizing us as the Best of baystateparent special care givers in 2016!

We continue to strive for excellence in care for our current and future patients.

We now provide transition planning and adult care.

The Child Development Network is pleased to announce the founding of the Adult Development Network. We dedicate the same commitment to providing excellent diagnostic assessments and consultation for adolescents, young adults, and adults with developmental, attention, and learning concerns.

The ADN & CDN network of doctors provides expert clinical care

Adult Development Network

Child Development Network, Inc.

Lexington, MA • 781-861-6655 • www.CDNKids.com 4 JULY2017

table of contents JULY 2017

VOLUME 22

4

1.

NUMBER 3

things we learned while making

the july issue

7 8

Kids need extended time off from school, but it comes with a price. Research shows that at the end of summer, students, on average, are a month behind where they left off in June, with low-income students suffering the largest losses. Head to page 48 and discover 18 fun, family ways you can keep your kids’ skills sharp.

2.

3.

Blue Man Group has been a mainstay in the Boston theatre district for nearly 22 years. On page 34, meet two of the performers and see how they juggle fatherhood and their unique career.

4. publisher KIRK DAVIS

associate publisher KATHY REAL 508-749-3166 ext. 331 kreal@baystateparent.com

creative

ADD TO CART: Our favorite July product picks DIVORCE & CO-PARENTING: Inexpensive Ways to Introduce Children to the Arts

20

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO: July Calendar Of Family Events

50

VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE: Reach Beyond Tolerance — Teaching Children to Include Others

54 58

Twenty percent of children face bulling and exclusion (considered social bullying), but for special needs children that number rises to 50%.

On page 50, discover how you can set the stage at home and teach your children to embrace inclusion.

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

18

53

A tiny mini-island in Boston Harbor, Nix’s Mate was the place where pirate Captain William Fly’s executed corpse was hung in chains — a warning to avoid the lures of piracy to those sailing into the harbor. That’s just one of the facts you’ll learn — and sites you’ll sail by — on a Boston Harbor Historic Sightseeing Cruise. Turn to page 46 and learn why the day trip is a fantastic take for residents.

meet team

in every issue

ASK THE EXPERT: Can Children Outgrow Respiratory Problems?

THE THINKING PARENT: Parents Set the Standard for Kids’ Perception of Body Image TAKE 8: “Wicked” Actress Jessica Vosk

JOIN US ONLINE! facebook.com/baystateparent Twitter @baystateparent

advertising

editor in chief MELISSA SHAW 508-865-7070 ext. 201 editor@baystateparent.com

director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com

is published monthly with a main office at 22 West Street Millbury, MA 01527

creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER 508-865-7070 ext. 221 pethier@holdenlandmark.com

account executive KATHY PUFFER 508-865-7070 ext. 211 kathy@baystateparent.com

It is distributed free of charge throughout Massachusetts.

senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD 508-865-7070 design@baystateparent.com

account executive MICHELLE SHINDLE 508-865-7070 ext. 212 michelle@baystateparent.com

508-865-7070

presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS

BAYSTATEPARENT 5

table of contents Arts & Enrichment

Features 14 46 48

Your 2017 Massachusetts Beach Guide Get a New Look at Old Faves and Hidden Gems with Boston Harbor Cruises

30 34 35

Fashion: From Pointe to Ponies

40

Family Game Guide: Fight Brain Drain, Play a Game!

42

How One Music Teacher Helped Middle School Musicians Grieve, Grow

18 Fun Ways to Stop the Summer Slide

Dads by Day, Blue by Night Massachusetts Dad Turns Lifelong Idea into an Award-Winning Party Game

Ripe 10 12 13

This month’s cover model: Haileigh, 6 Photography by Kelsey Haley Media (kelseyhaleymedia.com)

Get Kids in the Kitchen for Education, Delicious Food Bites: Most Parents Unaware of How Many Calories Children Should Eat in Restaurants; Maximize Your Berry Enjoyment; Host Your Own In-Home Wine Tasting; Protect Your Family Against Ticks with a Natural DIY Repellant Pediatricians: No Fruit Juice for Babies

Hair and makeup by TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy, Worcester (toniguy.edu) Clothing provided by ModerneChild Shoppe (modernechild.com) On location at Stowe Farm, Millbury (stowefarm.com)

You Voted Us Best Veterinary Clinic last year, and we still give the best care for your pets!!

We are a full service clinic with a professional and loving staff • We offer puppy and kitten wellness, senior wellness and small pocket pets wellness • Surgeries including spay, neuter and soft tissue and orthopedic procedures • We follow the AAHA certified Anesthesia and Patient monitoring guidelines • Dentals, dental procedures and digital dental xrays • A fully functioning in house lab and we work with a world leading diagnostic animal laboratory • Offering a wide range of pain control options including acupuncture and reiki • Fear free certified veterinary technician on staff 11 Industrial Drive, Holden 508-829-6368 • Fax: 508-829-3915 • www.holdenvet.com • info@holdenvet.com 6 JULY2017

JULY CONTRIBUTORS Kristin Guay lives in Cape Cod with her husband, two daughters, and beloved black lab. A former middle school language arts teacher, she is currently Youth Services Director at Centerville Library and enjoys projects that foster a love of reading and writing in young children and teens. She offers daily helpful suggestions on literacy, books, and educational issues on her blog: kristinannguay.weebly.com.

Attorney Andy P. Miller is the Managing Attorney of Pollack Law Group, P.C. A father himself, Miller focuses on children and their best interests by helping guide parents through the divorce process. Having practiced in nearly every county in Massachusetts, he has a wide understanding of the various courts in Massachusetts and experience before many judges.

Martha Ruch is the owner of Simply Delicious Personal Chef Service, helping busy families come together at the dinner table since 2007. Find pictures, recipes, cooking tips and more at simplydeliciouschef.com; on Facebook @SimplyDeliciousPersonalChefService; and on Twitter @chefmartha

Dr. Scott Schroeder, MD, is Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology & Allergy, at Tufts Medical Center. He specializes in childhood asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease of infancy, and pulmonary problems in children with primary immunodeficiencies.

Austin Widmer is a graduate student clinician in the Mental Health Counseling program at Becker College. He provides counseling services to adults, children, and families through the Counselor Training Clinic (CTC) at Becker College in Leicester. Visit mhcclinic.becker.edu for more information about available, low-cost, counseling services at the CTC.

Sandra Woffington is a middle school teacher and the author of the Warriors and Watchers Saga series, an epic mythological fantasy. Book 1, Evil Speaks, was released in February. For more, visit warriorsandwatcherssaga.com.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 7

add to CART The coolest stuff we found online this month

If it’s time for a new swimsuit, Mazu Swim offers a variety of choices for all body types, ensuring fun and confidence. Ranging from sizes 8 to 24, these stylish and flattering oneand two-piece suits and tankinis are built to last, accentuating your favorite features and camouflaging that which you wish to conceal. With great bust support, moms won’t have to think twice about running around, bending over, or popping out. mazuswim.com.

The super cute SoapSox line has expanded to the wonderful world of Disney, offering cuddly playtime pals that double as washcloths. Mickey, Minnie, Ariel, Flounder, Nemo, and Squirt all sport a liquid/bar soap pocket, which transforms them into a washcloth for the bath after plenty of play time on dry land.

Machine-washable, they also come in a variety of fun animal shapes. $14.95. soapsoxkids.com.

Untangled Pro Bluetooth wireless headphones provide superior sound and comfort for your child and peace of mind for you. These sturdy, lightweight headphones feature volume limiting, which means kids can’t crank the audio and potentially hurt their ears. The set also offers a convenient SharePort.

Connect the pair to any other set of headphones with the included cable, and siblings or friends can both enjoy the same show, game, or music. Fully charged, the headset provides a 12-hour battery life with 180 hours on standby. For ages 4+. $49. lilgadgets.com.

That’s no moon! It’s the coolest pool toy this side of Tatooine. The Star Wars XXL Light-Up Beach Ball is a 31-inch inflatable pool toy that looks like the infamous Death Star space station. It lights up on impact, displaying cool detailing, especially at night. $19.99. swimways.com.

We want kids to play outside and have fun, but when the sun goes down, visibility is a key safety issue. Enter RunLites — gloves with built-in flashlights designed to keep adults and children safe while participating in low-light activities without limiting the use of their hands. The fingerless, rechargeable gloves project a super bright light up to 30 feet ahead, alerting oncoming traffic and lighting the way. They also feature reflective strips, a palm pocket for items such as money and keys; and more. $24.95. gorunlites.com.

8 JULY2017

Summer Ice Cream Giveaway baystateparent

has partnered with these locations to give away over $400 in ice cream!*

Gibby’s Ice Cream Gibby’s Ice Cream 22 West St., Millbury 508-277-8782 FB: Christophers Homemade Icecream

57 East Main Street Westborough, MA 508-740-1908 www.scoopsnbites.com

50 Sunderland Road Worcester, MA 508-753-1095 www.gibsonsdairy.com

539 Prospect Street West Boylston, MA 508-853-0717 www.pinecrofticecream.com

1543 Lunenberg Road (Rt. 70) Lancaster, MA 978-534-9800 www.kimballfarm.com

400 Littleton Road (Rt. 110) Westford, MA 978-486-3891 www.kimballfarm.com

The BREAD~N~BUTTA

Diner

Full Breakfast & Lunch

681 Central Street Leominster, MA 978-728-4147 FB: The Bread n Butta Diner

574 Hartford Turnpike (RT 20) Shrewsbury, MA www.hebertcandies.com 508-842-5583

206 North Spencer Road Spencer, MA 508-885-5018 www.blackandwhitegrille.com

193 Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 508-459-2323 www.madicecream.com

343 Bedford Rd. (Rt. 225) Carlisle, MA 978-369-1910 www.kimballfarm.com

158 Turnpike Road (Rt. 124) Jaffrey, NH 603-532-5765 www.kimballfarm.com

826 Leominster Road Lunenburg, MA 978-582-7955 www.cherryhill-icecream.com

*TWO WAYS TO

WIN FREE ICE CREAM 1. Go to baystateparent.com/icecream and/or 2. Post your selfie at one of the above locations on #BSPicecream

BAYSTATEPARENT 9

SIMPLY DELICIOUS

Kids

Do you have a pint-sized chef in your house? I had two and did everything I could to encourage, nurture, and instruct (directly and indirectly) during their Wonder Years. We had our share of messes and gross concoctions, as well as a memorable toaster-oven fire, but we also had the neighbor kids over to make gingerbread houses and homemade pizza, and years later, my daughter prepared my birthday dinner, and my son regularly made hamburgers and steak sandwiches as competently as a restaurant line cook. Today, they’re self-sufficient young adults who are completely comfortable and happy in the kitchen.

Does your child show an interest in baking, cooking, chemistry, gardening, grocery shopping, or even eating? Use these interests as teaching moments. Many children don’t know where the things they’re eating come from! This is information we take for granted, but they don’t have.

Ask your children if they know where the milk they’re drinking came from, and they’re likely to answer, “The store.” Show them an eggplant or a grapefruit and see if they can identify it.

Gardens of any size, even in a container, are fascinating to most children, from the planting of the seeds to the watering, seeing the produce grow and, finally, getting to eat it!

Many kids like to bake because the finished product is so appealing. Again, a great teaching moment, whether it’s about measuring, accuracy, flexibility, or tastes and textures of food (If you don’t like chocolate chips, how about butterscotch chips? If you bake the cookies for 9 minutes, they’re soft, if you bake them for 11 minutes, they’re crispy).

Below are a few easy recipes to get you and your kids started in the kitchen.

in the Kitchen

BY MARTHA RUCH

Overnight Oats Makes 1 serving ½ cup old-fashioned oats ½ cup milk (cow, almond, or soy) 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup 1 Tablespoon raisins Pinch of ground cinnamon Optional: 2 Tablespoons peanut butter Combine all ingredients in a jar or bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Stir, but don’t worry about everything mixing up perfectly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, enjoy cold, topped with fresh fruit if you’d like.

Bite-Size Caprese Salad

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Makes 4 servings

Serves 8

1 container Cherub grape tomatoes, rinsed and patted dry 1 container bite-size fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and patted dry 10 leaves fresh basil, torn or sliced Olive oil, salt and pepper

This cake was a favorite of my kids when they were younger. As it bakes, it forms a cake layer as well as a creamy hot fudge layer!

Combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil leaves in a bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Cake: 1 ¼ cups flour ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla Pudding Mixture: 1 cup sugar ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa pinch of salt 1 1/3 cups boiling water Optional: ice cream or whipped cream for serving Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla until well blended.

Spread the batter in a greased 8- or 9-inch square or round cake pan.

10 JULY2017

In a small bowl, mix the 1 cup sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, and pinch of salt. Sprinkle this evenly over the cake batter. Pour the boiling water over the sugar mixture. Carefully place the pan in the oven.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set and firm to the touch. Serve warm, with ice cream or whipped cream, if you’d like. If there is any cake leftover, store in the fridge.

No-Cook Fruit Jam Makes about 6 cups

8 cups (2 lbs) fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches) 2 cups sugar 1 package Ball Instant Fruit Pectin Wash and dry the fruit. If using peaches, peel the peaches and slice roughly.

Place the fruit in a large bowl and crush it with a potato masher. It will reduce down to about 4 cups of fruit “mash.”

Combine the sugar and a 1.59-ounce packet of Ball Instant Fruit Pectin and stir into the fruit for 3 minutes. Transfer the jam into small jars or containers and allow it to set in the fridge for 24 hours. The jam will keep for a week in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.

BAYSTATEPARENT 11

Host Your Own In-Home Wine Tasting Kuvée, the first-of-its-kind wine system, features a bottle-shaped, Wi-Fi-enabled dispenser that not only pours your wine but also displays a host of information on your selection: pairing tips, information on winemakers and vineyards, and simple and clear tasting notes. Wine selections arrive in Kuvée’s airtight Fresh Pour bottles, which fit into the dispenser. When not being poured, the bottles are preserved for up to 30 days after opening, so there’s no worry of wasting wine and no reason not to try different bottles in one sitting. The service is available at kuvee.com for $199, which includes the Kuvée dispenser and four bottles of wine.

Bites

Maximize Your Berry Enjoyment It’s berry season, so give them a boost with the Bramble Berry Basket from Chef’n. Each container doubles as a colander for rinsing berries, and the design keeps them separated from moisture, keeping them fresher longer. The baskets are also stackable to maximize space in the refrigerator. $9.99. chefn.com.

Protect Against Ticks with a Natural DIY Repellent

BY LESLIE REICHERT It’s tick season here in New England, and I’ve heard it’s going to be one of the worse ever. It helps to know as much as you can if you are going to learn how to fight off those nasty little creatures.

Did you know?

• Ticks feed on mice while they are nymphs (baby ticks). Removing mice from your home will get rid of ticks, too. Make sure you are working hard to keep the mice out of areas like your garage, shed, or basement since they are carrying these baby ticks around on them.

• Ticks are arachnids. They have eight legs like a spider, but come in very different sizes. Make sure you can identify a tick should you find one on your clothing or your body.

• Ticks carry more than just Lyme Disease.

They are also known for being carriers of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Colorado Tick Fever.

They are carriers of numerous different diseases and bacteria, but surprisingly not every tick carries a disease. It’s now being discovered that you have a 50-50 chance of being bit by a tick with Lyme Disease.

• Nymphs usually can’t get any higher than your ankles. If you plan to be out in the woods or thick grass, wear white socks tucked into your pants.

The light color will make them easier to spot and having your pants tucked into your socks will keep them on the outside of your clothing. Ticks are very sneaky and can crawl all over you once they get onto your clothing.

• Ticks don’t bite or latch onto you immediately.

They look for thinner skin that they can penetrate, such as behind your ears or on your scalp.

Knowing this gives you time to scan your clothing and body if you’ve been outside in a wooded area.

• If you’ve been outside, take a shower right away once you’re back inside. Make sure you check and scrub everywhere! As I stated above, they like to crawl and look for thin skin to penetrate, so

12 JULY2017

keep an eye out for them after coming inside.

• Ticks like humid areas, so if you keep your lawn manicured they will likely move to a dark, woodsy area. A great tip is edging your yard with a pine bark mulch or gravel to create a buffer between the lawn and wooded areas.

• If you have small dogs or cats that go outside, don’t let them sleep in your bed. Ticks can use the animal to transport them to your bed and use you as their host • If you find a tick attached to you, the best way to remove it is the old-fashioned way of using tweezers to pull it out. Use tweezers and hold on to the body as close to the head as you can. Pull it out in the opposite direction that it went into your skin. Make very sure you don’t leave the head attached to your skin. Keep the body of the tick in a plastic sandwich bag with the date of removal and take it to your doctor. They can send the tick off to test it to see if it’s contaminated.

Your doctor may choose to start you on a round of antibiotics, just to be safe.

DIY Tick Repellent (from my book, The Joy of Green Cleaning) 6 drops lavender oil 6 drops cedar oil 1 cup witch hazel Mix all ingredients and place in a spray bottle.

Spray generously on clothing, as well as on pet fur. Avoid your face and eyes.

Massachusetts mom Leslie Reichert is known as the Green Cleaning Coach and is aiming to change the world — “one spray bottle at a time.”

A national lecturer and author of The Joy Of Green Cleaning, you can find her at greencleaningcoach. com, on Facebook (GreenCleaningCoach), Twitter (@GreenCleanCoach), and Pinterest (cleaningcoach).

Pediatricians: No Fruit Juice for Babies Fruit juice offers no nutritional benefit to children under age 1 and should not be included in their diet, according to a new policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This marks the Academy’s first change in recommendations on fruit juice since 2001.

Over past years, the Academy advised against offering fruit juice to children under the age of 6 months, but has expanded that time frame to include the entire first year of life.

“Parents may perceive fruit juice

dlers age 1-3. For children age 4-6, fruit juice should be restricted to 4 to 6 ounces daily; and for children ages 7-18, juice intake should be limited to 8 ounces or 1 cup of the recommended 2 to 2 ½ cups of fruit servings per day.

• Toddlers should not be given juice from bottles or easily transportable “sippy cups” that allow them to consume juice easily throughout the day. The excessive exposure of the teeth to carbohydrates can lead to tooth decay, as well. Toddlers should not be given juice at bedtime.

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as healthy, but it is not a good substitute for fresh fruit and just packs in more sugar and calories,” said Melvin B. Heyman, MD, FAAP, co-author of the statement. “Small amounts in moderation are fine for older kids, but are absolutely unnecessary for children under 1.”

The new recommendations state that 100% fresh or reconstituted fruit juice can be a healthy part of the diet of children older than 1 year when consumed as part of a well-balanced diet. Consumption, however, should be limited depending on a child’s age.

The policy statement recommendations include: • Intake of juice should be limited to, at most, 4 ounces daily for tod-

• Children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits and be educated about the benefits of the fruit as compared with juice, which lacks dietary fiber and may contribute to excessive weight gain.

• Human milk or infant formula is sufficient for infants, and low-fat/ nonfat milk and water are sufficient for older children.

• Consumption of unpasteurized juice products should be strongly discouraged for children of all ages.

• Children who take specific forms of medication should not be given grapefruit juice, which can interfere with the medication’s effectiveness.

In addition, fruit juice is not appropriate in the treatment of dehydration or management of diarrhea.

Offering Progams for ages 2 - 18 in both recreational and competitive dance

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Your 2017 Massachusetts

Beach

Guide PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH GALLAGHER

14 JULY2017

W

ith over 1,500 miles of shoreline, Massachusetts boasts some of the country’s most scenic family beaches. Visit old favorites or make new ones with the information provided below.

Chatham

• Cockle Cove Beach, Taylors Pond Road. Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking, $75 weekly parking, $175 seasonal sticker.

• Forest Beach, Forest Beach Road. No restrooms. Limited free parking on firstcome, first-served basis.

• Harding Beach, Harding Beach Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, showers, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking, $75 weekly parking, $175 seasonal sticker.

• Pleasant Street Beach, Pleasant Street.

Kayaking. No fee.

• Ridgevale Beach, Ridgevale Drive.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk. $20 daily parking, $75 weekly parking, $175 seasonal sticker.

Dartmouth

• Apponagansett Beach, 77 Gulf Road.

Lifeguards (9-5), picnic area, playground, volleyball/basketball courts. $10 daily parking.

• Jones Park, 66 St. John St. Lifeguards, picnic area. $10 daily parking.

Dennis

• Chapin Memorial Beach, Chapin Beach Road. Restrooms. Four-wheel vehicles allowed. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Corporation Beach, Corporation Road. Boardwalk, lifeguards, restrooms, food, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Depot Street Beach, Depot Street. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Glendon Road Beach, Old Wharf Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Haigis Beach, Old Wharf Road.

Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Howes Beach, Howes Street Road.

Lifeguards. Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Inman Road Beach, Inman Road.

Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk.

Private on one side. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Mayflower Beach, Dunes Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible.$20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily

(weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Raycroft Beach, Raycroft Parkway. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• Sea Street Beach, Sea Street.

Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• South Village Beach, South Village Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

• West Dennis Beach, West Dennis Beach Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, swimming lessons, playground, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking (weekdays), $25 daily (weekends/holidays), $75 weekly, $300 seasonal.

Dorchester

• Malibu Beach, Playstead Road.

Swimming, bathhouse.

• Savin Hill Beach, Playstead Road/ Morrissey Blvd. Tot lot, baseball fields, swimming.

• Tenean Beach, Conley Road.

Swimming, playground facilities, tennis, and basketball courts

Duxbury

• Duxbury Beach Park, Canal Street.

Lifeguards, bathhouses, restrooms, showers, food. $20 daily parking.

East Boston

• Constitution Beach, 799 Bennington St. Bathhouse, playground, picnic area, tennis and handball courts, sun shelters, lifeguards.

Eastham

• Campground Beach, Campground Road. Restrooms. Private beach on one side. Daily: $20. Seasonal: $225; one week, $70; two weeks $125.

• Coast Guard Beach, Nauset Road.

Part of Cape Cod National Seashore.

Lifeguards, restrooms. $20 daily parking ($10 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $60 annual pass.

• Cooks Brook Beach, Steele Road.

Restrooms, handicap accessible. Daily: $20. Seasonal: $225; one week, $70; two weeks $125.

• First Encounter Beach, Samoset Road.

Restrooms, boardwalk, handicap accessible. Daily: $20. Seasonal: $225; one week, $70; two weeks $125.

• Nauset Light Beach, Cable Road.

Part of Cape Cod National Seashore.

Lifeguards, showers, restrooms, boardwalk. $20 daily parking ($10 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $60 annual pass.

• Thumpertown Beach, Thumpertown Road off Route 6. Restrooms, limited handicap accessibility. Daily: $20.

Seasonal: $225; one week, $70; two weeks $125.

Falmouth

• Menauhant Beach, Menauhant Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $10 daily parking, $70 weekly parking, $120 for two weeks, $170 for three weeks, $220 for four weeks, $250 seasonal.

• Old Silver Beach, Quaker Road.

Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, picnic area, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. Private on one side. $20 daily parking, $70 weekly parking, $120 for two weeks, $170 for three weeks, $220 for four weeks, $250 seasonal.

• Surf Drive Beach, Surf Drive Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, showers, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly parking, $120 for two weeks, $170 for three weeks, $220 for four weeks, $250 seasonal.

Gloucester

• Good Harbor Beach, Route 127A. Lifeguards (9-5), food, showers, restrooms, handicap accessible. $25 daily parking (weekdays), $30 weekend/holiday parking.

• Half Moon Beach at Stage Fort Park, Western Avenue off Route 133.

Lifeguards (9-5), restrooms, picnic area, handicap accessible. $10 daily parking (weekdays), $15 weekend/holiday parking.

• Wingaersheek Beach, 232 Atlantic St., Lifeguards (9-5), food, restrooms, showers, handicap accessible. $25 daily parking (weekdays), $30 weekend/holiday parking.

Harwich

• Atlantic Avenue Beach, Atlantic Avenue, Bike ramp. $20 daily parking, $150 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.

• Bank Street Beach, Bank Street.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking, $150 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.

• Earle Road Beach, Earle Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, boardwalk, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking, $150 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.

• Red River Beach, Uncle Venie’s Road.

Lifeguards, food, restrooms, canoe/kayak launch, bike ramp, canoe/kayak launch. $20 daily parking, $150 seasonal parking, $65 weekly for non-resident, $125 for two weeks.

Hull

• Nantasket Beach, Route 3A. Lifeguards, shopping, biking, carousel, restrooms, bathhouse, boating, fishing, handicap accessible. $10 daily parking ($12 for out-of-state vehicles).

Ipswich

• Crane Beach, 310 Argilla Road.

Lifeguards, restrooms, bathhouses, showers, picnic area, fishing, walking trails, handicap accessible. Weekday parking: $15 for Trustees of Reservations (thetrustees.org) members, $25 non-mem-

BAYSTATEPARENT 15

bers; weekends and holidays $20 for Trustees of Reservations members, $30 non-members. $5 motorcycle parking.

Lynn

• King’s Beach, Lynn Shore Drive. $5 in-state vehicles, $7 out-of-state vehicles.

Manchester-by-the-Sea

• Singing Beach, 119 Beach St. Food, bathhouse, restrooms, $25 non-resident vehicles, $5 walk-on fee.

Martha’s Vineyard

• East Beach, Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Edgartown. Hiking trails, adults $5, Trustees of Reservations members and children under 15 free.

• Eastville Beach, 59 Beach Road.

Oak Bluffs. Fishing, handicap accessible, free parking.

• Fuller Street Beach, 90 Fuller St., Edgartown. Handicap accessible, very limited free parking.

• Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach, 180 Beach Road between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. Lifeguards at Edgartown end of beach. Accessible by bike path.

• Katama Beach (South Beach State Park), Atlantic Drive, Edgartown. Surf fishing allowed, lifeguards (9-5), restrooms, food, handicap accessible.

• Lake Tashmoo Beach, Herring Creek Road, Vineyard Haven. Picnic area, lifeguards, parking.

• Lighthouse Beach, North Water

Street, Edgartown. Limited parking.

• Lobsterville Beach, Lobsterville Road, Aquinnah. Fishing, limited free parking, but none on Lobsterville Road.

• Long Point Wildlife Refuge Beach, Hughe’s Thumb Road, West Tisbury.

Wooded trails, restrooms, visitor center. $10 admission per car plus $5 per adult, $5 pedestrian/bicyclist, free for Trustees of Reservations members and children 15 and under.

• Menemsha Beach, Basin Road, Chilmark. Lifeguards, restrooms, food, parking. Free parking.

• Moshup Beach (Aquinnah Beach), Gay Head, Aquinnah. Restrooms, picnic area, boardwalk, food. $15 daily parking (10-minute walk from parking area).

• Oak Bluffs Town Beach, Seaview Avenue, Oak Bluffs. Restrooms, parking.

• Owen Park Beach, 19 Owen Park Way, Vineyard Haven. Lifeguards, restrooms, food, bandstand, parking.

• Tisbury Town Beach, Owen Little Way, Vineyard Haven. Side street parking only.

Mashpee

• South Cape Beach State Park, Great Oak Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, hiking trails. $12 daily parking ($14 out-of-state vehicles).

Nahant

• Canoe Beach, 430 Nahant Road.

Nearby park.

• Long Beach, Nahant Road.

Restrooms, showers, ball field, bandstand, lifeguards. $5 daily parking ($7 for out-of-state vehicles).

Nantucket

• Children’s Beach, South Beach Street. Parks, playground, food, picnic area, lifeguards, restrooms, showers, parking, free Friday night movies, Sunday night concerts.

• Cisco Beach, Hummock Pond Road. Lifeguards, parking, biking.

• Dionis Beach, Eel Point Road.

Restrooms, showers, lifeguards, parking.

• Francis Street Beach, Francis Street. Restrooms, turtle climb/ kayak rentals. No parking.

• Jetties Beach, 4 Bathing Beach Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, food, playground, boardwalk, handicapped accessible, showers, parking.

• Madaket Beach, Madaket Road.

Restrooms, bike path, lifeguards, parking.

• Miacomet Beach, Miacomet Road.

Lifeguards, parking.

• Siasconset Beach, Codfish Park Road. Restrooms, lifeguards, bike path, parking.

• Surfside Beach, Surfside Road.

Restrooms, lifeguards, bike path, equipment rentals, food, picnic areas, handicapped accessible, showers, parking.

Orleans

• Nauset Beach, Beach Road.

Lifeguards, food, showers, rest-

rooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. Off road vehicles with special permits. $20 daily parking, $75 one week, $220 seasonal.

• Skaket Beach, West Road.

Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking, $75 one week, $220 seasonal.

• South Orleans Beach, Route 28.

No fees, lifeguards or facilities; limited parking.

Plymouth

• Ellisville Harbor State Park Beach, Route 3A. Fishing, parking available.

• Plymouth Beach, 137 Warren Ave. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $15 daily parking.

Provincetown

• Herring Cove Beach, Race Point Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, handicap accessible. $20 daily parking ($10 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $60 annual pass.

• Race Point Beach, Race Point Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, bicycle trails, surfing allowed in certain areas. $20 daily parking ($10 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $60 annual pass.

Revere

• Revere Beach, Revere Beach Blvd. Lifeguards, fishing, boating, boardwalk, fireworks, bathhouses, concerts, shopping, food, parking available.

Worcester JCC Early Childhood Center 520 Northwest Main Street, Douglas, MA 01516

Ages 15 months - 5 years

Since 1953

BreezySummer.com

ALL DAY FAMILY FUN…NEARBY!

Accepting Registration for September 2017 • EEC Licensed

• In-depth investigations

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• (3) 300’ Waterslides • 500’ lakefront swimming with sandy areas • Certified Lifeguards • Clean Restrooms & Changing Facilities • Concession Stand • Free Parking • Great Spot for a Playdate!

16 JULY2017

teachers

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and project work • Pre-math & pre-reading

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emotional, physical &

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• Music

• Science • 2, 3, 5 day options • Small class size • Financial aid available

Accredited State of the Art Early Childhood Center

Contact Sandy Scola, ECC Director, x 258, sscola@worcesterjcc.org

Open to the entire community

633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA I worcesterjcc.org I 508.756.7106

Rockport

• Back Beach, Beach Street.

Boardwalk, restrooms. Limited meter parking. $25 parking seasonally.

• Cape Hedge Beach, South Street.

Limited parking available.

• Front Beach, Beach Street.

Lifeguards, boardwalk, food. Limited meter parking. Shuttle trolley for visitors from downtown.

• Long Beach, Long Beach Road.

Lifeguards. Limited parking available. Shuttle trolley for visitors from downtown. $25 parking seasonally.

• Old Garden Beach, Old Garden Road. Picnic area. Limited parking available.

• Pebble Beach, Penzance Road.

Limited parking available.

Salisbury

• Salisbury Beach State Reservation, 212 Beach Road.

Swimming, boating, fishing, camping, bathhouses, picnic area, restrooms, day-use parking lot. $14 daily parking ($16 for out-of-state vehicles).

Sandwich

• East Sandwich Beach, North Shore Boulevard. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $50 weekly, $105 seasonal sticker.

• Horizons Beach, Town Neck Road.

Food. $15 daily parking, $50 weekly, $105 seasonal sticker.

• Scusset Beach State Reservation, Scusset Beach Road. Lifeguards, showers, food, restrooms, board-

walk, picnic area, camping, handicap accessible. $14 daily parking ($16 for out-of-state vehicles).

• Town Neck Beach, Town Neck Road. Restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $50 weekly, $105 seasonal sticker.

South Boston

• L Street Beach, M Street Beach, Carson Beach, William J. Day Blvd.

Pleasure Bay Beach, Castle Island.

Picnic area, fishing, food, restrooms.

Free public parking.

Truro

• Corn Hill Beach, Corn Hill Road.

Restrooms, handicap accessible, boardwalk. Parking $15 daily, $50 weekly, $225 seasonal.

• Fisher Beach, Fisher Road.

Handicap accessible. Limited parking. $50 weekly, $225 seasonal sticker.

• Head of the Meadow Beach, Head of the Meadow Road. Lifeguards, restrooms, surfing, bicycle trails.

Parking $15 daily, $50 weekly parking, $225 seasonal sticker.

Wareham

• Onset Beach, Onset Avenue, East Wareham. Lifeguards, bandstand, food, bathrooms, parking.

Wellfleet

• Cahoon Hollow Beach, Corn Hollow Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $5 walk-on, $20 daily parking, $55 for three days, $90 weekly,

$170 for two weeks, $300 seasonal.

• Indian Neck Beach, Samoset Avenue. Restrooms. $55 for three days, $90 weekly, $170 for two weeks, $300 seasonal.

• Marconi Beach, Marconi Beach Road. Lifeguards, showers, restrooms, boardwalk. $20 daily parking ($10 for motorcycles, $3 for bikes), $60 annual pass.

• Mayo Beach, Kendrick Avenue.

Restrooms, boardwalk, playground, parking.

• Newcomb Hollow Beach, Gross Hill Road. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $55 for three days, $90 weekly, $170 for two weeks, $300 seasonal.

• White Crest Beach, Ocean View Drive. Lifeguards, food, restrooms. $5 walk-on, $20 daily parking, $55 for three days, $90 weekly, $170 for two weeks, $300 seasonal.

Westport

• Horseneck Beach State Reservation, 5 John Reed Road.

Biking, fishing, hunting, restrooms, picnic area, showers, walking trails, handicap accessible. $13 daily parking ($15 for out-of-state vehicles).

Yarmouth

• Smuggler’s Beach, South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. Restrooms, lifeguards, food, showers, boardwalk, boat ramp, fishing, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.

• Bay View Beach, Bay View Street.

Restrooms, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.

• Colonial Acres Beach, Standish Road. Restrooms, boardwalk. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.

• Englewood Beach, Berry Avenue, West Yarmouth. Restrooms, playground, boat launching, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.

• Grays (Bass Hole) Beach, Center Street. Restrooms, lifeguards, boardwalk, picnic area. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal.

• Parkers River Beach (Beachwood), Beachwood Road, South Yarmouth. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, playground, gazebo, swimming lessons. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.

• Sea Gull Beach, Sea Gull Beach Road. Lifeguards, food, showers, restrooms, boardwalk, swimming lessons, handicap accessible. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.

• Seaview Beach, South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. Lifeguards, restrooms, boardwalk, picnic area, swimming lessons. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.

• Thatcher Park Beach, South Shore Drive, South Yarmouth. $15 daily parking, $70 weekly, $175 seasonal sticker.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 17

DIVORCE & SINGLE PARENTING

Inexpensive Ways to Introduce Children to the Arts

BY ATTY. ANDY P. MILLER

S

tudies show the many benefits of introducing children to the arts at a young age. But how can a single parent — often operating on a tight budget — afford tickets to art shows and theater and musical performances, let alone lessons for music, dance or other fine arts?

Fortunately, there are a multitude of excellent opportunities available.

Schools Many schools offer a variety of art, music, and theater programs, though unfortunately these are often among the first items targeted when school districts have to cut costs. Ideally, your child’s school offers at least basic art and music classes; some even offer introductory instruction in a variety of musical instruments and more advanced instruction through participation in band and orchestra programs. Encourage your child to become involved in school art fairs and theater productions to gain exposure to the works of others.

Libraries Many local libraries offer free or reduced-price admission to art museums, performances and other events. Local libraries are almost always a great starting point for any number of activities and options.

Community events Most communities offer a slate of free activities, including band concerts and movie events that give families an opportunity to experience the arts with others from their cities and towns. High school bands and chorale events are often free or inexpensive, as are plays and art exhibits. Many colleges also offer free or reasonably priced admission to performances and exhibits. Check online calendar listings for upcoming events in your community or at local colleges.

Summer camps, vacation and after-school programs While many summer camps and programs fill up long before school 18 JULY2017

lets out, it’s worth checking with your local city or town or other organizations to see whether they accept free or low-cost admission to programs featuring arts and entertainment. Churches, YMCAs, community centers, and other organizations often offer a variety of programs focused on the arts. Also, check with private schools and colleges in your area that may offer specialized programs in the arts as after-school or vacation activities.

Free Fridays Many organizations participate in the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fridays program, which offers free admission to art museums and other attractions around the state. Find a complete list of free attractions this month on page 27. baystateparent’s monthly calendar of events (starting on page 20) offers more than 100 events — many of them free and arts-related — in each month’s issue.

Discounted admission Many music, theater, and art venues offer discounted admissions, especially for students. You may be able to gain admission to dress rehearsals, matinees, and special performances at a substantial discount. Check with local venues to see what discounts are available.

Many colleges and universities also offer first-class performances at reasonable costs.

Scholarships Music, theater, and dance lessons aren’t cheap. But some programs offer scholarships, sliding-scale and payment plans that can help put them within reach.

Attorney Andy P. Miller is the founder and managing attorney of Miller Law Group, P.C. (apmillerlawgroup. com). A father himself, Miller focuses on children and their best interests by helping guide parents through the divorce process. Having practiced in nearly every county in Massachusetts, he has a wide understanding of the various courts in Massachusetts and experience before many judges.

SUMMER&FALL17

With so many BIG events happening, be sure to save these dates! Details & discounted tickets at wachusett.com

WACHUSETT MOUNTAIN

oct 5-9

columbus day sale & swap

Family Fun Days Sat-Mon

Sail the Rails Jam Sat, Oct. 7

oct

SEPT

14-15

1-4

LABOR DAY SALE & music TENT

APPLEFEST Family Fun Days & music, BBQ & beer under the tent Sat-Mon

Huge savings on gear & apparel Fri-Mon

Craft & farmers’ market vendors, live shows, music & contests with a NEW Celtic theme this year!

Great NE Apple Pie & Giant Pumpkin Contests • Cider House 5K, Sun, Oct. 15

oct

SEPT

21-22

9-10

farm fresh fest

Locally grown & specialty foods, craft vendors, cooking demos, activities & music!

OKTOBERFEST Jams & Jellies Contest Sat, Sept. 9

SEPT

Traditional German music & dance, craft & farmers’ market vendors, live shows & more!

Stein Hoisting & Keg Toss Competitions Our NEWEST fall festival!

NOV

23-24

11

KIDSFEST Family friendly activities, BMX bike show, Frisbee Dogs, games, crafts & music!

The Life is Good Kids Foundation is the official charity partner of KidsFest.

FOOD TRUCK & craft brew FESTIVAL

For details & tickets, visit foodtruckfestivalsofamerica.com

sepT 30 - oct 1

BBQFEST Great BBQ, cooking demos, food eating contests, craft vendors & live music!

Pig Roast, People’s Choice Awards, Live Band Karaoke Contest

WACHUSETT MOUNTAIN 499 Mountain Road • Princeton, MA 01541 BAYSTATEPARENT 19

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

Photo courtesy Puppet Showplace Theatre

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!

- dr. seuss

Photo courtesy Historic New England.

The Great Red Ball Rescue. July 26-29. Puppet Showplace Theater, Brookline.

Wacky Wednesday Family Concert: Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys.

July 5, South Shore Conservatory, Hingham.

20 JULY2017

Movies at the Mansion Series.

July 6, 13, 20, Lyman Estate, Waltham.

New England Food Truck Festival.

July 29, Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds, West Springfield.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination.

Although we’ve done our best to ensure accuracy at press time, things can and do change.

Backyard and Beyond: Silly Sock Walk.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10:30 a.m. Wear your silliest socks pulled up over your pant legs and walk into the woods with us, as we share some tips about identification and prevention of poison ivy and ticks, and have a fun activity to round out the day. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

1 Saturday

Free First Saturday. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Drop in and spend the morning exploring the galleries of the art museum with your family.

Free. worcesterart.org.

Photo by Lynne Graves for SCMA

Firefest. Town Field, 4 Hollis St., Pepperell.

11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. A glowing, blowing, booming, and banging small-town extravaganza. The day starts with a brassy, patriotic parade at 12:30 p.m., followed by FireFest, a festival honoring America with music, food, arts, dancing, singing and fun, and ends with a spectacular fireworks display. Free.

Everyday Engineering: Stomp Rockets.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Blast off into a fun-filled holiday weekend by making some simple stomp rockets.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

LME Boston Showcase. Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington. 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy as some of Boston’s best independent talent competes in this one-of-a-kind music festival for all ages. $20. regenttheatre.com.

Summer Flicks: The Batman Movie. Patriot Place, Foxborough. 6 p.m. Preshow entertainment on the plaza, located outside the Patriots ProShop and The Hall at Patriot Place. The movie begins at dusk and will be shown on Patriot Place’s large projector. Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the plaza for a better viewing experience. Free. patriot-place.com.

Miss Massachusetts. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. 7 p.m. The Top 10 contestants compete in talent, eveningwear, and swimsuit events, before finding out who will be recognized through the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Foundation. $40. thehanovertheatre.org.

Moonlight Hike and Campfire for Families.

Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., Princeton. 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Enjoy the beautiful landscape and trains of the Meadow as they are illuminated by moonlight.

Hike, enjoy s’mores around the campfire, and catch glimpses of the wildlife in our backyard.

Register ahead. Member adults $10, children $6; nonmember adults $18, children $8. massaudubon.org.

2 Sunday

Arms + Armor Demonstrations. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester.

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Learn all about different kinds of arms and armor used by knights and soldiers, including Roman soldiers, medieval

Second Free Friday. July 14, Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton.

knights, and beyond. Saturdays and Sundays.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, ages 4 and up $6, ages under 4 free. worcesterart.org.

3 Monday

Rigamajig. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., North Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Enjoy STEM engineering at its best as we build huge structures with this oversized system featuring wheels, pulleys, and more. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

and those who fought in the first battle of the American Revolution. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $10, children $5, ages under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

DCR Hatch Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston. 9 a.m.: Gates open. 8:30 p.m.: The annual extravaganza featuring guest artists Melissa Etheridge, Andy Grammar, and Leslie Odom Jr., and a 20-minute fireworks show over Boston Harbor. Free. bostonpopsjuly4th.org.

5 Wednesday

Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular Show Rehearsal. DCR Hatch Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston. 5 p.m.: Gates open. 8:30 p.m.: Rehearsal begins, including guest artists Melissa Etheridge, Andy Grammar, and Leslie Odom Jr. No fireworks. Free. bostonpopsjuly4th.org.

Whipple Wednesdays. Ipswich Museum, 54 Main St., Ipswich. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Join us for a series of Colonial games, including rolling hoops, graces, fox and geese, and more.

Wednesdays. Free. ipswichmuseum.org.

4 Tuesday

Curious Creatures Show. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell. A hands-on interactive live animal show for all ages! 10 a.m. make-and-take art. 11 a.m. performance.

Noon: National Trolley Park rides. Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

Independence Day Celebration. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd., Sturbridge. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate an old-fashioned good time as we enjoy a citizens’ parade, play 19th-century style ‘base ball,’ march with the militia, make a tri-cornered hat, enjoy a series of ‘Farm Yard Games’, and more. Free with admission. Adults $28, youths ages 4 to 17 $14, children under 3 free. osv.org.

July 4th at the Concord Museum. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 11 a.m.4 p.m. Take part in patriotic crafts, gallery activities, and collection spotlights as you learn about the meaning of patriotism for early Americans

Wacky Wednesday Family Concert: Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys. South Shore Conservatory, Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Dr., Hingham. 10 a.m. Award-winning local family favorite Trien and her band provide music, fun, dancing and more. Adults: $15, children $5.

Children under 3 free. sscmusic.org.

Stroller Tours at WAM. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester.

10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Museum teachers engage caretakers, infants, and toddlers with art and stories in the galleries, before staying for coffee, juice, or snacks afterwards. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $14, ages 4 and up $6, ages under 4 free. worcesterart.org.

The Pirate, the Princess, and the Pea. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. Come on a thrilling voyage chock-full of sea monsters, shipwrecks, and mistaken identities as a princess and a pirate compete in a treasure hunt. Through Saturday. Members $8, general admission $12. puppetshowplace.org.

Family Firefly Walk. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 8 p.m.-9 p.m.

Hunt for twinkling fireflies and story. Registration recommended. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children $8. towerhillbg.org.

6 Thursday

Take Aparts, Jr. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Bring your curiosity as we grab some tools and discover resistors, capacitors, gears and more as you uncover the inner workings of household gadgets and gizmos. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Smelly The Juggler. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell. Smyly is a regular at the MIT Juggling Club, often performing in the famous Infinite Corridor with his fun tricks and incredible talent.10 a.m. make-and-take are. 11 a.m. performance. Noon: National Trolley Park rides.

Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

Make a Mess: Foamy Fun. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Experiment and create unique, foam-tastic works of art using shaving cream and bubbles. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Movies at the Mansion: E.T. Lyman Estate, 185 Lyman St., Waltham. 8:30 p.m. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, and even a picnic as we BAYSTATEPARENT 21

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! 2017 Mac N Cheese Festival. Templeton Historic Common, Templeton. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Enjoy everything macaroni and cheese as you enjoy craft vendors, food vendors, tug-o-war, rock climbing station, superhero games, and plenty of macaroni and cheese. Free. templetonelders.org.

watch this family-friendly modern classic following a young boy as he works to ensure an extraterrestrial can find his way home. Free. historicnewengland.org.

7 Friday

Photo courtesy of the Discovery Museums.

Cold As Ice: A 300lb Block of Ice. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Get ready for a cold day in July as we make chilly discoveries with coins, keys, watercolors, salt, and more with a 300-pound block of ice. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Free Fun Friday. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 25 Evans Way, Boston. 11 a.m.

Head to the Gardner on Free Fun Friday for art-making in the studio, fun in the galleries, performances in Calderwood Hall and Monk’s Garden, and enjoy our special exhibition ‘Listen Hear: The Art of Sound’ with sonic hands-on fun. Free. gardnermuseum.org.

Make a Mess: Icy Artwork. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-12 p.m. Explore and compare the properties of different types of frozen paint cubes and create an original artwork as they melt. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Free Friday Night Fun. The Children Discovery Museum and Discovery Woods, 177 Main St., Acton. 4:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Explore the museum and adjacent Discovery Woods.

Food donations for Open Table of Concord and Maynard, and the Acton Food Pantry accepted.

Free. discoverymuseums.org.

Chestnut Hill’s Friday Farm Dinner.

Chestnut Hill Farm, 9-99 Chestnut Hill Rd., Southborough. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Relax under the setting sun and enjoy a truly unique farm-to-table experience from fresh vegetables and fruits to local pasture raised meats and sustainable seafood, with music, and lawn games.

Register ahead. Member adults $36, children $12; nonmember adults $45, children $15. thetrustess.org.

Caterpillar Lab. July 18, The Discovery Museums, Acton.

Summer Movies in the Park: Trolls.

Monument Park, Gardner. Dusk. Free.

8 Saturday

Meet the Farmer: We Love Bugs. Chestnut Hill Farm, 9-99 Chestnut Hill Rd., Southborough.

10 a.m.-12 p.m. Meet the farmers who grow all of our delicious food. Check out the micro-universe of good and bad insects on the farm, and enjoy fun activities for kids and grown-ups. Members free; nonmembers $5, children under 5 free. thetrustees.org.

Family Tour at WAM. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m.

Explore the Worcester Art Museum galleries with your family on a docent-guided discover tour, as you hear facts, listen to stories, and enjoy time together. Free. worcesterart.org.

Exploring Science Together: Bugs. Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Take a closer

look and explore the world of miniscule bugs, as we learn together with hands-on activities that show you how to classify and identify these numerous and diverse creatures. Register ahead.

Members $10, nonmembers $20. hmnh.harvard.edu.

Families @ WAM Make Art. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 11 a.m.11:30 a.m. Drop in for fun, intergenerational time in the museum galleries, as you get inspired by our art and try making something uniquely yours. Free. worcesteart.org.

All About Bees. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Join researcher Rachael Bonoan from Tufts University as she shares her work studying honey bees, before testing your own bee vision, taste test honey from different locations, learn about pollinators, and make our own beeswax candles. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Boston Pizza Festival. Boston City Hall Plaza, Boston. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. A 2-day outdoor festival featuring live music, food, and giveaways, and the opportunity to try pizza from all over the region. Through Sunday. $15. bostonpizzafestival.com Kitchen Science. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Mix, experiment, and predict using things you can find at the grocery store, from oil to food coloring, to straws. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Summer Open House. Puppet Showplace Theatre, 32 Station St., Brookline. 11:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. Celebrate the start of the summer with the Puppet Showplace crew, as you bring your own shadow sea creature to life, learn about upcoming performances, and meet the master artists of Crabgrass Puppet Theater. Free. puppetshowplace.org.

Geology Tour of Signal Hill. Signal Hill, 99 University Rd., Canton. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Join a longtime Trustees and Neponset River Watershed Association member and explore the unusually colored maroon sedimentary rocks referred to as Wamsutta redbeds. Register ahead.

For ages 12 and up. Free. thetrustees.org.

Wandering Through Wetlands. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Dive into this exploration of sanctuary wetlands to learn how Mother Nature creates these magical areas, including swamps, streams, vernal pools, and marshes. Register ahead. Member adults $9, children $6; nonmember adults $12, children $9. massaudubon.org.

MEDICAL ADVICE WHEN YOU ARE ON THE GO. Download our free symptom checker app today!

10AM -Arts/Snacks 11AM - Stage Show 12PM - Trolley Rides 22 JULY2017

Our Health eCheck app helps you make decisions on what type of medical care is needed when your child falls off their bike or has a persistant cough.

Search from a list of symptoms or by body area.

Waterfire. 100 Canal Walk, Providence.

8 p.m. Enjoy a full lighting of over 80 floating braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial/ South Main Street Park. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset and the event continues until half past midnight. Stroll, enjoy music, and more.

Free. waterfire.org.

9 Sunday

Tattoo Show Drop-in Crafts. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston.

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Join us for some fun, floral tattoo-inspired crafts. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $15, youths ages 6 and up $5, children under 5 free. towerhillbg.org.

2017 Levitate Music and Arts Festival.

Marshfield Fairgrounds, 140 Main St., Marshfield. 12 p.m. Enjoy the 5th annual Levitate Music and Arts Festival, filled with tons of artists, crafters, kids activities, live music, and food trucks. Begins Saturday. General admission $64, children ages 4 to 12 $15, children under 4 free. levitatemusicfestival.com.

Backyard and Beyond: When the Moon Is Full. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Enjoy the Buck Moon, named for the time when the male deer’s antlers are in full growth, as we learn about the moon and stars, grab a full moon calendar, and start a new tradition of taking a night walk every

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! month when the moon is full. Free with admisrhythm by learning multicultural drumming sion. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, patterns, playing a variety of instruments, and children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. exploring movement and dance while singing songs. Free with admission. Members free; nonHelping Wildlife: Hummingbirds. Wachusett member adults $12.50, children under 1 free.

Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Rd., discoverymuseums.org.

Princeton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Get a hands-on introduction to the ruby-throated hummingbirds The Princess Bride. Coolidge Corner Theatre, and a short hike to some of our monitoring sites 290 Harvard St., Brookline. 7 p.m. Watch in hopes of catching a glimpse. For families with one of the funniest love stories ever unfold, as children ages 5 and up. Register ahead. Member lovebirds Buttercup and Westley are separated adults $7, children $4; nonmember adults $9, and years later find themselves on a fantastical children $5. massaudubon.org. journey that brings them unexpectedly back together. Adults $12.25, children $10.25. coolidege.org.

Crazy Concoctions. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Dress for a mess, and get ready to make Storytime with Bessie the Dinosaur. a variety of crazy concoctions like gak, slime, The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. and ooblek. Free with admission. Members free, 10 a.m. Join us for a fun-filled, language-rich nonmembers $9, children under 1 free.

Dino Storytime, as we stomp our feet outside childrensmuseumineaston.org. near our favorite green dinosaur, revel in some roaring dinosaur tales, and sing silly dino songs.

DIDART. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Free with admission. Members free; nonmember Congress St., Boston. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. adults $12.50, children under 1 free.

Learn about culture by blending art, craft, and discoverymuseums.org. technology through activities with DIDART. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, Fun with Legos. The Children’s Museum in children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Embrace your inner architect as you build Upbeat Music. The Discovery Museums, 177 Legos creations based on a fun theme. Free with Main St., Acton. 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m. Practice admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, chil-

10 Monday

11 Tuesday

dren under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Outdoor Movie Night: Captain America.

Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord.

8:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Spend your summer evening with a blanket or lawn chair and this fantastic Marvel-produced movie following the origins of Captain America. Free. concordmuseum.org.

12 Wednesday

Roger Tincknell: Family Concert. Buttery Brook Park, 123 Willimansett St., South Hadley. 10 a.m. Enjoy music spanning country blues, bluegrass, yodeling, and swing, expertly performed by this musician for children and families for over 40 years. Free. shfamilycenter.org.

Wacky Wednesday Family Concert: Karen K and the Jitterbugs. South Shore Conservatory, Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Dr., Hingham. 10 a.m. Known for their totally engaging, high-energy show packed with humor and amazingly catchy, well-crafted tunes, Karen K & the Jitterbugs is one of the most buzzed about kindie bands on the East Coast. Adults: $15, children $5. Children under 3 free. sscmusic.org.

Beauty and The Beast. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell. The Hampstead Stage

THE 135TH

BOLTON FAIR 2017

Thursday August 10th Preview night for midway

Friday August 11th thru Sunday August 13th • Expanded Midway • Food • Entertainment • Exhibit Hall • Animal Shows & Contests • Commercial & Craft Vendors • Demolition Derby • Monster Trucks • Kids Country Entertainment & Games New Shows this year Tim Dyson Motorcycle stunt show Tracy Davis Horsing Around Show Record & Burpee Animal shows

See Website for schedule of events, entertainment, prices & hours

www.boltonfair.org

The Fairgrounds at Lancaster, Rt. 117, Exit 27 off Rt. 495

Sponsored by BAYSTATEPARENT 23

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Company presents the French fairy tale of a selfless young woman who takes her father’s place as prisoner in a castle far away. 10 a.m. make-and-take art. 11 a.m. performance. Noon National Trolley Park rides. Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

Play in the Park. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Collaborate to construct large-scale temporary structures in response to deCordova art, landscape, and outdoor sculptures. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. deCordova.org.

Family Firefly Walk. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 8 p.m.-9 p.m.

Hunt for twinkling fireflies and enjoy a story.

Registration recommended. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children $8. towerhillbg.org.

13 Thursday

Doggy Days: Portraits of Abby. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Abby the Therapy Dog visits and inspires us to create a portrait of our favorite friend. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Word Play. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. Words come to life in the hands of two skilled performers who clown around with sounds and letters to create dozens of interactive characters and imaginative scenes.

Through Saturday. Members $8, general admission $12. puppetshowplace.org.

Magic With Robert Clarke. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell. Boston Magician and Juggler Robert Clarke started performing at the age of 16, training under “The Suspenders,” a juggling group from his hometown on Cape Cod. 10 a.m. make-and-take art.

11 a.m. performance. Noon: National Trolley Park rides. Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

Take Aparts. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Grab a screwdriver and discover circuit boards, resistors, and more as we explore radios, computers, telephones, and more. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Picnic Concert Series: The UnHoly Mackerels. Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 2468 Washington St., Canton. 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Enjoy a family-friendly danceable concert of classic rock, pop, country and more styles, as you walk the grounds and visit the gardens or lawn. Member cars $20, nonmember cars $30. thetrustees.org.

24 JULY2017

Movies at the Mansion: Finding Dory.

Lyman Estate, 185 Lyman St., Waltham.

8:30 p.m. Refreshments, music by the Waltham High School showband, and this Pixar sequel following an absent-minded fish on a quest to find her family. Free. historicnewengland.org.

14 Friday

Music and Movement with Miss Bernadette. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 9:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Explore sound through singing and playing, as we move, make music, listen, learn, and get a multi-sensory workout with one of our favorite musicians and Kindermusik educator. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Wearable Art. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Make a fabulous work of art that you can wear. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Free Fun Friday. Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy the museum and explore its galleries showcasing the best of Russian art, both contemporary to the icons of Orthodox cultures. Free. museumofrussianicons.org.

Exploring Nano: Rays Awareness. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Learn about ultraviolet light and do some simple experiments to see how sunscreen protects you by blocking harmful rays, before making your own simple UV detector bracelet to take home. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Second Free Friday. Smith College Museum of Art, 20 Elm St., Northampton. 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Art making for all ages and guided conversations, inspired by works on view. Paint watercolor tiles and plates with floral and geometric motifs inspired by ceramic objects from the newly acquired Horwitz collection of Islamic Art. Free. smith.edu/artmuseum.

Free Friday Flicks: Sing. DCR Hatch Shell & Esplanade, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston.

6 p.m. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic, or just a sense of fun as we enjoy free games, giveaways with WBZ NewsRadio, and food vendors before settling in at sunset to enjoy this quirky animated film following a collection of animals striving to claim their dreams during a singing competition. Free. boston.cbslocal.com/flicks.

Cinema Under the Stars: SING. Northborough Crossing, 9012 Shops Way, Northborough. 6 p.m. DJ and karaoke contest. Movie starts at 8:15 p.m. Free. northboroughcrossing.com.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Somerville Artbeat. Davis Square, 1 Davis Square, Somerville. 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Enjoy one of the most innovative arts festival with over a dozen bands, dance troupes, 75 craft vendors, food, and all-age activities. Saturday runs 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. somervilleartscouncil.org.

15 Saturday

Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival. Look Park, 300 North Main St., Florence. 9 a.m.9:30 p.m. Enjoy the 24th annual Scottish Festival featuring highland competition, dance competition, pipes and drums, Scottish food, vendors, and much more. Advance tickets: adults $14, children ages 6 to 12 $5, children under 5 free; day-of tickets: adults $16, children ages 6 to 12 $5, children under 6 free. glasgowlands.org.

Third Week Wonders: The Very Lonely Firefly. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester.

10 a.m.-11 a.m. Bring your favorite adult for a thematic hour of a story, an activity, and a naturalist-led walk. For ages 3 to 5. Register ahead.

Member children $3, nonmember children $4, adults free. massaudubon.org.

WGBH FunFest. WGBH Studios, 1 Guest St., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy this all-you caneat ice cream event, featuring kid-friendly musical entertainment on the main stage each hour, interactive games, activities, inflatable rides, face painting, and many of your all-time favorite PBS characters. $10, 4-pack $34. wgbh.org/support.

Stroller Tours at WAM. Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Museum teachers engage caretakers, infants, and toddlers with art and stories in the galleries. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, ages 4 and up $6, ages under 4 free. worcesterart.org.

Maker Weekend: Make It Go. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Try tried-and-true designs or invent something entirely new, as we build everything from planes and trains to cars and boats. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Let’s Go Fly a Kite. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

Find us on the hillside for a kite-making craft that will inspire outdoor play for the whole family, before sending your craft flying through the air. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $5, children under 5 free. fruitlands.org.

Especially for Me: Free Evening for Families with ASD Children. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

Come join in all the fun during this evening especially for families with members on the autism spectrum, including a special scavenger hunt

in the Discovery Woods, and dinner provided.

Register ahead. Free. discoverymuseums.org.

16 Sunday

MAKEmobile. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 1 p.m.3 p.m. Take your imagination for a spin with activities that explore the artistic and material processes through amusing prompts and challenges. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. decordova.org.

Hands-on History. Concord Museum, 200 Lexington Rd., Concord. 1 p.m.-4 p.m.

An afternoon for kids and families to learn together through hands-on demonstrations.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $10, children $5, ages under 5 free. concordmuseum.org.

17 Monday

Light Painting. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 10 a.m.12 p.m. Come create works of art using a camera and colorful flashlights for an awesome display of creativity. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

18 Tuesday

The Caterpillar Lab. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Join us as the Caterpillar Lab takes over our Discovery Classroom, and turns it into a mini version of their own lab space to teach you all about metamorphosis and tell incredible but true stories about the creatures’ strange and surprising adaptations. Through Saturday. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Robots. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Come build ’bots with a variety of recycled materials during this special summer workshop. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

19 Wednesday

John O’Neil: Family Concert. Buttery Brook Park, 123 Willimansett St., South Hadley. 10 a.m. Bring a blanket or picnic as we enjoy this outdoor music concert during the 9th Annual Summer Concert series for family and children at Buttery Park. Free. shfamilycenter.org.

L’il Iguana Safety Show. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell. A music-driven, interactive stage show reinforcing crucial safety messages through themed songs, skits, and demonstrations. 10 a.m. make-and-take art. 11 a.m. performance. Noon: National Trolley Park rides.

Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

BAYSTATEPARENT 25

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! Wacky Wednesday Family Concert: Alastair Moock and Friends. South Shore Conservatory, Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Dr., Hingham. 10 a.m. Moock and Friends’ live shows are rowdy, rootsy, singin’ and dancin’ fun for the whole family!

Adults: $15, children $5. Children under 3 free. sscmusic.org.

program part of our Be Well Series. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Spectacular Science Show. The Mall at Whitney Field, Food Court, 100 Commercial Rd., Leominster. 12 p.m. Experience a fun, educational, and interactive show with Hands On Science with Cosmic Kelly. Free. themallatwhitneyfield.com.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline.

10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. CactusHead Puppets brings back one of our favorite performances, showing the story of the Pied Piper in this comedic and kid-friendly adaptation of the traditional folktale, as he finds a musical solution to pest control. Recommended for ages 4 and up. Through Saturday. Members $8, general admission $12. puppetshowplace.org.

Summer Flicks: Finding Dory. Patriot Place, Foxborough. 6 p.m. Preshow entertainment on the plaza, located outside the Patriots ProShop and The Hall at Patriot Place. The movie begins at dusk and will be shown on Patriot Place’s large projector. Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the plaza for a better viewing experience.

Free. patriot-place.com.

20 Thursday

Mariana Iranzi. Cyrus Irish Auditorium, Lowell High School, 50 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell.

Fun and educational, the assorted flavors of reggae, folk, rock, blues, bossa nova, tango and South American rhythms make the perfect blend for a multicultural recipe the entire family will enjoy. 10 a.m. make-and-take art. 11 a.m. performance. Noon: National Trolley Park rides.

Free. lowellsummermusic.org.

Berklee College of Music Summer Sessions. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 1:30 p.m. Middle School Day Sessions students from Berklee College of Music travel to BCM to present a live performance, showcasing the creative talents of the students and encouraging interaction and creativity among children. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Picnic Concert Series: AfterFab. Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 2468 Washington St., Canton. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy the music of The Beatles’ solo careers during this danceable and family-friendly concert performed outside with vendors on-site and picnics always welcome. Register ahead. Member cars $20; nonmember cars $30. thetrustees.org.

Movies at the Mansion: Top Gun. Lyman Estate, 185 Lyman St., Waltham. 8:30 p.m.

Enjoy the summer air, and bring along a blanket, a lawn chair, or just a picnic, during this showing of a Tom Cruise-fronted favorite.

26 JULY2017

Waterfire. 100 Canal Walk, Providence. p.m. Enjoy a full lighting of over 80 floating braziers from Waterplace Park to Memorial/ South Main Street Park. Lighting occurs shortly after sunset and the event continues until half past midnight. Stroll, enjoy music, and more.

Free. waterfire.org.

23 Sunday

Summer Flicks Series.

July 1, 19, Patriot Place, Foxborough.

Free. historicnewengland.org.

Waterfire. 100 Canal Walk, Providence.

8 p.m. Enjoy a basin lighting, including a circle of 22 braziers in the Waterplace Park Basin and 12 braziers leading up to the Providence Place mall.

Stroll, enjoy music, and more. Free. waterfire.org.

21 Friday

Forest Fridays Visits Caterpillar Lab. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Check out the Caterpillar Lab for a special Forest Fridays activity. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Sew Much Fun. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Learn the basics of the sewing machine, and weave on a loom for a project to take home. Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Free Fun Friday at Fruitlands Museum.

Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy a free day at the Fruitlands courtesy of the Highland Street Foundation, featuring trail tours, gallery torus, hands-on activities, and fun for all ages. Free. fruitlands.org.

Free Fun Friday. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Participate in hands-on art making activities, join in on engaging tours, see thought-provoking exhibitions, and check out this year’s Community

Arts Initiative Artist Project ‘Building with Light’, as we enjoy a day of serious fun. Free. mfa.org.

Free Friday Flicks: The Jungle Book. DCR Hatch Shell & Esplanade, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston. 6 p.m. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic, or just a sense of fun as we enjoy free games, giveaways with WBZ NewsRadio, and food vendors, before settling in at sunset to enjoy this live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic book following a young Indian orphan raised by wolves in the jungle. Free. boston.cbslocal.com/flicks.

Summer Movies in the Park: SING. Monument Park, Gardner. Dusk. Free.

22 Saturday

Gardening with Kids. Alvah Kittredge Community Garden, 10 Highland Ave., Roxbury. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Start seeds to take home, meet our composting worms, and learn tips from other gardening families. Free. thetrustees.com 2017 International Sand Sculpting Festival. Revere Beach, 450 Revere Beach Blvd., Revere. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fifteen sculptors from all over the world compete for cash prizes, with amusements, a food truck festival, live music, street performer, and more throughout the day. Through Sunday. Free. reverebeachpartnership.com.

Sun Safety. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Drop by as we discover ways to be safe in the sun while still enjoying outdoor activities during this

Nature and Nurture with Miss Bernadette. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Explore the great outdoors, as we sing songs, take a nature walk, read a story, or make a craft, as we discover the wonders of nature. Activities designed for ages 2 to 4. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

The Future of Our Worlds. The Institute of Contemporary Arts: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 3 p.m. Enjoy this performance part of the ICA’s Summer Stages Dance programming, as different genres of dance and generations of performers gather in a creative movement inspired

by Audre Lorde essay’s ‘Poetry Is Not a Luxury’.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $15, ages 17 and under free. icaboston.org.

25 Tuesday

Exploring Madhubani Art: Traditional Techniques. The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop in and join us as we explore and discover Madhubani (Mithila) art—an Indian folk art that originates from the Northern region of India. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Thru Saturday Circuits Summer Workshop. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 1 p.m. Use LEDs, batteries, and playdough to make a creative and crafty circuit. Free with admission.

Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

26 Wednesday

In the Nick of Time: Family Concert.

Buttery Brook Park, 123 Willimansett St., South Hadley. 10 a.m. Enjoy clever lyrics and cheerful tunes that will catch your ear during this performance featuring a blend of rock, pop, reggae, jazz, and funk music, which brings kids of all ages

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! to their feet, during this performance part of the 9th Annual Summer Concert series at Buttery Park.

Free. shfamilycenter.org.

Wacky Wednesday Family Concert: Debbie and Friends. South Shore Conservatory, Jane Carr Amphitheater, One Conservatory Dr., Hingham. 10 a.m. A live Debbie and Friends show is perfect interactive entertainment for families and elementary aged kids. Adults: $15, children $5. Children under 3 free. sscmusic.org.

Play in the Park. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln.

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Collaborate to construct large-scale temporary structures in response to deCordova art, landscape, and outdoor sculptures.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. deCordova.org.

The Great Red Ball Rescue. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. Enjoy a family trip to the beach that goes awry when a young boy’s favorite red ball gets whisked away by the tide, setting off an adventure across the ocean, under the waves, and up into the clouds. Through Saturday. Members $8, general admission $12. puppetshowplace.org.

Exploring Madhubani Art: Open Studio.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Drop in and join us as we try our hands at creating our own unique work of art inspired by pieces originating from Northern India.

Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

27 Thursday

Baseball Day. Boston Children’s Museum,

308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Come play ball as we run the bases, dress-up like baseball players, and design our own team uniforms. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

Picnic Concert Series: The Baha Brothers.

Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 2468 Washington St., Canton. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Enjoy some summer time beach music during this outdoor concert as the temperature warms and the gardens and lawn look particularly inviting. Register ahead.

Member cars $20, nonmember cars $30. thetrustees.org.

28 Friday

Backyard and Beyond: Forest Fridays.

The Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton.

10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Enjoy a nature-based activity based on the weather and season either in Discovery Woods or out on the adjacent conservation land. Activities designed for ages 2 to 6. Fridays. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.

Wearable Art. The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Ave., Easton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

Make fabulous works of art that you can wear.

Free with admission. Members free, nonmembers $9, children under 1 free. childrensmuseumineaston.org.

Free Friday Flicks: Finding Dory. DCR Hatch Shell & Esplanade, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston. 6 p.m. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic, or just a sense of fun as we enjoy free games and giveaways with WBZ NewsRadio, before settling in at sunset to enjoy this followup Pixar film looking at what happens when

absentminded Dory looks to remember and find her family. Free. boston.cbslocal.com/flicks.

Friday Farm Dinner. Powisset Farm, 37 Powisset St., Dover. Join us while we enjoy a seasonal dinner, and the company of new and old farm friends with entertainment. Register ahead. Member adults $36, children $12; nonmember adults $45, children $15. thetrustees.org.

KidsJam. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Enjoy this all ages dance party, featuring a live DJ, dance lessons, games, and of course plenty of dancing. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $1, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

29 Saturday

Play Date: Creating a Wonderful World.

The Institute of Contemporary Art: Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy time at our waterfront location as we fill up the ICA with fun, creative, and even zany activities for kids and adults to do together. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $15, ages 17 and under free. icaboston.org.

Plastic City Comic Con. Wallace Civic Center, 1000 John Fitch Hwy., Fitchburg. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The premier event for comics, toys and pop culture fans in North Central Massachusetts.

Bring the family down and share a love of comic books with celebrity creators, local talent and vendors. Admission $2, kids 12 and under are free. plasticcitycomiccon.com.

A Very Wizardly Birthday Celebration.

Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Join us for a Wizardy

Free Fun Fridays in July

Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays program offers free admission for your family at any of these incredible Massachusetts institutions this month! For more information, check out highlandstreet.org/programs/free-fun-fridays July 7 • Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum (Boston) • New England Historic Genealogical Society (Boston) • Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum (Lenox) • Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (Great Barrington) • Amelia Park Children’s Museum (Westfield) • Falmouth Museums on the Green • Pilgrim Hall Museum (Plymouth) • Children’s Museum in Easton • The Hall at Patriot Place July 14 • Edward M. Kennedy Institute (Boston)

• The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum (Chestnut Hill) • Harvard Museums of Science & Culture (Cambridge) • Larz Anderson Auto Museum (Brookline) • Provincetown Art Association and Museum • Edward Gorey House (Yarmouth Port) • Museum of Russian Icons (Clinton) • Cape Ann Museum (Gloucester) July 21 • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston • Tanglewood (Lenox) • Boston Athenaeum • The Museum of the NCAA (Boston) • Fruitlands Museum, The Trustees (Harvard)

• Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History (Weston) • Lynn Museum • Hancock Shaker Village • Sandwich Glass Museum July 28 • John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum • Commonwealth Museum (Boston) • Arnold Arboretum (Boston) • The Eric Carle Museum (Amherst) • Berkshire Theatre Group (Stockbridge) • Historic Deerfield • Cape Cod Museum of Art (Dennis) • Wenham Museum • Tower Hill Botanic Garden (Boylston) BAYSTATEPARENT 27

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Weekend as we celebrate our favorite wizard’s birthday. Come dressed in your robes, bring your wand, and practice Quidditch, potions, and more magical activities. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

New England Food Truck Festival.

Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds, 1305 Memorial Ave, West Springfield. 12 p.m.-9 p.m. Check out 45 of New England’s best food trucks, as well as live music/bands, face painting for children, field games and other entertainment.

Also runs Sunday. Tickets: $5 for ages 6 and up. nefoodtruckfest.com.

YSP Teen presents Guys and Dolls. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Participants in the Youth Summer Program at the Hanover Theatre presents this oddball romantic comedy featuring a gambler, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, and a missionary, taking us from the heart of Time Square, to the cafes of Havana, to the sewers of New York. $18. thehanovertheatre.org.

Open Garden Afternoon. Rutland Washington Community Garden, Corner of Rutland St. & Washington St., Boston. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Explore the garden, learn more about the gardener’s plans

for the season, and get inspired with local musicians and light refreshments. Free. thetrustees.org.

Shakespeare on the Farm: The Merchant of Venice. Powisset Farm, 37 Powisset St., Dover.

5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Join the Gazebo Players of Medfield for their first performance of the 2017 season and their time ever at Powisset Farm, and promising to delight the entire family. Free. thetrustees.org.

30 Sunday

Mini Dance Festival with Urbanity Dance.

Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Enjoy performances throughout the day, as we welcome Urbanity Dance — a program that brings together local youth dance groups — to present the finest young dancers across genres. Free with admission.

Members free; nonmembers $16, children under 1 free. bostonchildrensmuseum.org.

2017 Lowell Folk Fest. City’s Downtown, Lowell. 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Enjoy five stages of traditional music, authentic crafts demonstrations, ethnic foods, art and children’s activities, with performances and entertainment to delight. Free. lowellfolkfestival.org.

Teddy Bear Picnic. Fruitlands Museum, 102 Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Come

on down to the hillside for a day in the teddy bear woods, where we will have games, crafts, picnic time, and plenty of space for your favorite stuffed friend. Register ahead. Members $5, nonmembers $10. fruitlands.org.

MAKEmobile. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd., Lincoln. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Take your imagination for a spin with activities that explore the artistic and material processes through amusing prompts and challenges. Free with admission. Members free; nonmember adults $14, children 12 and under free. deCordova.org.

Summer Sundays Series: Puppets. Francis William Bird Park, 41 Rhoades Ave., East Walpole. 3 p.m.-4 p.m. Bring your little ones to the park to enjoy a combination of puppetry and magic by Silly Sally, the kooky clown and puppeteer extraordinaire, and ice cream from Crescent Ridge Dairy. Member families $9, nonmember families $15. thetrustees.org.

31 Monday

Yankee Homecoming. Downtown Newburyport, Newburyport. 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Enjoy concerts, downtown entertainment, a marketplace, an artisan revival, and a kids talent show from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. during this celebration of our Yankee Heritage. Free. yankeehomecoming.com.

Don’t Miss

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P.S. Come to Hot Night in the City! July 21, 6-9PM. A Block-Party-Style Open House inspired by the heat of summer and the fiery process of craft! At Hot Night, discover opportunities for the Fall! Free Admission.

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ARTS and

enrichment 30 JULY2017

From Pointe to Ponies...

Haileigh, 6 Gretchen ~ Sheer Back Bow Dress by ModerneChild Shoppe (modernechild.com)

Lauren, 10 Lace Trim A-Line Dress and Flower Crown Headband by FabKids (fabkids.com)

Chloe, 9 Vest by Cat & Jack, dress by Art Class (target.com) BAYSTATEPARENT 31

and Hip Hop to....

Demetrius, 5 T-shirt and shorts

by Art Class (target.com) Ethan, 11 Dri-Fit t-shirt and shorts by Nike (nike.com) Emerson, 7 Vest, shirt, and overalls

by Cat & Jack (target.com)

32 JULY2017

Rock n’ Roll!

Marco, 5 Cool Kid Tee

by FabKids (fabkids.com) Jeans by Cat & Jack (target.com) Emerson, 7 Off the Shoulder Swing Dress and Straw Floppy Hat

by FabKids Joshua, 10 Nachos Tee

by FabKids Camp shirt by Free Planet Jeans by Cat & Jack

Photography by Kelsey Haley Media (kelseyhaleymedia.com) On location at Stowe Farm, Millbury (stowefarm.com) Hair and makeup by TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy, Worcester (toniguy.edu) BAYSTATEPARENT 33

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM PERRI 34 JULY2017

ARTS & ENRICHMENT

DADS

by DAY,

blue

by NIGHT

PHOTO COURTESY BLUE MAN GROUP

BY MELISSA SHAW

It’s hard to find fathers more colorful than Jason McLin and Adam Erdossy.

They have a cool Boston office, the 180-year-old Charles Playhouse — the Theatre District’s oldest — and whenever their children (two girls for McLin and a son for Erdossy) come to hang out at sound check or catch a show, all three are popular additions.

“They really love it,” McLin says of his daughters, Olive and Poppy. “They have a great time and they want to come more often. It is funny when they are here. Some of the Blue Men who are still here when I got here [2011] know them so well that they get a lot of attention and such that you’ll see people around them wonder, ‘Why are they getting this attention? Who are these kids?’” He stops and chuckles: “It’s very different from how I grew up.”

It’s a non-traditional job for your typical dad and a unique show in the world of theatre, and Blue Man Group’s long Boston run, nearly 22 years and counting, is delivering surprising benefits for Erdossy and McLin, personally and professionally.

Both men studied theatre, McLin at DePaul University in Chicago and Erdossy at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. While they hadn’t met yet, their paths were similar. Both headed to New York to audition for work and realized the business of show business — endless auditions and hustling for paying gigs — wasn’t for them.

“You’re a self-promoter, you’re on the grind of auditioning. I’m ill suited to that work,” McLin admits.

“I quickly realized I didn’t really have a huge drive to be famous or make a name for myself or be in a huge Broadway show for the sake of being in a huge Broadway show,” Erdossy added.

Enter Blue Man Group. Based in New York, the show is the creation of three friends fresh out of college. The trio developed a non-speaking bald and blue character they called Blue Man (think “human”), and in 1991 began melding music, comedy, props, and rock into an entirely new theatrical experience that has since expanded around the world and been enjoyed by 35 million people. Blue Man Group regularly auditions prospective cast members (actors, musicians, street performers, and others) at its New York headquarters/training center, which is where both men found themselves after suggestions from friends.

The audition is unique in that there is not just one role up for grabs: “It’s not Hamlet, so we’re not all trying to play Hamlet,” McLin says. “The nice thing about that is you sort of get this instant community vibe in the room, more so than you do when you’re seeing all the people in the room just like you vying for the same role.”

Prospective Blue Men who pass the initial audition are welcomed into what is basically an extended tryout. There’s a multi-week program in which they learn parts of the show at the training center, and those who excel continue honing the role, and perform in the New York production at the Astor Place Theatre as part of their training. Those accepted into the company are assigned a show in one of Blue Man’s permanent productions around the U.S.: Boston, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, or Orlando.

Since turning blue in 2002, McLin, a native of Indiana, has performed in several cities, including Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, and Toronto, and was part of the first Blue Man Group cruise to the Caribbean with Norwegian Cruise Line in 2009. He returned to Boston in 2011, settling with his family outside of the city.

While McLin’s Blue Man journey has taken him around the country, Erdossy’s has extended around the world. After completing training and joining the company in 2006, the Vermont native was assigned to the Boston production, then was offered the chance to open the show in Tokyo. He stayed for its entire four-and-a-half-year run, during which he met and married wife Seiko, a professional dancer and kimono model, and they welcomed son Leo, now 4. The family returned to Massachusetts a few years ago, but will soon be grabbing their passports and leaving for at least nine months, as they all join the second leg of the Blue Man Group World Tour, which kicks off next month in Tel Aviv.

“We’ll be on tour together, that was the only way I would have accepted that position because we spent enough time apart on that national tour,” notes Erdossy, who performed with the national tour solo for four months last year while his wife and son lived in Japan with family. “I didn’t really want to do that again.”

The Erdossys love to travel, but their desire to return to Japan at least once a year to visit family makes any other excursions difficult: “Our travel budget usually gets eaten up now that we have to buy three tickets to Japan. We haven’t had too many chances to travel outside of that trip, so this was a great opportunity to actually get to travel all over Europe, which neither of us have travelled in very much before.”

In addition to the ability to travel and explore Europe with his family, Erdossy also views the upcoming tour as an important means of inspiring some international goodwill. “[Blue Man] is essential to do right now because it’s core human experience that connects people and doesn’t separate

BAYSTATEPARENT 35

people,” he says. “It takes us down to the basics and gets us all to explore the more universal elements that connect us all, which is very much what we need right now. I look at it as a privilege and wonderful opportunity to take some of the good elements we have created in American culture and hopefully spread it around as much as possible.”

Yet that mission, while exciting, will be a change for the family.

“Every time we wake up in the morning at our house, birds are chirping, we look outside and we make our coffee, it’s like we’re going to be in a hotel in some random place in Europe for a year,” Erdossy chuckles. “It’s going to be quite a shift. But it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially at [Leo’s] age.”

Wife Seiko, who runs a kimono dressing, rental, and instruction company, will put her business on hold.

“For the tour I have to stop my business, which is a little sad,” she admits.

“But this is a good opportunity, and this will be good education for [Leo] so we can show him lots of countries, lots of languages, and culture.”

Two unique roles

“I really love the anonymity that no one knows it’s me.”

Blue Man Group is a theatrical anomaly in more ways than one.

In a business where successful shows run for just a few years (and flops as little as weeks or months), Blue Man is a cultural mainstay, now 26 years in New York, 21 in Boston, and 20 in Chicago. Many of the cast and crew in the productions throughout the country have long tenures with the company, allowing fathers, like McLin and Erdossy, the relative luxury of being performers at night and dads during the day.

“When my first daughter was born, my partner was in grad school, so she would be in class during the day and I would be at home with my daughter all day, and then I would go to work and do the show at night,” says McLin, whose girls are now 8 and 10. “My daughter was none the wiser to this schedule. It’s been interesting as they’ve gotten older that I work a lot of weekends. I’m gone a lot, so there’s this sense that I work more than other dads do. I said to them once, ‘Of course, you don’t remember that I was the one on diaper duty all day and I was the only dad at the park,’” he laughs.

As his daughters have aged, McLin notes there is a “growing tension” due to his work schedule.

36 JULY2017

“Once he got older, and there were longer periods of time between coming and seeing the show, there would be times he would get a little nervous about it, like, “Wait a minute…Dad, but…not?”

Erdossy says.

But now, “you can see just the shadow of the profile of the Blue Man and always he knows which is Adam — ‘That’s Daddy!’” Seiko says.

In fact, Leo might be too good at picking out his father onstage: “The last time he watched the show, there was one point in the show it was totally quiet, and Leo goes, ‘DADDY!’ ‘THAT’S MY DADDY!’ which he never does.”

Tall, bald, and blue, it’s easy to assume children — related or not — might be taken aback by the characters, who after each performance come to the lobby to meet and greet the audience. But Erdossy reports the opposite.

“That’s one of the fun things about being in character here in the lobby at the end of the show. Kids, I would say 90% of the time, are not scared,” he notes.

“The adults are the ones who are unnerved because it’s uncomfortable having someone staring at you who’s dressed like that.

Kids, generally, have no reason to fear that person, especially little tiny kids who have not been taught to be scared by certain things. There’s no fear.

There’s curiosity — you can see the little synapses firing — Jason McLin inside — it’s pretty awesome.”

There are six men in the Boston company, one trio per show, all silent, bald, and blue, wearing identical black pants and longsleeved shirts. With no headshots in the Playbill displaying what the actors look like without the skullcap and custom Blue Man PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM PERRI Blue greasepaint, it’s impossible to match the six names in the program with the three sound super negative, it’s the life of a performer, but it’s men you just saw. And that is something McLin been interesting to get a read on that growing tension appreciates. as they get older and how we all spend time together A self-described “musical theatre geek,” he on the weekends. We attend church and they’re in the recalls a trip to New York to see Broadway shows choir on Sundays. I can try to request not to be in the during one high school spring break: “I just first show on Sunday so we can go and have our time remember being at the stage door and actors comthere.” ing out, leaving the alley, and no one knows who For Erdossy, his son is enrolled in morning prethey were. That’s amazing. I was really taken by school, which means every afternoon is theirs: that — that you would get to do this thing but no “We have a really wonderful situation. For most one would know you and you just have your life. parents, getting a kid into school is essential That part of Blue Man I really, really enjoy.” because you have to work. For us, I don’t really Showered and changed post-show, McLin could want to put him in a school because this is our walk right out the front door of the theatre next to time together. It’s nice, we get daytime together, audience members, and they would have no idea which is rare and very special.” that the guy heading back to the suburbs was the The fathers report all three children love to fantastical Blue Man who spent 90 minutes procome to the theatre. While having a blue dad is ducing merry chaos onstage. no big deal for the McLin girls, “It’s been pretty “I really love the anonymity,” McLin smiles, “that demystified for them,” their father laughs, 4-yearno one knows it’s me.” old Leo is starting to understand how his father has two very different roles in his life.

While he gets to enjoy beach trips and spend all day with the girls during the summer, with nine shows on an average week and 20+ during the busiest times of the year, he works nights and weekends.

“There is a tension there, I feel it also. Every weekend, when they’re out of school, school vacation week, or February vacation week, I am working,” he notes. “It’s required me to be more vigilant about the calendar, When is this performance? I tend to try to be in the matinee shows to mitigate that feeling. I don’t want to

PHOTO COURTESY CAROLINE TALBOT PHOTOGRAPHY

Blue Man Group: A FamilyFriendly Favorite

Blue Man Group has been performing nonstop on Warrenton Street for two decades, and the show’s longevity has allowed it to extend to generations, kids, and a very special annual audience.

On any given night, the 505-seat theatre could be packed with any age or background, a testament to its universal appeal. The show is different each night, thanks to the unique audiences, and unlike a traditional theatrical show, which never changes a syllable, Blue Man Group is regularly tweaked and updated. Those who saw the show in years past will enjoy a new experience today.

“We never thought of it as a kids show or an adult show,” says Jonathan Screnci, Blue Man Group Boston’s resident general manager, who has been with the company for 18 years. “It’s a show that is really family appropriate. You observe the people who come to see our show, it’s such a wide demographic — parents with kids, college students, people who saw the show in college or in their early 20s that now have children and are coming back to experience with their kids. It’s multigenerational, especially in Boston. We’re here all the time — 21 years, 365 days a year.”

The show is so popular with kids and families, school vacation weeks are some of its busiest times of the year. The production adds extra matinees and special events around February and April vacation weeks. The success of school vacation performances prompted the production to partner with Autism Speaks and offer sensoryfriendly shows.

Now in its third year, the sensory-friendly Autism Speaks show is traditionally held in June, with mild adjustments to the regular lighting and sound. The performances have quickly become

favorites for the cast.

“It’s a huge experience for us because it’s totally different than any other audience,” Blue Man Adam Erdossy says. “That show is special because it is new. We don’t know what’s gonna happen, it’s really exciting. It’s wonderful to see the parents experience that with the kids; it’s a gift for all of us. A lot of parents have told us the way their kids open up to us onstage, to this character we embody, is different than any other stimulation they’ve seen their kid have.”

“I think there is perhaps a special connection with the Blue Men, who rely on non-verbal communication to connect with each other and the audience in a searching, inquisitive way,” Screnci adds. “It’s also an opportunity to create a theatrical experience for that audience that feels appropriately challenging, yet comfortable. We work carefully with [Autism Speaks] to make the experience as rewarding as possible.”

Early on in any Blue Man Group show, it’s clear it breaks the rules. It’s interactive, noisy, bright, messy, and fun. Unlike a traditional theatre, where audiences are cautioned to not even unwrap candy for the noise it may make, Blue Man audiences are expected to have fun and interact with the cast, an ability that makes the show a great night for any family.

“For a lot of these kids and adults, it’s their first theatrical experience,” Screnci says. “It awakens a passion to dance and express themselves.

What’s great about our show is it’s interactive, there’s a freedom in our show, in our audience, to just respond. It’s a great energy we value; the audience really is the fourth member of the show.”

— MELISSA SHAW

HEIFER FARM DAY CAMPS SUMMER FARM CAMP Enjoy a week of fun on the farm! Campers ages 7 to 13 will enjoy going on a hay ride, playing with farm animals, tasting garden vegetables, cooking international fare, along with crafts, water games and trail hikes.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 37 6/21/17 2:52 PM

ARTS & ENRICHMENT

GAME PLAN:

How an Idea Became a Winning Party Game for One Massachusetts Dad

BY MELISSA SHAW, PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BROOKS

Roslindale dad and tabletop game creator Andrew Innes has gone from the spark of an idea at age 12, to a homemade cardboard prototype, to a game that has sold nearly 500,000 copies and was recently name-checked by Julia Roberts in People.

“Last night we were playing [the card game Anomia], all of us — my whole family, my sister and my brother-in-law — in stitches, tears streaming down our faces, having the best time,” Roberts told the magazine in May. Pretty heady stuff for a first-time game developer who, in the beginning, had 1,500 copies of the game in his attic and no idea what to do next.

Designed for 3 to 6 players, Anomia consists of 100 cards, each bearing a symbol (diamond, equal sign, circle, etc.) and a category (soap brands, pop songs, sports teams, etc.). Players flip cards from a draw pile until the symbols on two players’ cards match. Matching players race to give an example of the category on their opponent’s card. Whoever blurts out a correct answer first wins their opponent’s card, and drawing continues. Wild cards and other in-game twists demand even quicker thinking. When the draw pile runs out, the player with the most cards won wins the game. Games are quick, about 20 to 30 minutes, and can be played with anyone ages 10 and up.

It’s simple to learn and an easy concept to grasp, but the fun of Anomia lies in its name.

“It means ‘without a name,’ and has two other usages,” Innes says. “In the Bible, it refers to chaos and lawlessness, and in modern medical usage it’s a problem with word finding.”

The name is certainly fitting: It’s pandemonium when players realize their symbols match and try to give an example of their opponent’s category before the other person shouts out theirs. And, in the heat of the moment, it’s very common for players to experience anomia and suddenly be unable to name a bird, candy, or TV show. The result is laughing, stuttering, shouting, and some really weird, obscure, or wildly wrong answers (and some correct ones, too).

38 JULY2017

“It gets people talking, it gets people connecting,” he says. “Who cares who wins? It’s just hilarious.”

BoardGameGeek (boardgamegeek.com), the go-to authority for tabletop gaming news and reviews, enthuses: “Anomia is an excellent party game. It plays very quickly, revs up the tension, and makes even the most jaded gamer start to sweat and jump out of their seat with an answer.

And since the game requires no ‘word’ knowledge or ‘trivia’ reciting, it’s simply a battle of which player can spit out the simplest ideas fastest.

Anyone can play, it sets up in seconds, and fits easily inside a purse, man-purse, or pocket.”

While the award-winning game wasn’t commercially produced until 2009, Innes starting developing it at age 12.

“I played this card game called Store; you play with a regular deck of cards. I loved the game.

It was kind of like Anomia in that it got everybody worked up,” he recalls. “I always thought it could be a better game, and I wondered if I could make it a game with a proprietary deck of cards I could make a business out of. My mom had retail stores, so I was always interested in having my own business.”

Throughout college and a career in publishing and digital media, the idea hung on.

“I had that idea for years,” he says. “I had fun thinking about it. I imagined it in different ways, but it was all imagination.”

The game remained just a thought until Innes, who worked with desktop publishing software, had a realization.

“One day I was, like, Oh, I could make a prototype really easily. That was the moment where everything shifted. I made a prototype.”

The first decks were made on “ugly brown cardstock — I don’t know what I was thinking,” he laughs. “I started playing with friends.”

Playing the game with others led to improving it with changes and edits. Then he would play with a different group of friends for their feedback and experience. This led to writing out the game rules and giving the prototype to others who had never played to see if they could figure it out.

“That started a series of play test parties where, over a five-year period, I was testing and refining,” he says. Commuting by train to New York for work, Innes used the hours to write and rewrite

the game rules.

Naming the game was “the worst part of the process,” he laughs. “There was a lot of angst around the naming. The original name of the game was ‘Common Knowledge,’ because it was about everyday stuff, but it was already trademarked for another game.”

He was left trying to find a new name that was unique, not trademarked, and reflected the game.

During a play test session with a friend/novelist, she noted that the game was all about information on the tip of your tongue. Innes began researching “tip of the tongue” and quickly found “anomia.” “‘Anomia’ is an unusual word; it causes some problems,” he says. “People think it’s ‘ammonia,’ or they can’t remember the name, which is hilarious. I was in anguish over the final decision for quite a while, Is this really the right name? But I settled on it. When I demo to people I say, ‘Anomia means the inability to recall a word.’ And most people, especially if they’re over 30, say, ‘Oh, yeah, like my life.’

Taking the next step “I had played my game with about 200 people at that point, I had been refining it for five years,” he recalls. “I finally finished the game, and there was a new set of problems: What do I do now?”

Today, thanks to the resurgence and popularity of tabletop gaming, hundreds of independent developers attempt to fund their games via Kickstarter, but that wasn’t an option in 2009 when Innes wanted to produce his first print run.

But experience with Websites, social media, and email lists prompted him to basically launch a

proto-Kickstarter and find enough people to prepurchase the game, raising $20,000 in six weeks — enough to produce 2,500 copies. (Ironically, Kickstarter would launch one month after Innes’s successful campaign.)

The signed and numbered first-run copies arrived in November 2009, and between the prepurchasing campaign and the holidays, Innes sold 1,000 copies in a short period of time.

“I remember in January [2010] being like, OK, now I have 1,500 games left in my attic and I have no idea what to do,” he laughs. “We got into a couple of local stores, but I really didn’t know how to proceed.”

Innes took one major step by submitting the game to American Mensa for its Mensa Select awards (mensamindgames.com), an annual competition that honors five board games judged to be “original, challenging and well designed.”

Anomia was named one of the five Mensa Select games in 2010 — “that was huge,” he remembers.

(To this day the Mensa Select seal appears on the box.) That win, and a profile in the Boston Sunday Globe magazine led to getting a local sales rep, which expanded Anomia to 20 stores in New England. A trip to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association trade show ended with Anomia being named one of the show’s Best Toys for Kids 2010 and a presence in 130 stores.

“All this stuff was snowballing,” he says.

By the end of 2010, just a year after launch, Anomia had sold 21,000 copies and could be found in 300 stores, including Australia and Canada, all while Innes and his wife were still working full time and raising a toddler and an infant.

“It was a very intense year,” he remembers.

Innes originally handled U.S. distribution, but

with the game catching fire, he made the decision to license it to distributors to handle worldwide, freeing him up for his original love — game development. Anomia, which has been translated into 15 languages, can now be found in retail chains like Target and Barnes & Noble, as well as hundreds of independent stores in 18 countries.

Rather than submit the game to a toy company for consideration, Innes says he always wanted to launch it on its own: “We’ve come pretty much all this way on word of mouth. The cool thing is I got it out there, it did really well with me, and I was able to negotiate a really good royalty arrangement, which I would never have been able to do if I didn’t have a proven product.”

Since, the game has won awards such as Tillywig Toy Awards Best Family Fun, Dr. Toy Best Vacation Products, and The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 2011, and is nearing 500,000 copies sold.

“It [the industry] was so far outside of my experience, the whole thing is completely a surprise,” Innes admits. “I wake up and I’m like, ‘OK, I don’t know how this happened, but here I am.’”

Since the 2009 launch of the original two-deck pack, Innes, who now works full time at his own company, Anomia Press, has released Anomia Party, which sports six decks and 425 new categories, and Duple, an Anomia-like word game. The company’s latest game, an adults-only Anomia X, debuted this spring, and Anomia Jr., geared for ages 5-10 with no reading required, is on the way.

Innes is also using his time to give back to the community. He’s given talks on product development and prototyping to public school students via the New England chapter of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and also

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Fight Brain Drain:

Play a Game!

Bottle Flip

Ages 13+ • 2-6 players • $24.95 • bottleflipthegame.com If you have a bottle flipper in your life, they will want this fun board game.

Players attempt to complete a series of challenge cards (“Flip a bottle between your legs,” “Flip a bottle behind your back,” “Land 5 bottle flips in a row,” etc.) and race to be the first to reach the end of the game board and win.

Loot

Ages 10+ • 2 to 8 players • $12.99 gamewright.com volunteers with 826 Boston, which offers free writing and tutoring programs to underserved Boston youth (826boston.org).

“The [NFTE] talks I’m giving are all about prototyping as part of the product development process, because to me, when I look back, that was the key. It was the moment when things got real — when I had something I could put in front of you and you could respond to it, even if it looked like crap — which it did for a long time,” he laughs.

His advice for budding entrepreneurs is simple: “Don’t get ready, get started.”

“The most important thing was making the prototype.

There was tons of fear about just doing that. I remember being afraid of indifference: What if people just don’t care?

Stuff like that can really hold you back. ‘I just need this one thing before I make my prototype’. You don’t, actually — just make the prototype: popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, sticky notes, whatever, just make it. As soon as you get out of Idealand — and I was in Idealand from 12 into my 30s — as soon as I brought it into the physical world where someone could interact with the idea, it started to take on a life. And now what’s happened is the game is out there and it has its own life. I’m just along for the ride now.”

40 JULY2017

Anomia Party Edition

Ages 10+ • 3-6 players • $29.99 amazon.com

Gamewright has re-released this Mensa-Select-winning game with new card art and in a deluxe tin.

Gameplay remains fun and the same — capture your opponents’ merchant ships while protecting your own, through the strategic use of pirates and their ships. The teamplay aspect opens up this game in a whole new way, making it fun for younger players who may not be ready to sail solo or those who enjoy team play.

You met Anomia inventor Andrew Innes on page 38, now check out the party-sized edition of his award-winning game. Gameplay is the same: race to shout out an example of your opponent’s category before he or she shouts yours. This Party edition offers six new decks, more than 400 unique categories, and customizable blank cards for adding your own categories, ensuring hours of laughs.

Rally Roll

Ages 8+ • 2-6 players • $7.99 blueorangegames.com Players try to score as many points as possible by matching colors and numbers on six dice. They can continue to roll to increase their score or stop at any time. Pressing your luck can result in a higher score — or a bust and zero points when you don’t match any colors or numbers. Rally Roll is great because it’s tiny, portable, and easy to learn. Thanks to the provided mesh bag, the dice will travel with you anywhere you go.

Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle

Ages 11+ • 2-4 players • $39.50 usaopoly.com Players choose a character (Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville) and draw cards that increase their abilities as the game progresses.

Together players combine to defeat villains and save Hogwarts from Voldemort and his Dark Arts devotees. The game is split into seven different adventures of increasing difficulty, reflecting Harry’s seven years at Hogwarts. This is a fantastic game in that everyone works together to win or lose. The game is beautifully packaged and designed, and offers sturdy, wellmade game components. An expansion, The Monster Box of Monsters, will be arriving later this year offering much more gameplay and a fifth player: Luna Lovegood.

PDQ

Ages 10+ • 1 or more players • $9.99 • gamewright.com PDQ will get everyone’s brains humming. Flip three letter cards.

Your mission: to be the first to shout out a word containing those letters, in that order. For example, if the cards were SMP: “Simple!”

PTR? “Picture!” Small in size, the box is easy to tuck in a bag for travel. It’s an ingenious way to boost vocabulary over the summer months, and offers several game variations, including one for younger players and solitaire.

Go Go Gelato

Dr. Microbe

Ages 8+ • 2-4 players • $19.99 blueorangegames.com

Ages 6+ • 2-4 players • $19.99 blueorangegames.com

This fast game demands a quick brain and nimble fingers. Flip over a challenge card, and using your tweezers, add the microbes on the card to your petri dish.

But, wait: The card is incomplete and one microbe is missing. You’ll need to follow the research rules and use logic to determine the missing microbe and complete the card before everyone else. Three rule variations keep game play exciting and keep players thinking. This one’s fun, fast, and offers a lot of laughs.

This dexterity game will be a big hit at your table because it’s colorful, tactile, and all about ice cream. Your job: Be the first to match the challenge card, which displays three gelato cones in a specific color combination and order. The trick: You can’t use your hands to build the cones. While players race to build three cones, they will always have a fourth empty one to help them manipulate the ice cream and cones into the right order. This is a fast, fun, game that parents will enjoy as much as kids.

Boochie

Ages 8+ • 2-4 players • $39.99 • gamewright.com Each player tries to toss his or her ball and ring closest to the target — the 12-sided Boochie ball. You can score points by your proximity to the ball, as well as by whatever is decreed on the side of the Boochie facing up. Players advance their wrist trackers, which tally their points, and follow whatever direction is given on the tracker once the Boochie is thrown again. For example, one player may have to throw their ball and ring while laying on their stomach while another has to throw with their back to the target. The winner is the first to 11 points. Boochie is a mix of bocce and ring toss with some really fun twists thrown in. The game also comes with a carrying case, making it easy to take and play almost anywhere. Keep it in the trunk for instant fun wherever you go.

Flying Kiwis

Ages 6+ • 2-4 players • $17.99 blueorangegames.com The kiwis want to go on vacation — and they need your help to get into the fruit crate. Using their ramp, players simultaneously race to launch four of their kiwis in a row or square. Do that and you win the game. Or, you can win by scoring the most points by having your kiwi land on top of a square. However, with a mass of kiwis flying at once, points can be stolen or winning formations ruined by another player. This is a very fast, very fun game that will become an instant favorite.

Happy Salmon

Ages 6+ • 3-6 players • $14.99 • northstargames.com Try not to laugh during this wild game — it’s pretty much impossible.

Stand in a circle with the other players while everyone shouts out the action on the top card in their hand: Pound It, High Five, Switcheroo, or Happy Salmon. Find someone whose action card matches yours, perform the action, then discard your card, and continue to the next action card in your hand. The first person to match and discard all their cards wins.

This is a fast and furious game for all ages that will keep you moving when you’re not doubled over laughing. The packaging is super cute and small enough your Happy Salmon can tag along anywhere.

BAYSTATEPARENT 41

ARTS & ENRICHMENT

d e p l e H r e h c a e T c i s u M e n O How r G , e v e i r G s n a i Music

BY MELISSA SHAW STORY AND PHOTOS

A

Southborough mother and writer has transformed the unexpected death of a 12-year-old into a book detailing the true story of how the bond between a music teacher and his students helped them grieve and grow following the loss of their friend.

Author Meredith O’Brien’s seventhgrade son was a member of the town’s Trottier Middle School Big Band in January 2012 when his friend and fellow band member, Eric Green, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep due to an undiagnosed heart condition.

“The way Eric passed away I think really affected people,” O’Brien says.

“Twelve hours before he passed away he was playing in a basketball game in the middle school; he seemed like a picture of health.”

The circumstances of his death — sudden and in the safety of his own bed — “unmoored” the children and their parents, and hit the small Central Massachusetts town (population 9,900) hard, O’Brien remembers: “For all of the parents and the kids, they would say, ‘Could that happen to me?’ If this could happen to someone who seemed totally healthy, could this happen to anybody else?”

42 JULY2017

Five months later, O’Brien and her fellow band parents sat in an auditorium at the school’s Jazz Night as the Big Band performed a song for the first time since Green’s death, another trumpet player filling in on a solo that had been known as “Eric’s part.”

“The parents in the audience, we’re all crying, but the kids up there — they range in age from 11-14 — they played so well and so strong,” O’Brien says.

“The whole weekend after that performance I wondered, How did the kids get through this? I couldn’t imagine putting myself in that position, and then I realized it was Mr. Clark.”

Professional trombonist and music educator Jamie Clark has been leading the school’s ensembles (concert band, jazz band, and orchestra) to countless performances and numerous awards since 2002. If you’ve been in a band, you could match him with his instrument in a heartbeat thanks to his trademark engaging Low Brass personality: outgoing, animated, and vibrant. Physically a cross between

TV host/actor James Corden and Star Wars creator George Lucas, it’s obvious Clark is deeply invested in his students and can read them as easily as sheet music.

Before a recent band competition in front of an auditorium of specta-

tors and judges, Clark strolled across the stage in front of his students with an easy smile as they waited for the event to begin, eyes tight, lips set in a firm line, fingers fidgeting with instrument valves, keys, or slides.

He adjusted microphones to just the

right spot in front of instruments, offered last-minute instructions, and joked with the band. Or he tried to; he quietly did about 3 minutes of standup for them after picking up a pencil decorated with pumpkins and explained the sport of pumpkin hurling — anything to get them to relax and loosen up before it was time to play.

Clark walked over to the pianist and asked him to play a note. He did.

“Do you like how that sounds?” Clark asked.

“Yeah,” came the quiet reply.

Clark adjusted a dial on the keyboard: “How about now?”

The child hit the note again, distinctly different. “Yes,” the pianist smiled, shoulders noticeably more relaxed.

“He’s kind of this larger-than-life persona,” O’Brien says. “If I created a fictional character like Mr. Clark, people would say, ‘No, he’s not believable.’” Anyone who had a favorite band teacher growing up could easily see him or her in Mr. Clark, and vice versa.

O’Brien’s epiphany on Jazz Night led her to shadowing Clark and his band for the year following Green’s death, resulting in the recently released Mr. Clark’s Big Band: A Year of Laughter, Tears, and Jazz in a Middle School Band Room. Her goal: to see how music — and Clark —

l o o h c S e l d d i M row

helped these children process their grief and move on. Middle school years are all about emotion. Grief is emotion. Music is emotion. How would they all combine? “[I wanted to] see how these kids go through the next year of mourning,” she says. “It’s a lot to put on the shoulders of little kids, and it would also be a glimpse into the magic of Mr. Clark. I didn’t know exactly how he got the kids to perform the way they did. I didn’t know what went on in the band room.”

It was a tall order on several fronts, especially since O’Brien never played an instrument and had no musical background.

“I would be constantly writing down, ‘What’s fortissimo?’ ‘What’s this?’” she says. “I didn’t realize how much information they learned, it is like a foreign language.”

With permission granted from the school and Clark, O’Brien set off to sit in on a year of 7 a.m. rehearsals in the band room, performances, and competition. But the toughest approval to get was from her son, the band’s drummer.

“He’s very quiet, and the idea of possibly shining a spotlight on him made him say, ‘Wait, you’re going to ruin the whole dynamic. You’re going to be embarrassing me,’” O’Brien remembers. “Once he realized I was just sitting there and saying nothing,

he seemed OK. I think I blended in. I sat off to the side; I had my notebook.

The kids treated me like I was part of the band.”

The book follows the band members and Clark through the 2012-2013 school year, all leading up to a yearend memorial service, at which the group would play a brand-new, professionally composed jazz piece commissioned in Green’s memory.

“Kaleidoscope,” created by composer Erik Morales, is described as an “incredibly unique” and complicated swing number that proved difficult for the young musicians, thanks to scheduling and emotions.

“The students didn’t get [the sheet music] until late in the year,” O’Brien recalls. “All the kids I talked to said they were so afraid of making a mistake — a mistake equaled disrespecting his memory. Two weeks before the Eric Green Ceremony I was listening to them saying, They are never going to master Kaleidoscope. I was so worried. I asked Mr. Clark, ‘How do you think they’re going to do? This seems very precarious.’ His answer: ‘They just have to.’ It surprised me how things just shifted; I don’t know what that magic shift was, and then they got it. I don’t understand how they go from shambles to kicking it.”

After successfully debuting the song at Green’s memorial, O’Brien BAYSTATEPARENT 43

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describes the children’s sense of relief as “palpable.”

“Afterwards, they were in the cafeteria, acting like kids, they seemed happy,” she recalls. “They seemed, like, ‘We did it. We’ve honored him,’ almost giving themselves permission to move on. But that whole fear of disrespecting him, I felt, hung over them the whole year.

“It’s not just mastering the notes on the page,” she continues. “I think one of the things Mr. Clark focused on is how can they safely process their emotions through the music because he would try to make the band room a place of openness, of safety. Where, if they were playing a ballad and it’s really emotional, it’s OK to be emotional here and to express it in the notes. That’s a really hard thing to communicate to anybody, never mind children who are going through the rockiness of adolescence.”

Eric Green’s mother, Suzy, echoed that sentiment: “Our community is blessed to have educators like Jamie Clark, in addition to the Trottier Middle School administrators, who were open and compassionate with the students as they worked through the strong emotions of grief. As I experienced, grieving and healing are not necessarily linear processes. A person tries to make each day or each month a little better than the one before, but an event or memory can sometimes impart an overwhelming sense of sorrow or loss that one

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feels like they have made no movement forward at all. It is helpful to have someone that can be trusted to listen, empathize, and not dismiss feelings of sorrow.”

Over that year, O’Brien interviewed band members twice (with their parents’ permission), and Clark and others multiple times over the three years it took to complete the book.

Getting it published before the students graduated high school last month was important; it would have been Eric Green’s graduation day, too.

“He’s still very much present with them,” O’Brien reports, noting the Trottier Big Band still plays the songs commissioned in Green’s memory and classmates continue to wear the green rubber bracelets distributed after his death.

Published in May, the book has been well-received by the community, former Big Band members, and the subject himself: “I have read the book and I love it!” Clark says.

“Reading it was an emotional experience, as I relived all the events covered in the book. I am incredibly proud of how the students (specifically) and the community (as a whole) rallied to support each other in that difficult time. I’m honored to have been a part of it. I hope that it helps others who are grieving and offers some guidance for the caretakers of children who have suffered a loss.”

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BAYSTATEPARENT 45 7/11/14 10:09 PM

ARTS & ENRICHMENT

Get a NEW Look at OLD Faves and HIDDEN GEMS with Boston Harbor Cruises

BY MELISSA SHAW

46 JULY2017

One if by land, two if by sea is Boston’s most famous phrase, and this summer families should choose the latter for a fun, new way to see the city and its well-known landmarks, as well as learn about hidden gems and fascinating history.

Operating out of the city’s legendary Long Wharf, Boston Harbor Cruises’ Historic Sightseeing Cruise takes passengers on a 90-minute journey through Boston’s inner and outer harbors. Sure, you’ve probably seen the city’s sights on land, but viewing them from the water and hearing about their rich history yields a whole new perspective.

When you board the ship, head up to the top deck and grab a chair along either the port (left) or starboard (right) sides. This guarantees the best views (they’re equally good) and easy access to the cruise guide, if you have questions.

Make sure everyone is wearing sturdy shoes with a good sole, as you’re climbing two flights of somewhat narrow metal stairs. Another must: hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Even if it’s cloudy, sunglasses will reduce glare off the water, and hats and sunscreen will protect you from the sun given there’s no cover on the top deck. (If you opt for the lower or middle decks, which sport seats, tables, a snack bar, and bathrooms, you won’t need sunscreen.) Also: Bring a sweatshirt. You’ll find it cooler by the water, and it can get windy and chilly out in the harbor, even in the summer.

The cruise is led by a guide who narrates the trip, sharing historical, interesting, or downright funny tales about the city, its landmarks, and its inhabitants. Fascinating to tourists, the trip may be even more interesting for locals, who may not know much of the trivia and tales imparted.

You’ll hear stories of Revolution, pirates, and seafaring adventures, as well as background and fun facts about the Boston skyline, and buildings and neighborhoods ringing the harbor. As you pass Castle Island, look up: Chances are a plane will be flying low overhead heading for a landing

at Logan Airport, a unique vantage point.

Leaving the inner harbor, the cruise heads out to the city’s hidden jewel, The Boston Harbor Islands, a collection of 30+ islands that dot the area. Many are open to the public and sport a myriad of fun possibilities, including camping, a Civil War-era military fort, beaches, hikes, concerts, special events, and much more (bostonharborislands. org).

You’ll learn where Bostonians hanged and buried pirates; which island is home to the nation’s oldest lighthouse; which one was featured in a major motion picture; which one is overrun by rabbits; which islands are haunted; and which island, heaped with the city’s trash, was set ablaze and burned for a decade.

The Historic Sightseeing Cruise sails by these treasures and shares just enough information to make you want to take your own trip and visit one with the kids at a later date. The islands, just a 45-minute cruise from the wharf, are part of the U.S. National Park Service, and a visitor center just outside Long Wharf on the Rose Kennedy Greenway offers maps, ferry schedules, and information from park rangers. Boston Harbor Cruises also offers direct sailings to several of the islands May through October.

Once the sightseeing cruise reaches the edges of the outer harbor, it turns around and heads back to the inner harbor, where you’ll pass the U.S.S. Constitution, and get a whole new look at the TD Garden, Zakim Bridge, Old North Church, and the North End, before returning to Long Wharf. The Historic Sightseeing Cruise costs $28.95 per adult, $26.95 for ages 65+, and $25.95 for children 3-11. BHC also offers whale watch excursions, sunset and brunch cruises, and other sailings centered around special events (boston harborcruises.com).

Another benefit to this cruise is its location: Long Wharf is in the heart of the city’s tourist offerings, so there’s a lot more to do if you’ve got the energy and time. Right next door is the venerable New England Aquarium. BHC offers a cruise/ aquarium combo ticket package, or if you want to catch some free fun, head to the 42,000-gallon Atlantic Harbor Seals Exhibit, located outside the aquarium on the front plaza. Open 24-7 and free, you can visit the seals anytime, watching them swim and play.

Parallel to the wharf is the 1.5mile Rose Kennedy Greenway (rosekennedygreenway.org), which replaced the expressway that once cut straight through the city, the land converted into parks and public spaces in conjunction with the Big Dig. On weekends, there’s usually a special event, fair, and food

trucks along the route, and there’s always the Carousel ($3 per ride) and fountains where the kids can cool down.

And just a 5-minute stroll from Long Wharf is the hub of Boston tourism, Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (faneuilhallmarketplaceboston.com). It’s a convenient place for a plethora of food and shopping options, as well as its famed street performers, who offer free, one-ofa-kind, outdoor shows. This year’s lineup includes contortionists, jugglers, unicyclists, magicians, acrobats, comedians, pogo stick and yo-yo masters, and more.

Fascinating to tourists, the trip may be even more interesting for locals, who may not know much of the trivia and tales imparted.

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BAYSTATEPARENT 47

18 Fun

Ways to Stop the Summer Slide

BY KRISTIN GUAY

48 JULY2017

T

Part 1 of a 2-part series

he term “summer slide” might conjure up images of children flying down a sundappled playground slide on a beautiful summer day, but the reality is the complete opposite.

“Summer slide” is a term used to describe the academic loss many students experience during the summer months.

While extended time off from school is necessary for children, it comes at a price. Research shows that at the end of summer, students, on average, are a month behind where they left off in June, with lowincome students suffering the largest losses.

Families can enjoy their summer and their favorite activities, and sneak in a little education along the way to help keep children’s minds active.

“Everything that happens is enrichment. It all has an educational purpose, but we don’t want the kids to think that they’re in school,” says Mike Bachman, executive director of a summer-learning initiative in Indianapolis. “We infuse the education into everything we do.”

That can mean sneaking leadership lessons into afternoon soccer games, teaching principles of fitness during outings to the local swimming pool, or wrapping planning skills into preparations for a picnic at a state park.

To plan enriching summer activities, reflect on your child’s strengths and weaknesses during the school year. Think of ways you can support a skill they struggled with or bolster their self-esteem in a skill in which they excelled. Having a child help with family expenditures during a special outing helps the struggling student with basic math skills, yet also allows a child with math strength see how math concepts are used in everyday life. Retaining skills learned in the school year does not require structured lessons and worksheets, but rather a basic approach that learning can occur anyway with just about any summer activity. Take advantage of the summer months to explore some of these enrichment projects to reinforce your child’s academic progress.

Entertaining ways to retain math skills Sorting. Use a variety of objects such as crayons, Legos, shells, rocks, stuffed animals, or toys to practice sorting. Have your child count and compare the totals of each object (Are there more red Legos or green Legos?).

Go on an observation walk and observe patterns and shapes in your neighborhood, school, park, and community. Some examples might include brickwork on the sidewalk, designs on a rug or blanket, tile in a bathroom, seats in a movie theater, windows in an office building, patterns on a clothing item, or petals on a flower.

Try tangrams, pentominoes, and pattern block shapes (templates for all of these can be found on the Internet). These pattern games are a fun and imaginative way to create a variety of images from beginner to advanced.

Have your child help prepare meals. Teach them the entire process from reading a recipe, gathering supplies, and rereading the recipe as they prepare the meal.

When cooking with others, there is constant communication and collaboration, which supports and develops their oral language skills.

Math skills are constantly honed during any cooking activity. Skills such as measuring, timing, weighing, and estimating are all exercised during cooking. The best part about working with your child in the kitchen is that you are helping them with these important literacy and math skills during an engaging (and delicious) activity.

Practice addition and subtraction skills using money. Have your child earn a small amount of money that can be used as a “bank.” When they want to buy something, they will need to withdraw (subtract) from this bank. They can earn more money to deposit (addition) into the bank as well.

Exploring science concepts outside of the classroom Go “fishing” for ice: Take a glass of water and add several ice cubes.

Next, take a piece of string and place it in the water. The ice cubes will rise to the surface of the water. Try to fish the cubes out of the water with the string. The string will float around the water, but you will not be able to “catch” any of the cubes.

Now, sprinkle a little salt onto the cubes and try again. Pull the string out of the water and see what happened — did you “catch” any ice cubes? Research why this happens.

Make homemade ice cream. You will need one small plastic bag filled with ½ cup milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Take a gallon-size bag and fill it with 10 cups of ice and 6 tablespoons of salt. Place the smaller bag inside the larger bag a shake for about 10 minutes. The milk mixture will

thicken and turn to ice cream. Be careful to completely rinse the salt mixture off the smaller bag before opening.

Drops of water on a coin. Determine how many drops of water will fit onto a coin. You will need a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, plastic pipette, water, and a chart to record your findings. Before beginning, make a guess (hypothesis) as to which coin will hold the least amount of water and which coin will hold the greatest. Set the coins on a flat surface and slowly drop the water onto each coin. Watch how each coin eventually has a dome of water, which ultimately collapses with the final drop of water. Why does this happen?

What happens when you mix oil, water, and a little food coloring?

Take a clear glass and fill it halfway with water. Pour enough oil into the glass to make a thin layer on top of the water. Place a few drops of food coloring into the water. You will notice that it will bead on top of the oil and rest for a while. Wait a little longer and you will see the food coloring slowly break through the oil and fall to the bottom of the glass.

Create some colorful cabbage. This easy experiment shows kids how plants absorb water and nutrients up through their stem. All you need is cabbage, clear glasses or jars, food coloring, and water. Fill the glasses about 75% with water and add 10 drops of food coloring.

Now, place a single cabbage leaf into the water, about half under the water and half above. Leave it to sit overnight and watch what happens.

You can also use flowers or celery stalks in place of the cabbage leaves.

Go on a five-senses observation walk. You can do this in your home, in your neighborhood, at the beach, in a park, or another place you enjoy spending your time. Take the time to really focus on one sense at a time.

Try this activity with other members of the family to see if someone can hear or see something that others may not (the rumble of a road in the distance or a single bird high up in a tree).

Take a virtual field trip to a science museum. You can take a virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (naturalhistory. si.edu/VT3/) or the Science Museum (sciencemuseum.org.uk/online_ science) and view all their special exhibits.

Check out great science websites designed especially for kids. Sites include Science Kiddo (sciencekiddo. com/kitchen-science), Edheads — Activate Your Mind! (edheads.org), Science Kids (sciencekids.co.nz), Try Science (tryscience.org), and

National Geographic Kids (kids. nationalgeographic.com/kids). These offer fun experiments, detailed photographs, interactive games, and field trips and adventures — all designed to make learning about science engaging and informative.

Gardening supports classroom concepts Seeds to sprout. Use clear plastic cups to help your child see how a plant grows from a seed. Use a variety of seeds and some good planting soil. The clear cup allows you to watch the roots grow deep into the soil. Once established, these can be planted into a larger pot or an outside garden.

Seed Sorting. A variety of seeds can be used for math activities when learning about size, counting, sorting, sequencing, and identifying specific properties.

Seed Art. There are some amazing art projects that can be created using seeds, either with their natural color or painted. You will need a sturdy piece of paper (or even cardboard), glue, and a variety of seeds. Depending on the age of the child, you might need to create the outline of the design on the cardboard. These activities require kids to sort the seeds by size and color to better fit the design they are trying to make.

Tree Seeds. Go for a nature walk and gather tree seeds (tree seed identification charts can be found online). This might require some digging around in leaves or soil because some of these seeds are stored by animals for food during the winter months. See if you can observe some seeds still on the trees (such as pinecones).

Check out virtual tours of amazing gardens. U.S. Botanic Garden (usbg. gov), I Love Gardens (ilovegardens. com), United States National Arboretum (usna.usda.gov), Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (kew.org), Lan Su Chinese Garden (lansugarden. org), and the Gardens of Versailles (en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/ estate/gardens). These websites can provide additional information about gardening with kids: Kidspot (kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/ collection/gardening-for-kids), Kids Gardening (kidsgardening.org).

In our August issue, look for Part Two in this series, in which you’ll learn real-world, fun ways to flight Summer Slide via everyday activities surrounding cooking, recycling, nature, the sea and sea life, and more.

BAYSTATEPARENT 49

“Statistics show that when children feel accepted and valued at school, they prosper well when they leave school.”

VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE

Reach Beyond Tolerance — Teaching Children to Include Others

BY SANDRA WOFFINGTON

F

rom an early age, children learn to include or exclude peers. Secret signals seem to pass between them as to who is “in” and who is “out” of their social group. Those in fear of falling out of favor follow along in silent compliance with the in-crowd. Sadly, that ability to include or exclude reaches into adulthood.

The excuse, “It’s always been this way,” simply means the problem has not been adequately addressed.

Twenty percent of children face bulling and exclusion (considered

social bullying), but for special needs children that number rises to 50%.

To make matters worse, working-age special needs adults face an unemployment rate of 80%.

Inclusion takes place when every person — child and adult — is accepted and valued in a community.

Statistics show that when children feel accepted and valued at school, they prosper well when they leave school. So how do we teach children to include the different among us?

Inclusion means showing respect for each and every child: those strong or

weak academically, socially, athletically, musically, and theatrically, to name a few. Each child needs to feel he or she has a special talent. My eldest daughter struggled in school, where it all came easy to her sister.

When stressed, Tara drew or cooked, her two amazing talents. Ironically, because she always had to work so hard to do well in school, she also gleaned amazing fortitude. No one is good at everything. Point out the special talents of each child to let them feel special.

Inclusion means viewing others —

children with special needs, too — as equally able and equally valuable. A high-functioning autistic boy in my classroom had nearly perfect math scores; he was especially abled in math, well beyond his peers. Once the children learned how they could coach him socially and in English (his weak areas), the students took him under their wing and even attended his first-ever birthday party with classmates. Everyone benefited by inclusion.

Children have an enormous capacity for inclusion. A group of students at Boca Raton (Fla.) Community High School formed a “We Dine Together” club (facebook.com/wedinetogether), in which members walk the school grounds at lunchtime and sit with isolated students, getting to know them and inviting them into the community.

That’s the spirit of inclusion, and it just takes reaching out to others. It takes a child asking, “Would you like

We’re Here to Help Our commitment lasts a lifetime. Whether your loved one with special needs is an adult or a child, we can help with: • Special Needs Planning • Guardianship & Alternatives • Transition Planning & Adult Services • Advocacy Frederick M. Misilo, Jr., Esq. 508.459.8059 fmisilo@fletchertilton.com

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to get together after school?” or a person asking a co-worker, “Would you like to go for a cup of coffee?”

To set the stage at home, parents should speak in positive terms about others, especially those culturally, intellectually, or physically different.

In regards to individuals with special needs, avoid negative words such as “disabled,” “handicapped,” and “impaired,” and simply use the term “special needs.” It’s simple, and the word “special” is positive.

Invite diverse friends over and attend community cultural events other than your own. Volunteer at sporting events for those with special needs and cheer on the athletes, or watch the U.S. Paralympic events as a family, so children will see people with special needs as abled, determined, and talented. The more children meet and include others with diverse backgrounds and needs, the more the differences that divide us fade away.

In addition, literature presented to children should have characters diverse in ethnicities, cultures, and abilities. For example, Rules allows children to experience what it is like to have a sibling with autism, and the main character, Catherine, learns to accept a new friend, Jason, who communicates using pictures. Freak the Mighty pairs a physically challenged boy and a mentally challenged boy as best friends — each values the strengths of the other. When writing

Evil Speaks, the first book in my new Warriors and Watchers Saga series, it seemed perfectly normal to include quirky teens and those with special needs in a quest in which they must become warriors to save the world, because special needs children have long been a part of my world.

Progress is being made. Sesame Street recently introduced Julia, a Muppet with autism, to help children understand friends with autism. The newest Power Rangers movie has an autistic superhero. And in the real world, the Courtyard Muncie at Horizon Convention Center in Indiana houses the Erskine Green Training Institute (erskinegreeninstitute.org), which provides training for individuals with disabilities in a variety of jobs in the hospitality and healthcare fields, helping them find employment. Lastly, Aaron Muderick, inventor of Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty (puttyworld.com), hired 800 people with physical and intellectual special needs to work in his factory.

Inclusion can happen, one home, one classroom, and one business at a time.

Sandra Woffington is a middle school teacher and the author of the Warriors and Watchers Saga series, an epic mythological fantasy. Book 1, Evil Speaks, was released in February. For more, visit warriorsandwatcherssaga.com

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Find Waldo and Celebrate His 30th Anniversary This Summer Families can journey to independent bookstores across Massachusetts this summer to find Waldo and celebrate his 30th anniversary.

For the sixth year, bookstores will host Find Waldo scavenger hunts while spreading the “shop local” message in their cities and towns.

Over the past five years, Find Waldo Local has become a summer activity staple in more than 450 communities nationwide. Local customers and summer vacationers can stop by participating independent bookstores to pick up a Find Waldo Local guide to search 25 local community businesses joining in the month-long program. Waldo is hidden through-

with prizes will be held nationally on July 31 by organizing bookstores.

Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, who held the record for the fastest-selling children’s book of all time until Harry Potter arrived on the scene. There are now more than 67 million Waldo books in print worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over 30 languages.

Where You Can Find Waldo in Massachusetts This Month Andover Bookstore, Andover hugobookstores.com/andover out different downtown shops, and participants are encouraged to search for the elusive character.

To mark this special anniversary year and add a twist, Somervillebased children’s book publisher Candlewick Press is adding an additional search-and-find element for fans: Waldo is taking along his girlfriend, Wenda, to keep him company.

As Waldo is hidden across different downtown locations, Wenda will be hiding somewhere in the host bookstore, doubling the fun!

Starting July 1, Waldo-spotters can pick up a Find Waldo passport at their local bookstore and collect a store stamp or signature for each Waldo they spot. Grand finale parties

Peace of mind begins here...

July 25th, we will be featured on Lifetime TV's The Balancing Act series.

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ASK THE EXPERT

Can Children Outgrow Respiratory Problems?

SEASON SUPPORTER

Summer Spectacular

BY SCOTT SCHROEDER, MD, TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER

is more than RAD, and some early symptoms to pay attention to can help when talking with your child’s pediatrician. For many children, the symptoms worsen at night — and your child’s doctor is not able to witness the issues firsthand. If your child has a significant cough at night that wakes them up repeatedly, is not drinking normally, has belly breathing (a rocking motion when they breathe), or breathing faster than normal — these can be indications of something else, including asthma, and will help your doctor in making determinations about the root cause.

If you are concerned about asthma, it is also important to pay attention to your child’s breathing and coughing between colds.

Colds usually last 7-10 days, but for a child with asthma or RAD, colds can last up to 14 days or longer.

In between colds, their breathing should be normal and they should not be coughing or wheezing at night. Conversely, if symptoms seem to abate during the summer, that is always a good indication.

You know your child best. If they are presenting symptoms that concern you, it is always best to talk with their pediatrician about their individual situation and symptoms.

Dr. Scott Schroeder, MD, is Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology & Allergy, at Tufts Medical Center.

He specializes in childhood asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease of infancy, and pulmonary problems in children with primary immunodeficiencies.

TM & © DSE

E

very parent knows what it is to hear their child lying in bed, coughing at night — it is awful — especially when you feel like there is no way to “fix” it.

Good news? The circumstances you are describing are very, very common. Most often, what you are describing is called “Reactive Airway Disease” (RAD) and, yes, many babies and children will outgrow it. And if it is any consolation: five U.S. Presidents had asthma.

If your child was born full-term with no eczema or allergies, but has repeated colds resulting in the symptoms you have described, it is RAD, rather than asthma. RAD is responsible for these exact symptoms that occur in babies and children under the age of 5. Boys often suffer from RAD more than girls, because for the most part boys are born with smaller airways than girls. When they get colds, their smaller airways fill up with fluid that causes coughing and wheezing. As they get older, the airways increase in size and capacity — literally outgrowing the problem.

This is not to say that these symptoms may not also be an indication of asthma for some, though it is far less likely. Family history and the child’s own health history can help determine if they are more likely to be suffering from asthma. And we want to always do whatever we can to avoid a child developing asthma, which is why medicines are given to children to help prevent them developing it.

For some children, the problem

TM & © DSE

My 2-year-old has battled asthma-like conditions since he was a baby. Colds and viruses tend to settle in his chest, and we spend a lot of quality time with the nebulizer over the winter months, especially. Our pediatrician advises us not to worry, saying most children “outgrow” this condition by the time they reach 5. Do you find this true in many cases, and how does a child “outgrow” asthma?

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BAYSTATEPARENT 53

THE THINKING PARENT

Parents Set the Standard for Kids’ Perception of Body Image

BY AUSTIN WIDMER

If your healthy 10-year-old came to you with a frown, tugged on her skin, and declared, “I need to go on a diet. I’m getting fat,” how would you respond?

Many parents react with assurances that their child “looks fine,” and then blame the media, focusing on the excessive depictions of waif-like models and muscular men, the overuse of Photoshop, and the endless advertisements for “quick fix” weight loss products. “It’s our culture,” they say.

“The media is making my child feel bad about her body.” And it is; in part. But the claim that the responsibility for children’s poor body image and obsession with thinness and muscularity is the fault of the media tells only half the story.

A recent study in the Journal of Eating Disorders challenged the popular tendency to scapegoat the media by surveying individuals diagnosed with eating disorders and those from the general public about what factors influenced the development of an eating disorder. What they found was that the adults who referenced the media were far more to blame than the media itself. Parents, coaches, and other valued adults who reinforced Photoshopped images as ideal, emaciated and muscle-bound actors as beautiful, and who persistently voiced negative comparisons between their own bodies and these “perfect bodies” were cited by those diagnosed with eating disorders as far more influential than the images themselves.

Children don’t know what “eating disorders” are; they just know that the important people in their lives hold certain values about how “beautiful” is supposed to look. Hence, the best way to prevent eating disordered behaviors is to model healthy attitudes and decisions about weight, beauty, 54 JULY2017

exercise, and eating.

If your child asks about dieting, there is no reason to be alarmed.

We are all on diets, as a diet is simply a plan for what and how you eat. What is important is exploring the goals of the diet. If your child is healthy, but wants to lose weight, emphasize that they are growing and that it is more important to develop healthy tissue, such a muscle and bone, than it is to lose weight. Indulge their convictions about “diet” by reframing the conversation such that you are discussing a lifestyle change, focused on enjoying more healthy choices rather than fewer calories. No child will be harmed by indulging in more fruits and vegetables! Stock your house with healthy options and limit access to soda and other empty calories.

Reinforce good nutritional choices and make sure you model healthy decisions as well. It is one thing to tell your child to snack on carrots and hummus instead of chips, but it is quite another to show them that you too are making this choice.

While modeling the right way to eat, parents can also help their children by modeling healthy exercise habits — lead by example.

There’s no need for anything fancy: Take the stairs instead of the elevator and make a game out of counting your steps, go for walks, or ride bikes around the neighborhood. Mild to moderate exercise every day should be the goal you strive to teach.

While modeling healthy eating and exercise habits is fairly obvious, what is less obvious, but equally important, is limiting your tendency to judge your self or others for weight or body shape.

Children internalize all comments, and as research has shown, these become automatic filters for judging the value of individuals. It

is important for parents to voice approval for acts of good character, for achievement of positive goals, and for accomplishments unrelated to appearance.

And this is true both with regard to children and the self. Consider your own weight-related habits: Do you step on a scale every day? Do you talk about how you can’t have something because you need to watch your weight? Do you count carbs or calories or grams of fat in front of your child? Do you complain about “having to go the gym” each day? Consider skipping the scale, choosing energetic activities that you enjoy, and talking less about weight and grams of various nutrients. You may not realize you are sending messages about negative body image, but children are reading these messages loud and clear.

If you are having difficulty undoing your own history of weightobsession or struggle with maintaining a healthy weight, and your child appears to be “inheriting” your own negative body image messages, then you might consider enrolling your child in a bodypositive program such as EmBody Love (embodylovemovement.org), a national organization dedicated to empowering girls and women to

celebrate their inner beauty over outer appearance, or Girls on the Run (girlsontherun.org), a 10-week program offered to girls in third through eighth grades, to promote body positivity and healthy lifestyles. Programs such as these provide parents with encouragement, education, and support in promoting regular discussions and practices for healthy living.

The media may set the standard, but in the end, your child will learn about body image through you.

Making the home environment a place where healthy choices are encouraged and the “D-word” is redefined as a choice to be healthy rather than a way to reduce weight, offers the best chance to curb body image disturbances and eating disorders before they become problematic.

Austin Widmer is a graduate student clinician in the Mental Health Counseling program at Becker College. He provides counseling services to adults, children, and families through the Counselor Training Clinic (CTC) at Becker College in Leicester. Visit mhcclinic.becker.edu for more information about available, low-cost, counseling services at the CTC.

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Thank You

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TAKE EIGHT

with Jessica Vosk The legendary megahit musical Wicked has returned to Boston, now through July 23 at the Boston Opera House. The show, as hot as ever almost 14 years after its debut, continues to enthrall audiences with the story of two polar opposite roommates: the popular Galinda and the outcast Elphaba.

Actress Jessica Vosk took time out of her role as the iconic green girl to talk about why the character is as relevant as ever, tour life, and more.

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4 5 58 JULY2017

What is it like taking on the role of Elphaba?

It’s very special and extremely important.

I find Elphaba to be a timely character right now in our current events. She is a passionate and courageous woman, who cares fiercely when it comes to her cause. I feel so lucky to be on this ride with her.

What has surprised you most about her?

That she’s unapologetic for who she is.

No matter who puts her down, no matter how bad it feels, she will pick herself up and stand up for what’s right.

Do you have a favorite song in the show? Does that favorite change?

Oh, it changes all the time. I am loving “I’m Not That Girl” right now, because it’s just beautifully written. They all are. But, when I’ve been in a particularly sassy mood, “Defying Gravity” will make me a happy camper. It really depends on my mood!

Why do you think Wicked has remained so beloved for nearly 15 years?

Because the material is timely; any age can relate to several aspects. In a world where bullying is such a problem these days, this show tackles that subject matter in a way we can all understand. It makes us question ourselves, and I really appreciate that. To be the only person on stage who is considered “different” is a huge life lesson.

Is this your first national tour?

What is touring life like?

It is! Tour life is one of a kind! It’s very different than our usual NYC Broadway show living. We constantly travel, but we are on a particularly phenomenal tour, with an amazing company. We are so very well taken care of. I thank my lucky stars. And I travel with my puppy-son, Fred, which makes it much easier.

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What is it like handling the response from fans, particularly young ones, who adore Elphaba, the show, and now you?

It’s been life-changing. I didn’t expect the response to be so huge, so I was overwhelmed in a wonderful way. I love the kids who come to see this show and really connect. Young ones who aren’t very social, or who have felt different growing up, they can escape reality and really find something special in Elphaba and in Wicked. I never take that for granted. This show is particularly important to me because of the kids.

What was your path to the stage like? Were you a musical theatre fan as a child?

I have a weird path! So I always say, it doesn’t matter how you get there! Just work hard and persist, you’ll get there. I was a music junkie growing up. My parents are both artistic. I did theatre through high school, and then BAM! Totally graduated college and went into a finance job in NYC. After a while, I realized I wasn’t doing what I loved, so I took a risk and a leap of faith and left the corporate world. And I’m very glad I did.

What is your advice for young performers who want to pursue musical theatre?

Never stop learning. Take a class, go to a show, see a concert, take notes. It’s all important. You can do this. Is it easy?

No way. Is it possible? Absolutely. And we work hard because we love what we do. Keep putting the work and effort in.

Whatever path you may take, you will get where you’re supposed to — no matter how many bumps may come along the way.

Photo By Joan Marcus

BEST? Tell YOU Us

Who’s The

The Nominations are being tabulated! Voting begins soon and you could win a 4-pack of tickets for the EcoTarium!

Vote for The Best of The Best beginning JULY 3rd at baystateparent.com/bestof17 Our categories include: FAMILY FUN New England Vacation MA Beach Destination Family Indoor Attraction Family Outdoor Attraction Fair, Festival or Special Event Movie Theatre Museum Hiking Trail Place to Picnic Orchard - Pick Your Own Campground Ski/Boarding or Tubing Place PARTIES, ACTIVITIES, LEARNING Local Gym or Exercise Facility Skating Rink Birthday Party Venue Birthday Party Entertainer Party Rental Private School Parochial School Childcare Preschool Gymnastics Studio Parent/Child Class

PARTIES, ACTIVITIES, LEARNING Dance Studio Art Studio Theatre Program/Camp Music School Martial Arts Studio Afterschool Program Children’s Library Day Camp Sleep Away Camp SPECIAL NEEDS Museum/Attraction After School Program Camp Therapy Facility Advocacy Organization Speech-Language Therapy Special Needs Services BUSINESSES AND SERVICES Car Dealer Tire Store Health Insurance Co. Home/Auto Insurance Co. Bank

BUSINESSES AND SERVICES Credit Union Mom’s Salon or Spa Women’s Boutique Shopping Center/Mall Haircut for Kids Consignment Store Store for Kids’ Clothes Flower Shop Book Store/Independent Children’s Photographer Bike Shop Jewelry Store Car Wash Pet Store DINING Hot Dog Stand Burger Place Pizza Parlor Bakery Ice Cream Stand Buffet Frozen Yogurt Shop Restaurant Kids’ Meals

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For added confidence, you have direct access to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Worcester.

Let UMass Memorial be your delivery destination. To learn more about your women’s health team and to make an appointment, call 855-UMASS-MD.

If you’re expecting, you’re in the right place.

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