12 minute read
Notebook
kids & family
by Kathleen Donner
Jan. 31. Five-month-old giant panda Xiao Qi Ji sniffs a cub-sized snowman before taking a frosty bite.
Baltimore’s Maryland Zoo is Open
Baltimore’s Maryland Zoo, at One Safari Place, is open daily (rain or shine) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a new timed-ticket process in place and all ticket purchases are online. Admission is $22 for adults; $18 for ages two to eleven; and $19 for seniors. Parking is free. marylandzoo.org.
Xiao Qi Ji’s First Snow
On Sunday, Jan. 31, giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji experienced yet another milestone—his first encounter with snow. Watch him tumble and play in the snow at nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/pandastory-chill-cubs-first-snow.
You can watch more of Xiao Qi Ji on the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s Panda Cams. Watch giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji. Toggle between Panda Cam 1 and Panda Cam 2 using the tabs at the top of the video player for the full experience. Mei Xiang gave birth to a male giant panda cub named Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji) Aug. 21, 2020. If you have a question about what you’re seeing on the Panda Cam, visit nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-panda-cub-faqs and sign up for the Giant Panda Bulletin to get the latest panda cub news straight to your inbox. lenge on the back. Find them at spymuseum. org/education-programs/educators/lessonplans-activities. Other activities include: Disguise for Cover--Sometimes intelligence officers and their agents need to operate in public places without being recognized. Frequency Analysis Code Cracker--Can you crack this se-
Wendy, Where Does Our Wastewater Go?
This new book, published by DC Water, aims to take complex environmental and engineering themes and make them accessible to children ages six to twelve. The story follows DC Water’s mascot, Wendy the Water Drop, as she takes a group of curious students through all the steps that wastewater takes from their homes, through Blue Plains, and eventually back to the Potomac. The book is illustrated by Deborah Han and designed by Jacob Bilich, both students at Georgetown University. Wendy, Where Does Our Wastewater Go? is available at all open DC libraries. It can also be purchased at bluedrop.co/shop/ for $12.75. 10% of each sale goes to the SPLASH Fund (dcwater. com/customer-assistance), a DC Water program that helps customers maintain critical water and sewer service in times of financial emergencies.
How do we teach girls to change the world? Janice Johnson Dias encourages parents to begin within, seeking their own fulfillment and in turn becoming self-realized role models for young women. Drawing on her knowledge as a leading sociologist and experiences raising her own change-agent daughter, Marley, she offers strategies for discussing racism and sexism, finding appropriate mentors and inspiring girls to pursue their passions. Dias emboldens girls to lift as they climb--boosting other young women as they move through their life journey. Mixing personal experience with research from the field, Dias has created the ultimate guide for inspiring a generation of girls to take charge and make change. On Tuesday, March 23, 6 to 7 p.m., join Janice Johnson Dias (online) as she discusses her book PARENT LIKE IT MATTERS: HOW TO RAISE JOYFUL, CHANGE-MAKING GIRLS with Jacqueline Woodson. politics-prose.com.
Science Moms
Science Moms are a group of bipartisan climate scientists and mothers who care deeply about the planet that our children will inherit. Together, they aim to demystify climate change, talk honestly about how it will affect our children and give moms the facts they need to take action. Sign up for monthly actions to protect your kids from climate change at sciencemoms.com.
Make Invisible Ink
Learn how to make eight different formulas for creating invisible ink and don’t forget to do the Secret Message Egg Chal-
A Tree For You And Me
Create a “wish tree” to share with family, friends, and neighbors. And the Hirshhorn wants to see your creations. Step (1) What is a wish? Step (2) Write or draw your wishes on scraps of paper. Step (3) Choose the Wish Tree project that works best for you. Step (4) Gather materials. Step (5) Cut your trunk and branches. Step (6) Tape your leaves and wishes to the branches. Step (7) Invite friends to add theirs. Step (8) Share your tree with the world on social media @hirshhorn with #HirshhornInsideOut and #WishTreeForTheWorld. hirshhorn.si.edu/ explore/make-a-wish.
cret message? Crack A Top Secret Code-Try your hand at cracking this top secret message. DIY Ninja!--What can you learn from Ninjas? How about strength, focus and stealth. Design Your Own Spy Gadget--It’s your turn to be spy scientist.
The International Spy Museum, 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW, is now open. While all children are welcome, the Museum’s content is best suited for ages nine and up. The Museum offers scheduled programs and events at spymuseum.org/ calendar/?audience=kids-families, and ongoing interactive experiences. Resources are also available here to bring out your inner spy at home! Admission is $24.95 for adults and $16.95 for kids, seven to twelve. spymuseum.org.
Read About Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with DCPS
In recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., DC Public Schools has curated a list of recommended books and content resources. Families can access the list through dcps.instructure.com/courses/211378/pages/dr-martin-luther-kingjr-day.
Reflections on Grief & Child Loss
When Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s son, Willie, died at 11 years old in February 1862, they once again experienced what is called “the greatest tragedy.” Willie was their second son to die from an illness in childhood. The Lincolns were eager for solace and a place to grieve this loss when they moved to the Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home. When describing their move, Mary Lincoln wrote, “When we are in sorrow, quiet is very necessary to us.” Reflections on Grief and Child Loss at President Lincoln’s Cottage is a first-ofits-kind exhibit that bridges the Lincolns’ experience of the death of their children with modern families whose children have died inexplicably or from illness, disease, physical and gun violence. The exhibit will remain open for at least two years. President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW, is open for tours daily, except Mondays, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Admission is $6 to $15. lincolncottage.org.
The Space Shuttle at 40
Here’s a big idea: What if we could fly to space like we fly around the world? That’s not science fiction--that’s the reality of the Space Shuttle Program. From 1981 to 2011, space shuttles flew astronauts and payloads to space and then returned to Earth, like a plane returning to an airport. NASA used them for critical projects in a variety of ways, like launching satellites, servicing the Hubble Space Telescope, and helping build the International Space Station. On this episode of STEM at 30, they’ll discuss the history and science of this one-of-akind spacecraft.
STEM in 30 is the National Air and Space Museum’s webcast series for middle school students. Tune in every month to share the fascination of aviation and space. airandspace.si.edu/events/spaceshuttle-40.
Respect Her Crank! Sounds of Blackness
Black music has the ability to lullaby listeners with melodic whispers, unearth pain with crying keys, and bring bodies to their feet in celebration with breakbeats. The range in sound and emotion within Black music is driven, in part, by the ingenuity of Black women. The Hirshhorn ARTLAB’s latest series, Respect Her Crank!: Sounds of Blackness, explores the roles of Black women in American music history through weekly virtual workshops in music production, songwriting, graphic design, and surprise workshops from community partners.
Through June 2021, Respect Her Crank! workshops are open to all but tailored to educators on Tuesdays and teens on Thursdays, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Up your after-school game and sign up for a workshop (they’re free)—or multiple—today. No prior experience is needed. hirshhorn.si.edu/events.
The Dance Institute of Washington’s Summer Training, for ages three to eighteen, is from June 28 to Aug. 6. They provide high quality dance training by world class instructors in Ballet,
Spy Academy & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis
Spy Academy & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis is Imagination Stage’s madefor-the-virtual-world immersive online experience for kids ages ve and older. Through May 23, the show--part escape room, part spy adventure, and part online game--engages children in an interactive performance as meaningful as it is delightful.
The audience--no more than 15 households per performance--takes on the role of cadets at a spy academy. They are being taught by Pat, a live facilitator. When Pat gets noti cation that some of the academy’s adult spies need help evading the villainous Dr. Levinious as they search for the Heart of the Dragon, Pat recruits all the cadets to help them by solving various puzzles and problems. Adults will have received instructions in advance to secretly prepare some key props to have nearby for their cadets. $25 per household. imaginationstgae.org.
Modern, African and Hip-Hop. Registration is open for both virtual and limited in-person. danceinstituteofwashington.org/summer-training-2021.
Who is Sylvia Méndez? Separate Is Never Equal
Save the date for Galita’s Who is Sylvia Méndez? Separate Is Never Equal this spring (April 11 to 25). This is a joyful play that embraces diversity and tolerance through the story of elementary school teacher Sylvia Mendez who fought to end segregation in education in California, paving the way for the national ban on segregated schools. For her legacy and courage, Mendez received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama for her advocacy for educational opportunity for children of all backgrounds. $12 for adults; $10 for kids. Performances for the general public are Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m., only. GALA Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW. galatheatre.org.
Glen Echo Park Celebrates of 100th Anniversary of the Dentzel Carousel
Through September 2021, Glen Echo Park, together with Montgomery County and the National Park Service, commemorates the 100th anniversary of Glen Echo Park’s beloved Dentzel carousel with celebrations, including virtual lectures on the history and restoration of the carousel, summer family weekend activities, social media contests, carousel anniversary merchandise, a fundraising campaign, and the premieres of three short videos that will feature personal stories re ecting the unique and enduring role the carousel has played in the community for a century. Read more at glenechopark.org/ carousel100. Download carousel coloring pages at glenechopark.org/sites/default/ les/2020_Carousel_Animal_Coloring_Pages. ◆
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XWORD
“Foodstuffs”
by Myles Mellor
Across:
1. Chicken ___ masala 6. Equivalent to 3.26 light years 12. U.S. mil. award 15. Cleave 17. American aviator Earhart 18. Home planet 20. Gets educated 21. Bulletin 22. Insect-eating lizard 23. Italian cuisine ingredient 26. Salsa ingredient 28. PGA part 29. 18 wheeler 31. Avant-garde 32. 1945 conference site 38. Woman in charge of a prison 40. Terrier’s island 41. Actually 44. Place for a frog 45. Location of two of the classical Seven Wonders 46. ____ Paolo 47. ___ de guerre 49. Intl. carrier 52. Sounds from the meadow 53. Evenings 55. Bring about 57. Irks 61. Nebraska city 64. Bollywood star, Zinta 65. Tasty dessert 69. Hype 70. Male singing voices 71. Camera support 72. Cursor mover 73. Evidence collectors 74. Designer Cassini 76. Green-lighted 77. Former coin of France 79. Short for an Italian mister 82. Citrus drinks 88. Marquand sleuth 90. Quadrangle 91. Calculating types 95. Chekhov’s fi rst play 96. Most free from pain or discomfort 97. Museo hanging 98. Social misfi t 99. Of the mouth 102. Vichyssoise ingredient 104. It might include lettuce and beans 113. Cat sound 114. Computer ace 115. Cooking herb 116. Gives 117. Least cooked 118. Carpenter’s tool 119. ___ and feather 120. Habituates 121. Muscle
Down:
1. Locker room supply 2. Flash 3. Top Tatar 4. Composer, Jerome 5. “Rule, Britannia” composer 6. Romeo’s rival 7. Words of agreement 8. Adjust, as a brooch 9. Boor 10. Leprechaun’s land 11. Disaster 12. Serious stories 13. Tintoretto’s “The Miracle of __ Freeing the Slave” 14. Loosed-lipped
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com
16. Subj. for immigrants 18. Wear away 19. Green light 24. Protect, in a way 25. Famous fi ddler 27. “___ Como Va” (1971 Santana hit) 30. Kvetches 32. Airline to Karachi 33. Switch positions 34. Prefi x with state 35. Unelevated, with level 36. Beaver home 37. He discovered “Open Sesame” 38. Mountains, abbr. 39. Revelation response 42. Shelley’s “___ Skylark” 43. Age abbr. 48. “___ beaucoup” 49. Watch word 50. Played on stage 51. Wreckage in a room 54. Fannie or Ginnie follower 56. Bring in the sheaves 57. Digital tome 58. In full voice 59. Male sheep 60. Tennis champ Monica 61. Sounds of woe 62. Hosts 63. Yellowfi n tuna 64. Vine-woven trellisework 66. Ball carriers 67. Justifi cation for existence 68. Embryonic or adult follower 69. Medical provider grp. 73. Twist 74. Bullfi ghter’s cry 75. Deighton of thrillers 78. Threatening 80. Japanese statesman 81. Statehouse V.I.P. 83. Turndowns 84. Elvis’s “A Fool Such ___” 85. Owing 86. Hosp. areas 87. Matching collection 89. Albert of sportscasts 91. Explosive 92. Immediate 93. Fifth-century scourge 94. Salty oxygen 99. Different 100. Bring up 101. Is part of 103. Piggy, of a sort 105. Heart cherry 106. Neutral color 107. Suffi x with west 108. Former Swedish car maker 109. Independent ruler 110. Whom Tony and Rico fought over, in “Copacabana” 111. Over again 112. “Fudge!”
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