14 minute read
Notebook by Kathleen donner
kids&family
The Lunar New Year (online) Family Zone
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is celebrated around the world and is a time to cherish loved ones both near and far. This year the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) is highlighting the Chinese traditions and celebration of the Year of the Ox. Enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities you can complete at home and with your extended family and friends via Zoom. Watch traditional Chinese craft demonstrations and performances. Join the Madison Chinese Dance Corporation for acrobatics, yo-yo, and other Chinese dance traditions. americanart. si.edu/events/family-zone/lunar-new-year.
US Capitol, Statuary Hall Take a Live, Virtual Capitol Tour
Due to Covid, the Capitol Visitor Center remains closed, but you can still join one of their knowledgeable guides for a live, virtual tour that includes the Crypt, Rotunda and National Statuary Hall. The tour will have live video and audio. Register in advance for these online tours o ered Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Tours last 45 to 60 minutes, including time for questions and answers. Tour participation requires a device that plays sound and video. Participants will not be on camera and will submit questions via the chat feature. Registration for online tours closes at 9 a.m. the previous day.
To register, visit the visitthecapitol.gov/virtual-capitol-tour and use the calendar feature to select a date and time. Once registered, you will receive a con rmation with the link for the tour you selected.
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The world’s most beloved #1 blue engine has rolled into National Children’s Museum this winter for exciting fun and adventure. Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!, an interactive exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum and inspired by the popular children’s series now on Nick Jr, steamed into the Museum on Jan. 22, for a four-month stay through Sunday, May 15. Featuring favorite engines and destinations from Thomas & Friends, this STEM–focused exhibit seeks to engage children, ages two through seven, and families in foundational skills that foster STEM literacy through playful learning experiences. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchild- ©2022 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! was created by Minnesota Children’s rensmuseum.org. Museum, presented by Fisher-Price.
Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade
Old Town’s George Washington Birthday Parade, honoring the 225th celebration of the birth of Father of our Country, is on Monday, Feb. 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. The oldest and largest parade celebrating the birth of George Washington in the US, it winds through a one-mile route along the historic streets of Old Town. (The parade date is weather dependent.) Read more at washingtonbirthday.com.
Becoming Chinese American (Girlhood – It’s complicated)
Chinese American Virginia Lee wore the vest and trousers on display in the early 1900s. Born in the United States but raised in immigrant households, Chinese American girls embodied multiple cultures. They were expected to conform to American culture while maintaining Chinese values. Clothing became an important way for Chinese American girls to navigate cultures and identities. Virginia, a first-generation Chinese American, grew up in New York City. Becoming Chinese American is in the New Perspectives case outside on the Second Floor, East, of the National Museum of American History. americanhistory.si.edu.
Virginia and her siblings wore Western-style clothing as everyday attire, but on special occasions donned imported clothes to showcase their Chinese heritage. The outfit will also be made available as a 3D scan.
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Soar Together @ Air and Space Virtual Family Day: What’s Beyond Our Solar System?
Soar Together @ Air and Space is a monthly virtual family program from the National Air and Space Museum. Through live events and interactive activities you can do anytime, your family can explore a different air and space topic every month. This month’s family program, on Feb. 18 and 19, all day, will explore the questions, “How do we know what is out there beyond our own universe?” and “What world do you imagine?” You’ll learn about the ways scientists study planets outside our solar system, and then use your creative side to imagine what it would be like to live on another planet. Register at airandspace. si.edu/events/soar-together-airand-space-virtual-family-daywhats-beyond-our-solar-system
On Saturday, Feb. 12 and Sunday, Feb. 13, join in on an authentic Darbuka drumming session. You’ll learn more about Arabic music and instruments like the Darbuka, an iconic percussion instrument used in the Middle East. The program, in the Creative Corner on the first floor, lasts approximately 30 minutes and will start at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It is recommended for all ages, especially five to nine. Museum admission is $15.95 for one adult and one child. The National Children’s Museum is at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. nationalchildrensmuseum.org.
Balloonacy at Imagination Stage
Balloonacy is a beautiful, movement-based show that revisits the classic film The Red Balloon. Nothing can go right for the character of the old man, whose days are gray and dreary–until he is visited by a friendly red balloon. In the playful physical style of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the old man--an adult version of the boy in the film--regains his youthful spirit, with the help of the red balloon. $12. Balloonacy is at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda Feb. 5 to 20. Best suited for ages five to eleven. Imaginationstage.org.
How Things Fly
How does an airplane stay aloft? How can something as insubstantial as air support all that weight? Why do you become “weightless” in space? How can you propel yourself there, with no air to push against? These and many other questions are answered in How Things Fly, a gallery devoted to explaining the basic principles that allow aircraft and spacecraft to fly. The emphasis here is “hands-on.” Dozens of exhibits invite you to push, pull, press, lift, slide, handle, touch, twist, turn, spin, bend, and balance. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The National Air and Space Museum’s building on the National Mall will temporarily close to the public March 28, 2022 until fall 2022.
National Zoo Webcams
See giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked molerats on animal cams streaming live, 24/7 from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams.
Download Animal Cam Bingo Cards at nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams. These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!
MLK Library Virtual Story Time
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 to 11 p.m., enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and more for ages birth to ve and their caregivers on Facebook Live. Tune into the fun at facebook.com/dclibrary. You will not need a Facebook account to view the program.
Show Way: A Book in Concert at the KC
Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old when she was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She began to stitch a Show Way, a quilt with secret meanings to show enslaved people the way to freedom. As each generation passes, the Show Way shines a light on the past and paves a road to the future, stitching together possibility and promise. Through Feb. 20, the Kennedy Center’s Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s Newbery-winning book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson’s own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters’ lives--from enslavement to free-
P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical at Imagination Stage
G.Petto is an ingenious computer games designer who one day discovers that his newest game character P.Nokio can live outside the computer. G.Petto is thrilled at the prospect of having a “son,” and with the help of the Gra ti Fairy, he teaches P.Nokio how to become a real boy. But, P.Nokio falls in with con artists and finds himself in a web of lies that endangers his father. To save G.Petto, P.Nokio must wise up, keep it real, and learn that words and truth are the mightiest weapons of all. A completely contemporary, high-energy musical update of Pinocchio, on stage at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, from Feb. 26 to April 9, is best suited for ages ve to eleven. ASL-interpreted performance is March 27 at 1:30 p.m. Sensory-friendly performance is April 3 at 11 a.m. imaginationstage.org.
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Celebrate Washington’s Birthday at Mount Vernon
On Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., celebrate the first president of the United States at his beloved home. Admission is free for both days—Presidents Day and George Washington’s birthday. On Feb. 21, witness a presidential tribute and a wreath laying at the Washington’s Tomb; listen to special remarks given by Doug Bradburn, president of Mount Vernon; and meet George Washington and other characters on the grounds of the historic area. On Feb. 22, observe a moving ceremony in which candidates from across the world become US citizens. Timed tickets for Mansion tours are distributed upon entry and are limited in number. Face masks are recommended indoors for all persons, vaccinated or unvaccinated. Face masks are required for all unvaccinated guests. mountvernon.org.
dom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy. $20. Most enjoyed by age seven and older. kennedy-center.org.
Explore the Rhythm and Magic of Percussion Instruments
On March 5 and 6, discover the range of percussion instruments through two imaginative stories featuring assistant principal timpanist of the NSO, Scott Christian. I Dream of the Moon (A Young Boy’s Adventure Through Space) by Keeghan Fountain tells the story of a young boy’s journey from his own backyard to the furthest reaches of the moon in a nonverbal performance on the vibraphone with projected images of original artwork by Nehemiah Russell. Xavier’s New Friends by Peter Gilbert introduces the main percussion family instruments through Xavier the Xylophone as he searches for percussion friends to join his band. Most enjoyed by ages five, up. March 6 at 4 p.m. is a sensory-friendly performance. kennedy-center.org.
Make Way for the Ducklings
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are exhausted from their search for a starter home when they land in the Boston Public Garden as a potential home. Surprised by a few conditions in the Garden, the Mallards move on to continue their search until their baby ducklings are born. When the ducklings begin to explore the world around them, the challenges of parenthood in the busy Boston environment create a fun bit of family drama. A classic story for all ages, this world premiere musical celebrates family, Boston, children, and the beings who make an unfamiliar place a home. $25. Adventure Theatre’s Make Way for the Ducklings is on stage at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD, from Feb. 4 to March 27. adventuretheatre-mtc.org.
Because: A Symphony of Serendipity
How can music change a young person’s life? See for yourself when Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems’s story of chance makes its world premiere as a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, March 20 at 2 and 4 p.m. The 2 p.m. concert is sensory-friendly. Most enjoyed by ages five, up. $20 to $55. kennedy-center.org.
Family Dance Workshop: ABT
Free, no tickets required. On Sunday, April 3, 11 a.m., join dancers at the Kennedy Center for this 45-minute workshop led by artists from American Ballet Theatre. Designed for families with children ages 10 and under, the workshop explores music, movement, and/or themes of a ballet while taking families through learning simple ballet steps or choreography. Children must participate with an adult. Pre-registration will be available approximately one month before the event and is highly recommended. kennedy-center.org.
PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure”
In PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure,” Mayor Goodway is getting everything shipshape for a big
Pirate Day celebration in Adventure Bay. When Cap’n
Turbot falls into a dark and mysterious cavern, it’s PAW Patrol to the rescue! Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, Rocky and Zuma save Cap’n Turbot and discover a secret pirate treasure map that leads them on an epic adventure. The performance is an interactive live stage show, encouraging audiences to learn pirate catchphrases, dance the pirate boogie and help the pups follow the treasure map and solve picture puzzles throughout their mission. PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” is at the EagleBank Arena, 4500 Patriot Cir, Fairfax, for seven performances from March 31 to April 3. Tickets are on sale now. ticketmaster.com. u
XWORD
by Myles Mellor
Across:
1. Sun Bowl venue 7. English afternoon break 14. Tracks 19. Bread puffer-upper 20. Served, as soup 21. Head or honeydew 22. Jameses 25. Dead to the world 26. Long-eared beast 27. Artistic period 28. Mus. chart 29. Pa. neighbor 30. Killer of Antony’s lover 32. Snowmobile trademark 34. Choice words 39. Indian cuisine 41. Civil rights organization 44. Bar or lands? 45. Store sign 46. Record label 48. Appeal to the judge 50. Holm or Fleming 52. Fearsome dino 53. Erics 59. Austin time 60. On the way out 61. Lines of a verse 62. Pre-med course, abbr. 63. “Do _____ say!” 64. Miss Piggy’s query 65. Fall month 66. Group of whales 69. All inheritable traits 71. Ozone layer pollutant: abbr. 74. Big inits. in photography 76. Rebel 78. Girl’s name 79. One of a chair pair 81. El Dorado’s lure 83. Switch positions 85. Confess 86. W. Africa republic 90. “Let’s Make __” 91. Today, in Tijuana 94. Annes 96. Pancake maker 98. Waikiki wear 99. Fictional monkey 100. Spring mon. 101. Fragrant fl owers 103. Bite at 106. Runny-nose condition 108. Short time segment, abbr. 111. Japanese city 112. Ice, and others 114. Ponder 116. Muppet Show eagle 118. Deer 120. “Conquest of Space” writer Willy 121. Famous West 123. Knife brand 125. Janes 131. Russian range 132. Hit from behind 133. Call on unexpectedly 134. Fix fi rmly 135. Instructions 136. Imbues
Look for this months answers at labyrinthgameshop.com
Down:
1. Charlton Heston title role 2. Tilted 3. Actress Anderson of “Baywatch” 4. State fi rmly 5. Sealy rival 6. Yoko of “Dear Yoko” 7. “Joy of Cooking” abbr. 8. Tour de France downfall substances 9. Huffi ngton Post owner 10. Arcade coin 11. Lined up 12. Threaten 13. Roush of baseball fame 14. Actor Sharif 15. A beautiful Bugatti 16. “That’s ___!” 17. London lav 18. Elder 23. California wine valley 24. Body mark, for short 31. Irritated state 32. Exhausted 33. Not straight 35. Letters after Q 36. Drug squad offi cer 37. Encouraging words 38. TelePrompTer fi ller 40. Simple shack 42. Causing suspension of breathing 43. Applaud 45. Burdensome 47. Prius’s advantage 49. Kicker Vinateri 51. Yemen port 53. Funnel-shaped 54. Tropical woody climber 55. Words of understanding 56. Med. care providers 57. Coup d’___ (quick glance) 58. Reply to an invitation 60. Baby talk 63. TV antennas 66. Accepting that.. 67. Drenched 68. Cry like a baby 70. Beat to a pulp 72. ___ song 73. Sticking point, metaphorically 75. Former White House nickname 77. Detection methods 80. Disburse 82. Beauty products provider 84. Outlaw Kelly 87. Zoo heavyweight 88. Observers 89. Contract 90. Noted artist Jean 91. Handle 92. Home of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland 93. Sheep skin grease 95. Renown 97. Settle a debt 102. Baby 104. “Maybe” 105. Goddess of duty 107. Not mint 109. Narrow ___ (close shave) 110. Kitty treat 112. Vacation locale, with “the” 113. Colorists 115. Apply muscle power 117. Periods of time 119. Hop making place 121. “Death in Venice” writer, Thomas 122. “No ifs, ___ ...” 124. Soothing plant 125. Shed stuff 126. “... ___ quit!” 127. SAT follower 128. Web address 129. Prefi x with classical 130. Drilling professional, for short
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