FamilyCalendar

Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery”

7:30 PM Theatre 98, 350 Morphy Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery” 251-928-4366 www.theatre98.org/

Saturday August 6

Jennifer Claire Moore FoundationAnnual Rodeo

6:00 PM Foley Horse Arena, 113 East Rosetta Ave Foley, AL Our Rodeo features 8 nightly events including Bareback Bronc Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Calf Roping, Steer Wrestling, Break Away Roping, Barrel Racing, Team Roping and Bull Riding. The Rodeo kicks off each night at 8:00pm with FREE children’s activities beginning nightly at 6:00pm. https://jennifermoorefoundation.com/

Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery”

7:30 PM Theatre 98, 350 Morphy Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery” 251-928-4366 theatre98boxoffice@att.net www. theatre98.org/

Sunday August 7

Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery”

2:30 PM Theatre 98, 350 Morphy Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Theatre 98 presents “The Waverly Gallery” 251-928-4366 www.theatre98.org/

2022 Saenger Summer Classic Movie Series

(Adults - $6, Kids (under 12) and Seniors (60+) $3)

3:00 PM Saenger Theatre Mobile, 6 S Joachim St Mobile, AL, 36602 2022 Saenger Summer Classic Movie Series-42nd Street https://www.asmglobalmobile.com/

Every Monday

Lego Build

3:30 PM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Blvd Spanish Fort, AL, 36537 Free build -Activity Room, Ages 2-10yrs.

251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Mondays through August 1

Sparks After Dark

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Fireworks at 8:45pm 251-224-1000 www.alwharf.com

Every Tuesday

Pokemon Club & Family Game Night

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Blvd Spanish Fort, AL, 36537 Bring your Pokemon cards and come and play and meet other Pokemon friends! Board games will be provided, everything from Chess/Checkers to Apples to Apples to Candy Land.

251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Teen Anime Club (Free)

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 13-17. Come hang out with Ms. Casey and watch some anime! Teens vote on what we watch. Join us in the Activity Room every Tuesday for Anime. All teens are welcome! Questions? Email teens@fairhopelibrary.org

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Movers & Shakers Toddler Storytime (Free)

10:00 AM - 10:50 AM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 18 months to 2 years old. Join us for a special storytime just for toddlers every Tuesday at 10am in the Activity Room for silly books, silly songs, and fun crafts. This summer we will focus on ocean themed stories and crafts - perfect for our little explorers!

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Big Kid Storytime (Free)

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 3 to 7 years old. Join our super fun storytime every Tuesday at 11am, where we read new books, sing new songs, do creative crafts, and make new friends. This summer we will focus on ocean themed stories and crafts! 251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Tween Odyssey (Free)

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 8 to 12 years old. Join our weekly Tween Time for ocean themed crafts and activities every Tuesday at 2pm in the Activity Room at Fairhope Library! We’ll be making art from recycled materials, learning about art history, making paper circuits, meditation bottles, and more. You don’t want to miss it!

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Tuesdays through August 1

Kids Night

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Kids nights - FREE admission + parking; Some activities range $5-10 251-224-1000 www.alwharf.com

Every Wednesday

Storytime - Page & Palette

10:30 AM Page & Palette, 32 S Section St Fairhope, AL, 36532 Please join us on Wednesdays at 10:30 AM for storytime! Each week, Miss Paula share a silly story the whole family will enjoy.

251-928-5295 www.pageandpalette.com

Storytime Wednesday - Spanish Fort Library

10:30 AM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Blvd Spanish Fort, AL, 36537 Join the Spanish Fort Public Library for stories, songs, and group time each Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. Best for ages 5 and under.

251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Bookworm Bandits Book Club (Free)

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 8-12. Need some fun books to read this summer? Ms. Casey has you covered! Join her every Wednesday in Study Room #2 to discuss what you’re reading and chat about the monthly book club picks. Books are provided for free. Questions? Email tweens@ fairhopelibrary.org

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Wednesdays thru August 1

Pepsi Treasure Hunt for Hunger benefitting Secret Meals for Hungry Children

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, The Wharf, 23101 Canal Road Orange Beach, AL, 36561 Pepsi Treasure Hunt for Hunger benefitting Secret Meals for Hungry Children

251-224-1000 www.alwharf.com

Every Thursday

Storytime Thursday - Spanish Fort Library

10:30 AM Spanish Fort Public Library, 7361 Spanish Fort Blvd Spanish Fort, AL, 36537 Join the Spanish Fort Public Library for stories, songs, and group time each Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. Best for ages 5 and under.

251-410-READ www.spanishfortpubliclibrary.org

Babies and Books Storytime (Free)

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages Newborn to 18 months. Join us for our special storytime just for babies and caregivers every Thursday at 10am for nursery rhymes, silly songs, tummy time, and sensory play.

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Teen Gamers Guild (Free)

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 13-17. Gamers Guild meets every Thursday with something new every week! Wakanda Forever, Goblin Night, Viking Victory Night, Harry Potter Game Night, Munchkin Quest, Alternate Risk, and more. All teens are welcome! Email teens@fairhopelibrary.org with any questions.

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Farmer’s Market Storytime (Free)

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 2 years and up. Join us behind Fairhope Library during Farmer’s Market for a very special outdoor storytime and craft session.

251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Every Friday

Free Build - STEM Play (Free)

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Fairhope Public Library, 501 Fairhope Avenue Fairhope, AL, 36532 Ages 2 to 10 years old. Come put your creative imagination to the test! We will put out all of our legos, soft blocks, lincoln logs, picnic pieces, buckets of dinosaurs, and more. Join us in the Activity Room for Free Build every Monday and Friday from 9am - Noon. 251-929-1465 www.fairhopelibrary.org/

Every first and third Sunday

Animal Ambassadors

2:00 PM Five Rivers Delta Center, 30945 Five Rivers Boulevard Spanish Fort, AL, 36527 Join us at 2 PM as we present one or more of our live educational animals. Free, family friendly, no registration required. www.outdooralabama.com/activities/5-rivers-alabama-delta-resource-center

Second and fourth Sundays

Mobile Bay Maker’s Market

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Along Mobile Bay at The Pier, Fairhope, AL, 36532 Taking place every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month, the Mobile Bay Maker’s Market features over 35 local artisans, farmers, and makers along the gulf coast. The event takes place just south of the Fairhope Municipal Pier. Food trucks are also on site.

Every second Tuesday

Board Game Night

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Daphne Public Library, 2607 US98 Daphne, AL, 36526 Find out who has game at our Board Game Night that takes place every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 4pm - 6pm. We have games for ages 5 and up!

251-620-2500 www.daphneal.com/178/Library

Please send your calendar events to lynn@ easternshoreparents.com.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of these calendar events. However, you should call ahead to confirm dates, times, location, and other information.

What’s “Old” Is “New” for Today’s Kids

Kids these days! I bet you have heard your grandparents or parents say this, or maybe you have even said it. If you are north of 30, you probably have. It seems every generation thinks the younger generation is just “too much” or “not enough” according to the older generation’s standards. Too much music and TV and not enough outside time was the complaint my grandparents leveled at my generation.

Today’s parents and grandparents probably believe “too much device time and not enough outside time.” This brings me to a thread of consistency over generations; we must get our kids outside. Why is this important?

According to Google: “If you spend time outdoors in green spaces, your cortisol levels decrease. When your cortisol levels decrease, your stress and anxiety decline, and you gain better control of your emotions, including fear and anger. Without stress, your body functions as it should.” But beyond this, why is it essential for our kids to be outdoors?

Playing outside promotes curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. Studies have found that children who spent more time exploring nature had improved learning outcomes. Kids were more positive in behavior. Research shows that when children spent time in natural settings, they had less anger and aggression. When we get outside, we simply breathe better. Our bodies settle. Fight or flight mode decreases. All of these positive outcomes are the opposite of what happens when we stay inside and on devices. Also, spoiler alert, if you sit outside but stay on your phone, you negate the benefits of being outside. The whole point is to engage with nature.

What is really interesting is that our bodies instinctively tell us that we feel better when we are away from our devices. Previous generations not only know this, but they also honor what their bodies need. Today’s generation has gotten good at not listening to their bodies cues.

The noise from devices and social media is much stronger than our bodies’ subtle nudge until it is too late. What do I mean by too late? I mean after we begin showing signs of anxiety, depression, frustration, and loneliness. But we can combat this by listening to the generations before us.

What feels “old hat’ to our grandparents will feel “new” to our kids today. Going outside for a walk, digging in the dirt to plant a garden, fishing, swimming in a stream, sitting out for a cold drink with friends…these things feel “new” to our kids. They may not be used to these activities and do not know how good they make them feel until they actually do them. It is becoming more and more apparent that we must teach new generations these “old hat” tricks.

Kids born this year will never know a world without AI. Their lives will be inundated with technology. And I, for one, do not believe that our children will have evolved so much in the next 15-20 years that they will struggle less than today’s youth with the constant technology. I believe the opposite is accurate, and they will struggle even more.

Evolution is slow for a reason. Change needs to be slow. We can help our children and grandchildren by teaching them to listen to those subtle cues. Listen to their bodies. Take them outside. Teach them to get their hands dirty, go for walks, and drink lemonade on the front porch.

In an overcomplicated world, this seems so simple. But it is not only incredibly effective at combating the psychosocial and emotional issues our kids face today due to devices; it prepares them for years to come. It is our way “out” of the constant stress of the online world. It is the answer that we consistently look for. It is free. It is simple.

Kristi Bush serves as a national education consultant and social media safety advocate. She is a licensed social worker with greater than 15 years of clinical practice and health care experience. She attended Troy and Auburn University where she studied social work and counseling. Kristi travels nationally and has spoken with thousands of children, parents, professionals and organizations about the benefits and threats associated with social media. You may reach Kristi through her website at www.knbcommunications.com.