Day-by-Day Calendar

Fun is in bloom at the Philadelphia Flower Show, through March 8.

Homeschool Workshop 10 March

Grow Up Great 14 March

MARCH

Special needs event Editor's Pick

DAY-BY-DAY CALENDAR $ = $1-$5; $$ = $6-$10; $$$ = $11-$19; $$$$ = $20 & up

1 Sunday Art Making and Storytelling at Woodmere Art Museum, Phila. FREE

Family Arts Academy: Welcome Spring at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Make an illustrated masterpiece. FREE

Family Concert: Noah's Flood: at Packer Memorial Church, Bethlehem. Performed by the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. $$$

First Sunday Family Day: Creating Multiples at the Barnes Foundation, Phila. View a new tapestry exhibit, make crafts & art prints and watch a multicultural puppet show. FREE

First Sunday for Families: Votes for Women at the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford. An exhibit and storytelling performance highlight how women seeking the right to vote expressed themselves. FREE

Harlem Globetrotters at the Wells Fargo Center, Phila. $$$$

Hello, Dolly! at the Academy of Music, Phila. $$$$

Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Phila. Themed “Riviera Holiday,” this year’s event features workshops and demos, make-and-take activities and the kid-favorite Butterflies Live exhibit. Through March 8. $$$$

Play Without Boundaries at the Please Touch Museum, Phila. Kids with autism and learning differences experience the venue in a relaxed environment. FREE Sundays on Stage: Curious: Think Outside the Pipeline at the Parkway Central Library, Phila. This original musical is performed by folk duo Ants on a Log. FREE

3 Tuesday Museum Playdate: Mummies and the Afterlife at the Penn Museum, Phila. Little ones listen to a themed story and explore the Egypt Mummies gallery. $$ 4 Wednesday STEAM Storytime: Light at the American Helicopter Museum, West Chester. $$ 5 Thursday Boston Massacre 250th Anniversary Event at the Museum of the American Revolution, Phila. Learn about the city’s Liberty Tree and a sailor of African and Native American descent who was killed in the massacre. $$$$ 6 Friday Camp-In at the Franklin Institute, Phila. $$$$

FAB FREEBIE Feeling lucky? Wear your best green getup to the Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt, March 14. The quest kicks off at the “Blarney Booth” at Haverford & Forrest Aves. Grab a game card and set out, pot o’ gold in tow, to search of hidden leprechauns at downtown shops and restaurants. They’ll receive a chocolate coin for each one they find, and an even bigger prize when they snag them all.

International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. Browse gemstones, beads, jewelry and accessories crafted by local and international artisans. $$ Special Evening at Sam’s at Sahara Sam’s Oasis, West Berlin, NJ. Kids with special needs and their families enjoy a judgment-free evening featuring quiet rooms, modified lighting and sound, a relaxed dress code and the option to bring your own snacks. $$$

7 Saturday Museum Playdates: The Story of Anansi at the Penn Musuem, Phila. Tots listen to Anansi the Spider and explore the newly renovated Africa galleries. $$

Carnival of the Animals at Verizon Hall, Phila. The Philadelphia Orchestra performs Camille Saint-Saëns's famous piece. $$$$

International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. See March 6. $$

Paleopalooza at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila. Explore the world of dinosaurs while you view a rarely seen fossil collection, watch presentations by paleontologists, meet reptiles and get hands-on at learning stations. $$$

Sweet Art Cupcake-Decorating Workshop at Wayne Art Center, Wayne $$$$

FAN OF . . . AMERICAN GIRL

Pinkies up! Bring your favorite doll to the American Girl Tea and History Series, March 22 at the Hatfield Township Building. The first event of three — the others are later this spring — features afternoon teatime alongside American Girl Kitt Kittredge. Kids learn all about her story, as well as those of women historical figures from the same time period.

8 Sunday Bucks County Wedding Show at Delaware Valley University, Doylestown. Browse options for venues and professional services. FREE Family Arts Academy: Asian Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Meet folks from the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and explore cultural storytelling via film and projects. FREE Full Moon Walk at Norristown Farm Park, E. Norriton. FREE International Gem and Jewelry Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. See March 6. $$ Paleopalooza at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila. See March 7. $$$

Winterfest at Blue Cross RiverRink, Phila. Take one last whirl around the ice-skating rink during the closing day for this seasonal space. FREE

10 Tuesday Homeschool Workshop at the Franklin Institute, Phila. Design and create structures using building toys. $$$$ Archaeological Adventures Homeschool Program: Meet the Mediterranean at the Penn Museum, Phila. Listen to mythological stories, check out Roman artifacts and barter for goods at an ancient marketplace. $$$

12 Thursday Books and Boots at Myrick Conservation Center, West Chester. Join Potter the Otter for storytime that leads to an outdoor adventure. $$ Children's Nature Series: Geology Rocks at Norristown Farm Park, E. Norriton. Find out what rocks are made of and how they’re formed. $

13 Friday 40 Winks Sleepover at the Penn Museum, Phila. This slumber party features games, crafts, a scavenger hunt and flashlight expedition. $$$$

Ladies Night Out: Mixed Media Collage at the Michener Art Museum, Doylestown. Make artwork inspired by a current special exhibit. $$$$

Stroller Tour: Votes for Women at the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford. $$$ 14 Saturday Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt at Haverford & Forrest Aves., Narberth. See “Fab Freebie,” Above. FREE

Grow Up Great at the Kimmel Center’s Commonwealth Plaza, Phila. Kids are introduced to jazz and musical theatre. FREE

15 Sunday Family Arts Academy: Printed Poetry at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Make and print original poems with illustrations. FREE

Sundays on Stage: Magic by Poly at the Parkway Central Library, Phila. Enjoy a mix of illusion, comedy, music and plenty of audience participation. FREE 16 Monday Community Night at the Franklin Institute, Phila. FREE

17 Tuesday Les Misérables at the Academy of Music, Phila. Through March 29. $$$$

18 Wednesday STEAM Storytime: Sound at the American Helicopter Museum, West Chester. $$ 19 Thursday Brain Awareness Day at the Franklin Institute, Phila. Touch real brains, meet neuroscientists, partake in dissections and play brain games. $$$$ Jim West’s Dinosaurs at Sellersville Theater, Sellersville. Puppet show mixes storytelling with the latest dino discoveries. $$ 20 Friday Camp-In at the Franklin Institute, Phila. $$$$

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. While parents browse 300-plus vendors that sell jewelry, pottery, home furnishings & décor and fine art, kids are entertained by theatre performances, free painting classes, art demos and live music. $$ 21 Saturday Hoops Madness Basketball Tournament at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Phila. Join three-on-three match-ups and shooting contests. $$$

Public Archaeology Day at Newlin Grist Mill, Glen Mills. Help out archaeologists with site excavation and artifact screening & care. FREE

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. See March 20. $$

22 Sunday American Girl Tea and History Series at the Hatfield Township Building, Hatfield. See “Fan of,” p. 21 $$$ Family Arts Academy: Drips and Dabs at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Make colorful paintings. FREE Family Circus Festival at the Woodmere Art Musuem, Phila. Experience mime artists, aerialists and trapeze & tightwire performances, then learn tips from the pros. FREE Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square. View thousands of intricate orchid arrangements for the final time this season. $$$$ Sugarloaf Crafts Festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks. See March 20. $$

24 Tuesday Children's Nature Series: Winds and Weather at Norristown Farm Park, E. Norriton. Learn basic cloud types and how to interpret the sky, then engage in a story and craft. $

26 Thursday Books and Boots at Myrick Conservation Center, West Chester. See March 12. $$

27 Friday Camp-In at the Franklin Institute, Phila. $$$$

28 Saturday Bird Walk at Newlin Grist Mill, Glen Mills. FREE CultureFest! Nowruz Festival at the Penn Museum, Phila. Celebrate the ancient Persian festival marking the start of spring with cultural performances, art making, workshops and a bazaar. $$$ Play-a-Palooza at Smith Memorial Playground, Phila. Playground-season kickoff features nature play, performances and treats. $$ Sensory-Friendly Saturday at the Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford. Visitors on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing disorder experience the venue in a modified setting FREE

29 Sunday Family Arts Academy: Mexican Folklore at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Experiment with two paper mache-based art forms in Mexican folklore traditions. FREE 31 Tuesday Night Skies in the Observatory at the Franklin Institute, Phila. $$

continued from p. 7

Zimbrick-Rogers says. “They wished they had not done it because their families rejected them. That is profoundly sad.”

Advice for parents

There has certainly been an increased awareness of gender identity issues. “Young people aren’t necessarily following the traditional male/female binary system,” says Levine. “Many teens are re-evaluating gender identity issues. These people may self-identify as queer, gender-queer, gender non-conforming, or gender-fluid.”

One of the primary factors to influence whether someone seeks treatment is access to care, Levine says, noting that outside of Philadephia, Hershey and Pittsburgh, there are many areas of the state where this care is not provided. (In Delaware, there is a Gender Wellness Program at Nemours/ Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington.) Elliot urges kids who might be questioning their gender to find someone they can talk to about it. “They can help you sort that feeling out,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to try different things, like wearing different clothes to see what feels right. You don’t have to know everything – you can take time to see what feels the best.” He wishes someone had told him about being transgender when he was younger. “I would have been able to put a name to the feelings and understood them earlier,” he says.

Zimbrick-Rogers says parental concerns about suicide are understandable, but a supportive family has been shown to mitigate that risk. “A recent study showed that in young people who came out to their parents early in childhood, and their family wrapped around them with love and support, those risks were almost completely eliminated,” he says. “They went back to being normal kids.” This is why parents should become their child’s biggest advocate, ally, and accomplice, he says, so that all spaces their child inhabits, including school, religious, community and home, are safe places for exploring their identity.

“By doing that, children won’t feel they have to hide part of themselves,” he says.