Snowflake and Chocolate

After years of trying, in 1885 Wilson Bentley became the first person to photograph snowflakes, having long before observed that no two of these wonders of nature were alike. Programs at the East Hampton Library this week will teach kids about the man who became known as Snowflake Bentley. There’s one for ages 6 and up tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. and another for kids 3 to 5 on Wednesday at 4 p.m. In each, participants will make their own tape-resist snowflake art projects. 

High school students have been invited to the library for an after-hours manhunt game on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. On Sunday they can stop by between 4 and 5 to earn community service credits by helping the young-adult librarian with a book display. 

Chocolate and its many varieties will be the focus of a taste-test challenge for high schoolers on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. And for some weightier fare, they will discuss life’s big questions and today’s hot topics in the library’s monthly Socrates Cafe at 3:30 p.m. Hot cocoa, coffee, and tea will be served. 

Little ones ages 4 to 6 can listen to a winter story and make a craft on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Next Thursday, teens have been invited to face off against a librarian in the Kahoot! pop culture trivia game at 6 p.m.

And More Snow

Programs for young people at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton in the coming week begin with snow and end with a movie screening for tweens and teens.

Tomorrow at 4 p.m., kids 4 and older will paint snow-covered trees using what the library calls “an unconventional method.” The project on Friday, Jan. 18, at the same time will be bubble-wrap dragons. 

On Sunday, cookies will be served during a story time for children of all ages. Kids in sixth grade and up can add fun designs to their smartphone cases on Tuesday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the library. Participants should take their own cases, preferably clear ones. 

Finally, on Friday, Jan. 18, the documentary “RBG,” about the pioneering legal career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will be shown at 6:30 p.m. in a screening especially for kids in sixth grade and above. The film, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, is rated PG.

Music in Montauk

Younger children and their caregivers can sing, dance, and enjoy books related to the songs they’re hearing in a program at the Montauk Library next Thursday at 11:45 a.m. with Katherine C.H.E. The session is geared toward ages 1 to 4, and sign-up ahead of time has been requested. 

Open Studio at Parrish

Families looking for something engaging to do on Saturday might consider stopping in at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, which offers an open studio for families from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., including a gallery tour. It is free with museum admission, which costs $12 for adults. There is no entry fee for students 18 and under. Advance registration is not required.

Field Hockey and Wrestling

A field hockey clinic for girls in third through sixth grade and wrestling for boys in second through eighth grade will start next week. Both are sponsored by the East Hampton Town Parks and Recreation Department, and registration forms are available on the town’s website.

The field hockey program will introduce new players to the sport and build skills for returning players. It will be held on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through March 28 at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center. Participants must have a stick, sneakers, shin guards, a mouthpiece, protective goggles, and a water bottle. Registration is at the Parks and Recreation Department office behind Town Hall or at the Montauk Playhouse. The cost is $45. 

The wrestling program will be held in the East Hampton High School wrestling room on Mondays and Wednesdays through March 6, and also costs $45. Ronald Campsey, who will be the instructor, can be phoned at 516-659-4787 with questions.

Also offered through the Parks and Recreation Department is a free chess clinic for first through fifth graders on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. at the youth park on Abraham’s Path. 

Hoo, Who?

What do owls eat? Kids 3 to 5 years old can find out as they dissect owl pellets with Rachel Speckenbach at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton on Sunday. Children will learn “about an owl’s life through their diet,” according to the museum. The program starts at 10:30 a.m. There is a $2 materials fee, and advance registration has been requested. 

Tech for Kids

In a tech program on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, second through fifth graders will learn about all sorts of gadgets and have a chance to experiment with them. 

On Sunday afternoons starting at 12:15, the library has invited children 4 to 7 to stop in and work on a craft with an older child in sixth through eighth grade on hand to help them. Advance registration has been requested for both programs.

Snowflakes and Snowmen

Sixth through eighth graders can make either snowmen or penguins during a no-sew sock craft program on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the East Hampton Library.

Also that day, at 5 p.m., mentors will be on hand to help high school students with college applications. There is space for just four students, each of whom will get a half-hour session, so registration ahead of time is a must. Additional sessions are planned in the coming weeks. 

A bilingual story and craft time for ages 3 and up will be held next Thursday at 4 p.m. at the library. Also at 4, high school students can unwind as they make natural and organic bath bombs. The session runs till 7.

The man who became known as Snowflake Bentley because he was the first to photograph the wonder of the snowflake will be the subject of a workshop for kids 6 and older on Friday, Jan. 11, at 3:30 p.m. Participants will make their own tape-resist snowflake art to take home. 

Body Art

Glitter tattoos and henna graphics are on the schedule on Saturday at the Montauk Library. At 1 p.m., kids in kindergarten through third grade will have a chance to get a temporary glitter tattoo or henna design. At 2, those in fourth grade and above will learn about the ancient art of henna and then get their own henna designs if they wish. Advance sign-up is required, as space is limited. 

Puppets in Sag Harbor

Goat on a Boat at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor will host the Gottabees, a Boston puppet ensemble, on Saturday for a performance of “Go Home Tiny Monster” at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $15. 

At the Libraries

The family movie “Christopher Robin,” in which Winnie the Pooh helps a grown-up Christopher Robin remember what’s most important in life, will be shown at the East Hampton Library this afternoon at 3. Tomorrow at 2 p.m., children 4 and older can carve their own snowflake stamps and use them to make a banner to take home. Huggable snow people will be the craft in a program on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. for the same age group. Advance registration is required for most library programs.

At the Montauk Library, children 2 and older can paint Mason jars to resemble snowmen. The program starts at 2 p.m. Kids in fourth grade and above can make peppermint lip balm and body scrub during a workshop on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. Space is limited and advance sign-up has been suggested. 

Feeding Time

At the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton on Saturday, children have been invited to see how museum staff members prepare food for the resident animals. Kids will then learn about food webs and the differences among omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores. A session for ages 3 to 5 begins at 10:30 a.m.; one for ages 6 and up starts at 2 p.m.

Pizza and Antlers

The next Pizza and Pajama Night at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Friday, Jan. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 will include a reading of David Small’s “Imogene’s Antlers.” Geared toward children 3 to 6, the evening will include time for free play in the museum and a chance for kids to make their own antlers. It costs $12 per child; members get in free. Reservations are required.

“Jolly Jamboree”

Goat on a Boat at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor will spread some cheer on Saturday at 11 a.m. during “The Joyfully Jolly Jamboree,” a puppet show with holiday tunes both original and classic. Tickets start at $15. 

The Goat on a Boat show on Dec. 29 will be “Go Home Tiny Monster,” presented by the Gottabees. 

Vacation Art Workshops

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill is offering holiday vacation art workshops for kids 5 and older from Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 28.

Wednesday’s sessions will focus on portraits of friends and family, next Thursday’s on negative and positive space black-and-white collages, and the final one on narrative painting with tempera paint. 

Each workshop will begin with a tour of “Every Picture Tells a Story,” an exhibition of works from the museum’s permanent collection. Workshops for 5 and 6-year-olds will run from 10 a.m. to noon, those for ages 7 and older from 1 to 3 p.m. The cost is $40 per session, $30 for members, and advance registration is required. 

A light-based family workshop inspired by the exhibition “Keith Sonnier: Until Today” will have participants making an illuminated work of art with LED bulbs, batteries, and copper tape on Friday, Dec. 28, at 6 p.m. The workshop is free with museum admission. Registration ahead of time is required. 

Latkes and Confetti

Hanukkah may be over, but it’s always a good time for potato pancakes (latkes), and on Saturday kids 3 and older can make their own at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Kids will measure, mix, shape, and taste these treats, which are traditional at Hanukkah. The workshop starts at 10 a.m. and costs $20, including museum admission, or $7 for members.

Looking ahead to New Year’s Eve, the museum will hold its popular ball drop for kids at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., each building up to what the museum describes as “a confetti-filled countdown.” The party costs $14 and is free for museum members, but reservations are a must. 

Library Sleepover

High school students have been invited to a sleepover at the East Hampton Library on Saturday night. Kids will play card and video games, watch movies, and enjoy pizza starting at 7 p.m. Permission slips are required and must be dropped off at the young-adult desk by tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Two family movies will be shown on the library’s big screen next week: “Sherlock Gnomes” on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and “Christopher Robin” next Thursday at the same time. 

Also next Thursday, kids 4 and older will use felt, fabric, and other materials to make festive puppets at 1 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 28, will bring an all-day holiday movie marathon for high school students and a snowflake stamp-making workshop for kids 4 and older. Pajamas have been encouraged for the movie marathon, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hot cocoa and popcorn will be served. In the stamp workshop at 2 p.m., kids will make hanging banners. 

“The Nutcracker in Harlem”

T.E. McMorrow, a Montauk journalist and writer, will read from and sign his children’s book “The Nutcracker in Harlem” on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Montauk Library. The book is a jazz-age retelling of “The Nutcracker,” with illustrations by James Ransome. Copies will be available for purchase. 

Whether it’s a white Christmas or not, next Thursday kids in kindergarten and up can imagine a snowy scene in a winter wonderland collage workshop at the library at 4:30 p.m. On Friday, Dec. 28, Lego builders will gather to create whatever they can dream up at 3:30 p.m. 

“The Polar Express”

The animated classic “The Polar Express” will be shown at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor on Saturday at 2 p.m. 

On Sunday, kids in fourth through eighth grade will square off in a decorating contest at 1:30 p.m. to determine who is the “cupcake champion.” Cupcakes and toppings will be supplied.

Hayground’s “As You Like It”

As the culmination of Shakespeare and Company’s 20th annual residency at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, five professional actors from the Berkshire, Mass., troupe will join Hayground student actors in presenting two performances of “As You Like It,” today at 1 and 6 p.m. at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The programs are open to the public; tickets are $10 per family.

“Antigone Now” in Southampton

The Black Box Performance Project will stage two performances of Melissa Cooper’s play “Antigone Now” tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center. Set in a bombed-out city, the play is a contemporary response to the myth of Antigone, who attempted to secure a respectable burial for her brother against her uncle’s will. 

Seventh through 12th graders from across the South Fork make up the cast. Tamara Salkin directs the production. Tickets are $15, $10 for students under 21.

High School Playwrights Fest

The Young Artists and Writers Project’s annual High School Playwrights Festival will take place on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater. 

This year’s festival features five short plays written by and starring students from the Bridgehampton School, Pierson High School, and the project’s summer workshops, and directed by professionals. 

Students were mentored by writing and theater professionals connected with Stony Brook Southampton’s M.F.A. program in creative writing and literature. Emma Walton Hamilton is the executive director of the Young Arts and Writers Program; Will Chandler is its program director. Ms. Hamilton, a co-founder of Bay Street Theater, is a best-selling children’s book author, editor, arts educator, and director of the Southampton Children’s Literature Fellows Program. Mr. Chandler, a screenwriter and teaching artist, was formerly an education director at Bay Street.

The Avram Theater is in the Fine Arts Building on campus. Admission to the festival is free; for reservations email: [email protected].

“Mixed Nuts” at Bay Street

Dorothy and the Tin Man will meet Clara and the Nutcracker this weekend at Bay Street Theater when the young dancers of Studio 3 perform “Mixed Nuts.” The program combines elements of “The Nutcracker” with “The Wizard of Oz,” while mixing ballet with other dance styles. Show times are tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $25. 

Zines and ’Za

Guild Hall’s Teen Arts Council will host a workshop on creating zines with Brianna Ashe, an East Hampton artist, on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants will work on their own zines, in whatever medium suits them, but have been asked to supply old magazines for collaging. Pizza will be served, and there will be raffle prizes. The program is free, but advance registration has been requested through Guild Hall. 

For Young Birders

The South Fork Natural History Museum’s Young Birders Club will meet on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Bridgehampton. Open to kids 8 to 18, the club meets monthly to learn about birds and their local habitats. The club’s advisers are Miles Todaro and Frank Quevedo, the museum’s executive director. Those who attend on Saturday have been asked to take binoculars and field guides to birds of the eastern United States if possible.

On Saturday at 1 p.m., families have been invited to help decorate the museum’s trees for birds with ornaments made of seeds, suet, and dried fruits. Shoeboxes have been recommended so attendees can take decorations home for their own outdoor trees. There is a $5 materials fee per person.

Families with children 6 and older will study mammals and how they move in a drawing class on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the museum. Tara Smith, an artist, will lead the program, teaching not only drawing techniques but also features of animal anatomy. 

Registration ahead of time has been requested for all programs. 

Big Questions, Simple Fun

Sock puppets, life’s big questions, and cupcakes round out the schedule of youth programming at the East Hampton Library this week.

In the library’s Socrates Cafe program on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., high school students will ponder some deep thoughts in a discussion session meant to get them thinking. “This is not a debate, or an attempt to change anyone’s point of view,” the library website says, “but a chance for philosophical conversation.” Coffee, tea, and hot cocoa will be served. 

Moving on to simpler things, kids 4 and older will turn cupcakes into elves with tasty materials provided by the library on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Each participant will be able to take home three cupcakes. 

Using acrylic paint pens, high school students can decorate mugs for themselves or as gifts on Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. in the young-adult room. In a puppet craft program for ages 6 to 9 on Wednesday, kids will use socks, craft foam, and pompoms to create their own characters. Snowflakes made from Popsicle sticks will be the craft during a family program next Thursday at 4 p.m. 

Advance sign-up has been requested for most programs. 

Gift Ideas

Children and teens looking to make something special to give as a gift for the holidays can do so at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton this week. Kids in sixth grade and above can stop by today and tomorrow from 3:30 to 5 p.m. to make sugar body scrubs for themselves or someone else. Homemade candles will be the project on weekdays at the same time next week. 

For those 4 and older, a winter cardinal craft program tomorrow at 4 p.m. might yield a thoughtful gift. Sparkly icicle decorations, being made on Friday, Dec. 21, at the same time, could provide a last-minute touch to the Christmas decorations. A movie night for kids in sixth grade and up will kick off the Christmas break on Friday, Dec. 21. On tap: Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Showtime is 6:30.

Wally and “Elf”

Wally the dog will be on hand to listen to new readers 4 and older on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. 

On Sunday, the much-loved Christmas movie “Elf,” starring Will Farrell, will be shown at 1 p.m. This program is for teens and tweens, who have been invited to wear their pajamas. Popcorn and hot cocoa will be served. Advance registration, though not required, can be done online. 

Escape the Library

Kids in kindergarten and up will make spoon snowmen using paint, ribbon, and pompoms on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Montauk Library. Later that day, at 3:30, grades 4 through 12 can test their mystery-solving powers in an Escape the Library interactive game. “Find the hidden objects, figure out the clues, and solve the puzzles to earn your freedom,” the library writes. 

Katherine C.H.E. will lead children 1 to 4 and their caregivers in a session of music and movement on Tuesday at 11:45 a.m.

The animating idea behind the Black Box Performance Project is deceptively simple. Its director, Tamara Salkin, said she and her co-founder, Amanda Jones, wondered what would happen if they stripped away all the usual adornments and detailed instructions that their youth actors usually get — the elaborate sets and costumes, the meticulous orders on where to stand, how to move, what to think — and instead challenged them to come up with most everything themselves.

Then, switching the point of view yet again, what would happen for the audience if you lessened the focus on the spectacle and trained it even more on the student actors and their work?

After nearly two months of rehearsals for “Antigone Now,” Melissa Cooper’s modern adaptation of the Greek tragedy “Antigone” by Sophocles, Ms. Salkin thinks the emerging answers are precisely what she hoped. 

“I think it proves that you don’t need all that extra stuff to have a really powerful experience at the theater,” Ms. Salkin said of the Black Box production, which will be performed on Friday, Dec. 14, and Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center.

“I asked the students at the beginning, ‘Have you ever been allowed to make your own choices?’ ” Ms. Salkin said. “And there were some ‘Hmms.’ Some shuffling of feet. . . . What we’re doing is educational theater. Here, they’re doing really deep script analysis, thinking about why their characters say what they say, the motivation behind their actions. These are things that professional actors do that they’ve never really done.”

All of the actors in the Black Box Performance Project auditioned for their roles. Some work with Ms. Salkin through South Fork Performing Arts, the company she and Ms. Jones started. The cast ranges in age from a seventh grader, Dakota Quackenbush of East Hampton, who performed recently in “Evita” at Bay Street Theater, to Madeline Kane, a senior at Pierson High School in Sag Harbor who has an onstage part in “Antigone Now” and was also instrumental in suggesting some of the staging ideas that Ms. Salkin called “brilliant.”

One of those ideas was to have the traditional Greek chorus from the time of Sophocles reimagined and staged in a coffee shop. “Which was perfect, because where else do you go today when you want to gossip and discuss things with friends?” Ms. Salkin said with a laugh.

The goal throughout the process, she said, is for her young actors to have an immersive educational experience in all aspects of production as well as a performance experience, a combination that mirrors her own career path. Ms. Salkin, 34, is an actress as well as a director. She appeared most recently in “The Money Shot” at the Southampton Cultural Center. She also has a master’s degree in educational theater.

She grew up in Southampton, now lives in Sag Harbor, and said East End schools provide opportunities for young people who want to act — if not full-time jobs for teachers certified to teach theater arts.

“So I thought, ‘How can I be a part of a theater where kids are learning, not just performing?’ ” she said. The result was Black Box, with its spare sets and staging and sound (which Ms. Jones is overseeing).

“And I couldn’t be more excited,” Ms. Salkin said, thinking back to last weekend’s three dress rehearsals. “What it’s shown is the concept of Black Box works.”

General admission to “Antigone Now” is $15, or $10 for students under 21. Tickets can be purchased at scc-arts.org or by phone.

Nutcrackers and “Mixed Nuts”

The Hampton Ballet Theatre School will present Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” tomorrow through Sunday at Guild Hall. This year’s production, the school’s 10th, features nearly 80 student dancers and three professional guest artists. 

It is, as ever, directed by the school’s founder, Sara Jo Strickland, with costumes by Yuka Silvera and lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski. Featured student dancers are Jillian Hear and Holiday Bovio as the Arabian Princess, Beatrice DeGroot and Samantha Prince as the Dew Drop Princess, Lauren Gabbard and Sedona Silvera as the Snow Queen opposite Hudson Galardi-Troy, and Devon Friedman as the Sugar Plum Fairy. The professionals joining the students are Nick Peregrino, Josep Maria Monreal, and James Stevko.

Show times are tomorrow at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 to $45 in advance at hamptonballettheatreschool.org or 888-933-4287, $20 to $50 at the door. 

Looking ahead to next weekend, the young dancers of Studio Three in Bridgehampton will present their holiday show “Mixed Nuts” at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor. A combination each year of “The Nutcracker” and a different story, this year’s production introduces “The Wizard of Oz” into the Christmas classic, with Clara transformed into Dorothy, and Toto, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion all making appearances. Show times are Friday, Dec. 14, and Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. Tickets cost $25. 

Creative “Spectacular”

Creative Edge Studio, which offers classes to young dancers 2 and older from Montauk, Amagansett, Springs, East Hampton, Sag Harbor, and Wainscott, will perform its “Holiday Spectacular” on Saturday at noon at East Hampton High School. Tickets cost $10 and will be sold at the door starting at 11 on the day of the performance.

More Spectacular

Another holiday spectacular, this one a party hosted by Camp SoulGrow at its downtown Montauk studio, will take place on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. Santa will pay a visit, and there will be games, crafts, cookie decorating, dancing, karaoke, hot cocoa, and treats. The Clamshell Foundation is the co-host of the affair, which is free for kids 7 and older. Advance sign-up by emailing [email protected] would be appreciated.

Gingerbread, Gingerbread

If you like gingerbread, you’ve come to the right month. Again this week, there are lots of chances to decorate gingerbread houses and cookies. 

High school students can compete against one another in a decorating contest today from 4 to 6 p.m. at the East Hampton Library.

As of Tuesday, space was still available in a Saturday gingerbread house workshop at Guild Hall with professionals from Citarella offering tips. The fun starts at 11:30 a.m., and the cost is $25, $20 for Guild Hall members. 

The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton has invited families to decorate gingerbread cookies on Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the Salty Canvas and Springs Tavern will team up for a workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is $45 and includes a preassembled house, ready to decorate, all the trimmings, and a cup of cocoa. Tax and gratuity are not included. Sign-up is at saltycanvas.com.

Finally, families will build their own houses and decorate them together in a workshop on Friday, Dec. 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Montauk Library.

Advance sign-up is required for all of these popular programs. 

Also at the Libraries

This week at the East Hampton Library, kids can make dolls and lip balm and take in a screening of a holiday favorite. First up is snowstorm-in-a-jar project for ages 8 to 11 tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, the library will introduce ages 4 and up to the meanings behind Hopi kachina dolls and lead them as they make their own. The workshop starts at 5 p.m.

Kids 5 and older can make lip balm to use themselves or give as a gift on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Next Thursday, “The Polar Express” will be shown at 4 p.m., and on Friday, Dec. 14, Olivia the pig will take center stage in a story and craft time for ages 3 and up at 3:30 p.m.

Kids in sixth grade and above will have a chance this week and next at the Hampton Library to make a gift for someone special (or themselves) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on weekdays. This week’s project is T-shirt design; next week it’s sugar body scrubs. 

At the Montauk Library, the Art Nanny will be on duty for two polar bear watercolor workshops on Saturday. From 1:30 to 2:30, she’ll work with ages 2 to 5 and an adult; from 3 to 4, she’ll guide children in kindergarten and above as they make and frame their own painting. 

Advance registration has been requested for all programs.

The costumes are hung on two long racks with nametags attached, ready to go. A few feet away in the Hampton Ballet Theatre School’s studio in Bridgehampton some prop candy canes and swords, gold crowns and feathery angels’ wings sit this way and that. Out on the floor, Sara Jo Strickland picks up her smartphone and restarts the Tchaikovsky music, and the dancers glide into motion again.

When they walked through the door these dancers were kids. Some as young as 4, they hailed from across the South Fork. But out on the floor for this three-hour Sunday rehearsal they were transformed into Sugar Plums and Toy Soldiers, Harlequin Dolls and Dew Drops, the Mouse King or whatever roles they have in the school’s 10th annual perfor­mance of “The Nutcracker,” which will run at Guild Hall from Friday, Dec. 7, through Dec. 9 this year.

“A lot of people tell us that our show is what starts off their holiday season,” said Ms. Strickland, a former ballerina who has been teaching and choreographing dance for more than 30 years.

When Ms. Strickland started the school in the 2007-8 season, the company consisted of just six children. Its holiday performance of “The Nutcracker” was far different from the elaborate production it puts on today. 

This year, the company numbers 77 dancers between the ages of 4 and 18, plus nine adults. Ms. Strickland, along with two partners, has opened a second studio in the Bridgehampton Community House offering additional classes in tap, jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary dance. For the four performances at Guild Hall, Ms. Strickland will also import three professional male dancers — Nick Peregrino, Josep Maria Monreal, and James Stevko.

She believes giving her older dancers the experience of performing with partners is important if they continue their careers as ballerinas. 

Most of the elaborate costumes for “The Nutcracker” were designed by Yuka Silvera, and a few dozen additional people contribute annually to the show in other ways, from set design to photography, videography to sound. On performance days the dancers’ moms usually help with backstage costume changes, which can be hectic for a cast this big.

“We’re working with a lot of very young dancers, and we’ve had just about everything happen that could happen over the years during our performances,” Ms. Strickland admitted with a laugh. “We’ve had shoes fall off. Headpieces go flying. One year we had to hold the curtain on opening night because when the music started, one of the girls sitting on the stage was so nervous she started crying and couldn’t stop. We waited. Another year, it was very funny, a Sugar Plum leaped into the clock onstage and all you heard was this big crash.”

“I don’t know how it all works out in the end, but it always does,” Ms. Strickland added. “And when it does, it’s wonderful.”

Ms. Strickland makes it a point to challenge her dancers year after year to make sure they keep progressing. Currently, a record 22 members of the company are dancing on pointe (on their toes) -- a significant achievement in a dancer’s life.

Jillian Hear, a 17-year-old East Hampton High School senior who will share the role of Arabian Princess with Holiday Bovio in this year’s production, has been with the school for 9 of its 10 years. She said Ms. Strickland’s knowledgeable, caring approach is a big part of what’s kept her and many of her fellow dancers returning.

“We’re like a big family here, and she is amazing; she’s like our second mom,” Jillian said of Ms. Strickland. “I was pretty little when I first started, but once I did I just felt like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. And I think the discipline I’ve learned here has helped me in school too. She [Ms. Strickland] is very real with us, which I appreciate. She builds us up when we need it, and when we need to step up our game, she tells us that too. She knows how to reach everybody individually.”

Wendy Ordonez, who will dance several roles in this year’s “Nutcracker,” said she has had a similar experience.

“I started just four years ago, pretty late in the game,” said Wendy, who is 17 and attends East Hampton High. “I used to see ballet on YouTube videos and think, ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that.’ But after one class here, I was like, ‘Whoa.’ I just fell in love with it. Now, I’m so committed.”

The last trait is important, because ballet requires commitment. Many of the dancers attend classes from four to seven times a week. Ms. Strickland said she begins casting “The Nutcracker” in her mind when the company reconvenes at the end of each summer, and with every year the competition for roles becomes more competitive. 

She finds enormous gratification in seeing her dancers master more skills.

“It’s important to me to let them know there are these dreams they can obtain if they work hard,” Ms. Strickland said. 

Hudson Galardi-Troy, 15, one of the company’s leading male dancers, is scheduled to rise to the major role of Snow King this year. Hudson, who will dance with two Snow Queens -- Lauren Gabbard and Sedona Silvera -- also performed as an actor at Bay Street Theatre and in other productions. He said nights like the four-performance run of “The Nutcracker” are part of the reward for all the work.

“When I was younger I thought ballet dancing was for girls, but what I found since then is it takes a lot of work and strength and conditioning,” Galardi-Troy said. “Strength is a big part of the lifts, but it’s also a lot about technique.”

Other top-level students in this year’s production are Beatrice DeGroot and Samantha Prince, sharing the roles of the Dew Drop Princess, and Devon Friedman, dancing as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

And when it all does comes together? For 10 years now (and counting), the challenge for the Hampton Ballet Theatre School hasn’t changed.

“The goal is always to make the difficult look easy,” Ms. Strickland said. “And that’s what we try to achieve.”

Tickets to “The Nutcracker” cost $15 to $45 in advance at hamptonballettheatreschool.com or 888-933-4287, and $20 to $50 at the door.

Gingerbread Time

It’s nearly December and the smell of gingerbread is in the air. 

Families can build and decorate gingerbread houses on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. Each family or group of four or fewer can reserve one house in this free program. The library provides all the materials. 

As of yesterday, space was still available in the Children’s Museum of the East End’s gingerbread house workshops in Bridgehampton on Dec. 8 at 10 and 11 a.m. The cost is $32 per house, $20 per house for members. Workshops on Saturday are sold out. 

Advance registration has also been advised for a gingerbread house workshop on Dec. 8 at Guild Hall in East Hampton. A team from Citarella will lead the fun and show off some special flourishes. The cost is $25, $20 for members. 

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Snowmen, snowflakes, and snowstorms are in the forecast at the East Hampton Library this week. 

Off the theme, children 3 to 5 will make art inspired by masterpieces in workshops tomorrow and Tuesday. Tomorrow it’s Monet’s “Water Lilies” at 3:30 p.m., and on Wednesday Kandinsky’s “Several Circles” will be the inspiration at 4 p.m. Participants should dress to get messy. For kids 6 and older, “Water Lilies” will also be the inspiration in a program next Thursday at 4. Participants will explore the artist’s work through books and artwork.

On Monday, teens can earn community service credits making ornaments for the young-adult room tree from 4 to 6 p.m. Kids in sixth through eighth grade will rediscover the fun of making cut-paper snowflakes and learn some new techniques on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the young-teen room. 

Snowman cake pops on a stick will be the project for children 4 and older on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Next Thursday, it’s Team Gingerbread Wars, a decorating competition for teams of two to three high school students from 4 to 6 p.m. 

Finally on Friday, Dec. 7, kids 8 to 11 will make snowstorms in a jar at 3:30 p.m. Advance registration is required for all programs. 

Rivers and Amphibians

Xylia Serafy will read “Over in a River: Flowing Out to the Sea” by Marianne Berkes to children 3 to 5 on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. The environmental educator will then work with children as they make their own portraits of the creatures that live in rivers. There is a $3 materials fee. 

Amphibians, and where they go in winter, will be the subject of an art workshop for kids 8 and older on Saturday at 1 p.m. Rachel Speckenbach leads this one, and she will introduce participants to some of SoFo’s resident amphibians while also discussing how warming temperatures are affecting them. Kids will finish up by drawing one of the animals. The materials fee is $2. 

Cards and Cookies

Children in second grade and above will make holiday cards and cookie mixes on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Montauk Library. Holiday bow ties for shelter dogs and cats will be the craft that day at 3:15 p.m. Participants in fourth grade and up will learn to measure and work with fabric in the process. Registration ahead of time is required.

Printing for Kids

At the Golden Eagle in East Hampton, Kym Fulmer will lead printmaking workshops on Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again on Dec. 9 at the same time. In Sunday’s class, kids will make cards and wrapping paper using woodblocks. On Dec. 9, they will use a stencil-based printmaking technique called pochoir. No age range is given for this one, but X-Acto knives are involved. 

The cost for each class is $35. Registration is at goldenagleart.com or by calling 631-324-0603. The shop is at 144 North Main Street.

ArtXchange at Guild Hall

ArtXchange, a celebration of cultural diversity for families at Guild Hall in East Hampton, will take place on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. The afternoon will include a community art project led by members of Guild Hall’s Teen Arts Council, a family scavenger hunt, bilingual student films, and performances by the East Hampton High School and middle school dance teams and the Jaime Ruiz Salsa Dancers. 

An empanada truck will feed the crowds from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and folks from the Golden Eagle will lead art workshops from 2 to 3:30. At 2:45, Esperanza Leon and Casey Dalene will give a bilingual gallery talk. All events, and the food, are free. 

Puppets and Movies

A puppet-making class followed by a screening of selections from the New York International Children’s Film Festival should get families thinking creatively at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill on Saturday. In the studio-style workshop, which runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., participants will make and decorate hinged puppet figures with arms and legs that move. Materials will be provided. 

At 1 p.m. a selection of films best for kids 3 to 7 will be shown, followed by a program called Viva Kid Flicks for those 7 and older in Spanish with English subtitles. Both the workshop and the screenings are free with museum admission. 

“Headless Horseman” as Comedy

Goat on a Boat at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor will present its first puppet show of the fall-winter season on Saturday at 11 a.m. Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers from Bar Harbor, Me., will take the stage with “The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow,” offering a comedic retelling of the classic story, as Ichabod Crane helps the horseman “find a new head and a spookier image,” according to the puppeteers’ website. 

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online at baystreet.org or at the box office. 

Reptile Edventures

Edventure Erik will introduce kids 3 to 12 to rescued reptiles and amphibians of all sorts on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Erik Callender has been taking his program to schools, libraries, and other venues for over 20 years, teaching kids about his favorite creatures and sharing his love of nature. The cost is $10, not including admission to the museum, $7 for museum members. 

Tomorrow, Susan Verde, an author and yoga instructor, will read from her book “I Am Yoga” and teach kids 2 to 8 some postures at 11 a.m. Admission is $15; members get in free. Copies of the book will be available to purchase. That night from 5:30 to 7:30, a family disco party will have adults and kids 3 to 7 dancing the night away. Music requests can be sent to [email protected]. This one costs $15, $5 for members.

Looking ahead, the museum will hold its popular, and usually sold-out, gingerbread house decorating workshops on Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 at 10 and 11 a.m. The cost is $20 per house for museum members, $32 for all others, including museum admission. Advance sign-up is essential, the earlier the better. 

Sunprint Workshop

Andrea Cote, a multimedia artist who had a residency at the Southampton Arts Center earlier this year, will lead two sunprint workshops there on Saturday. In sessions at 12:30 and 2 p.m., Ms. Cote will teach kids about the cyanotype photographic project as they use various objects to make prints. The cost is $15, and advance registration has been recommended. 

In the Trees

A story time for children 3 to 5 on Sunday at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will offer a close look at creatures who make their homes in trees. A craft will follow. There is a $3 materials fee for the workshop, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. 

It’s Written on Your Face

Christopher Agostino will bring stories to life with the aid of his audience tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the East Hampton Library. In his StoryFaces program, Mr. Agostino uses face paints to illustrate his tales, turning the face of audience volunteers into the story itself. There is no cost for the program, and advance sign-up is not required.

On Saturday, children 4 and older will create magical kingdoms using sparkly collage papers in a workshop at 2 p.m. Hot chocolate mixes for gifts or to take home will be the project for high school students on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Next Thursday, kids 8 to 11 will make hanging woven art pieces at 4 p.m.

The long-awaited sequel “Incredibles 2” will be shown at the library tomorrow at 2 p.m. 

Storytelling With Guitar

More storytelling, this time with a musical tone, happens at the Montauk Library next Thursday at 3:30 p.m., when Kathy Z. Price visits with her book “The Bourbon Street Musicians.” With her guitar, puppets, songs, and theatrics, she will bring the book to life for children 2 to 10. Kids will also make their own caterpillar and butterfly kazoos.