Kids Culture 05.25.17

Family Day at LongHouse

The gardens of the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton will be filled with music and the sounds of children exploring on Saturday, weather permitting. The annual Family Day, a free event postponed from earlier this month, will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include a visit from two children’s book authors, Katharine Holabird and Hilary Knight. Ms. Holabird is best known as the creator of the Angelina Ballerina series. Mr. Knight’s drawings brought the beloved character Eloise to life. Parents and grandparents may also recognize his illustrations from such titles as “Where’s Wallace” and the “Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle” series. Also on Saturday, there will be family tours of the gardens, a birdwatching walk, and art projects.

Classical Music on S.I.

Families with a love of classical music may want to hop on the South Ferry on Sunday for a trip to the Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, which will host a free day of music and activities at its campus at 73 Shore Road. The day’s fun will begin at 11:30 a.m. and is best suited for kids 4 to 10. The Perlman Music Program, founded by the violinist Itzhak Perlman, trains talented young string musicians in intensive summer sessions followed up by year-round mentoring. Advance registration has been requested for Sunday’s events and can be done online at perlmanmusicprogram.org.

Block Party at CMEE

The Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton will host a block party this weekend, with real building blocks, stomp-rockets, crafts, games, and chalk street art. The fun runs from 10 a.m. to noon and costs $14. Members get in free. Looking ahead, the museum’s monthly Pizza and Pajama Night will happen at the Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack on Friday, June 2. Families will have a chance to explore all the garden’s nooks and crannies during a scavenger hunt designed for the event, which runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. In case of rain, it will be held at the museum. The cost is $12, but members get in free. Advance registration has been requested for both events.

Salamander Search

Andy Sabin, an expert on local amphibians, will lead families on a search for the eastern tiger salamander in its larval aquatic stage during a South Fork Natural History Museum outing on Saturday morning at 10 in Bridgehampton. Mr. Sabin, who is the president of the museum’s board of directors, is known around these parts as Mr. Salamander for his encyclopedic knowledge of these creatures and their habits. Participants on Saturday will join him as he uses a seining net to pull up examples of the larval salamanders and also some frog tadpoles. Later that day, at 2 p.m., the museum will lead a family birding expedition at the Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Noyac. Families with children 6 and older will keep their eyes out for black-capped chickadees, wild turkeys, ruby-throated hummingbirds, woodpeckers, ducks, terns, and other birds. Binoculars have been suggested, but the museum has a limited number of pairs to lend with advance notice. There is a $4 parking fee at the refuge. On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., families can scour the beach for sea glass and try to imagine together the story that each piece tells and how it might be used. Advance registration is required for all programs.

Lend a Hand

Camp SoulGrow is enlisting young helpers to lend a hand during a fund-raising effort on Saturday and Sunday at the Montauket, the popular sunset spot in Montauk. Kids 7 and older will sell baked goods, custom dog tags, and sunglasses along with an adult. There is space for three helpers per two-hour time slot. Spots can be reserved by emailing [email protected].

Lots at the Libraries

There’s a lot happening for kids and teens this week at the East Hampton Library and the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, starting with a teen trivia night at John Jermain tomorrow at 6. Teams of three to five players formed in advance or at the library will compete in six rounds, with prizes and pizza as their rewards. The evening is open to students in 7th through 12th grades.

On Saturday at the library, students entering sixth through ninth grade can learn about the Battle of the Books reading trivia program during a kickoff party at 11 a.m. Over the summer, participants can read eight books, join in weekly trivia sessions, and perhaps earn an opportunity to represent John Jermain in a countywide trivia contest on Aug. 12. Parents have also been invited to Saturday’s party.

The East Hampton Library will screen the family movie “Sing” on Saturday at noon. Also that day, high school students can make Steampunk-inspired insect sculptures using metal, clay, and wire from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

On Saturday, children ages 4 and up will decorate a photo frame with shells and other beachy things during a workshop at 3 p.m. They can all scream (wait, it’s a library, please whisper) for ice cream next Thursday at 4 as they learn to make this sweet treat the old-fashioned way.

Kids 7 and older will learn the basics of electronics during a Snap Circuits program at the library on Tuesday at 4 p.m. Another is scheduled for June 7 at the same time.

A hands-on program for babies up to 3 years old on Friday, June 2, at 10:30 a.m. will stimulate their senses as they engage in activities, play games, and explore toys with their adult companions. Advance registration has been requested for most programs.