Kids Culture 08.20.15

KidFest Finale

At Guild Hall’s final KidFest offering of the summer on Wednesday Bubble Trouble will entertain families outside before Jason Bishop, a magician and illusionist, wows them inside to the John Drew Theater. Shows will be at 2 and 5 p.m., with an outdoor cookie decorating workshop for ages 5 and up at 4 p.m.

The cost for the workshop is $10. Performances cost $18 for adults and $14 for kids. Members get a $2 discount.

For Animal Lovers

Young animal lovers will have three chances this week to get up close and personal with some unusual creatures. Tomorrow, there will be live animal shows at the East Hampton Library from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and at the Montauk Library from 5 to 6 p.m. A tree frog, hedgehog, toads, bugs, lizards, and other creatures will be on hand, and kids will be able to pet and possibly hold them. Personnel of the Quogue Wildlife Refuge will bring some of its rehabilitated birds of prey to the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Next Thursday at the East Hampton Library, Erik’s Reptile Edventures will introduce kids 4 and up to a variety of live creatures including Madagascar roaches and a python. The show will run from 2 to 2:45 p.m.

For Chess Enthusiasts

The Children’s Museum of the East End and Chess NYC will present a morning of chess, crafts, and activities for players at any level on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will offer a chance for chess enthusiasts to test their skills and for newcomers to the game to explore it. Entry is free with museum admission, but reservations have been suggested, as space is limited.

Magic, Mobiles

Amore will visit the East Hampton Library for a magic show on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Also on the schedule at the library next week are a mobile workshop inspired by the work of Alexander Calder on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. and a collage workshop with inspiration from Eric Carle, creator of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” on Friday, Aug. 28, at 2. All programs are for ages 4 and up. Reservations have been requested.

End-of-Summer Auction

As summer winds down, the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor will celebrate with an end-of-summer auction for kids in fifth grade and above tomorrow from 7 to 8 p.m. The library promises snacks and dozens of prizes from local businesses.

Shakespeare, Anyone?

The Hamptons Shakespeare Festival, which just finished two weeks of its Camp Shakespeare program in Amagansett, will make a new part of the South Fork its stage starting on Monday, when Camp Shakespeare begins a weeklong run at the Southampton Cultural Center. The camp, which is for ages 8 to 15, will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. The cost is $475, and some financial aid may be available. Registration is required at 267-0105 or [email protected].

Beach Walks and Sailing

Snails might not seem that special, but “did you know that snails can pull up to 200 times their own weight? Or that they have 25,000 teeth?” The questions come from the South Fork Natural History Museum, where, on Saturday at 11 a.m., Nicole Cummings will introduce 3 to 5-year-olds to some these creatures during a beach walk in East Hampton. Kids will end the walk by making their own shells out of play dough. There is a $2 materials fee for the program. Older kids ages 7 to 12 will look to nature for inspiration in a poetry workshop on Sunday at 11 a.m. Tyler Armstrong will lead the class, which will take place inside and out.

On Monday, the museum will host an educational sailing expedition aboard the SoundWaters, a schooner, from 6 to 8 p.m. for adults and children 6 and older. The trip will leave from Sag Harbor and costs $35 per person, $25 for museum members. Advance reservations with the museum are a must.

Finally, on Friday, Aug. 28, a workshop will focus on ways to “bring nature into your family’s life.” The workshop, part of a series offered this summer, will have parents and children 4 to 8 creating nature journals and plans for their own nature museum. It begins at 10 a.m. Reservations are required.

Goat on a Boat

After a puppet show at the Bay Street Theater this morning, the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theater will be back at its old home on East Union Street in Sag Harbor tomorrow and Saturday and again next weekend for some of the final shows in that space before it moves permanently to Bay Street.

The Puppet Company will present “Al E Gator and Friends,” a marionette show, tomorrow and Saturday at 11 a.m. Next Thursday through Aug. 29, Bonnie Duncan of Massachusetts will serve up “Lollipops for Breakfast,” a fanciful dialogue-free show, also at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $12, $8 for children 3 and under and additional siblings, and $10 for grandparents and theater members.