Kids Culture 10.12.17

Art and Amaryllis

The East Hampton Library will spark the imagination of young artists 4 and up tomorrow from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., by delving into the realm of the surrealist artists Dali, Magritte, and others. There will also be art games and a magazine collage project. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to noon, the same age group can learn how to make several easy bird feeders to help feed our feathered friends.

An educator from the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons will work with children in kindergarten through third grade to plant amaryllis bulbs in containers on Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. All materials will be provided and participants can take home the planted bulbs and watch them grow. 

High school artists have been invited to stop by the young adult room on Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. to draw a sketch that could be used to create a new wall-size mural in the room. Every sketch will be considered.

Advance registration is required for the art workshop and the bulb-planting session.

Family Day at the Watermill Center

A family day at the Watermill Center on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. will include movement and music workshops for children 7 to 12 and a chance to explore the center and its grounds. 

Matty Davis of Boomerang and Denis Mei Yan Hofmann, a composer, will lead 90-minute music workshops at 1 and 4 p.m. 

Families will collaborate to create and perform together. Tickets cost $10 for children, $15 for adults, and can be reserved online at watermillcenter.org or by phone at 631-726-4648. Space is limited and advance registration is required. 

Apples, Tricks, and Treats

With apple picking season in full swing, the Children’s Museum of the East End will lead an outing on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. to the Milk Pail’s U-Pick Farm. The cost is $13 per person, $10 for members, which includes five apples and one pumpkin per child. 

Looking ahead to Friday, Oct. 20, the museum’s annual Halloween Bash will feature ghoulish games, trick or treating, creepy crafts, a costume parade, and more from 4 to 6 p.m. Tickets cost $12; members get in free. The event usually sells out, so advance registration is recommended. Those who are members can register any time; registration for nonmembers opens Monday. 

Beach Trash and Treasures

The South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton has invited families to join it in its mission to “pick up as much trash as possible” from South Fork beaches this fall. To that end, it will head to a different beach each Saturday starting this week from 8 to 9 a.m. During the season, the museum plans to tally up what type of trash is found and eventually weigh it all. “Over time,” the museum writes, “we will be able to get an idea of the kind of trash that is washing up on our beaches‚ and we can advocate avoiding those materials in the future.” 

Mineral Scavenger Hunt

Families with children ages 8 to 12 can join SoFo for a mineral scavenger hunt at Camp Hero at Montauk Point on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Led by Victoria Como, a geologist, participants will scour the beach for some of the most commonly found minerals and some rare ones, too. A bucket or backpack is recommended for carrying rocks. 

On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., children 9 and up can learn about the mysterious world of bats from a naturalist while creating a detailed bat-themed craft to take home. There is a $5 materials fee.

Advance sign-up is requested for all programs.

Giving Back 

Saturday is the Great Give Back day and local libraries are offering patrons different ways to show their appreciation for their communities. 

The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton will lead a family beach cleanup at 9:30 a.m. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.  

In Amagansett, between 1 and 4 p.m., children will be encouraged to write a thank-you note to a person deserving praise or applause. The library will help track down snail-mail addresses when possible, but email notes work too. Community service hours are available to teens who take part. 

Meanwhile, at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, kids 5 to 9 can give back to their community between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. by decorating reusable bags and filling them with donated food for families who visit the food pantry. 

Costume Sundays

Also at the Amagansett Library, three costume-making sessions on Sundays starting this week will give kids a chance to prepare for Halloween. Fun fabrics will be the theme this week. On Oct. 22, cardboard will be the material of choice, and on Oct. 29, yards of yarn will be on hand. Each session meets from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and is open to the entire family. 

Pre-School Music, After-School Snacks 

The Montauk Library will celebrate Halloween early on Saturday with a screening of the movie “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” at 2 p.m. After the film, which is appropriate for ages 5 and up, kids can make pumpkin patches and spooky witch’s fingers.

Schoolchildren who want to learn more about the nutritional benefits of leafy greens, berries, and other superfoods, as well as how to incorporate them into dishes, can visit the library on Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. They will learn how to make a green smoothie, and everyone will get a taste. 

Registration is required for all events as space is limited.