Cambridge – Salem Happenings

Inspiring Your Child’s Creativity

My oldest niece turned 16 last week, and it got me thinking. Is it ever really too early to start inspiring a child’s creativity? I mean all of the doctors, psychologists, teachers, and child development experts will certainly tell you that the earlier you start reading to your child and encouraging his or her creativity, the better off your child will be in the long run. However, does it really make sense to sign your 6-month old up for a book club or a writing workshop? Probably not.

Yet, if you give it some thought, you may come to the same somewhat startling, but not completely shocking realization that I came to. The experts are probably right. We live in a world where the flower girl at your wedding could be old enough to drive your car in the blink of an eye, which means that we all have a lot less time than we think. As a result, it’s always a good idea to use the time that we do have wisely, and if you’re looking for a way to inspire your child’s creativity while you can, there are some events this weekend that are sure to help.

First, if your child is an aspiring filmmaker or you would like your child to be, you may want to head over to the Boston International Kids Film Festival this weekend. This festival, which runs from 6:00 P.M. today (November 7, 2014) to approximately 5:00 P.M. on Sunday (November 9, 2014), will allow you and your children to view a series of short films that are specifically designed for kids as well as films that are actually directed and/or produced by kids. In fact, the festival will not only feature over 50 short kids films, but will also feature a number of workshops that will teach you and/or your family how to make your own movie and how to use social media more effectively. For more information on the Boston International Kids Film Festival (BIKFF), please visit the BIKFF website.

Secondly, if your child is one of those fine, upstanding individuals that turns his or her nose up at anything but the theatre or you’re just looking for an opportunity to get some embarrassing photos that will haunt your child for years to come, you may want to encourage your child to check out the Natick Drama Workshop. The Natick Drama Workshop is a 10-week drama program that is designed to teach young actors the finer points of performing on the stage. This program will allow your child to audition for a drama troop of 40 – 60 students and, if they get a part, rehearse to perform in front of an actual audience at the Kennedy Middle School in Natick as part of a full production complete with costumes, sets, and props. Registration for this year’s workshop is currently closed and there is already a waiting list for next year, but you and your children can still get tickets to see their production of Wonderland this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (November 7 – 9, 2014) if you want to see what it’s like. For more information on the Natick Drama Workshop and/or Wonderland, please visit the Natick Drama Workshop website.

Finally, if you or your slightly older child has an undeniable love of writing or you’ve been reading all of this and thinking “my kid could write better than this guy”, there is a free writing talk at the Cambridge Public Library this weekend. Margot Livesey, writer-in-residence at Emerson College and award-winning author of the novel The Flight of Gemma Hardy, will discuss how to create engaging dialogue from 2:30 to 3:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, November 8, 2014.) For more information on the talk, which is part of the Free Writing Craft Talk series at the Library, please visit the Cambridge Public Library’s Event Calendar.

Photo credit: adplayers / Foter / CC BY-ND

Some Interesting Ways to Exercise

As the warmer weather begins to set in, more and more people are beginning to leave the comfort of their homes in search of all of the wonders of the outside world. In fact, a couple weeks ago, I talked about some of the events that might actually help you to get your kids outside. The only problem is that your kids are probably not the only ones in need of some time in the sun, and there’s a pretty good chance, after a long winter of hiding from the cold, ice, and snow, that you may be in need of some exercise as well (trust me, you’re not alone.) Fortunately, if you are looking for a way to eliminate some of the pounds that you put on over the winter, the City of Boston and the surrounding area has several events that are sure to help.

First, if you and/or your kids have watched any version of the Three Musketeers and thought to yourself “Wow, I want to learn how to swordfight like that guy”, you’re in luck. This is because the Olympia Fencing Center in Cambridge, MA is offering a free “Intro to Fencing Class” to anyone that is interested. These classes, which are offered to all ages throughout the year, are a great way to learn the basics of fencing and to teach your kids that it might take a lot more work than they think to fight off an entire army. For more information on the “Intro to Fencing Class” offered by the Olympia Fencing Center, please visit the Olympia Fencing Center website or call the Center at (617) 945-9448.

Secondly, if you’re really not too keen on the idea of your kids screaming “Have at thee” while they jab a long, pointy thing at other people or you’re just a big fan of bowling, the Kids Bowl Free program may be more up your alley (if you’ll excuse the pun.) This program consists of a collection of bowling alleys and schools throughout the United States that actually allow kids to bowl for free. In fact, every kid below the age limit set by each individual bowling alley or school will be allowed to play 2 free games a day every day all summer long. Best of all, if you want to join your kids, you can even purchase a family pass that will allow you and up to 3 other adults to play 2 games a day every day for one low price. For more information on the program and/or to find a participating bowling alley near you, please visit the Official Kids Bowl Free website.

Finally, if you would rather watch other people perform physical activities than perform those activities yourself, you may want to check out Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna. Amaluna, which is now appearing at the Marine Industrial Park in Boston, is a love story told through a series of circus acts performed by some of the best acrobats, dancers, jugglers, and other performers that you will ever see. For more information on the show, which runs until July 6, 2014, please visit the Official Cirque Du Soleil website.

Photo credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection / Foter / No known copyright restrictions

Catch the Rabbit!

Peter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, The White Rabbit. There has never been a shortage of hard-to-catch bunnies. However, the most elusive rabbit of all has to be the Easter Bunny. In fact, when you stop and think about it, the Easter Bunny has to be one of the fastest rabbits that has ever “lived” because how many other people or animals (other than Santa Claus) can make it all the way around the world in one night to leave goodies for children everywhere? Fortunately, if your children are desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of the Easter Bunny this year or at least desperately hoping to grab some of his candy, here are some of the places where you may be able to locate this mysterious lagomorph this weekend.

First, if you’re planning to be in the city of Boston with your kids tomorrow (April 19, 2014), you should definitely head over to Faneuil Hall. Faneuil Hall is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt with eggs spread all throughout the marketplace from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. This event will allow you and your kids to search for eggs filled with candy and toys and two golden eggs that, if you can find them, will earn you a pile of gift cards to stores throughout the marketplace. Best of all, this event is completely free, and there will be additional prizes awarded to the children that find the most eggs. For more information on the Easter Egg Hunt at Faneuil Hall, please visit the Faneuil Hall Marketplace Events page.

Secondly, if you really want to go to Faneuil Hall, but you’re just not going to be able to make it by 10:00 A.M. or your kids are a little too old for Easter Eggs hunts (or, at least, they think they are), Faneuil Hall has a number of other events this weekend, including a Spring Sidewalk Sale and a Free Spring Concert by the Sugarbabies Band and Reverse Order tomorrow (April 19, 2014) from 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. For more information on the Spring Sidewalk Sale, the Free Spring Concert, and/or other events at Faneuil Hall, please visit the Faneuil Hall Marketplace website.

Finally, if you really don’t have any interest in going into the city with your kids or you’re just looking for something a little closer to home, here are some of the other Easter Egg Hunts in the Boston area this weekend:

Tufts Park in Medford, MA at 1:00 P.M. on April, 19, 2014
The Harvard Coop in Cambridge, MA at 2:00 P.M on April 19. 2014
Bass Pro Shops in Foxborough, MA at 2:00 P.M. April 19 & 20, 2014
Mall Tots at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, MA from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. today (April 18, 2014.) (This event is for children under the age of 5.)

Photo credit: homard.net / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Keeping Your Kids Busy During The Holidays

With Christmas less than two weeks away, the countdown has truly begun. In fact, most parents and children are now running around faster than their electric meters in anticipation of the arrival of Old Kris Kringle. As a result, many mothers, fathers, and other guardians are currently in the process of trying to figure out how to alleviate some of their children’s excess excitement before they go out to get the gifts that their children are so excited about. Fortunately, if you are running around trying to find a way to keep your kids busy or, at the very least, find a way to keep them from tearing your house apart, there are a couple of holiday events this weekend that are sure to help.

First, if your children really love to see all of the holiday decorations and/or you prefer holiday decorations when their attached to someone else’s electric meter, the Somerville Illuminations Tour may be the way to go. This tour, which begins at Somerville City Hall, will allow you and your family to see all of the decorated houses in East or West Somerville (depending on the tour your choose) from the comfort of a trolley car. Best of all, you will not only be able to see all of the lights without driving around aimlessly, but will also be able to enjoy coffee, cookies, hot chocolate, kid’s crafts, and music while you wait for the trolley to arrive. For more information on the tour, which runs from 4:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. on Saturday (December 14, 2013), please visit the Somerville Arts Council website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for something to do later in the weekend or you had a traumatic experience with holiday decorating at some point (perhaps you never found the one bulb that burned out), the Charles Hotel in Cambridge may have the event for you. This is because the Charles Hotel is officially opening their ice rink on Sunday and, in honor of the occasion, the Hotel is hosting an Ice Rink Opening Party from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. This party will allow you and your family to skate for free, drink hot chocolate, watch professional skaters demonstrate their skill on the ice, and keep your kids busy with arts and crafts if skating really isn’t their thing. For more information on the Ice Rink Opening Party at the Charles Hotel, please visit the Ice Rink Opening Party’s Yelp Page.

Photo credit: Minnesota Historical Society / Foter.com / CC BY-SA