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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

January Happenings at the Bridgewater Library and Around the Community

banner - Somerset County Library

New Year, New You – Check out our books on health and fitness in the lobby by the checkout desk!

Programs for Children @ the Bridgewater Library:

 
programs resume on Jan. 7th.

Storytime (For Ages 2-6) No Registration Required.  Tuesdays  through  10:30 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm. Join us for stories and songs for the whole family!  This program is aimed at families and is designed for children 3 and up (younger siblings welcome.)

Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) No Registration Required.  Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m.  Also Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.    Clapping and singing and listening to books... introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!

Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) No Registration Required.
Thursdays  9:30 a.m. An interactive lap-sit program of songs, rhymes and a story designed to introduce your baby to language and promote early literacy.

Lego Club (Grades K-6) Thursday, January 9  4:30 pm - 5:30 pm.  Registration is required and begins December 20.  Hey LEGO fans, here's a club just for you! Get together with other LEGO-maniacs, share  ideas and tips on building, and have a great time!  Library LEGOS will be available for building, so you do not need to bring your own.  Please Note: Parents are welcome to stay; however, younger siblings cannot be permitted to join this program.

 

decorative imageMiss Amy's Fitness Rock & Roll  Saturday, January 11 at 10:30 am.  Registration required and begins on December 20.  Get ready to get moving with Miss Amy. Miss Amy rocks and rolls as she makes music fit for kids! This interactive musical show will inspire young children to stay fit while having fun!   Please note: Parents must sign a release and waiver form.  Please print out and sign a copy of our Program Release form and bring it with you on the day of the program. http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf

 

Play Group (ages Birth to 3 years) Monday January 13th and 27th  10:00 to 10:30 am.  No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends!

 

Tail Waggin' Tutors: Children Reading to Dogs (For Children of All Ages)  Tuesday, January 12th  4-5pm  Phone or In-Person Registration Only. Registration begins Dec. 30th.   Did you know that dogs like listening to stories as much as kids do? Come to the Bridgewater Library for Tail Waggin’ Tutors, our new program where children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, six-year-old chocolate labradoodle. Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend.  Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.Therapy Dogs International (TDI®) is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed.  For more information, please visit www.tdi-dog.org.

 Special Needs Cookie Decorating Party   (All ages) Wednesday, January 15 from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. Registration required and begins January 2. Join us as we decorate sugar cookie treats in this program designed for kids with special needs.  Siblings welcome.

 

Circus Place: Let's Join the Circus (For grades 2+) Saturday, January 18  from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required and begins January 3.  Join us as The Circus Place brings its unique circus training program to the library.  Sit back in amazement as you watch a talented troupe perform some of the most exciting circus skills you've ever seen.  Then, pull the curtains back and learn how to juggle, balance on a tight rope, spin plates and much, much more!  You will walk out ready to perform your very own circus for your friends and families! 

Rocket Readers: 'Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan' (Grades 1-2) Tuesday, January 21st  4:30-5:30pm. Registration required and begins December 9. An exciting program for brand new readers!  At each program we will discuss a book, play some games, or create a story related craft.  This month's book: 'Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan' By: Cynthia Rylant  Join Henry, his dog Mudge, and his father as they enter a snowman building contest at the local park.  Will they be able to build a snowman worthy of winning a prize? **Students should read the book prior to the program.  Copies of the book will be available at the Youth Services Reference Desk.**

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Crazy 8 Math Club (For Grades 3-5) Wednesdays, January 22 - March 12 from 4:30-5:30 pm. Registration required and begins January 8th.   Join our new Crazy 8s club, where you’ll build stuff, run and jump, make music, make a mess…a totally new kind of math club!  We’ll do mischief-making activities like Glow in the Dark Geometry, Bouncy Dice Explosion and Toilet Paper Olympics!

image_thumb15January 22nd - Glow in the Dark Geometry: We’ll cover the floor with glow stick shapes and build a gleaming Egyptian pyramid, then flick off the lights!

January 29th -Toilet Paper Olympics: Bet you never knew sports and toilet paper could go together, huh? Get on a roll with your Olympian skills in the shot put, the long jump, and the relay race.

Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (For ages 2-6)  Monday, January 27th  4:30 pm-5:30 pm.   Registration required and begins January 13.  Celebrate bubble wrap, invented right here in New Jersey, with crafts, games and more.

 

Gung Hay Fat Choy (For Ages 4-11) Thursday, January 30 at 4:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 16.  It is the start of the Year of the Horse.  Come celebrate the Chinese New Year with stories, crafts and a festive parade! 

 

@ Bridgewater Library for Tweens and Teens:

Open Mic Cafe Night (Ages 13+) on January 23rd. from 6:45-8:45pm.  Registration required.   Think you’ve got what it takes to get up on stage in front of your peers with nothing but your voice and guitar? Want to share your poetry, comedy, or original music? Not an artist, but would like to witness some of the most inspiring artists Somerset County has to offer? Then join us for this one of a kind experience, and help local musicians and writers have their voices heard.
Depending on registration, artists will receive ~ 10 minute slots to play music or recite poetry. Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis. *Note: As ages of audience members range from children to adults, please consider the content of your performance. You will be asked to leave should your set contain indecent speech.

 
  Wintery Treats and Sugary Sweets (For grades 4-6)  Monday, January 13  from 4:30-5:30 pm.  Registration required and begins on December 30. Create an enjoy a delicious confection at our tween cookie decorating party.



 

Make It, Take It - Gingerbread Houses (Grades 6-12) Wednesday, January 22 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 2.  Come celebrate winter by making gingerbread houses!  Put your imagination to the test by using graham crackers, ice cream cones, cookies, candy, and frosting to create beautiful winter scenes.  We'll provide the materials, you provide the creativity!

TAB Meeting (Grades 6-8)  Tuesday Jan. 28th, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. TAB Meeting (Grades 9-12) 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM  Story Well. Registration Required. Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games?  Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!   Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games?  Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!

Winter Lock-In: Super Smash Brothers Brawl (For grades 7-11) Friday, January 31 from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 10.  TEENS: Get locked in the library after hours!!!!!! In this Winter edition of our Lock-In, we’ll have a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament! Don’t like video games? That’s OK--we’ll have plenty of crafts, games, movies, snacks, and other activities, too!   No admittance after 6:45 pm. Advance notice required if teen must leave the program early. 

Want more info about upcoming programs? Check out  January teen calendar here.

 

Around the Community:

logo Planetarium at RVCC

RVCC Planetarium

Public Star Shows

anim series - Planetarium interiors

Star Shows and Laser Concerts

All shows run approximately 40 minutes.
Admission: $7 for one show, $12 for two shows on the same day

Call 908-231-8805 for reservations!
  • Shows and Concerts start on time.
  • No one is admitted into the planetarium after a show or concert has started; by order of the Fire Marshall.
    There is no re-admittance if you leave during a show.
  • Please arrive 20-30 minutes before show time.
    Reservations are held until 10 minutes before the start of a show.
  • Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • 4:00 laser shows are recommended for ages 6 and older.
    8:00 laser shows are recommended for ages 12 and older.
    They use album versions of songs, not radio versions.
    Words are not edited or bleeped from the original artist's recording.

Scroll down for the Just for Kids schedule.

 

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MORRIS MUSEUM ANNOUNCES LEGO BUILDING WORKSHOPS FOR FAMILIES AND KIDS

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LEGO® Building Workshops

January and February 2014
6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown

Nathan Sawaya, YellowThis winter, children and families are invited to participate in four fun and educational LEGO Building Workshops at the Morris Museum. These programs are being offered in conjunction with the Morris Museum’s current exhibition The Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya, on view through March 9, 2014.

Windmills and Wind Power
WHEN: Saturday, January 11,
9:00 – 11:00 PM
COST:
$40 per family (up to four members).
To register, call 973.971.3706.

Join architect Stephen W. Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops and fifty families to build a windmill with LEGO brick building blocks and learn about the importance of wind power off the coast of New Jersey.

Build a Catapult
WHEN: Saturday, January 18: Session 1:  10:00 – 11:00 AM; Session 2:  11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
COST:
Members $6 / Non-Members $8.
To register, call 973.971.3706. Registration is required and space is limited. A materials list will be provided with registration. LEGO bricks may also be purchased through the Museum.

Fire away! Learn to build a LEGO brick catapult and test your design against your classmates. How far can you make your pieces fly? Appropriate for ages 6 and up.

Build Historic Morristown
WHEN: Saturday, January 25, 9:00 – 11:00 AM
COST:
$40 per family (up to four members).
To register, call 973.971.3706.

Join architect Stephen W. Schwartz of Building Blocks Workshops and help to build fifty LEGO historical buildings in Morristown with fifty families using 50,000 LEGO brick building blocks. Your creations will be used to create a giant map of Morristown.

Piece by Piece Mosaic
WHEN: Saturday, February 22; Session 1:  10:00 – 11:00 AM; Session 2:  11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
COST:
Members $6 / Non-Members $8.
To register, call 973.971.3706.
Registration is required and space is limited.
A materials list will be provided with registration. LEGO bricks may also be purchased through the Museum.

What designs can you dream up? Get inspired by The Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya and learn to create a LEGO brick mosaic. Appropriate for ages 6 and up.

About the Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya

Featuring more than thirty sculptures never before seen at the Morris Museum, The Brick Art of Nathan Sawaya is one of the most popular art exhibits currently touring the globe. The collection includes Sawaya’s early mixed-media work X-Ray, a human figure created from recycled bricks featuring a transparent heart.  Also on view is an exquisite example of a 3D sculpture that integrates 2D imagery in a sculpture titled Puddle.  Sawaya’s most iconic work of a man ripping his chest open, Yellow, makes an encore appearance.

TIME TO REGISTER FOR STUDIO ART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN @ THE MORRIS MUSEUM

STUDIO ART at the MORRIS MUSEUM
WHERE: 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960
WHEN: Art classes for children, teens and adults starting in January, 2014.
RETISTER: Call 973.971.3740 or e-mail: StudioArt@morrismuseum.org with questions and to register.

CHILDREN & TEENS

Drawing Animal Friends
with Kelly Bogucz
WHEN: Saturday, January 18 – March 22, 10 AM-12 PM
WHO:
Ages 7-10
TUITION: Museum member $220 / non-member $245 / $5 supply fee

Learn to create birds and various other animals with an array of textures and mediums. The animals displayed in the museum will be our inspiration as we learn how to bring these creatures ‘to life’ using line, form, value, and color!

Off-the-Wall Graffiti Art
with Kelly Bogucz
WHEN: Saturday, January 18 – March 22, 12:30-2:30  PM
WHO: Ages 11+
TUITION: Museum member $220 / non-member $245 / $5 supply fee

Have fun creating dynamic “letter art” and characters in a variety of off-the-wall mediums and projects. Learn about the history and culture of graffiti art as practiced around the world, and explore your own ideas using letter art forms. If you have taken this course previously, you will be happy to find there are all sorts of graffiti cultures and endless possibilities… as far as your imagination will take you!

More Art Experiences
with Nina Nemeth
WHEN: Sunday, January 12 – March 16, 12-2 PM
WHO: Ages 8-12
TUITION: Museum member $220 / non-member $245 / $5 supply fee

Have fun exploring and experimenting with visual art techniques in a variety of mediums through engaging projects and hands-on activities. If you were in any of the previous Art Experiences classes, come see what new adventures are in store for you. Mediums will involve pastel, watercolor painting, drawing and collage.

Styles of the Great Artists
with Nina Nemeth
WHEN: Sunday, January 12 – March 16, 2:30-4:30 PM
WHO: Ages 6-11
TUITION: Museum member $220 / non-member $245 / $5 supply fee

Create art inspired by the styles and techniques of the world’s major art movements! We will look at a sampling of the world’s art by focusing on the art movements which arose as artists developed new techniques and perspectives. Examine various artists’ works, and see how they influenced, and were influenced by, each other. Then, create your own masterpieces in those styles, using water color, acrylic, pastel, collage and mixed media.

AFTER SCHOOL

Places to Visit in a Pencil and Paintbrush
with Pat Flaherty
WHEN: Tuesday, January 14 – March 18, 3:45-5 PM
WHO:
Ages 7-11
TUITION: Museum member $140 / non-member $155 / $5 supply fee

Travel in your mind to explore the real world and beyond—through your drawings! Imagine the places you’d like to visit. Then, paint in the details of what you’d like to see there! Some inspiration may even come from what’s on view at the museum.

Afternoon Art Adventures
with Nina Nemeth
WHEN: Thursday, January 16 – March 20, 3:45-5 PM
WHO: Ages 7-11
TUITION: Museum member $140 / non-member $155 / $5 supply fee

Observe the inside, the outside, the objects and the architecture—all around the Morris Museum! Use the elements of perspective, line, shape, and value. Maybe add some color, texture and other details with an interesting medium!

Friday Fantasy Figures
with Kelly Bogucz
WHEN: Friday, January 17 – March 21, 3:45-5 PM
WHO:
Ages 7-11
TUITION: Museum member $140 / non-member $155 / $5 supply fee

Fire-breathing dragons! Flying gryphons! Unknown creatures of the depths! Use pencil, charcoal, watercolor, and acrylic paints to draw and embellish creatures of the imagination. Observe what’s real; create something fantastic!

TEENS

Figure Drawing for Teens
with Laurie Harden
WHEN: Session 1: Thursday, January 16 – February 13, 5-7 PM
Session 2: Thursday, February 20 – March 20, 5-7 PM

WHO: Ages 12+
TUITION: Per session: Museum member $135 / non-member $150 / supply list

Learn to draw the human figure from life—beginning with quick, gesture sketches, and concluding with completed drawings from long poses. Learn proportions and correct relationship between the parts of the body, using guides like plumb-lines and negative spaces. Experience the chance to draw many types of figures. Clothed model.

For more information: http://www.morrismuseum.org

 

 

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For more information, go to: http://www.morrisparks.net/ (above links won’t work.)

MAKE A MEMORY WITH THEATER TIX FOR YOUR KIDS

Youth & Family at RVCCArts

Alvin Sputnik

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer Perth Theatre Company
WHEN: Friday, January 31 at 7PM
WHERE:
The Theatre at RVCC, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
The seas have risen, many have perished and those who are left live on farms atop skyscrapers and mountains. A last ditch effort to save the human race requires Alvin Sputnik journeying down through the mysterious depths of the deep blue sea to find a new place for us to live. (AGES 8+) CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE INFO.

The Snail & the Whale

The Snail and the Whale Tall Stories
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 1 & 3:30 PM
A tiny snail hitches a lift on the tail of a huge humpback whale. The little snail is amazed by it all, but starts feeling very small in the vastness of the world. Then disaster strikes - the whale becomes beached in a bay... Can the tiny snail save the day? (AGES 4+) CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE INFO.

Hatched

Hatched  Treehouse Shakers
WHEN: Thursday, April 10, 10 AM,1:30 PM & 4 PM
Hatched is the original performance of a newborn chick emerging from her shell at sunrise to a strange and busy world. Performed through movement, handcrafted puppets, and very little human dialogue, the story is set amidst an American family farm. (AGES 2+)CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE

REGISTER FOR WINTER/SPRING CLASSES @ THE ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM IN NEW BRUNSWICK

DRAWING CLUB FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
WHEN: Wednesdays beginning January 29 / 6-8 year olds
WHEN: Wednesdays beginning March 5/ 9-14 year olds
TIME: 4:15 to 5:45 PM

Aspiring young artists learn various drawing techniques, including pencil and charcoal, and such genres as still life and portraiture. Professional educators address the needs of both beginners and advanced students.

For details and registration, use this link.

ZAM SESSION FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
WHEN: Saturdays beginning February 22 / 3 to 4:30 PM

This is an inspiring environment that can help high-school artists prepare for college. Aspiring and accomplished artists develop their skills in a museum setting under the encouraging eye of a professional art educator. Students draw from works in the Zimmerli's collection or, weather permitting, work outside on the grounds of the Rutgers campus.

For schedule, fee, and registration information, visit our website.

 

 

Let Your Fingers Do More Walking…

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Whatever happened to kids' chemistry sets?

By Alex Hudson BBC News

The first chemistry sets for children included dangerous substances like uranium dust and sodium cyanide, but all that has changed.

Talk to people of a certain age about chemistry sets and a nostalgic glaze comes over their eyes.

Stories of creating explosions in garden sheds and burning holes in tables are told and childhood is remembered as a mischievous adventure.

Portable chemistry sets were first used in the 18th Century but it took more than 100 years before they became popular with children, partly prompted by a desire to recreate the coloured puffs of smoke used by conjurors.  Read MORE.

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Listen to the Story HERE.

There was a great cabinet of these at Chemical Heritage Foundation Library, Museum, and Center for Scholars a few years ago. Great museum in Philly, highly recommended for a family visit!

 

A WORD FROM PLATO ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING CHILDREN MUSIC

The ancient Greeks had it right! Today, we have state and local governments cutting arts programs. They need to go back and read Plato. And don’t forget to take your kids (indeed, the entire family) to musical productions. Foster a love of music early and it will pay back in spades!

GOOD ADVICE TO INTRODUCE YOUR KIDS TO THE THEATER.

Expose your child to theater and wonderful things can happen. You don’t need to spend a fortune on tickets. Every high school (and many middle schools) put on plays during the year—usually a “straight” play in the fall and a musical in the spring. Take the kids to see one. It won’t break your bank, you can leave if the kid gets tired or bored, and they love seeing other kids perform.

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Thanks to Ruth Ross of njartsmaven.com for some of these listings….

Electronics Recycling Drop-off Location

Mayor Dan Hayes would like to remind all residents that the Township maintains an electronics recycling location at the Township Public Works Facility (DPW). The DPW is located at 411 Chimney Rock Road, Building A. Residents may bring electronic items to this location for disposal Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The electronic items are collected and recycled through a nationally certified recycling vendor at no direct cost to the Township. Use of the e-waste dumpster is open to the general public and not limited to just Bridgewater residents.

Under New Jersey law scrap electronics must be recycled statewide. Acceptable items for electronics recycling include:

OMPUTERS (CPU’s, desktops, mainframe/servers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, mice, scanners, printers, copiers, faxes, networking equipment, cables, wiring, adapters),

TELEVISIONS (CRT or Flat Screen),

TELEPHONES (cellular phones, telecom equipment, telephone handsets, fax machines),

AUDIO/ VIDEO (radios, home stereo, entertainment systems, speakers, DVD players, VHS video recorders, gaming units, controllers, test equipment and cameras)

Additional items in the collection program include typewriters, refrigerators, air conditioning units, and microwaves. All computer systems, hard drives and electronic media will undergo a government approved electro-magnetic wiping system for the guaranteed removal of secure and proprietary information.   

For further information about the Electronics Recycling Program please feel free to contact the Township Recycling Coordinator by telephone at (908) 725-5750 or via email at health@bridgewaternj.gov.

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