Summer is about to EXPLODE at the Bridgewater Library --- FIZZ, BOOM, READ! Mad Science Laboratories with Reading, Prizes, Programs, Games, and Contests! Summer Reading Club sign-up begins Monday June 16th plus lots of things to do in the library and around our community.

Having trouble viewing this email?

Read it online.

Also we’ve gone to a new format, with just the titles of the programs, please click on the titles to read more and register.

Programs for Children @ the Bridgewater Library:

Toddler Dance Party  (For ages 2 - 6) Saturday, June 14th at 10:30 am.  No registration required. Read, rock and roll at the library! 

Fizz, Boom, Read!  Summer Reading Club sign up begins this Monday June 16th.
Come to the library and sign up to participate in our summer reading club – read or listen to books, play games, and win prizes! Details at the library!

Summer Reading Kickoff: Goowin's Balloowins (For ages 4+) Tuesday, June 24 at 4:00 pm. Registration required and begins June 10. Madcap balloon artist Allynn Gooen will amaze everyone with his unique style of storytelling as he transforms children from the audience into extraordinary balloon creations to star in the show! 
Mad Scientist Club  (For children entering grades 2 & 3)  June 24 from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Registration begins June 10) - Wild Weather Explorers:  Club members will explore tornadoes, blizzards, and thunderstorms with lightning.

Mariah's Puppets: No More Litter in Oz (For ages 4-10) Saturday, June 28. From 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required and begins on June 13. Dorothy, a litterbug, and the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion all work together to save Oz from a wicked litterbug witch.

Drive-in Movie (For ages 2-8) Monday, June 30 from 12:00-2:00 pm Registration required and begins on June 13.  Make your very own kid sized car and buckle up as we watch a film!  Feel free to bring your own sack lunch to eat in your car.
4th of July - Make a Difference Day  (For grades K-5) Wednesday, July 2 from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Registration required and begins on June 18.  Get an early start on the 4th of July as we celebrate our history with stories, songs, crafts and activities plus a parade through the library.


Grossology  (For children entering grades 2-4) Thursday, July 3  from 2:00 - 3:00 pm. Registration required and begins on June 19.  Do you know millipedes can have as many as 750 legs?!  Come to the library for grossology facts, stories and experiments.  This yucky program is not for those with a high "Eww!" factor!

Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goo - Wacky Fun with Science Fizz!  Chemical Reactions (For students entering grades 1-5) Monday, July 07, 2014 at 3:30 - 4:30 pm.  Registration required and begins on June 23. Come help us get our crazy science summer off the ground with some sizzling and explosive science!  (NOTE:  if it is raining, we will substitute another week's program and do this one on the first good weather slot.)  Programs will continue on July 21st, 28th, August 4th and 11th.
Fizz Boom Craft!  (For ages 3-6) Magnets & More! Tuesday, July 8 at 10:00 am. Registration required and begins on June 24.  Fizz Boom Craft (For ages 3-6) at 11:30 am. Registration required and begins on June 24.  We'll see what sticks to a magnet and what doesn't, then, we'll make magnet robots.  PLEASE BRING AN EMPTY, CLEAN CAN WITH THE LABEL REMOVED. 
Flash! Fizz! Kaboom! (For grades K-6) Tuesday, July 8 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Registration required and begins on June 24. Join us as the Franklin Institute explores the world of chemistry.  turning water into gel, making a foam sculpture, and exploding a hydrogen balloon. 
Stuffed Animal Sleepover (For ages 2-8)  Tuesday, July 8 from 7:00 - 7:30 pm. Registration required and begins June 24. Wear your pajamas and bring your stuffed animal or doll (not the one you need to sleep with!) to the library for a bedtime story!  Leave your stuffed animal overnight for a fun filled slumber party.  Pick your stuffed animal up Wednesday morning and receive a special souvenir of their library sleepover!  Remember, this is just a sleepover for your stuffed animals ONLY!
Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) Wednesdays July 9th -30th and Fridays July 11th – August 1st at 9:30 am. No registration required. An interactive lap-sit program of songs, rhymes and a story designed to introduce your baby to language and promote early literacy.
Toddler Time (For ages 18 - 36 months) Wednesdays July 9th – 30th at 10:30 am, Thursdays July 10th – 31st at 10:30 and 11:30, Fridays July 11th – July 25th at 10:30 am.   No registration required. Clapping and singing and listening to books...introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!

**Due to the popularity of our early childhood programs, we appreciate your cooperation in attending only one storytime program per week.**
Storytime Yoga for Kids  (For ages 2-6) Thursday, July 10 from 11:00 am - 11:30 am. Registration required and begins on June 26. Animal characters come to life as stories are read and acted out with yoga poses. Through the use of songs, puppets, and fun, animated poses, children will learn what it’s like to hop like a frog, slither like a snake and roar like a lion!

Lego Club (For ages 5-12) Thursday, July 10 4:30 - 5:30 pm.  Registration is required and begins June 26.  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!
Play Group (Ages birth to 3 years) 10am. July 14th, 21st, and 28th.  No registration required.  Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends!

Fizz Boom Craft! (For ages 3-6) Tuesday, July 15at 10:00 am.    Registration required and begins July 1.  Repeats at 11:30 am – not online.  Creepy Crawlies!  We'll learn how caterpillar becomes a butterfly, then we'll make our own pencil critters.
Afternoon Movie - Born to be Wild (Rated G) (For families with Children ages 3+) Tuesday, July 15 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. No registration required. Come join us for a movie that will melt your heart.  This film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and shows us how endangered species can be protected and saved one life at a time. 

Sciencetellers - The Jungles of Jersey (For grades K-6) Thursday, July 17 From 3:30 - 4:30 pm. Registration required and begins on June 26. When Doug hears that there might be a better place to live than where he is now, he can't pass up the opportunity to find it.  However, there are three problems:  he's a dog, he lives in a pet store and he must somehow get through the Jungle of Jersey! 

Retro Game Day / Super Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament For all ages - families welcome!  (Tournament for ages 13+ only)Saturday, July 19 from 1:00 - 4:30 pm. Registration required for tournament only and begins on June 27. It’s a blast from the past! Come to our Retro Game Day and play video games from the past 30 years!   Snacks will be served! No need to register if you just want to come to check out our games!
Think you have what it takes to be Bridgewater Library’s Super Smash Brothers Brawl Champ? Join our tournament, which will take place on the stage during Retro Game Day! You must register if you’d like to participate in the tournament. Participants must be 13 years old or older.
Click HERE for the complete calendar of July events.


@ Bridgewater Library for Tweens and Teens:

Tween Pajama Party After Hours (For students entering grades 4 - 6) Friday, June 20 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.  Registration required .  Get locked in the library after hours!   Wear your pajamas and we'll eat snacks, play games, watch movies, make crafts and play video games!  No admittance after 6:15 pm.
Teen Advisory Board (Students entering grades 7-12)  Tuesday, June 24  6:30 - 7:30 pm. Registration required .  Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games?  Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served! 

Tween Volunteers (For students entering Grades 4-6) Wednesday, July 2 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Registration required. TWEENS:  Make a difference by volunteering at the library this summer!  We need your help preparing for our big Carnival at the end of the summer, tidying up the Children's Room, and much more!  Community service hours will be awarded for attendance. Repeats on Wednesday July 16th.


 
Teen Movie & A Sundae (For students entering grades 6-12)  Monday, July 7 6:00 - 8:30 pm. Registration required and begins on June 16. Come cool off at the library!  Make an ice cream sundae and watch a good movie! Movies have not yet been determined, but will have a rating no higher than PG-13.  Check our website for more information as the program gets closer!  Have a suggestion for a movie?  Email Lynn at lmazur@sclibnj.org

Mythbusters (For Students entering Grades 4-6) Wednesday, July 9 from 7:00 -8:00 pm. Registration required and begins on June 18.  Fact or Fiction?  We'll find out when we test some popular urban legends! Wear clothes you don't mind getting messy and get ready to get your hands dirty!
 Open Mic Night (For ages 13+) Thursday, July 10 from 6:45 - 8:30 pm. Registration required to perform and begins on June 26. 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 10-15 minute slots to play music or recite poetry.  Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis. 
**Please help support local artists and musicians - you don't need to be an artist to enjoy our Open Mic Night!*
Teen Lock In (For students entering grades 7-11) Friday, July 11  from 7:00 - 10:00 pm. Registration required and begins on June 20.  Get locked in the library after hours!  We'll watch movies, play games (including video games and a scavenger hunt in the empty library!), eat snacks, make crafts, and much more!  Wear your pajamas (if you'd like) and be prepared to experience the library like never before!
PLEASE NOTE:  No admittance after 7:15 pm. 

Want more info about upcoming programs? Check out the  July Teen & Tween calendar here.


Around the Community:
CHECK OUT THIS GREAT LIST OF PLACES TO GO THIS SUMMER

Free and Almost Free Places For Family Fun
in New Jersey And The Surrounding States  2014

Here are some of the amazing places in New Jersey area that the family can go for free, or at a very small cost.  NJ and the surrounding states are abound with some wonderful places for families to have a break from the everyday routine.  Each place is amazing and fun, definitely worth a visit!   MORE.

ART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN & TEENS AT THE CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART IN BEDMINSTER


Imaginations soar at The Center for Contemporary Art’s studio art program for children, introducing petite Picassos as young as 4 years old to art creation and appreciation within a fun and welcoming environment. Not sure which course is best suited for your child?  Call the office at (908) 234-2345 and The Center’s staff will be pleased to assist you.  Please click here to search all classes and workshops and to register online!
http://www.morrisparks.net/


the best of what's going on...
Friday, June 13 - Sunday, June 15



13 Father's Day Events in NJ


Throughout NJ
Celebrate Dad this year by taking him to one of these unique Father's Day events, from festivals to baseball games.
Saturday, June 14

First Annual Flag Day Festival

Bridgewater, NJ
Hear stories from local war heroes, explore military vehicles, decorate cards for soldiers, watch reenactments, and more.

Geocache Adventure


Pennington, NJ
Explore 930-acres of land while on a scavenger hunt in search of plants and animals.

39th Annual Rose Day

Franklin, NJ
Summer is here, and roses are in bloom. Head to the garden to see thousands of roses, plus demonstrations.
For more events, check out our web calendar.
New Jersey Family Magazine | 480 Morris Avenue | Summit | NJ | 07901

YOUNG FILMMAKERS COMPETITION IN SUMMIT

CHECK OUT THE HONEY AND THE HIVE: THE SWEET STORY OF HONEYBEES AT THE MORRIS MUSEUM

May 5 – August 16, 2014
Honeybees are responsible for at least 30% of the foods we eat everyday!  Busy bees are the great pollinators of the world and are essential to so many aspects of our lives and culture.  Celebrate the sweet story of these incredible insects and learn how vital they are to our survival and how you can help to protect and conserve bees and their habitats.  Learn about the life cycle of a bee and how different cultures revere this tiny architect.   Artists that will be featured in the exhibit include: Josie Rodriguez, Katja Loher, Marietta Patricia Leis, and Rose-Lynn Fisher, among others.
Elise Guidoux and Karen Koshgarian, To Bee or Not To Bee, Twelve concertina books enclosed in various cells of a hand constructed honeycomb,  Image courtesy of the artists.

RELATED PROGRAMS (SEE LINKS FOR REGISTRATION AND TICKETING INFORMATION):

• Bee Hive Inspection, every Saturday through August 16
• Honeybee Lecture Series, June 7, 14, 21, 28
• Honey Extraction, July 12
• Dancin’ With the Honey-Bees, July 17
• Honey Bee Family Festival, July 26

Childrens’ Summer Art Camp

Summer Art Camps for Ages 5-8
Weekly Summer Art Camps at The Center are designed to stimulate creative expression through theme-based art projects and activities that change each week. All sessions are led by professional teaching artists, tailored to a specific age group, and designed to deepen a child’s appreciation and understanding of the visual arts. Students engage in two-and three-dimensional creative exploration through painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, mixed media, and more.
Week-long Ceramics Camps for Ages 6-Teen
The Center offers the area’s only week-long summer art camps in ceramics in a new state-of-the-art studio. Students will develop wheel-throwing, hand-building and glazing skills. Fired pieces may be picked up two weeks following the session. Ceramics camps are offered in three age groups for children ages 6-teens
Summer Programs for Teens
Teen Summer “intensives” allow artists 13 years old and above at all levels of expertise to develop or fine tune skills through an in-depth exploration of a single medium or genre.

• View all Summer Art Camp programs online, search by your child’s age group, and register online.

RVCC Planetarium

Public Star Shows

• Astronomy Shows & Laser Concerts
• • Just for Kids

SCVTHS to Hold Little Steps Dance Camps and Dance Intensive

The Dance Department at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School (next to the library) will be holding two programs during the upcoming summer break.  The Little Steps Summer Mini Dance Camps will be held for children ages 3 – 6 and the annual Summer Arts Enrichment Program Dance Intensive will be held for students entering grades 6 – 9.  Both programs are held in the air conditioned studios of Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School.
New this year, the Little Steps Summer Mini Dance Camps will cover classes in ballet, jazz, and creative movement.  The Little Steps Summer Mini Dance Camps will run from July 7^th to the 10^th for children ages 3-4 and July 14^th – 17^th for children ages 5-6. 
The annual Dance Intensive is a week of technique classes in Modern, Jazz and Ballet.  All dancers will learn basic composition tools and concepts, as well as learning repertory from dance professionals.  The Dance Intensive will run from July 21^st to the 31^st for students entering grades 6 – 9. 
All camp programs are instructed by SCVTHS faculty and alumni.  For more information and to register, please visit www.scvths.org or contact Maureen Glennon at (908) 526 – 8900 x7175 or mglennon@scvts.net. 
Thanks to Ruth Ross of njartsmaven.com for some of these listings.
Let Your Fingers do (more) Walking:
Don’t let your kids’ math skills get rusty this summer…do a daily Bedtime Math problem together…they are fascinating and fun for all ages!  Here’s a sample:

It always feels good to fold a piece of paper into a triangle, hurl it into the air and watch it sail across the room like a real airplane. So you can imagine the excitement if that paper plane is 45 feet long. A group made a giant paper plane that size from an 800-pound sheet of paper, and used a helicopter to pull it high into the sky. They also strapped a camera to it, so when they cut the cord, the camera took video of the plane's amazing flight through the sky - and its crash. As we see in the film, all good things come to an end, at least for this paper airplane...but hopefully this won't be the last house-sized piece of paper to fly.
Wee ones: If this plane flew at 3,000 feet high and an eagle flew through there at 4,000 feet, which one flew higher?
Little kids: The paper weighed 800 pounds! If the helicopter could lift only 100 pounds more than that, how heavy a plane could it have lifted?  Bonus: If the plane weighed 800 pounds and the camera weighed 10 pounds, how much did they weigh together?
Big kids: To get a sense of this plane's size, a car is about 15 feet long. How many cars long was the plane?  Bonus: At around 1:16 into the video, the camera catches the helicopter whirring high above the paper airplane. If the plane was 2,100 feet off the ground and the chopper was 4 times as high, how high was the chopper flying?
Answers:
Wee ones: The Eagle flew higher.
Little kids: 900 pounds.  Bonus: 810 pounds.
Big kids: 3 cars long.  Bonus: 8,400 feet.
More Ways to Get Bedtime Math!
Crazy 8s Club, our new after-school math club! It's a free kit that any elementary school or library can order to host 8 weeks of math and mischief. Math club will never be the same. Click here to learn more.
Check out the second Bedtime Math book Bedtime Math 2: This Time It's Personal at the library for more fun, offbeat daily math.
The app: Our whole archive of math problems, with colorful animations and cool sound effects.  Check it out here at the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play for Android!

The website: Find all your favorite bedtime math problems (BMPs) at www.bedtimemath.org. And check out our new Add It Up parent blog on how we can make math fun for kids.
Facebook: One more way to get your daily BMP fix. If you're on Facebook, please like us and help spread the word about Bedtime Math!  

Twitter: Get bite-sized Bedtime Math all the time!   

If you're new here and want our daily e-mail, just click the Sign Me Up button below.   There's no cost, and we will never share our mailing list with anyone.  

Or if that little button didn't show up, you can click here.   Thanks for joining us!  
© 2014 Bedtime Math Foundation. All rights reserved.
 


Want to find book-related Apps – check out this article:

Whether you are just after something to keep the kids occupied for a while or if you want them to continue learning to keep their brains sharp then we have some wonderful apps to help. With books for all ages and reading levels we have something for everyone.  MORE

Fossils in NJ: Millions of years of life found in South Jersey sand pits…read MORE.  The fossilized bones of a 65 million-year-old giant crocodile were in several cardboard boxes on the counter of the new natural history lab at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton.
"New Jersey is one of the greatest places on earth if you’re a paleontologist, Of the 11 (geologic) periods in which we identify fossils, nine of them are in New Jersey."
Who knew?