Animals & Firefighters coming to visit plus other upcoming programs at the Bridgewater Library; Mary Poppins comes to Pleasant Valley Park this weekend plus tantalizing new Reading Research and Kid’s Safety Tips.

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(You will also find links to great websites for families there.)

Don’t forget to log your minutes in the Summer Reading Clubs!
Summer Reading Clubs!   Keep track of the time you spend reading this summer, play games, attend programs, have fun, learn a lot and win prizes!

Upcoming programs for Kids @ Bridgewater Library:

Click here for a complete listing with registration links for upcoming programs for kids, tweens, and teens at the Bridgewater Library.

Eyes of the Wild presents: Nature's Heroes (Grades K-5)

Superhero Spectacular Craftacular: Local Heroes: Firefighters (Suggested for Ages 3-6) 10:00 a.m.  Registration Required.  Superhero Spectacular Craftacular: Local Heroes: Firefighters (Suggested for Ages 6-10) 11:30 a.m.  Registration Required.

Youth Stages: The Little Red Hen (Ages 3-5) Registration required.

Youth Stages: Anansi & the Moss-Covered Rock (Ages 6-9) Registration required.

 

(Come to the Library tent at the 4H Fair Wednesday August 12th between 10-2 for more stories & songs.)

Superhero Spectacular Craftacular: Take Flight/Sky High! (Suggested for Ages 3-6)  10 a.m.  Superhero Spectacular Craftacular: Take Flight/Sky High! (Suggested for Ages 6-10)  11 a.m. Registration required and begins July 28.

Check back for more programs later this summer.

Find Upcoming Programs for Tweens & Teens at Bridgewater Library here.

 

Tween Volunteers (Entering Grades 4-6) Make a difference by volunteering at the library! Help us prepare for our summer carnival and earn community service hours. Registration is required. Wednesday, August 5, 2015 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Tween Advisory Board (Entering Grades 4-6) Tuesday, August 11
7:00 pm-8:00 pm. Registration is required.

Tween Lock-In: Literary Legends (Entering Grades 4-6) Friday, August 14, 2015. 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.  Registration required.

AROUND THE COMMUNITY: 

State Theatre    15 Livingston Ave         New Brunswick, NJ 08901

How to Train Your Dragon 2
Tue, July 28 at 10:30am and 7pm
Info >

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Tue, August 4 at 10:30am and 7pm
Info >Tickets for both movies are FREE and no reservation required.  Groups of 20+, those planning a bus trip, or patrons requiring accessible seating please call 732-246-7469 or click here >

ONE MORE WEEKEND TO SEE “MARY POPPINS” FLY INTO PLEASANT VALLEY PARK, BASKING RIDGE

JR. VERSION OF “CHILDREN OF EDEN” TO PREMIERE @ SUMMIT PLAYHOUSE

Kaleidoscope Theater for Youth and the Summit Playhouse to Present Premiere of

Children of Eden, Jr. By Stephen Schwartz

WHEN: Friday, July 24 (7:30 pm), Saturday, July 25 (7:30 pm), Sunday, July 26 (2:00 pm); Friday, July 31 (7:30 pm), Saturday, August 1 (7:30 pm), Sunday, August 2 (2:00 pm)
WHERE: The Summit Playhouse, 10 New England Ave, Summit
TICKETS: $20
Tickets are available at Brown Paper http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1707762 and for more information visit http://www.pixiedustplayers.org/

SEE FREE SHAKESPEARE IN HOBOKEN PARK THROUGH AUGUST 9!

A Midsummer Night's Dream
by William Shakespeare

WHEN: July 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, August 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9; 8 PM
WHERE: Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, NJ.
ADMISSION: Free 

Set in the 1950’s, in the rough and tumble world of the Hoboken waterfront, Mile Square Theatre revives its critically acclaimed 2007 production of Shakespeare’s comedy of teen love, magical fairies, and clownish mechanicals.

LAST CHANCE TO SEE “LOVE’S LABOUR LOST” THIS WEEKEND

Pictured: Bruce Cromer
Photo: Jerry Dalia
Click here to view the Know-The-Show Guide

HOLMDEL THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS “TWELFTH NIGHT”

William Shakespeare’s
TWELFTH NIGHT

WHEN: Friday, July 24, through August 8; WHERE: Holmdel Theatre, Duncan Smith Theatre, 36 Crawfords Corner Rd., Holmdel, New Jersey in front of the Holmdel High School.
TICKETS: $22 general public ($17 for seniors and $12 for students). Reservations may be made via the website at www.holmdeltheatrecompany.org.

DRAWINGS BY ROGER DUVOISIN ON VIEW @ THE ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM IN NEW BRUNSWICK

Life Lessons from Animal Friends: Children’s Book Illustrations by Roger Duvoisin

WHEN: July 11, 2015, through June  26, 2016, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
WHERE: Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers. The museum is located at 71 Hamilton Street (at George Street) on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Celebrate classic children’s literature with original drawings by Roger Duvoisin, the acclaimed illustrator of more than 140 books who lived and worked in New Jersey for nearly five decades. The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers is pleased to present Donkey-donkey, Petunia, and Other Pals: Drawings by Roger Duvoisin. The exhibition spans Duvoisin’s entire career— from his first book, A Little Boy Was Drawing, to his last, The Happy Lioness—and includes images from the Caldecott Medal winner White Snow, Bright Snow. Nearly 40 works chronicle the adventures, antics, and epiphanies of his characters—both animal and human—whose timeless life lessons resonate from generation to generation.

 

July 25–26  New Jersey Renaissance Faire

Come be a part of history in the re-making at the premier Renaissance Faire in the state at the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center. There will be fun food, activities and a mystery guest—past visitors have included Robin Hood, King Arthur and The Three Musketeers.

QuickChek Festival of Ballooning

Head to The Solberg Airport in Whitehouse Station to watch tons of hot air balloons float into the sky. Plus enjoy concerts, a 5K race, crafters, food, fireworks and lots more.

More ideas in our blog  here.

Check out NJFamily’s picks for the best  Things To Do In NJ This Weekend

LET YOUR FINGERS DO (MORE) WALKING:

Big Recall: IKEA Recalls Kids’ Dressers: What You Need to Know

IKEA has recalled the Malm chest after two fatalities involving furniture that tipped over. Here’s all the info you need to figure out if your child’s dresser is affected.

Summer Is Filled With Junk Foods, Too Much Screen Time and Swimming Dangers. Here's How to Protect Your Kids.

Vacation time makes it easy to let the kids slip into a host of bad habits. Here's how to keep them healthy this summer. 

The Test That Can Look Into A Child's (Reading) Future

If this isn't an honest-to-goodness crystal ball, it's close.

Neurobiologist Nina Kraus believes she and her team at Northwestern University have found a way — a half-hour test — to predict kids' literacy skill long before they're old enough to begin reading….Kraus herself says the test is nothing short of "a biological looking glass into a child's literacy potential."  Read MORE.

On the other end of the spectrum:

Which N.J. public university has most grad student debt in the nation?

A Rutgers graduate waits under High Point Solutions stadium for the opening processional during the Rutgers University Commencement in Piscataway in a 2012 file photo. (John O'Boyle | The Star-Ledger