Magic, Acrobats & Other Weekend Activities around our Community and April Events at the Bridgewater Library

AROUND OUR COMMUNITY:

---

Make it a weekend with these great Somerset County Events!

1. Discover the Dinosaurs, Garden State Exhibit Center
2. Astronomy Tonight, RVCC Planetarium
3. Sunday Farm to Table Market, Duke Farms
4. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, State Theatre New Jersey
5. Science-sational Day, Ted Blum 4-H Center
6. August: Osage County (opening weekend), Villagers Theatre
7. Woodland Walks, Leonard J. Buck Garden
8. Woodcock Watch, Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
9. Photos with the Easter Bunny, Bridgewater Commons Mall
10. Tyler Babey Art Show & 10th Anniversary Celebration, Be Fit Anywhere

---

SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES AT RVCC & NYC THIS WEEKEND

Kevin Spencer offers a genuinely unique way to reach students, and particularly students at risk. DR. LEAH WASBURN-MOSES, ASSOC. PROF. OF SPECIAL ED., MIAMI OF OH

artist site

Kevin Spencer
Saturday, Apr. 1 at 3PM*
Tickets: $10 General Admission
*60 min. Sensory-Friendly Performance.

Our friend and colleague, magician Kevin Spencer, was the artist who originally guided us toward presenting sensory-friendly events for kids with ASD and related conditions and their families. This season Kevin returns with his new, smaller magic show geared directly to that same audience. This performance will wrap up a week that Kevin will spend with us, spreading his arts-in-education approach, Hocus Focus, to kids, therapists, teachers and families. Keep an eye on this page and our Facebook page for further information on this week of activities. http://www.rvccarts.org/17/17Events/Youth&Family/170401KevinSpencer.html

---

Tickets | Subscribe | Spectacle | Up | Home

This unique cirque spectacular showcases traditional Chinese acrobats who dazzle with amazing feats of athleticism, daring heart-stopping stunts and the grace of their centuries-old art form.
BROADWAY WORLD

artist site

Golden Dragon Acrobats
Sunday, Apr. 2 at 3PM
Tickets: $25 & $35

Adults and children alike will thrill to the breathtaking artistry and dazzling athletic feats of the Golden Dragon Acrobats. From tumblers to jugglers to contortionists and more, you’ll be treated to the best of a time-honored Chinese tradition that began more than 25 centuries ago. Recognized throughout the United States and abroad as the premier Chinese acrobatic touring company today, the Golden Dragons combine thrilling acrobatics, traditional dance, gorgeous costumes, and both ancient and contemporary music in an unforgettable performance of spectacular skill and spellbinding beauty.

---

View as webpage

Bring the Whole Family to Witness Feats of Extraordinary Skill!

"The experience for my boys was amazing. They were completely relaxed in such a very friendly atmosphere and with such a nice staff. I give the whole experience an A+!" – Marisa E.

At The New Victory Theater, we believe the performing arts should be for everyone. In partnership with Autism Friendly Spaces, we're thrilled to present a performance of Something that is accessible to individuals with ASD or sensory sensitivity. In Something, watch a troupe of seven skilled acrobats fuse circus, dance, physical theater and clowning into a singular, captivating performance that appears comically effortless. The special Autism-Friendly performance of Something is on Sunday, April 2 at 5pm.

To help prepare audiences for their visit to The New Victory, we've created support materials! A Social Story helps by providing a printable narrative that maps out what a trip to the New Vic is like and 360 degree tours are available to orient newcomers to our spaces. We'll even arrange a practice trip to Meet Your Seat in advance if requested! Act Guides (like this one for Something) and other illustrated visual supports will also be available. Learn more at NewVictory.org/Autism.

Do you have friends who would enjoy these special inclusive performances? Make sure to share this email!

Questions? Ticket Services is available at 646.223.3010 or by email. 

---

@ the Bridgewater Library:

Storytimes resume this coming week:

---

Did you know art students are 55% more likely to attend post-secondary schools than students who don't take art classes?

Summer Art Camps   June 26 - September 1

We offer summer art camps for kids of all ages from 5 through teens. You have the flexibility to register your child for weekly half-day, or if you prefer, full-day, art camps with a supervised lunch period.Visit our website for more information and to register online today.

NJ Makers Day is this Saturday…lots of fun things to try in local libraries, museums and at sites all around New Jersey

 

NJ Makers Day

NJ Makers Day is a celebration of maker culture across New Jersey.
This all-ages event connects individuals with libraries, schools, businesses, and independent makerspaces that support making, tinkering, crafting, manufacturing, and STEM-based learning.

---

The Somerset County Library System is Celebrating Maker Day – dozens of events at all the libraries in the Somerset County Library System!

Registration is required to attend these programs unless otherwise indicated.

Maker Day Programs at SCLSNJ on Friday, March 24

The Three Little Pigs: Maker Day Edition (2-6 years old)
10-11 a.m. at SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch
Create houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks (Legos) to see if they can withstand the “Big Bad Wolf.”
S.T.E.A.M.* Weekend - Day 1 (all ages)
10-11 a.m. at SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch
This program will include a robot-themed Storytime followed by a Drone demonstration, crafts, and button making. No registration required. *S.T.E.A.M. = science and technology interpreted through engineering and the arts, all based in mathematical elements.
Business Maker Day (adults)
9:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Warren Twp. Library branch
This year’s professional mini-conference for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders will focus on social media—why it’s important and how to do it well. There will be ample time for networking and you can set-up one on one appointments for specific help or tutoring. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Maker Day Programs at SCLSNJ on Saturday, March 25

You Can Publish an eBook (adults)
10-11 a.m. at SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch
Learn the process for setting up and publishing an eBook on Amazon for Kindle. Presented by Robert Helmbrecht, SCLSNJ adult services librarian.
4-H Robotics Club Demonstration (all ages)
10 a.m. - noon at SCLSNJ’s Bridgewater Library branch
Drop in to watch as members of the 4-H Robotics Club demonstrate their Lego Mindstorms EV3 robots and programs. No registration required.
Create an Altered Book (all ages)
10 a.m. - noon at SCLSNJ’s Bridgewater Library branch
Drop in to learn what an altered book is and make your own with our materials and your creativity. No registration required.
Family Makers Day (all ages)
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch
Drop in to test your skills as you work your way through all four of our maker stations. No registration required.
Makers Day Saturday Story and Craft (3-5 years old)
10:30-11 a.m. at SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch
Celebrate Makers Day with building and construction themed stories, songs, and a craft.
S.T.E.A.M.* Weekend - Day 2 (all ages)
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch
Drop in to engage in S.T.E.A.M.* fun! Make Geometric Structures and code a Sphero to complete a maze. Learn new skills and earn prizes. No registration required. No registration required.
Makers Day for Adults (ages 12+)
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Mary Jacobs Memorial Library branch
Even if a spa day is out of your price range, you can still enjoy custom pampering treats. Make several indulgent bath products using inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients. Bring home your samples.
Origami and a Magic Ring (grades 4+)
11 a.m. - noon at SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch
Create 3-dimensional objects using origami, the art of paper folding.
Family Makers Fair Fun (all ages)
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Warren Twp. Library branch
Drop in for no-tech to high-tech activities and demonstrations for people of all ages. No registration required.
Robotics Demonstration (all ages)
1-1:45 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch
Meet members of Bound Brook High School's FIRST Robotics Team and enjoy a presentation of their robot Robbe. No registration required.
Straight from the Heart: Raising Self-esteem One Accessory at a Time (teens & adults)
1-2 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Watchung Library branch
Danae Churchill will teach you how to make simple DIY accessories such as bags, scarves, hats, vests and headbands. The accessories will be donated to teen girls in New Jersey.
Makers Day Fair (all ages)
1-3 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch
Drop in for no-tech to high-tech activities for people of all ages. Plus meet Edith Tolchin, author of Secrets of Successful Inventing: From Concept to Commerce, to learn more about the process of inventing and how to get a patent. No registration required.
Rain Garden Design Appointments (adults)
1-3 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch
Work with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension team to develop a rain garden design suited for your property. Contact Pat Rector to schedule an appointment: (973) 285-8303 or rector@njaes.rutgers.edu. Drop-ins will be helped if time is available.
F.A.S.T. Crafts (all ages)
1-5 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Manville Library branch
Fabrics, Art, Science, and Technology (F.A.S.T.) activity stations will include: fabric baskets, geometric artwork, paper circuitry, and animation creation. No registration required.
Make Your Own LED Pop-Up Card (all ages)
1-3 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Peapack & Gladstone Library branch
Participants can make their own LED Pop-Up card for any occasion.
Amigurumi Bunny (teens & adults)
1-3 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Somerville Library branch
Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crochet or knit stuffed creations. Prior crochet knowledge recommended but not required.
Robotics Workshop (grades 3+)
2-3 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Bound Brook Memorial Library branch
Members of Bound Brook High School's FIRST Robotics Team will lead a special building workshop. No registration required.
Introduction to Craft Foam Cosplay Armor Making (teens & adults)
2-4 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s North Plainfield Memorial Library branch
Learn the basics on how to turn inexpensive craft foam into cool cosplay armor.

Additional Maker Programs at SCLSNJ this March

You Can Have a Rain Garden (adults)
March 23, 7-8 p.m. at SCLSNJ’s Hillsborough Library branch
Pat Rector from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension will share how rain gardens work and how you can have one in your yard.
Little Builders (1-5 years old)
March 31, 10:30-11 a.m. at SCLSNJ’s Peapack & Gladstone Library branch
Toddlers will enjoy a story followed by free play with an assortment of building sets. No registration required.

---

---

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM IS CELEBRATING MAKER DAY

Download  2017 schedule here. 

Maker Day at the Children’s Museum in Bridgewater 10 AM-3PM Saturday March 25th. Join us for a fun day of science, engineering, and crafting. Our featured event is a Nerdy Derby where participants make crazy cars and race them!
CALL FOR MAKERS! Do you have a hobby, craft or technology project you'd like to share? This is your chance! Contact us to share your work at NJ Makers Day!

Families can arrive and leave at any time. Parents and/or caregivers are expected to stay with children during the museum visit. Please use discretion in bringing very young children, as the museum is NOT baby-proof (some craft items are small and could present a choking hazard).
Location: The PeopleCare Center, 120 Finderne Avenue, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 (parking and entrance are in the rear of the building).
Cost: A $3/ per child donation is suggested for those who can afford it. For more information, please email us at somersetcminfo@gmail.com or call us at 908-595-0001.
Our next program is "Ahoy Mate! A Voyage to our Oceans" on Sunday, April 9, 1 PM to 4 PM. Join us!

---

---

AS IS THE STATE MUSEUM

---

www.statemuseum.nj.gov

Planetarium News:

Magic Tree House: Space Mission Returns

Visit the Planetarium this weekend to enjoy an out of this world experience! 

Magic Tree House: Space Mission has returned to the schedule. Visit the Museum website for show descriptions, trailers and more.  

Weekend Schedule: 

12 noon    One World, One Sky

1 pm          Magic Tree House: Space Mission

2 pm          Laser Kid Power

3 pm          Dream to Discovery

Coming in April - special weekday presentations during Spring Break!

Special Event: 

SMASH: Prehistoric Adventures!

March 25, 10 am - 3 pm 

Come discover New Jersey's ancient life - there's so much more than dinosaurs! The March SMASH event, featuring cool, hands-on projects with an Ice Age theme, is held in conjunction with NJ Makers Day. Projects will be offered throughout the day and include the following: 

• Make a saber tooth tiger puppet
• Dig up fossil puzzles and piece together a giant sloth, woolly mammoth or armadillo-like glyptodon
• Create an imaginative Cretaceous world complete with a glacial landscape and snow 
• Meet the curator of Natural History and learn where you can find your own Ice Age fossils
• Play games to discover which fossils come from which time period in Earth's 4.5 billion year history
• Cave paint in the Imagination Studio
• Our youngest visitors can explore sand and snow sensory bins

---

For 300 more sites celebrating Maker Day around the state, look here: http://njmakersday.org/content/nj-makers-day-sites-map-and-listing and the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/njmakersday/

---

---

COMING UP AT BRIDGEWATER LIBRARY:

Note, there are no storytimes, toddler times or baby times the week of March 27th – these resume April 3rd.

Astronomy and Flight Day this Sunday at The Children’s Museum, Storytime/Craft programs at Bridgewater Library plus more events around our area.

Food for Thought:

More details in the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

---

Dear Gap (and other retailers): Listen to this girl 
(click headline to read full article)

Dear Gap -- My name is Alice Jacob and I am almost 5½ years old. I like cool shirts like Superman and Batman shirts and race car shirts, too. All your girl shirts are pink and princesses and stuff like that. The boys’ shirts are really cool. They have Superman, Batman, rock-and-roll and sports. What about girls who like those things like me, and my friend Olivia? Can you make some cool girls’ shirts please? Or, can you make a ‘no boys or girls’ section — only a kids’ section? Thank you, Alice Jacob

… what about all the families who don’t have the money or patience to look beyond the local big box store? What should they do for girls who love Iron Man? What about the boys who want a shirt with Rey from Star Wars, not Kylo Ren? Well, they’re finally getting a few options. It seems at least some retailers are catching on that not every boy loves skulls and danger, and not every girl wants ponies or pink.

Beyond the boy and girl aisles: How funneling kids into a category can hurt

---

Places to Go & Things to Do:

1. St. Patrick's Day Parade, Downtown Somerville
2. Winter Market, Duke Farms
3. Around the World Wine Tasting, The Bernards Inn
4. The Five Irish Tenors, State Theatre New Jersey
5. School House Rock Live! JR - opening weekend, Villagers Theatre
6. American Repertory Ballet, The Theatre at RVCC
7. Genealogy Workshop, Jacobus Vanderveer House
8. Irish Festivities, Mannion's Pub
9. Astronomy & Flight Program, Children's Museum of Somerset County
10. Rumors - opening weekend, Somerset Valley Players

Check out a full calendar of events!

Somerville St. Patrick's Day Parade

Sunday in Somerville: The parade will be held at 1:30 p.m. and along Main Street in Somerville. Specials will be offered at local restaurants, including Alfonso's, Central Pizzeria & Restaurant, Mannion's Irish Pub, McCormick's Pub and Verve. More details here.

Next up at the Children’s Museum – Astronomy March 12th
A printable copy of the schedule: childrensmuseumnj.org/CMNJschedule.pdf

---

---

www.statemuseum.nj.gov

Planetarium News:

Magic Tree House: Space Mission Returns

weekends from March 4 – 26  Visit the Planetarium this weekend to enjoy an out of this world experience! 

Magic Tree House: Space Mission has returned to the schedule. Visit the Museum website for show descriptions, trailers and more.  

Coming in April - special weekday presentations during Spring Break!

Special Event: 

SMASH: Prehistoric Adventures!

March 25, 10 am - 3 pm 

Come discover New Jersey's ancient life - there's so much more than dinosaurs! The March SMASH event, featuring cool, hands-on projects with an Ice Age theme, is held in conjunction with NJ Makers Day. Projects will be offered throughout the day and include the following: 

• Make a saber tooth tiger puppet
• Dig up fossil puzzles and piece together a giant sloth, woolly mammoth or armadillo-like glyptodon
• Create an imaginative Cretaceous world complete with a glacial landscape and snow 
• Meet the curator of Natural History and learn where you can find your own Ice Age fossils
• Play games to discover which fossils come from which time period in Earth's 4.5 billion year history
• Cave paint in the Imagination Studio
• Our youngest visitors can explore sand and snow sensory bins

Speaking of Maker Day – dozens of events at all the libraries in the Somerset County Library System and around the state – pick up a brochure at the library or see a list here!

 

UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT THE BRIDGEWATER LIBRARY:

“Everything Green” Storytime/Craft. Geared to Ages 3-8   Tuesday March 14th 10 a.m. & 4 p.m. – Drop in for stories, songs, and a craft celebrating the start of Spring!

---

“Rain & Mud” Storytime/Craft. Geared to Ages 3-8   Tuesday March 23rd 10 a.m. & 4 p.m. – Drop in for stories, songs, and make a rainstick craft!

---

A few pictures from our Pizza & Pasta program this week:

Check out more pix here: http://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2014/12/pre-school-storytime-pizza-pasta.html

---

---

TEEN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Download our schedule for January through June 2017
schedule here.

For 2017 we are once again offering a mix of Saturday and Sunday programs in order to provide opportunities for families with different schedules. All programs will be offered in the PeopleCare Center (SE corner of Rt 28 and Finderne Avenue in Bridgewater). If you would like to help out as a volunteer for these programs, please call Tom Davidson at 908.725.4677.

---

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!

On Saturday, May 13th from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Center for Contemporary Art is hosting a free family art event, "Hooray for May!" We are looking for volunteers to help the day of the event from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Volunteers are needed for:

• helping with the art activities
• handing out refreshments
• monitoring the galleries
• clean-up

If interested, please contact Leigh Zona at lzona@ccabedminster.org

Summer Art Camps Volunteers Needed!

The Center for Contemporary Art is seeking students age 15 and older to volunteer at our Summer Art Camps!

Students may volunteer for as many weeks as they wish, however, they must commit to coming for the entire week from 9:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. The duties include helping the instructor hand out art supplies to the students, keeping the room in order, cleaning art brushes and putting away art supplies each day. Volunteers also help students with their projects as needed.

We are looking for volunteers who love kids and are outgoing. This is fun way to accumulate Community Service hours!  

Click here to view the full list of camp dates. 

If interested, please contact Norma Rahn, Education Director at nrahn@ccabedminster.org