THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 28, 1996 TAG: 9606270151
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JANIE BRYANT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 201 lines
THERE'S NO NEED to leave the city limits to give children something positive to do during summer vacation.
From downtown museums and galleries to the stage of Willett Hall, no one has forgotten to include plenty of offerings for the younger generation.
Start downtown and take the kids to an art exhibit they can relate to.
``The Giant Who Swallowed the Moon'' features the work of talented Indonesian children from Java and Bali and will be displayed through Sept. 2 at the Children's Museum.
The traveling exhibition gives viewers of all ages a look at another culture, from Indonesia's home life to its folklore.
Of course, the Children's Museum is always a safe bet, no matter what's going on.
But this summer there's always something going on, including a ``Family Alien Making Contest'' that offers participants a chance to win a one-year family membership to the museum.
Materials are provided, and families can work on their idea of an alien that might live on one of the planets in the solar system. A room has been set aside, and families can work anytime from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 9 through 11.
Creators of the game, Alien Friendly, will judge the alien creations and talk about their galactic game from 1 to 3 p.m. July 13. The aliens will be exhibited the whole week.
While families are focused on the galaxies, they won't want to forget to drop into the museum's planetarium.
A laser light show designed for children around popular songs such as ``Puff the Magic Dragon'' and ``The Three Little Pigs Blues'' is offered at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays, now through Sept. 2. Admission is $2.
The planetarium also is showing ``Lifestyles of the Stars'' and ``Larry Cat in Space'' free to museum visitors.
Other special museum activities scheduled this summer include:
July 2 - Seed planting, Tuesday Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 50 cents (admission to museum not required).
July 3 - Dress up life-size recycled puppets, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1. Cost covered in museum admission.
July 4 - Popcorn and lemonade, Terrific Thursday refreshments, noon and 4 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 25 cents.
July 9 - Clipboards, Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 50 cents.
July 10 - Picture bingo, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1. Cost, 25 cents per card.
July 12 - Paper lion marionette one-hour workshops, for children 5 to 17, 1 and 2 p.m., Room 1. Cost, $1.50.
July 16 - Stuffed shape mobiles, Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 50 cents.
July 17 - Lego car races, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., inside museum. Cost covered in museum admission.
July 23 - Sunburst Picture Frame, Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 50 cents.
July 24 - Dress up life-size recycled puppets, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1. Cost covered in museum admission.
July 25 - Physics Magic with Dr. Wright, Terrific Thursday guest demonstration, 1 and 2 p.m., Room 1.
July 30 - Paper Uchiwa (Japanese Fan), Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall. Cost, 50 cents.
July 31 - Picture bingo, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1. Cost, 25 cents per card.
Aug. 6 - Ball and cup game, Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall.
Aug. 7 - Lego car races, Wacky Wednesday, program 1 to 3 p.m., inside museum.
Aug. 10 - Fox 33 Kid's Club Super Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., inside museum. WHRO representatives on hand to register kids to win prizes and hand out ``Fun Sheets.'' Children also can make crafts with help from museum staff members.
Aug. 13 - Sand painting, Kids Corner activity, 1 to 3 p.m., Middle Street Mall.
Aug. 14 - Dress up life-sized recycled puppets, Wacky Wednesday program, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1.
Aug. 15 - ``Mothers and Babies,'' a Terrific Thursday guest exhibit demonstration by the Virginia Zoo, 1 to 3 p.m., Room 1.
Aug. 22 - SPCA visit, a Terrific Thursday guest demonstration and story by the SPCA's Laura Pritchard, 1 and 2 p.m., Room 1.
Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $4.
For more information, call Diane Thielen at 393-8393.
A block away from the museum, children can load up on summer reading material at the Portsmouth Public Library and sign up for the Louise Rapoport Fenster Summer Reading Program.
All the library's branches offer summer reading programs that encourage children to read with prizes, ranging from stickers and bookmarks to stamp pads and rulers.
Registration will be held through July 20.
Rachel Enrich, children's librarian for the downtown branch, said she's already impressed by the number of children who have signed up.
Last year, about 540 children had registered by the end of the summer at the downtown branch.
This year, more than 200 have registered in the first week, she said.
``Last year, the first week was very slow,'' Enrich said. ``So we're shocked and amazed and happy.''
The theme for this year's program is ``Choose Your Own Adventure - READ!'' and that's exactly how Enrich feels about book selection.
Enrich doesn't believe in book lists that tell children what they should be reading.
Whether it's the classics or a book in the popular ``Goosebumps'' series, if they're learning to love to read, Enrich is happy.
It's summer and she wants them to pick their own pleasure and just learn the pure joy of reading.
Each branch also offers its own schedule of story times, crafts and videos. But special events will be offered downtown.
The events include:
July 1 - Portsmouth Museums representatives explain nautical flags and how they are used, and children make their own flags to take home, 10 a.m.
July 2 - Beach party allows children to bring a beach towel and hear stories about the beach, 6 p.m.
July 8 - A Norfolk Story League member tells pirate stories, 10 a.m.
July 15 - A visit from a staff member of the Virginia Zoo with some animals, 10 a.m.
July 16 - Safari party, 6 p.m.
July 22 - Norfolk Story League member tells zoo safari stories, 10 a.m.
Aug. 23 - Back-To-School party for summer reading club participants. The time has not been decided.
Groups of larger than five should pre-register for library programs.
For more information on children's activities, call:
Main Branch, 601 Court St., 393-8501.
Manor Branch, 1401 Elmhurst Lane, 465-2916;
Churchland Branch, 3215 Academy Ave., 686-2538; and,
Cradock Branch, 28 Prospect Ave., 393-8759.
So now the kids have taken a look at the art, frequented their own museum and have gotten into loving to read during the summer.
But there's still more that they can do before thinking about turning on the television.
Next on the list of cultural events geared to youngsters is the Willett Hall's children's shows.
One way to make sure children love the theater is to combine it with the circus.
That's what happens when ``Circus Berserkus,'' comes to town at 11 a.m. July 11.
The production is presented by Theatricks, a Maryland-based professional theater company.
The three-member company includes Tom Dougherty, former touring clown with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus who also has clowned it up for audiences from Circus World in Orlando to Wolf Trap and the White House.
The other members are Elizabeth Furfaro, who adds writing and directing to her clowning skills, and Tim Marrone, who has performed with the Maryland Lyric Opera, the Catholic University Summer Opera Series and the George Carden Circus.
Other summer children's shows (both at 11 a.m.) are:
July 25 - Joanie Bartels, an award-winning children's entertainer, encourages her audiences to sing and dance along, with songs ranging from children's classics to adult contemporary hits.
Aug. 8 - ``Beauty and the Beast,'' from the American Family Theater's Broadway for Kids series, brings music and special effects to the popular fairy tale.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children. Groups of 10 or more receive a $1 per ticket discount.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at any Ticketmaster location, including the Willett Hall box office. Tickets also may be charged by calling 671-8100.
At Potrafka Gallery, several art classes will be offered for children.
Cathy Garrenton will teach a drawing class from 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays.
Oil and acrylic painting will be taught by Joyce Timberlake from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
Wayne Potrafka will teach a class in hand forming with clay during the same hours on Wednesdays.
The classes are offered for children, ages 8 to 12. But younger children who are skilled in art will be considered.
Teenagers who show an interest in the classes would be put in adult classes, Potrafka said.
The gallery is in the 600 block of Washington Street.
For information, call 399-4774. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover
David Arbeneaux, 7, covers himself with a bubble at the Children's
Museum in the cover picture, by staff photographer Lawrence Jackson.
Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
David Allen Bennet, 5, leans on Newport News Fitness Camp counselor
Michelle Santiago's shoulder as he tries to blow a bubble during
their field trip to the Children's Museum. The photographer caught
the action from behind the bubble apparatus, held intact by a wire.
Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Lindy Campbell, 13, left, scales a wall at the Children's Museum
with her friend Britten Valdivieso, 8, who is visiting from
California.
Staff photo CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Jonathan Lynch, 6, reads a book at the Downtown Public Library. All
the library branches offer summer reading programs with prizes as
incentives.
Photos
Circus Berserkus will perform at Willett Hall on July 11 at 11
a.m.. It's presented by Theatricks, a professional theater company.
``Beauty and the Beast,'' from the American Family Theater's
Broadway for Kids series, will be at Willett Hall at 11 a.m. on Aug.
8. by CNB