Top Things to Do with Kids in Fairfield this January
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Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Road, Fairfield. 203-259-1598. www.fairfieldhs.org.
Sound Scenery
Don't let the cold weather force you into hibernation. There are seals and waterfowl to be seen in Winter Creature Cruises, a guided tour of the Long Island Sound. Educators on board the Oceanic point out federally protected marine mammals and discuss their histories. Chances are you'll spot harbor seals, gray seals, and even harp seals, as well as waterfowl such as buffleheads, mergansers, and Old Squaws. Bring binoculars and warm clothes. January 15 and 29. 9am. $20.50. Recommended for ages 8 and older. Space is limited; reservations strongly advised; all ext. 2206. Cruise departs from the dock outside the IMAX theater.
Maritime Aquarium, 10 North Water Street, Norwalk. 203-852-0700. www.maritimeaquarium.org.
Drawings on the Move
Ever wonder how cartoons are made? Wonder no more when you explore Animation, a visiting exhibition at the Connecticut Science Center. The show covers all aspects of how a cartoon is made, from storyboarding and character design to drawing techniques, filming, and incorporating sound. This interactive exhibit, with a colorful backdrop featuring Cartoon Network characters, allows visitors to understand the creativity and technology involved in animation. Through March 4. Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. $17; $14 ages 4-17; free ages 3 and younger.
Connecticut Science Museum, 250 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford. 860-724-3623. www.ctsciencecenter.org.
Cure for the Couch Potato
Many children get their physical activity through team sports, but did you realize that individual and non-competitive sports can be just as much fun? And they have all the physical benefits team sports do. In the visiting exhibit Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action, kids learn the benefits to such individual activities as kung fu, snowboarding, yoga, and climbing. Developers worked to make the exhibition activities accessible to visitors with varying physical abilities and developmental needs. Open January 21 through April 29. 10am-5pm. $14; free children younger than 1.
Stepping Stones Museum for Children, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk. 203-899-0606. www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum
Could trading the family cow for three magic beans possibly be worth it? Find out in the theatrical production Jack and the Beanstalk. January 28. 11am and 2pm. $15.
Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Avenue Ridgefield. 203-438-5795. www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
No Milk in this Cereal
Taking a cue from Picasso and Andy Warhol, artist Michael Albert combines cubism and pop art to create his brand of art, which features diagonally cut cereal boxes and other forms of labeling. He refers to his work as 'cerealism.' The artist visits the Easton Library and offers programs for children and teens. January 28; snow date February 11. 10:30am-3pm. Contact children's librarian Lynn Zaffino for more information.
Easton Public Library, 91 Morehouse Road, Easton. 203-261-0134. www.eastonlibrary.org.
I Spy Walter Wick
If you've ever gone to the children's section of the library, chances are you've checked out the I Spy and Can You See What I See? books. Both come from the imagination of Walter Wick, a Connecticut resident who is the focus of the Bruce Museum's new exhibit Walter Wick: Games, Gizmos and Toys in the Attic. Models, photographs, and behind-the-scenes video clips help visitors understand the artist's creative process. Open January 28 through April 22. Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 1-5pm. $7; $6 ages 5-22; free children younger than 5.
Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. 203-869-0376. www.brucemuseum.org.
Pee-Yew!
Fans of authors Jon Sciezska's and Lane Smith's fractured fairytales will enjoy Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, a live version where familiar characters like Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin and Goldilocks pop up in very unfamiliar situations. January 29. 1pm and 4pm. $18.
Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. 203-227-4177. www.westportplayhouse.org.
