Kids VT, June 2017

Father-to-Father Conversations

Papa's First Pedicure

Paddling the LaPlatte

THE Dad

LeVar Barrino

helps Boys & Girls Club kids find their way

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

COPUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Cathy Resmer cathy@kidsvt.com

COPUBLISHER

Colby Roberts colby@kidsvt.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Alison Novak alison@kidsvt.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Meredith Coeyman meredith@kidsvt.com

ART DIRECTOR

Brooke Bousquet brooke@kidsvt.com

MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR

Corey Grenier corey@kidsvt.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kaitlin Montgomery kaitlin@kidsvt.com

CALENDAR WRITER

Brett Stanciu brett@kidsvt.com

PROOFREADERS

Carolyn Fox, Katherine Isaacs, Elizabeth M. Seyler

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John James

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Don Eggert

DESIGNERS

Charlotte Scott, Rev. Diane Sullivan

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Matt Weiner

BUSINESS MANAGER

Cheryl Brownell

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sarah Tuff Dunn, Sarah Galbraith, Eric Olsen, Ken Picard, Sean Prentiss, Benjamin Roesch, Erinn Simon, Autumn Spencer, Conor Stinson

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Sam Simon, Matthew Thorsen

ILLUSTRATOR

Marc Nadel

P.O. BOX 1184 BURLINGTON, VT 05402

802-985-5482

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Honoring Fatherhood

At the end of April, I organized a surprise party for my husband, Je ’s, 40th birthday, which included two dozen of our closest family members and friends. A highlight of the night was watching my 10-year-old daughter, Mira, give a killer speech she had written for her dad. Besides being kind of blown away by the fact that Mira is now old enough to craft and deliver a speech, I was touched by her words. She talked about all the things she loves about Je , like how he reads to her at bedtime and jumps his heart out at the trampoline park rather than just watching. She ended with a line that went something like this: “There’s no such thing as perfect … but my dad is pretty close.”

In our June Dad Issue, timed to coincide with Father’s Day, we highlight dads who — though they may not be perfect — strive to do their best for their kids and their communities.

Dads like LeVar Barrino, a father of three and director of individual support services at the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington: He’s responsible for helping kids in the Old North End and Winooski navigate challenges and make good choices. Ken Picard profiles Barrino in “Positive Pressure” on page 18.

New dads like Sean Prentiss and Conor Stinson: We tasked them with interviewing experienced fathers whom they admire for “Father to Father” on page 22.

Thoughtful dads like Eric Olsen: He writes humorously about getting his first-ever pedicure with his 8-year-old daughter in an essay on page 43. And adventurous dads like Benjamin Roesch: He chronicles a day trip to Huntington’s Green Mountain Audubon Center and Birds of Vermont Museum with his wife and sons on page 11.

In addition to this dad-centric June issue, Kids VT has a new, 36-page guide to family summer fun in Vermont coming out this month, called the Daytripper. Aimed at both locals and tourists, it features five diverse day-trip itineraries packed with attractions, food and drink spots, and hikes. If you’re a dad — or mom — searching for new and interesting things to do with your kids when school’s out, pick up the Daytripper at a local attraction, state park, municipal pool, public beach or town library near you. Look for it in the first full week of June.

ALISON NOVAK, MANAGING EDITOR

STAFF QUESTION

What’s your favorite photo of you and your dad?

My dad is ALWAYS THERE WHEN I NEED HIM, for anything, anytime.

COPUBLISHER COLBY ROBERTS with daughters Lily and Nola and dad, Harry

When my dad called me to say that he booked a 10-day excursion in the Teton wilderness for our family I panicked; I hate camping! It ended up being the BEST VACATION I’VE EVER BEEN ON MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER COREY GRENIER with dad, Stephen

My father holds his first grandchild shortly after my daughter Molly’s birth. It’s one of the HAPPIEST PICTURES I HAVE OF MY FATHER CALENDAR WRITER BRETT STANCIU with dad, George

CONTRIBUTOR’S NOTE

ERIC OLSEN (“Use Your Words,” page 47) is:

(A) member of the rock band Swale;

(B) cofounder of RAZED, a website of parenting humor with bite; (C) living in Shelburne with his wife, two daughters and too many animals; (D) never going to finish his book;

(E) all of the above.

Mira delivers her speech to Jeff

Positive Pressure

Father to Father

TRENDING

How Do I Stay Connected To My Teen?

During my teen years, my father would randomly announce that we were going on an adventure. We’d drive the back roads of Vermont to sample the milk shakes of various small-town lunch counters, search for bookstores, take in the scenery and talk.

Once, after returning home from an especially fun day, I went directly to my bedroom and penned a poem called, “I Didn’t Ask to Be Born.” It was an angry and indignant piece about how I didn’t owe the world a damn thing, so stop having expectations of me and — did I mention? — I never even asked to be born.

When I read it to my father, he listened intently, respectfully. And when I was done, he calmly said, “I love you. Never stop writing.”

My dad understood three key things about teenagers: 1) Despite appearances, they absolutely do want to spend quality time with the important adults in their lives. 2) The myriad emotions teens feel are a reflection of the rollercoaster ride they’re on and are not to be taken personally. 3) Like everyone, they thrive on love and encouragement, even as they feign rejecting it.

Teenagers are stuck in the

quagmire of life where childhood meets adulthood. They’re complicated and sometimes hard to be around. One minute it’s sickly sweet, the next it’s crazy-making. Upon recently becoming a teen, my daughter immediately adopted the requisite combination of lowtalking and mumbling. Some days, it’s enough to put me over the edge.

Teenage emotions come at you fast, usually with an urgency reserved for burning houses. It’s uncomfortable and, honestly, inconvenient. It’s much easier to believe that our teens want to be left alone than it is to push through the discomfort and insist

on connecting. But that’s exactly what we have to do. Studies show that teens who spend time with their parents are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol or engage in other high-risk behaviors. Teens who spend time with their fathers, in particular, have better social skills and higher self-esteem.

Before we get sucked into a vortex of guilt for not spending enough time with our teens, know this: It’s not the quantity of the time, it’s the quality. Sit down to dinner, or breakfast, together. Take a walk. Read out loud to each other. Toss a football around. The point is to be fully present and available, even if it’s just for 20 minutes.

And when, after you’ve spent what you’re certain was a wonderful day together, your teen presents you with a fairly o -putting, definitely self-righteous, borderline insulting poem, remember that she shared it with you precisely because your time together helps her feel safe, supported and loved.

In this monthly column, comedian, writer and mom Autumn Spencer answers tricky parenting questions. Have a question for Autumn? Send it to ideas@kidsvt.com.

KIDS SAY WHAT?

AUTUMN ANSWERS Introducing...

We’ve got a new publication filled with great ideas for summer family fun in Vermont!

It’s called the Daytripper and it hits newsstands in June! Pick one up at a local attraction, library, municipal pool, ski resort, beach or state park near you!

Veteran South Carolina school bus driver evacuates 56 children off a burning bus in less than a minute, just before the vehicle bursts into flames. Superheroes walk among us.

Vermont state lawmakers pass a bill entitling pregnant employees to workplace accommodations, including longer or more frequent bathroom breaks. Because when you’ve got a baby pushing on your bladder, there’s no holding it in.

Fiesty sea lion yanks little girl off a dock in Vancouver, B.C. — and there’s (now-viral) video footage to prove it. Those “Don’t Feed the Animals” signs are there for a reason.

U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Sonny Purdue rolls back Obama-era school nutrition standards, reducing whole-grain requirements, allowing higher levels of sodium and restoring sweetened milk to school cafeterias. Thankfully, Vermont’s Farm to School Network is still going strong.

Low-tech fidget spinners become the must-have item for twitchy kids and teens around the country. Screen fatigue?

Sixteen-year-old Carter Wilkerson of Nevada ousts Ellen DeGeneres as the owner of the most-retweeted tweet with his plea to Wendy’s for a year’s worth of free chicken nuggets. And henceforth, he’ll always be known as “that nugget kid.”

“My life’s ambition is to eat at a Chipotle in every state in the USA!”

—JULIAN, AGE 16

PARENTING HACKS

My favorite camping meal is THANKSGIVING

IN A BOWL. Boil some hot water over the campfire and give everyone a bowl full of dried mashed potato flakes, dried stuffing and dried cranberries, and mix it all together. Easy and filling!

—CATHY RESMER

We love COSMIC WIMPOUT and QWIXX Both are dice games so they are super easy to carry, even for backpacking trips, and don’t take up a lot of room.

—TIFFANY TILLMAN

I have a COLEMAN CAMP COOKER and make grilled cheeses over the fire, which the kids love.

—ALAN KATZ

We build a lot of FAIRY HOUSES and, lately, include “people” and rocks or wooden pieces with statements written on them. Sometimes we make FLOWER OR LEAF WREATHS to wear on our

—LUIZA BLOOMBERGSIENKO

THROWBACK

JUNE 2016

This month, parents share tips related to camping and hiking to help you through the summer. Send your parenting hacks to ideas@kidsvt.com. Read

Dear Old Dad: Fathers Reflect on Having Children Later in Life

In last year’s Dad Issue, Eric Esckilsen reflected on his own experience of becoming a father at age 45 and interviewed fellow older dads about their experiences. “Our children are destined to outlive us; it’s our greatest hope,” writes Esckilsen. “We old dads wonder how long we’ll walk the path with our kids. But I like to think we have something to share with them that younger dads don’t.”

My husband and I like to bring a SMALL BAG OF M&M’S on hikes with our almost 4-yearold. As he starts to complain and drag his feet, the candies are doled out one by one and keep him going.

GUIDE BOOKS are fun and distract from the “are we almost there?”

My husband and I like

—EMILY MERRILL

—JAMIE KATOFF

Thanks for sharing your family photos with us using the hashtag #instakidsvt We couldn’t resist this!

Share a picture of your kids doing something fun during the month of June. @polifkarivas Storm Troopers have families, too.

2017 Tour Dates

BY MEREDITH COEYMAN & ALISON NOVAK

Can You Dig It?

When beloved Vermont author Anna Dewdney, creator of the Llama Llama series, passed away from brain cancer last September at age 50, parents, kids and educators around the world mourned her loss. Now, there’s a new book for Dewdney’s legion of fans, completed shortly before her death. LITTLE EXCAVATOR inspired by the author’s experience restoring her 1820 Lower Bartonsville home, hits shelves this month. The short, snappy tale details Little Excavator’s attempts to hold his own with the Big Rigs at the construction site — and eventual discovery of a job that’s just perfect for him. In addition to the new picture book, Netflix will release an animated series based on Dewdney’s Llama Llama books later this year. And, in recent months, rappers such as Ludacris have gone viral with their renditions of Llama Llama Red Pajama. Despite her untimely death, Dewdney’s legacy lives on. —A.N.

Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney: Viking, $17.99. Release date: June 6. Ages 2-5.

AWARD

News Makers

Look no further than Burlington High School to find New England’s best student newspaper. In May, BHS’s student-run REGISTER beat out hundreds of competitors to win best in its class at the New England Scholastic Press Association spring conference at Boston University. “This award is truly the pinnacle for what has been a remarkable year,” said senior editor Alexandre Silberman (pictured second to left) via email. The paper also raked in a Highest Achievement award and 10 others for individual video, photo, news- and feature-writing work. Its coverage of the Burlington teacher contract negotiations attracted attention from the wider Burlington community. “I’m proud of our sta ,” Silberman said. “We’ve turned what had been a weak, occasional print paper into a robust multiplatform news organization.” —M.C.

Read the Register online at bhsregister.com.

COMMUNITY

Play Time

When kids engage in imaginative play, they learn to solve problems, be creative and manage conflicts. To create more spaces conducive to this kind of openended exploration — especially for kids who live in poverty — the national nonprofit KaBOOM! hosts the PLAY EVERYWHERE

CHALLENGE, which awards $1 million each year to 50 proposals from across the country. This year’s list of winning projects includes a colorful wooden pop-up theater now occupying a formerly vacant space on Main Street in Bethel. The portable theater can be used for dramatic play, puppet shows,

AGRICULTURE Milk It

Kids have a chance to see how food gets from farm to table at BREAKFAST ON THE FARM — two free pancake breakfasts, sponsored by the New England Dairy & Food Council. The first, on Saturday, June 17, takes place at Fairmont Farm, a third-generation dairy farm with 870 cows in East Montpelier. The second, on Saturday, July 22, will be held at Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport, the first farm in the state to have a methane digester and a 100-kilowatt wind turbine that turns manure into energy. Both farms belong to the Cabot Creamery Cooperative; milk from their operations go into local cheese, butter and yogurt. At both hearty happenings, families can take self-guided walking tours, try milking a mechanical cow, feed baby

improv and story times, according to project creator Rebecca Sanborn Stone. The theater was designed by Stone’s Vermont-based consulting firm, Community Workshop, which specializes in land-use planning and community engagement. Stone said that this summer, places like daycares, libraries, street festivals and farmers markets will be able to borrow the theater free of charge. Community Workshop will also make the construction plans available online — Stone said it would be an easy project for other communities and organizations to replicate. “We’re excited to show how play really can be integrated into small and unexpected places,” said Stone, “and how beneficial that is to the community.” —A.N.

For more information about Community Workshop’s pop-up theater, visit communityworkshopllc. com. To learn more about KaBOOM!, visit kaboom.org.

calves, ride a bike that powers a smoothie blender and answer dairy trivia questions, like “How many gallons of milk does a cow produce each day?” —A.N.

Both Breakfast on the Farm events take place from 8:30-11:30 a.m. To reserve free tickets, visit vermontbreakfastonthefarm.com.

Register staffers display their award

A Born Performer

A Vermont teen spends her summers in the circus

Circus Smirkus, Vermont’s awardwinning international youth circus, trains kids as young as 5. But Ariana Wunderle started practicing with the troupe when she was just 3 years old. The tall, wiry 13-yearold has a special connection to the organization — her parents help run it. Over the years, they’ve had various positions there.

Her dad, Troy, is currently its artistic director; her mom, Sara, is assistant operations director. Ariana’s parents may be in charge, but the seventh grader has proven she has what it takes to succeed in her own right. An accomplished gymnast, she has been invited to compete in the Vermont State Gymnastics Championship nine times; eight of those times she was one of the top five contenders. Several years ago, she decided she wanted to be a tightropewire walker, so she spent hours of her free time practicing and training, “just

walker, aerialist, partner acrobat, trumpet player and clown in the Big Top Tour. “I like being a clown,” Ariana says, “because you can basically tell the audience what emotion you want them to be feeling.”

Her training regimen is far from clowning around though. Ariana adheres to a demanding weekly schedule, which includes three days of gymnastics, two two-hour sessions of circus training and one private lesson with a circus coach weekly — on top of daily field hockey practice with her school team in the fall.

Sara and Troy say performing in the circus has allowed Ariana to shine as a person and helped her develop poise and maturity. They explained that the Troupers — the name for members of the touring company — come from all over the world and have exposed

Ariana to many different kinds of caring, outgoing people who are passionate about what they do.

When school lets out in June, Ariana will head to Circus Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro with the rest of the performers. The 20 Troupers, who this year range in age from 12 to 18, will spend three weeks designing the show and practicing their acts.

The kids “take ownership of it, but not too much,” explains Troy, who trained at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. “We still want them to be kids.”

Once the production is ready for prime time, the group will hit the road for seven weeks, traveling throughout New England and New York, with days off between performances to hit the beach, mall or movies. They’ll wrap up

the season back in Greensboro with two final hometown shows. Then the kids will pull an all-nighter, to reminisce about the summer and say their goodbyes.

Though Ariana says she misses her school friends during summer vacations, she also sees the value in what she’s doing. “I’m surrounded by people with the same love and desire,” she said. “We’re one huge family.” K

The 30th Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour starts in Greensboro on July 2, then rolls into Waitsfield on July 5 & 6, Essex Junction on July 8 & 9, St. Johnsbury on July 14 & 15, and Montpelier on August 16, 17 & 18. The final shows take place in Greensboro on August 20. Visit smirkus.org for details and to buy tickets.

Name: Ariana Wunderle

Age: 13 Town: Chester

Green Mountain Audubon Center & Birds of Vermont Museum

Sherman Hollow Rd., Huntington

The fire station near our home in Burlington’s Old North End makes it di cult to pay much attention to the birds. So a recent visit to explore the trails of the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington provided my family with a welcome dose of avian music.

Operated by Audubon Vermont, a state program of the National Audubon Society, the center is situated on 250 acres and boasts five miles of hiking trails open to the public year-round. The property is the site of school field trips, family and preschool programs, and camps. But on a rainy Saturday in early May, we had the woods — and the birds — to ourselves.

Accompanied by my wife, Shannon, and our two boys, 9-yearold Felix and 6-year-old Leo, I parked in the small lot by the Audubon Center’s sugar shack, where families can sample maple syrup when the sap is running in March. The Audubon’s clearly marked, mostly flat trails begin only steps from busy Huntington Road, but the hum of cars was quickly replaced by chirping birds as we got deeper into the woods.

We were struck by the volume and variety of the chirrups, squawks, honks, blares and snorts we heard along the way; Leo pointed out that one bird sounded like it was laughing. The ground was a bit mucky from several days of rain, and we were all glad we’d traded our sneakers for boots before leaving the house. Our only regret was that we forgot our binoculars.

Along with ferns and fiddleheads, the trails are dotted with informational placards. One of them detailed the wide variety of birds that inhabit the surrounding woods: scarlet tanagers, black-throated blue warblers, black-capped chickadees, redwinged blackbirds and ovenbirds. Another marked the beaver pond, which has a small wooden viewing shack where visitors can scope out the semiaquatic rodents’ dens and

watch sunbeams dance across the water’s surface.

Farther down the path, we stumbled upon a cluster of teepeelike structures made from tree branches — most likely the handiwork of a school group — that Felix and Leo loved exploring. The boys also enjoyed wading and throwing rocks in a nearby brook. Before long, the trail wound back around to where we had started.

Since we were in the neighborhood, we decided to stop at the Birds of Vermont Museum, just a two-minute drive down the road.

The museum’s admission fee — $7 for adults and $3.50 for kids — is reasonable, considering what awaits: more than 500 life-size New England native bird species hand-whittled and painted by the late master carver Bob Spear. Most of the birds are housed in glassed-in dioramas on the second floor, where the lighting and natural backdrops make the birds appear so lifelike I almost expected them to fly out of the enclosures.

Felix and Leo especially liked Spear’s workshop, which has been converted into an educational exhibit that gives visitors a glimpse of his tools and methods.

When we returned to the Old North End later that day, our boots were muddy and our smiles were big. In the days that followed our trip, I felt more aware of the birds in my neighborhood than usual. Especially in the morning, North Avenue is alive with their music, a natural counterpoint to the cars, dogs and sirens. A day at the Audubon Center was a good reminder to listen a little more closely.

Felix and Leo explore a tree-branch structure

Planning a kids event?

Paddling the LaPlatte

Iwas born and bred every inch a sailor. For me, it doesn’t get much better than messing about in boats. But the tides turned when I married my husband Carlton, a landlocked, Colorado buffalo of a man. Suddenly, I found myself choosing hiking trails over hiking out over a hull.

Still, we’ve tried to get out on the water. We christened our canoe Scout — a wedding present from my brothers nearly 13 years ago — and gamely explored Green Mountain waterways. That is, until Carlton’s monogrammed wooden paddle (another wedding present) snapped in half during an ill-fated expedition on the Lamoille River. We joined lightning sailboat race crews on Lake Champlain and eventually signed up our kids, Dillon and Harper, for sailing lessons. Last year, we even bought a powerboat.

We called it Snow Goose, not realizing that our goose would be cooked in less than 12 months. Schlepping all our stuff onto the boat, tooling around and schlepping it all back home again proved tedious, and our active bodies craved something more. So this March, we put the powerboat on the market.

By late April, having said goodbye

to the Goose, we cast about for a Sunday excursion, deciding to dust off Scout, along with my stand-up paddleboard, and check out the flooded LaPlatte River, a waterway I’d often ignored in favor of more expansive excursions on the lake. We chose to launch from Shelburne Bay Park, where I’d typically ride the river down to Lake Champlain. As soon as we turned the other direction and headed up river, however, I was happily examining a new water world, crouching under the Harbor Road bridge to discover grasses and trees partly submerged in water.

I later learned from the Lake Champlain Land Trust, a membersupported conservation organization, that these 150 acres of marshes and floodplain forests “are regularly flooded when the lake level rises and are inhabited by plant species that can endure these wet conditions.” According to the Trust, some 60 species of birds; 50 species of reptiles, amphibians and fish; and 20 mammal species inhabit this area. But we didn’t see too much activity as we headed up the LaPlatte, which snakes 16 miles between Lake Iroquois and Lake Champlain.

So we created our own action,

leisurely paddling in between trees and darting past floating logs. We exchanged pleasantries with other paddlers in kayaks, watched a light breeze blow across the river and lost track of time exploring beaver dams. The trees eventually grew thicker, and then we stumbled upon a duck squawking vociferously to protect a nest of ducklings. We let her be and moved on.

By now, our arms were pleasantly tired from paddling, so we decided to turn around and head back to our truck. And, after such a sublime spring canoe trip up the LaPlatte, we agreed that it doesn’t get much better than messing about in boats. K

The two best launch sites for paddling the LaPlatte River in Shelburne are:

SHELBURNE BAY PARK, located at 1467 Bay Rd. (for exploring closer to Lake Champlain)

SHELBURNE RIVER PARK, with a parking area right off Webster Rd. just below Rte. 7 (for exploring farther upriver) Visit the Lake Champlain Land Trust website — lclt.org — for more information.

Dillon (left) and Harper Dunn

Exploring the LaPlatte River

Should Parents Worry About Picky Eaters?

necessarily a cause for concern, according to Dr. Lewis First, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital. This reluctance to eat certain foods is considered a normal, and even healthy, part of child development. Around one-third of children show signs of being picky eaters. This behavior can begin as early as 18 months old, usually peaks between ages 3 and 6, and resolves as children get older. But what if it doesn’t? Dr. First explains when picky eating may signal a more serious eating disorder, and he offers advice on helping kids establish a healthy relationship with food.

KIDS VT: Why do some kids become picky eaters?

LEWIS FIRST: Normally growing and healthy children develop pickiness because they’re asserting their independence, seeking attention and wanting to have some form of control. Sometimes there’s no structure to kids’ mealtimes, and parents don’t realize that their kids are getting the sustenance they need by snacking on small amounts of healthy foods throughout the day. Then, when it’s time for everybody to sit down for dinner, they’re not hungry and act picky, which draws the attention toddlers are often seeking.

KVT: Should pickiness concern parents?

LF: Parents need to remember that kids don’t need the same amount of nutritional sustenance as adults, nor do they need as much as they did in the first year of life. After gaining 10 to 15 pounds in their first year, children don’t gain a lot of weight — maybe just a couple of pounds per year — until school age

and adolescence. Rather than focus on the food battles, parents should simply end the meal and not worry about it. If parents are worried that their child may be falling off their growth curve, a simple weight check by their health care professional can provide reassurance.

KVT: When does food pickiness become problematic?

LF: There are clues that it’s turning into a problem. For example, a normally picky toddler will have tried at least 25 to 30 foods when they start acting picky. Children who are going to have a long-term problem with selective eating — where pickiness turns into an eating disorder — may have only tried 10 to 20 foods before they demonstrate this behavior. In this case, there may be entire food groups that the child will not eat. The small percentage of children who go on to have a more serious selective eating problem are often kids who show a decline in their weight.

KVT: Should parents worry about development if a child’s weight is fine but their diet is extremely limited?

LF: Development is not affected in an otherwise healthy picky eater. Usually children can get the basic food groups of protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and carbohydrates from a small number of foods they eat — especially the ones they snack on during the day, even if they only eat one or two things at a sit-down meal.

KVT: What is ARFID?

about with your health care professional. But only 1 to 2 percent of picky eaters will be on this path.

KVT: What are some strategies parents can use if they have a picky eater?

LF: Remember that it may take 10 to 15 tries with a new food before a healthy toddler accepts it. So if they don’t like yogurt, you can bring it back another time or mix it with something else. You should always eat a new food with your child so you can model your enjoyment. Have other kids come over and eat new foods with your child. Oftentimes, peer pressure will get a child to try it. And be aware that there will still be some foods that children will never eat. Adhere to the “at least one bite before saying ‘no, thank you’ rule” rather than allowing them to avoid the new food.

KVT: Any tactics parents should avoid?

LF: Don’t cook special meals for picky eaters, but do include something they like in every meal and put it next to the food you want them to try. Don’t use food as a reward, such as “If you eat this vegetable, you’ll get a cookie,” since it indicates a cookie is a preferred food to a vegetable.

KVT: Any other tips?

tastes,

LF: What used to be called selective eating disorder has been renamed avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID, which is picky eating gone extreme. It usually comes on in toddlerhood but may not be diagnosed until a child is older. Whereas picky eating may last for a couple of months, ARFID can last for years. Most children may only have 10 to 20 foods total that they have ever tried or wanted to eat, and sometimes major food groups may be missing from their selective diet. It may get worse and can lead to fear and anxiety of eating. It can start with sensitivity or repulsion to certain tastes, smells and textures. This disorder may last into adulthood and may lead to social issues, where they basically want to eat by themselves because they’re so anxious about eating unfamiliar foods.

KVT: What are some ARFID warning signs?

LF: If a child is avoiding entire food groups, such as fruits or vegetables, or they’re only eating a certain texture, and it’s lasting for at least half a year, this is worth talking

LF: It’s very important that parents don’t constantly talk about their own body image — being too heavy or too thin — in front of their child. In terms of food, it’s important that parents offer kids different types of tastes. Giving toddlers and preschoolers a choice between two healthy options often averts testy exchanges. Also, asking kids to help in the preparation of meals, grocery shopping with them and talking about which foods are nutritious — rather than talking about “good” foods versus “bad” foods — are all ways to create a positive relationship with food.

Don’t cook special meals for picky eaters, but do include something they like in every meal and put it next to the food you want them to try.

Erik & Desi

DAD: ERIK DONALDSON, 50

SON: DESI, 12

What do you like to do together?

Erik: We like fishing, antiquing … eating.

Desi: Yeah, eating.

Erik: We got invited to The Great Northern (restaurant) soft opening. Our chef friend asked us on a date. Man, we ate grilled octopus, smoked pork belly, seared cod. There was a raw bar.

Desi: The grilled octopus was definitely the best part.

What’s your favorite thing about Desi?

Erik: His generosity. His ability to empathize with others.

What’s your favorite thing about your dad?

Desi: His beard!

BY BRETT STANCIU

Dad, Teacher — and Author

KVT: What’s your favorite part of writing?

GPL: I love creating a setting and imagining a whole other world. Beneath the Magic Woods stories are a chronology and a whole puzzle that builds this fictive place. I make movies in the summer, too, and do all the writing and editing and directing. It’s a fun way to get a bunch of people together and be creative.

KVT: Creativity seems to be a major force in your life. Would you elaborate on the importance of imagination?

In George Patrick Leal’s The Pumpkin of Magic Woods, the character Doggie says, “the first thing you need to know about this place is … all kinds of weird and magical things happen here.” That line is a good synopsis of secondgrade teacher Leal’s Magic Woods trilogy, which he self-published through the online platform CreateSpace and released in January.

Leal’s invented world was inspired by his own childhood fascination with storytelling. His creative cast of characters includes

The Magic Woods Trilogy includes The Pumpkin of Magic Woods, The Lost Crowns of Magic Woods and The Worlds Beyond Magic Woods. A book-release party — with a reading, book signing and Q&A — takes place on Sunday, June 4, from 5-7 p.m. at North End Studios in Burlington. Info, 863-6713 or northendstudios.org.

a kitty, bunny and plastic pumpkin. And their snappy dialogue is often laugh-out-loud funny.

Burlingtonbased Leal, father of 18-month-old son Bowden, took a break from his teaching job at the Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler to talk with

about his books.

KIDS VT: How did the Magic Woods trilogy travel from your imagination to the page?

GEORGE PATRICK LEAL: I’ve told these stories for years, so when I started to write them down, the big thing for me was voice. A story is really about a relationship between the storyteller and the person who is listening. That’s one reason why, when we teach children to write in classrooms now, we have them talk through the story first.

GPL: I like storytelling. I stumbled on that early in my life and, as I became a teacher, I realized storytelling is often missing from kids’ lives. A child naturally has empathy, but reading develops the sense in a child that something — like a terrible illness, say — could happen to them, too. Our adult and political sphere is incredibly lacking in this depth. We are so distracted all the time — and reward ourselves with distraction — that our attention spans are diminishing.

KVT: Parents know reading is essential for their kids, but could you expand on

GPL: Reading is very important to our world. In reading, we go deep. When we follow our curiosity about ourselves and others, we discover that other people, in ways we never imagined, are real, too. Reading engages and entertains us, but at the same time strengthens our ability to think and reflect in a thoughtful way. We need that ability to think critically when we act in the world.

KVT: Any advice for aspiring authors?

GPL: Write constantly. Read constantly. Engage with the craft in a joyful way.

Dr. Matthew Perchemlides is a licensed naturopathic physician specializing in integrative medicine, including naturopathic oncology and chronic disease.

Providing customized nutritional & immune support, plus primary care for the entire family along with energy & emotional support for parents 802-989-7669 • www.DoctorPerch.com

Celebrating 17 Years!

July 10th - July 14th, 2017

Curriculum/activities will include:

Improvisation Sessions Basic Theory and Music Composition Listening and Jamming Sessions Register at vtjazzcamp.com or contact Tony Pietricola at tonyvje@gmail.com

Learn from music teachers, band directors, and stage performers with decades of experience

BOOKWORMS

Deluxe Tree House

Richard Harle was vacationing on the Jersey Shore when he caught an episode of “Ultimate Treehouses.” The Animal Planet show provides an up close look at impressive arboreal dwellings around the world. Harle had always wanted to build an outdoor abode for his three kids but didn’t quite grasp the logistics of integrating the structure with the trees. The show helped him understand the finer points of tree-house building. I could do that, he remembers thinking after watching it.

Harle, whose primary residence is in Rockland County, NY, started building a tree house behind his family’s weekend home in Killington on Memorial Day 2015. It ended up taking until Labor Day. His initial plan was for a one-story dwelling, but his now 12- and 7-year-old daughters and 10-year-old son nixed that idea in favor of a double-decker design. They also advocated for a slide.

His older daughter’s arachnophobia also informed the building process. “She said she wouldn’t go in if she saw a spider,” Harle explains, “so I had to seal up every nook and cranny. I had to caulk everything.”

The final product is a luxurious dwelling that’s more home addition than kids’ playhouse. A futon couch

and a chalkboard-paint wall for doodling dominate the first floor. Upstairs, there’s a king-size bed, a wall-mounted flat-screen television and carpeting.

In spite of the less-thanrustic interior, the tree house still a ords the Harle family the opportunity to commune with nature. Harle says the family has had multiple encounters with bears while sleeping inside.

“They attack the garbage cans, flip them over, wake us up in the middle of the night,” he says.

“We feel kind of vulnerable.” That means that when the kids want to overnight in the tree house, Harle bunks down there, too.

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

• Family-owned and operated Goodro Lumber in Killington delivered pressure-treated lumber to Harle’s backyard. The base of the structure is a 16-by-16-foot deck with the tree house built on top of it.

• The Harle family is able to use the structure yearround thanks to downstairs and upstairs electric space heaters and spray foam insulation

• Harle ordered the metal brackets and heavy-duty

galvanized bolts needed to attach the tree house to the trees, and nine tree house windows (smaller than standard house windows) online from TreeHouse Supplies (treehousesupplies.com). He procured an old skylight bound for the trash from Goodro Lumber.

• Harle nailed together two-by-fours to make the ladder that connects the first and second floors.

• Log siding gives the dwelling a cabin-like feel.

• Recessed can lights, with LED bulbs, illuminate the interior.

Upstairs

Downstairs

The Harle children on the attached swingset

Dad’s Tandoori Chicken

Spice up your grill with Indian flavors

When I think about sharing a recipe in honor of Father’s Day, I can’t help but think of my own father. He took charge whenever a special holiday came around, poring through his cookbooks and favorite recipes looking for something fun to try. He loved cooking Indian food, and one of his specialties was tandoori chicken, introduced to him by a friend, Dr. Shaw, who owned the now-closed The Spices restaurant in Ferrisburgh.

Traditionally, tandoori chicken is prepared by marinating chicken pieces in yogurt, onion, citrus and spices, then cooking them on a skewer in a tandoor, which is a traditional coal or wood-fired clay oven that gets super hot — we’re talking 900 degrees Fahrenheit! My father didn’t have a tandoor, so his recipe calls for bone-in chicken drumsticks, thighs or leg quarters, cooked on a grill. That’s how he preferred to make this dish, weather permitting. He’d use the oven if he had to, but grilling is more like using a tandoor. Though I have asked, my husband has yet to build me a tandoor, so we make do with a grill.

This is not a spicy chicken recipe, but it is bursting with flavor. Sometimes, in a restaurant, it is a shocking red color. This is often the result of food coloring or chili powder. We just leave it the natural orangebrown color, which is still lovely.

Tandoori chicken is one of my family’s favorite dishes — especially when accompanied by flu y basmati rice, naan bread, and Indian chutney and pickles. Ethnic markets like Gagan Indian Grocery on Williston Road o er a good selection of chutney and pickles, which come in a variety of flavors, from sweet and flavorful to spicy. Some are extremely spicy, like the lemon pickle Dad once got that was so acidic it ate through the jar’s metal lid.

Spice or no, this recipe will add international flair to your Father’s Day celebration, and might be just the thing if you’re looking for something fun to try on the grill.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks or leg quarters

• 1/2-inch fresh gingerroot

• 2 cloves (around 1 tablespoon) chopped garlic

• 1 small onion

• 1 cup yogurt (don’t use Greek yogurt; a European style works well in this marinade)

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or 3 pods (You can find green cardamom pods for a great price at an Indian or Himalayan grocery store.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Marinate the chicken at least 4-5 hours before you want to serve this dish. You can also let it marinate overnight. Begin by removing the skin from the chicken, then cut deep slashes into the meat against the grain. This allows the marinade to permeate the chicken well; the yogurt in the marinade keeps the meat moist without its skin.

2. Combine the ginger, garlic, onion and yogurt in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth. Rub evenly over the chicken and place in a covered glass dish in the fridge. Be sure to give it plenty of time to marinate.

3. When the chicken is finished marinating, prepare the cumin seeds, chili powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cardamom spice mixture. Grind the spices together with a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can use a coffee grinder; it makes these types of spice mixtures a cinch.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe off the majority of the yogurt mixture. Rub the chicken with the juice of one lemon and most of the spice mixture, reserving about one tablespoon. Allow the chicken to sit for at least an hour at room temperature. You don’t want to grill it when it’s too cold, as it could burn on the outside before the inside is completely cooked.

5. Heat your grill to about 500 degrees. Place the chicken pieces on the grill grates, a few inches apart. Grill, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, turning a few times so that it doesn’t burn. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees. This could take up to 45 minutes, but it depends on how hot your grill is and what cuts of chicken you use — so watch the meat carefully.

6. Before serving, sprinkle each piece with the reserved spice mixture. Enjoy!

Astrid helms the grill

Positive Pressure

It’s shortly before 3 p.m., LeVar Barrino’s favorite time of day. School has just let out, and he stands in the lobby of the Boys & Girls Club of Burlington greeting each kid by name before they run o to their favorite after-school activities: ping-pong, the teen music studio, the cyber café, the basketball court.

“Sebastian, how are you doing? Kingston, nice to see you!” Barrino says in his firm but friendly voice, high-fiving each kid as they enter the building.

It’s easy to see he’s a natural at his job. At 6-foot-2, with diamond stud earrings, a USA ball cap, jeans and Nikes, Barrino is a veritable kid magnet — energetic, playful and fun to be around.

“No matter what they’re going through at school or in their home life, it’s like a switch as soon as they see me,” Barrino explains. “They’re so positive, and that just makes me feel amazing.”

Throughout his 15-year career at the Boys & Girls Club, Barrino has worn many hats: lifeguard, health and life skills program coordinator, middle school camp director, and head of the afterschool program at the Integrated Arts Academy (IAA) at H.O. Wheeler, a Burlington magnet school.

Today, Barrino, 40, is director of individual support services — a fancy moniker, he says, for a job that basically entails working one-on-one with kids after school and during the school day “just to make sure they’re in a happy place.”

To that end, Barrino runs a “lunch bunch,” or discussion group for IAA students who are struggling with family problems, self-esteem issues, anxiety, stress or a lack of belonging. Each day during lunch, he sits down with a group of six to eight students for 20 minutes of discussion.

“The one rule,” he says, “is that the conversation has to be positive and has to be about something they look forward to doing.”

Keeping students upbeat these

BY KEN PICARD • PHOTOS BY MATTHEW THORSEN

days isn’t always easy. When Barrino started at the Boys & Girls Club, the job was mostly about providing afterschool care and keeping children safe. Today, those responsibilities are just the tip of the iceberg.

Most of his students come from the Old North End and Winooski, the most racially and ethnically diverse areas in Vermont. Many live in lowincome households that struggle with poverty, food insecurity and homelessness. Some kids have seen parents, older siblings or other relatives taken away to jail or overdose on drugs. As he puts it, “These are the discussions we’re having today that I didn’t have 15 years ago.”

Additionally, Barrino works with many New American families who are experiencing the heightened anxieties wrought by America’s current political climate.

And he leads by example. Beside the club’s front desk are a bulletin board and glass case that display trophies, photos and newspaper stories featuring achievements by local youths, many of them students of color: track meet victories, statewide soccer championships, essay contest winners. One photo depicts a group of teenage girls in hijabs talking to Montpelier lawmakers about a recent immigration bill.

Similarly, the walls of the club are plastered with inspirational messages: “Try, try again,” “Dream, then do” and “You are beautiful.” Barrino himself seems to be the living embodiment of one such affirmation: “You always have a choice.”

One reason Barrino relates so well to his students and their families is that he knows firsthand what their lives are like. Barrino’s father worked as a janitor in a New York City public school. After the law firm where his mother did clerical work went bankrupt, she started her own daycare program. Making ends meet, he remembers, was a constant struggle.

“For our families who are immigrants, it’s tough!” Barrino says. “These kids wake up every morning thinking they’re going to get pulled out of school or pulled from the Boys & Girls Club and sent away from their families. How do we deal with that? I don’t have an answer for that. All I can do is reassure them that when they’re here with us, they’re safe.”

But Barrino doesn’t let negativity bring him, or his kids, down. One of his primary goals is to instill in them the belief that they control their own destinies. And he shows them how by emphasizing the importance of academics, physical fitness and “making good choices.”

Barrino’s break came was he was 6 years old. A neighbor told him about the Harriman Clubhouse of the Boys’ Club of New York, one of several allboys’ clubs founded in the 1800s to get inner-city boys off the streets and into safer and more productive activities. Though it’s unaffiliated with the Boys & Girls Club of America, its mission is similar.

“The Boys & Girls Club saved my life and showed me a different path,” explains Barrino, who says he grew up in a “rough” neighborhood in New York City’s Lower East Side. “It surrounded me with positive kids and mentors to really find my way out.”

When Barrino was a child, club membership was only 75 cents.

“Luckily, I had a dollar in my pocket,” he says. That 75 cents opened up “endless possibilities.” The Boys’ Club provided him with a safe haven, healthy meals and his first job. As a

One of Barrino’s primary goals is to instill in kids the belief that they control their own destinies.

Barrino supervises kids after school

LeVar Barrino is the Boys & Girls Club’s go-to guy for helping kids shine

JUNE 19 - AUGUST 25, 2017

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Positive Pressure

CONTINUED FROM P. 19

teen, he worked at the Boys’ Club’s Camp Cromwell, in Martinsville, N.J., first as a bus supervisor, then later as a coach and ropes course specialist.

“I realized that was my calling,” he says. “Being around kids [and] creating activities was something I was really passionate about.”

The Boys’ Club also provided Barrino with avenues for academic advancement. The club administered an exam that later earned him a full scholarship to Chapel Hill-Chauncey Hall, an elite, three-year private boarding school in Waltham, Mass.

As the school’s only black male boarding student, Barrino became an easy target of racism, both from opposing sports teams and from some of his own classmates.

“People were more curious about my skin color and my hair texture,” he recalls. “That grew me up swiftly.”

But with help from mentors, teachers and coaches, Barrino graduated with a 3.6 GPA and as an MVP athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball.

After high school, a coach at New England College offered him “an opportunity of a lifetime” — to play basketball, baseball and soccer at the collegiate level. But two years into it, Barrino realized he wasn’t destined to be a professional athlete.

“I knew I wanted to be a professional at life,” he says. So Barrino pursued a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, the study of body movement. While in college, he met his future wife, Kelly, who grew up in Charlotte, Vt. The couple moved back to Vermont 15 years ago.

The Barrinos, who now live in South Burlington, have three kids: Avery, a high school junior; eighth grader Tavian; and fifth grader Isabella. For Barrino, being a homeowner by the time he was 30 was a big deal, especially after growing up in an apartment in New York City.

When Barrino isn’t working at the Boys & Girls Club, he’s coaching his own kids’ athletic events or playing on an adult slow-pitch softball team. On weekends, he coaches Athletic Amateur Union (AAU) basketball, a traveling team for elite Vermont athletes. Suffice it to say, talking to kids about “being model citizens and making good

choices” has never been a 9-to-5 job for him.

But instead of constantly barking “No!” and “Don’t!” to the kids, Barrino is all about reframing negative situations in a positive light. At the Boys & Girls Club, rather than “No running in the halls!” he’ll ask, “Can you show me what walking looks like?”

At one point, he eavesdrops on three middle-school girls, one of whom announces to her friends that she intends to drop out of school after eighth grade. “Why?” Barrino interjects. Because her mom did, she explains.

Rather than chide her, he asks calmly, “How much more can you do if you graduate instead?”

The result of such gentle prodding is that the kids see him less as an authority figure and more as someone in whom they can confide.

“LeVar is a very good person. I like him a lot,” says Maxime, a seventh grader at Edmunds Middle School. “He tries to be friends with the kids and do his job at the same time.”

“I think he’s a great organizer. And he’s very respectful of other people’s wishes and desires,” adds Omari, who’s 12. “Some of the other staff here … don’t understand … what’s cool.”

When 9-year-old Nylah, an African American girl with beads in her braids, is asked why she likes

hanging around with Barrino, she announces proudly, “LeVar is my uncle.”

“She’s not really my niece,” Barrino clarifies, after the girl walks away. “I’m everybody’s uncle here.” Or mentor. Dominic “Dom” Chatot is a 23-year-old senior at the University of Vermont who interns at the Boys & Girls Club three days a week. Born in Ethiopia, Chatot was adopted at age 5 and raised in Thetford.

“LeVar and I immediately connected because we’re both very outgoing people,” says Chatot. “It’s nice to see someone who has such passion and drive to see these kids succeed.”

Indeed, Barrino has now been at his job long enough to see former

students do just that: graduate and get jobs in the community.

Tanasia McGee was 11 years old when she moved to Burlington from the Bronx. A couple of years later, she met Barrino, who was coaching her local basketball team.

“He was just a cool guy, so I loved coming to the club,” McGee recalls. “He was one of the people who really helped me out because he came from the same place I came from.”

When McGee turned 16, Barrino offered her a volunteer position, then a paid job, working at IAA. Today, McGee is 25 and working at IAA as a paraeducator.

One clue as to how well-regarded Barrino is in the Old North End: Last summer, Burlington artist Maggie Standley was invited to paint murals on the side of the Burlington Parks & Recreation building in Roosevelt Park. Barrino was surprised to show up for work one day to see his own face on the side of the building.

Leave it to Barrino to use it as a tool for positive change. During summers, he does park patrol, looking for kids who are, in his words, “not making good choices” — smoking, fighting, drinking or using profanities.

Barrino will point to the mural and remind them, “No matter where you move, my eyes are always on you!” K

He was one of the people who really helped me out because he came from the same place I came from.

TANASIA MCGEE, IAA PARAEDUCATOR

Barrino in front of his portrait on the mural in Roosevelt Park

Whether it’s on blogs, in social media comments or playgroup conversations, there’s no shortage of public dialogue between moms when it comes to parenting issues. The conversations dads have about raising kids are less conspicuous. What do dads talk about when they talk about parenting? We asked two local men who are new to the fatherhood thing — Sean Prentiss of Woodbury and Conor Stinson of Middlebury — to interview a more experienced father, whom they admire, about being a dad. Here are their candid accounts of those conversations.

ALISON NOVAK, MANAGING EDITOR

Father to Father

THE Dad ISSUE

Two new dads talk parenting with their more experienced friends

BY SEAN PRENTISS & CONOR STINSON

THE ACT OF DAILY LIVING:

Sean Prentiss interviews Todd Davis

On a beautiful April day, Todd Davis and I strap on snowshoes to hike Solstice Mountain, the backbone of Woodbury, Vermont. Todd lives near Altoona, Pa., and is here to give a poetry reading from Winterkill, the latest of his 14 books. Todd and I met at a writer’s conference four years ago.

He is primarily a poet and teaches at Penn State Altoona, and I’m a creative nonfiction writer and a teacher at Norwich University. In the years since we met, our friendship has evolved to include hunting, the outdoors and, in the three months since my daughter was born, fatherhood.

As we hike through the shallow snow at the base of the mountain, I think of the time I visited Todd in Pennsylvania in April, exactly a year ago. We biked Lost Mountain and fly fished Bells Gap Run. But mostly I remember his wife, Shelly, and Todd’s two sons, 22-year-old Noah and 19-year-old Nathan. I reflect on the way that Shelly invited me into their house and into their family; the way Nathan, then a high school senior, joined us in conversation and acted like a son, a friend and an adult to Shelly and Todd; and the way Noah taught me to fly fish. When I told him that he should go and catch some fish rather than wait around for me to catch my fly on some tree leaf, he said, “I’d rather help you catch a fish than catch one on my own.” As I fall into reverie about Todd’s family, I think about my own daughter — Winter Eve — sleeping in my wife, Sarah’s, arms. I wonder what Winnie will be like when she’s a young adult like Nathan and Noah. Can I raise Winnie as well as Todd and Shelly raised their sons?

We pause at White Rock Cascades, spring thaw tumbling its way over stones. “I hope Winnie loves the outdoors like Sarah and I do,” I say.

With water chattering, Todd says, “When I was a boy, we had a hundred acres of woods behind our neighborhood. There was an abandoned blueberry patch, ponds, dirt trails to ride, deer trails to follow. I was

Todd Davis with wife Shelly and sons Nathan (second from left) and Noah in 2007

Sean Prentiss with daughter Winnie

Coloring

Coloring Contest

Puzzle Page

Birthday Club

Puzzle Answers, P. 43

Father’s Day Fun KIDS JUST FOR INSIDE!

Every year, there’s one special day when we can thank dads everywhere for all of the fantastic things that they do for us. So we’ve gathered a collection of fabulous finds of every kind! They were chosen especially because they all begin with “F” for Father. How many of those objects can you find?

KIDS JUST FOR

Writing Contest

We celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 18. Here’s your chance to celebrate your dad, or another special dude in your life. Write a poem or paragraph telling what makes your chosen guy so special to you. What do you like to do with him? What are the qualities that make him unique? Attach an extra piece of paper if you need more space to write.

COLORING CONTEST WINNERS

A brilliant batch of ladybugs landed in the Kids VT mailbox this month. Ten-year-old Ruby’s rainbow-colored critters fluttered in a deep blue sky with fluffy clouds and a tawny sun. Patrick, 4, set his traditional red-and-black beauties on green grass under a cheerful sun. Nora, 7, used glitter to jazz up her masterpiece, adding crimson hearts and a cottoncandy pink background. Every submission this month was awesomely artistic, kids. Keep up that creativity through the summer!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

BUGS BOP

Patrick Donegan, 7, Charlotte

DANCE PARTY

Olivia Harris, 9, Montpelier

FESTIVE FAMILY

Cameron O’Lea, 6, Richmond

INSECT DAYS

Tess McGuire, 5, Vergennes

TWO LAUGHING LADYBUGS

Maggie Whittmeyer, 7, Waltham

FLORAL FEAST

We’ll pick two winners and publish their names and writing in the next issue. Winners receive a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop. Deadline to enter is June 15.

Send your entries to: Kids VT, attn: Writing Contest, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

WRITING WINNERS

In last month’s issue, we asked kids to write about their favorite flower. Below, find the winning entries. Micah and Kaulah each receive a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington. You’ll find their poems below.

Kaulah Sol Watkevich, 9

EAST HARDWICK

Micah Elliott, 4 BURLINGTON

Roses come up, then bloom in July. The sweet scent also comes out in a numerous count of colors. The small briars may prick the tips of fingers that behold the single rose. The sweet smell will fill your nose with a glorious scent and makes me think of amazing things.

Sophia Van Zyl, 9, Addison

RAINBOW LADIES

Ania Bloomberg, 9, Shelburne

MOM AND BABY

Eva Borah, 7, Brandon

SPRING ROMANCE

Captolia Santamore, 9, Craftsbury

SPOTTY LOVE

Isabella Sanderson, 5, St. Albans

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES

Zoe Warner, 4, Warren

WAVING IN THE WATER

Levi Hoague, 5, St. Albans

TOP TITLES

“LADYBUGS IN THE STARS”

Quin Pomerantz, 9, Fayston

“KEIKA & LEMONDY CLIMBING UP A TREE”

Nora Kai Vaughan, 4, South Hero

“THE SHIMMER & SHINE LADYBUGS”

Aila Halman, 6, Jericho

The winners of annual family memberships to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium are…

“Rose & Lady”

Hailey Bushey, 5 COLCHESTER

5 & under

“Bugs and Rainbow”

Vivian Zhang, 7 ST. ALBANS

6 to 8

Coloring Contest!

Three winners will each receive an annual family membership to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. Send Kids VT your work of art by June 15. Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the July issue of Kids VT. Send your high-resolution scans to art@kidsvt.com or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

Sponsored

Jumble

BY DAVID L. HOYT & JEFF KNUREK

The letters of these crazy words are all mixed up. To play the game, put them back into the right order so that they make real words you can find in your dictionary. Write the letters of each real word under each crazy word, but only one letter to a square.

You are now ready to solve this month’s Jumble For Kids. Study the picture for a hint. Then play around with the letters in the circles. You’ll find you can put them in order so that they make your funny answer.

Print your answer here:

Puzzles4Kids

Riddle

Search — CELLPHONES

Look up, down and diagonally, both forward and backward, to find every word on the list. Circle each one as you find it. When all the words are circled, take the UNUSED letters and write them on the blanks below. Go from left to right and top to bottom to find the answer to this riddle: How did the cellphone propose to his girlfriend?

BY HELENA HOVANEC

LUCY lives in Shelburne and turns 8 on June 7. She’s a loyal friend who loves animals of all kinds. She enjoys crafts and swimming. Zoe wins a special grand prize.

OLIVER lives in Williston and turns 6 on June 16. He likes to read and create things like books, art and robots. He enjoys watching the sunset and learning about insects and squid. He really wants to be a scientist when he grows up!

MADDOX lives in Sutton and turns 4 on June 30. He’s a smart, sweet and helpful boy who enjoys art, music and keeping up with his older sisters. He likes soccer, superheroes and cars.

Oliver, Maddox and Piper each win a special prize.

Riddle Answer:

PIPER lives in Milton and turns 10 on June 18. She loves to dance and always has a smile on her face. She enjoys swimming and jumping on her trampoline. Her favorite animals are dogs and pigs.

Just

names and birth dates, and a photo, and they’re automatically enrolled.

allowed hours unsupervised to build forts, to run around, and, when I was tired, to lay down and be still, to look at the sky, the stars.”

I’m reminded of one of Todd’s poems: “How better to drift / toward another world but with leaves / falling, their warmth draping us, / our stomachs full and fat with summer?” And I’m reminded of my own childhood in Pennsylvania — the Delaware River and an old ridge of hardwoods, and time to explore both.

Todd continues, “Where we live, there’s a few hundred acres of woods that border the Little Juniata River. Once the boys were old enough and we had talked to them about the potential dangers — rattlesnakes, the river, what plants were poisonous — we let them go. We would worry, but both boys learned about trees and plants, animal behaviors, and wild edibles.”

I imagine hiking with Winnie in a year, showing her wild leeks that grow along our vernal creeks, pointing out deer tracks in the mud. “How did you get Noah and Nathan to love the woods so much?” I ask.

As we hike upwards, Todd says, “We took the boys into the woods when they were not a year old yet. We tried to make such excursions fun. Now that the boys are older, they’ll ask me to go fish for brookies, to pick raspberries, to explore a water gap, to find a seep. When we are together in these places, we talk about deeper things.”

What could be better than to have Winnie ask me to explore? I dream of wandering these woods when Winnie is a teen, talking about trout lilies and trilliums, but also college, dating, her fears, her dreams.

Too soon, we’re a third of the way up Solstice Mountain. We can either head down to my woodstove burning back late winter or keep hiking. Todd says, “I always prefer hiking. And this mountain is gorgeous.”

I nod. I knew Todd would appreciate Solstice Mountain because his poetry is laced with encounters with animals, deer hunting and fly-fishing stories. His writing shows a man who spends hours each week in the woods. But not only does Todd spend time outdoors, he spends time writing. Todd is nothing if not prolific, which is something I worry about. How can I balance being a father with being a writer?

“Writers are fairly obsessive people,” Todd says, as we gaze upon a smaller, more hidden, cascade — and he is right. “We become passionate about something and find ourselves trying to put language to it. But because I wanted to be a good

A CONSTANTLY CHANGING DYNAMIC:

Conor Stinson interviews

Marty Feldman

I was just getting used to living in Vermont again when I was asked to interview another dad about parenting. I first moved here in 1998 as a teenager and met my wife, Ellen, at Middlebury College. In October of 2015 we became parents to our daughter, Evie. Not long after her birth, we decided to return to Vermont after a decade living in Brooklyn and North Carolina, in part to be closer to my mom and her partner, Marty. Since last March, I have been caring for Evie as a stay-athome dad. Our transition from an urban to a rural environment means that instead of wandering around city parks, Evie and I pass the days in the yard and woods, playing in puddles, and learning about birds and the art of tick detection.

Marty moved to Fletcher in the late 1970s and has been living in Vermont for close to 40 years now. He and my mom have been together for eight years. He is always generous and willing to share his experience with life, work and family if he thinks it will help. Not uncommon for these times, Marty has two sets of kids from two marriages, separated by about 15 years. It’s given him a lot of experience parenting in a variety of contexts. Before our daughter was born, Marty talked with me frankly about the changes from coupledom to parenthood.

Marty and I both love to cook, so we decide to talk while making a meal together. We prepare brunch on a chilly May morning with a simple menu of roast asparagus, cubed red potatoes and onions, and farm-fresh fried eggs. As we dive into the work of prepping ingredients, I ask Marty about the things he remembers from his days just before becoming a parent.

“I was really unprepared for the changes that occurred,” he tells me. “This baby came and was the complete central focus of everything in our life,” both practically and emotionally. He explains that becoming a parent demanded a greater amount of personal growth than he had ever experienced.

Marty Feldman with daughter Claire in 1980

Conor Stinson with daughter Evie

Hit the ROAD WITH THE

father and husband, I realized I would have to say no to many activities. I couldn’t change the fact that I needed and wanted to spend time with Shelly and the boys, wanted to work out regularly, couldn’t give up being in the woods. So what could I give up? Going to bars; going shopping; watching television; surfing the internet; texting; being

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on Facebook. I’ve never owned a cellphone.”

As I watch our little cascade, I wander off into another poem of Todd’s that deals not with what he has given up but with what he has found: “the sound / of creek bumping against pushed up gravel: / a change of structure bending, / the plummeting of water slackened, guided / and gilded by slivers of light etched / with hemlock needles and fir boughs, / with a shadowshow of alder cones reformed / into a pool of the coldest clarity.”

As we stare into a pool of coldest clarity, Todd continues: “When the boys were little, I did a lot of my writing after reading to them before bed. Once they were in elementary school, in the morning after I put them on the bus, I would sit down to write.”

“That’s what I do, too,” I say. “I write before Winnie and Sarah get up.”

“But I must say,” Todd continues, “as much as writing means to me, my relationships with Noah, Nathan and Shelly mean more. I would never sacrifice those relationships for writing, so I had to figure out how the two could coexist.”

Todd and I continue our ascent. Soon, our trail peters out. As we make the short, steep push to the summit, I ask, “What lessons did

you learn as a father that might help me raise Winnie as well as you and Shelly raised your boys?”

“The way your child will become their own person is mysterious,” Todd says. “Because you and I like to come up with a game plan that will bring about best possible outcomes, because we believe perseverance pays off, we can fool ourselves into thinking we can ‘control’ who our child becomes.”

Todd continues, “What I’ve learned is that being in relationship with your child daily, talking with them openly and honestly, that’s the key. When they’re suffering, they will come to you, as they do each day.”

We reach the peak. Solstice Mountain is not a grand mountain, but it is our mountain. We gaze across Vermont, all sticks and twigs and melting snow at the end of winter. Todd resumes, “Instead of assuring Winnie that you will magically make everything alright, talk about ways to address the problem, talk about outcomes. Apologize when you screw up. It’s not a sign of weakness.”

Unfortunately, Todd has a plane to catch. Fortunately, I have a beautiful baby girl waiting below. So we turn toward home. Before we trudge down the mountain, I ask, “Got any final advice for a new father?”

As we glance down upon Solstice Lake and the small home where Winnie sleeps, Todd quietly says, “The biggest joy is simply to be in our sons’ presence, to share with them their struggles and successes, witnessing their transformation into men, seeing that the values Shelly and I hoped to instill in them — care for the earth, care for creatures (human and nonhuman), a recognition of the beauty that surrounds us, humility about our place in the universe — that these values are important to them as well.”

Todd, eyeing this landscape, continues. “On a basic level, I take joy in making dinner for them, watching them play basketball, fishing with them, reading a poem aloud to them, or listening to them read one to me. In other words, the act of living daily together is a profound joy.”

Todd and I step off the peak. We’ve got to get Todd to his plane. We’ve got to get me back to the act of daily living with Winnie.

I dream of wandering these woods when Winnie is a teen, talking about trout lilies and trilliums, but also college, dating, her fears, her dreams.

SEAN PRENTISS

I appreciate Marty’s honesty about his relative cluelessness. We chuckle and season potatoes, smash garlic and add rosemary to the mix. He and his first wife moved to Vermont for the beauty of the natural landscape, and they arrived at the tail end of the back-to-the-land movement. “People weren’t living in communes, but there were a lot of common beliefs. And one of them was how to parent and have kids,” he says. Marty explains that part of that culture included a more equitable, less gendered parenting arrangement at home. This makes me think about my experience as a stay-at-home dad. Both my wife and I liked the idea of having a parent home with Evie, and it made sense financially and practically that it be me. For us, the arrangement hasn’t felt like an attempt to buck tradition; having a stay-athome dad is our tradition.

in advance, might be the best approach to fatherhood. I pull the potatoes out to stir for an even crisp and ask Marty what he thinks.

He takes a broader view. “I think role modeling is one of the most important things. Kids learn so much by watching how their parents are,” he tells me. “They pick up on everything, and it really shapes their lives.”

FATHER TO FATHER CONTINUED FROM P. 23 Join us on Saturday, June 17th 11am-3pm for FREE, fun, family activities, including: • Factory Tours • Bouncy House • Face Painting • Fun & Games Courtesy of The Big Blue Trunk • Visit with the Shelburne Fire Department Untitled-36 1 5/25/17 2:05 PM

Still in the early stage of parenting, I find myself seeking answers for every problem — a kind of baby-management protocol. But here Marty suggests trying to pull back a bit from the intensity of a kid-focused life and concentrate more on my own behavior. I have to admit that being a thoughtful and self-aware parent seems more reasonable than being a “perfect” one who has all the answers and the best snacks.

CONOR STINSON

In the early years, Marty’s work as a photographer allowed him to stay close to home, washing cloth diapers and cooking for his family. After a few years, he says he felt an “almost hormonal need to provide.” This meant leaving behind his craft of nature photography for a more traditional business: a photo lab and printing shop an hour away in Burlington. The 9-to-5 hours and commute meant a fundamental shift in the family’s routine and culture, and less time at home with his daughter.

We talk about what happens in a relationship during these new life phases. I comment that transitions seem to bring the most strain to a family. As he cuts cantaloupe, Marty explains that he sees it a bit differently. Parenting is a “constantly changing dynamic,” he says, rather than periods of calm followed by periods of transition.

The conversation shifts to the day-to-day work of parenting. I wonder aloud if living life like a project manager, with each detail carefully accounted for

As we finish frying the eggs, I ask Marty how being a “new” dad for a second time changed his parenting. “I was much more relaxed and confident, which to me meant stepping back,” he says. “With first-time parents and first-time children, it’s easy for me to look back and see how it’s so intense. What I would wish is that parents could step back and focus on guiding their kids through life until you’re ready to let them go into the world. Nature is a strong influence and, as long as I’m a good role model, things are going to work out.”

My wife and I are still very much immersed in hands-on parenting. But as Evie grows up, I can see the advantages of trying to be my best self, and hoping my example guides her.

Being a thoughtful and self-aware parent seems more reasonable than being a “perfect” one.

We Are Family Family

A Burlington photography project showcases students’ diversity

BY ALISON NOVAK

Families come in all di erent shapes, sizes and colors. That’s a takeaway from the Integrated Arts Academy Family Portrait Project, a collaboration between Burlington City Arts and the diverse magnet school’s parentteacher organization. In May, 147 family photographs, taken by BCA photographer Michelle Sa ran and featuring almost every child in the school, were displayed at seven locations in Burlington, including City Hall and the Fletcher Free Library.

Accompanying the striking images were compositions by IAA students — 28 percent of whom are English language learners — telling about their family members. For inspiration, students read Todd Parr’s The Family Book, which celebrates di erences. They were also given the writing prompt: “I have a family. So do you. So does everyone.” Parts of the exhibit will be on display at Goddard College from June 23-October 9, at the SEABA Art Hop in September and at Vermont Arts Council’s Spotlight Gallery in Montpelier in October.

We’re sharing a handful of Sa ran’s photos from the exhibit, along with what students wrote about their families — in the original kid handwriting for maximum cuteness.

The Haji family: IAA 5th grader Harun (writing below), 1st grader Habiba

The Beynnon family: IAA 2nd grader Debba (writing above), 3rd grader Fritznel, 3rd grader Dieuna

The Looby family: IAA 5th grader Josephine, 3rd grader Desi (writing at right)

The Weiner-Cunningham family: IAA 2nd grader Johnny (writing below)

The Magar family: IAA 3rd grader Ishack (writing at left)

SUMMER REVELS with choral and

MerryMakers

Ring in the solstice at community singing, dancing, live music, and giant puppets, with a summer-bythe-seaside theme.

Saturday, June 24, 5:30 p.m. to sundown, on the Norwich Green.

Week to Week

Vermont Days: State parks, historic sites and the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier kick off summer with two days of free admission and on-site activities.

Father’s Day Fishing Derby: Anglers and their pops spend a morning trawling the water for fish, followed by an awards ceremony. 8-11 a.m. at the Chittenden County Fish and Game Club in Jonesville.

Abenaki Heritage Weekend: Members of the Native American tribe demonstrate singing, drumming, basket making, cooking, dancing and other skills. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes.

1 Thursday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: Young architects construct collaboratively with colorful blocks. All ages. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 3-4 p.m. Info, 472-5948. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Audubon Homeschool Program: Home-based learners use the outdoor classroom to explore a variety of seasonal topics, from insect life to bird habitat. Ages 6-8. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, first Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $25; $15 each additional sibling; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

Colchester Lego Club: Mini-makers participate in surprise challenges with interlocking blocks. Ages 6-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4 p.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Jericho Farmers Market: Local vendors offer heirloom tomatoes, fresh greens, fragrant herbs, wildflowers and more at this familyfriendly market made merry with live music. Mills Riverside Park, Jericho, 3-6:30 p.m. Info, 343-9778.

Preschool Music: Lively tunes with local musicians strike the right note among the wee crowd. Ages 5 and under with a caregiver. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Limited to one session per week per family. Info, 878-4918. FREE

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: Kiddie constructionists combine their creativity with the library’s supplies. All ages. Haston Library, Franklin, 2-5 p.m. Info, 285-6505. FREE

Vermont Dairy Festival: The state’s agricultural heritage is honored during a four-day festival with a Paul Bunyan Lumber Jack show, fair rides, agricultural events, live music, food contests, fireworks on Saturday night and the annual Milk Run on Sunday. Events on Main Street, the green and other locations; check the website for details. Enosburg Falls, June 1-4. Various prices. Info, 933-4134.

WINDSOR

Clay for Tots: Little potters practice, poke and play with a malleable medium. Ages 3-6. ArtisTree/Purple Crayon, South Pomfret, 10:30-11:15 a.m. $12 per drop-in class. Info, 457-3500.

2 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: Local produce, plants, artisan cheese, syrup and more fill shoppers’ market baskets. Diverse dinner delectables available. Atkins Field, Hardwick, 3-6 p.m.

CHITTENDEN

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: Foodie families enjoy an eclectic array of local grub and live music during this hip block party. ArtsRiot, Burlington, 5-10 p.m. Cost for food. Info, 540-0406.

Baby Yoga: Mamas and papas stretch themselves and their wee ones, strengthening general health and gross motor skills. Ages 1 and under. Jericho Town Library, first Friday, 3-4 p.m.; preregister. Info, 899-4686. FREE

Outdoor Events

Weekly Trail Runs: Athletes of all ages and abilities break a sweat at their own pace in a 5K race, 3K walk/run or 1K kids run. Hard’ack, St. Albans, Thursdays, 6 p.m., through Aug. 17. $4-6; kids 1K is free. Info, 524-1500, ext. 266.

Northern Girls on the Run VT 5K Run/ Walk: In a celebratory completion of the Girls on the Run Program, enthusiastic girls and community members lace up for a non-competitive 5K. Registration, face painting and happy hair styling begins at 8:30 a.m. All ages. Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m. $10-30. Info, 246-1476.

Walk for Animals: Walkers complete an easy two-mile loop through downtown Montpelier — with or without leashed dogs — to raise funds for the Central Vermont Humane Society, then enjoy a celebration with refreshments. Dog Costume Contest new this year. All ages. Montpelier High School, Saturday, June 3, 9 a.m.-noon. Donations and pledges encouraged. Info, 476-3811, ext. 110.

Miles For Smiles: Rain or shine, the community turns out for a 5K jaunt while small ones play games, followed by a 1-mile fun run. All ages. Mayo Events Field, Stowe, Sunday, June 4, 8-11 a.m. $15-35; proceeds benefit Stowe Elementary School and Stowe Parks and Rec. Info, 253-6138.

Tuesday Night Trail Running: Athletes of all ages and abilities choose between 2.5K and 5K courses or a short ‘Cubs’ option — with a 10K held on the second Tuesday of each month — during this fun evening race. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, Tuesdays, 6 p.m., through Sep. 19. $4-12; free for children under 9. Info, 879-6001.

Wednesday Night Mountain Biking: Pedalers wend their way along the trails in a nonintimidating atmosphere. This fun event includes a 2.5K ‘Cadets’ race, a short ‘Cubs’ loop and 5-20K options. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, Wednesdays, 6 p.m., through Aug. 23. $4-12; free for kids under 9. Info, 879-6001.

Remembrance Run: Athletes under 12 choose from half- or full-mile options, then older walkers and runners navigate a 5K course to raise money for scholarship funds. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Peoples Academy, Morrisville, Sunday, June 11, 9:15 a.m. $7-30; free for children under 7. Info, 279-0677.

Lung Force Walk Burlington: After a short welcome, walkers enjoy a 1.75-mile wander overlooking Lake Champlain, then enjoy festivities including educational ‘Mission Tents,’ refreshments, music and children’s activities. Battery Park, Burlington, Thursday, June 22, 5-7:30 p.m. Participants encouraged to fundraise for lung cancer research and awareness. Info, 876-6866. FREE

ShoeFly Trail Running & Walking Series: Fleet-footed families enjoy fitness together in a 5K, 10K or 1-mile walk/ run. Entry includes admission to select Thursday races on the Kingdom Trails through August and on the second Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at the PRKR Trails in Littleton, NH. Ages 3 and up. Kingdom Trails Yurt, E. Burke, Thursday, June 22, 5-7:30 p.m. $45; free for children ages 10 and under; preregister. Info, 703-598-1934.

Race 4 Sundaes: A 1-mile fun run is followed by a 5K and 10K, with a cool and sweet treat for each finisher. Registration opens at 7:45 a.m. Community Church of Huntington, Saturday, June 24, 8:30 a.m. $10-20; proceeds raised benefit Neighbor Helping Neighbor. Info, 989-2679.

Burger Night: Picnickers bring a blanket or chair to this local feast of grilled fare and festive music. All ages. Bread and Butter Farm, Shelburne, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Free admission; cost of food and drink. Weather dependent; visit breadandbutterfarm.com for latest information. Info, 985-9200.

Essex Junction Summer Story Time: Little bibliophiles enjoy picture book stories, puppets and songs. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Family Gym: Indoor playground equipment gives tumblers a chance to run free. Ages 7 and under. Greater Burlington YMCA, 10:15-11:45 a.m. $5-8 per family; free for members. Info, 862-9622.

Friday Free for All: Junior explorers investigate the world, from rocks to bugs. Ages 3-5. Charlotte Public Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 425-3864. FREE

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: Toe-tapping tunes captivate kiddies. Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 a.m. Info, 660-9346. FREE

Magic: The Gathering: Planeswalkers seek knowledge and glory in this trading-card game. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-8 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Mansfield Cooperative Open House: Parents of children ages 8 and up interested in an alternative education check out the current students’ booth at the farmer’s market and then tour the school for a meet-and-greet. Mansfield Cooperative School, Richmond, 3-7 p.m. Info, 899-0654. FREE

Richmond Farmers Market: Vendors peddle handheld pies, dinner delectables, homemade pickles, just-picked produce and much more at this lively showcase of locavorism. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-7 p.m. Info, 391-0806.

FRANKLIN

Kids Fest: The summer season kicks off for families with live music, a bouncy house, face painting and info about local community resources. Sponsored by The Family Center: Parent Child Center of Northwestern Counseling & Support Services. Ages 8 and under. Taylor Park, St. Albans, 3-6 p.m. Info, 393-6591. FREE

Vermont Dairy Festival: See June 1.

LAMOILLE

Kids’ Night Out: While their parents appreciate time off, youngsters enjoy dinner, a movie and games. Grades K-6. David Gale Recreation Center, Stowe, 6-10 p.m. $15 per child. Info, 253-6138.

RUTLAND

Magic: The Gathering: Novice and experienced players team up for card challenges. Ages 8 and up. Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Info, 422-9765. FREE

ORLEANS

Lego Club: Youngsters build with plastic blocks and chat companionably. Ages 4-12. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 3-4:30 p.m. Info, 586-9683. FREE

WASHINGTON

Family Story Time: Librarian and storyteller Molly Pease leads little ones in stories, crafts, music and more. Bridgeside Books, Waterbury, 10-10:30 a.m. Info, 244-1441. FREE

2 Friday (cont.)

Mother Up! Central Vermont: Families discuss the realities of climate change, what that means on a local, state and national level and how to create a more just and nature-friendly world. Dinner and childcare o ered. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, first Friday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP requested. Info, 229-0041.

FREE

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: Guests tour the heirloom garden, then watch as veggies make their way into historic recipes prepared in the 1890 farmhouse kitchen. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-15; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

Fun Fridays: The week ends with an imaginative burst for creative youngsters, combining outdoor exploration with stories, costumes and art materials. Ages 5 and up. ArtisTree/Purple Crayon, South Pomfret, 3:30-5:30 p.m. $17 per class. Info, 457-3500.

3 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: Crafts, cheeses, breads, veggies, eggs and more vie for spots in shoppers’ totes. Middlebury VFW, 9-12:30 a.m.

Otter Romp: The community comes out to support Otter Creek Child Center with music, food trucks, pie and games. All ages. Golden Well Farm & Apiaries, New Haven, 5-8 p.m. $5 per car. Info, 388-9688.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: Freshly baked goods, veggies, beef and maple syrup figure prominently in displays of “shop local” options. St. Johnsbury Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 592-3088.

CHITTENDEN

Big Truck Day Burlington: Honk, honk! Curious kids check out fire, dump and tow trucks. Music by Linda Bassick; savory snacks and ra e prizes add more cheer. All ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. One Community Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $10 per family; proceeds benefit Robin’s Nest Children’s Center. Info, 864-8191.

Burlington Farmers Market: Growers and artisans o er fresh and ready-to-eat foods, crafts and more in a bustling marketplace. Burlington City Hall Park, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 310-5172.

Craft School Saturday Drop-In: Artsy types make seasonal masterpieces in this everchanging weekly series. Projects available for pickup at a later date. Ages 5 and up with caregiver. Shelburne Craft School, 10-11 a.m. $10 per child. Info, 985-3648.

EvoKids Saturday Drop-In Yoga: Youngsters master basic yoga poses through games, songs and dance. Mindfulness activities improve focus and concentration. Ages 3-7. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15. Info, 899-0339.

Kids Building Workshop: Handy helpers learn do-it-yourself skills and tool safety as they construct seasonal projects. Ages 5-12. Home Depot, Williston, first Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon.; preregister at workshops.homedepot.com. Info, 872-0039. FREE

Saturday Drama Club: Junior thespians create a character, spin a story and put on a performance, all in three hours. Ages 6-12. Old North End Community Center, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $15. Info, 355-1461.

Shelburne Farmers Market: Musical entertainment adds merriment to this exchange of local fruits, veggies, herbs, crafts, maple syrup and more. Shelburne Village Green, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 482-4279.

Teen De-Stress Day: Adolescents let o steam at the academic year’s end with a movie marathon, board games, coloring pages and crafts. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE Webby’s Art Studio: The museum’s temporary and permanent exhibits inspire specialized art activities for all ages. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular museum admission, $7-24; free for members and children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Live Performances

Snow Farm Vineyard Summer Concert Series: Weather permitting, crowds gather for a weekly rotation of classical, jazz, swing, bluegrass and rock. Picnicking begins at 5 p.m.; music starts at 6:30 p.m. Food and drink available to purchase from various vendors. Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero, Thursdays, through Aug. 31. Info, 372-9463. FREE

‘Mary Poppins’ & An Evening of Dance: Over 200 dancers from Stowe & Mad River Dance Academy captivate the crowd with a creative ballet of this classic nanny story, followed by a dance showcase of jazz, tap, modern, hip hop and more Ages 2 and up. Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College, Friday, June 2, 6 p.m.; Saturday, June 3, 6 p.m.; and Sunday, June 4, 1 p.m. $16-20. Info, 253-5151.

Magic and Soap Bubbles

Demonstration: Circus Smirkus master Rob Mermim mesmerizes the audience with acrobatic, tightropewalking performers in bubbles as part of the grand opening celebration of Greensboro’s new arts center. All ages. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, Saturday, June 3, 2 p.m. Info, 533-9075. FREE

Peace Fest Music Festival: 15 musical acts spread over two stages in this brand-new festival, including an art display, food court and local vendors. All ages. The Woods Lodge, Northfield, Saturday, June 3, 1-10:30 p.m. $5-15. Info, 279-6473.

Summer Concert Series: Picnickers settle down for the evening with a familyfriendly band. Old Schoolhouse Common Gazebo, Marshfield, Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., through Aug. 10. Info, 426-3581. FREE

Sleeping Beauty Ballet: Students from Northern Vermont Ballet Company and The Ballet School of Vermont perform with Sabi Varga, soloist with The Boston Ballet, for this timeless fairy tale of true love. All ages. Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College, Saturday, June 10, 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 11, 3 p.m. $15-20; free for children under 2. Info, 393-8655.

Open House at the Justin Morrill Homestead: Vermont’s Musical Ladies entertains the audience with tunes featuring contributions to the traditions of parlor songs, women’s club music contests and social reform efforts. At 3:15 p.m., singer/ songwriter Jon Gailmor takes the stage with rousing family songs about growing, gardens and generations. All ages. Justin Morrill Homestead, Strafford Village, Sunday, June 11, 2-4 p.m. Info, 765-4288.

FREE

Castleton Summer Concert Series: Listeners enjoy a live performance under open skies. Castleton State College, Tuesdays, 7 p.m., through June 27. Info, 468-6039. FREE

Concert on the Green: Music lovers revel in an open-air evening, featuring Lake Street Dive with River Whyless. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Shelburne Museum, Friday, June 16, 7:30-10 p.m. $40; free for children under 13. Info, 877-987-6487.

Maxim Kozlov & Sakiko

Ohashi: An award-winning cellist and pianist entertain the audience with an evening of chamber music, featuring works by Shostakovich and Schumann, followed by a post-concert talk and refreshments. ArtisTree/Purple Crayon, South Pomfret, Friday, June 23, 7:30 p.m. $10; food and drink available for purchase. Info, 457-3500.

Brown Bag Concert Series: Community members spread out their picnic dinner and blanket while listening to regional musicians. Food and wine available for sale. Woodstock Village Green, Thursdays, 5:30 p.m., through Aug. 10. Donations accepted. Info, 457-3981.

Fireworks & Pops Concert: For the 25th year, the Vermont Philharmonic pleases an audience of all ages, followed by a festive lightshow. Grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for picnicking; bring chairs, blankets and flashlights. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, Middlebury, Thursday, June 29, 7:30 p.m. $10-25; free for children under 12. Info, 388-2117.

‘Mad At Nothing, Or: A Hatter’s Guide to Wonderland’: Vermont Youth Dancers delight the audience with an energetic twist on this classic Lewis Carroll tale, with original choreography and popular music. Mount Mansfield Union High School, Jericho, Friday, June 30, 7 p.m. $8-10. Info, 448-0893.

FRANKLIN

Vermont Dairy Festival: See June 1.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: Growers, specialty food businesses and artisans sell their high-quality wares. St. Joseph Church, Grand Isle, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 372-1883.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: Local vendors peddle farm-fresh produce and fruits, handcrafted breads, artisan cheese and the like at this outdoor emporium. Downtown Rutland, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 342-4727.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: Locavores load up on garden-fresh produce, Vermont-made crafts, baked goods and more. Craftsbury Common, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Crazy Fun T-Shirt Workshop: Crafty kiddos get creative with their own pre-washed cotton T; all other materials provided. Ages 10-13. MAC Center for the Arts, Newport, 10-11 a.m.; preregister by May 25. Info, 334-1966. FREE

WASHINGTON

Adamant Blackfly Festival: Kids and adults bug out at this cheeky town fête “honoring” pesky local insects, with a pond walk at 9 a.m., a writers’ slam featuring Geof Hewitt at 11 a.m, a fashion show, live music, a pie-eating contest and a 2 p.m. parade. All ages. Adamant Co-op, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 223-5760. FREE

Capital City Farmers Market: Veggies, honey, maple syrup and more change hands at a celebration of locally grown food. Downtown Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 223-2958.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: Saturday shoppers search out handmade crafts, local produce, and meat and maple products, while enjoying lunch fare and live music in this grassy outdoor venue. Mad River Green, Waitsfield, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

WINDSOR

Family Clay: Children and their parents make memories firing and glazing special pieces. All ages. ArtisTree/Purple Crayon, South Pomfret, first Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon, $20 per parentchild pair; $5 per additional family member. Info, 457-3500.

4 Sunday CHITTENDEN

Essex Open Gym: Energy-filled kids flip, jump and tumble in a state-of-the-art facility. Ages 6 and under, 1 p.m.; ages 7-12, 2:30 p.m.; ages 13 and up, 4 p.m. Regal Gymnastics Academy, Essex, 1-5:30 p.m. $8-14. Info, 655-3300.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Wild Edibles Plant Walk: Elliot Cluba of Herbs and Arrows teaches woods lovers how to identify, sustainably forage and consume wild plants, while exploring their ecology and relationship to the landscape. All ages. June trekkers must attend the May workshop. Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Shelburne, 1-2:30 p.m. $10; $15 per family; preregister. Info, 985-2827.

Winooski Farmers Market: Local produce, farm goods, artisan crafts, kids activities and tunes come together on the banks of the Winooski River. Champlain Mill, Winooski, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

FRANKLIN

Vermont Dairy Festival: See June 1.

Classes

List your class or camp here for only $20 per month! Submit the listing by June 15 at kidsvt.com or to classes@kidsvt.com.

Family Farmstead Skills: Awardwinning art teacher Ann Thorp teaches crafts, skills and activities of yesteryear. From churning butter and making soap to basket making, participants learn the handiwork that was the center of life on a small 19th-century family farm. Saturday, June 17, 10am-3pm. Please register online by Sunday, Jun. 11. Cost: $65. Location: Morrill Gardens & Grounds, 214 Justin Morrill Memorial Highway, Strafford. Info: 765-4288, director@morrillhomestead.org, morrillhomestead.org.

Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Classes at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center: Have a more comfortable pregnancy and prepare for birth with stretching, strengthening and relaxation in prenatal yoga — and then bring your body back to balance and strength in postnatal yoga. Join our community of mothers at any point in your pregnancy, and 6 weeks or later in your postpartum time (until your baby is crawling). No yoga experience necessary. Prenatal Yoga: Saturdays, 11:30 am; Sundays, 10 a.m.; Mondays, 5:45 p.m.; Tuesdays, 4:15 p.m.; Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m.; Thursdays, 12:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8:15 a.m. Postnatal Yoga: Sundays, 12:15 p.m.; Tuesdays, 11 a.m.; Thursdays, 10:45 a.m.; Fridays, 8:15 a.m.; Fridays, noon (postnatal core).  Drop-ins welcome; $15/class, $130/10-class pass, or $75/monthly unlimited. Location:  Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 899-0339, evolutionprenatalandfamily.com.

EvoKids and EvoBabies Yoga Classes at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center: Register now for our summer series of EvoKids and EvoBabies Yoga, ages 6 months to teen. Weekday and weekend classes. Location: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 899-0339, evolutionprenatalandfamily. com.

Summer Day Camp: Come be a part of a great summer day camp! Fishing, swimming, biking on trails, playing outdoor games, horseback riding, paddleboat racing and other fun activities! Ages: 7-16, coed. Jul. 17-21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $100 suggested donation. 175 Sweet Hollow Road, Sheldon. Info: Matt Luneau, 315-952-5005, godsvision. net.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The future of our nation rests on the courage, confidence and determination of its people. Our Kids BJJ Program promotes self-esteem, self-confidence, character development, a physical outlet with discipline, cooperation with other children, respect for peers and adults, perseverance, and a healthy lifestyle.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will help your kids learn realistic bully-proofing and self-defense skills that they can use for the rest of their lives! Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu builds endurance, patience and self-respect. Give your kids the ability to get stronger, gain confidence and build resilience! Our sole purpose is to help empower people by giving them practices they can carry with them thoroughout their lives. Remember, you are raising children, not flowers. First class is free! Please stop by our school at 55 Leroy Road, Williston; call 598-2839; visit our website vermontbjj. com; or email julio@bjjusa.com to register your son or daughter!

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: Live music and agricultural and craft vendors make for a bustling atmosphere. Stowe Farmers Market, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 279-3444.

WINDSOR

Ice Cream Sundays: Visitors churn handcranked dairy delights. Tours of the historic operating farm round out the day. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-15; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

5 Monday

CHITTENDEN

A Circle of Parents: Moms and dads come together to strengthen parenting skills and socialize. New Life Fellowship Church, Milton, first Monday, 6:30-8 p.m.; preregister. Info, 498-0607. FREE

Homeschooling High Schoolers: Preparing for the College Admissions Process: Parents of home learners talk with local admission counselors about the college application process for their teens. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-2:30 p.m. Info, 863-3403. FREE

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

Lego Club: Inventive kiddos press together plastic-piece creations. Ages 5 and up. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 1-2 p.m. Info, 879-0313. FREE

Preschool Music: See June 1. 11 a.m.

RUTLAND

Babies & Toddlers Rock: Mini musicians ages 2 and under sing songs and engage in early literacy activities. Rutland Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Info, 773-1860. FREE

6 Tuesday

CHITTENDEN

Lego Club: Budding builders bust out plasticblock creations in the weekly Lego challenge. Free meal provided to youths age 18 and under. Winooski Memorial Library, 3-6 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

6 TUESDAY, P.33

T ODAY

Science & Nature

Raptors in Residence: The mysteries surrounding birds of prey are revealed as visitors come face-to-face with live, feathered creatures. All ages. Shelburne Farms, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, 1-1:30 p.m., through Sep. 16. Regular museum admission, $5-8; free for children under 3. Info, 985-8686.

ECHO’s Family Science Play Day: ECHO teams up with Let’s Grow Kids for hands-on enriching experiences including an inventor’s workshop, games, bubble play, movement activities and a crafting station. All ages. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular museum admission, $13.50-16.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848. Tour the Cosmos: This 50-minute live presentation takes the audience on a journey deep into the universe. Ages 6 and up. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, Saturdays, Sundays, 1:30 p.m. $6 plus regular museum admission, $7-9; free for children under 5. Info, 748-2372. Discovery Sundays: Families have fun with hands-on science experiments and investigations, using wheels, towers, magnets, feathers, water and bubbles. All ages. Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature Center, Quechee, Sundays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Regular museum admission, $12.50-14.50; free for children under 4. Info, 359-5001, ext. 228.

Audubon Nature Playgroup: Little ones and their caregivers trek through the woods, meadows, beaver and peeper ponds while meeting new friends. Ages birth to 5 years. Open to Richmond, Huntington, and Hinesburg residents. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, Monday, June 5, 9:30-11 a.m.; Monday, June 19, 9:30-11 a.m.; and Monday, June 26, 9:30-11 a.m.; preregister. Info, 434-3068. FREE Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: Little explorers and their caregivers discover the sights and sounds of the forest and field, while learning how the natural environment can be used as an adventurous classroom. Dress in outdoor clothing. Ages 5 and under. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, Mondays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., through June 5. Donations welcome. Info, 229-6206.

Grand Isle Children’s Fishing Festival: Kids and adults alike get “hooked” on the joys of angling with knot-tying and lure-making workshops and the opportunity to catch a trout in the property’s pond. The Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife provides equipment and bait — and will even clean a fish. All ages. Ed Weed Fish Culture Station, Grand Isle, Saturday, June 10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 372-3171. FREE

Vermont Days: Green Mountain State parks, historic sites and the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier kick off summer with two days of free admission and on-site activities. No license required for fishing. All ages. Various locations statewide, N/A, Saturday, June 10, and Sunday, June 11. Info, 1-800-837-6668.

FREE

Waterbury Bird Walk: Audubon Vermont teams up with the Waterbury Conservation Commission to offer its annual spring jaunt for both experienced and novice avian admirers. All ages. Waterworks Property, Waterbury, Saturday, June 10, 7:30-9:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 233-0332. FREE

Who

Woods: Expert tracker Mike Kessler leads an inquisitive trek into our landscape. Ages 7 and up. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, second Sunday, 1-3 p.m., through Oct. 8. Regular museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167.

Nestlings Find Nature: Preschoolers discover how songbirds grow, using imaginative play, books, crafts and nature walks and activities. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, second Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m., and fourth Tuesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m., through Oct. 24. Regular museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167.

The Mighty Acorns: Preschoolers grab a net and head to the pond in search of cool critters. Ages 3-5. The Nature Museum at Grafton, Thursday, June 15, 10-11:30 a.m. $5. Info, 843-2111.

Pinkletinks & Pollywogs Preschool Program: Wee wanderers pull on their mud boots and head down to the peeper pond to look for tadpoles and the elusive water tiger. Ages 3-5. Meet at the sugarhouse parking area. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, Thursday, June 15, 9-10:30 a.m. $8-10 per adult-child pair; $4 for each additional child; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

Kindred Spirits: Summer Solstice Party: Nature lovers celebrate the sunny season with a guided garden walk geared toward getting to know the basics of bees and pollinators. Ages 5 and up. The Nature Museum at Grafton, Saturday, June 17, 10-11 a.m. By donation. Info, 843-2111.

Father’s Day Fishing Derby: Anglers and their pops aim for trophies after a morning by the water. Ages 14 and under. Lunch available for a minimal fee. Chittenden County Fish and Game Club, Jonesville, Sunday, June 18, 8-11 a.m. Info, 434-3210. FREE

Bird-Monitoring Walk: Eagle-eyed participants bring binoculars to search the museum’s property for fluttering feathers. Best for adults and older children. Please bring your own binoculars. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, Saturday, June 24, 7:30-9 a.m. Donations welcome; preregister. Info, 434-2167. FREE

Fledglings Figure It Out: Each month, junior avian admirers tackle a new bird puzzle, while exploring the wild world. Ages 5-10; siblings welcome. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, fourth Sundays, 2-3 p.m., through Oct. 22. Regular museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167. Forest Walk: Cobleigh Library teams up with State Forester Emily Meacham for a stroll on new trails to identify invasive species and soak up some savvy about how to protect our woods. Carpooling encouraged as parking is limited. Lyndon State Forest, Wednesday, June Info,

Lyndonville, 28, 2 p.m. 626-5475.

Walks These

Cabin life promotes community and team work

All-elective program encourages self-confidence and decision making.

Campers at Betsy Cox and Sangamon have real independence. They make ALL their own choices every activity period, every day.

Library Elementary Event Planners: Young library helpers hold their last meeting of the year and celebrate with snacks. For middle school students. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Preschool Music: Bitty ones dance and sing to a brisk beat. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 11:30 a.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Spanish Musical Kids: Niños celebrate Latin American culture through tunes and games en español. Ages 1-5 with a caregiver. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:45 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

FRANKLIN

Adoption Support Group: Families facing adoption issues and challenges join forces in a respectful setting. All welcome. Franklin County Seniors Center, St. Albans, first Tuesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 524-1700. FREE

Fairfax Family Game Night: Families take over the library’s tabletops for a lively evening. Ages 5 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 6-8 p.m. Info, 849-2420. FREE

Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: Players of all skill levels team up for card playing. All ages. Haston Library, Franklin, 4-7 p.m. Info, 285-6505. FREE

Sewing Club: Aspiring seamstresses try out a sewing machine and stitch a project. Ages 10 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4:30 p.m.; preregister. Info, 849-2420. FREE

RUTLAND

Chess Club: Strategists enjoy competition and camaraderie. All ages. Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington, first Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. Info, 422-9765. FREE

WINDSOR

Lego Tuesdays: Young builders bust out blocks and get building. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Norwich Public Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 649-1184. FREE

7 Wednesday

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: Freshly baked goods, veggies, beef and maple syrup figure prominently in displays of “shop local” options. Danville Village Green, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 592-3088.

CHITTENDEN

Dorothy’s List Book Club: Middle readers make merry conversation around DCF pick Lost in the Ocean by Tod Olson. Ages 8-11. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Family Game Day: Families rally for a weekly round of tabletop fun. All ages. Free meal provided for youths age 18 and under. Winooski Memorial Library, 3-6 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

Jericho Dungeons & Dragons: Novice and experienced players put their imaginations together. Ages 10 and up. Regular attendance necessary to follow the ongoing storyline. Jericho Town Library, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Info, 899-4686. FREE

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

Kids Sharing Stories: The community comes out to celebrate local youth reading their creative submissions to Vermont PBS Kids Writing Contest. All ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 863-3403. FREE

Mister Ethan Musical Concert for Children: Little ones revel in musical merriment with a special local guest. Ages 6 and under. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 4:30 p.m. Info, 482-2878. FREE

Reading Buddies: Little bookworms pair up with volunteers for literacy and laughs. Kindergarten and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, first Wednesday, 3:30-4:30 p.m.; preregistration appreciated but not required. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Yoga for Kids: Young yogis engage their energy and explore breathing exercises and relaxation poses with professional instructors. Ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

FRANKLIN

Mommy and Me Fitness Meetup: While moms work out, tykes cavort with provided childcare for 30 minutes, then kids enjoy tumble time. Ages 5 and under. Raw Strength and Fitness, St. Albans, 9:15-10:30 a.m. $3 per child. Info, 288-1141.

Sewing Club: See June 6.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: Growers, specialty food businesses and artisans sell their homemade wares. St. Rose of Lima Parish, South Hero, 3-6 p.m. Info, 372-1883.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3. 3-6 p.m.

Rutland Library Book Sale: Bibliophiles thumb through hundreds of hardcovers, paperbacks, CDs and DVDs, with a June theme of summer sports books and great Father’s Day gift ideas. Proceeds support library collections and activities. All ages. Rutland Free Library, 3-7 p.m. Info, 773-1860. FREE

ORANGE

Randolph Lego Wednesdays: Aspiring architects construct creatively while chatting. Kimball Public Library, Randolph, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 728-5073. FREE

WINDSOR

Sensory Lab for Tots: Tiny tots try out selfguided art stations, including finger painting, modeling dough, moon sand and more. Ages 5 and under; adult supervision required.

ArtisTree/Purple Crayon, South Pomfret, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $5. Info, 457-3500.

Woodstock Market on the Green: Fresh vegetables, farm eggs, local meats and cheeses, cut flowers, and seasonal fruits and berries represent the best of the growing season, to the accompaniment of live music.

Woodstock Village Green, 3-6 p.m. Info, 457-3555. FRE

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See June 1.

Want to Quit Smoking? Want to Quit Smoking?

The Vermont Center on Behavior

Health is conducting a study to help mothers quit smoking.

With your participation, you could earn up to $1,310.

If you have at least one child under the age of 12, you may qualify for this study.

To see if you qualify, go online at http://j.mp/1MSDgeE to take our online survey or call (802) 656-1906 to learn more about this study.

Ages 7-16

ADVENTURE CAMPS

8 Thursday

CHITTENDEN

Audubon Homeschool Program: Homebased learners use the outdoor classroom to explore a variety of seasonal topics, from measuring forests to aquatic ecosystems.

Ages 9-12. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, second Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $25; $15 each additional sibling; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

Colchester Lego Club: See June 1.

Jericho Farmers Market: See June 1.

Making Slime: Fledgling experimenters explore the science of the gross with this slick project. Grades K and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Milton Farmers Market: Farmers, foodies and crafters come together to celebrate the bounty of the growing season. Hannaford Supermarket, Milton, 3:30-7 p.m. Info, 893-1009.

Preschool Music: See June 1.

Ukulele Kids: Musical ones try out instruments and dance to traditional children’s songs. All ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 865-7216.

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See June 1.

PJ Story Time: Children chill in their jammies while crafting and listening to stories. Ages 6 and under. Fairfax Community Library, 6-7 p.m. Info, 849-2420.

Green Mountain Conservation Camp

This Summer Let Nature Nurture...

St. Albans Library Legos: Aspiring architects engage in construction projects with their peers. St. Albans Free Library, second Thursday, 3-5 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

RUTLAND

Fair Haven Farmers Market: Fresh produce, meat, greens and locally-made maple products swell shoppers’ totes. Fair Haven Park, 3-6 p.m. Info, 342-4727.

9 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See June 2.

CHITTENDEN

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: See June 2.

Balloon Games: Imaginative youngsters have a blast with balloon arts and activities.

Ages 3-12. Winooski Memorial Library, 3-5 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

Burger Night: See June 2.

Ongoing Exhibits

ECHO LEAHY CENTER FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN, BURLINGTON Info, 864-1848

Butterflies, Live at ECHO: A pavilion of flying creatures enchants visitors who learn about these winged beauties’ lifecycle and how their natural environment can be protected. Through September 4. All ages.

FAIRBANKS MUSEUM & PLANETARIUM, ST. JOHNSBURY

Observation Beehive: Buzzing pollinators and their mighty queen occupy the museum’s rose garden. This new warm-weather exhibit closes in the fall.

Butterfly Tent: This living exhibit features fluttering painted ladies, monarchs, red admirals and more, including info about the life stages of these winged beauties and tips for creating a home butterfly garden. Through September.

‘We Are the Insects’: This traveling live exhibit from Montréal’s Insectarium features a batch of beetles, tarantulas, scorpions, cockroaches, stick insects and more in cases for up-close viewing. Through September 20.

MONTSHIRE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, NORWICH Info, 649-2200

Making Music: The Science of Musical Instruments: The stories, ideas and science behind the creation of musical instruments mesmerize visitors. Through displays, videos and hands-on opportunities, music-lovers make and play a variety of instruments using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. All ages. Through September 4.

Friday Free for All: See June 2.

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See June 2.

Live-Action Role Play: LARPers create characters and plots in an amazing adventure of the imagination. For middle and high school students. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-5 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Canoeing, fishing, archery, campfires and s’mores. What a great way to spend a week this summer. Discover Vermont’s wildlife and master outdoor skills. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department offers one-week sessions for girls and boys, ages 12 to 14. Sessions run from June through August at two beautiful lake-side locations.

Dungeons & Dragons: Players embark on invented adventures, equipped with their problem-solving skills. Grades 6 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Family Gym: See June 2.

Family Music Time: Moms, dads and kids have fun with a rousing sing-along. All ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Info, 863-3403. FREE

Family Pizza & Paint Night: Moms, dads and kids take pleasure in painting together with themes and mediums rotating for each session. Dinner at 5 p.m.; painting begins at 6 p.m. All ages. Davis Studio, Shelburne, 6-7:30 p.m. $25 per person; dinner available for purchase at the Starving Artist Café; preregister. Info, 425-2700.

Richmond Farmers Market: See June 2.

Songs & Stories With Matthew: Musician Matthew Witten kicks off the morning with tunes and tales. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:45 a.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

RUTLAND

Magic: The Gathering: See June 2.

ORLEANS

Lego Club: See June 2.

WASHINGTON

Family Story Time: See June 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See June 2.

10 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 3.

CHITTENDEN

Burlington Farmers Market: See June 3.

Craft School Saturday Drop-In: See June 3.

EvoKids Saturday Drop-In Yoga: See June 3.

Saturday Drama Club: See June 3.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See June 3.

Webby’s Art Studio: See June 3.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 3.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See June 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See June 3.

Kids Trade & Play: Families exchange clean and gently-used clothing and toys, size newborn to 12. Capital City Grange, Berlin, second Saturday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $3 per family. Info, 831-337-8632.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: See June 3.

Waterbury Kids Fest: In the heart of town, music, dancing, crafts and kids’ activities focus on healthy living through fitness and athletics, with information about local family-oriented organizations. Rusty Parker Memorial Park, Waterbury, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 245-4376. FREE

11 Sunday

CHITTENDEN

Essex Open Gym: See June 4.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Winooski Farmers Market: See June 4.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: See June 4.

WINDSOR

Ice Cream Sundays: See June 4.

12 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Crafts for Kids: Clever kiddos pursue artsy projects. Ages 5 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Lego Club: See June 5.

Preschool Music: See June 1. 11 a.m.

Queer Care Support: Adult family members and caregivers of queer and/or questioning youth swap stories and resources in a supportive space. Adults only. Outright Vermont, Burlington, second Monday, 6:30-8 p.m. Info, 865-9677. FREE

RUTLAND

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See June 5.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

13 Tuesday

CHITTENDEN

Lego Club: See June 6.

Preschool Music: See June 6.

Read to Willy Wonka the Chocolate Lab: A certified reading pooch listens patiently to emerging readers. Ages 3-8. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4:15 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Spanish Musical Kids: See June 6.

FRANKLIN

Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming

Tuesdays: See June 6.

14 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 7.

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Dungeons & Dragons Night: Players don invented personas and use cleverness and luck to overcome challenges, defeat enemies and save the day. Beginners welcome. Ages 9-13. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6-7:30 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Family Fun Night: The whole family turns out for games, Legos, crafts and more. All ages. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, second Wednesday, 5-6:30 p.m. pizza available with preregistration. Info, 482-2878. FREE

Family Game Day: See June 7.

Jericho Dungeons & Dragons: See June 7.

Kids in the Kitchen: Strawberry Cupcakes: Budding bakers blend red, ripe berries into sweet batter, while learning the basics of measuring and making from-scratch frosting. Healthy Living Market & Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $25; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Leddy Park Beach Bites: Families enjoy a lakeside afternoon with kids’ activities, food trucks and entertainment. All ages. Leddy Park, Burlington, 5-8 p.m. Info, 864-0123. FREE

Yoga for Kids: See June 7.

Young Writers & Storytellers: Small ones spin their own yarns. Ages 5-11. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4-5 p.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

FRANKLIN

Lego Club: Budding builders construct creatively with colorful blocks. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m.; preregister. Info, 849-2420. FREE

Mommy and Me Fitness Meetup: See June 7.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 7. 14 WEDNESDAY, P.36

OPENINGS

Playgroups

Kids enjoy fun and games during these informal get-togethers, and caregivers connect with other local parents and peers. The groups are usually free and often include snacks, arts and crafts, or music. Most playgroups follow the school calendar. Contact the organizer for sitespecific details.

MONDAY

CHARLOTTE SUMMER PLAYGROUP: Charlotte Central School Early Education Program, 9:30 a.m.

OPEN GYM: Central VT Gymnastics Academy, 10-11:30 a.m. $7. Info, 882-8324.

TUESDAY

BRADFORD PLAYGROUP: Grace United Methodist Church, 9-11 a.m. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

BURLINGTON DADS’ NIGHT: VNA Family Room, 4-7 p.m. Info, 860-4420.

EVOLUTION NEW FAMILY PLAYGROUP: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Info, 899-0339.

WEDNESDAY

SHELBURNE SUMMER PLAYGROUP: Shelburne Community School, 9:30 a.m.

SOUTH ROYALTON PLAYGROUP: United Church on the Green, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

14 Wednesday (cont.)

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3. 3-6 p.m.

ORANGE

Randolph Lego Wednesdays: See June 7.

WASHINGTON

Art & Author Night: Vermont artist Jenni Bee opens with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by Plainfield author Leda Schubert reading her new children’s book Listen: How Pete Seeger Got America Singing at 7 p.m. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6 p.m. Info, 426-3581. FREE

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See June 7.

15 Thursday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See June 1.

CHITTENDEN

Autism Support Group: Led by a professional, this monthly parent group provides a supportive space, including snacks and smiles. For adults. Stern Center for Language and Learning, Williston, third Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m. Info, 878-2332. FREE

Colchester Lego Club: See June 1.

Jericho Farmers Market: See June 1.

Milton Farmers Market: See June 8.

Preschool Music: See June 1.

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See June 1.

Kids’ Father’s Day Craft: Artists of all ages pop in and put together a personalized card for Papa, complete with a photo. St. Albans Free Library, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

THURSDAY

ALBURGH PLAYGROUP: Alburgh Public Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 527-5426.

OHAVI ZEDEK SYNAGOGUE PLAYGROUP: Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Info, 864-0218.

RANDOLPH PLAYGROUP: St. John’s Church, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

WILLISTON PLAY TIME: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Info, 878-4918.

FRIDAY

OPEN GYM: See Monday. 10-11:30 a.m.

RUTLAND PLAYGROUP: Rutland Free Library, 9:30 a.m. Info, 773-1860.

SATURDAY

STOWE PLAYGROUP: Kula Yoga Center, 1-2 p.m. $10; or free with attendance at yoga class at 11:45 a.m.

PJ Story Hour: Tykes in nightwear nestle together for nursery rhymes, snacks and crafts. St. Albans Free Library, third Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

RUTLAND

Fair Haven Farmers Market: See June 8.

16 Friday

CALEDONIA

Fairbanks Homeschool Day: Students expand their scholastic horizons with a variety of programs. Call for specific topics and location. Grades K-8. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $8-10 includes museum admission; $5 for planetarium; one free adult per paying child. Info, 748-2372.

Hardwick Farmers Market: See June 2.

CHITTENDEN

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: See June 2. Burger Night: See June 2.

Classic Auto Festival: Admirers of yesteryear’s vehicles get up close to custom-bodied cars, antique autos, trucks, motorcycles and tractors. Hands-on art activities, special events and displays make for a full day. All ages. Shelburne Museum, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $7-24; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Essex Junction Summer Story Time: See June 2.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Family Movie: Viewers enjoy a familyfriendly film while feasting on free popcorn. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Family Music Time: See June 9.

Friday Free for All: See June 2.

Kids in the Kitchen: Barbecue Wings: Fledging chefs have fun preparing Friday night finger food topped o with a tasty dipping sauce. Healthy Living Market & Café, South Burlington, 4-5 p.m. $25; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’

Bassick: See June 2.

Last Day of School Celebration: Students starting summer break savor a snack, play a game and gear up for hot-weather reading. All ages. Winooski Memorial Library, 3-6 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

Richmond Farmers Market: See June 2.

Summer Cinema Series: Film lovers have fun with an outdoor flick, while savoring a picnic dinner or fare from a food truck. Movie begins at dusk. Battery Park, Burlington, 7:30-9 p.m. Info, 864-0123.

FREE

Tot Yoga: Wee ones and their caregivers stretch, sing, enjoy stories and play games with YogaKids instructor Meredith Bartolo. Ages 2-3. Jericho Town Library, third Friday, 3-4 p.m.; preregister. Info, 899-4686. FREE

RUTLAND

Magic: The Gathering: See June 2.

ORLEANS

Lego Club: See June 2.

WASHINGTON

Family Story Time: See June 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways

Fridays: See June 2.

Quechee Hot-Air Balloon Craft & Music

Festival: Up, up and away! Watch inflatable rides rise into the sky, then hear music, play games and visit craft vendors and the Kid’s Zone. Ascension scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Check website for updated schedule. All ages. Quechee Village Green, $5-15 general admission tickets are good for the entire weekend; children under 6 are free; $10 for dads accompanied by a child on Father’s Day. Info, 295-7990.

17 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

Pocock Rocks: This music festival and street fair fêtes the community with seven local bands, more than thirty vendors, a bounce house, a climbing wall and other children’s activities. All ages. Bristol Town Green, 3-8 p.m. Info, 453-7378. FREE

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 3.

CHITTENDEN

Build a Better World Party: Summer readers dig into games, crafts, refreshments and a bounce house. All ages. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, noon-2 p.m. Info, 879-0313. FREE

Burlington Farmers Market: See June 3.

Classic Auto Festival: See June 16.

EvoKids Saturday Drop-In Yoga: See June 3. Saturday Drama Club: See June 3.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See June 3.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

Strawberry Festival: Say hello to summer with a berry sweet celebration featuring kids games, pony rides, face painting, and strawberry shakes, fudge, jam and shortcake. All ages. Sam Mazza’s Farm Market, Colchester, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fee for food and some activities. Info, 655-3440. FREE

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 3.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See June 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See June 3.

Sculpture School Soapbox Derby: Junior drivers race their creations made from construction-grade materials, recyclables and imagination in the culmination of this kids’ building program. All ages. Knoll Farm, Fayston, noon-2 p.m. Info, 630-269-0143.

FREE

Waitsfield Farmers Market: See June 3.

WINDSOR

Quechee Hot-Air Balloon Craft & Music Festival: See June 16.

18 Sunday

CHITTENDEN

Classic Auto Festival: See June 16.

Essex Open Gym: See June 4.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Winooski Farmers Market: See June 4.

LAMOILLE

Dads Are Rad: Brunch & Bowl: Families fête their fathers on this special day with bowling, live music, à la cart food and freebies for dad. Ages 6 and up. Stowe Bowl, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $5 bowl; food and beverage available for purchase. Info, 253-2494.

Stowe Farmers Market: See June 4.

RUTLAND

ORTHODONTICS

Whether you’re considering clear aligners, retainers or today’s braces, an orthodontist is the smart choice. Orthodontists are specialists in straightening teeth and aligning your bite. They have two to three years of education beyond dental school. So they’re experts at helping you get a great smile—that feels great, too.

Braces for Children and Adults

802Go! Family Fun Day: The summer season is celebrated with games, crafts, face painting, free refreshments, live music, a giant slide and more. All ages. Rutland Regional Medical Center, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 775-0358. FREE

WINDSOR

Ice Cream Sundays: See June 4.

Quechee Hot-Air Balloon Craft & Music Festival: See June 16.

JUNE CALENDAR 19 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Community Garden: Junior green thumbs tend the teaching garden’s veggies. Grades 1-5. Milton Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Story Times

Edible Architecture: Itty bitty ones have fun fabricating a flower from frosting. Ages 3 and up. South Burlington Community Library, 10 & 11 a.m.; preregister. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Lego Club: See June 5.

Preschool Music: See June 1. 11 a.m.

Summer Story Time: Books and crafts stimulate small ones. Ages 3-6. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

WOODSTOCK PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 457-2295.

WEDNESDAY

Early literacy skills get special attention during these read-aloud sessions. Some locations provide additional activities such as music, crafts or foreign-language instruction. Most story times follow the school calendar. Contact the organizers for site-specific details.

MONDAY

ESSEX DROP-IN STORY TIME: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 879-0313.

FRANKLIN STORY TIME: Haston Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 285-6505.

HYDE PARK STORY TIME: Lanpher Memorial Library, 6 p.m. Info, 888-4628.

NORTHFIELD CHILDREN’S STORY TIME: Brown Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 485-4621.

RICHMOND BABY LAP TIME: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 434-3036.

SHELBURNE STORY TIME: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 985-5124.

ST. ALBANS STORY HOUR: St. Albans Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 524-1507.

STOWE STORY TIMES FOR 2-3YEAR-OLDS: Stowe Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 253-6145.

WAITSFIELD STORY TIME: Joslin Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 496-4205.

WATERBURY BABY & TODDLER STORY TIME: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 244-7036.

WOODSTOCK BABY STORY TIME: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 457-2295.

TUESDAY

ALBURGH STORY HOUR: Alburgh Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 796-6077.

COLCHESTER TODDLER STORY TIME: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

CRAFTSBURY STORY TIME: Craftsbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 586-9683.

FAIRFAX PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Fairfax Community Library, 9:3010:30 a.m. Info, 849-2420.

HIGHGATE STORY TIME: Highgate Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 868-3970.

HINESBURG YOUNGSTERS STORY TIME: Carpenter-Carse Library, 9:30-10 a.m. Info, 482-2878.

MONTPELIER STORY TIME: KelloggHubbard Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 223-3338.

BARNES & NOBLE STORY TIME: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Info, 864-8001.

HIGHGATE STORY TIME: See Tuesday.

HYDE PARK STORY TIME: See Monday. 10 a.m.

NORWICH WORD PLAY STORY TIME: Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Info, 649-1184.

QUECHEE STORY TIME: Quechee Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 295-1232.

RANDOLPH PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Kimball Public Library, 11 a.m. Info, 728-5073.

RICHMOND STORY TIME: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 434-3036.

STOWE STORY TIME FOR 3- TO 5-YEAR-OLDS: Stowe Free Library, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Info, 253-6145.

SWANTON STORY TIME: Swanton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 868-7656.

WARREN PRESCHOOL STORY & ENRICHMENT HOUR: Warren Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 595-2582.

THURSDAY

BRISTOL STORY TIME: Lawrence Memorial Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 453-2366.

NORTHFIELD CHILDREN’S STORY TIME: See Monday.

Vermont Raptors: Curious kiddos explores the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum’s birds of prey in a face-to-face encounter with three or four live hawks, owls and falcons. Ages 5 and up. Colchester Village Meeting House, 3 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

RUTLAND STORY TIME: Rutland Free Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Info, 773-1860.

SHELBURNE MUSICAL STORY TIME: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 985-5124.

ST. ALBANS STORY HOUR: See Monday.

VERGENNES STORY TIME: Bixby Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 877-2211.

WATERBURY PRESCHOOL STORY TIME:

Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 244-7036.

WESTFORD STORY TIME: Westford Public Library, 11 a.m. Info, 878-5639.

FRIDAY

CRAFTSBURY STORY TIME: See Tuesday.

ENOSBURG MOMMY & ME STORY

HOUR: Enosburgh Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Info, 933-2328.

ESSEX MUSICAL STORY TIME: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 879-0313.

GEORGIA PRESCHOOL STORY TIME: Georgia Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 524-4643.

HARDWICK STORY HOUR AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET: Atkins Field, 3-4 p.m. Info, 472-5849.

HUNTINGTON STORY TIME: Huntington Public Library, 10:45 a.m. Info, 434-4583.

KILLINGTON STORY TIME: Sherburne Memorial Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Info, 422-9765.

LINCOLN STORY TIME: Lincoln Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 453-2665.

MONTPELIER STORY TIME: See Tuesday.

RANDOLPH TODDLER STORY TIME: Kimball Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Info, 728-5073.

SOUTH BURLINGTON PAJAMARAMA: Barnes & Noble, 7 p.m. Info, 864-8001.

ST. JOHNSBURY STORY TIME: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Info, 748-8291.

STOWE BABY & TODDLER STORY TIME: Stowe Free Library, 10:15-11:15 a.m. Info, 253-6145.

SWANTON STORYTIME: See Wednesday. 10 a.m.

WINOOSKI STORY TIME: Winooski Memorial Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 655-6424.

SATURDAY

BARRE STORY TIME: Next Chapter Bookstore, 10:30 a.m. Info, 476-3114.

COLCHESTER DROP-IN STORY TIME: Burnham Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Info, 264-5660.

ENOSBURG STORY HOUR: Enosburgh Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 933-2328. FREE

FRANKLIN WALK-IN STORY HOUR: Haston Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 285-6505.

MILTON DROP-IN STORY TIME: Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 893-4644.

WEEKEND STORYTIME: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 879-0313.

Webby’s Art Studio: Stamping Mad: After viewing a demo in the museum’s Print Shop, arty folks of all ages design their own reusable stamp. Daily, through June 25. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular museum admission, $7-24; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

FRANKLIN

Summer Gardening: Green-thumbs enjoy earthy and educational activities. Ages 3-12; children under 9 must be accompanied by a parent. Snacks and lunch provided. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 9-11:30 a.m.; preregister. Info, 868-3970. FREE

RUTLAND

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See June 5.

20 Tuesday

CHITTENDEN

Lego Club: See June 6.

Movie Madness: Film lovers get a thrill out of games, crafts, snacks and activities themed to the movie of the week. Costumes encouraged. Ages 10-14. South Burlington Community Library, 2-4 p.m. Info, 652-7080.

Preschool Music: See June 6.

Spanish Musical Kids: See June 6.

Teeny Tiny Explorers: Wee ones gather in the garden for stories, songs and bubbles. Ages 2 and under. Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park, South Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 652-7080.

FREE

FRANKLIN

Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming

Tuesdays: See June 6.

Summer Gardening: See June 19.

NEW YORK

Plattsburgh Preschool Story Hour: Aspiring art connoisseurs and their caregivers listen to a picture book, look at original works and create a project to take home. Ages 3-5. Plattsburgh State Art Museum, third Tuesday, 10 a.m. Preregistration appreciated. Info, 518-564-2474.

21 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 7.

Summer Reading Kick-Off: Singer and songwriter Jon Gailmor gets kids and their parents o to an enthusiastic summer reading beginning, with the theme of building a better world. All ages. Cobleigh Public Library, Lyndonville, 3 p.m. Info, 626-5475. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Booktivity: Faery & Elf Houses: Whimsical youngsters fashion natural objects into inviting dwellings for friends from other realms. Ages 5-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Chess Club: Smart players check out this strategy game and improve their skills with rooks, pawns and knights. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, third Wednesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Cleo the Therapy Dog: Canine and reading enthusiasts visit with a personable pooch from Therapy Dogs of Vermont. Ages 3 and up. Milton Public Library, third Wednesday, 10 a.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Family Game Day: See June 7.

Family Movie Night: Film lovers of all ages admire a flick on the big screen while savoring snacks. Milton Public Library, 6 p.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Jericho Dungeons & Dragons: See June 7.

Little One & Me Circle Time: Tiny tykes team together for movement, songs, play and snacks. Ages 5 and under. Jericho Town Library, third Wednesday, 10-11 a.m. Info, 899-4686. FREE

Mimealot with Chris Yerlig: The crowd cheers at this pantomime comedy. All ages. South Burlington Community Library, 6:30 p.m. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Ready, Set, Tie-Dye!: Summer starts with a swirl as kids of all ages go wild with a rainbow of colors. Bring a pre-washed cotton t-shirt.

Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park, South Burlington, 10 a.m.-noon. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Worms Alive!: Rhonda Mace from the Chittenden Solid Waste District shares her wisdom about red wigglers and compost. Grades 2 and up. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Info, 879-0313.

Yoga for Kids: See June 7.

Young Athletes: In this 8-week program, young athletes with and without intellectual challenges are introduced to the Special Olympics before eligibility at age 8. Parent must accompany child.

Ages 2-7. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m.; preregister. Info, 878-6956. FREE

FRANKLIN

Mommy and Me Fitness Meetup: See June 7.

Music & Movement With Ellie: Toddlers and preschoolers jump around to jolly tunes, delighting in a journey around the world complete with parachute play and plenty of bubbles. Highgate Public Library, Highgate Center, 10 a.m.; preregister. Info, 868-3970. FREE

Summer Gardening: See June 19.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 7.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3. 3-6 p.m.

ORANGE

Randolph Lego Wednesdays: See June 7.

WASHINGTON

Just-For-Fun Movies: A wholesome flick fascinates viewers of all ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, third Wednesday, 7 p.m. Info, 426-3581. FREE

Marshfield Story and Activity Time: Little ones listen to a story, then dig into diverse weekly activities, including gardening, music or creative building. Ages 7 and under. Followed by a free lunch. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 10 a.m. Info, 426-3581. FREE

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See June 7.

22 Thursday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See June 1.

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Lego Club: See June 1.

Jericho Farmers Market: See June 1.

LEGO Gears with the Montshire Museum: Eager young builders explore the Museum’s traveling pop-up science program. Ages 5 and up. South Burlington Community Library, 9:30 & 11 a.m.; preregister. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Milton Farmers Market: See June 8.

Preschool Music: See June 1.

Ukulele Kids: See June 8.

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See June 1. St. Albans Library Legos: See June 8. Fourth Thursday, 3-5 p.m.

Summer Reading Sign-Up: Young literati sign up for summer programming and scope out Lego activities and a scavenger hunt. Kids who miss the event may register later. All ages. St. Albans Free Library, 1-5 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

RUTLAND

Fair Haven Farmers Market: See June 8.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

JUNE CALENDAR

22 Thursday (cont.)

WASHINGTON

Books Come to Life: This active class, led by a literacy professional, combines reading and movement. Ages 3-6. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 244-7036. FREE

23 Friday CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See June 2.

CHITTENDEN

Adventures with the Bookworms: Junior green thumbs gather to enjoy stories, nature crafts and games. Ages 3-6. Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park, South Burlington, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 652-7080. FREE

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: See June 2.

Burger Night: See June 2.

Dungeons & Dragons: See June 9.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Family Pizza & Paint Night: See June 9.

Friday Afternoon Movie: Kids snuggle in for snacks and a screening. Children under 10 must be accompanied by a caregiver. CarpenterCarse Library, Hinesburg, 3 p.m. Info, 482-2878. FREE

Friday Free for All: See June 2.

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See June 2.

Live-Action Role Play: See June 9.

Milton Preschool Story Time: Small tots take in tales, tunes and craft activities. Ages 3-5. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 893-4644.

Richmond Farmers Market: See June 2.

Songs & Stories With Matthew: See June 9.

Summer Reading Kick-Off Party: Teens blast off the summer reading program for youngsters with bubble blowing, badminton, beanbag tossing, sidewalk chalk drawing, hoops and more. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

RUTLAND

Magic: The Gathering: See June 2.

ORLEANS

Lego Club: See June 2.

WASHINGTON

Family Story Time: See June 2.

RockFire Granite Heritage Night and Firewalk: Families enjoy an evening one-mile nature walk lit by luminaries, featuring 10 historical Barre characters, live music by Emily Nyman and Ian Gauthier, and local food vendors. Vermont Granite Museum, Barre, 5 p.m.-midnight. $10; $25 per family. Info, 479-1000.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See June 2.

24 Saturday

ADDISON

Abenaki Heritage Weekend: Members of the Native American tribe demonstrate singing, drumming, basket making, cooking, dancing and other skills. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $8-12; free for children under 6. Info, 457-2022.

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

New Parents

Essex La Leche League: Moms bring their little ones to a discussion of parenting and breastfeeding. Siblings welcome. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, first Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m. FREE

Evolution Postnatal Yoga: Moms tote their pre-crawling kids to an all-levels flowing yoga class focused on bringing the body back to strength and alignment in a relaxed and nurturing environment.

Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, Thursdays, 10:45-11:55 a.m.; Fridays, noon-1 p.m.; Fridays, 8:15-9:15 a.m.; Tuesdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; and Sundays, 12:15-1:30 p.m. $15; $130 for a 10-class pass. Info, 899-0339.

Evolution Prenatal Yoga: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina, comfort and a stronger connection to their baby.

Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, Tuesdays, 4:15-5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 5:45-7 p.m.; Fridays, 8:15-9:15 a.m.; Mondays, 5:45-7 p.m.; Thursdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; Sundays, 10-11:30 a.m.; and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. $15 or $130 for 10-class pass. Info, 899-0339.

How to Breastfeed Prenatal Class: Expectant mamas and their partners learn the basics of breastfeeding, how to get off to the best start with their baby and where to find assistance when needed. Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, first Thursday, 8-9:30 a.m. and fourth Tuesday, 4:30-6 p.m.; preregister. Info, 371-4415.

FREE

Prenatal Method Prenatal Yoga: Women prepare for birth through yoga with a focus on strengthening the body and mind. See prenatalmethod.com for class descriptions. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m.; Wednesdays, 12:15-1:15 p.m.; Mondays, 12:15-1:15 p.m.; and Thursdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

EDGE Moms: Moms-to-be work on breathing, cardio, strength and stretching with a certified personal trainer. Appropriate for all trimesters and fitness levels. The EDGE Sports and Fitness, Essex, Sunday, June 4, 3-4 p.m.; Sunday, June 11, 3-4 p.m.; and Sunday, June 25, 3-4 p.m. $15 per class. Info, 288-1141.

Bosom Buddies: New and expectant mothers, babies and supportive grandmas rally in a relaxed and supportive evening as peers and professionals answer mothering and breastfeeding questions.

Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, first Monday, 5:30-7 p.m. Info, 371-4415.

FREE

Bosom Buddies Too: Nursing mamas of toddlers and mobile wee ones socialize and swap supportive stories and advice with peers and professionals. Babies welcome. Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, first Tuesday, 5:30-7 p.m. Info, 371-4415. FREE

Middlebury La Leche League Meeting and Playgroup: Families with infants and toddlers socialize and swap nursing stories. Junebug Mother and Child, Middlebury, first Wednesday, 10 a.m. FREE

Mom and Baby Yoga: Brand-new mamas and their little ones relax, stretch and bond. Followed by a free mothers’ gathering at 11:30 a.m. Embodied, Montpelier, Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 223-5302.

Burlington La Leche League: New moms bring their babies and questions to a breastfeeding support group. Older children welcome. Lending library available. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, second Tuesday, 10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 985-8228. FREE

La Leche League of the Northeast Kingdom: Expectant, novice and experienced moms join nursing experts for advice and support. Enter through the children’s section of the library. Siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, second Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Info, 720-272-8841. FREE

La Leche League Of Central Vermont: Breastfeeding mamas swap stories and support each other, with a professional available for consultation. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, third Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 999-7143. FREE

Central Vermont Nursing Beyond a Year: Mothers discuss the joys and challenges of breastfeeding in a supportive setting, including nighttime parenting, weaning, healthy eating habits and setting limits. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, third Friday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 999-7143. FREE

Toddler La Leche League Meeting: Moms who are nursing beyond a year share stories and solutions to nighttime parenting, mealtime tips, biting, weaning and other topics. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Middlebury, third Monday, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Info, 388-0363. FREE

Breastfeeding Café: Mamas nurse their babies, chat and ask for answers from a certified lactation consultant. Pregnant women, supportive dads and older siblings welcome. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, third Tuesday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 349-3825. FREE

Breastfeeding Families Group: Nursing moms (and supportive dads, too!) gather for snacks and advice. Church of the Nazarene, Johnson, third Wednesday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 888-3470. FREE Mommy Group: Breastfeeding peer counselor Angela Scavo hosts mamas and answers questions in a relaxed setting. Middlebury Recreation Center, fourth Wednesday, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Info, 349-9084. FREE

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 3.

CHITTENDEN

Bike & Pet Parade with Big Insane Games: Participants in the summer reading program decorate their bikes and scooters for a parade – with pets participating, too – then partake in outdoor games. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Build a Bag: Summer readers register for the program and decorate their own book bag. Grades 1-8. South Burlington Community Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 652-7080. FREE Burlington Farmers Market: See June 3.

EvoKids Saturday Drop-In Yoga: See June 3.

Family Art Saturday: Families drop in and ignite their imaginations with a current exhibit, then get creative with an art activity. All ages. BCA Center, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 865-7166. FREE

Saturday Drama Club: See June 3.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See June 3.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 3.

LAMOILLE

Vermont Renaissance Faire: Medieval encampments, live music, dancing, food galore, a joust and more make the Middle Ages come alive. All ages. Costumes encouraged. Mayo Events Field, Stowe, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $5-15; free for children under 6. Info, 778-9178.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See June 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See June 3. Mad River Valley Strawberry Festival: The sweet berry season is saluted with tasty confections, pick-your-own, flatbread pizza, oxen cart rides, live music and more. Hartshorn Organic Farm, Waitsfield, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Food and drink available for purchase. Info, 922-1832. FREE Waitsfield Farmers Market: See June 3.

WINDSOR

Summer Revels: With a theme of summer-bythe-seaside, merry makers ring in the solstice with choral and community singing, dancing, live music and giant puppets. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. All ages. Norwich Town Green, Suggested donation $5; $10 per family; food available for purchase. Info, 866-556-3083.

25 Sunday

ADDISON

Abenaki Heritage Weekend: See June 24. Foodaroo: Foodie trucks and craft purveyors give attendees a taste of the best Vermont has to offer with entertainment from street performers and leading local bands. This year, sweet pie bakers compete in a King Arthur Flour Baking Contest. All ages. Marble Works District, Middlebury, 4-8 p.m. food available for purchase. Info, 388-6124. FREE

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CHITTENDEN

‘My Neighbor Totoro’: This family classic from legendary director Hayao Miyazaki tells the tale of two young girls who move with their father to a new house in the countryside and discover forest spirits that guide the children through their mother’s illness. Palace 9 Cinemas, South Burlington, 12:55 p.m. $12.50. Info, 660-9300.

Essex Open Gym: See June 4.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Winooski Farmers Market: See June 4.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: See June 4.

Vermont Renaissance Faire: See June 24.

WASHINGTON

Mad River Valley Strawberry Festival: See June 24.

WINDSOR

Ice Cream Sundays: See June 4.

26 Monday

CHITTENDEN

‘My Neighbor Totoro’: See June 25. 7 p.m.

A World of Stories: Little listeners enjoy stories, songs and rhymes. Ages 3-6. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Colchester Crafts for Kids: See June 12.

Community Garden: See June 19.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Party: Hogwarts fans gather for games, coloring and crafts to celebrate the publishing of the first Harry Potter book. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

King Street Center Golf Invitational: Do-good golfers support the King Street Center in a shotgun-start tournament, with a BBQ lunch and awards, too. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Burlington Country Club, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. $225 per single player. Info, 862-6736, ext. 103.

Lego Club: See June 5.

Preschool Music: See June 1. 11 a.m.

Stories On The Screen: Cinema lovers relax with a family-friendly animated flick and free refreshments. All ages. South Burlington Community Library, 10 a.m. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Summer Story Time: See June 19.

Webby’s Art Studio: Just Keep Swimming: Inspired by the exhibit Wild Spaces, Open Season, imaginative museum visitors design an interactive underwater animal. Daily, through July 2. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular museum admission, $7-24; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

FRANKLIN

‘Peter Pan and The Three Bears’: Little ones soak up sensory-based live literature, in this magical morning of two stories presented by the Backpack Theater’s young thespians. Highgate Elementary School, Highgate Center, 10 a.m. Info, 868-3970. FREE

Summer Gardening: See June 19.

RUTLAND

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See June 5.

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

27 Tuesday

CHITTENDEN

‘Peter Pan and The Three Bears’: Theater lovers soak up sensory-based live literature in this magical morning of two stories presented by the Backpack Theater’s young cast. All ages. Milton Public Library, 2 p.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Adoption Support Group: Families facing adoption issues and challenges join forces in a respectful setting on the last Tuesday of each month. Childcare and dinner provided. All welcome. Howard Center, Burlington, 5-6:30 p.m.; preregister. Info, 864-7467. FREE

Lego Challenge: Builders fashion architecturally sound constructions with a creative challenge. Ages 5-10. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Lego Club: See June 6.

Movie Madness: See June 20.

Read to Willy Wonka the Chocolate Lab: See June 13.

Spanish Musical Kids: See June 6.

Teddy Bear Picnic: Matthew Witten and John Hadden sing Earth-friendly songs and tell rollicking stories to young listeners and their animal buddies. Bring blankets or lawn chairs. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Teeny Tiny Explorers: See June 20.

Tinkering Tuesdays: Small scientists experiment with STEAM-type projects. Ages 8 and up. Lunch served afterward for everyone ages 18 and under. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

FRANKLIN

Magic: The Gathering Drop-In Gaming Tuesdays: See June 6.

Summer Gardening: See June 19.

WASHINGTON

Nature Walk with Mark Ferguson: Families explore a guided woods tour. Grades 1 and up. Waterbury Public Library, 1-2 p.m.; preregister. Info, 244-7036. FREE

28 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See June 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See June 7.

CHITTENDEN

Booktivity: Literary Peeps: Using a marshmallowy medium, crafty kids create a diorama of their favorite book or character. Ages 5-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Building With Three Pigs: Little ones listen to this classic tale, try their hand at constructing with three di erent material types, and then put their results to a challenging test. Ages 4-6. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

One to Watch

Do you know a local kid (age 17 or under) who's recently done something amazing? Won a spelling bee? Written an opera? Raised a bunch of money for a great cause? Tell us more! He or she could be featured as One to Watch in an upcoming issue of Kids VT.

JUNE CALENDAR

28 Wednesday (cont.)

Carman and the Cosmos: A three-toed box turtle and the Human Society of Chittenden County make friends with wee ones in the garden. Ages 3 and up. Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park, South Burlington, 10-11 a.m. Info, 652-7080. FREE

Colchester Dungeons & Dragons Night: See June 14.

Family Game Day: See June 7.

Jericho Dungeons & Dragons: See June 7.

Kids in the Kitchen: Caprese Pizzas: Petite chefs prepare personal pizzas from homemade dough and marinara sauce, baked to perfection. Healthy Living Market & Café, South Burlington, 11 a.m.-noon. $25; preregister. Info, 863-2569.

Leddy Park Beach Bites: See June 14.

Marko the Magician: This mind-bending show makes marvelous the world of books for young readers. Ages 5 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Yoga for Kids: See June 7.

Young Athletes: See June 21.

FRANKLIN

Mommy and Me Fitness Meetup: See June 7.

Summer Gardening: See June 19.

GRAND ISLE

Champlain Island Farmers Market: See June 7.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See June 3, 3-6 p.m.

ORANGE

Randolph Lego Wednesdays: See June 7.

WASHINGTON

Marshfield Story and Activity Time: See June 21.

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See June 7.

29 Thursday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See June 1.

CHITTENDEN

‘Peter Pan and The Three Bears’: Little ones soak up sensory-based live literature in this magical morning of two stories presented by the Backpack Theater’s young thespians. Ages 3-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3 p.m.; preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Build a Bridge: Small architects listen to a story and creatively construct a project. Ages 5-12. Free meal provided for youths under 18. Winooski Memorial Library, noon-2 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

Colchester Lego Club: See June 1.

Escape the Labyrinth: Puzzle lovers build a maze and put their heads together to solve its mystery. Grades 1 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 2-3 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Jericho Farmers Market: See June 1.

LCATV Young Producers Workshop: Aspiring filmmakers create their own television program, complete a themed project and produce a take-home DVD. Ages 8-9. Milton Public Library, 1-2:30 p.m.; preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

Milton Farmers Market: See June 8.

Preschool Music: See June 1.

Raptors and Their Homes: The Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences and their live birds share some secrets about nesting and how we can help these birds thrive. All ages. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 10:30 a.m. Info, 879-0313. FREE

Veli-Stem Family Build: Families venture ‘outside the box’ and build a community using cardboard, recycled materials and creativity. Ages 12 and under. Milton Public Library, 6:30 p.m.; preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

FRANKLIN

‘Peter Pan and The Three Bears’: The library’s summer reading program blasts o with two classic stories presented by the Backpack Theater’s young thespians. All ages. Fairfax Community Library, 6-7:30 p.m. Info, 849-2420. FREE

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See June 1.

Kid’s Dragon Craft: Creative kiddos construct a magical creature from paper cups. St. Albans Free Library, 2 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

RUTLAND

Fair Haven Farmers Market: See June 8.

30 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See June 2.

CHITTENDEN

‘Peter Pan and The Three Bears’: Little ones soak up sensory-based live literature in this magical morning of two stories presented by the Backpack Theater’s young thespians. Grades K and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4:15-5:15 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Adventures with the Bookworms: See June 23.

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: See June 2. Burger Night: See June 2.

Essex Junction Summer Story Time: See June 2.

Family Gym: See June 2.

Friday Free for All: See June 2.

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See June 2.

Magic: The Gathering: See June 2.

Milton Preschool Story Time: See June 23.

Richmond Farmers Market: See June 2.

RUTLAND

Magic: The Gathering: See June 2.

ORLEANS

Lego Club: See June 2.

WASHINGTON

Family Story Time: See June 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See June 2.

It's a bird, it's a plane it's....

Daddy Got His Nails Did

A girl and her father confront gender norms during a pedicure

Every February, our family spends a week in Florida living other people’s lives. We sleep in a clean, air-conditioned condo with sunset views over Sarasota Bay. We eat poolside salads at my mother-in-law’s yacht club. We poke holes in coconuts and sip the water through long, green straws. Our pockets are filled with shells. My wife visits a spa, and my two daughters wear sunglasses. One year, I drove a Porsche to Tampa.

This year, I got my first pedicure.

I was told an appointment had been made for me and M, my 8-year-old daughter. It had all been decided for me — not that I was opposed to it. They said it was for the good of the group. I’m a runner suffering from plantar fasciitis, which is a fancy way of saying everyone’s had it up to here with me and my aching heel. There is little love for my feet in this family.

The salon was as bright and crystalline as a Long Island diner. An ageless woman escorted us to endless shelves of nail polish.

“What do you think of this blue?” M asked me, holding a small vial the color of the Facebook icon.

“That’ll work,” I said as I checked my phone for likes.

Soon enough, they ushered us into soft black seats and lowered our naked feet into basins of what I assume was warm water. Two women we had never met massaged our heels and scrubbed our toes. M and I sat side by side and giggled at the luxurious absurdity while obsequious staff brought us mint tea and sparkling water. The two women asked us questions: Where you from? You got plans for the day? Did you know they’re cannibalistic? We gave them answers: Vermont. We’re doing an alligator tour on an airboat. No, we didn’t know that. The overhead speakers played Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man” so quietly it could well have been coming from the sandal boutique next door.

“So, are we doing this blue?” M’s woman (we’ll call her Tammy) asked her. M opened her hand to reveal a glittering vial as gold as Olivia Newton John. Everyone looked surprised by this revelation, myself included. “Yes, but can my big toes be this color instead? Actually, my big toes and my ring-finger toes?”

“Sure, honey,” Tammy said, smiling.

My woman (we’ll call her Faye)

nodded at me and winked. “And what color are we painting your nails?”

I chuckled, then noticed M tense up and spin her head towards me. This surprised me. For a girl who prides herself on rebuking girlish stereotypes, M was apparently balking at the thought of her dad wearing nail polish. Suddenly, I had a job to do.

“Do a lot of guys get their nails painted?” I asked.

Faye winked at me again. I guess she liked winking. “Some do.”

girls can use nail polish? Or wear a dress? Who decides this stuff? Who cares what other people do? Why should I care?”

She shrugged and stared at her fingers. I was losing her.

“It’s like — okay, you like skateboarding, right?”

Her head nodded slightly. She was finished with this conversation — she already knew where it was going. In our house, we traffic in pep talks that celebrate individualism and question the expectations people put on each other. It would’ve been a fine time for me to stop dad-talking and just let it marinate. But if I’ve learned one thing over the past four and a half decades, it’s this: You can’t call something broke until you’ve smashed it into dust.

“Doesn’t it annoy you how some boys treat you at the skatepark? It’s not like boys are the —”

“What color do you recommend?”

“Dad, don’t!”

“Flat black,” said Tammy, looking up from M’s feet. “Definitely.”

Faye furrowed her brow and glanced at Tammy.

“Black?” I asked. “You think so?”

M reached over and grabbed my wrist. “Stop it!”

“Flat black. It’s so &%$*# rock ’n roll.” Tammy shrugged at M and whispered, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” M assured her, momentarily distracted. “I’ve heard it before.”

“Not from me, though,” I said.

M squinted at me accusatorially.

“Yes from you.”

My face grew hot. “Anyway,” I said, “if you think flat black’s the way to go, then let’s do it.”

Faye stood up, winced and walked away with her hands on her lower back.

Tammy hunched over and continued brushing my daughter’s big toes gold. M squeezed my wrist.

“You can’t do that,” she whispered forcefully, eyebrows raised.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s weird, Dad.”

“Really?” I was trying to sound sincere. “Why’s it weird?”

“I don’t know.” She looked away. “It just is.”

“Well, I don’t think its weird.” I leaned in closer. “Look, who says only

“Here we go,” Faye said, shaking a black vial and taking her seat. She placed the polish on the tray beside her and then cradled my right foot. “You ready?”

When it was all finished, they gave me paper flip-flops to wear instead of my Vans. The nail polish evidently takes a few hours to fully dry. I wasn’t expecting this.

We stepped out onto the sidewalk and, as if on cue, put on our sunglasses. “Can I take a picture of our feet?” I asked.

“Sure,” M said as she slid up beside me. I could feel her hip against my thigh. “I still think it’s a little weird.”

“I know.” Our toes looked like movie stars lying in the Sarasota sun. “It’s okay.”

Four months later — just yesterday, in fact — I sat on a bench in the locker room at the gym and removed my sneakers and socks. The naked man standing next to me, well into his second hour of nude conversation, looked down at my still-polished toes and huffed. I could feel the color in my face as he wrapped a towel around his waist. Just like that, I was defined by my feet.

All I wanted to do was disappear completely. I dressed quickly and hurried out of the locker room. Outside, the sky was dark and dropping everything it had on us. I shouldered my backpack, pulled the hood over my head and went back to work. K

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