Kids VT, August 2019

ARTFUL FAIRY HOUSES

NATURE ACTIVITIES TO BEAT THE HEAT

RITES OF PASSAGE IN UNDERHILL

ING ITC L!

Sweet places to swing, slide, climb & explore

BY ALISON NOVAK, P. 24

Shelburne Museum

is open all year. Get here!

FREE First Friday Eve Series

Celebrating the farm families who own Cabot

Live music, lawn games, tours, picnicking, and FREE admission to the entire Museum on glorious summer evenings!

AUGUST 2

A special reading of artist Harold Weston’s writings Energetic, powerful, and vocally versatile tunes from Copilot

SEPTEMBER 6

Sculptors Dan Snow and Jonathan D. Ebinger Bluegrass, jazz, and rock n’ roll from The Tenderbellies

August 12–16

Dog Days of Summer Film Festival

Come in out of the heat and enjoy creatively crafted cinema by artist William Wegman, featuring some of his favorite canine subjects. Enjoy the Hardly Boys adventures, Fay’s 12 Days of Christmas, Alphabet Soup, and more. Daily showings Monday–Friday, at 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

PLUS!

Post your own dog videos (up to one minute each) on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and tag @ShelburneMuseum to be entered to win a Family Day pass, a signed copy of William Wegman’s Being Human, and a chance to have your video shown on August 16 as part of the Dog Days of Summer Film Festival. See shelburnemuseum.org for details.

October 27 Haunted Happenings

Trick or treat and play games all over the Museum Grounds!

Become a Member and get FREE admission for a year, discounts, special programs, and more.

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

Mary Ann Lickteig maryann@kidsvt.com

STAFF WRITER/CALENDAR WRITER

Brett Ann Stanciu brett@kidsvt.com

ART DIRECTOR

Brooke Bousquet brooke@kidsvt.com

MARKETING & EVENTS DIRECTOR

Corey Grenier corey@kidsvt.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Kaitlin Montgomery kaitlin@kidsvt.com

PROOFREADERS

Katherine Isaacs, Kara Torres

PRODUCTION MANAGER

John James

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Don Eggert

DESIGNERS

Jeff Baron, Kirsten Cheney, Rev. Diane Sullivan

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Matt Weiner

BUSINESS MANAGER

Cheryl Brownell

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Heather Fitzgerald, Astrid Hedbor Lague, Nicci Micco, Ken Picard, Molly Ritvo, Erinn Simon

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Andy Brumbaugh, James Buck, Sam Simon, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

ILLUSTRATOR

Marc Nadel

P.O. BOX 1184 • BURLINGTON, VT 05402

802-985-5482 • KIDSVT.COM

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Circulation: 25,000 at 600+ locations throughout northern and central Vermont.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

The Wonder Years

When I think back on the summers of my youth, the one that stands out as the most formative is the summer after eighth grade. In July 1991, I embarked on a trip called California Adventure, along with my closest childhood friend, Lexy, and around eight other young teens from around the country. With two leaders, who couldn’t have been older than 25 themselves, we drove around Northern California in a big, smelly van, listening to one mix tape on repeat. We camped on the beach at Point Reyes National Seashore and at the base of Mount Shasta, went whitewater rafting in the Klamath River, explored the Redwood Forest and Yosemite National Park, and perused the incense-laden hippie stores of Haight Street in San Francisco. We slept in co-ed tents and went more than a week without a shower, wearing Teva sandals and Umbro shorts over long underwear for days at a time.

I’d been away from home before, but this trip gave me a sense of freedom and capability that was new to me. It was the first glimpse I got of what it might feel like to be an adult, and it was both exhilarating and profound. To this day, when I hear “Closer to Fine” by the Indigo Girls or “Uncle John’s Band” by the Grateful Dead, I’m transported to the back of that smelly van and feel like that impressionable, hopeful and awkward 13-year-old again.

California Adventure helped me transition from kid to adult — a rite of passage. This month, I write about Inner Journeys, a two-week retreat in Underhill, run by an organization called ReTribe, that aims to usher 14- to 19-year-olds into adulthood through a series of activities, workshops and rituals that weave together play, nature, therapy and spirituality. Participants say it is “so di erent from normal life,” “a really open space to be ourselves,” “emotionally fulfilling” and “powerful.” Read “Safe Passage” on page 20 to learn more about this unique, transformative program.

Also in this issue — which celebrates all things summer — you’ll find “Fit Families” on page 14, a roundup of nature-based activities to try out when it’s sweltering outside; an article about some of the great playgrounds in our area (“Not Your Parents’ Playgrounds,” page 24); and a “Bookworms” column on page 17 all about story walks, an activity for young children that combines literacy and nature. In “Delicious Summer” on page 43, contributor Nicci Micco shares a thought-provoking personal essay about how her kids’ summer experiences di er from the ones she had growing up. Rather than deeming one better than the other, she’s learned to appreciate them both.

August in Vermont is delicious. We hope that, for your family, it’s full of activities and experiences that spark adventure, wonder, and maybe even a little change.

ALISON NOVAK, MANAGING EDITOR

STAFF QUESTION

What is your best summertime memory from when you were a kid?

My parents loved the romance of the open road and unscheduled time. For a number of summers when I was a girl, we camped in o -the-beaten path national parks and forests in the ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Living outdoors for weeks in utter freedom was a child’s dream.

BRETT ANN STANCIU, STAFF/ CALENDAR WRITER

For five summers starting at age 7, I attended sleepaway camp at Camp Mar-Lin, in Windsor, Conn. One of its annual events was called TOPSY TURVY DAY, during which the counselors became campers and the campers became the counselors and specialists (art teachers, swim coaches, etc.) One summer, I was elected to be the waterski instructor and spent my entire day waterskiing and driving the motorboat for others — with adult supervision, of course. Best camp day ever!

KEN PICARD, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

out

—

Growing up on an Iowa farm, summer meant walking beans — walking through soybean fields and cutting out weeds. We worked until noon. I pretty much hated it. Once a summer, my dad took the crew — my siblings, cousins and me — to for lunch. Etched in my memory are the all-you-can-eat pizza bu et, the crushed ice in my red tumbler of pop, and sitting there sweaty, dusty and sated, rewarded for an honest (half) day’s work.

MARY ANN LICKTEIG, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CONTRIBUTOR’S NOTE

MOLLY RITVO (“Destination Recreation,” page 13) is a freelance writer who lives in Burlington with her husband and 16-month-old daughter. She holds a bachelor of arts degree from Tufts University and a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Emerson College, and is working on a novel and collection of essays about motherhood. When Molly isn’t writing, she’s often outside, cultivating moments of joy and laughter, finding community at local Jewish organizations and yoga studios, and spending time with her family, including her goldendoodle, Truffles. On any given day, you might find her running after her daughter, attempting to learn the rest of the words to “Baby Shark,” or falling asleep with her head in a book.

Alison (center) in her long underwear, Umbros and Tevas, with best friend, Lexy (left), and new friend, Carla, on the California Adventure, July 1991

TRENDING

Cynthia Arnold of Montana recently completed the Missoula Marathon in just over three hours, while pushing all three of her children in a triple stroller. Now that’s what we call a Super Mom!

A baby girl was born in St. Louis on 7/11, at 7:11 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Get that kid a lottery ticket — or a Slurpee!

KIDS IN THE NEWS Out of This World

BY ALISON NOVAK

YOGA POSE OF THE MONTH: Down Dog/Double Down Dog for the dog days of summer!

Susan Cline Lucey of Evolution Prenatal and Family Yoga in Burlington and Essex recommends this perspective-changing inversion pose to strengthen shoulders and arms while stretching hamstrings and spine.

STEPS:

1. Come to hands and knees.

2. Plant hands and balls of feet firmly on the ground and lift up your hips.

3. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and spread your fingers wide.

THINGS TO TRY:

Wag your tail by lifting your leg and waving it in the air.

Double Dog with your family and friends:

1. Partner 1 comes into down dog.

Indiana teen Evan Dennison’s high school senior portrait, in which he’s sporting a dapper navy blue bathrobe with white piping, went viral. His mom was not pleased.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the moon after their lunar module, Eagle, landed there on July 20, 1969. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the momentous Apollo 11 mission, many Vermont venues hosted space-related activities in July.

Instagram is trying out a program in which it makes “likes” private in seven countries, including Australia, Japan and Ireland, as a way to encourage users to focus on the content rather than its popularity. We like! (Can anyone see that?)

Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury put on Astronomy Extravaganza! on July 20, featuring free planetarium shows, a moon rock viewing, and paperairplane making. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington hosted Apollo Anniversary Space Days from July 23 to 25, with space-themed activities including stomp rockets, galaxy shaving cream art and watching marshmallows expand inside a vacuum chamber.

And on July 20, the Champlain Regional Model Rocket Club launched a 12-foot Vermont-themed rocket 5,800 feet into the air in a St. Albans field. Stellar!

#INSTAKIDSVT

Thanks for sharing your summer photos with us using the hashtag #instakidsvt. We loved this picture of kids exploring Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park in Hubbardton, which boasts hiking trails, a beautiful meadow, a Japanese garden and ladders for climbing up rocks. Share photos of your family exploring new places this month.

HERE’S HOW: Follow @kids_vt on Instagram.

Post your photos on Instagram with the hashtag #instakidsvt.

We’ll select a photo to feature in the next issue.

2. Partner 2 stands to the side of Partner 1’s down dog and plants hands a foot or so in front of Partner 1’s hands.

3. Partner 2 gently brings one foot at a time to rest on Partner 1’s hips.

For more information about kids’, family, and pre- and postnatal yoga classes, visit evolutionprenatalandfamily.com.

Tag us on Instagram!

Moon rocks at Fairbanks Museum

Champlain Regional Model Rocket Club’s July 20 launch

Learning about the moon at ECHO

Double

PARENT PARTICIPATION

Keep cool this month at these Vermont lakes, rivers and swimming holes!

When the temps heat up, it’s nice to find a place to cool down. In our annual Daytripper family summer fun guide, we share 10 special spots to take a dip. From Willoughby Lake Beach, with its cold and clear water and sandy shore, to the Connecticut River, where families can float along on tubes and end their journey at Harpoon Brewery for cold drinks, pub food and a playground, we’ve got you covered. Check it out at kidsvt.com or pick up a Daytripper at a newsstand near you.

KIDS SAY WHAT?

COLIN, AGE 7, AFTER STEPPING ON THE SCALE

PET CORNER

Emily Grimes of Georgia Center, shared this photo of her 5-year-old son, Theo, and 12-weekold puppy, Sydney. “Our kids have waited to get a dog for two years,” wrote Grimes. “In that time, we welcomed and said goodbye to six foster dogs before the time was right for us to adopt one of our own. We finally have her and she is perfect!”

“A new high score!”

In July, Vermont sizzled during a heat wave. On Facebook, we asked readers to tell us how they stayed cool. Find their photos below:

1. Rafting on the Lamoille River, submitted by Ashley Maskell 2. Swimming and a fun hairdo, Elizabeth Bishop Williams 3. Swimming at the town beach, Gina Puente McClain 4. Sleeping with an ice pack, Emily Sorensen 5. Swimming in Hartland, Chantal Trombley Lawrence 6. The pool at Button Bay State Park, Gena Gardner 7. North Beach, Jenn Adams 8. Floating in Lake St. Catherine, Jennifer Chapdelaine 9. Jumping at Bolton Potholes, Kelly Goss 10. Dog Team Falls swimming hole, Rachel Hoffman Smith 11. Paddling at Fern Lake, Ruth Shattuck Bernstein 12. Jumping in Lake Groton, Kristen Martin

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG & ALISON NOVAK

ENTERTAINMENT Screen Time

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival’s Kids & Family Day is Wednesday, August 21, with screenings at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets to individual screenings are $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 8 to 17, and free for children under 8. For more information, visit middfilmfest.org.

CHILD SAFETY Safe Sleep

Seventh Generation aims to replace every potentially harmful nap mat in Vermont preschools and childcare centers in the next five years. Chemicals in flame retardants used in mats have been linked to cancer, obesity, early puberty and nervous system harm, according to Toxic-Free Future, a Seattle nonprofit. Children are exposed when the chemicals break down, escape through seams and tears, contaminate dust and air, and are ingested or inhaled. The NAP MAT EXCHANGE PROGRAM, run by the Seventh Generation Foundation, replaced almost 850 mats at 113 Vermont centers last year and aims to replace 3,000 more this year. A 2018 study conducted by Toxic-Free Future and Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental A airs showed that removing foam nap mats containing chemical flame retardants can lower the level of chemicals in dust by as much as 90 percent. Seventh Generation is supplying Made Safecertified mats from Naturepedic. Made from organic cotton, they contain no polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane foam, phthalates or added chemicals. Vermont has nearly 15,000 childcare slots for children ages 2 to 5, so Seventh Generation plans to donate 15,000 mats by the time the program ends, says Kay Gebhardt, senior sustainability scientist at Seventh Generation. “We literally want to make sure that every child in the state of Vermont who is in child care is able to go to sleep on a nontoxic nap mat.” —MAL

Seventh Generation Foundation will accept 2019 Nap Mat Exchange Program applications between Aug. 1 and Oct. 1. Apply online at seventhgenerationfoundation.org/category/ nap-mat-exchange-program.

The Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, a five-day celebration of films made by first- and second-time filmmakers, will include a full day of films and activities geared to young cinephiles. KIDS & FAMILY DAY takes place on Wednesday, August 21, at the Marquis theater in downtown Middlebury. Festivities kick o with a screening of Storm Boy, a live-action film based on a popular Australian children’s book about a boy who rescues and raises an injured pelican. It stars Geo rey Rush and is recommended for ages 8 and up. Next up is Liyana (pictured at left), for ages 10 and up, a hybrid documentary-animated film about five children in the African kingdom of Eswatini who turn past trauma into a fable. Tito and the Birds, an edgy, subversive animated Brazilian film, caps o the lineup. In Portugese with English subtitles, it’s recommended for kids 12 and up. In addition to the screenings, the Marquis Café will o er a kids’ menu and an array of board games on loan from local game shop Tinker and Smithy. Workshops that teach about Claymation and how to film a chase scene will give kids the opportunity to imagine themselves behind the movie camera. —AN

COMMUNITY SERVICE Roses for Rosie

In July, Vermont became the 25th state to have a ROSIE THE RIVETER MEMORIAL ROSE GARDEN

The Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains helped to install the garden — commemorating the contributions of women who joined the workforce during World War II — at Camp Farnsworth in Thetford Center. It contains two rose bushes bordered by pavers. Madeleine LeBeau, a Gold Award Girl Scout from Virginia, has joined a national campaign to install the gardens as part of her iWitnessed-iRemember (iWiRe) Gold Award project. The Gold Award is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and requires a Girl Scout to initiate meaningful, sustainable change locally, nationally or globally through a project. Madeleine, who will be a high school senior this fall, o ers teens opportunities to learn about World War II directly from veterans, civilians and concentration camp survivors, then apply their lessons to service projects. She and her parents visited Camp Farnsworth in July and taught day campers there about the working women of World War II, who came to be represented by media icon Rosie the Riveter. The campers made three tied fleece blankets to donate to veterans and decorated pavers to encircle the garden. They also got to chat via speakerphone with a real-life Rosie, Bertha Glavin, 93, of Quincy, Mass., who told them about making raincoats for Navy sailors. Speaking at the dedication, Edna Curtin, regent for the Vermont State Society Daughters of the American Revolution, pointed out a T-shirt one girl was wearing, saying it summed up what women can do: Dream, Believe, Achieve, Repeat. —MAL Learn more at Spiritof45.org

Girls at Camp Farnsworth flank the new Rosie the Riveter garden

Ted, Winnie, Charlotte, Russell, Josephine & Desi Looby

Kids VT: You have older kids and younger kids and you all still live together!

Ted: We do! At the Rose Street Artists’ Co-op. We’ve lived there since Charlotte was about 3. We love it, and it also just makes sense economically.

Winnie: We’re really used to being in the same space. A while back we were housesitting for some friends with a really big house, many bedrooms, lots of room to spread out. And we all still just kind of hung out in the same room together!

KVT: Charlotte is a junior at UVM studying theater, and Winnie, you teach there, is that right?

Winnie: Yes, I teach Race and Racism in the U.S., the Culture of Disability, and Disability Studies and Media Representation. It’s great, but very busy!

KVT: And Ted, you are currently homeschooling Josephine and Desi. How’s it going?

Ted: We’ve been doing it for the last two years. I love it! It’s relieved a lot of anxiety for everyone, I think.

Winnie: Yeah, everything is a lot more mellow.

KVT: Does it allow you to spend more family time together?

Ted: Definitely. We can make our own schedule, and we just get started when we get started. Sometimes we do things in the evening, sometimes even on the weekends. Last year, we were able to take a trip together to North Carolina. It gives us those kind of options.

Winnie, 48, and Ted, 53, with kids (from bottom to top) Russell, 19, Charlotte, 21, Josephine, 13 and Desi, 11, at Roosevelt Park in Burlington

Barr Hill Natural Area

1521 Barr Hill Rd., Greensboro

W ndertee

While, for some, the name Barr Hill conjures top-shelf Vermont-distilled spirits, it also belongs to a family-friendly hiking area in the Northeast Kingdom. Earlier this summer, my husband, Jason, our 16-month-old daughter, Jimi, and I checked it out while vacationing in the area — a summer tradition for my extended family. We rented three neighboring houses on Caspian Lake and spent our days enjoying low-key outings, including visits to Willey’s Store for sweet strawberries and local cheese, to Pete’s Greens farmstand for fresh produce and meat, and to Cassie’s Corner for ice cream. We took leisurely bike rides on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, but we also tried to get out to stretch our legs.

Barr Hill Natural Area is a 256-acre preserve owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy of Vermont. Philip Gray Sr. donated the land, which is immortalized in Wallace Stegner’s classic novel, Crossing to Safety. On a bright June morning — armed with snacks, water, bug spray, sunscreen and a hiking backpack — we drove to the trail head, which is about 10 minutes east of the lake.

There are two well-maintained trails to choose from — a 1/3-mile and a 4/5-mile loop. Keeping in mind a toddler’s average attention span, we chose the shorter one. After a quick climb up a gradual hill covered with ferns, we entered a lush forest. Jimi was eager to get out of her backpack and walk over the gentle terrain while holding our hands. Along the way, we passed tall conifers; red spruce; and hardwood trees, including sugar maple, yellow birch and beech. Jason and I attempted to point out the different types of trees to Jimi, but she was more interested in the wood chips at her feet.

Informational pamphlets point out natural features marked by letters posted near each. You can see a 2-footwide trough that a glacier gouged in bedrock, a granite boulder dragged and dropped by a glacier 10,000 years ago, and black rock that began as mud at the bottom of a sea 425 million years ago.

Also fun to see is the collection of fairy houses between markers K and L.

In the 1800s, this hill was cleared for timber and potash, then pastured for sheep for the woolen mill industry. It was named for the A.E. Barr family, who lived in the area around 1800 and grew potatoes. My favorite stops were C, a conifer-framed view of the lake and J, a panorama to the northwest of Belvidere Mountain, Haystack Mountain and Jay Peak.

The short loop took us just half an hour at toddler speed. It concludes at a flower-filled field, a scenic spot for pictures. After stopping for a few family photos, we headed to the car — and back to Caspian Lake for a refreshing afternoon dip. K

SAND & SUN

If you’re looking for a beach with clean water and no crowds, it’s hard to beat CASPIAN LAKE calm, clear glacial lake covers nearly 800 acres and has a maximum depth of 142 feet. Summer cottages and year-round residences dot the shores. The only public access for swimming and boating is CASPIAN PUBLIC BEACH (125 Beach Rd., Greensboro). The sand is a bit rocky, so wearing water shoes is a good idea. There is a free parking lot, several bathrooms and a small changing area. Motorboats are allowed on the lake, but the daytime 40-mph speed limit and shallow boat launch helps keep them pretty mellow. Fishing for trout is also a popular activity. My daughter preferred the clusters of minnows that circled our feet as we enjoyed the cool water. WILLEY’S STORE just down the street at 7 Breezy Ave., is a good place to pick up bait and beach snacks.

A rainbow over Caspian Lake

Molly, Jason and Jimi

Beat the Heat

Nature activities for the dog days of summer

Swimming, vacation, creemees and everything bursting with lush green life; I like summer as much as the next person. However, I don’t always love the heat. When it’s particularly humid, or when it doesn’t cool down at night, I find myself wanting to hide in the basement. Since my son, Jesse, was born 11 years ago, I’ve been cultivating a list of hot-weather nature activities that don’t leave my family wilted and grumpy. Here are some of my favorites:

what naturalist Jon Young calls “baseline” and “alarm” calls. You’ll also start to distinguish between the sounds birds make in the morning and at night, in sun and rain, and in the treetops and on the ground.

Find a sit spot: Choose a special outdoor place where you and your kids can go each day, or every once in a while, where you can get comfortable being still, quiet and alone. The spot can be in your backyard, at the park down the street, or anywhere that is easy to access.

When you come back inside, tell your kids about the plants, animals and sounds you noticed, and listen eagerly to their observations. Even ants and dandelions can be interesting if you look at them long enough.

Learn bird language:

This basically just means, “start paying more attention to birds.” I’ve been a novice birder since 1996. (In other words, I am never going to be a great birder.)

When I started listening to bird language, I was amazed at how much I was able to see and hear when I wasn’t using all my energy trying to identify each bird. My family sits on our back porch — under a ceiling fan — to watch the very ordinary birds in our backyard, and we are regularly swept up in the drama that occurs. We’ve seen birds ferociously dive-bombing squirrels, and grackles hovering anxiously over their youngsters. Google “learn bird language” and you’ll find multiple books, articles and videos suggesting things you can do to tune in. The gist of it is to just start paying attention to how and when birds make noise. Before you know it, you’ll notice the differences between

Go to Secret Mountain: My friend Carolyn, who is wise in the ways of children, taught me about this one. Give a special name to a wild or semi-wild place that’s easy to get to from your house. It’s great if you can get there without a car. Announce that you’d like to take a trip to Secret Mountain (or whatever you’ve named your spot). Bring lunch. You’ll be surprised by how magical it is.

Hunt for hemlocks: Eastern hemlock trees typically grow on cooler northern and eastern slopes, and in shady ravines. They also have such dense needles that almost nothing underneath them can get enough light to grow. As a result, it feels cooler when you’re under hemlocks. In the Burlington area, some of my favorite hemlock groves are in Centennial Woods and at Rock Point in Burlington, and in Old Mill Park in Jericho.

Take the Seven Bug Challenge: I learned this one from my friend, Teage O’Connor, who talks about it on his blog at phyllotaxy. com. “I choose a shrub or tree and then I can’t leave until I spot seven different types of insects (when I get antsy I’ll include slugs and snails),” he writes. O’Connor does this with the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America hand, but I don’t mind not knowing the names of things. You can get to seven faster by going to a place with lots of flowers and counting repeat visits by the same insect. If you try this, you might find yourself surprised by how happening the insect scene is.

Walk in a mountain stream: When my family starts getting crabby from the heat, we have a particular mountain stream we like to go walking in. You don’t need a swimming hole, just a pull-off on a road nearby. We wear water shoes and climb from rock to rock. Even half an hour of doing this will cool you off as much as a swim because the water is so frigid. Many trailheads start near streams, so keep an eye out for one on your next hike.

Find an old photo of a place you know: Search the digital archive created by University of Vermont’s Landscape Change Program at uvm.edu/landscape for historical photos of places you’ve been before, then revisit them to compare how they look today. I like to search the archive by town.

Here’s to fun in the sun — and the shade! K

Taking a dip in a brook on Camel’s Hump

Heather Fitzgerald teaches field ecology and environmental science at the Community College of Vermont and the University of Vermont.

Heather and Jesse look for bugs at Rock Point in Burlington

A sit spot at Shelburne Farms

A hemlock forest in Old Mill Park in Jericho

White Gazpacho or Ajo Blanco

Chill out with his no-cook soup from Southern Spain

This summer has certainly served up some hot, humid days — the kind of days we know we have to eat something, but little appeals. In my house, we’ve had our share of charcuterie platters and sandwiches for dinner, but a chilled soup is another, more interesting option for unpleasantly warm weather.

Many people are familiar with traditional gazpacho, which is almost like salsa in soup form — full of chunky

INGREDIENTS:

(serves 4)

• 1 cup raw almonds

• 2 slices sourdough bread

• 1 cup milk

• 2 cups cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped (Leave a few pieces unpeeled for garnish.)

• 1 cup green grapes, plus a few extra for garnish

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon sherry or white wine vinegar

• 2 pieces prosciutto for garnish

• 4-8 chives for garnish

• 1-2 tablespoons good-quality olive oil for garnish

tomatoes and peppers. I’ve seen many variations of the dish, including those that incorporate watermelon or cantaloupe. For this recipe, I wanted to make something that was rooted in tradition. Enter ajo blanco — a white gazpacho from the Andalusian region of Spain. Internet research suggests this dish might date back as far back as Roman times.

There are different ways to make it. I chose a recipe that requires no cooking

DIRECTIONS:

at all. You can easily make this a vegan dish by replacing the milk with water or a non-dairy beverage like almond, coconut or rice milk; using vegan bread; and leaving off the crispy prosciutto. This is the kind of soup that gets more flavorful as it rests, so it would be a good dish to make ahead of time for company. It’s especially pretty if you get creative with the garnishes. K

1. Blanch almonds by boiling them in a small pot of water for 1 minute, then drain them and run them under cold water. Remove the skins by carefully pinching the almonds; the skins should easily slip off.

2. Cut the bread slices into quarters and soak in milk along with the almonds, for at least 20 minutes.

3. In a blender, combine the cucumber, grapes, garlic, milk-soaked bread and almonds, and vinegar. Blend on high speed until the soup is creamy and smooth. Chill for at least one hour before serving. (Note: I learned from experience that using an immersion blender or food processor does not give the soup a creamy texture, so stick with a regular blender.)

4. To garnish: Thinly slice several grapes (5-6 slices per serving of soup). Thinly slice cucumber (into decorative flower shapes if desired). Place prosciutto between two paper towels and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until crispy, or crisp it up in a pan for a minute or so. Cut chives in half. Top each bowl of soup with grape and cucumber slices, a few pieces of chive, and a small piece of crispy prosciutto. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

How Do Kids Benefit From Nature-Based Counseling?

On a steamy July afternoon, licensed marriage and family therapist Christian Dymond splashes through the ankle-deep stream that meanders across his property, not even trying to keep his feet dry. We stop at a large metal culvert that runs beneath a road where many of his young clients like to play. Dymond, who looks to his surroundings for metaphors to apply in his counseling, tells his clients that he calls this spot “the birthing canal,” because getting into nature can be a form of renewal.

As we pick our way through ferncovered woods, we are accompanied by two of Dymond’s six border collies, who eagerly wait for one of us to toss them a ball. Outside his barn, we watch Trudy, a 10-year-old llama, rolling happily in the dirt.

Forty-two-year-old Dymond runs his practice, Nature-Centered Psychotherapy, from his Milton home, set on a hillside and surrounded by 10 acres of woods, meadows and gardens. He recalls what a professor once told him: “There’s no evidence that says therapy has to take place behind four walls.”

Dymond treats children and adults of all ages for a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, anger, and other behavioral and emotional disturbances. He says he can tell almost immediately how much time his clients spend outdoors. Some kids are “super-hikers” who will go outside in any weather and jump on rocks and walk across logs with ease. Others tend to trip over tree roots and get freaked out by insects and small critters. The latter, Dymond says, typically suffer from what author and journalist Richard Louv once dubbed “nature-deficit disorder” — too much time spent on video screens, and not enough time in the natural world.

The son of a Canadian diplomat, Dymond grew up in Ottawa and fell in love with nature at the age of 8 while at summer camp. He attended boarding school at Vermont Academy, in Saxtons River, then earned his undergraduate degree at Johnson State College, before completing his master’s degree in marriage and family counseling at Antioch University – New England, in Keene, N.H. He and his wife homeschool their two daughters on the land they’ve owned since 2003.

Though Dymond does some officebased work, he says that most of his real

progress with clients occurs outdoors, where frogs, mushrooms, bees and stinging nettles provide countless opportunities for learning empathy, coping with adversity and being in the moment. Occasionally, a client will see a snake, which may trigger a strong visceral reaction. Dymond says he always tries to capitalize on those unplanned encounters.

Sometimes those events give the client some breathing room after getting too close to an old wound or painful trauma. Dymond recalls the experience of talking to a father and son, the former of whom began opening up about his abusive father. Suddenly a pair of owls began screeching.

“We stopped that conversation and watched the owls talk to each other, and then went back to that hard talk,” Dymond recalls. “That conversation is very hard to have in an office.”

Though Dymond’s task is often to help clients untangle the emotional knots that bind them, it may not seem like work to them. Dymond was once counseling a teen who was living with his grandparents because his parents had been jailed. As the youth later told his grandmother, “I really like spending time with Christian, but he really ought to get himself a job.”

KIDS VT: How do you describe what you do?

CHRISTIAN DYMOND: I call my practice Nature-Centered Psychotherapy, but it’s hard to put a finger on what I’m doing. It’s therapy, but we’re doing it while we’re doing other activities, like walking by the creek or working in the garden. It all involves animals — walking the llama or my dogs or just being outside. It’s very relational. I really try to be a positive force in a person’s life.

KVT: How does the process unfold?

CD: First, I assess the parents. Say it’s a kid who’s acting up in school. I’ll work with the parents first, in the office, and I’ll help them develop some coping skills. Even in nature-based therapy we’re looking at emotions. So how do we help those emotions come out in healthy ways? Because I love nature and believe it’s such a powerful, healing force, if kids are on technology too much, we’ve got to limit it. The kid will often be sitting there, quiet and anxious, and then I’ll ask, “OK, do you want to go

see the farm?” That’s when my job gets fun because we get to go into the woods. And they tell me all the time, “Therapy is so fun.” Kids shouldn’t have to hate therapy. For some kids, this is the best part of their week.

KVT: What does research say about this approach?

CD: There’s tons of research on the benefits of being in nature and natural daylight. But these days, so many kids are indoors and glued to a screen and don’t play outside anymore. For kids who are playing a lot of video games, their brain is constantly doing one thing — overemphasizing the prefrontal cortex. But what does the brain do when we’re sitting by the creek, listening to moving water, trying to catch a frog? That’s when I get interested. So we’re getting the benefits of walking outside and breathing and being among the trees and how that balances the brain. And the benefits of being with the dogs and the brain circuitry that grows from that interaction. And the repetitive movements of walking and throwing the ball. Or the calming effect of just sitting up against a tree.

KVT: Are kids more willing to open up if they’re not in an office?

CD: I wondered this myself, so I asked a few of my clients what they like about this approach to therapy. They all say it’s really nice not to sit face-to-face in an office because that makes them feel intimidated.

KVT: How do you gauge their progress?

CD: It depends on why they’re coming to me. One sign of progress is that they look forward to coming. Hopefully we start seeing decreased behavioral issues at school, and kids are talking to their parents and communicating more of their thoughts and feelings. Some kids are so shut down that I’m just giving them a safe place to be. We’re letting nature and the dogs do all the work.

KVT: Is there a spiritual component to your work?

CD: I don’t call myself religious. I definitely feel a connection with nature, but I don’t use spiritual language much... These kids spend so much time with technology, they stop noticing the outside world. So I look at nature as an initiation. If I have a church, it’s out here in the woods. K

COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN DYMOND

WITH THERAPIST CHRISTIAN DYMOND • INTERVIEW COMPILED AND CONDENSED BY KEN PICARD

Christian Dymond and llama Trudy

BOOKWORMS BY BRETT ANN STANCIU

Trail Tales

Take a stroll on the wild side with these story walks

The idea behind a story walk is simple — take apart a picture book and post its laminated pages along a trail. Families then enjoy an outdoor saunter, paired with reading enrichment.

The Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier hosts a loaning library of more than three dozen StoryWalks, created and trademarked by Montpelier resident Anne Ferguson and available for any Vermonter to borrow. The daughter of a librarian, Ferguson brainstormed the idea in 2007 with support from Kellogg-Hubbard program and development coordinator Rachel Senechal. Other communities have created their own literary walks.

Bree Drapa, director of the Westford Public Library, says the activity benefits emerging readers, who “can build their skills in a fun and new environment — working on confidence, reading out loud, comprehension and sequencing skills.”

For six years, her library has partnered with the Westford Conservation Commission to set up a story walk next to Westford School (146 Brookside Rd.). In keeping with this year’s library summer reading theme of “A Universe of Stories,” Drapa chose Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman, a zany book with silly, colorful illustrations by Ben Cort.

For three years, Enosburg Falls Elementary School librarian and enrichment teacher Joanne Allen has installed story walks — thanks to a grant from RiseVT Franklin & Grand Isle Counties — on the Brownway River Trail, which follows the Missisquoi River. The walks can be accessed at the school, at 303 Dickinson Ave. Allen changes the story every two weeks through the end of October. Her choices have encompassed topics including friendship, problem-solving, risk-taking and gardening. In May, Vermont author Christy Mihaly visited the school and read her picture book Hey, Hey, Hay!, the featured walk at the time.

As a grandparent, Allen says she enjoys the relaxation of reading on a mowed trail away from traffic. As an educator, she appreciates the opportunity “to read outside with my classes, infuse movement, and pair activity with literacy.” K

Five Other Story Walks To Explore

• The Fair Haven Free Library (107 N. Main St.) pairs a scavenger hunt with its August story, Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins. The walk begins on the north end of Fair Haven Park (the village green). Scavenger hunt sheets are available at the library or the town’s Thursday Concerts in the Park.

• Rebecca Ventola, youth services librarian at Manchester Community Library (138 Cemetery Ave.) directs visitors to Violet’s Music by Angela Johnson, placed along the library’s adjacent trail, and Rescue and Jessica: A LifeChanging Friendship by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes on the town’s recreational center trail (340 Recreation Park Rd.). These walks, she said, capture “the essence of Vermont by combining nature with exercise and education.”

• The South Burlington Public Library oversees a story walk in Wheeler Nature Park (1100 Dorset St.) Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman will be

followed by Eric Seltzer’s Space Cows. A story time is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 10:30 a.m.

• The Lamoille Family Center (480 Cady’s Falls Rd., Morrisville) hosts a story walk on woodsy trails, with August’s title Here We Go ’Round the Mulberry Bush by Iza Trapani. Family Center staffer Debbie Trombly created the story walk, with her husband’s help, about five years ago after being inspired by a story walk at Shelburne Farms. Trombly changes the story seasonally. Completing the walk counts as an educational activity required for families receiving Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition services.

• Marita Bathe-Schine, children’s librarian at Lawrence Memorial Library in Bristol, posted Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell with illustrations by Melissa Iwai on the Bristol Green Playground. BatheSchine says that “moving while absorbing a story and returning to it multiple times” is a great activity for young children.

The Lamoille Family Center in Morrisville created its story walk trail five years ago and changes the featured book seasonally

Summer in Vermont

Cool facts about hot topics, from ice cream (yay!) to mosquitoes (boo!)

MORE THAN

50 TO 75 Number of flavors Ben & Jerry’s has available at any given time

3,000

Number of species of mosquitoes in the world

2 WEEKS TO 6 MONTHS Average lifespan of a mosquito

400 Approximate number of pints Ben & Jerry’s produces per minute

30 BELOW ZERO The temperature inside Ben & Jerry’s spiral hardener

22

Number of home games the Vermont Mountaineers New England Collegiate Baseball League team have this season SOURCE:

1 TO 1.5 MPH Flight speed of a mosquito

1 TO 3 MILES Flight range for most mosquitoes

38

Number of home games the Vermont Lake Monsters minor league baseball team have this season

Vermont has 55 state parks offering:

2,225 campsites 605 lean-tos 49 cabins 20 beaches

1949

Year with the hottest summer on record in Burlington

84.5 DEGREES

Average high temperature that year

1912

Burlington’s coldest summer

73.1 DEGREES

Average high temperature that year

8

Longest string of days hitting 90 degrees or higher in Burlington (in 1944) (2018 had six, putting it in a four-way tie for second place.)

105 DEGREES

Highest temperature recorded in Vermont (in Vernon, on July 4th, 1911)

60 BELOW ZERO The temperature with windchill from fans figured in

48 PINTS

Twin popsicles were invented during the Depression so 2 children could share 1 treat.

Amount of ice cream the average American eats each year, more than people in any other country

1 IN 10 people admit to licking the bowl clean after eating ice cream.

1 IN 5 share with their pet

1,010,050 Total number of visitors in 2018 SOURCE:

79 DEGREES

Average high temperature in Vermont in August

58.5 DEGREES

Average low temperature in Vermont in August

SOURCE:

Fairy House Building

Sally Smith spent her “wild and free-range” childhood roaming Shelburne Farms and camping in the woods with her father, nature photographer Clyde H. Smith. Those early rambles inspire her work as an artist and architect of fairy houses. Twenty of her whimsical creations are on display at Middlebury’s Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History through Sept. 1.

Now residing in Wadhams, N.Y., Smith credits her youthful wanderings among Shelburne Farms’ impressive buildings with instilling in her an appreciation for towers and turrets.

Those experiences sparked her to think beyond the clichéd house with a white picket fence and ask What does ‘home’ mean? What is architecture? “I was blessed,” she says.

Smith traveled a winding path to fairy house construction. She worked as a graphic artist and illustrator until she discovered, in 2006, that she “just couldn’t paint anymore.” An art therapist coach advised her to think about what kind of work she was most passionate about.

At the time, she was influenced by the work of Andy Goldsworthy, a sculptor well-known for creating pieces within landscapes. She admired his spontaneity and use of natural materials, like flowers, clay and rocks, and realized her creative

interest lay in environmental sculpture, which incorporates materials from the natural world. Although she had made many fairy houses as a young girl, her first adult creation was constructed completely from ice. “I loved it,” she says. She began a new phase of her artistic career, rooted in her early childhood experiences.

At the Henry Sheldon Museum, her houses range in size from approximately 12 to 18 inches. The elaborately crafted tiny houses are built primarily from natural materials, including stone or fungus bases, birch bark walls, and curved twigs around windows. Intended to remain permanently indoors, these creations also contain sparkling jewels, brightly colored silk leaves, needle-felted roofs and battery-powered lights. Their interiors are decorated with wallpaper, furniture, hearths and faux flowers.

Visitors to the exhibit will find these glass-enclosed diminutive creations spread throughout the museum’s permanent collection of 19th and 20th century Vermont furniture, paintings and household objects.

In an upstairs room of the museum, one corner is designated for young visitors, who are encouraged to imagine what life was like for children in historic times.

ADVICE FOR AMATEUR ARCHITECTS

Smith believes that, for children, fairy-house building should be a free-flowing process. Here are a few of her tips to get you started:

• To find materials, Smith suggests exploring your natural surroundings and seeing “what sparks the imagination.” It’s important to help your child learn what is acceptable to harvest, she adds. For example, it’s OK to pick a few wildflowers from a whole field of flowers, but a single trillium should remain untouched.

Kids can stretch out on a trundle bed, try on frontier clothing, and play with a wooden dollhouse, tea set, toy barn and covered wagon.

While the fairy houses on display are intended to be preserved, Smith also spontaneously builds others in the wild and leaves them to surprise strangers. Since those houses eventually fall apart, she uses only materials that will decompose to “avoid harming anything.”

Aspiring builders can make their own magical home using the stepby-step instructions in Smith’s Fairy Houses: How to Create Whimsical Homes for Fairy Folk , published in 2017. Unlike books written for young fairy house builders, this one offers explicit

• Children often need assistance with structural challenges, like attaching walls to a roof. Smith suggests that adults carry a spool of thread to help children fasten their structures together. Florists’ wire — which rusts, then decomposes — is also a useful connector. Smith also recommends carrying a tin of hawthorn thorns, which can be harvested any time of year and used to attach decorations.

directions in advanced techniques, from joining roof rafters to building bay windows.

For child builders, however, Smith advises parents to “let them loose” to follow their own instincts. She notes children nearly always add a path to their fairy house door, sometimes simply sweeping the dirt clear, to mark what they must instinctually know is an entryway into a magical realm. K

“Whimsical Wonders: Fairy Houses from Nature by Sally J. Smith” is on display at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, One Park St., Middlebury, through September 1. Find more at henrysheldonmuseum.org. Learn more about the artist at sallyjsmithart.com.

Smith’s Golden Cottage, made from birch bark

Smith’s Adirondack Faerie Lodge

Safe Passage

BY ALISON NOVAK • PHOTOS BY JAMES BUCK

On the South Pacific islands of Vanuatu, boys mark the passage into manhood through land diving, jumping off a wooden tower with two tree vines wrapped around their ankles. A coming-of-age ceremony among the Ticuna, indigenous people of the Northwest Amazon, involves girls spending three months to a year living alone in a small dwelling or private room after they get their first period. Facial tattoos signify the transition from childhood to adulthood in Papua New Guinea and Mali.

In the United States, however, rites of passage are typically limited to commemorative events like sweet sixteens and quinceañeras, confirmations in Catholicism, and bar and bat mitzvahs in Judaism.

On a picturesque 80 acres in Underhill on the slope of Mount Mansfield, though, one small organization is quietly working to foster teens’ transition from childhood into adulthood by helping them look within. For the past eight summers, ReTribe — an organization that provides what it calls “transformational programs” for all ages — has run Inner

Journeys, a two-week retreat designed to help usher teens into adulthood using play, therapy, nature and spirituality.

Teens, ages 14 to 19, live in single-sex dorms, rise at 7:30 a.m. to meditate, and eat healthy, organic food at every meal. Days are a mix of fun, playful activities and reflective, therapeutic ones. Ceremonies that incorporate traditions from around the world commemorate transformation and growth and create a sense of reverence for the wisdom of those who came before.

“In my view, we are sort of an acorn or a caterpillar,” explains John Hunt, who cofounded ReTribe in 2009 with his wife, Julia Hunt. “Our potential is already fully within us, but it takes work to transform ourselves, to become fully ourselves, to grow into the oak tree.”

Inner Journeys, he says, is about creating a space that allows teens “to look at themselves and see what they’d like to change and what they’d like to become.”

At the retreat, participants play wacky group games like Ninja the Flag, a nighttime iteration of Capture the Flag where

ReTribers dress up in black and wield foam swords, and watermelon water polo in the Stevensville Brook. These playful activities are woven in with workshops on nonviolent communication, consent and substance abuse; small group therapy sessions; and whole group workshops devoted to breath work, dream interpretation and inner-child healing. The last three practices are part of body psychotherapy, a school of therapy founded by Sigmund Freud protégé Wilhelm Reich that focuses on mind-body interaction.

Each morning, John leads a 45-minute meditation session that incorporates yoga, breathing, tai chi and qigong. This practice demonstrates to the teens that “the mind is a muscle that needs to have work,” explains Julia, “and if you grow those muscles of being able to focus, that will help all parts of your life.” Technology, which teens are not allowed to use during the two weeks, is so stimulating that it works against this centering and slowing down of the mind, she adds.

During daily “sit-spot time,” teens go into the woods for an hour to examine their

Marlie Hunt, 17, taking part in the re-entry ceremony on the final day of ReTribe’s Inner Journeys retreat

On 80 acres in Underhill, teens reflect on who they are and how they want to change

thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and to journal. Near the end of the retreat, they take part in a “wilderness solo,” spending seven hours, often overnight, outdoors by themselves. The rationale behind this practice is that in the absence of outside stimuli, teens are able to be more in touch with their inner psyches. During the solo,“I did a lot of contemplation about myself and my future and what I want to do,” explains 17-year-old Marlie Hunt, a longtime ReTriber and John’s younger sister. “I feel like when I’m at ReTribe, I get to think a lot more and just be more expansive and connect with people in a di erent way,” she adds.

ReTribe’s philosophy is shaped by founders John and Julia’s backgrounds and experiences, as well as those of Julia’s mother, Jane Martin, a psychotherapist who has been involved in the teen programs since they began.

John, 31, a member of the Nulhegan Band of Abenaki, was raised on an Addison County dairy farm, where, he says, he developed a strong connection to the Earth. He attended the University of Vermont for one year, then apprenticed with a variety of programs focused on experiential and outdoor learning. He ran a camp for elementary-age kids at New Village Farm in Shelburne for two years before starting ReTribe.

Julia, 32, grew up in New Jersey and attended the Waldorf School of Princeton. While taking part in a family week at Omega, a Rhinebeck, N.Y. institute that o ers holistic instruction on topics like mindfulness and the arts, she discovered Adventure Game Theater at age 12. The program incorporates improvisational theater and live-action adventure, and is now also o ered at ReTribe. As a sociology major at UVM, Julia wrote her thesis on how people live together in intentional communities.

Martin, 60, a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey and licensed clinical mental health counselor in Vermont, has been in private psychotherapy practice since 2002.

The name ReTribe is based on the idea that “there’s a wisdom in the way humans used to live in tighter communities,” says John. He sees the world as a series of concentric rings, starting with the personal and radiating out to family, to community, and all the way to the biggest ring, “One Earth Family,” which is the organization’s motto.

Twenty-five teens took part in Inner Journeys this summer. Late on a cloudy Wednesday morning in July, day 10 of the

retreat, the interplay between light-hearted silliness and deep reflection is on full display during the group’s daily morning gratitude circle. The teens and 10 sta members, some chewing long blades of grass, sit barefoot in a large circle and take turns giving thanks.

“I’m thankful for the fireflies, the moon, and the cool air and wind this morning,” shares one teen.

“I’m thankful for dinosaurs and the color red,” Emily Tompkins, the resident cook, says, to a few giggles.

The answers flow easily: I’m thankful for the folks that sang me to sleep last night... I’m thankful that I was able to make fire during my solo… I’m thankful for how beautiful the forest is at night, lit by the moon.

Julia then launches into an overview of the day’s activities. Because the teens just completed their overnight solos, the day is going to be more laid back than usual, she explains.

“Today’s schedule is…” she says, then pauses as the group pats their palms on the ground like a collective drum roll.

“Rumor on the street is that things have gotten crazy,” she continues, referring to the messy dorm rooms. Later that morning, everyone will go back to their bunks to “make sure there’s nothing really nasty in

your room,” she says. (Chores like cleaning, cooking and gardening are built into the daily schedule.) Afternoon workshops will include forest drumming, massage, and nonviolent communication, an approach to interacting with others that combines honest expression and empathetic listening. After dinner, ReTribers can choose to play board games or a group game called Silent Football, which sta member Teddy Pietrzak cryptically explains “has nothing to do with football… it’s [a game] about dictatorship.”

Before heading down to the brook for a photo, the teens organize themselves in two facing lines for an activity called Angel Walk. One by one, participants are invited to walk down the aisle between the lines with their eyes closed. As they pass, group members give them a gentle touch or whisper something in their ear that they wish people had communicated to them as a child — sentiments like “You’re beautiful” or “You’re worthy of love just as you are.” As the activity unfolds, the group sings a soft song that goes, “I behold you beautiful one/I behold you child of the Earth and the sun/Let my love wash over you/ Let my love wash over you.” A few participants quietly shed tears.

The adults who run ReTribe understand that their programs might feel strange or uncomfortable to the average teen initially.

“When they get here that first day, you can

Our potential is already fully within us, but it takes work to transform ourselves.

RETRIBE COFOUNDER

JOHN HUNT

ReTribers Peter Orzech, Riley Craig and Maddie Parker (left to right) embrace on the final day of Inner Journeys

Safe Passage

CONTINUED FROM P. 22

tell there are some teens who are like, Oh, what did I get myself into,” says Julia. But, within 24 hours, they typically settle into the environment. She thinks that’s because the nonjudgmental and supportive culture that starts from day one puts them at ease. “Humans feel good when they feel safe to be able to be themselves,” she explains.

Instead of sitting teens down and telling them what the rules are, the group comes to joint agreements on how they want the community to run and how they want to treat each other. Past agreements have included, “Let the emotions flow,” “Humor and kindness can go together” and “Invite others to join in.”

This communal mindset, in which there is an awareness about how one’s actions impact others, is a critical part of ReTribe’s DNA, says Julia. Having the Underhill land as a home base for their programs is an important step in fostering that mindset, she adds. In May 2018 — after renting land at different camps and retreat centers in Plymouth, Stannard and Starksboro — Julia, John and Martin purchased the property, formerly the site of the now-defunct Maple Leaf Treatment Center. The three live in homes on the land year-round.

Teens who have been coming to ReTribe programs for multiple years also help reinforce the strong sense of community for new participants. Sixteen-year-old Wyll Hoerres of Montpelier has attended Inner Journeys since 2017. “At the start of every retreat, I kind of have to shift into the ReTribe mode,” he says, and at the end, “I always have to recalibrate

to how things are in society.” ReTribe is an environment in which “everything is accepted; there’s not anything that’s bad or wrong, it’s just different.”

One of Wyll’s favorite activities is breath work, a set of breathing exercises which, explains Martin, is thought to create an altered state of consciousness that allows for growth and healing. Wyll describes the practice, which he’s done at every retreat, as a way to relive emotional experiences like a big fight with a parent or sibling, or the death of a loved one, “but in a safe space.”

Martin explains that breath work is one example of the Non-Ordinary State, or NOS, processes that ReTribe uses to foster transformation and healing of trauma. Many cultures induce this altered state through

fasting, isolation or the use of psychotropic substances like mushrooms or ayahuasca, an ancient Amazonian hallucinogenic brew. At Inner Journeys, the use of breath work, nature solos, and shamanic journeys and trance dance — practices that involve drumming, visualization, breathing and body movement — produce a similar outcome, without side effects. Adventure Game Theater, offered for a week in August, also creates this kind of altered state, says Martin.

ReTribe’s staff is cognizant of the fact that to be a teen today is, in some ways, more complicated and difficult than ever. Between 2009 and 2017, rates of depression among kids ages 14 to 17 increased by more than 60 percent, according to a 2019 article in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. And from 2000 to 2017, the rate of suicide among 15- to 19-year-olds rose 47 percent.

“We get handed down unhealthy habits and traumas from our parents, and what I noticed is that adults don’t really process their things until their 40s or 50s, when their life is slowing down,” says John. “And so I thought, if we actually started working with young people, we could create a stronger cultural shift.” The organization’s programs for younger kids use a framework of play to create a beneficial and healthy environment, he explains. Teens, though, have a greater capacity for thinking about “how they are in the world and what they want to become as an adult,” says John, so activities are more reflective and intellectual.

There is some research to support the idea that reflecting on one’s feelings is helpful in combating depression. A recent study published in the journal Emotion finds that teenagers who can describe their negative emotions in precise and nuanced ways are better protected against depression than teens who describe their feelings in more general terms. And though Inner Journeys is not specifically designed for teens with mental health issues, “our systems are designed to meet the teens where they are,” says Martin. The mix of participants — some who are psychologically healthy and others struggling with issues like trauma, depression and eating disorders — leads to a powerful learning environment, she adds. Teens develop empathy and compassion and come to understand the importance of not judging others. More troubled participants have a chance to see what healthy relationships look like, and learn that, despite

I came here, and I kind of learned to love myself.

PETER ORZECH, 18

Clockwise from top ReTribe leader and psychotherapist Jane Martin: ReTribe staff member Emily DiPaola: Wyll Hoerres, 16

outward appearances, everyone has their own struggles.

Mary Claire DeHaven, a psychotherapist in private practice in Middlebury, learned about ReTribe when her son, now 19, attended a camp run by John and Julia at Willowell in Monkton when he was 12. He’s since attended multiple Adventure Game Theater and Inner Journeys sessions, and she’s recommended the programs to other parents. Each time her son returned from a retreat, DeHaven says, “he was obviously at a new level of maturity,” both in his ability to share more deeply about himself and to explore interesting ideas and insights that he had.

Teens today are dealing with a lot, including self-esteem issues, social anxiety and anger, she adds, and Inner Journeys is a place where they can work through their issues, while being “accepted for who they are, and celebrated for who they are.”

Eighteen-year-old Peter Orzech, a recent graduate of Middlebury High School, who has been coming to ReTribe programs since 2012, would likely agree with that assertion. When he was younger, he harbored a lot of insecurity about people not liking him, he says, which manifested itself as anger and treating people unkindly. “And then I came here, and I kind of learned to love myself,” he says. Therapeutic practices, like breath work and daily meditation, have helped to give him

a strong sense of self and to release internalized anger. Even when he’s not at ReTribe, he regularly meditates to the sound of running water or birds to focus his mind.

Emily DiPaola, a Montessori teacher in Rochester, N.Y., who has been working with teens at ReTribe for six summers, says it’s powerful and personally affecting to see them change over the course of the retreat.

“I see a really shy person get to release and scream and yell and cry. I see a teen who’s kind of hard and seems angry soften and smile,” she explains.

“And watching them love each other makes me love more and become softer myself.”

The transformation has been profound for 18-year-old Riley Craig of Montpelier, who has been attending ReTribe retreats since he was 11. For many years, he struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts. ReTribe, he says, “has shaped most of my entire being” and “basically saved my life.” The therapeutic work he’s done at the retreats “often gives me insight into myself that I didn’t necessarily have before,” and has helped with issues related to self-esteem and unhealthy relationships.

“This is such an emotionally fulfilling and intimate space,” he says, “and also this is where my deepest connections are… These are the people I live for.” K

Kids have questions. We find answers.

NOT YOUR PARENTS’ PLAYGROUNDS

BY ALISON NOVAK

Playgrounds today offer more than just swings and slides. Here are three community-created spaces that provide endless opportunities for fun. Find 10 more stellar play spaces on page 27.

IF YOU BUILD IT

In just three days last fall, community volunteers and Norwich University cadets built a playground in the center of Northfield Falls. A lime-green house with a crooked door and windows beckons young visitors, who can then dart away to see-saw or swing with a friend, create imaginary concoctions in a mud kitchen, or play a vertical xylophone.

Designed to engage kids’ senses, the Northfield Falls Community Playground also features a long bench with a panel of play steering wheels in front of it, a bright-blue climbing dome, and a rainbow garden with plants in an array of colors and textures. Other natural features include a “dry river,” a curvy collection of smooth stones; a pathway of tree stumps; and a cluster of small grassy hills perfect for baby tummy time. A hard-packed track around the playground’s periphery allows for walking with strollers. Benches and a covered area that provides shade ensure that parents are comfortable as well.

A hit with kids, the playground also has become a meet-up spot for parents to get “a chance to get to know each other, find out about what resources there are in the community and commiserate with each other,” said Bonnie Kirn Donahue, a parent and landscape designer who oversaw its construction.

The playground, geared to kids 6 and under, is the product of community collaboration funded by a federal grant. In 2017, Northfield was one of 10 Vermont communities to receive a $150,000 Promise Communities grant designed to promote kindergarten readiness. Once they learned they’d won the money, community members met in workshops and at dinners to figure out the best way to spend it.

At the time, there was no central place to play, said Northfield Promise Community project manager Donahue. The only playground was a 15-minute walk — uphill.

In addition to the playground, the grant funded a treehouse-inspired story time pavilion behind Northfield’s Brown Public Library.

The pavilion, known as the Magical Storytime Treehouse, was built in December by the Treehouse Guys of Warren (see “Natural Builder” sidebar, page 26). Constructed of Vermont-sourced locust, it is designed to feel magical and spark imagination, said Donahue. This summer, it has been used for story hours and playtime, said children’s librarian and parent Rebecca Pearish, who has been involved in the project since its early stages. The structure, she continued, is fenced in, which provides peace of mind for parents. And this summer she’s stocked it with wooden blocks and chalk to promote learning and fun.

IF YOU GO: Brown Public Library is located at 93 S. Main St. in Northfield. Northfield Falls Community Playground is located off Davis Avenue in Northfield Falls. Northfield also is the home of five covered bridges. Three of them — the Upper Cox, Lower Cox and Northfield Falls covered bridges — are located a quarter mile from each other on Cox Brook Road. Pick up food at the Falls General Store (7 Cox Brook Rd., Northfield Falls), a natural food market, café and bakery. Or check out Carrier Roasting (17 East St., Northfield), a new coffee bar and roastery, or Two Wooden Spoons (7 South Main St., Northfield), a bakery that specializes in homemade granola, sweets and bread.

Clockwise from above: Northfield Falls Community Playground, its playhouse and mud kitchen, storytime pavilion at Northfield’s Brown Public Library

Sweet spots to climb, run and explore

ALL ABOARD!

Once again there is a train stretched along the former Lamoille Valley Railroad tracks. This one’s designed for kids.

Inside the train-themed playground’s engine and attached coal car is an organ-like instrument that’s played with paddles. The engine boiler functions as a climbing tunnel, and the smoke stack is made with two steel wheel rims welded onto a piece of pipe. Kids can pump a handle to blow the train whistle. A speaking tube runs from the engine to the caboose, which has a slide and a chalkboard. There are also two ore cars — one with two slides and a pipe chime and the other loaded with sand and sandbox toys.

A free-standing play water tower nearby has a climbing pole, an enclosed circular slide, and galvanized buckets and an old washboard underneath to bang on. A separate dining car, open on one side, has three booths for picnicking and is attached to a platform that offers maps of the area, a directory of local businesses, a history display and poems about the Brewster River watershed written by local elementary school students. Recent additions include a balance beam and picnic table.

The train was designed by Peter Ingvoldstad, who learned to build playgrounds while working at Smugglers’

ALL ARE WELCOME

For years, St. Albans residents Valdemar and Bridget Garibay — the parents of four young children — dreamed of building a community playground to promote kids’ health. Last summer, when Valdemar met with Dave Kimel, then director of Collins Perley Sports and Fitness Center, to discuss updating some worn-out exercise equipment, Kimel mentioned that the fitness center could also use a new playground. For the Garibays, that was a call to action.

In July, a 10,000-square-foot playground, designed for ages 2 to 12, opened to the public following a four-day community build that enlisted around 25 volunteers. A ramp allows wheelchair access to the main play structure. The playground also boasts a

Bottom: The playground’s dining car

Notch from 1976 to 2008. He ran the resort’s ski school and summer camp and, he says, learned to “do just about everything to make a living in between seasons.” That included helping to construct the resort’s playgrounds and water parks. In that role, he learned how to build structures that met safety regulations at a reasonable cost.

When the Lamoille County Planning Commission received a $250,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission to fund six trailheads along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in 2012, Ingvoldstad had already come up with a train-themed playground design for the Cambridge Junction trailhead.

More than half of the Northern Border grant money — $134,000 — went to the project, which was completed in April 2017 by Burlington-based Cut-Right Concrete & Demolition. Cambridge Area Rotary helped with staining the wood and

landscaping, and Ingvoldstad built some of the smaller playground features. Ingvoldstad visits the site regularly and says he receives lots of positive feedback from families. A moms club meets there regularly, and the childcare center at Smugglers’ Notch has lunch and

playtime at the playground once a week. And, because it’s right on the Rail Trail, it’s the perfect place for little ones to tire themselves out before being buckled into a bike carrier so their parents can burn off a little energy themselves.

IF YOU GO: The Cambridge Junction Trailhead Playground is located on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, approximately one mile from downtown Jeffersonville via Greenway Trail, Route 15 and Route 108. Bring a picnic to eat in the playground’s dining car or stop at natural foods purveyor The Farm Store (168 Main St., Jeffersonville) or the Burger Barn (4968 Route 15, Jeffersonville), a roadside stand with a wide variety of burger options that’s open from May to October.

twisty rainbow-shaped ladder called a DNA climber, a geodesic climbing dome, a spinning wheel that holds up to 10 kids and animal-shaped spring riders for young children. Swings include a swaying, bouncing wheelchair-accessible Alta Glide, a saucer swing for multiple kids, and a generation swing that allows parents and children to swing together. Because the playground is part of a fitness complex that includes sports fields and a walking path — plus lots of parking — it is especially convenient for local families and physical therapists who work with children, said Valdemar.

The Garibays, who own research products manufacturer Med Associates, funded a large chunk of the $131,000 project. Additional money came from 42 donors,

including the Knights of Columbus, BFA-St. Albans Class of 2019, the Rotary Club of St. Albans, small foundations and individuals. Northwestern Medical Center, RiseVT-Franklin & Grand Isle Counties,

and Collins Perley provided additional support. During the lengthy planning process, there were around 14 design changes, said Valdemar. Many geared to

Top: Cambridge Junction Trailhead Playground

The main play structure at the Community Playground at Collins Perley

COURTESY OF VALDEMAR GARIBAY

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LAIRD MACDOWELL

Natural Builder

A longtime treehouse designer reflects on his lofty line of work

BY ALISON NOVAK

For most of us, treehouses are just a fun place to play. But for Warren resident James “B’fer ” Roth they’ve also provided a career path that included a stint as a reality TV show star.

Roth, 61, goes by B’fer — a shortened version of “B for Burton,” his middle name. Like the branches of a tree, his life has led in many different directions.

His roots are in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he grew up in the 1950s and ’60s with three siblings in a home his dad designed and built. After completing two years at Michigan State University, Roth hitchhiked around the country, then “stumbled to Vermont,” where he graduated from Johnson State College with a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1982. He worked as a rustic furniture maker and instructor at Waitsfield’s Yestermorrow Design/Build School and, in his late 20s, lived in a treehouse he constructed himself.

In 2000, Roth embarked on a gig as chief designer and builder at Forever Young Treehouses, a nonprofit cofounded by Bill Allen and Phil Trabulsy. The organization built universally accessible treehouses, including ones at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a Colchester program for children with cancer, in 2001; the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut, the Paul Newmanfounded camp for children with serious illnesses, in 2002; and Oakledge Park in Burlington in 2004.

a backyard structure with a fireman’s pole that overlooks a stream in New Hampshire and a deluxe dwelling in Tennessee with electricity and plumbing built to be rented on Airbnb.

Roth’s career took an unexpected turn in 2014, when a production company tapped him and Haake to star in a reality show, named “The Treehouse Guys,” in which they and several other expert builders traveled around the country making custom treehouses. The show aired on the DIY Network for three seasons.

“I pinch myself that this is my job,” says Roth, who describes his work as both “artistically satisfying” and “soulfully satisfying.”

In 2005, Roth helmed a milliondollar project funded by the Annenberg Foundation to build California’s first public, universally accessible treehouse at Wilson Park in Torrance. The 2,500-squarefoot structure with meandering wooden pathways and whimsical rooflines was constructed from oak trucked in from Oregon.

About eight years ago, Roth and a former student, Chris “Ka-V” Haake moved on from Forever Young Treehouses, forming the treehouse design/build company Treehouse Guys LLC. The pair continue to build structures both big and small. Recent projects include

In July, he shared some of the wisdom he’s gleaned from the trees with Kids VT

On how being raised in a house his dad built informed his career path: As a kid, my brothers and I always had hammers in our hand. We were always helping Dad. I think a lot came from the fact that my dad actually built and designed our house, and that’s kind of in my blood.

On building a treehouse outside of Warren to live in after college: I lived in it from age 25 to 30, five summers and falls. I courted my wife to be — my current wife of 29 years — in the treehouse. So, those years were good years. I never had one as a little kid so, when I was 25, I just got a bee in my bonnet that I wanted to build a treehouse to live in.

The first floor was 20 feet off the ground and it took two flights of stairs to get to. And it was octagonal, all around a big maple tree that split into three. Every floorboard I cut by hand from skinny to wide, like sunrays. So, just

James “B’fer” Roth

Oakledge Park’s universally accesible treehouse

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF B’FER ROTH

starting with the floor alone, it was a piece of art. Everything I could do to make really wacky details, I did, and therefore, it took forever. It wasn’t like, Oh, I’ll be done in a month, like I told my buddy who lent me the land. (He laughs.) It was a little more than a month... It was a labor of love, absolutely.

On meeting Paul Newman while building a treehouse at the late actor’s Camp Hole in the Wall: Paul Newman was just salt of the earth, just one of the sweetest guys you could ever meet… He was just a regular guy, just wonderful.

On the kind of people who like treehouses:

You know, anyone who wants to have a treehouse and they can afford to — whether it’s 20 or 30 or $100,000 dollars — they have the option of buying a convertible or a Maserati or a condo at Daytona Beach; but they do a treehouse. They’ve gotta be cool…. So, by and large, our clients are just really cool, and 99.9 percent of the time we’ve just had great relationships. And that, to me, is more important than anything else… I encourage clients to keep it simple, just get back to nature and get back to simple living in the woods. There’s the childlike connection, but also that nature connection.

On what he says when people ask if he has a favorite treehouse: That question is always asked and my answer is always the one I’m currently designing and building. (He laughs.) I think all the ones that are wheelchair-accessible are my favorite.

On making a living building treehouses for almost 20 years:

It’s a career path I didn’t see coming, but once it presented itself, then it just took off… My mom, when she was still with us, had the best expression, which was “Who’d of thunk it?” K

Not Your Parents’ Playgrounds

CONTINUED FROM P. 25

making the play structures accessible to kids of all abilities.

Fairfax resident Brittany Bourbeau is the mother of two. Her 7-year-old son Asher has spinal muscular atrophy and uses a power wheelchair. The ramp that leads to the new structure allows Asher to play with his 3-year-old brother and go up and down as he pleases. Sensory items, including a play piano in a music-themed area of the playground and a spinning wheel with beads and water in it are also fun for her sons. Other playgrounds nearby — including one at Asher’s elementary school — are wheelchair accessible, but she thinks this one is a great addition. Said Bourbeau: “Everyone wants their kid to feel included when they go to a public playground.” K

IF YOU GO: The Community Playground at Collins Perley is located at 890 Fairfax Road in St. Albans. For food and drink options nearby, check out Catalyst Coffee Bar (22 North Main St.) or specialty grocery store Rail City Market (8 South Main St.). The Frozen Ogre (46 North Main St.) is a board and card game store that also sells toys and creemees.

We asked readers to share their favorite playgrounds with us on Facebook. Here are 10 spots that win a thumbs-up from local parents.

The Vermont Cub Project

Vermont Teddy Bears are more than fur & stuffing. Everyday we see Bears come to life in the arms of children, and we knew we needed to share this love with our fellow Vermonters. This is why we created The Vermont Cub Project.

Through this project, every Vermonter four years of age can come to our Bear Shop in Shelburne and pick up a FREE best friend (up to $39.99). Come be a part of this great new program today!

1. Starr Farm Playground, 96 Starr Farm Road, Burlington

2. Bayside Park Playground, 2 West Lakeshore Drive, Colchester

3. Maple Street Park, 75 Maple Street, Essex Junction

4. Sand Hill Park, 208 Sand Hill Road, Essex Junction

5. Bombardier Park West, 20 Park Place, Milton

6. Landry Park, Pine Street, Winooski

7. Thatcher Brook Primary School natural playground, 47 Stowe St., Waterbury

8. Bristol Green Playground, downtown Bristol

9. Old Mill Park, Railroad Street, Johnson

10. Elizabeth’s Park, 464 Fairground Road, Bradford

Champ’s Birthday Celebration: Lake Champlain’s legendary aquatic monster is fêted with stories of encounters, videos, music and birthday cake. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington.

All’s Fair

Old-fashioned festivities entertain the summertime crowd at the CALEDONIA COUNTY FAIR. Check out livestock exhibits and shows, pulling contests, a children’s tent, a demolition derby, midway rides, and much more. See caledoniacountyfair.com for a detailed schedule.

Wednesday, August 21 through Sunday, August 25, Caledonia County Fairgrounds, Lyndonville.

Week to Week

Open Farm Week: Families meet their local farmers — and get a behind-thescenes view of Vermont agriculture — in this week-long celebration. Visit diginvt.com for locations and activities around the state, from cheese making to corn mazes.

Puppies & Pooches on Parade: Hosted by Friends of the Norman Williams Public Library, this annual dog show on the green gets canine lovers clapping. 10:30 a.m.-noon, Woodstock Village Green, Woodstock.

Thursday

ADDISON

Vergennes Farmers Market: Shoppers peruse local produce, crafts and prepared foods while listening to live music. Vergennes City Park, 3-6:30 p.m. Info, 233-9180.

CALEDONIA

CLiF Reading Celebration: The Children’s Literacy Foundation and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum host a visiting storyteller for children ages 2-14, with a free book for each child. St. Johnsbury School, 10 a.m. Info, 745-1391. FREE

Knitting for Kids: Small crafters learn simple skills with Hazen Union High School student Audrey Grant. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 3-4 p.m., RSVP if yarn and needles needed. Info, 472-5948. FREE

CHITTENDEN

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

Jericho Farmers Market: Local growers 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.

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.

Music Time with Collin Cope: This local musician gets the preschool crowd singing. Ages 5 and under. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Papier Maché Workshop: Artist Mike Turner facilitates a hands-on workshop for eager youngsters to add to the Meeting House’s installation. Ages 6 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 2 p.m., preregister for both days. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Space Age Coding Club Fun: Inquisitive kids experiment with bots, block-based coding, droids and more. Ages 8 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Info, 865-7216. FREE

VINS Planetarium: Amateur astronomers climb into a portable planetarium and check out the constellations. Ages 6 and up. Memorial Hall, Essex Junction, 2-4 p.m., preregister online. Info, 878-6955. FREE

Williston 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.

FRANKLIN

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

Hard’ack Trail Running Series: Running and walking feet get going in 1K, 3K and 5K races for all ages and abilities. Hard’ack Recreation Area, St. Albans, 6 p.m., $4-6; free for kids in the 1k. Info, 524-1500, ext. 266.

Classes

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

BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU: The future of our nation lies in the courage, confidence and determination of its people. Our Kids BJJ Program promotes self-esteem, self-confidence, character development and 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 to learn realistic bullyproofing 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 throughout life. Remember you are raising children, not flowers. First class is free! Please stop by our school at 55 Leroy Rd., Williston; call 598-2839; visit vermontbjj.com or email julio@bjjusa.com to register your son or daughter!

Maker Space: Imaginative youngsters drop in and investigate the library’s stash of toys and recycled materials, circuits, lights, motors and more. Bent Northrop Memorial Library, Fairfield, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 827-3945. FREE

LAMOILLE

Art on Park: White tents house the works of jewelers, potters, painters, fiber artists, food vendors and more. Live music, street artists and food trucks add to the atmosphere. Park Street, Stowe, 5-8 p.m. Info, 253-7321. FREE

RUTLAND

Thank You Thursdays: This children’s museum appreciates the Town Meeting Day support from residents of Rutland City, Rutland Town, West Rutland, Chittenden and Mendon with free admission. Regular admission for nonresidents, $5; free for children under age 1. Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, Rutland. Info, 282-2678.

ORLEANS

The Lunchbox Summer Meal Program in Newport: Children ages 18 and under receive nutritious, locally sourced meals at no cost from this mobile kitchen. Food available for purchase for adults. Gardner Memorial Park, Newport, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 334-2044. FREE

2 Friday CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: Local produce, plants, artisan cheese, diverse dinner fare and more fill shoppers’ market baskets. Children’s story time at the Jeudevine Memorial Library tent through mid-August. Atkins Field, Hardwick, 3-6 p.m. Info, 832-498-4734.

CHITTENDEN

Create Your Own Comic: Local artist Stephanie Zuppo leads an afternoon of art and storymaking. Ages 9 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-5 p.m. Info, 878-6956.

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

Family Paint Night: Moms, dads and kids take pleasure in painting together. Davis Studio, South Burlington, 6-7:30 p.m., $25 per person; preregister. Info, 425-2700.

Kids Music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: Toe-tapping tunes captivate kiddies. Radio Bean, Burlington, 11 a.m. Info, 660-9346. Papier Maché Workshop: See August 1.

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.

Teen Movie Night: Young adults take in a film about the galaxy while munching free popcorn. Ages 13 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

VT Folklife Green Record Project: The Vermont Folklife Center teaches community members of all ages how to create an audio time capsule in the spirit of Carl Sagan’s Voyager Golden Records. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Lego Club: Petite ones play with plastic cubes and chat companionably. Ages 4-12. Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 3-4:30 p.m. Info, 586-9683.

Kids’ Fridays: History buffs dig into heritage crafts and hands-on learning, followed by a free lunch. Old Stone House Museum, Brownington, 11 a.m.-noon. Info, 754-2022.

FREE

WASHINGTON

Exordium Presents: The Story of Air as it Occupies Space: Science experiments wow the audience of all ages. Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m., preregister. Info, 244-7036.

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, with different take-home recipes every week. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., regular museum admission, $4-16; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

3 Saturday

ADDISON

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

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.

St. Johnsbury Lapsit Storytime: Parents and wee ones partake in stories, fingerplay and bounce songs. Ages 2 and under. Older siblings welcome. St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Info, 748-8291. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Burlington Farmers Market: In a new location this year, growers and artisans offer fresh and ready-to-eat foods, crafts, free facepainting by Little Artsy Faces, and more in a bustling marketplace. Pine Street, Burlington, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 310-5172.

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: New mamas 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, Essex Junction, 9:45 a.m., $17; $120-140 for a 10-class pass; childcare for ages 6 months-6 years available. 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, 9 a.m.-noon, preregister at workshops.homedepot.com. Info, 872-0039. FREE

Make a Shield or Protest Sign for Guardians of Peace and Planet Event: Families planning to participate in the August 4 event drop in and create a sign. Ages 4 and up. Shaw’s, Burlington, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 518-561-3939. FREE

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.

West African Dancing and Drumming for Kiddos: On one of the largest AfricanAmerican-owned historic farms in Vermont today, master teaching artist Koblavi Dogah gets kids learning about Ghanaian culture and West African drumming in this hands-on movement class. Ages 8-12. The Clemmons Family Farm, Charlotte, 10-11:30 a.m., $10, preregister. Info, 765-560-5445.

RUTLAND

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

ORLEANS

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

Seasonal Events

FRANKLIN COUNTY FIELD DAYS: Families find fun in ag events and exhibits, track events, live music and midway rides. Franklin County Field Day Grounds, Highgate, THURSDAY, AUG. 1, TO SUNDAY, AUG. 4, $10. Info, 238-4904.

SOBU NITE OUT: Festive-minded folks flock to the park for a fête of live music and food trucks. Veterans Memorial Park, South Burlington, THURSDAYS, 5-8 P.M. Info, 846-4108.

SUMMERVALE: Slow Food Vermont tastings, live music, kids’ crafts and food-focused activities varying by week promise locavore fun in the sun. No pets. Burlington Intervale Center, THURSDAYS, 5:30-8 P.M.; food and drink available for purchase. Info, 660-0440. FREE

TRUCKS, TAPS & TUNES: This community truck stop features good eats, live music and kid-friendly fun each week. Essex Outlets, Essex Junction, THURSDAYS, 5 P.M., free admission.

ARTSRIOT TRUCK STOP BURLINGTON: Foodies enjoy an eclectic array of local grub and live music during this hip block party. ArtsRiot, Burlington, FRIDAYS, 5-10 P.M., cost for food. Info, 540-0406.

BEAR NORTH FESTIVAL: Summer is serenaded community-style with a weekend of music — including the Seth Yacovone Band and Soule Monde — along with art, food and drink. Camping available. See bearnorthvt.com for details.

Sugarbush North Ski Resort, Waitsfield, FRIDAY, AUG. 2 AND SATURDAY, AUG. 3, general admission $10-90.

FESTIVAL OF FOOLS: Wacky entertainers take over the Queen City with mind-boggling circus arts, music and comedy at four mainstage locations. Check website for specific schedule. Downtown Burlington, FRIDAY, AUG. 2 TO SUNDAY, AUG. 4, donations accepted. Info, 865-5355.

FREE FIRST FRIDAY EVE: Live music, picnicking, lawn games, food trucks and special programs make for an enchanting summer evening at the museum.

Shelburne Museum, FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 5-7:30 P.M. Info, 985-3346. FREE

DOG MOUNTAIN SUMMER DOG PARTY: Canine lovers beat the heat with a summer bash. Dog Mountain, St. Johnsbury, SATURDAY, AUG. 3, NOON-4 P.M. Info, 800-449-2580. FREE

EAT UP AT THE GREEN: Live music, a playground, food trucks and libations make for a merry summer evening. Camp Meade, Middlesex, SUNDAYS, 4-9 P.M. Info, 496-2108.

FREE

3 Saturday (cont.)

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: Veggies, honey, maple syrup and more change hands at a celebration of farm-grown food and handmade crafts. Downtown Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 279-7293.

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL: Aquatic athletes, community members and breast cancer survivors paddle their way to victory on 41-foot boats. Onlookers enjoy lively entertainment, food and children’s activities on land. Proceeds benefit organizations supporting cancer survivors and supporters. Waterfront Park, Burlington, SUNDAY, AUG. 4, 8:30 A.M.-4 P.M., free to spectate. Info, 864-0123.

OPEN FARM WEEK: This week-long celebration of local agriculture features hands-on farm activities, from picking carrots to barn tours. Check diginvt.com for specific dates, times and locations. Various locations statewide, FRIDAY, AUG. 9 TO THURSDAY, AUG. 15, fee for some activities.

VERMONT ANTIQUE & CLASSIC CAR SHOW: Automobile lovers admire vehicles from yesteryear, with vendors, food concessions and a Saturday 3:30 p.m. parade.

Farr Field, Waterbury, FRIDAY, AUG. 9, 7 A.M.-6 P.M., SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 7 A.M.-6 P.M. AND SUNDAY, AUG. 11, 7 A.M.-4 P.M., $12 per person per day; free for children under 13.

NEWPORT’S FRIDAY NIGHT SHUFFLE: The community comes out for a downtown stroll to enjoy live music, art exhibits and specials at local eateries. Various locations, Newport, SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 5-8:30 P.M. Info, 988-2611.

THE BIG BLUE TRUNK AND MILTON COMMUNITY

BAND END OF SUMMER CELEBRATION: Interactive family activities and the Milton Community Band’s End of Summer concert make for a merry outdoor evening for all. Bombardier Park, Milton, TUESDAY, AUG. 13, 6-8:15 P.M. Info, 893-4644. FREE VERMONT STATE FAIR: Crowds converge on the midway for circus acts, racing pigs, a demolition derby and music galore at this annual ag-centric affair. Vermont State Fairgrounds, Rutland, TUESDAY, AUG. 13 TO SATURDAY, AUG. 17, $5-10; free for children under 6; free parking on the fairgrounds; additional fee for midway. Info, 775-5200.

ORLEANS COUNTY FAIR: Agricultural demonstrations — from horse shows to oxen pulls — figure prominently in this annual celebration, also featuring arts and crafts, carnival rides, live music, aerial shows, and a demolition derby. See orleanscountyfair.net for event schedule. Orleans County Fair Grounds, Barton, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14 TO SUNDAY, AUG. 18, $12-15; free for children under 4; includes midway and Jamie Lee Thurston concert on Saturday night. Info, 525-3555.

FUN FAMILY GATHERING: Birth Love Family hosts a day of yoga, live music, a bike course and good food available for purchase. Cambridge Community Center, Jeffersonville, SATURDAY, AUG. 17, 11 A.M.-2 P.M. Info, 833-852-8313. FREE

CALEDONIA COUNTY FAIR: Old-fashioned festivities include livestock exhibits and shows, pulling contests, a children’s tent, a demolition derby, midway and much more. See caledoniacountyfair.com for detailed schedule. Caledonia County Fairgrounds, Lyndonville, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 TO SUNDAY, AUG. 25, $17; $40 per carload on Wednesday. Info, 748-4208.

MIDDLEBURY NEW FILMMAKERS FESTIVAL: KIDS AND FAMILY DAY: Family-friendly flicks enchant the audience with showings at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Kids activities and games throughout the day — including a hands-on activity in filming chase scenes — add more merriment. Ages 6 and up. Marquis Theater, Middlebury, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21, 10 A.M.-6 P.M., $5-10; free for children under 8; food available for purchase. Info, 917-747-8771.

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FAIR: Cotton-candy fun and carny curiosities collide at the state’s largest fair, complete with midway rides, daily parades and live entertainment. Midway opens at 11 a.m. Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, FRIDAY, AUG. 23 TO SUNDAY, SEP. 1, $5-12; free for children under 5; 25% off advance discount tickets available at Price Chopper Stores; ride bracelets $35; additional tickets required for grandstand concerts. Info, 878-5545. VERGENNES DAY: The Little City is big fun! A Friday night art walk and street dance from 7-10 p.m. is followed on Saturday with a pancake breakfast at the firehouse, the Little City Road Race, bandstand music, a large craft fair, horse and wagon rides, and more. Detailed schedule posted on website. Vergennes City Park, SATURDAY, AUG. 24, 10 A.M.-3 P.M., some fees apply. Info, 388-7951.

WOODBURY OLD HOME DAY: Big rigs, a 5K run/walk, a noon turtle walk, live music, history, food and more make for a festive, small town day. Woodbury Community Library, SATURDAY, AUG. 24, 9 A.M.-3 P.M. Info, 472-5710. FREE

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

4 Sunday

ADDISON

Family Play: Moms, dads and children have fun with free court time and use of equipment. Open to all experience levels. Middlebury Indoor Tennis, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Info, 388-3733. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Art Play Day: Little ones and caregivers drop in and get messy with multiple materials to spark imagination. Ages 18 months to 5 years with caregiver. Radiate Art Space, Richmond, 10-11:30 a.m., $5 per child; $8 max per family; $40 for a 10-visit punch card. Info, 324-9938. 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 per child. Info, 655-3300.

Family Gym: See August 2.

Guardians of Peace and Planet: The community comes out with signs and local live music to protest the F35s scheduled to come to Burlington. Burlington International Airport, South Burlington, 4-6 p.m. Info, 518561-3939. FREE

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.

Info, meredith@downtownwinooski.org

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: Agricultural and craft vendors and live music make for a bustling atmosphere. Stowe Farmers Market, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Info, 472-8027.

WINDSOR

Antique Tractor Day: Visitors ogle retro farm machines from the 1920s to ’70s, take a tractor-drawn wagon ride and participate in children’s activities. A parade of these restored beauties commences at 1 p.m. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., regular museum admission, $4-16; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

5 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Colchester 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

LAKE CHAMPLAIN

Summervale

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

Exordium Presents: The Story of Air as it Occupies Space: Inquisitive families participate in science experiments which educate and amaze. Ages 7 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Gardening at the Library: Junior green thumbs dig in the dirt and sample their harvest. Ages 8-11. Milton Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m., preregister. Info, 893-4644.

FREE

Lego Challenge: Budding builders bring out the blocks and construct a mini golf course. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Magic Show with Ed Popielarczyk: An evening of comedy and magic enchants an audience of all ages to cap o the summer reading program. Each child receives a free book. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Meteoric Stories with Megan: Little listeners blast o into space exploration stories. Ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216.

FREE

Movie Monday: A space-themed film and snacks entertain youngsters ages 6 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-3 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Summer Story Time: Books and crafts stimulate small ones. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10:30 a.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Teen Space: Adolescents enjoy games, music, snacks and a di erent activity each week. Milton Public Library, 6-7:30 p.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Webby’s Art Studio: Playful Pastels: Inspired by the color palette of Harold Weston’s Adirondack mountain oil paintings, artists of all ages and abilities make their own masterpieces. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., regular museum admission, $8-25; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1, 11 a.m.

WASHINGTON

Starship Shake-up with Musical Munchkins: This interactive morning with instruments and props gets babies, toddlers and preschoolers moving and grooving. Waterbury Public Library, 10:15 a.m. Info, 244-7036. FREE

6 Tuesday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: Fledgling architects assemble creations collaboratively with colorful blocks. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 3-5 p.m. Info, 472-5948. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Dorothy’s List Book Club: Middle readers make merry conversation around Deep Water by Watt Key. Ages 8-11. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4 p.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Maker Tuesdays: Imaginative crafters explore the universe with stellar solar system-themed projects. Ages 6-12. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Milton’s National Night Out: Community spirit soars as neighbors gather for food, tunes, children’s games, safety demos and more. Shine your porch light from 9-11 p.m. to show solidarity in crime prevention. Milton Fire Station, 5:30-8 p.m. Info, 893-1009. FREE

Old North End Farmers Market: Fresh fruit and veggies, breads and baked goods, prepared foods, pickles, and more draw a crowd. Dewey Park, Burlington, 3-6:30 p.m. Info, 324-3073.

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

Tinker Tuesdays: Kids investigate what makes technology tick by taking apart objects and designing new creations. Use the library’s materials or bring in computers, keyboards or other old electronics. Winooski Memorial Library, 3:30-5 p.m. Info, 655-6424. FREE

Tuesday Night Trail Running Series: Athletes of all ages and abilities choose between 2.5K and 5K courses or a short “cubs” race — with a 10K option on the second Tuesday of each month — during this fun evening race. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, 5:30-8 p.m., $10; free for children under 18. Info, 879-6001. Vermont Lake Monsters: Our own local heroes read stories and sign your memorabilia. Ages 3 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 11 a.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. 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, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 524-1700. FREE

ORLEANS

Author Visit and Ice Cream Social: In celebration of the library’s summer reading program finale, children’s book author and educator Christine McDonnell shares a story with small listeners, followed by a sweet treat and a free book for each child.

Craftsbury Public Library, Craftsbury Common, 4-5 p.m. Info, 586-9683. FREE

WINDSOR

Time-Travel Tuesdays: History bu s of all ages learn what daily life was like in 1890 by helping prepare seasonal meals, churn butter and wash laundry the old-fashioned way. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., regular museum admission, $4-16; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

Research Opportunity for Participants With and Without Autism

Researchers at the University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) are studying how language and cognition may differ between individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Results may be used to help design and develop education and training programs for individuals with ASD.

Who qualifies?

• Children and adults (ages 5-75) without a history of traumatic brain injury, neurological disorder, psychiatric disorder, substance abuse, or learning disability

• Children and adults (ages 5-75) with a professional diagnosis of ASD—including autism, autism spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

What is involved?

Testing will take place at the research lab in Burlington, VT (although some testing may take place elsewhere upon request). The study will take approximately 3 hours in total.

• Participants will complete an initial screening session (approximately 2 hours) to assess eligibility. This will include questionnaires, behavioral tasks, and interview questions.

• Participants will also complete a testing session which may involve reading words or sentences, listening to stories, or viewing pictures.

• During these tasks, electroencephalography (EEG) may also be recorded. EEG is a non-invasive method of recording brain activity and involves wearing an elastic cap on the head which is soaked in a salt-water solution.

• Eye movement monitoring may also be performed while participants perform computer tasks. Eye-tracking is a non-invasive method of tracking the location of the pupil and involves placing the chin in a chin rest to minimize head movement.

Compensation: Participants will be compensated $15 per hour for study participation (prorated for partial completion of the study). Parking costs will be reimbursed. Participants under age 18 will receive compensation in the form of a gift card or an age-appropriate toy. If interested, participants will also receive the results of the study.

Interested in participating? Questions?

If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please contact Emily Coderre, the principal investigator, at Emily.Coderre@med.uvm.edu or (802) 656-0202.

7 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3. CALEDONIA

Fun with the Sun: Lamoille County Nature Center shows small builders how to construct a solar oven from household stuff, then cooks up a tasty treat. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 10 a.m. Info, 472-5948. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Animal Tales: The Vermont Institute of Natural Science spellbinds the audience of all ages with a live corn snake and stories about this stealthy serpent. South Burlington Public Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Info, 846-4140. FREE

Booktivity: Based on the summer reading theme of space, imaginative kiddos get crafty each Wednesday with a hands-on project. Ages 5-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3-4 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Cooking Around the Globe: Chefs-in-training explore culinary styles from around the world. Milton Public Library, 2-4 p.m., preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

Leddy Park Beach Bites: Families relax during a lakeside afternoon lavish with kids’ activities, food trucks and entertainment. Leddy Park, Burlington, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Info, 864-0123. FREE

Summer Reading Program Closing Party: Pizza, ice cream and awards reward summer bookworms. All ages; children ages 10 and under must be accompanied by a caregiver. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 5:30-7 p.m., preregister. Info, 482-2878. FREE Teen Crafternoon: Teen take over their corner of the library for weaving, embroidery, knitting and more. Ages 14-18. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4:30 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Wednesday Night Mountain Biking: Pedalers of all ages and abilities wend their way along the trails in a non-intimidating atmosphere. This fun event includes 2.5K or 5K options and a short loop for ages 8 and under, beginning at 6 p.m. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, 5:30-8 p.m., $10; free for kids under 18. Info, 879-6001.

RUTLAND

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

ORLEANS

Midweek Feature Films: Moms, dads and kiddos take a break from summer’s heat and settle in for a family-friendly feature on the big screen. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, 7 p.m., $5. Info, 533-2000.

The Lunchbox Summer Meal Program in Barton: Children ages 18 and under receive nutritious, locally sourced meals at no cost from this mobile kitchen. Food available for purchase for adults. Barton Public Library, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 334-2044. FREE

WASHINGTON

Dorothy’s List Book Club: Middle readers make merry conversation around Bob by Wendy Mass. Grades 4-7. Waterbury Public Library, 5:30-6:30 p.m., preregister. Info, 244-7036. FREE

Live Performances

BATTERY PARK CONCERT SERIES: Listeners gaze out at Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks while swaying to summer tunes. Check pointfm.com for specific line-up. Battery Park, Burlington, THURSDAY, AUG. 1, 6:30-8:30 P.M. FREE

CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER PLAYERS MINICONCERT IN HARDWICK: Small music lovers experience an excerpt of the group’s evening concert, with selections and commentary geared toward young audiences, followed by ice cream. Hardwick Town House, THURSDAY, AUG. 1, 2 P.M. Info, 800639-3443. FREE

HUNGER MOUNTAIN CO-OP BROWN BAG SUMMER CONCERTS: Music lovers take in an open-air noontime concert. Christ Church Courtyard, Montpelier, THURSDAYS, NOON. Info, 223-9604. FREE

LANG FARM FAMILY CONCERT SERIES: Rain or shine, families spread out a picnic blanket for summer festivities including live music, an artisan market and fresh food, a children’s activity tent by Wildflowers Studio, and a cash bar. The Barns at Lang Farm, Essex Junction, THURSDAYS, 5:30-8 P.M. Info, 662-2101. FREE

MARSHFIELD SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Picnickers settle down for the evening with a family-friendly band, a local food vendor and the library’s bake and book sale. Old Schoolhouse Common Gazebo, Marshfield, THURSDAYS, 6:30-8:30 P.M. Info, 426-3581. FREE

OWL’S HEAD MUSIC NIGHT: Weather permitting, berry pickers groove to local bands while gathering nature’s little treasures and enjoy a picnic dinner from home. Fields open at 5 p.m.; music begins at 6 p.m. Space is limited. Owl’s Head Blueberry Farm, Richmond, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS, two-quart minimum blueberry purchase per adult for entry. Info, 434-3387.

BURLINGTON SUMMER CONCERTS: The lunch crowd soaks up open-air performances held twice a week, this year on lower Church Street near City Hall. Check burlingtoncityarts.org for specific line-up. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS, 12:30 P.M. Info, 865-7166. FREE

BREAD & PUPPET PERFORMANCE: The renowned politically oriented theatrical company performs new works, with live music and papier-mâché puppets. Bread and Puppet Museum, Glover, SUNDAYS, 2:30 P.M., suggested donation $10. Info, 525-3031.

BURLINGTON CONCERT BAND SUMMER SERIES: Music lovers unpack a picnic dinner and enjoy a Sunday evening performance. Battery Park, Burlington, SUNDAYS, AUG. 4 AND AUG. 11, 7 P.M. Info, 864-0123. FREE

THE CASHORE MARIONETTES: ‘SIMPLE GIFTS’: These string puppets mesmerize an audience of all ages with vignettes about everyday life, accompanied by music by classical composers.

Ages 5 and up. Highland Center for the Arts, Greensboro, SUNDAY, AUG. 4, 3-5 P.M., $10-30. Info, 533-2000.

LEVITT AMP ST. JOHNSBURY MUSIC SERIES: Produced by Catamount Arts, these kid- and caninefriendly shindigs at Dog Mountain make for relaxed Sundays. Dog Mountain, St Johnsbury, SUNDAYS, 4 P.M.; food and drink available for purchase. Info, 888-7575559. FREE

MUSIC IN THE MEADOW: Sunset over the mountains burnishes the backdrop for an outdoor concert, with ample picnicking space. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Trapp Family Lodge, Stowe, SUNDAY, AUG. 4, 7-9 P.M., $5-35; free for children under 5. Info, 253-5720. FREE

CASTLETON SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: Listeners enjoy a live performance under open skies. Castleton University, TUESDAY, AUG. 6, 7 P.M. Info, 800-639-8521. FREE

RANDOLPH COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES: Families, friends and neighbors bring lawn chairs and blankets for an evening of festive live bands — varying each week from country to jazz — and food for sale by area nonprofits. Music begins at 6 p.m. Gifford Park, Randolph, TUESDAYS, 5:30 P.M. Info, 728-2380. FREE

STOWE GAZEBO CONCERT: Musicians make a merry outdoor evening. Check website for specific performers. Stowe Free Library, TUESDAYS, AUG. 6 AND AUG. 13, 6-7 P.M., donations accepted. Info, 253-7792.

COMMUNITY CONCERTS AT THE FARM: Families bring a picnic or buy some farm-fresh fare and Sisters of Anarchy ice cream, then settle on blankets for live music. Gates open for picnicking at 5:30 p.m. Shelburne Farms, WEDNESDAYS, 6-8 P.M.; local food prepared on-site available for purchase. Info, 985-8686. FREE

CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER PLAYERS MINI-CONCERT

IN BURLINGTON: World-class musicians present classical works from the baroque to the contemporary era in this special series for children and their families. Elley-Long Music Center, Colchester, WEDNESDAYS, AUG. 7 AND AUG. 14, 4-5 P.M. Info, 800-639-3443. FREE

BREAD & PUPPET’S ‘THE DIAGONAL LIFE CIRCUS’: State-of-the-art papier-mâché weaponry and puppets with live music amuse and astound the audience. Marble Works District, Middlebury, THURSDAY, AUG. 8, 5:30-7:30 P.M., suggested donation, $10-25. Info, 388-6124.

CRAFTSBURY CHAMBER PLAYERS MINICONCERT IN GREENSBORO: Small music lovers experience an excerpt of the group’s evening concert, with selections and commentary geared toward young audiences, followed by ice cream. Greensboro Fellowship Hall, THURSDAYS, AUG. 8 AND AUG. 15, 2 P.M. Info, 800-639-3443. FREE

CIRCUS SMIRKUS BIG TOP TOUR IN MONTPELIER: High-flying feats into the wild blue yonder abound as Smirkus Troupers ages 10 to 18 dazzle crowds with jugglers, high-larious clowns and airborne aerialists. Montpelier High School, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14, 1 & 6 P.M., THURSDAY, AUG. 15, 1 & 6 P.M. AND FRIDAY, AUG. 16, 1 & 6 P.M., $16-22; free for children under 2. Info, 877-764-7587.

PARKAPALOOZA: Live music, a giant slip ‘n slide, kids’ activities, a skill swap featuring local crafters and artisans, and a food vendor mean family fun in the park. Hubbard Park, Montpelier, SATURDAY, AUG. 17, 3-8 P.M., $3-5; $10 per family; preregister for $10-15 per campsite. Info, 223-7335.

CIRCUS SMIRKUS BIG TOP TOUR IN GREENSBORO:

High-flying feats into the wild blue yonder abound as Smirkus Troupers ages 10 to 18 dazzle crowds with juggling, clowning and airborne tricks in the 2019 season finale. The Circus Barn, Greensboro, SUNDAY, AUG. 18, 1 & 6 P.M., $16-22; free for children under 2. Info, 877-764-7587.

OVER THE EDGE FOR THE FLYNN: 100 intrepid adventurers rappel nine stories down one of the tallest buildings in Burlington to raise funds for the theater’s cultural and educational programs. Courtyard Marriott Harbor Hotel, Burlington, SATURDAY, AUG. 31, 9 A.M., free to view. Info, 652-4533.

Community Concerts at Shelburne Farms

Family Fun Night: Family-focused activities alternate each week, from a puppet show to a sing-along. See website for specifics. All ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 6:45-8 p.m. Info, 426-3581. FREE

WINDSOR

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, with the accompaniment of live music. Woodstock Village Green, 3-6 p.m. Info, 457-3555.

8 Thursday

ADDISON

Vergennes Farmers Market: See August 1.

CALEDONIA

Knitting for Kids: See August 1.

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Lego Club: See August 1.

Jericho Farmers Market: See August 1.

Milton Farmers Market: See August 1.

Music Time with Collin Cope: See August 1. PJ Storytime: Little ones snuggle up in their sleepy clothes for bedtime yarns. Ages 7 and under. Milton Public Library, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1.

Youth Escape Room: As a part of the summer reading program, kiddos team up to crack a challenge. Ages 5 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660.

FREE

FRANKLIN

Cosmic Game Day: Kids chill out in the library with strategic challenges. All ages. St. Albans Free Library, 2-4 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See August 1.

Maker Space: See August 1.

RUTLAND

Thank You Thursdays: See August 1.

ORLEANS

The Lunchbox Summer Meal Program in Newport: See August 1.

WASHINGTON

Hamel Family Puppet Show & Craft

Time: Little library-goers are amused by an animated performance, followed by an artsy project. Ages 3 and up. Waterbury Public Library, 10:15 a.m., preregister. Info, 244-7036. FREE

9 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See August 2.

CHITTENDEN

Dungeons & Dragons: Players embark on invented adventures, equipped with their problem-solving skills. Game starts at 6:30 p.m.; come early for assistance with character design. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956.

FREE

Family Gym: See August 2.

Galactic Stories and Food: Inquisitive kids investigate the universe with stories and snacks. Ages 6-12. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956.

FREE

Green Record Release Party: The Vermont Folklife Center and the library show families how to create their own time capsule. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

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

Music with Raph: Melody lovers of all ages play and sing. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 9:30-10:15 a.m. Info, 878-6956.

FREE

Richmond Farmers Market: See August 2.

VINS Presents Live Animal Program: How did Snake lose her legs? Why does Owl only fly at night? Curious families meet these animals, learn their adaptations and hear some global stories surrounding these creatures. Ages 5 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 2 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Lego Club: See August 2.

Kids’ Fridays: See August 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See August 2.

10 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

‘A Little History’: Artist-in-residence

Ashleigh Gordon leads an interactive educational workshop for children ages 10-13 and families, focused on 9 legendary African-Americans — past and present — and how these figures continue to inspire today. The Clemmons Family Farm, Charlotte, 3-4 p.m., suggested donation, $5 minimum. Info, 765-560-5445.

Burlington Farmers Market: See August 3.

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See August 3.

FRANKLIN

Baby Story Time: Wee ones and caregivers soak up socializing, nursery rhymes, songs and a simple story. Ages 2 and under. St. Albans Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE

10 Saturday (cont.)

Science & Nature

RAPTORS IN RESIDENCE: The mysteries surrounding birds of prey are revealed as visitors come face-to-face with live feathered creatures. Shelburne Farms, SATURDAYS, TUESDAYS, AND THURSDAYS, 1-1:30

P.M., regular museum admission, $5-8; free for children under 3. Info, 985-8686.

MONTSHIRE BLOCK PARTY: AN OUTDOOR

ENGINEERING WEEKEND: Creativity, ingenuity and fun dominate this outdoor weekend for inquisitive families with gigantic blocks, cardboard and more. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, FRIDAY AUG. 2 TO SUNDAY, AUG. 4, 10:30 A.M.-4:30

P.M., regular museum admission, $15-18; free for children under 2. Info, 649-2200.

JUNIOR APPRENTICE CLUB: Young engineers engage in guided activities in the learning lab, including beginning coding, basic robotics, 3D design and printing, and more. Geared toward ages 8-12. American Precision Museum, Windsor, SATURDAYS, 10 A.M.-5 P.M., free for participating children; adult caregiver required; regular museum admission, $5-8; free for children under 6; $20 per family. Info, 674-5781.

MEADOW & FOREST FAIRY HUNT: Milkweed pods become bathtubs and beds, and acorn caps become dinnerware in this respectful and engaging woods adventure with a special visit from the Fairy Grandmother. Wearing magical wings encouraged. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, SATURDAY, AUG. 3, 10 A.M.-3 P.M., regular museum admission, $14.50-16.50; free for children under 4. Info, 359-5000.

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR: Curious naturalists of all ages meet the nature center staff and discover what it takes to rehabilitate and release hundreds of wild birds. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, SUNDAYS, AUG. 4 AND AUG. 18, 1-1:30 P.M. AND SATURDAY, AUG. 31, 1-1:30 P.M., $10.50-12.50; regular museum admission additional, $14.50-16.50; free for children under 4; preregister. Info, 359-5000.

MAKER MONDAYS: Inquisitive families design objects using recycled materials, make mazes for robots, construct with K*nex or build a simple machine using the museum’s basic tools and instructions in their learning lab. American Precision Museum, Windsor, MONDAYS, 10 A.M.-5 P.M., regular museum admission, $5-8; free for children under 6; $20 per family. Info, 674-5781.

SUMMER CAMPFIRE WITH OUTREACH FOR EARTH STEWARDSHIP: Families have fun around flickering flames and meet a special winged guest. Ages 5 and up. Shelburne Farms, MONDAY, AUG. 5, 6:30-8 P.M., $5-6; preregister. Info, 985-8686.

TINKER TUESDAYS: Junior engineers bring a small item from home to take apart and investigate how it works or tinker with the museum’s learning lab collection. American Precision Museum, Windsor, TUESDAYS, 10 A.M.-5 P.M., regular museum admission, $5-8; free for children under 6; $20 per family. Info, 674-5781.

CHAMP’S BIRTHDAY: Lake Champlain’s legendary water creature is celebrated with stories of encounters. Games, music and birthday cake are the icing on the top.

ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 7, 10 A.M.-3 P.M., regular museum admission, $11.50-14.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

WAGON RIDE WEDNESDAYS: Horse-drawn rides deliver delight to the whole family.

Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, WEDNESDAYS, 11 A.M.-3 P.M., regular museum admission, $4-16; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT ASTRONOMY NIGHT: The Green Mountain Astronomers share their telescopes and knowledge with admiring sky gazers. The moon rises about 4:45 p.m.; night sky viewing begins about 8:30 p.m. Call to confirm. All ages.

Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 8:30-11 P.M., suggested donation $3. Info, 273-2282.

SPORT OF KINGS DAY: Lords and ladies experience the 3,000-year-old practice of falconry and see flighted raptor demonstrations, learn about animal tracking on a forest hike and try archery. Costumes encouraged. Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee, SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 10 A.M.-5 P.M., regular museum admission, $14.50-16.50; free for children under 4. Info, 359-5000.

STARLIGHT STORY TIME: Planetarians read pages projected on an overhead dome to little listeners. Seating is first-come, first-served. Northcountry Planetarium, Plattsburgh, N.Y., SATURDAY, AUG. 10, 1 P.M. Info, 518-564-3168. FREE

NESTLINGS FIND NATURE: What is pollination? Junior naturalists explore the world of these tiny working creatures through observation, crafts and hands-on activities. Ages 4-8. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 10:30-11:30 A.M., regular museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167.

ARCHAEOLOGY ADVENTURES: Fledgling prehistorians make pinch pots, check out a flint knapping demo and bring in their own ancient finds for expert Charlie Paquin to identify. All ages. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, SATURDAY, AUG. 31, 12:30-4 P.M., regular museum admission, $11.50-14.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

BIRD-MONITORING WALK: Eagle-eyed participants bring binoculars to search the museum’s property for fluttering feathers, followed by coffee. Best for adults and older children. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, LAST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 7:30 A.M., donations welcome; preregistration encouraged. Info, 434-2167.

RUTLAND

Art in the Park: Outdoor art and craft demonstrations and vendors, local food, and children’s activities combine in a weekend devoted to creativity. Main Street Park, Rutland, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 775-0356. FREE

Rutland Farmers Market: See August 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See August 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See August 3.

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

Vermont History Trivia: How did Vermont get its name? Individuals and teams compete in this family-friendly event about Green Mountain State history, with awards given to kids and adults. Everyone takes home a participation prize. Vermont History Museum, Montpelier, 1-2:30 p.m., regular museum admission, $5-7; $20 per family; free for children under 6. Info, 479-8500.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: See August 3.

11 Sunday

ADDISON

Family Play: See August 4.

Mad Hatter Tea Party and Hat Workshop: Artist Dawn Wagner hosts a paper-hat creating workshop in the garden for small visitors, followed by refreshments. Ages 5 and up, with caregiver. Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, Middlebury, 1:30-3 p.m., $10 per child, preregister. Info, 388-2117.

CHITTENDEN

Essex Open Gym: See August 4. Family Gym: See August 2.

Teen/Tween Screen Printing Workshop: Adolescents experiment with paint and design. Ages 10 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-2 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Winooski Farmers Market: See August 4.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: See August 4.

RUTLAND

Art in the Park: See August 10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

ORLEANS

Lavender Essentials of Vermont 5k: Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities lace up for a jaunt over family farmland, followed by a barbecue and self-guided tours of the lavender labyrinth, farm and gift barn. Lavender Esssentials of Vermont, Derby Line, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., $25 per person, $60 per family; additional fee for lunch; preregister. Info, 323-3590.

Billings Farm wagon rides

12 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Big Insane Games: The Big Blue Trunk gets kiddos laughing with lawn games and an outrageous obstacle course. Ages 3 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 3-5 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Colchester Preschool Music: See August 5. Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

First-Time Kindergarteners: Soon-to-be students meet some friends, then share stories, activities and thoughts. Everyone leaves with a free book. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10:30 a.m. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Gardening at the Library: See August 5.

Kindergarten Story Time: Small ones entering school socialize with new buddies, listen to stories and savor snacks. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-7 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Meteoric Stories with Megan: See August 5. Read to Cleo The Therapy Dog: Canine and reading enthusiasts visit with a personable pooch. All ages. Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m., preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Teen Space: See August 5.

Webby’s Art Studio: Is That a Dog?: Amateur artists create a canine portrait in a collage. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., regular museum admission, $8-25; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1, 11 a.m.

13 Tuesday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See August 6.

CHITTENDEN

LCATV Young Producers Workshop: Up-and-coming directors learn to use video equipment, put together a program and produce a take-home DVD. Ages 7-11. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 2-3:30 p.m., preregister. Info, 264-5660. FREE

Maker Tuesdays: See August 6.

Meet Vermont Lake Monsters Baseball

Players: These team players read stories and autograph baseballs. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Modern Times Theater: ‘The Astro-Nut’: This low-tech performance gets the kiddie crowd clapping for Mr. Punch who aspires to be the first puppet to fly into space. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 2-3 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Old North End Farmers Market: See August 6.

Spanish Musical Kids: See August 6.

Strategy Board Games: Game lovers partake in complicated tabletop pastimes. Ages 13 and up. Milton Public Library, 5-7:45 p.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Tinker Tuesdays: See August 6.

Tuesday Night Trail Running Series: See August 6.

WINDSOR

Time-Travel Tuesdays: See August 6.

14 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Booktivity: See August 7.

Brownell Final Summer Reading Party: The community cheers for the end of the reading program and No Strings Marionette Company’s out-of-this-world puppet show. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Info, 878-6956.

FREE

Build It!: Creative constructionists of all ages get busy with materials like Keva planks and Lego bricks to build coordinated projects. Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

Live-Action Role Play: LARPers create characters and plots in an amazing and imaginary adventure. For ages 11 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-5 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Read to Willy Wonka the Therapy Dog: 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

Swimming and Water Safety: Family members of all ages soak up water safety skills. Greater Burlington YMCA, 6-8 p.m., preregister. Info, 862-9622. FREE

Teen Crafternoon: See August 7.

Wednesday Night Mountain Biking: See August 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

RUTLAND

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

ORLEANS

Midweek Feature Films: See August 7. The Lunchbox Summer Meal Program in Barton: See August 7.

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See August 7.

15 Thursday ADDISON

New Parents

ESSEX LA LECHE LEAGUE: Moms bring their bitty ones to a discussion of parenting and breastfeeding. Siblings welcome. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 6:30-8 P.M. Info, 899-5490. FREE

EVOLUTION POSTNATAL YOGA BURLINGTON: New mamas 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, SUNDAYS, NOON, TUESDAYS, 10 A.M., THURSDAYS, 10:45

A.M. AND FRIDAYS, NOON-1 P.M., $17; $120-140 for a 10-class pass. Info, 899-0339.

EVOLUTION PRENATAL YOGA BURLINGTON: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina and a stronger connection to their baby. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Burlington, SUNDAYS, 10:15-11:30

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. AND SATURDAYS, 11:30 A.M. $17 per class; $120-140 for 10-class pass. Info, 899-0339.

HYDE PARK BABY CHAT: Parents with babies mingle, learn more about developmental needs and expectations, and have the opportunity to ask questions of a maternal health specialist. Lanpher Memorial Library, Hyde Park, FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 10-11:30 A.M. Info, 888-5229.

ESSEX JUNCTION BIG LATCH ON: The Chittenden County Breastfeeding Coalition hosts this global event for all supporters of breastfeeding with sweet treats, allergy-free snacks, kids’ activities and a raffle. Sand Hill Park, Essex, FRIDAY, AUG. 2, 9 A.M.-NOON. Info, 318-5437. FREE

CENTRAL VERMONT BIG LATCH ON: As part of a worldwide celebration of breastfeeding and hosted by Good Beginnings of Central Vermont, local nursing mothers – and their family and friends – rally together for support and socializing. Official count at 10:30 a.m., followed by a community walk to the farmers market. State House Lawn, Montpelier, SATURDAY, AUG. 3, 10 A.M.NOON. Info, 595-7953. FREE

EVOLUTION PRENATAL YOGA ESSEX: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina and a stronger connection to their baby. Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga, Essex Junction, TUESDAYS, 6 P.M., WEDNESDAYS, 12:15 P.M. ANDSATURDAYS, 8:15 A.M., $17 per class; $120-140 for 10-class pass. Info, 899-0339.

MIDDLEBURY BIG LATCH ON: Middlebury area mamas and nursing babies celebrate breastfeeding with a community turn out. Mary Hogan Elementary School, Middlebury, SATURDAY, AUG. 3, 9-11 A.M. Info, 349-9084. FREE

BOSOM BUDDIES: New and expectant mothers, babies and supportive grandmas rally in a relaxed evening, when peers and professionals answer mothering and breastfeeding questions. Central Vermont Medical Center, Berlin, FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 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 OF EVERY MONTH, 5:30-7 P.M. Info, 371-4415. FREE

MOM AND BABY YOGA: Brand-new mamas and their littles relax, stretch and bond. Followed by a free mothers’ gathering at 11:30 a.m. Embodied, Montpelier, TUESDAYS, 10:30-11:30 A.M., $11. Info, 223-5302.

PRENATAL YOGA: Moms-to-be stretch and bend. Embodied, Montpelier, TUESDAYS, 6-7:15 P.M., $16 per drop-in class. Info, 778-0300.

BURLINGTON EARLY MONTHS INFANT MASSAGE: This mother-infant group includes baby massage and postpartum new mama support. The Janet S. Munt Family Room, Burlington, WEDNESDAYS, 11 A.M.-NOON. Info, 862-2121. FREE

MAMA’S CIRCLE BARRE: This supportive gathering brings moms of new babies and toddlers together to foster friendship through unique-but-shared experiences. Imagine Yoga, Barre, SECOND FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Info, 595-7953.

FREE

MORRISVILLE BABY CHAT: Parents with babies socialize, learn more about developmental needs and expectations, and have the opportunity to ask questions of a maternal health specialist. Lamoille Family Center, Morrisville, SECOND SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 10-11:30 A.M. Info, 888-5229.

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 OF EVERY MONTH, 10:15 A.M. 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 OF EVERY MONTH, 10:30 A.M. Info, 720-2728841. 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 OF EVERY MONTH, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Info, 595-7953.

FREE

NURSING BEYOND A YEAR: In a supportive setting, mothers discuss the joys and challenges of breastfeeding children approaching one year old and beyond. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, THIRD FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 9:30-11:30 A.M. Info, 595-7953.

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 OF EVERY MONTH, 11 A.M.-1 P.M. Info, 236-4136. FREE

BREASTFEEDING FAMILIES GROUP: Nursing moms (and supportive dads, too!) gather for snacks and advice. Church of the Nazarene, Johnson, THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 11 A.M.-1 P.M. Info, 888-5229. FREE

BABYWEARERS OF CENTRAL VERMONT: Brand-new mamas and papas check out infant carriers, get advice and spend some socializing time with other new parents. Good Beginnings, Montpelier, FOURTH MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 5:45-7:45 P.M. Info, 595-7953. FREE

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, FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 4:30-6 P.M., preregister. Info, 371-4415. FREE

JOHNSON BABY CHAT: Parents with babies mingle, learn more about developmental needs and expectations, and have the opportunity to ask questions of a maternal health specialist. Church of the Nazarene, Johnson, FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 10-11:30 A.M. Info, 888-5229. FREE

Vergennes Farmers Market: See August 1. CALEDONIA

Knitting for Kids: See August 1. CHITTENDEN

Colchester Lego Club: See August 1.

DCF Book Discussion: Little literati chat about DCF pick Small Spaces by Katherine Arden while savoring a sweet, cool treat. Grades 4-8. Milton Public Library, 6:30-7:30 p.m., preregister. Info, 893-4644. FREE

Family Yoga & Music Tour: Birth Love Family gets families moving to live music. All ages. The Barns at Lang Farm, Essex Junction, 4-5 p.m. Info, 833-852-8313. FREE

Jericho Farmers Market: See August 1.

Kids Eat Healthy: Power Snacks: A registered dietician guides kids in several activities to learn how to design snacks that promote energy, learning and a positive mood. Grades K-3; must be accompanied by an adult. Essex Hannaford Supermarkets, Essex Junction, 1:30-2:30 p.m., preregister via email to jheidkamp@hannaford.com.. Info, 878-0274. FREE

LCATV Video Day Camp: Aspiring Spielbergs experiment using film equipment, then create a program with Lake Champlain Access Television. Ages 8-9. Milton Public Library, 1-3 p.m., preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Milton Farmers Market: See August 1.

Robotics in Space with Starbase VT: Young engineers train robots to navigate their way through the library. Ages 5-9. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Teen Volunteer Party: Summer adolescent volunteers polish o pizza as part of the library’s appreciation. Grades 6 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 5-7 p.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1. FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See August 1.

Maker Space: See August 1. St. Albans Summer Reading Finale: Successful readers celebrate with treats and prizes for all participants. St. Albans Free Library, 2-4 p.m. Info, 524-1507. FREE RUTLAND

Thank You Thursdays: See August 1. ORLEANS

The Lunchbox Summer Meal Program in Newport: See August 1.

MOMMY GROUP: Breastfeeding peer counselor Angela Scavo hosts mamas and answers questions in a relaxed setting. Junebug Mother and Child, Middlebury, FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 9:3010:30 A.M. Info, 349-9084. FREE See Dr. First videos “First With Kids” at uvmhealth.org.

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16 Friday

Bennington Battle Day

ADDISON

Preschoolers at the Point: Small ones soak up stories and crafts with rotating locally historic themes, from archaeology to lighthouses. Ages 3-5 with adult caregiver. Siblings and snacks welcome. Chimney Point State Historic Site and Museum, Addison, 10:3011:15 a.m., suggested donation $5 per family. Info, 759-2412.

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See August 2.

Story Times

CHITTENDEN

Family Gym: See August 2.

Family Yoga & Music Tour: At the Richmond Farmers Market, Birth Love Family gets families moving to live music. All ages.

Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 833-852-8313. FREE

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

Kindergarten Story Time: Small students gearing up for their first school year come for tales, tunes and crafts. Milton Public Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 893-4644. FREE Richmond Farmers Market: See August 2.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Lego Club: See August 2.

Kids’ Fridays: See August 2.

WASHINGTON

Family Fun Night: See August 7.

Montpelier Mother Up! Monthly Meet-Up: 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 naturethemed kids’ programming included. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 5:30-7:30 p.m., RSVP requested. Info, 229-0041. FREE

FAIRFIELD PLAYGROUP AND STORY

HOUR: Bent Northrop Memorial Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Info, 827-3945.

Early literacy skills get special attention during these readaloud 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

BARRE CHILDREN’S STORY HOUR: Aldrich Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 476-7550.

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

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

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.

ST. ALBANS MOVEMENT & MUSIC

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

STOWE STORY TIMES FOR 2-3-

YEAR-OLDS: Stowe Free Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 253-6145.

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, 582-9942.

BARRE CHILDREN’S STORY HOUR: See Monday.

COLCHESTER TODDLER STORY

TIME: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 264-5660.

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

EAST BARRE STORY TIME: East Barre Branch Library, 10 a.m. Info, 476-5118.

ESSEX JUNCTION STORY TIME: Brownell Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Info, 878-6956.

HINESBURG YOUNGSTER STORY

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

LYNDONVILLE STORY TIME: Cobleigh Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 626-5475.

MILTON STORY TIME: Milton Public Library, 10-10:20 a.m. Info, 893-4644.

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

MORRISVILLE PRESCHOOL STORY

TIME: Morristown Centennial Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 888-3853.

SHELDON STORY TIME: Sheldon Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 933-2524.

SOUTH BURLINGTON STORYTIME AT THE GARDENS: Wheeler Homestead and Garden Park, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 846-4140.

WOODSTOCK PRESCHOOL STORY

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

WEDNESDAY

BARNES & NOBLE STORYTIIME: Barnes & Noble, South Burlington, 11 a.m. Info, 864-8001.

ESSEX BABYTIME: Essex Free Library, 10-11 a.m. Info, 879-0313.

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

JERICHO STORY HOUR: Jericho Town Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 899-4686.

JERICHO STORY TIME: Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 899-4962.

LYNDONVILLE STORY TIME: See Tuesday, 10:30 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.

SWANTON STORYTIME: Swanton Public Library, 10 a.m. Info, 868-7656.

WARREN PRESCHOOL STORYTIME: Warren Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Info, 496-3913.

THURSDAY

NORTHFIELD CHILDREN’S STORY TIME: See Monday.

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

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

FRIDAY

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

CRAFTSBURY STORY TIME: See Tuesday.

ENOSBURG READ & PLAY FRIDAYS: 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.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See August 2.

17 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Burlington Farmers Market: See August 3.

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

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

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

MILTON STORY TIME: Milton Public Library, 10-11:15 a.m. Info, 893-4644.

MONTPELIER STORY TIME: See Tuesday.

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

ST. JOHNSBURY ACORN CLUB

STORY TIME: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 748-8291.

STOWE BABY & TODDLER STORY TIME: Stowe Free Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Info, 253-6145.

SATURDAY

COLCHESTER SATURDAY

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.

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

MILTON DROP-IN SATURDAY

STORYTIME: Milton Public Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Info, 893-4644.

NEXT CHAPTER BOOKSTORE

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

Dad Guild: This group gets fathers of young children reading together, having fun with creative play and forming new friendships. All are welcome. Ages 5 and under. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 4-5:30 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3.

Jamaican Music, Culture and Storytelling: Master teaching artist Michael Dyke immerses youngsters in musical stories and merriment on this historic African-Americanowned farm. Ages 8-11. The Clemmons Family Farm, Charlotte, 10-11:30 a.m., $10; preregister. Info, 765-560-5445.

Milton Car Show: Old, new, classic and muscle cars line up for an admiring crowd. Music, refreshments and activities add to the festivities. Milton, Route 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $2 donation to view; $10 to enter a vehicle; proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. Info, 893-4502.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See August 3.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See August 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See August 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See August 3.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: See August 3.

18 Sunday

ADDISON

Family Play: See August 4.

Pie & Ice Cream Social: Home-baked delicacies of the peach, apple and berry variety — topped with a scoop of cold, sweet stuff — make for a delicious gathering with added merriment of live fiddle music by Young Tradition Vermont. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 1-4 p.m., $5; free with regular museum admission, $8-10. Info, 877-3406.

CHITTENDEN

Art Play Day: See August 4.

Coding With Raspberry Pi: Tweens and teens tackle the challenge of making their own video game. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-2:30 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Essex Open Gym: See August 4.

Family Gym: See August 2.

Winooski Farmers Market: See August 4.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: See August 4.

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

Yoga + Music + Bikes + Eats: Birth Love Family hosts a morning movement class, followed by a bike ride for all ages, live music and food. Ranch Camp, Stowe, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., $20 for yoga class; preregister; food available for purchase. Info, 833-852-8313.

WASHINGTON

Eat Up! Pop-Up Family Yoga + Music: Birth Love Family gets folks moving with a free class and live music. Camp Meade, Middlesex, 5-9 p.m.; food available for purchase. Info, 833-852-8313.

19 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Preschool Music: See August 5.

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

First-Time Kindergarteners: See August 12.

Movie Monday: See August 5.

Teen Space: See August 5.

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1, 11 a.m.

20 Tuesday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See August 6.

CHITTENDEN

Exordium Presents: The Story of Air as it Occupies Space: Mr. K and his dog Bailey wow the audience with science experiments. Ages 5 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Old North End Farmers Market: See August 6.

Tinker Tuesdays: See August 6.

Tuesday Night Trail Running Series: See August 6.

WINDSOR

Time-Travel Tuesdays: See August 6.

21 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CALEDONIA

Modern Times Theater: Hand-puppet Mr. Punch makes the audience roar with his rascally adventures. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 4 p.m. Info, 472-5948. FREE

CHITTENDEN

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

Read to Willy Wonka the Therapy Dog: See August 14.

Teen Crafternoon: See August 7. Wednesday Night Mountain Biking: See August 7.

Yoga + Live Music: Birth Love Family gets families moving with live music. All ages. Sangha Studio, Burlington, 8:45-10:15 a.m., by donation. Info, 833-852-8313.

RUTLAND

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

ORLEANS

Midweek Feature Films: See August 7.

WASHINGTON

Just for Fun Movies: Family flicks entertain viewers of all ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7 p.m. Info, 426-3581. FREE

Playgroups

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See August 7.

22 Thursday

ADDISON

Vergennes Farmers Market: See August 1.

CALEDONIA

Knitting for Kids: See August 1.

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Lego Club: See August 1. Food for Thought Teen Library Volunteers: Young adults polish o pizza as they ponder library projects. Grades 7-12. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Jericho Farmers Market: See August 1. Milton Farmers Market: See August 1.

THURSDAY

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 site-specific details.

MONDAY

AUDUBON NATURE

PLAYGROUP: Audubon Vermont, Huntington, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 434-3068.

BURLINGTON CRAWLERS, WADDLERS AND TODDLERS: Janet S. Munt ParentChild Center, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Info, 862-2121.

CHARLOTTE SUMMER

PLAYGROUP: Charlotte Central School, 10-11:30 a.m. Info, 425-2771.

MIDDLEBURY PLAYGROUP: Quarry Hill School, 9:3011:30 a.m. Info, 388-7297.

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

TUESDAY

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

BROOKFIELD PLAYGROUP: First Congregational Church of Brookfield, 9:3011:30 a.m. Info, 685-2264.

BURLINGTON FATHERS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER: Janet S. Munt Parent-Child Center, 4-7 p.m. Info, 862-2121.

WEDNESDAY

BARRE PLAYGROUP: Aldrich Public Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 262-3292, ext. 115.

MAMA’S CIRCLE: Good Beginnings, Montpelier, 10 a.m.-noon. Info, 595-7953.

MIDDLEBURY PLAYGROUP: See Monday.

OFF 89 SUMMER PLAYGROUP BY VERMONT HANDS & VOICES: Volunteers Green, Richmond, 4-6 p.m. Info, 399-5092.

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

ST. JOHNSBURY TODDLER

TIME: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Info, 748-1391.

Pajama Storytime: Small ones in PJs snuggle in the library on a summer night for stories, calm-down songs and sleepy-time rhymes. Ages 7 and under with caregivers. CarpenterCarse Library, Hinesburg, 6:30-7 p.m. Info, 482-2878. FREE

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1. Young Composers Workshop: Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival composers host an interactive program for ages 5 and up about creating stories through music. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See August 1.

LAMOILLE

Art on Park: See August 1.

RUTLAND

Thank You Thursdays: See August 1.

23 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See August 2.

CHITTENDEN

Dungeons & Dragons: See August 9.

RUTLAND

Downtown Rutland Street Party: The community jams out with family entertainment, local artists, sidewalk sales, crafts, art, food trucks and live music. Center St., Rutland, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Info, 773-9380. FREE

Rutland Farmers Market: See August 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See August 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See August 3. Waitsfield Farmers Market: See August 3.

25 Sunday

ADDISON

Family Play: See August 4.

DADS AND KIDS PLAYGROUP: Family Center of Washington County, Montpelier, 5:30-7 p.m. Info, 262-3292.

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

FRIDAY

ALBURGH PLAYGROUP: Alburgh Public Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 582-9942.

BURLINGTON WALKING

PLAYGROUP: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 10 a.m. Info, 899-0339. FREE

ESSEX PLAYGROUP: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga, 9-10:30 a.m. Info, 899-0339. FREE

OPEN GYM: See Monday.

RUTLAND PLAYGROUP: Rutland Free Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 773-1860.

WINSOOSKI MOVE, PLAY, CONNECT PLAYGROUP: O’Brien Community Center, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 655-6424.

SATURDAY

MONTPELIER SATURDAY

PLAYGROUP: Family Center of Washington County, 9:30-11 a.m. Info, 262-3292, ext. 190.

Family Gym: See August 2.

Family Yoga & Music Tour: See August 16.

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

Music with Raph: See August 9.

Richmond Farmers Market: See August 2.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Lego Club: See August 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways

Fridays: See August 2.

24 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3. Vergennes Day Race: Vergennes Day kicks o with a kids’ fun run and 5, 10 and 15K options for more experienced athletes. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Vergennes Elementary School, 8:30 a.m., $15-27; free for fun run; proceeds benefit the Vergennes Meals on Wheels program. Info, 877-2873.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Burlington Farmers Market: See August 3.

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3.

Family Art Saturday: Families drop in and ignite their imaginations with a current exhibit, then get hands-on with an artistic endeavor. Burlington City Arts, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Info, 865-7166. FREE

Jamaican Music, Culture and Storytelling: See August 17.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Essex Open Gym: See August 4.

Family Gym: See August 2.

Winooski Farmers Market: See August 4.

Zoe’s Race: Community members partake in a 1K fun run, a 5K run/walk or a 10K loop to raise money for children and families who receive support from the Howard Center. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m.; races begin at 8:30 a.m. Oakledge Park, Burlington, $40-45; free for the children’s fun run; preregister. Info, 488-6535.

LAMOILLE

Stowe Farmers Market: See August 4.

26 Monday

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Preschool Music: See August 5. Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

First-Time Kindergarteners: See August 12. Kindergarten Kickoff & Library Open House: Brand-new students and their parents from Williston and St. George meet other families, enjoy stories and get a library card. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m., preregister. Info, 878-4918. FREE

Read to Cleo The Therapy Dog: See August 12.

Teen Space: See August 5. Williston Preschool Music: See August 1, 11 a.m.

27 Tuesday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Lego Club: See August 6.

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

Our mission is to prepare students to become creative, independent thinkers who meet others with compassion, live with purpose, and have the courage to make change in the world.

Guided by Waldorf principles, we honor each student’s innate desire to learn. Looking beyond test scores and report cards, our teachers guide students through a time-tested educational framework that builds bold, inventive problem solvers.

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.

Second location opening at Technology Park

AUGUST CALENDAR

CHITTENDEN

Cyanotypes for Teens: Teens make sun art with found objects. Ages 10 and up. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-4 p.m. Info, 865-7216. FREE

Old North End Farmers Market: See August 6.

Strategy Board Games: See August 13.

Tinker Tuesdays: See August 6.

Tuesday Night Trail Running Series: See August 6.

28 Wednesday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3, 10:45 a.m.

Live-Action Role Play: See August 14.

Not Back-to-School Homeschool Picnic: Home learners pack a lunch and head to the park and playground for socializing, swimming and an educational material swap. Oakledge Park, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., fee for parking. Info, 859-0049.

Wednesday Night Mountain Biking: See August 7.

RUTLAND

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

ORLEANS

Midweek Feature Films: See August 7.

WINDSOR

Woodstock Market on the Green: See August 7.

29 Thursday

ADDISON

Vergennes Farmers Market: See August 1.

CALEDONIA

Knitting for Kids: See August 1.

CHITTENDEN

Colchester Lego Club: See August 1.

Jericho Farmers Market: See August 1.

Milton Farmers Market: See August 1.

Williston Preschool Music: See August 1.

FRANKLIN

Franklin Lego Thursdays: See August 1.

30 Friday

CALEDONIA

Hardwick Farmers Market: See August 2.

CHITTENDEN

Family Gym: See August 2.

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

Play Time for Little Ones: Little ones rollick. Ages 5 and under. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Info, 878-6956. FREE

Richmond Farmers Market: See August 2.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Lego Club: See August 2.

WINDSOR

Foodways Fridays: See August 2.

31 Saturday

ADDISON

Middlebury Farmers Market: See August 3.

CALEDONIA

Caledonia Farmers Market: See August 3.

CHITTENDEN

Burlington Farmers Market: See August 3.

Evolution Postnatal Yoga Essex: See August 3.

Jamaican Music, Culture and Storytelling: See August 17.

Shelburne Farmers Market: See August 3.

RUTLAND

Rutland Farmers Market: See August 3.

ORLEANS

Craftsbury Common Farmers Market: See August 3.

WASHINGTON

Capital City Farmers Market: See August 3.

Waitsfield Farmers Market: See August 3.

WINDSOR

Puppies and Pooches on Parade: This annual dog show on the green gets canine lovers clapping. Woodstock Village Green, 10:30 a.m.-noon, free to view; $15 preregistration entry fee; funds benefit the Friends of the Norman Williams Library. Info, 457-2295.

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

Delicious Summer

There’s no “right” way to savor the season

“We get 18 delicious summers with our children. This is one of your 18. If that’s not perspective, I don’t know what is.” These words, which circle widely round the interwebs, are attributed to a person named Jessica Scott. The first, and the second, and the third time this quote worked its way into my social media feed, it made me feel anxious and annoyed.

I work full-time, all year, and so does my husband, Jon. We have done so for our kids’ entire lives. Our sons, Julian and Kai, are now 11 and 9 — which means we’ve already blown through more than half of our “delicious” summers. The first five with each, we sent them to daycare from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For the subsequent four and six, we signed them up for day camps, one after another, all booked by March 1 — after many text messages and emails with the parents of their friends to make sure they’d be with buddies and we’d be able to lock down carpool help. I assumed — rightly or not — that these were decidedly not the sort of scenarios Jessica Scott had in mind when she authored her evocative summer sutra.

And these are not the sort of summers I savored with my brother, Angelo, 30-some years ago in western Pennsylvania. Our days went something like this: Wake up; eat Rice Krispies with banana slices; lounge around with Dusty, the cocker spaniel who loved us but bit all the paper boys. Get on our swimsuits while Mom packed bags. Walk the quarter mile from our house down the hill, past the old school, the Presbyterian church and the street where my grandparents lived. Arrive at the Quarry.

The Quarry was a deep, water-filled pit, carved by explosives in order to excavate limestone for the cement plant that once employed half the people in my tiny town, including my Grandpa Bill. My mother and her four siblings swam there every summer day as kids. And, then, so did we. While Mom and other mothers chatted on blankets and bronzed their bodies with baby oil (this was the 1980s, after all!), we kids made our own fun. We dove for clams, caught bluegills in buckets, rocked on a giant inner tube (a legit inner tube from an old truck tire) and jumped off Flat Rock. Sometimes we stayed through lunch; sometimes we ate at home.

In the afternoon, the only rules were

that we didn’t leave our street and we didn’t enter any house, including ours, except to use the bathroom. Ange and I would round up friends for baseball games in Dan Jay’s yard or bike races up and down the street. During the 1984 Olympics, we hosted our own Bessemer Games, complete with paper medals strung on yarn. The year before, I’d choreographed a music video to Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time” and bossed all the

in the backyard and at the park down the street on nights and weekends. They ride bikes through our neighborhood, and increasingly with friends in place of parents. Unlike me, they’ve also had the opportunity to level up their skills at mountain biking camps.

Farm camps approximate the exploration and free play I enjoyed as a kid, layering on a healthy understanding of food systems and life cycles that I certainly didn’t have at their ages. Painting, drawing, photography and stop-motion animation camps have exposed Jules and Kai to a wide variety of artistic techniques and media. More importantly, they’ve guided the guys through the process of effective creative collaboration. (Life learnings that might have saved our lemonade stand and made my music video a more pleasant experience for everyone involved.)

neighborhood kids around until they had the moves just right. Once, we built a lemonade stand with the help of Dan’s next-door neighbor, the guy who stole the baseballs we hit into his yard to give to his grandkids.

(In retrospect, I’m not sure this conspiracy theory is true.) We sold sugary drinks to generous neighbors for a few days, until Dan and I came to blows over our how to spend our revenue. He wanted G.I. Joe guys; I can’t remember what I wanted. Probably school supplies. We shuttered the business.

Angelo and I would stay out all day until Mom called us in for dinner. Then we’d eat, shower and put on PJs to watch “Fraggle Rock,” sitting on the floor with a special treat — often a root beer float, or a Dilly Bar from the bag my dad picked up at the Dairy Queen. We’d brush our teeth and go to bed. And do it all again the next day. Delicious

When I look through a more objective lens, I see that Julian and Kai’s summers have all of the same ingredients. They play ball outside — often in organized leagues and camps, but also

We visit swimming holes on weekends. Most years, we’re able to make a beach vacation happen — largely because Jon and I both work. We go camping several times a summer. We paddle our canoe down the LaPlatte River. Eat dinner at the town beach and stay till the sun sets. Go out for creemees. In our backyard, we have a Slip ’n Slide, soccer nets, corn hole boards and a badminton net the boys bought Jon for Father’s Day. We use them often. So, Jessica Scott, now having consumed your words approximately 900 times, and having had a chance to digest them properly, I realize it’s not you who was making me feel anxious and annoyed. It was me. And when I stop looking for a winner between the life I’ve made for my family and the one I was served as a kid, I realize that summer delicious, like any delicious, comes in many flavors. That one person’s Dairy Queen Dilly Bar is another’s maple creemee. That I’ve had the great privilege of indulging in two very different summer cuisines, each made of many courses, each created with all the love and resources available. And if that’s not perspective, I don’t know what is. K

We’d put on PJs to watch “Fraggle Rock,” sitting on the floor with a special treat — often a root beer float, or a Dilly Bar from the bag my dad picked up at the Dairy Queen.

KIDS JUST FOR PULL-OUT

SECTION

It’s summertime, kids, and the heat is high! So where should you go to keep cool?

Fill in the blanks across each row from left to right. Do the same until all the pictures have words beneath them. And here’s a big hint: In each row, only one letter changes from one clue to the next! Then copy the letters from the yellow boxes into the boxes at the bottom with the matching number, and you’ll have your really cool answer.

6. Yummy sandwich meats

1. Sweet spuds

4. Shaggy beasts

7. Strong acorn trees

10. Goofy guys

11. Boat paddles

2. Chocolate rectangles

3. What you hear with

8. Automobiles

9. Fancy fish

5. Outdoor home

12. A genie’s magic house

Writing Contest & Winners Coloring Contest Winners Coloring Contest Puzzle Page Birthday Club

KIDS JUST FOR

Writing Contest

August is often the hottest month of the year. How do you beat the heat in what some people refer to as the dog days of summer? Make a list, or write a poem or paragraph about the ways you keep cool in the summer. Feel free to be as silly as you’d like.

COLORING CONTEST WINNERS

A charm of hummingbirds flew into the Kids VT office this month and enchanted our judges with bright colors and creative embellishments. Eightyear-old Charlotte’s fluttering beauty spread its rainbowcolored wings above a rippling sea of blue. Benjamin, 10, emphasized the emerald back, crimson throat and pointed black beak of his little bird. Five-year-old Emmett colored the wings of his rainbowhued hummingbird a bright turquoise. Savor the summer’s finale, kids, and send us your best again this month.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

“FAIRY OF THE GARDEN”

Isla Johnson, 9, Worcester

“BEAUTIFUL DAY”

Taliyah Neabar, 8, Essex

“DOUBLE RAINBOW BIRD”

Ava Schneider, 12, Cornwall

“HUMMINGBIRD”

Rudy Charlotte Charuk, 5, Burlington

“A BUZZING SUMMER!”

Mariah Sheltra, 7, Fairfax

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

We’ll pick two winners and publish their names and submissions in the next issue. Winners receive a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop

Deadline to enter is August 15.

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

WRITING WINNERS

Georgia Kunkel, 9

VERGENNES

Bird sings. Water drips.

Hiking up

Foggy mists

Up the mountain, Beautiful view!

No better adventure than hiking with you.

Arthur Lea, 8

WINOOSKI

Summer is cool, just like laying in a pool. You get to sing a song and play ping pong. You go on a hike and bike, and go to the skate park and skate till dark. It’s sunny and you get to eat honey. Play with friends until summer ends.

“DESIGN BIRD”

Asher Smith, 8, Lincoln

“COLORFUL HUMMINGBIRD”

Valerie Coakwell, 4, Berlin

“RAINBOW BIRD”

Naomi Ozeki-Blumberg, 3, Burlington

“THE RAINBOW BIRD”

Sabine Fiset, 5, Hanover

“UNIQUE IS SPECIAL, UNIQUE IS DIFFERENT, UNIQUE IS YOU”

Olivia Harris, 11, Montpelier

“HUMMINGBIRD”

Landon Lamberti, 7, Barre

TOP TITLES

“SUNSET HUMMINGBIRD”

Enoch Freebern, 4, Richmond

“THE DARK-EYED HUMMINGBIRD”

Calvin Miller, 8, Northfield

“HUM HAVING LUNCH!”

Haley Heath, 11, Underhill

In our July issue, we asked kids to write a paragraph or poem entitled “The Best Summer Adventure.” Below, find the winning entries. Georgia and Arthur each receive a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington.

Coloring Contest!

Three winners will each receive an annual family membership to the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. Send Kids VT your work of art by August 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 September issue of Kids VT. Send your highresolution scans to art@kidsvt.com or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

Sponsored

KIDS JUST FOR

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.

Birthday Club

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 — HAVE SOME FOOD!

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: What did the bacon say to the tomato?

BREAK BREAD DEVOUR DIGEST EAT OUT

EAT UP

GOBBLE GRAZE GULP MUNCH

NIBBLE PICK AT PICNIC SAMPLE SLURP SNACK ON SUP TASTE TRY

BY HELENA HOVANEC

ZARA lives in Woodstock and turns 11 on August 6. She enjoys swimming, horseback riding and mountain biking. She loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian or marine biologist when she grows up.

Zara wins four day passes and four 3D movie tickets to ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington.

ETHAN lives in St. Albans and turns 9 on August 13. He enjoys biking with his dad on the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, learning about science topics like the solar system, swimming with his sister and playing the piano. He loves soccer, and dreams of playing in the World Cup someday.

ZOE lives in Warren and turns 7 on August 14. She loves to spend time skiing, mountain biking and swimming at all the fantastic swimming holes in the Mad River Valley with her sister, Fiona, and dog, Otto.

To enter, submit information using the online form at kidsvt.com/birthday-club Just give us your contact info, your children’s names and birth dates, and a photo, and they’re automatically enrolled.

Ethan, Zoe and Danica each win four ECHO day passes.

Riddle Answer:

DANICA lives in Hinesburg and turns 5 on August 20. She loves swimming, arts and crafts, her stuffies, and her family. She can’t wait to start kindergarten in the fall so she can ride the school bus with her big brother, Liam.

ANSWERS P. 43