Kids VT, October 2015

The TECH ISSUE

✱ MEET VERMONT’S YOUNG “MAKERS”

✱ PARENTING IN THE SMARTPHONE AGE

✱ INSIDE RUTLAND’S STEM ACADEMY

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Copublisher/Executive Editor Cathy Resmer cathy@kidsvt.com ext. 74 Copublisher Colby Roberts colby@kidsvt.com ext. 77

Managing Editor Alison Novak alison@kidsvt.com ext. 75

Art Director Brooke Bousquet brooke@kidsvt.com ext. 41

Contributing Editor Megan James megan@kidsvt.com ext. 73

Marketing & Events Manager Corey Grenier corey@kidsvt.com ext. 76

Account Executive Kaitlin Montgomery kaitlin@kidsvt.com ext. 72

Calendar Writer Brett Stanciu brett@kidsvt.com ext. 78

P.O. Box 1184 Burlington, VT 05402 802-985-5482 kidsvt.com

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Proofreaders Katherine Isaacs

Carolyn Fox

Production Manager John James

Creative Director Don Eggert

Designers Aaron Shrewsbury

Rev. Diane Sullivan

Bobby Hackney

Circulation Manager Matt Weiner

Business Manager Cheryl Brownell

Contributing Writers: Sarah Galbraith, Ken Picard, Brett Sigurdson, Erinn Simon, Laura Sorkin, Katie Titterton, Sarah Yahm, Rebecca Zelis

Illustrator: Molly Walsh

Photographers: Caleb Kenna, Sam Simon, Matt Thorsen, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur, Don Whipple

relics From the Past

When i Was in seventh or eighth grade, I remember my middle school librarian standing in front of our class with a shiny compact disc pinched between her fingers. “This is the future,” she announced. The slim silver circle in her hand held as much information as a whole volume of encyclopedias, she told us. Our minds were all blown. Someone might even have gasped.

If only we had known what was coming.

The way we access information and consume entertainment has changed drastically since today’s parents were kids. Thanks to Google, my kids will never stumble upon an interesting factoid unrelated to their search for something else in the World Book Encyclopedia. They’ll never know the pleasure of roaming the aisles of Blockbuster Video on a Saturday night. And they’ll never spend hours making mixtapes for their BFFs, furiously rewinding and fast-forwarding to get the timing just right.

But all this new technology has also created exciting opportunities. Today’s kids can study circuitry in a “maker lab” or fashion a windchime by connecting carrots to a computer. We profile five of these local maker kids in “Tinker Time” (page 20).

Vermont’s teens also now have a chance to train for 21st-century

careers at some of the state’s tech centers. I visited one in Rutland for “Rethinking Tech Ed” (page 24).

But has technology made parenting any easier? Contributing editor Megan James tackles that question in “Parent Trap” (page 26). She talked to tech proponents and detractors, and surveyed Kids VT readers on the subject. The takeaway? Parenting is a challenge no matter how many apps you download. Sometimes parents just want to turn it all off.

Rebecca Zelis of Brandon describes how her family did just that in “Nix the Pixels” (page 51). Her family’s “screen-free summer” policy prompted her son to give up his beloved Minecraft.

Our Tech Issue coincides with Vermont Tech Jam, an annual job fair and expo on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in South Burlington. Our sister publication, Seven Days, organizes the event. The job fair part is aimed at adults, but tech-savvy teens are welcome, too. It’s a rare chance for them to learn about some of the state’s most innovative companies and colleges, to check out local maker resources, and to play Vermont-made video games on mobile devices.

I definitely couldn’t have imagined that in middle school.

alison novak, managing Editor

some of this month’s Kids VT contributors:

rebecca Zelis (“Use Your Words”) is an artist and advocate for children with Lyme disease. She lives with her family in Brandon.

breTT sigurdson (“Art of”) is a Vermont Press Association awardwinning writer based in Waterbury. When he’s not writing or teaching at Champlain College or the Community College of Vermont, he’s playing outside with his wife, Kate, and their 8-month-old daughter, Sage.

Saturday, October 31 Vermont PBS Studio, Colchester

Kids grade 5 and under. Two sessions to choose from.

Reservations required!

vermontpbs.org

It’s not Toooo Spooky!

2015/2016 SEASON

Sponsored by

alison (left) and her sisters in a pre-smartphone family photo

Daniel

Readers Respond

Autumnal Fun

A Pleased Prizewinner

Six-year-old Juliana Van Zyl was one of several winners in August’s Book-Inspired Contest. She drew a picture accompanied by a caption describing what she would wish for if she found a magic pebble — that her Opa wouldn’t lose his eyesight. We gave her a $25 gift certificate to Burlington’s Crow Bookshop. Her mom wrote to tell us how Juliana spent her winnings.

Juliana was over the moon! She wrote/ drew her entry the night she found out my dad was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Thankfully, the disease’s progress has been quite gradual thus far. She did allow sibling input on how to spend the gift card and came home with three fun books to share with everyone!

Teena Van Zyl ADDISON

Get in My Belly!

Ever found yourself craving sausage and ice cream — at the same time? You were probably pregnant. The University of Vermont Medical Center recently put out a call to expectant local mothers to share photos of their biggest hankerings, as part of its Virtual Mother Baby Shower.

The Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival was a blast. Sean Avram, from HyperFocus, lent his talents to our Kids VT table, painting kids’ faces to look like beautiful butterflies, snazzy sharks and skillful superheroes. Children ran over hay bales, danced to live music, wove flower crowns and pressed apples. The summery weather and delectable food — from cider donuts to roasted corn — added to the awesomeness. We’re already thinking about next year!

The center launched the contest to celebrate its Mother-Baby Unit, which opened in August. The swanky new wing boasts private bathrooms in every room, sleeping spaces for supporting family members and a suite of overnight rooms for discharged moms of infants staying in the NICU.

Each week through September, the med center posted a photo challenge, asking moms to Instagram photos on different pregnancy-related themes with the hashtag #MotherBabyShower. Randomly chosen winners received prizes from local businesses including Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, Healthy Living Market and Café, Zutano, and New England Federal Credit Union.

At right, you’ll find an assortment of snapshots submitted for the craving challenge.

I’m craving all of the bacon! I filled my plate with fresh tomatoes, whole-wheat toast and eggs so I could only fit two pieces of bacon.

Lots and lots of chocolate!

Strawberry shortcake and homemade biscuits for our summer baby.

I NEEDED both! #pregnant  #cravings #benandjerrys

Pregosnack  #yum #pickle #milk #hungry #pregnant

Midnight snack #getinmybelly #itsforthebaby #chocolatecake #milk #pregocravings

Best of the Blog

Get Out!: Two Tired Parents Go Hiking

BY SARAH GALBRATH

Fall is my favorite time for hiking. There’s something about the cooler temperatures, low-angle light, and crisp air that makes me approach my hiking shoes and backpack with increased vigor. Maybe its knowing that another winter is coming soon, or maybe it’s just the season’s beauty.

Many of my favorite high-country hikes have been calling to me this month. I’m dreaming of the Mt. Mansfield ridge line, the Worcester Range, Camel’s Hump and favorite sections of the Long Trail, like the Monroe Skyline from Lincoln Gap to Appalachian Gap. But a cranky 10-month-old who just got four teeth in succession has also got me dreaming of sleep. Getting myself out for a hike has been hard.

The fresh air and movement is so good for my mental and physical well being, though. For those reasons, I’ve still been hiking but am selecting locations that are doable for tired parents. One recent gem was the Telephone Line Trail in Groton State Forest. The trail is near some other favorite hikes like Owl’s Head Mountain and Kettle

Home Cookin’: Stuffed Baked Apples

BY ERINN SIMON

Fall is officially here, and if you’re anything like our family that means you’ve already been out picking apples at one of our glorious Vermont orchards. I consider pie baking a way of life, so I never worry about using up our apples, but I’m always looking for other delicious recipes for the giant red Macs that fill up my kitchen this time of year.

When I woke up the other morning and felt that familiar chill in the air, I knew it was time for a warm breakfast. So I came up with this recipe for oatmealstuffed baked apples. My kids went crazy for it. It’s not quick enough for a school morning, but it is very easy. Make it for a weekend breakfast!

COLORING CONTEST

Pond. But this mellower trail gave me my hiking fix without sapping the little energy I still have.

I headed out with my partner, Tristan, our dog, Odin, and our daughter, Elise, in her hiking carrier on a recent evening after work. We parked in the Northern Parking Lot on Route 232 in Marshfield, and walked a connector trail that led from the parking lot to the Telephone Line Trail. Once on the trail, a smooth and even tread wound up and around a small hillside into a beautiful mixed hardwood forest. The path had both natural dirt and crushed gravel terrain. It was the perfect hike for two parents who are so tired they can hardly put one foot in front of the other, never mind navigate rocks, roots and stream crossings...

Encountering a bear on the hiking trail is usually cause for alarm. But the bear in last month’s contest was a friendly one — many of the 84 young artists who sent in submissions mistook it for a mouse. We enjoyed their varied interpretations, from a pirate with a skull-and-crossbones backpack to a Care Bear hiking up a rainbow. Keep the creativity coming, and congratulations to all of the winners!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

CAMERA READY

Abby Kaerle, 6, Colchester

NICE STRIPES

Sam Skoinik, 8, Middlesex

OUTSTANDING OWL

Jora Kring, 8, Hinesburg

PERFECT PIRATE

Olivia Harris, 7, Montpelier

BEST BUDDY

Josephine Swiech, 5, Northfield

MIGHTY LITTLE MOUSE

Thia Uthmann, 5, Websterville

COOL COLOR COMBOS

Sebastian John Richard Hempeg, 4, Richmond

SUBLIME CANINE

Colby Simpson, 5, Georgia

CARE BEAR BLISS

Wendy Ainsworth, 12, Sheldon

GROOVY GLITTER

Samantha Martin, 9, Bristol

HI, BLUE EYES!

Dan Coel, 10, South Burlington

PRETTIEST PICTURE

Betty Kayembe, 9, South Burlington

TOP TITLES

“HAPPY HIKER HIKING THE HUMP”

Avery Stockamore, 9, South Hero

“BALLOONATIC BEAR”

The winners of our three gift certificates to Petra Cliffs are…

❑ McIntosh apples

❑ Whole oats

❑ Almond milk

❑ Butter

❑ Brown sugar

❑ Cinnamon

Leah Jamison, 7, Georgia

“GIGGLE PUFF”

Hallie Miller, 6, Milton

Ava Booska, 4 SOUTH HERO “Rainbow and Spiderman”

Mariela Swiech, 7 NORTHFIELD “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”

Jenelle Hardy, 11 GEORGIA “Teenage Mutant Ninja Bear Cub”

Find this month’s coloring contest on page 50. The deadline for submissions is October 15

REAL FUN! Real Science.

THE BEAT

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COMMUNITY Big Picture

Burlington’s Old North End just got a whole lot brighter. Wingspan Studio’s Maggie Standley and a group of teens from the BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF BURLINGTON spent the summer painting a whimsical mural in vibrant hues on all four walls of the club’s Academic Tutoring Center, in Roosevelt Park. Each wall has a di erent theme: On one, the word “potential” appears repeatedly above a fiery rising sun; on another, a winged guardian-angel bulldog hovers over mountains and sunflowers. There’s also a painting of two men — Bobby Miller and Bill Bissonette — floating in a basket. The local business owners donated materials, sta and time to renovate the tutoring center in 2014. The words “Great Futures Start Here” stretch across the front of the building.

Teens applied to be part of the mural project, which took place in July and August. In return for a stipend, the 12 kids selected helped in every part of the process, from design and measurement to setting up equipment and painting. In September, Standley says one of those kids came by while she and a group of local artists were putting finishing touches on the piece and his mouth fell open. “Wow, this is amazing,” he said.

Check out the BOYS & GIRLS CLUB MURAL at 57

BY ALISON NOVAK

ANIMALS Pachyderm Passion

On the first Sunday in October, Burlington will be one of 130 cities around the world to hold its first-ever GLOBAL MARCH FOR ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS — thanks to Vermont Commons School seventh grader Taegan Yardley. The Charlotte kid has been interested in elephants since she helped run a bake sale to raise money for Ivory Free Vermont in 2012. Since then, Taegan has read articles and watched documentaries about how the animals are killed for their ivory in Africa.

Last spring, local activists Laurel Neme and Ashley Prout McAvey asked Taegan to testify at the Vermont Statehouse in support of a bill to ban the sale of ivory in Vermont. After that testimony, a woman from the nonprofit Elephants DC suggested Taegan participate in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos in Washington, D.C. Taegan decided to organize a march locally instead.

To spread the word, she enlisted representatives from 14 di erent schools to tell their classmates about the march. In the weeks leading up to the event, Taegan and her friends have held an elephant T-shirt-making workshop at Davis Studio and created tusks out of papier-mâché, wire and pool noodles for marchers to carry. Organizing the event has taught her more about elephants, Taegan says, but it’s also given her leadership skills. “It’s been a really amazing experience.”

The GLOBAL MARCH FOR ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS takes place on Sunday, October 4, at Burlington City Hall on Church Street. Marchers gather at 11 a.m., the march starts at 11:30 a.m. and a rally at City Hall follows at noon. For more information and optional preregistration, visit ivoryfreevermont.org.

COURTESY OF MAGGIE STANDLEY

COURTESY OF KRISTEN YARDLEY

Oak Street in Burlington’s Roosevelt Park.

Maggie Standley (center) with teen muralists

Painting in progress

The front of the center

Taegan Yardley testifies last spring at the Vermont Statehouse

Rubik’s Dude

A 12-year-old solves 3D puzzles with lightning speed

PuT a RubiK’s cube in Brady MacKay’s hands and everything clicks: his brain, his conversations and, most notably, the cube. The South Burlington 12-year-old twists its layers, lightning fast, until he has solved the classic, multi-colored puzzle.

His quickest time on the original three-by-three cube is 9.79 seconds, recorded at his home. He racked up his best time in competition — 16 seconds — at this summer’s Rubik’s Cube U.S. National Championships in Hilton Head, S.C.

Brady’s hobby has a name: speed cubing. Three years ago, when he first watched someone on YouTube solve the puzzle in 15 seconds, he wanted to try it. He bought his first Rubik’s Cube using his own money, says his mom, Amy MacKay, “because I remember saying to him, ‘I’m not spending money on these things that you’re never going to do anything with.’”

Since then, the freckled seventh grader has participated in four competitions and laid the groundwork for his current career plan: to become a 3D puzzle designer.

His skill is impressive, says Greg Warrington, an associate professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Vermont. “He’s pattern matching,” says the prof. Brady recognizes and understands patterns, much like a chess player, Warrington explains. “We look at a cube and see a bunch of colored stickers, and he sees a path to a solution. It’s a great skill,” one that’s applicable to mathematics, science, medicine and economics.

Brady owns about 25 3D puzzles and practices two hours a day. He

DISCOVERING DINOSAURS k6h-FairbanksMuseum1015.indd 1 9/23/15 3:50 PM

MACKAY 1302 Main Street, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 FairbanksMuseum.org • (802) 748-2372

has his own YouTube channel, called Brady CUBES, and takes requests for interviews.

He arrives at ours carrying a backpack that looks like a Rubik’s Cube and proceeds to unpack 17 puzzles: spheres, prisms and cubes in various configurations. As he talks, he casually picks them up and solves them, as if he’s just fiddling with a paper clip.

Yes, he says, it all began in fourth grade: “That’s when I started fake solving … I would, like, cheat.” Instead of twisting the cubes, Brady admits he would take them apart and reassemble them correctly. “And then I thought I was all cool,” he says.

Until his older brother caught him. In fifth grade, Brady decided to come clean. He announced his plan to solve the puzzle during February break. “And by the end of the week,” his mom says, “he had.”

He copied algorithms he’d found online onto strips of paper and memorized them. Back at school, friends started bringing in their cubes for him to solve during snack time. One kid paid him $5.

Brady still takes cubes apart, but now it’s to clean, lubricate and adjust tension. The young puzzler, who sometimes faces social anxiety, has found a world in which to thrive. At his first competition, he told his mom, “These people understand me.” K

“One to Watch” shines a light on a young Vermonter who is going places. Know a local child, age 17 or under, who’s recently done something amazing?

name: BRADY Brady solves a puzzle while his mom looks on m ary a nn Lickteig Untitled-13 1 9/24/15 11:13 AM

12 ON VIEW NOW THROUGH DECEMBER 13!

One to Watch

Fall Hiking

WiTh iTs beauTiful foliage and crisp, mostly mosquito-free air, fall is a great time to tackle the trails. But choosing the right hike to attempt with kids can be tricky.

Matt Krebs, publications coordinator at the Green Mountain Club, says it all depends on how old your children are.

For parents with babies, hiking is more about the grownups, who can walk while toting their kids in backpack carriers. But the little ones’ needs still count — infants should be dressed for the weather. And parents should look for hikes with easier terrain to avoid slipping.

Hikers with toddlers and preschoolers in tow might enjoy short hikes to waterfalls, wildlife-viewing spots or vistas to keep kids’ interest, Krebs suggests. “The key at this age is keeping them excited,” he says.

Families with school-age children can begin to take on some of the bigger mountains. Krebs says his own kids both hiked Mt. Mansfield at age 4 and New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington at ages 4 and 6. But not all young hikers are so motivated. Picking routes with interesting landmarks that aren’t too far apart can help to keep them engaged and allow them to see progress toward their goal.

Around age 10, most kids can attempt almost any trail as long as the distance is scaled to their age and the circumstances. Says Krebs: “If they’ve just played five straight days of soccer and are already worn down, they will not be very happy on a hard hike.”

Krebs’ No.1 tip? Keep it fun. Parents should be ready to turn around if the kids aren’t feeling it. And kids should help with the planning so they’re invested in a successful trip.

Lastly, Krebs recommends that families celebrate their successes. “We always have treats at every summit and go out for ice cream after every adventure,” he says of his own brood.

In the spirit of Krebs’ advice, here are six fall family hikes organized by age group. Find more detailed descriptions of many of these trails in the Green Mountain Club’s Day Hiker’s Guide to Vermont or on vtstateparks.com.

hiking & hunting

Fall is a great time for hiking, but it’s also hunting season. Hunters customarily avoid hiking trails, but stay extra safe by following these tips:

• Wear vivid colors, visible from all sides, like a bright orange cap or jacket. Put orange garments on kids and pets, too.

• Don’t wear white, as it could be mistaken for a deer tail.

• Stick to established trails, as these are well-known by hunters.

• Avoid hiking in popular hunting areas.

• Talk among your group to make hunters aware you are near.

• Find hunting season dates on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website: vtfishandwildlife.com.

for families WiTh babies

oWl’s head (GroTon): this moderate hike can be shortened by driving to a parking lot that’s within a half mile of the summit. fabulous views of Lake Groton, kettle Pond and the mountains surrounding them reward those who make it to the top. A gazebo there is also a neat place for kids to explore. Access the full trail through New Discovery State Park, which charges a day-use fee until columbus Day of $4 per person (14 years and older) and $2 for kids 4 and up; kids 3 and younger are free. the access road off of route 232 is a few hundred feet away and stays open until winter. round-trip distance: 3 miles (or 1.1 if you drive to the parking lot).

for families WiTh Toddlers and preschoolers

mT. mansfield ridGeline (sToWe): Driving to just below the summit can be a tough concession for parents who love to hike, but it’s a great way to get kids to the top of Vermont’s tallest peak, home to one of the state’s few alpine zones. the car ride up on the toll road offers spectacular views of the mountain. then, from a parking lot, the trail wends 1.5 miles along the far side of the broad mountain to the summit, known as the chin. hikers should be comfortable navigating some rocky

terrain; small children will need help over a few rock scrambles. the toll is $19 per car and driver plus $6 per passenger; kids 5 and under are free. the road closes on october 18, or earlier for inclement weather, so call before you go. round-trip distance: 3 miles.

for families WiTh younG school-aGe Kids

WhiTe rocK (middlesex): Neighboring mt. hunger dwarfs this Worcester range peak. but the views from White rock’s broad and more easily earned summit are expansive: the White mountains are clearly visible to the east and the Green and Adirondack mountains to the west. the hike can be strenuous at times, with a steep, rocky section near the summit. round-trip distance: 4.8 miles.

find more familyfriendly hikes at kidsvt.com

Wheeler mounTain (barTon): this hike includes sections of trail that cross slabs of open rock, offering vistas to keep children — and parents — interested. the summit offers great views of the dramatic cliffs of mt. Pisgah and the Green mountains beyond. round-trip distance: 2.6 miles.

for families WiTh older school-aGe Kids

sunseT ridGe To mT. mansfield

summiT (underhill): Access this difficult but incredibly rewarding trek from underhill State Park (day-use fee until columbus Day weekend, same as New Discovery). from there, take the Sunset ridge trail to the summit of mt. mansfield. After the park is closed, the hike becomes a little longer from the parking area outside of a closed gate. Along the way, check out the views from cantilever rock and enjoy the unique terrain after crossing the tree line about halfway to the summit. round-trip distance: 5.6 miles.

sTerlinG pond (cambridGe): this challenging hike starts with a rock staircase and features many steep and rocky sections. it leaves from the very cool caves of Smugglers’ Notch on route 108 and tops out at Sterling Pond, a beautiful alpine pond with shoreline access. the uphill hike is very steep, but the rock scrambles keep it interesting. roundtrip distance: 2.2 miles.

“Fit Families” is a monthly feature that offers easy and affordable ways to stay active. Got an idea for a future FF? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com.

PirateThemed Ropes Course

WhaT maKes Voiles en Voiles, the new piratethemed ropes course park in Montréal’s Old Port, so awesome? Looks, for starters. Fashioned to resemble two 18th-century pirate ships, its billowing sails, wobbly bridges, suspended logs and hanging nets just scream fun.

And once you make it through the long line to get in, the place lives up to its promise. A friendly attendant fits you with a harness and a helmet and marks the time on your entrance bracelet. After that, you have free rein of the grounds for two hours.

There are five ropes courses to choose from. Little ones can test their balancing skills on “Escape the Octopus,” a mini-course designed for kids ages 3 to 6. It includes many of the same challenges as the higher courses, but they’re just two feet off the ground. This is where my 5-year-old son, Theo, felt most in his comfort zone.

Older kids and adults can choose from four other ropes courses, plus a

Pluses

• Great location in the heart of old Montréal, right next to the river saint-laurent, with parking and food trucks nearby

• restrooms on-site, as well as two counters selling snacks, drinks and slushies

• reasonably priced; a family package gives two adults and two children access to everything for $74 canadian — currently $14 american per person.

zip line. Each consists of a series of wooden bridges, swinging logs, tight ropes and cargo nets separated by circular platforms. Two of them are 13 feet off the ground — those are the ones my 8-year-old daughter, Mira, husband, Jeff, and I stuck to. They weren’t super scary, but they did get my heart pounding a bit, especially on my first go-round. I put on a brave face for Mira, though, who was waiting for me to reassure her the course was totally safe before she attempted it herself.

More adventurous sea rovers can tackle a 24-foot-high course recommended for ages 7 and up and a 35-foot-high one for ages 10 and up. We didn’t try those, but they looked fun and frightening.

There’s also a multicolored climbing wall with four different paths of increasing difficulty, as well as three nautical-themed inflatables — essentially deluxe bouncy houses with slides — for kids ages 2 and up to enjoy.

Voiles en Voiles, which opened this summer, will stay open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through November 1, then reopen when the warmer weather returns next year.

After almost two hours of swashbuckling, all four members of our family were ready to become landlubbers again. We left feeling hot, sweaty, happy and a little bit more courageux than we were before.K

Mira, 13 feet off the ground

Robo ’Rents

iT’s been a wild decade for Ben Kinnaman and Jo Strong Kinnaman: Move to Vermont. Start a robotics company. Have two sons.

“We have this awesome history of making two big decisions at a time,” says Ben. “Let’s build a house and start a company. Great! Let’s grow a family and grow the company. Perfect!”

The couple, both now 39, spent their twenties studying and working up and down the eastern seaboard. Ben worked offshore doing marine salvage operations and as a manager for an engineering contractor in Washington, D.C., then got a graduate degree in robotics from Johns Hopkins University. Jo earned a PhD in clinical psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and consulted with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and later with the University of Vermont. Since the couple’s two sons, Britton and Graeme, were born, she’s also been the primary caregiver.

The couple had vacationed in Vermont and decided they wanted to start a family here. So, in 2006, Ben and Jo left Baltimore and built a house in Bolton while they developed Greensea Systems in their Shelburne rental. The company provides integrated technology and equipment for deep-sea unmanned vehicles using software Ben began building and testing more than 10 years ago.

In the early days, Jo helped out with office management and designed the company’s logo. “At the beginning,” says Ben, “it was just me and Jo and one other engineer.”

Today, Greensea has a staff of 15 and is growing fast. In 2014, the company won the Vermont Tech Jam Innovator Award, presented to a business with the most innovative new project, application of technology or

way of doing business. It doubled its staff in 2015 and is projected to double again in 2016.

During the last few years, Jo chose to opt out of professional life to stay home with the couple’s boys. She recently started consulting again on a part-time basis. Ben and Jo are committed to supporting each other in business and family. And when it’s the family business, there’s a lot of crossover.

on the risks of starting a robotics business:

Ben: It’s an extremely riskintolerant industry. I knew the tech we were developing would change the industry, and I knew we had exactly one chance.

Jo: I’m risk averse.

Ben: I’m traditionally pretty risk averse, and I’m just wired as a provider. The thought of going into several years of not providing, and not knowing what was next, and knowing that we were gonna cash out all of our chips — it was terrifying.

Jo: Then add a couple chicks to the nest. This may sound hokey, but it’s the truth — I wouldn’t have done this with any other person. My faith in Ben has never wavered because of his passion and his drive and the fact that the man has come up with this technology that impresses impressive people.

Ben: Well, I couldn’t have done it without that faith. You don’t have faith

mom:

Kids: sons britton, 6, and Graeme, 3

in yourself some days. Years and years of technology developments, trying to put brick and mortar into this dream — I don’t care who you are, if anybody who has done this says they got out of bed and there weren’t days they didn’t have faith, they are liars. But when you have a partner who believes in you, that’s what it takes to get through those days.

on mixing business and family:

Jo: For me, there was this period of time trying to resist how much the business was a part of our lives. I had this image in my mind of what a balanced life looked like. You shut the door, and the business stays out. But when I came to embrace the idea that the business is a family member who sits down and has dinner with us, life got a lot easier for me.

Ben: Sometimes it’s the benevolent uncle, and sometimes it’s the drunk aunt!

Jo: When I started to embrace that, things felt different. I had this whole other level of investment in the company. I always had it in Ben, but now in the company.

Ben: Before then, there was resentment, actually, because you were home with a newborn.

Jo: Ben had to travel when Britt was 11 days old. It was our only source of income. So he had to go, and I had to stay.

Ben: Our savings were all in the

business at that point. Britt was just over a week old, and I had to get on an airplane. That was tough.

on the traditional marriage they never thought they’d have:

Jo: My main focus and my main job is to be the best mom that I can be. The career aspect is important to me, and I want to do a good job with it, but my time is focused on the boys.

Ben: I think that’s how we’re able to provide balance for the boys. Jo’s so dedicated to the guys that we have the flexibility for me to absorb the bumps and surges with the business. By keeping it sane and logical for the kids —

Jo: And consistent. And I truly believe every woman has got to figure out what is best for her.

Ben: It’s not just the moms, though. I think we had to figure out what worked best for our family. Because when we were first together and envisioning what family looked like for us, we never, ever envisioned this very traditional setup for us.

Jo: My parents had an extremely traditional marriage, and I never thought we’d be in a traditional place. You start out with this picture in your mind, and then life happens and you have to have the flexibility to accept that changes will happen. And the end picture may not be what you started with, but it can still be good. It can be great.K

How the owners of a Richmond tech startup juggle work and family

i wouldn’t have done this with any other person.

jo sTrong Kinnaman

dad: ben Kinnaman, robotics engineer, cofounder Greensea Systems

Jo Strong Kinnaman, clinical psychologist, cofounder Greensea Systems

matthew thor S en

How can parents reduce their kids’ chances of tooth decay?

many families seT limits on their kids’ candy intake. But on Halloween, all bets are off. Should parents worry about what all that sugar will do to their kids’ teeth?

Dr. Charles Bookwalter, aka “Dr. Chuck,” a pediatric dentist with Timberlane Dental Group in Burlington, loves the spooky holiday. His advice to parents? Don’t sweat the sweets much — provided kids eat the candy in moderation. A bigger problem, Bookwalter says, is kids’ year-round consumption of juices and sugary soft drinks, which may explain the results of a recent national survey of dentists showing an increase in tooth decay among preschoolers. This month, Dr. Chuck offers advice for keeping those cavities at bay.

Kids VT: When should kids first see a dentist?

CHARLES BOOKWALTER: For a number of years the Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association have all recognized age 1, or 6 months after the first tooth erupts, as the time to start regular dental visits.

KVT: What do dentists look for at that age?

CB: Believe it or not, some kids are already starting to get some tooth decay, so we want to recognize that early on and halt its progress. Most of the first visit is a conversation with parents regarding proper hygiene, how

much toothpaste to use and reviewing kids’ fluoride exposure to make sure they’re getting the right amount.

KVT: Typically, how old are kids when they start regular teeth cleanings?

CB: That really depends on their coping skills and their ability to sit calmly in a chair and have dental instruments in their mouth. For a rare child, it can be as early as 3 years old. Some are 8 before they’re doing that. There’s quite a range.

KVT: many Vermonters get their drinking water from wells, which often don’t contain sufficient levels of fluoride. if kids use fluoride toothpaste, is that sufficient, or should they take supplements?

CB: Before taking any fluoride supplements, we have to check to see what their total fluoride exposure is like: Do they go to daycare where there’s fluoride in the water? Do they go to Grandma’s house where there’s fluoride in the water? The State of Vermont does a well-water test to confirm how much fluoride is in the water. Kids who are at a higher risk for tooth decay due to lack of exposure to

fluoridated water can be prescribed chewable fluoride pills.

KVT: are some kids genetically more prone to tooth decay than others?

CB: There are some genetic situations, which are very rare anomalies, in which the teeth and the enamel don’t form properly. However, the vast majority of decay we see in this state is associated with perfectly good enamel and is due to diet and dental hygiene.

KVT: is the sugar from fruits and vegetables less problematic than the processed sugar typically found in sweets and junk food?

CB: No. Sugar is sugar, and the germs that cause cavities can really thrive on a very small amount of sugar. However, chewing an apple stimulates our saliva, which has proteins and minerals that protect tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay and gum disease. A fruit drink, which kids just sip on, has a much more cariogenic, or cavity-causing, effect because it delivers a constant supply of sugar that coats the teeth.

KVT: are there certain candies parents should not let their kids eat?

CB: Tooth decay is all about how often

we have sweet snacks, drinks and treats. Halloween is a once-a-year event that kids should enjoy. On the other hand, it’s certainly advisable to limit kids’ access to those treats throughout the day and serve that treat as a dessert rather than let them graze on it all day. Tooth decay is an infection process, and the germs that cause cavities thrive on carbohydrates. The moment you eat carbohydrates of any kind, those germs are producing an acid for about 20 minutes, and then it goes away. So, grazing on sweets maintains this high acid level in the mouth, which removes minerals from the teeth. Saliva has reparative factors that can halt that damage.

KVT: What are the benefits of tooth sealants?

CB: Sealants are typically applied into the deep grooves of permanent molars. If you look at large groups of kids who have not had sealants, about 80 percent of them have had one or more cavities in those chewing surfaces. Whereas if you look at a large group of kids who have had sealants, it’s almost the exact opposite statistic: 80 percent or more are decay-free in those teeth. The insurance companies realized in the early to mid-1980s that it was far cheaper for them to pay for four sealants than one filling. When I was a kid, everybody had cavities. We all went to the dentist every six months and we all had more fillings. That doesn’t have to be the case anymore. K

IntervIew compIled and condenSed by ken pIcard

Tooth decay is all about how often we have sweet snacks, drinks and treats. Halloween is a once-a-year event that kids should enjoy.

Tech Recs

Do you know the di erence between Minecraft and Clash of Clans? Kik and Yik Yak? If not, ask your kids. When it comes to digital media, they’re often schooling their parents on the latest trends. How can parents get up to speed and teach their kids to navigate the vast and rapidly changing online world? We asked Champlain College professor Elaine Young, author of Tuned-In Family: How to Cope, Communicate & Connect in a Digital World, to recommend some resources that can help.

CommonSenseMedia.org

“I love this organization because they provide so much information for parents and families. Not only are there ratings and reviews for movies and video games, they have a fabulous digital media section that provides information for parents and educators. There are videos, articles and even how-to guides on getting your school to implement digital literacy education. It is my go-to website when I have questions or want to know what others are thinking about digital technologies and children.”

Book-Inspired Contest Winners

Congratulations to these talented young artists who submitted captioned pictures showing their favorite part of the first day of school, inspired by Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate. Each wins a $25 gift certificate to Crow Bookshop in Burlington. Here’s one of the winning drawings.

Tech-Savvy Parenting: A Guide to Raising

Safe Children in a Digital World by Nikki Bush and Arthur Goldstuck

“This book has a great structure. It starts with setting the context of the world we live in today — and highlighting that our children are actually a ‘digitally nurtured’ generation — and emphasizes the importance of learning responsibility. These are all great messages for a book that explores how to keep your children safe in an ever-evolving digital world.”

TEDx Talk: “Being a kid in the digital age isn’t easy. But they have ideas to make it better.”

“I’m especially impressed by Devorah Heitner’s research, which shows that our children not only want our guidance but need it when it comes to digital communication. The pressures they feel as connected beings are things that we didn’t feel as children ourselves, but we feel as adults. Turns out parents are anxious, and so are our children! Watch this video — with your kids — for great insight. In particular, notice how this expert learns from children, and how adults can help guide our children through these digital waters.” tedxinnovations.ted.com

Other Winners:

Nakyah Feurtado, 5, RUTLAND

Mira Parker Clark, 5, HINESBURG

Emily Scott, 9, SOUTH BURLINGTON

Isabella Broich, 8 ST. ALBANS

“My favorite thing about the first day of school was making new friends.”

Focus on Food

The inTerneT is Teeming with photos of food. It seems like everyone who likes to cook — or eat — posts the occasional food pic on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or other social media.

Fortunately, these photos won’t just make you hungry — they can also inspire you to try cooking something new. Checking out food-focused feeds will give you ideas for family dinners, and posting your kitchen successes is a fun way to connect with other foodie parents.

But it can be tricky to get a good shot. How can you make your delicious dish look as good as it tastes?

Most smartphones double as decent digital cameras, so taking a great photo of your kitchen creation is easier than ever. I’ve learned a few things from my professional photographer husband, Sam. Even though he generally shoots with a pair of Nikon digital SLRs, he knows how to snap the best possible pic with his phone. Luckily for me, he’s usually willing to share his secrets. K

sam’s Food Photo Tips:

1. get close. Close-ups make for striking photos. Most phones can focus quite near to your subject, so go ahead and get as close as you can for a couple of shots.

2. get low. Instead of standing over your dish, bring your phone down beside it and shoot straight at it from the side for a fresh perspective.

3. Try for natural light. It’s usually the best. If that’s not possible, try using an extra light or two to brighten up your plate — and make sure to position yourself so you don’t cast a shadow over your dish!

4. Use the rule of thirds. Instead of positioning your dish dead center in the photograph, try it in the bottom, left or right third of the frame.

erinn’s Favorite Photo-editing apps:

Vsco cam: it’s easy to use and offers a wide range of filters. Great for giving your pictures that cool, moody, faded look that’s popular with many food bloggers right now.

insTasize: it maintains your rectangle pic shapes, with a white or black border. but it also offers many unusual filters and editing tools, as well as text, sticker and overlay options.

reTrica: this app is most popular for selfies, but i love its retro-feel filters for pics of desserts and treats. it has many filter options and lets you position your photos in unusual ways.

chocolaTe-chiP-cornFlaKe-marshmallow cooKies

this recipe is from the wonderful Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook by christina tosi — and these cookies are amazing. they’re like a delicious mashup of rice Krispies treats, chocolate-chip cookies and s’mores. the recipe is a little involved, but it’s worth the effort. Just don’t start eating the cornflake crunch before you make the cookies; you might not be able to stop.

For The cornFlaKe crUnch:

5 cups cornflakes, crushed to about 1/4 their usual size

1/2 cup powdered milk

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

9 tablespoons butter, melted direcTions: Preheat oven to 275º F. in a large bowl, mix the cornflakes, milk powder, sugar and salt with your hands. Add the melted butter, and toss to combine.

Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown with caramelized bits. Set aside to cool while you make the cookie dough.

For The cooKies:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2⁄3 cup tightly packed light-brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2⁄3 cup mini-chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups mini-marshmallows

direcTions:

Using a stand or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars for 3 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat on medium-high for another 7 minutes. (Don’t rush this step; it’s the secret to making these cookies come out right.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add it gradually to the creamed butter and sugar. beat on low, just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Fold in the cornflake crunch, chocolate chips and, finally, the marshmallows. When everything is folded in, use a 1/4-cup scoop measure to make little mounds of dough on two parchment-lined cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart. Use the back of the measuring cup to flatten them a bit.

cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight, before baking. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375º F and place two racks as close to the center of the oven as possible.

bake for 16-18 minutes, until the marshmallows are melted and the cookies’ edges are golden brown. Watch carefully, you want to make sure they’re chewy in the middle!

A cookie photo edited with the VSCO Cam app. Find the unedited version at kidsvt.com.

e rinn Simon

THE LEARNING CENTER AT HEALTHY LIVING

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

1 1/2 lb baked potatoes

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 cup unsalted bu er, so ened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 15 ounce can pumpkin (or 2 cups home made pumpkin puree)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray baking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside. With an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream together the bu er and sugars. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla beating well to blend. Slowly add the dry ingredients, beating well to blend. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a tablespoon scoop, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake on the middle oven rack for about 18 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to racks to cool.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN IN OCTOBER

All classes require pre-registration. For a full schedule, or to register, go to healthylivingmarket.com; or call Customer Service at 802.863.2569.

Steamroller Printmaking

WHAT Kind oF suppliEs do you need to create the most fun art workshop ever? Paint, wood blocks and a construction vehicle — or so it seemed in the Sushi Yoshi parking lot in Stowe one Saturday afternoon in September. Robby Schulze, 6, was utterly spellbound as he watched a heavy-duty steamroller slowly press paper and ink into his woodcarving.

As he peeled the paper from the woodcut, Robby beamed at the impression left behind: a multi colored print of the giant house he and his mom, Sue, sketched and carved during the Helen Day Art Center’s Steamroller Printmaking Workshop.

“I wanted to do a picture of a house because we just moved into a new one,” said Robby.

He wasn’t the only one captivated by the unusual printmaking process. Steamroller operator Nathan Suter — Helen Day’s executive director and curator — has been running this workshop for four years. He said he’s seen this reaction before.

“Their faces light up when they pull up the paper,” he said. “They love it.”

Suter rented the steamroller for the day from Walker Construction in Stowe. He and another Helen Day staffer drove the vehicle over participants’ woodcuts to make the prints.

Why go to all this trouble? The nonprofit art center launched the workshop to expose a wider audience to art and give more experienced printmakers a chance to work on large-scale pieces. About two dozen people took part in the first workshop, and attendance has grown steadily since.

Suter said he enjoys seeing entire families participating in the process — the kids painting while their parents help out.

Helen Day education coordinator Susan Holliday agreed.

“It’s for everyone,” she said. “That’s what makes this so special — it’s not segregated between ages and abilities.”

Indeed, several artists brought large reliefs they had carved prior to the event. Jeanne Thurston of Wolcott used the workshop to experiment with a design inspired by beehives. Another artist created an intricate woodcut motif meant to resemble a person as seen from above.

But the majority of the artistic action came from families, who moved between three stations set up for each step of the printmaking process.

Inside the carving tent, Vicki Maier watched her son Dax, 8, etch a circular design that he compared to helicopter rotors, while his friend, 8-year-old McKenzie, carved her name and a heart.

Vicki said she and Dax happened upon the event while walking the nearby Stowe Recreation Path last September and decided to try it this year.

“I like that this is a more physical way to experience art,” she said, “and how he’s able to get inspired by other kids here. Plus, he loves big machines.”

When they finished carving, the trio carried their woodcuts to the painting station, where they used brayers to coat their designs with paint in preparation for the pressing.

more arty fun for families:

The nonprofit hosts a free, oneday lantern-making workshop on Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., in preparation for Waterbury’s River of Light Community Lantern Procession on December 5. The workshop is open to families with children ages 6 and up. For more information, visit helenday.com.

Dax went right for the green and purple paint cups, rolling the colors onto the wood with vigor. McKenzie was more circumspect in her color choices, eventually deciding on a light blue and green.

When their reliefs were painted, Dax and McKenzie carried them to the pressing station, covered them with sheets of paper and placed them in front of the steamroller. The big machine chugged to a start with a burst of black smoke and slowly drove forward a few feet, rolling over their work, then back again.

“Whoa,” Dax said as he lifted the paper to reveal the finished product. He and McKenzie held up their artwork to a crowd of onlookers.

“They look fantastic!” said Vicki. Behind them, several kids sat with the steamroller driver in the vehicle’s cab. “Best day of my life!” one of them yelled. K

Their faces light up when they pull up the paper.

nATHAn suTER, HElEn dAy ART cEnTER

Lance Violette of Stowe and his son, Oscar

“The Art of” spotlights creative skills that enrich kids’ lives. Got a class or teacher to recommend? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com .

Tinker time

Meet some of Vermont’s young “makers”

by

by now you’ve heard about Ahmed Mohamed, the 14-year-old Texas freshman who built a digital clock and brought it to his suburban Dallas high school. Ahmed, who is Muslim, made headlines in September because school officials said they suspected his clock was a bomb — he was handcuffed and fingerprinted by police, and suspended from school for three days.

But though local officials panicked, national figures celebrated the boy’s ingenuity. President Barack Obama tweeted his support. “Cool clock, Ahmed,” he wrote. “Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.” Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent her own supportive tweet. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg invited Ahmed to visit the company’s California headquarters. Twitter offered him an internship.

After Ahmed called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology his “dream school” on MSNBC, MIT physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein invited him to tour the campus. “I just want to say, you are my ideal student,” she told him.

Obviously that’s not because Ahmed got suspended — it’s because of his creativity and curiosity. It’s because he made something on his own, rather than waiting for instructions or an assignment.

There are lots of Vermont kids who

possess this same spark. They haven’t gotten as much press as Ahmed, but they’re creating stuff, too — building robots, crafting, making bracelets with LED lights and sewing with conductive thread.

In many cases they’re not operating entirely on their own; a growing network of DIY evangelists is helping them. Inspired by the maker movement — popularized 10 years ago by Make magazine and Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty — Vermont librarians, teachers and scientists are creating “maker spaces” where kids and adults alike can tinker, using traditional as well as hightech tools. Basically, whatever’s handy.

Nicole Westbom, the children’s librarian at KelloggHubbard in Montpelier and the organizer of its Tech Tuesdays, argues that the maker movement is simply about “using what you already have to create something new.” On a busy Thursday afternoon she pauses briefly from her job manning the children’s desk to whip up a cup of synthetic snot with food coloring and Borax. According to Westbom’s definition of the maker movement, this plastic cup of fake snot is just as much a part of it as the e-crafting and circuitry activities she leads in her weekly kids’ tech sessions.

For the Kids VT Tech Issue, we caught up with five local maker kids who love to innovate, experiment and imagine. All of them — much to their parents’ delight and distress — love to take things apart to see how they work. And like Ahmed, all of them possess a curiosity and creativity that’s inspiring to behold.

a littlebit curiOus

Name: Julian Holcroft

Age: 10

Town: Burlington

Fifth grader Julian Holcroft’s bright eyes and devilish smile hint at the quick mind that lurks beneath. When I meet him at Burlington’s Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler, he’s sitting at a table in an alcove of the library that functions as a computer and maker lab. Before him is a jumble of litteBits — electronic building blocks that snap together with magnets. His black T-shirt declares, irreverently: “Too many freaks, too few circuses.” When I ask him about it, he shrugs. He’d rather focus on the project he’s making.

He’s traced one of his hands on paper, cut it out and taped it to a knob on a littleBit. When switched on, his contraption will make the hand appear as if it’s waving.

IAA’s librarian Shannon Walters

alisOn nOvak and sarah yahm

Juilan with his littleBits creation

stocked the magnet school’s maker lab with tools including $300 worth of littleBits, “squishy” circuits and 3D-printing pens. Students can use the technology during library time, lunch and recess. “It’s not everybody doing all the same project in the same way,” she says. “That’s like being back in kindergarten where you have to color within the lines. A lot of the time I think our maker space tools are just about giving them the possibility and then getting out of their way.”

Julian’s a frequent visitor to the IAA’s maker space. “I can’t be in front of Julian without him wanting to dig in and see how it works,” Walters says. “You can pretty much give him anything, and he’ll sit and play.”

Julian also regularly visits Burlington’s Generator, a maker space that opened last year in Memorial Auditorium, where he likes to check out projects college kids have made. “I really want to be an engineer when I grow up,” he says.

on his early maker years: “I started [building with] Lego at around 5, and then at 6, I started using the Technic sets —it’s just a ton of beams, axles, gears and stuff. You’re supposed to do it when you’re 16, but I do it, and I’m 10. Mostly I build the set project and then I start adding stuff on to it, and stuff goes from there.”

Future aspirations: “I’d love to make a lawn-mowing robot. I’ve seen someone who made one. It actually mows your lawn. It’s over 600-something dollars.”

What’s cool about littleBits: “With littleBits, you can just build anything you want, basically. It’s got magnets in it so you can’t connect them the wrong way, which is helpful. What I like about it is it’s entirely interchangeable.”

other talents: “I also do tech crew for the school. I set up the lighting board and run it. I run sound during assemblies. I’m training someone else to do it. It’s pretty fun.” —AN

Aiming HigH

Name: Torin callnan

Age: 12

Town: North middlesex

Before I leave Torin Callnan’s house in North Middlesex, he tells me we have to try out his ballista. For those who aren’t up on ancient weapons, it’s a standing Roman crossbow. His is made of wood, with a piece of PVC pipe for a bow.

The handmade arrow Torin fires doesn’t make it to his target across the lawn, but it gets pretty close. He also wants to show me his homemade potato cannon but, considering it requires hair spray and fire, we decide to save it for another time.

Torin would happily spend all day in his basement lair listening to his favorite audiobooks and building objects inspired by them. Back when he was homeschooled, he could while away the hours building and making

things like a papier-mâché model of a power station. But now that he’s a seventh grader at U-32, he doesn’t have as much unstructured time. He’s joined a Lego robotics league after school, though. And there are always weekends and long summers to linger in his workshop, thinking up his next project.

because before I thought of PVC, I was trying to carve branches or small trees into a bow-shaped bow, and that didn’t really work.”

Ultimately, though, he’s less interested in the future than in the past. What does he want to be when he grows up? “A historian,” he says.

Why make things: “I like building stuff. I like having the satisfaction of seeing a product that actually works.”

Biggest challenge: “The crossbow,

What’s next: “Since the ballista that I made was supposed to be a model, I would scale up. I’m thinking about building a bigger one. Do you know John Flanagan? He wrote Ranger’s Apprentice and The Brotherband Chronicles. In The Brotherband Chronicles, the main character builds a giant crossbow that he calls ‘the mangler’ because it shoots small trees and stuff. And that really inspired me. He mounted it on his boat, so I’m thinking about building a boat with a ballista and testing it on Lake Champlain.”

dream invention: “At one point I was telling my dad that eventually I will invent a car that runs on snow. If I invented that, I think my life would be complete.” —SY

i like the satisfaction of seeing a product that acually works.

ToriN cAllNAN

Torin and his ballista

Music Maker

Name: mcKenna marquis

Age: 12

Town: derby

When I walk into McKenna Marquis’ light-filled house, she ushers me over to her newest invention — a set of carrot wind chimes hanging in the living room before an open window. Four orange veggies and some metal sensors dangle from a piece of pipe. When the carrots tap the metal, a computer emits a metallic tinkling sound.

To make her chiming carrots, McKenna used a circuit board called a Makey Makey (rhymes with “achy break-y”). The popular maker device, which connects to everyday objects on one end and a computer on the other, essentially enables the computer to read household items as a keyboard. McKenna can define what those objects can do by writing instructions using a program such as Scratch.

McKenna’s invention is an ingenious variation on a classic Makey Makey project — the banana piano. Google it, and you’ll understand.

Although the seventh grader at North Country Union Junior High School clearly has an affinity for the high-tech aspects of the maker movement, her true love is for

her tree house, which she’s been constructing for years. Long before she’d ever attended Tech Savvy Girls Camp or heard of a Makey Makey, she was hammering boards into her favorite backyard tree and trying to attach an old slide to the trunk.

coolest failed project: “I’ve tried building a remote-control helicopter drone-type thing. I had a helicopter and it stopped working … so I took the motor out of a light set and the pieces of the helicopter, like the wings, and I put them on the motor to see if it would spin … but it didn’t really work.”

What’s in her sketchbook: A design for a doll bed for her little cousins; sketches for cool motorized objects; a list of all the things she wants to do in her tree fort.

Advice to kids interested in being makers: “It never hurts to try. Try, and if you like it, that’s great, and if you don’t, try something different. Take all the opportunities you can get.”

Next project: Gloves with conductive thread sewed into the tips, which will heat fingers when they touch a screen and are designed to keep texting fingers warm. —SY

DecOnstructiOn WOrker

Name: charlie Wallich

Age: 10 Town: montpelier

charlie Wallich’s house, on a quiet street five minutes from downtown Montpelier, is filled with deconstructed machines. He happily tours me through his bedroom, piled high with coding books, and his basement, littered with the innards of old computers that he’s dismantled. In his white lab coat, he could easily pass for a serious, if pint-size, scientist.

“Down in the basement are all the things that we’re not ready for humans to see yet,” he explains as we make our way back up the stairs. “All the stuff down there is somewhat experimental. It may explode or cause sparks if used by an untrained person.”

Charlie is a student at the progressive River Rock School, which doesn’t segment its students into grades; he declines to reveal which one he would be in.

His favorite material to work with is a surprising one — cardboard. “Because it’s just so versatile,” he says. “I can make whatever the heck I want with it.” One of his favorite things is

something he calls “the imaginative box.” All you need is a box big enough to sit in and your imagination, and it can transport you anywhere you want to go, he says. “And, sure, you’re not actually flying over a mountain, but if you’re having fun and enjoying yourself, then my work here is done.”

coolest thing i’ve ever made: “One of the things that’s in progress is a calculator put on paper. It’s the inner workings of a calculator, but on paper. I just took apart a dead calculator, and I took out all the parts (inside) that actually worked and put it on paper.”

career aspirations: “Why limit myself to one profession? Scientist, inventor, engineer, physicist, that kind of thing.”

Thoughts on frustration: “Failure is really a success in figuring out a way that doesn’t work.”

How parents can encourage their kids’ maker tendencies: “Give them the right tool set! I would say if they’re ready for it: a glue gun, scissors, of course lots of cardboard, lots of tape, random tinkering objects and whatever you can find!” —SY

McKenna and her carrot wind chimes

Charlie in his basement

hipple

jeb W allace-br OD eur

’bOt builder

Name: Amelia Payne

Age: 16

Town: North Ferrisburgh

Amelia Payne has the same preoccupations as many 16-year-olds, like studying for her SATs and getting her driver’s license. But when I stop by her classroom at South Burlington’s Big Picture school in mid-September, she’s focused on building a remotecontrol lake monster. She pulls out the “ChamBot” to show me — the partially completed creature is mint-green and made of lightweight foam. It’s about the size of a coffee table.

Amelia and her team members are designing it to compete in the ChampBot Challenge at the Champlain Mini Maker Faire at the end of September; Amelia is helping to build and program the aquatic robotic vehicle, which must complete a variety of tasks to win.

Last year, she says, her team constructed its remote-control lake monster with motors that weren’t waterproof and it was “a nightmare.” This year they’re adding bilge pumps and doing a trimaran design that she hopes will make the ’bot more stable. “It kind of snuck up on me. I didn’t realize it was in, like, two weeks,” she says of the competition. “Now we’ve really got to pull it together.”

The North Ferrisburgh teen went to the independent Red Cedar School in Bristol for elementary and middle school, which she says allowed her time during the school

day to explore her maker tendencies. Students there would bring in broken CD players and remotecontrol cars, take them apart and use the motors to make their own creations, like paint spinners. At Big Picture, a separate school within South Burlington High School that’s all about individualized learning, Payne has dabbled in robotics, cybersecurity, and game and website design. Last year, as part of a school project, she even created a web page for her fledgling babysitting business.

on her early maker years: “I spent a lot of time playing with hot-glue guns and had the burns to prove it. I went through a stage making a lot of very complicated spitball guns and crossbows to shoot pencils and stuff.”

on being a female maker: “I’m a girl, and I’m involved in making stuff, which is not exactly common. One time I tried to go to the Cyber Security Club, and I got there on the first day and was like, ‘Oh, my God, I finally found a tech club that girls are in!’ Turns out I was in the wrong room — it was the Scrapbooking Club.”

Advice for younger kids with maker aspirations: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because people might be talking over your head, but they might not realize they’re talking over your head. They’re probably not trying to be obscure.”

dream project: “Obviously a teleporter.” —AN K

Are

A program that will challenge them to reach higher levels of creativity and that teaches students there is more than one way to solve a problem?

Would you like to work with kids as their Team Manager?

Amelia holding ChampBot parts matthew th O rsen

rethinking Tech Ed

Stafford’s STEM Academy prepares teens for 21st-century careers

by AlisOn nOvAk

rutland high school senior Karine Bombardier has loved to take things apart since she was a little kid. She says her father encouraged her to seek out educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math — a group of subjects commonly referred to as STEM. “He told me engineering is big in our economy,” she said. She plans to apply to Rochester Institute of Technology and Vermont Technical College and pursue a career in computer engineering.

Megyn Spafford, a senior from Fair Haven, has a passion for building. She hopes to be a mechanical engineer one day.

But neither of the college-bound young women is attending a traditional

public high school — they’re both students at Stafford Technical Center, one of Vermont’s 17 career and technical centers.

Typically, these schools provide primarily high school juniors and seniors with skills that will prepare them for careers in areas ranging from cosmetology to forestry, auto refinishing to nursing. A quick tour of Stafford in Rutland, shows young women practicing hairstyling on mannequin heads, casually dressed teens gathered around cars in a garage and a room full of hospital beds.

But in addition to those more traditional fields, tech centers are now also giving teens the opportunity to pursue STEM education, to learn the skills they need to enter the

21st-century workforce. Both Karine and Megyn are second-year students in Stafford’s STEM Academy, which launched last school year. It’s one of numerous STEM-related programs at tech centers around the state that have cropped up in recent years.

Around two dozen students from eight high schools in Rutland County attend the STEM Academy. Over the course of the two-year program, students learn about the engineering design process, robotics and electronic circuits. They design solutions to problems using 3D modeling software and use an engineering notebook to document their work. They become proficient in AutoCAD — a computer-aided 2D- and 3D-drawing program — which is the foundation for communicating in the design world. They learn how to use 3D printers and laser cutters. They also work on “soft skills” like communication and critical thinking.

also doubles as a meeting and work space for Rutland County’s FIRST Robotics team.

Programs and facilities like this are changing the kinds of students who attend tech centers.

You gotta make it cool.

Stafford’s STEM Academy “has allowed us to attract a demographic we normally wouldn’t at the tech center,” says the academy’s coordinator Fieh Chan, a former high school math teacher who also acts as outreach coordinator for STC.

One of those students is Abby Wright, a 17-year-old senior from Fair Haven. She moved to Vermont from Baltimore the summer before her junior year after her mom got a job teaching accounting at Castleton University.

All of this takes place in Stafford’s state-of-the-art STEM lab, renovated last year with money from a halfmillion-dollar bond. It includes a spacious computer lab with a 75-inch TV and large Smart Board, a room that houses a 3D printer and laser cutter, and a huge open workroom, which

When she visited Rutland High School and mentioned her interest in math and science, the guidance counselor directed her to Fieh Chan and the STEM Academy. Chan convinced Amelia, and her mom, that the academy would give her the foundation she needed to be successful in a college biomedical engineering program. Now in her second year of the STEM Academy, and on the cusp of applying to colleges, Abby is happy about the decision she made. “I really have just enjoyed everything we have

doug

WEbsTEr, VErmonT agEncY of EducaTion

STEM Academy teacher Chris Gray in Stafford’s STEM lab

done,” she says. In particular, she says, she loves the group work and the hands-on challenges, such as using Vex Robotics kits to build simple machines, including a lever that can lift a textbook.

Doug Webster, career and technical education coordinator for the Vermont Agency of Education, says he’s seen the demand for STEM education in tech centers ebb and flow through the years. Stafford actually dropped STEM-related programs focused on machining, architectural design and information technology around 2010 because of low enrollment.

At that time, Webster says he thought, “We’ve got to do something about this. We’ve got to change the perception of STEM-related programming.”

Increasing funding for programs like FIRST Robotics is one way to build students’ interest in STEM-related education, he says: “You gotta make it cool.”

Webster, who also founded the Champlain Mini Maker Faire, says robotics clubs and Maker Faires are good ways to get kids interested and excited about STEM education, and that then drives the demand for more STEM programming.

Webster thinks Stafford’s STEM Academy has been successful in large part because of the recruitment efforts of the affable and articulate Chan, who brings his “road show” to local middle schools and high schools in the winter to spread the word about the program.

The Computer Animation and Web Design program at the Center for Technology in Essex is another successful STEM-related tech-center

initiative. It started in 2001, serving 16 juniors and seniors in Chittenden County; enrollment this year is up to 40 students. Matt Cronin, who runs the program, attributes the rise in popularity to the prevalence of technology in everyday life. “Kids want to learn to build what they love to do,” he says. Second-year students intern with organizations like the Vermont Lake Monsters, where last year a group of them helped design animations for Centennial Field’s Jumbotron. Many students who complete the program pursue higher education at places like Champlain College and Vermont Technical College. Five alumni are employed at Dealer.com, and two are at Burlington’s Union Street Media.

Students enrolled in STEM-related tech programs don’t just go on to college — they can save money and time at the tech centers, too. Stafford’s STEM Academy uses a curriculum called Project Lead the Way, which is used in 7,500 schools nationwide. Students who successfully complete the four-semester course of study can earn up to 12 college credits through the Rochester Institute of Technology. Other techcenter programs across the state have similar opportunities to earn college credit, says Webster.

Getting hands-on experience with the type of work they will actually be doing in a STEM-related career also helps students decide if it’s truly the path for them.

“I came here to see if engineering is what I wanted to do,” says secondyear STEM Academy student Amelia Kipphut, “and it is.” K

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STEM Academy coordinator Fieh Chan

A robot in the STEM lab

Parent Trap

BY MEGAN JAMES ILLUSTRATIONS BY MOLLY WALSH

Last year, while nursing my infant daughter, Joni, in the wee hours, I found solace in the glow of my smartphone. When she wouldn’t go back to sleep, I’d pop in my earbuds and bounce with her on an exercise ball. Instead of despairing in my exhaustion, I’d listen to the wise words and gallows humor of fellow new moms on the parenting podcast “The Longest Shortest Time.”

I became a mother at a time when technology pervades nearly every aspect of life. Hardly a day has passed that I haven’t snapped a photo of Joni on my iPhone — and been tempted to share it on Facebook. If I were a more type-A parent, I could download apps to track her bowel movements, development and sleep habits.

My first 18 months of parenting have been vastly di erent from my own mother’s experience. What’s more surprising is that they’ve also been quite di erent from Kids VT managing editor Alison Novak’s. Less than six years have passed since Alison’s youngest child was born, but so much has changed. She was surprised to learn recently, for example, that she could download an app to turn her smartphone into a baby monitor for friends visiting with an infant.

The iPhone has only been on the market for eight years, yet many parents of young children today can hardly imagine life without it. Tech companies increasingly sell the notion that devices and apps can make our lives better. But is raising children really getting easier in the smartphone era?

To find out, I surveyed our readers. A couple dozen, ranging in age from 31 to 64, filled out our parenting and technology survey online. Nearly all respondents under 40 named their smartphone as the single piece of technology they couldn’t parent without. The older respondents were more likely to say there’s nothing tech-related they wish they had back then — though a few admitted a digital camera would have been nice.

I also spoke with a tech-loving dad of three. I reached out to a Waldorf educator with grown children. And I asked the closest source I have, my own mom: Is there any technology available now that would have made your job easier when you were raising children?

“I really wish we’d had social media that allowed me to connect with other moms,” my 65-year-old mother told me. “When I had my first child [in 1981], I didn’t know anyone else who

had kids. I didn’t have a community of moms to turn to.”

FaceTime would have been nice, too, she gushed. “Especially when Dad was working nights, so he could say goodnight to you.”

And she would have liked today’s high-tech strollers and other baby equipment. “We had the crappiest equipment,” she said. “The whole concept of a car seat was new. They were solid plastic, so they didn’t breathe. I’d take you out in the summer, and you’d end up in a pool of sweat.”

I was thinking more about digital devices when I designed the survey, but other parents mentioned baby gear, too. The piece of technology that survey respondent Meredith Breiland of Milton can’t live without is her jogging stroller, for example.

“It probably did more for parents and their health than anything else,” says the 37-year-old. Staying fit has always been a big part of Breiland’s life. But finding time to exercise as a new parent can be nearly impossible. She sees the jogging stroller as a feminist statement: “I’m going to live my life and bring my kid with me. I’m taking control of my life.”

She cites another technological advancement that helps with parenting, too — texting. Two weeks after she gave birth to her now-17-monthold daughter, Breiland texted with a far-flung friend who was in labor in the hospital. The two had recently reconnected over Facebook and discovered that they were both pregnant at the same time.

“I had just been through it, and she had questions,” says Breiland. “And I

Here are some noteworthy responses from our Kids VT technology and parenting survey. Respondents were anonymous.

Has technology made the toughest job any easier?

was home and awake at three in the morning.” Neither one of them would have thought to make a phone call at that hour, but exchanging texts seemed appropriate.

Now, with children almost exactly the same age, the friends keep in touch through text to discuss daily parenting struggles, like getting their toddlers to eat vegetables.

Rachel Spitzer-Firliet, a 31-yearold mom from Proctor, says her smartphone is a lifesaver when she’s trying to find activities and events to go to with her 3-year-old. But keeping devices out of her son’s hands is often a battle. And “having so much information at your fingertips can create a lot of fear,” she says. “I try not to read everything I see on my Facebook feed. Otherwise I’d end up keeping my kid in a box in the closet.”

Thomas Bacon of Colchester is the director of Young Hacks Academy, a coding camp for kids. He’s also a dad to three children — 13, 10 and 7.

Bacon relies on his phone to solve all sorts of parental quandaries,

such as how to dress the kids for the weather and what to do when he finds a weird welt on one of their legs. Says Bacon: “I know that, unfortunately, getting ahold of his primary care physician might be hard. But I can go online and find pretty trusted sources … and, by the way, I can do that in 10 minutes.”

He’s ambivalent about many of the new products designed to help with parenting, though. “There are so many apps that continue to get pushed on parents daily, with the basic pitch that this will make your life easier, better,” he told me. “I’m not totally convinced.”

In fact, he finds the constant monitoring of children “annoying.” “Parents are pushed into having a really short leash with our kids,” he said, even though statistics show that children are safer now than they’ve been in 50 years.

“It’s crazy to think that when kids go to the mall these days, they have this tracking device in their pocket,” he said, referring to the smartphone.

“Frankly, I don’t know if [having constant access to your children] is necessary.”

On this point, Anne Shapiro agrees. The Lake Champlain

Waldorf School educator, who also runs workshops teaching Simplicity Parenting — a decidedly anti-tech philosophy — said today’s parents are staying overly in touch with their kids.

“My sense is that technology is making parents more nervous, anxious, and I think it puts a filter between you and your child,” she told me. Shapiro, whose children are now 36, 29 and 25 years old, believes her family “dodged a bullet” when it comes to the advent of social media. There’s nothing available today that she wishes she’d had when she was raising her children.

Shapiro worries that parents are so distracted by their screens that they aren’t teaching their children important lessons, such as how to work with their hands.

“What are children learning about delayed gratification when parents are walking around with screens and

What single piece of technology could you not parent without?

“My cellphone. It is the central location of our family planning: sports, school, work, vacations, doctor visits...”

“The microwave — it allows me to heat stuff up fast, which is essential during sports seasons.”

“Not a one. Because technology does not parent my children; I do. And to do that I must be able to hold them, play with them, have both eyes on them, speak to them, etc.”

What current technology do you wish you’d had when your kids were younger?

“Wish I’d had a digital camera when the babies were little! I spent lots of time processing film, making newsletters by hand and then color copying them to mail to relatives out of state to keep them up-to-date with the babies ... fun, but time consuming.”

“Search engines for easy access to information.”

“DVR. We only had kids’ TV shows for set times of the day.”

What current technology could you do without?

“Tablets. I seriously have to limit my son’s usage. If I don’t, he gets lazy and even forgets to use the bathroom.”

“Facebook. It can be such a time suck and so tempting to delve into when I probably should be paying more attention to my children.”

“Smartphones. Too connected!”

“All of it.”

responding immediately to them?” she wonders.

Shapiro doesn’t own a smartphone, but her husband, she joked, is threatening to buy her one. She admitted that it might be helpful for navigation. “Maybe the GPS is the thing that my girls should have had when they were young,” she said. “Maybe we would have found that park…”

Still, she said, sometimes not finding the park they were looking for meant finding something else unexpectedly. That serendipity is important, Shapiro said.

I agree. But I’m not convinced that the smartphone has entirely killed serendipity. Just because the phone is in my bag doesn’t mean I use it. My daughter and I have met circus camels, watched bees pollinating flowers and made new friends on our frequent aimless outings around town.

But the days, as they say, are long, and a few mindless minutes of scrolling can feel like a muchneeded respite.

Parenting is still hard, despite the technological advancements of the digital era, and sometimes Mama just needs a break.

In your experience, has new technology made parenting easier?

“Yes. Reading a Kindle Paperwhite while nursing at night: genius! And Skypeing with grandparents in another country is an amazing gift to them and allows grandchildren to immediately accept them on visiting because they recognize them despite the infrequency of their visits.”

“Yes and no. Yes for educational purposes; no for social skills and behavioral problems. I’ve been guilty of

using it as a babysitter because it is so easy to occupy my kids. Unfortunately, I’m doing no one a favor.”

“It is easier to stay connected to other parents via social media. Also, the rare instances I work from home make my commuting and job as a parent more manageable.”

“Not really. I think that the day-to-day of parenting requires a hands-on approach. Technology can be a tool, but it is not a panacea.”

I try not to read everything I see on my Facebook feed. Otherwise I’d end up keeping my kid in a box in the closet.

RACHEL SPITZER-FIRLIET

OCT CALENDAR

SPOTLIGHTS & LISTINGS BY BRETT STANCIU

Mighty Mounts

Autumn splendor is on full display at Fort Ticonderoga’s HERITAGE HARVEST & HORSE FESTIVAL. A fall market chock-full of seasonal bounty and local crafts invades the fort’s colorful King’s Garden, built on the site of the 18thcentury soldiers’ garden. Equine history rears its head, too, with farm horses and cavalry mounts demonstrating their prowess. Games and kids’ activities — and a six-acre corn maze — add to the revelry. While you’re there, take a stroll around Fort Ti’s nearly 2,000 acres to get a feel for what life was like during the Revolutionary War.

9:30 a.m.-5

Highlights

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

RINGO MATSURI: TAIKO IN THE ORCHARD:

Burlington Taiko keeps the beat for apple pickers. Shelburne Orchards, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 985-2753.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

CASPER’S ATTIC COSTUME EMPORIUM

Gently-used Halloween attire finds new owners. Donations accepted through October 9. Swanton Public Library, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 868-7656.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

FALL PUMPKIN FEST

Families enjoy food from local vendors, pumpkin crafts, storytelling by the bonfire and the Great Pumpkin Walk, starting at 6 p.m. Bring a carved pumpkin with your name on it. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 4:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 878-1375.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30-31

HALLOWEEN EXPRESS

Halloween lovers enjoy a 60-minute round-trip train ride from Burlington to Shelburne. The familyfriendly experience features costumed characters and children’s activities. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Vermont Foodbank. Burlington Main Street Station, noon, 2 and 4 p.m. $23 per ticket. Info, 872-9000 x18.

HERITAGE HARVEST & HORSE FESTIVAL: Saturday, October 3,

p.m., at Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y. All ages. $8-17.50; free for children 4 and under. Info, 518-585-2821. fortticonderoga.org

1 THURSDAY

Arts & crafts

Preschool Art drop-in: Fledgling artists craft cool stuff in a variety of media. Ages 6 months to 5 years with accompanying adult. BCA Center, Burlington, 9:30-11:30 a.m. $5-6. Info, 865-7166. Webby’s Art studio: The museum’s temporary and permanent exhibitions inspire specialized art activities for all ages. Shelburne Museum, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Regular admission, $7-24; free for children under 5. Info, 985-3346.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: Mothers-to-be build strength, stamina, comfort and a stronger connection to their baby in this all-levels class. Evolution Prenatal and Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 12:15-1:15 p.m. $15 or $130 for a 10-class pass. Info, 864-9642. chace mill Prenatal Yoga: Women prepare for birth through yoga, with a focus on strengthening the body and mind. See prenatalmethod. com for class descriptions. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 12:15-1:15 & 4:30-5:30 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

Essex La Leche League: Moms bring their little ones to a discussion of parenting and breastfeeding. First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, first Thursday of every month, 7-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 383-8544.

Fairs & Festivals

Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival: Walden, Cabot, Plainfield, Peacham, Barnet and Groton host town parties, filled with art exhibits, crafts, hayrides and a lumberjack breakfast. Check nekchamber.com for specific info. Various locations, Northeast Kingdom, Oct. 4. Info, 748-3678.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: Energy-filled kids flip, jump and tumble in a state-of-the-art facility. Ages 6 and under. Regal Gymnastics Academy, Essex, 11 a.m.-noon. $8 per hour. Info, 655-3300.

Library & Books

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

Food for Thought Teen Group: Young adults chow down on pizza as they discuss the library’s projects for teens. Grades 7-12. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 4-5 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Lego Thursdays: The library supplies the building materials, and kids bring their imagination and creativity. All ages. Haston Library, Franklin, 2-5 p.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.

PJ story Hour: Sleepyheads get ready for bed, then go to the library for a read-aloud and craft project. Fairfax Community Library, 6-7 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

music

music for Preschoolers: 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. Free; limited to one session per week per family. Info, 878-4918.

Arts & crafts

Family Wheel drop-in: Families form clay sculptures with assistance from staff. All ages.

BCA Print & Clay Studio, Burlington, 5:30-7:30 p.m. $7-8 per participant; $5 additional for each piece fired and glazed. Info, 860-7474.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 8:159:15 a.m.

mothers’ Gathering: Moms and new babies sip tea, nurse and share stories. Children under age

2. Yoga Mountain Center, Montpelier, 10:3011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-5302.

Education

Early Bird math: Young children and their caregivers put two and two together using interactive books, songs and games to explore arithmetic concepts. Richmond Free Library, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.

Fairs & Festivals

Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival: See October 1. stowe oktoberfest: Oompah bands, singalongs and a grand street parade transform this mountain town into a traditional Bavarian village. Visit stoweoktoberfest.com for schedule. Mayo Events Field, Stowe, 7-11 p.m. $5-10; free for kids under 9 with paying family member. Info, 253-3928.

Food

ArtsRiot Truck stop Burlington: Families of foodies enjoy an eclectic array of local grub and live music during this hip block party. ArtsRiot, Burlington, 5-10 p.m. Free; cost for food. Info, 540-0406.

Classes

Five corners Farmers market: From natural meats to breads and wines, growers share the season’s bounty at an outdoor exchange, complete with live entertainment and kids’ activities. Lincoln Place, Essex Junction, 3:30 p.m. Free. Info, 5cornersfarmersmarket@gmail. com.

Foodways Fridays: Guests tour the heirloom garden, then view how veggies make their way into historic recipes prepared in the 1890 farmhouse kitchen. All ages. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

Richmond Farmers market: Vendors peddle hand-held pies, honey ice cream, homemade pickles, just-picked produce and much more at this lively showcase of locavorism. All ages. Volunteers Green, Richmond, 3-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 343-9778.

Games

magic: The Gathering: Planeswalkers seek knowledge and glory in this trading-card game. New players welcome. Grades 6 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Brownell drop-in story Time: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers stop by for picture books and finger plays. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Rhythm & movement Toddler Time: Tykes rock and roll. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Teen Advisory Board: Young adults kick off a new year with kudos to new members. Halloween snacks served. Grades 9-12. Brownell

List

Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga classes at Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga center: Have a more comfortable pregnancy and prepare for birth with stretching, strengthening and relaxation in prenatal yoga — and then bring your body back to balance and strength in postnatal yoga. Join our community of mothers at any point in your pregnancy, and 6 weeks or later in your postpartum time (until baby is crawling).

No yoga experience necessary. Prenatal

Yoga: Sundays, 10 a.m.; Mondays, 5:45 p.m.; Tuesdays, 4:15 p.m.; Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m.; Thursdays, 12:15 p.m.; Fridays, 8:15 a.m. Postnatal Yoga: Sundays, 12:15 p.m.; Tuesdays, 10:45 a.m.; Fridays, noon (postnatal core). Drop-ins welcome, $15/class or $130/10-class pass. Location: Evolution Prenatal & Family Yoga Center, 20 Kilburn St., Burlington. Info: 899-0339, evolutionprenatalandfamily.com

Kids Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Brazilian JiuJitsu for children promotes self-esteem, self-defense and bully-proofing, character development, a physical outlet with discipline, cooperation with other children,

respect for peers and adults, perseverance and a healthy lifestyle. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu will help your kids learn skills they can use for the rest of their lives; regular BJJ training builds endurance, resilience, patience, discipline, self respect and helps to instill courage and self confidence. First class is free! Free uniform with first-month enrollment fee. Location: Vermont Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 55 Leroy Rd., Williston. To register: 660-4072, julio@bjjusa.com or stop by our school. vermontbjj.com

Aikido of champlain Valley: Martial Arts and Conflict Resolution for Children: The Japanese martial art of Aikido integrates self-defense with a philosophy of non-violence and compassion. Children’s classes include physical conditioning, bully awareness and prevention, and methods to cultivate inner calm. Visitors are always welcome, and children can try a free class.

7-12 year olds, Tuesday and Wednesday, 4 p.m. & Saturday, 9 a.m. Location: Aikido of Champlain Valley, 257 Pine St., Burlington. Info: bpincus@burlingtonaikido.org, 9518900, burlingtonaikido.org.

Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

movies

‘Edward scissorhands’: 25th Anniversary outdoor screening: The Halloween season swings into action with this classic film of self-discovery in a suburban landscape. Shown on a screen of significant size. Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, 6:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7166.

music

Burlington music With Robert: Families sing along with a local legend. All ages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

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

Nature & science

Fall migration Bird Walk: From warblers to vireos, tanagers to thrushes, beginning birders keep an ear out for migrating songbirds. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 7:30-9 a.m. $10; free for members and kids. Info, 229-6206.

3 SATURDAY

Arts & crafts

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. Free; preregister at workshops. Info, 872-0039, homedepot.com. origami Workshop: Horrogami: Paper folders have a field day with Halloween-inspired directions. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 472-5948.

The Rural Junk Ensemble: Sound lovers string together unusual musical instruments from ordinary household items and garbage, then commence an ad hoc concert. Ages 7-12. The Art House Gallery, Studio & School, Craftsbury, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $15. Info, 586-2200.

saturday Kids’ drop-in craft class: Little hands create craft projects with seasonal themes, including leaf wind chimes, pumpkin lanterns and harvest moon mirrors. Ages 5-15. Parent must accompany. Shelburne Craft School, 10-11 a.m. $10 per child. Info, 985-3648. Webby’s Art studio: See October 1.

Baby & maternity

chace mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

community

How To Talk to Kids About Racism: This facilitated discussion group focuses around the impact of racism on children. Participants are expected to attend both sessions. O’Brien Community Center, Winooski, 3-6 p.m. $40; free for current Peace & Justice Center members; no one turned away for lack of funds; preregister. Info, 863-2345, ext. 6.

Ringo matsuri: Taiko in the orchard: Burlington Taiko and other visitors keep the beat for apple pickers. Shelburne Orchards, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 985-2753.

2 FRIDAY

For the Birds

some speculate that addison’s dead creek got its name because it used to dry up during the summer months. these days, the water level is carefully monitored by the vermont fish & Wildlife department to ensure the habitat is hospitable to wild creatures. dEAd crEEK WildliFE dAy celebrates those animals with an array of activities, from bird banding to nature photography. Kids carve soap, build bluebird boxes and watch hunting-dog demonstrations, while an owl-pellet workshop gives participants a super-close look at the inner workings of these woodland wonders. the real stars of the show, however, are the prodigious flocks of migrating fowl, which will provide spectacular sights for eyes and cameras alike.

DeaD Creek wilDliFe DaY: Saturday, October 3, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dead Creek wildlife Management area in addison. all ages. Free. info, 241-3700. vt.audubon.org

submit your November events for print by october 15 at kidsvt.com or to calendar@kidsvt.com.

Williston Fire department open House: Fire Prevention Week kicks off with firefighter intros, station tours, touch a truck fun and car seat safety inspections. Williston Fire Department, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 878-5622.

Education

one-on-one Tutoring: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences students school elementary-age kids in reading, math and science. Ages 6-12. Some assistance available for other grades in certain subjects with inquiry. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Fairs & Festivals

Heritage Harvest & Horse Festival: Equestrian demos of sport and work horses, a fall market in the colorful King’s Garden and a visit to the corn maze make for autumn fun. (See calendar spotlight on page 28.). Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $8-17.50 general admission; free for children under 5. Info, 518-585-2821.

Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival: See October 1.

Pumpkin & Apple celebration: Apple tasting, cider pressing, pumpkin bowling and wagon rides combine for a seasonal celebration. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

sam mazza’s Annual Harvest Festival: Fall revelers hop a hay ride to the pick-your-own patch, then take pleasure in pumpkin-flavored sweets, pony rides, a petting zoo and more. Sam Mazza’s Farm Market, Colchester, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; cost for activities. Info, 655-3440.

stowe oktoberfest: See October 2, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Food

Burlington Farmers market: Producers and artisans offer fresh and prepared foods, crafts and more in a bustling marketplace. All ages. Burlington City Hall Park, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 310-5172.

capital city Farmers market: Veggies, honey, maple syrup and more change hands at a celebration of locally grown food. All ages. Downtown Montpelier, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 223-2958.

3 sATurdAy (cOntinued)

Champlain Island Farmers Market: Farms, specialty food businesses and artisans sell their high-quality wares. St. Joseph Church, Grand Isle, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 617-652-2304.

Chocolate-Bar Making: Budding chocolatiers temper and mold the sweet stu , then create and wrap four goody-filled bars to take home. Children under 9 must be accompanied by an adult. South End Kitchen, Burlington, 3-4 p.m. $25; preregister. Info, 864-0505.

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

Middlebury Farmers Market: Crafts, cheeses, breads, veggies and more vie for spots in shoppers’ totes. Marble Works District, Middlebury, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 537-4754.

Rutland Farmers Market: Local vendors sell farm-fresh veggies and fruits, artisan cheese, handcrafted breads and more at this outdoor emporium. Downtown Rutland, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 342-4727.

Shelburne Farmers Market: Musical entertainment adds cheer to this exchange of fruits, veggies, herbs, honey, maple syrup and more. All ages. Shelburne Village Green, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 482-4279.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: Youngsters master basic yoga poses through games, songs and dance. Mindfulness activities improve focus and concentration. Ages 3-9. Evolution Prenatal and Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15. Info, 864-9642.

Library & Books

Drop-In Saturday Storytime: Book lovers of all ages welcome in the weekend with readaloud tales. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Milton Therapy Dog Visit: A patient pooch listens to kids read aloud. Ages 3 and up. Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

A Visit from Curious George: An inquisitive little brown monkey entertains bookstore browsers. Phoenix Books Rutland, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 855-8078.

Nature & Science

Dead Creek Wildlife Day: Natural wonders wow youngsters during this day dedicated to wild things, hosted by pros from Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Otter Creek Audubon Society and local sportsmen’s clubs. Pack up the family and the binoculars for this full day of birdwatching, canoeing and nature-based activities. (See calendar spotlight on page 30.) Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, Addison, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 241-3700.

Fall Foliage Nature Hike: Naturalists of all ages navigate this easy-to-moderate meander with plenty of photo ops and the chance to see Muddy Pond covered with hundreds of migrating waterfowl. Bring binoculars. Giorgetti Pine Hill Park, Rutland, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 773-1822.

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: Astronomy enthusiasts learn about celestial objects in this 20-minute film. Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, St. Johnsbury, 12:30 p.m. $3 per person; call to reserve tickets. Info, 748-2372. Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: Families have fun on a wagon ride to the pick-your-own field. Weather permitting. Sam Mazza’s Farm Market, Colchester, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 655-3440.

Little Explorer Program: Preschoolers discover the world through monthly hands-on exploration of nature topics. Local caves are the October topic. Ages 3-5. Highgate Public Library, 9 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Mad Science Saturday: Junior scientists engage in hands-on, fun-fueled experiments. Ages 6 and up. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 12:30 p.m. Free with museum admission, $10.5013.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

Parenting

Vermont Council for Gifted Education Parenting Workshop: Madeleine Majunke of the German Association for Gifted Children o ers adults information and resources regarding the gifted community. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 864-3212.

4 SUNDAY

Arts & Crafts

Woodcarving Demonstration: Woodcarver Angelo Incerpi mesmerizes visitors with his skills and current projects. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 1-4 p.m. Included with museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3. Info, 434-2167.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Postnatal Yoga: Moms tote their pre-crawling kids to an all-levels flowing yoga class focused on bringing the body back to strength and alignment in a fun, nurturing environment. Evolution Prenatal and Family Yoga Center, Burlington, 12:15-1:30 p.m. $15 or $130 for a 10-class pass. Info, 864-9642.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 10-11:30 a.m.

Community

Global March for Elephants & Rhinos: Burlington Event: This kid-initiated march rallies awareness around these endangered species and the proposed 2016 VT House Bill to ban horn trade. Optional online registration at ivoryfreevermont.org. Burlington City Hall, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 425-2700.

Dance

Dance, Sing & Jump Around: A lively intergenerational afternoon includes traditional-style easy dances, with songs, chants and live music. Plainfield Town Hall Opera House, 3-4:30 p.m. $5-10 suggested donation per family. Info, 223-1509.

Education

Terrific Tractors & Other Cool Machines: Future farmers climb aboard a collection of colossal machines that can get the job done. Shelburne Farms, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Regular admission, $5-8; free for members, Shelburne residents and children under 3. Info, 985-8686.

Fairs & Festivals

Autumn on the Green: Over 100 vendors spread across the grass and gazebo in a seasonal celebration featuring homegrown produce and live music. Danville Village Green, 10 a.m.4 p.m. Free. Info, 684-2528.

Mental Health and Addiction Care for Children and Adolescents

Playgroups

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

MONDAY

Burlington Crawlers, Waddlers & Toddlers: St. Joseph School, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 862-2121.

Burlington Playgroup: Robert Miller Community & Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 578-6471.

Jericho Playgroup: Jericho Community Center, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Swanton Monday Playgroup: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 9:45-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 868-7656.

TUESDAY

Bradford Playgroup: Grace United Methodist Church, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

Brookfield Playgroup: First Congregational Church of Brookfield, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

Burlington Dads’ Night: VNA Family Room, 3-7 p.m. Free. Info, 860-4420.

Burlington Playgroup: See Monday.

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Playgroup: Maple Street Recreation Center, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Toddler Play Group: Jeudevine Memorial Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 472-5948.

WEDNESDAY

Burlington New Mothers’ & Infants’ Playgroup: Prenatal Method Studio, 1:30-3 p.m. $3 suggested donation. Info, 829-0211.

Burlington Playgroup: See Monday.

Essex Building Bright Futures Baby Playgroup: Move You Fitness Studio, Chase Mill, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 876-7555.

Fairfield Playgroup: Bent Northrop Memorial Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 827-3945.

Hinesburg Playgroup: Hinesburg Town Hall, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 482-4667.

Middlebury Playgroup: Memorial Baptist Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 388-3171.

Milton Playgroup: Milton Public Library, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Richmond Playgroup: Richmond Free Library, 8:45-10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Shelburne Playgroup: Trinity Episcopal Church, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 764-5820.

South Royalton Playgroup: United Church on the Green, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 6852264, ext. 24.

St. Albans Building Better Families Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, St. Albans, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

THURSDAY

Alburgh Playgroup: NCSS Family Center, Alburgh, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Burlington EvoMamas Playgroup: Evolution Prenatal and Family Yoga Center, second Thursday of every month, 10:2011:50 a.m. Free. Info, 864-9642.

Brandon Stories & Crafts: Brandon Free Public Library, 9:30 a.m. Free. Info, 247-8230.

Essex Junction Building Bright Futures Playgroup: See Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m.

Johnson Baby Chat: Church of the Nazarene, fourth Tuesday of every month, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-3470.

Montgomery Playgroup: Montgomery Town Library, 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 527-5426.

Randolph Playgroup: White River Craft Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 685-2264, ext. 24.

West Fairlee Playgroup: Westshire Elementary School, 9-11 a.m. Free. Info, 6852264, ext. 24.

Williston Play Time: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

FRIDAY

Huntington Playgroup: Huntington Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Montgomery Tumble Time: Montgomery Elementary School, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 347-1780.

Randolph Toddler Time: Kimball Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073.

Swanton Friday Playgroup: Swanton Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3033.

Underhill Playgroup: Underhill Central School, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 899-4415.

Williston Babytime Playgroup: Allen Brook School, first Friday of every month, 9:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

SATURDAY

Morrisville Baby Chat: Lamoille Family Center, second Saturday of every month, 1011:30 a.m. Free. Info, 888-5229.

City Market Harvest Celebration: Foodies meet local growers and sample delicious goods. Face painting, door prizes and live music add to the autumnal atmosphere. Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, 12-4 p.m. Free. Info, 861-9700.

Jewish Harvest Festival: Sukkot on the Farm: Families enjoy a morning of workshops, crafts and singing and an afternoon of planting activities, blacksmithing demos and horse-drawn wagon rides. A potluck harvest lunch provides midday nourishment. New Leaf Organic Farm, Bristol, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $5 per person; $15 per family suggested donation. Info, 385-1039.

Marshfield Harvest Festival: This familyfriendly event includes cider pressing, field games, a historic tour of Marshfield at 1 p.m., a book sale and a chili cook-o . Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival: See October 1.

Pumpkin & Apple Celebration: See October 3.

Sam Mazza’s Annual Harvest Festival: See October 3.

Stowe Oktoberfest: See October 2, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Food

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

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. Free. Info, winooskimarket@gmail. com.

Health & Fitness

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 per hour. Info, 655-3300. Harvest Fun Run/Walk for Sustainability: Fleet feet romp through farm fields in 1K and 5K races followed by family activities, healthy snacks and pumpkin prizes. Proceeds benefit the Sustainability Academy. Burlington Intervale Center, 9 a.m.-noon. $5-15; $30 per family. Info, 881-3466.

Library & Books

Author Alison McGhee: The coauthor of the Bink and Gollie series shares her new novel, Firefly Hollow. Recommended for ages 7-11. The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, 4 p.m. Free. Info, 985-3999.

Music

Boom VT!: This community drum festival draws people with and without disabilities together through music with six professional drummers o ering mini-lessons, demonstrations and lectures. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 238-5170.

Nature & Science

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: See October 3. Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: See October 3.

5 MONDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:457 p.m.

Chace Mill Prenatal Barre: Expecting mothers get a ballet-inspired workout. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 5:30-6:30 p.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:306:30 p.m.

La Leche League: Moms and moms-to-be drop in to socialize and get help with specific nursing issues. Babies and older children welcome. Vermont Department of Health, St. Johnsbury, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 274-1023.

Pee Wee Pilates: New moms strengthen their cores with babies in tow. Prenatal Method Studio, Burlington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $15. Info, 829-0211.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Babies & Toddlers Rock: Little musicians ages 24 months and under sing songs and engage in early literacy activities. Rutland Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860.

Burlington Stories With Megan: Preschoolers have a ball with rhymes, songs and books. Ages 2-5. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Essex LEGO Challenge Club: Kids construct plastic-block creations. Essex Free Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Make It! BristleBots: Aspiring inventors investigate electric circuits and craft their own miniature robots. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

Middle School Planners & Helpers: Students play games and plot cool projects for the library over snacks. Grades 6-8. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956. Milton Legos at the Library: Kids construct creatively with colored blocks. Grades K-5. Milton Public Library, 3:30-5 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See October 1, 11 a.m.

Nature & Science

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: Little explorers ages 5 and under and their caregivers discover the sights, sounds and sensations of the forests and fields while learning how the natural environment can be used as a tool for learning and play. Dress in water- and mudproof clothing. North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Free; donations welcome. Info, 229-6206.

6 TUESDAY

Arts & Crafts

Creative Tuesdays: Artists engage their imaginations with recycled materials. All ages, but kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

4 SUNDAY (CONTINUED)

Ghosts Galore

dust off the devil horns and pumpkin bucket. Goblins, ghosts and witches roam the grounds of shelburne museum during its annual HauNTed HaPPeNiNGs. the expansive, open-air museum — magical on any day — transforms into a spooky spot the sunday before halloween. dressed-up kiddos get sweet treats from grown-ups in festive garb. Keep those costumes on a little longer for a floatfilled halloween parade through shelburne Village at 2 p.m.

6 Tuesday (cOntinued)

Preschool art: Petite Picassos dig into clay, paint, collage and printmaking. Shelburne Craft School, 10-11 a.m. $10 per child. Info, 985-3648.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Postnatal yoga: See October 4, 10:45-11:55 a.m.

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal yoga: See October 1.

montpelier Postnatal yoga: Brand-new mamas and their littles relax, stretch and bond. For moms with infants and early crawlers. Emerge with Amy Lepage-Hansen, Montpelier, 10:45 a.m.-noon. $15. Info, 223-5302.

Games

Family Game Night: Families take over the library’s tabletops for a fun evening. Ages 5 and

up. Fairfax Community Library, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & adults: Players of all skill levels engage in Magic: The Gathering and other amusements. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult or have parental permission to attend. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 5-7:45 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216. Hinesburg crafternoons: Kiddos get creative with themed projects and materials. Ages 8 and up. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 482-2878.

Read to daisy the Therapy dog: Book lovers bring a selection from home or borrow one from the library to entertain an attentive canine. Grades K and up. Brownell Library, Essex

HAuNtED HAppENiNGS: Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Shelburne Museum. All ages. Half-off general admission before 1 p.m.; or $7 for Vermont residents; free for children under 2. Bring a canned item for the food shelf. info, 985-3346. shelburnemusem.org

Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 878-6956. spanish musical Kids: Niños celebrate Latin American culture through tunes and games en español. Ages 1-5 with a caregiver. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 11-11:45 a.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Williston Read to a dog: Pet-loving kiddos peruse books with registered therapy pooches. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

movies

youth media Lab: Aspiring Spielbergs film, edit and produce videos while exploring the depths of digital media. Grades 4 and up. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 388-4097.

music

Preschool music: Little ones dance and sing to a lively beat. Ages 3-5. Burnham Memorial

Library, Colchester, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate: Scallywags of all sizes swing to swashbuckling songs of the open seas. University Mall, South Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 338-1976.

7 WEDNESDAY

arts & crafts

The art of Nature: Homeschoolers explore plants, weather, biology and light through art activities with natural and recycled materials. The Art House Gallery, Studio & School, Craftsbury, 11 a.m.-noon, $12 per child. Info, 586-2200.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3, 3:30-8 p.m.

Food

Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3.

Library & Books

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

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

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Creative Writing Club: Young literati let their imaginations loose through prompts, games and other exercises. Ages 9 and up. Essex Free Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

DCF Book Discussion: Voracious readers voice their likes and dislikes about Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award-nominated reads. This month’s pick: El Deafo by Cece Bell. Ages 8-11. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-0313. PBS Kids at the Library: Younger viewers enjoy an episode of an animated show, snacks and crafts. Sponsored by Vermont PBS. South Burlington Community Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Nature & Science

ECHO Science & Stories: Possum’s Harvest Moon: New naturalists ponder the phases of the moon and how animals prepare for winter. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

8 THURSDAY

Arts & Crafts

Preschool Art Drop-In: See October 1. Webby’s Art Studio: See October 1.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1.

Education

History for Homeschoolers: Eager learners leap into history-related activities organized around monthly themes. Ages 6-12. Check vermonthistory.org for specific details. Vermont History Museum, Montpelier, 1-3 p.m. $6.50-8; preregister. Space is limited. Info, 828-2291.

Games

Lego Fun: Budding builders share blocks. Grades K and up; kids under 5 are welcome to participate with adult supervision. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Author Dav Pilkey: The creator of Captain Underpants shows up in Shelburne with his newest release. Shelburne Town Hall, 4 p.m. Free; preregister with the number attending. Info, 985-3999.

Colchester Lego Club: See October 1.

Homeschooling Project: Stop-Motion Filmmaking: Little movie-makers use Legos for the starring roles in this YouTube production. Ages 8 and up. St. Albans Free Library, 1 p.m. Free; preregister. Space limited to 10 participants. Info, 524-1507.

Lego Thursdays: See October 1.

PJ Storytime: Little ones snuggle up in their sleepy clothes for bedtime yarns. Milton Public Library, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644. Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: An attentive canine listens to little people read. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free; preregistration appreciated. Info, 878-6956.

St. Albans Library Legos: Young building enthusiasts engage in creative construction with their peers. St. Albans Free Library, 3-5 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See October 1.

9 FRIDAY

Arts & Crafts

Family Wheel Drop-In: See October 2.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 8:15-9:15 a.m.

Mothers’ Gathering: See October 2.

Community

Lil’ Vermonters Consignment Event: Reasonably priced used children’s clothing and accessories change hands. Sign-up required for drop-o time. St. Anthony’s Church, Burlington, 6-9 p.m. $5 for non-consignors. Info, 860-810-9872.

Education

Early Bird Math: See October 2.

Fairbanks Homeschool Days: Students expand their educational horizons in the museum’s galleries and other venues with a variety of classes. Call for specific topics and location. Grades K-8. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $5-10 per student; one adult free for each paying child. Info, 748-2372.

Milton Homeschool Project Day: Out-of-classroom learners share their current endeavors with an audience of parents and siblings.

Grades K-12. Milton Public Library, 2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Food

ArtsRiot Truck Stop Burlington: See October 2.

Foodways Fridays: See October 2. Richmond Farmers Market: See October 2.

Jamie Two Coats

Story Times

MONDAY

Barre Children’s Story Hour: Aldrich Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-7550.

Bristol Story Time: Lawrence Memorial Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 453-2366.

Colchester Preschool Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Essex Preschool Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 879-0313.

Highgate Cruisers’ & Crawlers’ Stay & Play: Highgate Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3970.

Hyde Park Story Time: Lanpher Memorial Library, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 888-4628.

Milton Infant Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Northfield Children’s Story Time: Brown Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 485-4621.

Richmond Pajama Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.

Richmond Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036.

Shelburne Story Time: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.

St. Albans Story Hour: St. Albans Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

Stowe Story Time for 2- to 3-Year-Olds: Stowe Free Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145.

Waitsfield Story Time: Joslin Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 496-4205.

Waterbury Baby & Toddler Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

Woodstock Baby Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295.

TUESDAY

Alburgh Story Hour: Alburgh Public Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 796-6077.

Barre Children’s Story Hour: See Monday.

Brownell Baby & Toddler Story Time: Brownell Library, 9:10-9:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.

Brownell Story Time for 3- to 5-Year-Olds: Brownell Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6955.

Colchester Toddler Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Craftsbury Story Time: Craftsbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 586-9683.

East Barre Story Time: East Barre Branch Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-5118.

Fairfax Preschool Story Time: Fairfax Community Library, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Highgate Story Time: Highgate Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3970.

Hinesburg Youngsters Story Time:

Early-literacy skills get special attention during these read-aloud sessions. Some locations provide additional activities such as music, crafts or foreign-language instruction. Contact the story-time organizer or visit kidsvt.com for details. Libraries are closed on Monday, October 12, for Columbus Day.

THURSDAY

Bristol Story Time: See Monday.

Colchester Preschool Story Time: See Monday.

Northfield Children’s Story Time: See Monday.

Rutland Story Time: Rutland Free Library, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 773-1860.

Shelburne Musical Story Time: Pierson Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.

St. Albans Story Hour: See Monday.

Vergennes Story Time: Bixby Memorial Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 877-2211.

Westford Story Time: Westford Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-5639.

FRIDAY

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

Milton Preschool Story Time: Milton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Montpelier Story Time: Kellogg-Hubbard Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 223-3338.

South Burlington Tiny Tot Time: South Burlington Community Library, 9:15 & 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Williston Story Time: Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Winooski Pajama Time: Winooski Memorial Library, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 655-6424.

Woodstock Preschool Story Time: Norman Williams Public Library, 10:30-11:15 a.m. Free. Info, 457-2295.

WEDNESDAY

Barnes & Noble Story Time: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

Brownell Story Time for 3- to 5-Year-Olds: See Tuesday.

Highgate Story Time: See Tuesday.

Hyde Park Story Time: See Monday, 10 a.m.

Johnson Story Time: Johnson Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 635-7141.

Marshfield Story & Activity Time: Jaquith Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Norwich Story Time: Norwich Public Library, 10:30-11 a.m. Free. Info, 649-1184.

Quechee Story Time: Quechee Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 295-1232.

Randolph Morning Story Time: Kimball Public Library, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 728-5073.

Richmond Toddler Story Time: Richmond Free Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 434-3036. South Burlington Baby Book Time: South Burlington Community Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Stowe Story Hour: Stowe Free Library, 10:1511:15 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145.

Swanton Storytime: Swanton Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 868-7656.

Warren Preschool Story & Enrichment

Hour: Warren Public Library, 10-11 a.m. Free. Info, 595-2582.

Brandon Preschool Story Time: Brandon Free Public Library, first Friday of every month, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 247-8230.

Craftsbury Story Time: See Tuesday.

Enosburg Story Hour: Enosburg Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 933-2328.

Essex Musical Story Time: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Georgia Preschool Story Time: Georgia Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 524-4643.

Huntington Story Time: Huntington Public Library, 10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 434-4583.

Lincoln Toddler/Preschool Story Time: Lincoln Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 453-2665.

Montpelier Story Time: See Tuesday.

South Burlington Pajamarama: Barnes & Noble, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

St. Johnsbury Story Time: St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 748-8291.

Stowe Baby & Toddler Story Time: Stowe Free Library, 10-10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 253-6145.

Waterbury Preschool Story Time: Waterbury Public Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 244-7036.

SATURDAY

Barnes & Noble Saturday Morning Story Time: Barnes & Noble, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

Barre Story Time: Next Chapter Bookstore, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 476-3114.

Burlington Story Time at Phoenix Books: Phoenix Books, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 448-3350.

Colchester Saturday Story Time: Burnham Memorial Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Enosburg Story Hour: Enosburg Public Library, 9-10 a.m. Free. Info, 933-2328.

Franklin Walk-in Story Hour: Haston Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.

Stories & Songs: Essex Free Library, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 879-0313.

Swanton Storytime: See Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

OCT CALENDAR

9 FRIDAY (CONTINUED)

Games

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

Minecraft at the Library: Interactive gaming, crafts and refreshments entertain eager learners. Grades 2-3. Milton Public Library, 1-3 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Brownell Drop-in Story Time: See October 2. Rhythm & Movement Toddler Time: See October 2.

Music

Burlington Music With Robert: See October 2.

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

10 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Fall Foliage Art in the Park: Artisans from around Vermont gather to show their works during a weekend that includes live music, activities for children and food. All ages. Main Street Park, Rutland, 10 a.m. Free; gate donations go to the Cha ee Art Center. Info, 775-0062.

Global Cardboard Challenge: Started by the Imagination Foundation, this worldwide building event celebrates the creativity of every child. (See calendar spotlight on page 42.) Supplies, refreshments and inspiration provided. Ages 5-12. The Art House Gallery, Studio & School, Craftsbury, 1-4 p.m. Free. Info, 586-2200.

Make Your Own Hand Salve: A local herbalist shares her secrets in this hands-on class. Fairfax Community Library, 10 a.m.-noon. $15; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Saturday Kids’ Drop-In Craft Class: See October 3.

Webby’s Art Studio: See October 1.

Baby & Maternity

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Community

Casper’s Attic Costume Emporium: Gently used Halloween attire finds new owners. Donations accepted through October 9. Swanton Public Library, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 868-7656.

Celebrate Fall: Kids enjoy autumn activities, including birding and soap carving. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 1-4 p.m. Included with museum admission, $3.50-7; free for children under 3.

Franklin Harvest Hoe-down: A seasonal celebration filled with dancing and snacks means a good time for all. Franklin Town Hall, 7 p.m. $5; free for children 12 and under. Info, 868-3970. How To Talk to Kids About Racism: See October 3.

Lil’ Vermonters Consignment Event: See October 9, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Milton Fire Department

Open House: Families join fire safety week with Sparky the Dog, tower truck rides, safety demonstrations and materials, music, and refreshments. Milton Fire Station, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 891-8080.

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

Tractor Day: Farm machinery enthusiasts of all sizes tour a tractor “petting zoo.” Highgate Public Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Info, 868-3970.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3.

Fairs & Festivals

Billings Harvest Weekend: Visitors revel in the seasonal bounty with a husking bee and barn dance, cider pressing and root veggie harvesting. Spiced cider and homemade doughnuts are free for the noshing. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

Food

Burlington Farmers Market: See October 3.

Capital City Farmers Market: See October 3.

Chocolate-Bar Making: See October 3.

Make Your Own Caramel Apples: Foodies embrace the autumn harvest by handcrafting delectable treats using local butter, cream and, of course, Vermont’s fall fruit. South End Kitchen, Burlington, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $10; preregister. Info, 864-0505.

Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3.

Rutland Farmers Market: See October 3. Shelburne Farmers Market: See October 3.

Games

Chess Club: Game players strategize with the library’s sets. All age, but children 8 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-6956.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See October 3.

Family Health Fair Day: The chiropractic office o ers a day of family-centered activities and food, with a silent auction to benefit King Street Youth Center. Elevate Health Chiropractic, South Burlington, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Info, 557-8568.

Halloween Fun Run & Family Day: Athletes of all ages enjoy a half-, 1- or 3-mile loop along Lake Champlain, then eat BBQ. Proceeds benefit the Greater Burlington YMCA. Start time is 10 a.m. YMCA Camp Abnaki, North Hero, 9:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $15-25; preregister. Info, 652-8130.

Yoga Tots: Tykes and their parents move their bodies to calm their minds. Ages 1-8. Highgate Town O ce Building, 9 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 868-3970.

Library & Books

Café Make: Patrons of all ages drop in during this open time for creative collaboration with the library’s supplies. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Colchester Read to Hank the Therapy Dog:

Book lovers share stories with Hank, a sweet retriever, while little ones listen. Ages 4-10. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 10:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Drop-In Saturday Storytime: See October 3.

Pierson Library Book Sale: Thousands of gently-used books o er bibliophiles the opportunity to stock up at bargain-bin prices. Pierson Library, Shelburne, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Info, 985-5124.

Second Saturdays: This child-friendly afternoon, a collaboration between the Norwich Public Library and the Norwich Bookstore, celebrates reading through a variety of activities. Check norwichlibrary.org for location. Norwich Public Library, 1-3 p.m. Free. Info, 649-1184.

Spanish Musical Playgroup: Rhymes, books, songs and crafts en español entertain niños Snacks provided. Ages 5 and under. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m.noon. Free. Info, 878-4918.

‘Star Wars’ Reads Day: This national event kicks o with famed character appearances, Star Wars-themed crafts and books. Costumes encouraged. Phoenix Books, Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Info, 448-3350.

Movies

Movie Matinee: A family-friendly film plays on the big screen. Snacks provided. Milton Public Library, 1 p.m. Free. Info, 893-4644.

Nature & Science

Bird-Monitoring Walk: Beginning birders embrace ornithology on an identification walk. All ages. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 8-10 a.m. Donations appreciated. Info, 434-3068.

ECHO National Geographic Grand Opening Experience: The museum’s new theater o ers 2- and 3-D National Geographic films, beginning with Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure and Living in the Age of Airplanes ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $3-5 in addition to $10.50-13.50 museum admission; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

10 SATURDAY, P.38

Ongoing Exhibits

FAIRBANKS MUSEUM & PLANETARIUM, ST. JOHNSBURY

Info, 748-2372

‘Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas’: Prehistoric bones and computer simulations provide a vivid picture of dinosaur-era life and how our understanding of it has changed in the last two decades. Through December 15.

HELEN DAY ART CENTER, STOWE

Info, 253-8358

'Exposed': National and local outdoor sculpture of all sizes spread through the town of Stowe. Through October 14.

Oct calendar

10 saTurday (cOntinued)

Full dome Planetarium movie: See October 3.

Hawk Walk: Late-migrating raptors provide an eyeful on a leisurely stroll. Bring your binoculars. Live bird presentation at 10 a.m. Ages 10 and up. Shelburne Farms, 7:30 a.m. $5; preregister. Info, 985-8686.

Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: See October 3.

mad science saturday: See October 3.

11 SUNDAY arts & crafts

Fall Foliage art in the Park: See October 10.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Postnatal yoga: See October 4. Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1. 10-11:30 a.m.

community

mission Possible: Teams of two tackle fun, off-the-wall challenges to raise funds and awareness for the United Way of Chittenden County. Children are invited to participate with a guardian. Burlington’s Waterfront Park, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Donation-based; preregister. Info, 434-7488, vicky@bluehousegroup.com.

Fairs & Festivals

Billings Harvest Weekend: See October 10. Pumpkin Festival: Visitors see orange at this quintessential autumn affair, featuring pumpkin picking, cider pressing, storytelling, visiting owls from VINS, live music and horsedrawn wagon rides. All ages. Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center, East Thetford, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $10 per car. Info, 785-4737.

Food

stowe Farmers market: See October 4. Winooski Farmers market: See October 4.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 4. sugarbush mad dash & Kids’ Fun run: The Mad River Path Association raises funds and promotes community fitness with a choice of 5K and 10K races, and a shorter course for young athletes. Bib pickup from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Registration fee includes lunch and a commemorative t-shirt. Mad River Path, Waitsfield, 10 a.m. $15-35 for 5K and 10K races; free for kids’ fun run; proceeds benefit the Mad River Path. Info, 496-7284.

Library & Books

Pierson Library Book sale: See October 10, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Nature & science

The Big sit: Eagle-eyed participants circle up to find out how many birds they can spy from seated positions. Bring your own binoculars; snacks and coffee provided. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free; pledges and donations accepted. Info, 434-2167.

Full dome Planetarium movie: See October 3. Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: See October 3.

12 MONDAY

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 5:457 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal Barre: See October 5. chace mill Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 5:306:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See October 5.

Food

mama mangez: Families prepare and share a meal and conversation. Tulsi Tea Room, Montpelier, 4-6 p.m. Free; ingredient donation optional. Info, 595-7953.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Nature & science

robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See October 5.

13 TUESDAY

arts & crafts

creative Tuesdays: See October 6.

Preschool art: See October 6.

Baby & maternity

Burlington La Leche League: New moms bring their questions to a breast-feeding support group. Babies and older children welcome. Lending library available. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10:15 a.m. Free. Info, 985-8228.

Burlington Postnatal yoga: See October 4, 10:45-11:55 a.m.

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal yoga: See October 1. montpelier Postnatal yoga: See October 6.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & adults: See October 6. read to daisy the Therapy dog: See October 6. spanish musical Kids: See October 6.

Williston read to a dog: See October 6.

movies

youth media Lab: See October 6.

music

Preschool music: See October 6.

rockin’ ron the Friendly Pirate: See October 6.

Nature & science

story Time in the Nestlings Nook: Tales about birds are followed by a nature walk, crafts or music, depending on the weather. Intended for preschoolers, but all ages welcome. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Regular admission, $3.50-7. Info, 434-2167.

Parenting

Peaceful Parenting by Maris Rose: This three-part series by a childhood educator stimulates the minds of inquisitive moms and dads. South Burlington Community Library, 6:30-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 652-7080.

14 WEDNESDAY

Arts & Crafts

The Art of Nature: See October 7.

Baby & Maternity

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

Library & Books

Colchester Lego Club: See October 1.

Lego Thursdays: See October 1.

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

Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: See October 8.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See October 1.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Education

History for Homeschoolers: See October 8. One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3, 3:30-8 p.m.

Food

Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3.

Games

Dungeons & Dragons Night: Players assume invented personas and use cleverness and luck to overcome challenges, defeat enemies and save the day. Beginners welcome. Ages 9-13. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 5:307:45 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 264-5660.

Family Game Night: Friendly competitions of Candy Land, checkers and Monopoly enliven the evening. Bring your own board or borrow from the library. Georgia Public Library, Fairfax, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-4643.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Lego Club: Mini-makers participate in surprise challenges with colorful interlocking blocks. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Nature & Science

ECHO Science & Stories: A Good Day’s Fishing: Aspiring anglers bust open the tackle boxes and bait, then cast for pretend trout. Ages 5 and under. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

15 THURSDAY

Arts & Crafts

Maker Space Workshop: Crafty kiddos pursue hands-on experimenting. Milton Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Preschool Art Drop-In:

See October 1.

Webby’s Art Studio: See October 1.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Nature & Science

Spooky Spiders and “Boo”-tiful Bats: Little learners slip into the world of spiders and bats by spinning webs and investigating echolocation. Green Mountain Audubon Center, Huntington, 9-10:30 a.m. $8-10 per adult-child pair; $4 for each additional child; preregister. Info, 434-3068.

16 FRIDAY

Arts & Crafts

Crafternoon: Art-minded kids get a dose of creativity. Grades 4 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Family Wheel Drop-In: See October 2.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 8:15-9:15 a.m.

Mothers’ Gathering: See October 2.

Education

Early Bird Math: See October 2.

Food

Foodways

Fridays: See October 2. Richmond Farmers Market: See October 2.

Games

Kids’ Night Out: While their parents appreciate time o , youngsters enjoy dinner, a movie and games. Grades K-6. David Gale Recreation Center, Stowe, 6-10 p.m. $15 per person. Info, 253-3054.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Jiggity Jog: A musical meet-up with Miss Susan includes singing, dancing and instrument playing. Ages 2-6. South Burlington Community Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539.

Rhythm & Movement Toddler Time: See October 2.

Teddy Bear Sleepover: Kids drop o their favorite stu ed friends on Friday, then return at 10 a.m. the following morning for breakfast and a slideshow about their animals’ nighttime activities. Ages 2-7. Milton Public Library, Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Dewey

One of burlington’s most famous sons, John dewey — a champion of education and social reform — was born 156 years ago this month. to honor this educator (no relation to the decimal-system guy) who believed vibrant schools were an essential part of civilization, the Fletcher Free library marks JoHN dEWEy day with a hands-on celebration. Participants meet at the library for paper-mask making, then take to the streets with a boisterous masquerade parade down church Street. dewey’s message of learning by doing and teaching practical life skills “is even more relevant in today’s society,” says rebecca Goldberg, the library’s youth services librarian.

JoHN dEWEy day: Saturday, October 17, at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington. Mask making from 10 a.m.noon; Church Street parade at noon. All ages. Free. Info, 865-7216. fletcherfree. org

movies

family movie Night ‘cinderella’: Viewers follow the adventures of a brave princess in this classic flick. Popcorn and drinks provided. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Popcorn and a movie: Viewers enjoy a family-friendly film and refreshments. South Burlington Community Library, 3:15 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

music

Burlington music With robert: See October 2.

Kids’ music With Linda ‘Tickle Belly’ Bassick: See October 2.

songs and stories with matthew: Listeners of all ages applaud tales and tunes. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Theater

Vermont Vaudeville: Old-school entertainment combines with new and cutting-edge music, acrobatic stunts, and comedy for a one-of-a-kind theater experience. All ages.

Hardwick Town House, 8 p.m. $5-15. Info, 473-2973.

17 SATURDAY

arts & crafts

John dewey day celebration: Kids craft paper masks. A Church Street parade follows to celebrate the birthday of Burlington’s famous educator and philosopher. (See calendar spotlight above.) All ages. Parade begins at noon. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7216.

Parents’ Night out: Artistic kiddos engage in fun, creative activities while parents enjoy some “me time.” Pizza dinner with veggies provided. Ages 3-11. ONE Arts Center, Burlington, 5-9 p.m. $35 for the first child; $10 for each additional child; preregister. Info, oneartscollective@gmail.com.

saturday Kids’ drop-in craft class: See October 3.

Webby’s art studio: See October 1.

Wire-Wrapped Jewelry making: Amateur silversmiths transform stones and metal into pendants. Fairfax Community Library, 10-11:30 a.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Baby & maternity

chace mill Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 10:3011:30 a.m.

community

children’s day: Young visitors play Victorianera games and explore a historic building with a scavenger hunt. All ages. Noyes House Museum, Morrisville, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 888-7617.

Just Play? No Way!: This celebration of healthy play offers kids and their families a variety of activities around art, reading, nutrition and health. Rutland Regional Medical Center, 10 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 353-3696.

Lights out Vermont: a celebration of family & a Tribute to Nature: The museum launches this low-tech celebration with non-electrical games and constellation-identification activities. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum, Burlington, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $5-8; free for children under 4. Info, 865-4556.

Tractor day: Librarygoers meet local farmers and their heavy-duty machines. Stories, crafts and refreshments add to the agricultural fun. Haston Library, Franklin, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.

16 friday (cOntinued)

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3.

Fairs & Festivals

Autumn Wagon Ride Weekend: Colorful leaf enthusiasts enjoy a narrated horse-drawn tour around farm fields. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular museum admission, $4-14; free for children under 3. Info, 457-2355.

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

Cabot Apple Pie Festival: Townsfolk sample fruit pastries, chili and soup and browse crafts during this sweet event. Cabot School, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 563-3396.

Food

Burlington Farmers Market: See October 3.

Capital City Farmers Market: See October 3.

Chocolate-Bar Making: See October 3.

Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3.

Rutland Farmers Market: See October 3.

Health & Fitness

Catamount Family Center Fun Run: Kids ages 4-12 lace up their sneakers for half-, 1- and 1.5mile races through fields and over hay bales. Registration at 12:30 p.m. Parents welcome to join in the fun. Catamount Outdoor Family Center, Williston, 1 p.m. $3-5; preregistration encouraged. Info, 863-8412.

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See October 3.

Library & Books

Drop-In Saturday Storytime: See October 3.

Milton Therapy Dog Visit: See October 3.

Teddy Bear Sleepover: See October 16, 10 a.m.

Movies

Movie Matinee: See October 10.

Nature & Science

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: See October 3.

Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: See October 3.

Mad Science Saturday: See October 3.

Theater

Vermont Vaudeville: See October 16, 2 & 8 p.m.

18 SUNDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Postnatal Yoga: See October 4.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 1011:30 a.m.

Community

Vermont Has Talent: Local contestants from ages 8 to 24 showcase their talents and compete for big prizes. Barre Opera House, 3 p.m. $8-18. Info, 373-7690.

Fairs & Festivals

Autumn Wagon Ride Weekend: See October 17.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 4.

Nature & Science

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: See October 3.

Hayrides to the Pumpkin Patch: See October 3.

19 MONDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7 p.m.

Chace Mill Prenatal Barre: See October 5.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See October 5.

Games

After-School Games: Gamers bring their own Magic, Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, or borrow a deck from the library. Snacks provided. Grades 3 and up. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Tabletop Games: Players share their favorite game or select one from the library’s stash. Snacks provided. Ages 6 and up. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 4 p.m. Free; sign up online. Info, 264-5660.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See October 5.

Burlington Stories With Megan: See October 5.

Essex LEGO Challenge Club: See October 5.

Milton Legos at the Library: See October 5, 3:30-5 p.m.

‘Star Wars’ Club: Young fans channel the Force through Lego constructions. Bring your creation. All ages. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-6956.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See October 1, 11 a.m.

Nature & Science

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See October 5.

20 TUESDAY

Arts & Crafts

Creative Tuesdays: See October 6.

Preschool Art: See October 6.

Baby & Maternity

Breastfeeding Cafe: Moms nurse their babies, chat and pose questions to a certified lactation consultant. Pregnant women, supportive dads and older siblings welcome. Ilsley Public Library, Middlebury, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 349-3825.

Burlington Postnatal Yoga: See October 4, 10:45-11:55 a.m.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1.

Montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See October 6.

Outside the Box

in 2012, filmmaker nirvan Mullick discovered an elaborate cardboard arcade that a 9-year-old boy had constructed inside his dad’s east la auto-parts shop. inspired by the boy’s creativity, Mullick made a short movie about the creation called Caine’s Arcade this 11-minute film was the seed for the imagination Foundation, an organization devoted to nurturing children’s creativity worldwide. One of its biggest initiatives — the GLoBaL caRdBoaRd cHaLLenGe — comes to the art House in craftsbury this month. Kids can create cardboard buildings, games, mazes and anything else they can dream up, with an assortment of materials. For a high-tech twist on the event, the art House will also provide Ozobots – small programmable robots — that kids can use to interact with their cardboard constructions.

GLoBaL caRdBoaRd cHaLLenGe: Saturday, October 10, 1-4 p.m., at the Art House at the Craftsbury Masonic Hall. Ages 5 to 12. Free. Info, 586-2200. vermontarthouse.org.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & adults: See October 6. Read to daisy the Therapy dog: See October 6. spanish musical Kids: See October 6. williston Read to a dog: See October 6.

movies

youth media Lab: See October 6. music

open Rehearsal with evan Premo & scragg

mountain music: Family-friendly musicians practice classical music in a relaxed atmosphere and field questions. All ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

Preschool music: See October 6. Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate: See October 6.

Parenting

Peaceful Parenting by maris Rose: See October 13.

21 WEDNESDAY

arts & crafts

The art of nature: See October 7. crafternoon: Little art lovers make hands-on masterpieces. South Burlington Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

education

one-on-one Tutoring: See October 3, 3:30-8 p.m.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Baby charms: Non-walking infants get silly

as they sing, dance and make music with Miss Susan. South Burlington Community Library, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7539.

colchester Pajama story Time: Small ones curl up for bedtime tales, cookies and milk. Ages 18 months-5 years. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

movies

marshfield Family-Themed movies: A wholesome flick entertains viewers of all ages. Jaquith Public Library, Marshfield, 7 p.m. Free. Info, 426-3581.

nature & science

ecHo science & stories: Fall is Here! i Love it!: Little tykes explore autumn’s changes through movement and play. Ages 5 and under. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.50-13.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

Parenting

Breastfeeding Families Group: Nursing moms (and supportive dads, too!) gather for snacks

and advice. Church of the Nazarene, Johnson, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Info, 888-3470.

22 THURSDAY

arts & crafts

crafternoon: Creative types decorate teeny pumpkins for the trick-or-treating season. Ages 6 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Preschool art drop-in: See October 1. webby’s art studio: See October 1.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1. chace mill Prenatal yoga: See October 1.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

colchester Lego club: See October 1.

Lego Thursdays: See October 1.

Read to archie the Therapy dog: See October 8.

st. albans Library Legos: See October 8, 3-5 p.m.

music

music for Preschoolers: See October 1.

nature & science

Raptor encounters: Live falcons, hawks and owls from the Vermont Institute of Natural Science get lively for learning. Stowe Elementary School, 1:15-2 p.m. Free; donations accepted. Info, 253-6138.

Parenting

early Literacy workshop: Parents and other caregivers of children ages 5 and under learn techniques to assist their little ones with literacy skills. Milton Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

23 FRIDAY

arts & crafts

Family wheel drop-in: See October 2.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal yoga: See October 1, 8:159:15 a.m.

mothers’ Gathering: See October 2.

community

maze By moonlight: Get lost! Using a flashlight as a guide, visitors search for hidden stations in the fort’s corn maze after dark. Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y., 7-10 p.m. $10. Info, 518-585-2821.

education

early Bird math: See October 2.

Games

dungeons & dragons: See October 9.

Health & Fitness

essex open Gym: See October 1.

20 Tuesday (cOntinued)

Holidays

Spookyville Vermont: Hay rides, a haunted mansion, kooky characters and a walk with hundreds of jack-o-lanterns entertains little and big kids alike. Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, 6-10 p.m. $8-10. Some proceeds benefit Camp Exclamation Point. Info, 355-3107.

Library & Books

Rhythm & Movement Toddler Time: See October 2.

Spooky Stories: Young listeners snuggle together and savor stories of the season. Grades 2 and up. Brownell Library, Essex Junction, 3:30-4:15 p.m. Free. Info, 828-6956.

Movies

Fourth Friday Family Film Night: Moms, dads and kids enjoy a family-friendly movie while eating their own snacks or the library’s. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 6-8 p.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Music

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

Songs and Stories with Matthew: See October 16.

Nature & Science

Montshire Unleashed: An Evening for Adults: The museum opens its doors after hours so grown-ups can let their inner curiosity run wild. Beer and wine available for purchase. Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich, 6-9 p.m. $14 museum admission; free for members. Info, 649-2200.

Theater

Middle School Theater Improv Group: Thespians-in-training create and dramatize scenes together, supervised by playwright Luc Reid. Grades 4-8. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 3-4:15 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 878-4918.

24 SATURDAY

Arts & Crafts

Pottery Wheel: Clay enthusiasts learn how to create cups, bowls and more. Price includes one fired and glazed piece per participant.

Ages 6-12. BCA Print & Clay Studio, Burlington, 1:30-3:30 p.m. $22.50-25; preregister. Info, 865-7166.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See October 3.

Nature Center, Montpelier, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $25-30; free for teens. Info, 229-6206.

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: See October 3. Mad Science Saturday: See October 3.

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

Saturday Kids’ Drop-In Craft Class: See October 3.

Webby’s Art Studio: See October 1.

Baby & Maternity

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Community

Maze By Moonlight: See October 23.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3.

Fairs & Festivals

Fall Bounce Fest: Center Court captures kiddos with two bounce houses and a 25-footlong slide. Ages 2-12. University Mall, South Burlington, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $7 per child. Info, 527-5725.

Hoots and Howls: This educational day features snakes, skulls, storytelling and ooey-gooey Halloween fun. Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature Center, Quechee, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. $9-13; free for kids under 3. Info, 359-5000.

Food

Burlington Farmers Market: See October 3. Capital City Farmers Market: See October 3.

Chocolate-Bar Making: See October 3. Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3. Rutland Farmers Market: See October 3.

Montpelier Ski and Skate Sale: The Montpelier Recreation Department sponsors a winter-prep sale o ering lightly-used skiing and boarding gear. Drop o gear the week before on Thursday from 4-6 p.m. or Friday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and shop on Saturday. Montpelier High School, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Info, 225-8699.

Holidays

Fall Pumpkin Fest: Families enjoy food from local vendors, pumpkin crafts, storytelling by the bonfire and the Great Pumpkin Walk, starting at 6 p.m. Bring a carved pumpkin with your name on it. All ages. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 4:30-7 p.m. Free. Info, 878-1375.

Halloween Kids’ Craft: Spider Window Decoration: Creative kiddos construct cute seasonal ornaments. St. Albans Free Library, 1 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

Noyes House Museum Trick or Treat: Kids of all ages get creeped out on a Victorian-Gothicliterature-themed tour. Noyes House Museum, Morrisville, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Donations. Info, 888-7617.

Spookyville Vermont: See October 23, 12-2 & 6-10 p.m. Earlier show for younger children.

Library & Books

Colchester Read to Hank the Therapy Dog: See October 10.

Drop-In Saturday Storytime: See October 3.

Music

Music with Mister Chris: This local singersongwriter serenades with sweet songs. Carpenter-Carse Library, Hinesburg, 11 a.m. Free. Info, 482-2878.

Nature & Science

Champlain Lake Watch: Budding birders

Orienteering: The farm’s fields and woods provide grounds for training in map-and-compass navigation. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Beginners’ clinic, 9-10 a.m.; orienteering courses, 10 a.m.-noon. Shelburne Farms, 9 a.m.-noon. $10-12 per adult-child pair; $5-6 for each additional child; preregister. Info, 985-8686.

Spiny Softshell Turtle Nesting Beach Work Day: Families pull up plant growth to prepare for next June’s turtle-egg-laying season, and meet some baby turtles in the process. Arrive before 11 a.m. Bring lunch, a trowel and work gloves. North Hero State Park, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Info, 288-9570.

25 SUNDAY

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Postnatal Yoga: See October 4. Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 10-11:30 a.m.

Community

A Family Halloween: All Hallow’s Eve inspires pumpkin carving, doughnuts-on-a-string, wagon rides, animal programs and “not-tooscary” stories. Costume parades at noon and 2 p.m. Billings Farm & Museum, Woodstock, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Regular admission, $4-14; free for children under 3 or in costume when accompanied by an adult. Info, 457-2355.

Halloween Parade & Trick-or-Treating:

A small-town costume parade at 2 p.m. is followed by music, trick-or-treating and a costume contest in the town gym. Bring a canned good donation for the food shelf and get a special Halloween prize. Shelburne Village Green, 12:45-4 p.m. Free. Info, 985-9551.

To learn more about the event, visit ShelburneMuseum.org.

Oct calendar

Haunted Happenings: From the magical to the mystical, kids don fantasy-themed costumes to trick-or-treat on the museum’s grounds. (See calendar spotlight on page 34.) All ages. Shelburne Museum, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Half-off general museum admission before 1 p.m.; $7 per Vermont resident; free for children under 2. Info, 985-3346.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 4.

spanish musical Kids: See October 6. Williston Read to a dog: See October 6.

movies

Youth media Lab: See October 6.

music

Preschool music: See October 6. Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate: See October 6.

Parenting

Vermont’s

Nature & science

Full dome Planetarium movie: See October 3.

26 MONDAY

Notice

Did

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal Barre: See October 5.

chace mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:306:30 p.m.

Pee Wee Pilates: See October 5.

Classes

Beth Anne McFadden T.C.R.G. (802) 999-5041

www.mcfaddenirishdance.com

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Babies & Toddlers Rock: See October 5. Burlington stories With megan: See October 5.

Essex LEGo challenge club: See October 5.

Halloween stories: Book lovers dress for bed or in costume and bring a favorite stuffed friend to hear themed tales. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Pajama story Time: Flannel-clad kiddos bring their stuffed pals for seasonal tales, crafts and a bedtime snack. All ages. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

music

music for Preschoolers: See October 1, 11 a.m.

Nature & science

Robin’s Nest Nature Playgroup: See October 5.

27 TUESDAY

Arts & crafts

Preschool Art: See October 6.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Postnatal Yoga: See October 4, 10:45-11:55 a.m.

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 4:15-5:30 p.m.

chace mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. montpelier Postnatal Yoga: See October 6.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

Gaming For Teens & Adults: See October 6. Read to daisy the Therapy dog: See October 6.

Peaceful Parenting by maris Rose: See October 13.

28 WEDNESDAY

Arts & crafts

The Art of Nature: See October 7.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1, 5:45-7:15 p.m.

Education

one-on-one Tutoring: See October 3, 3:30-8 p.m.

Games

dungeons & dragons Night: See October 14.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Library & Books

sTEm club: Savvy tinkerers toy with simple electric motors. Fairfax Community Library, 3-4 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 849-2420.

Nature & science

EcHo science & stories: ‘The Very Quiet cricket’: Little explorers learn about the life of this songster by listening to Eric Carle’s book and meeting real-live insects. ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, 10:30 a.m. Free with museum admission, $10.5013.50; free for children under 3. Info, 864-1848.

29 THURSDAY

Arts & crafts

Preschool Art drop-in: See October 1. Webby’s Art studio: See October 1.

Baby & maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. chace mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1.

Health & Fitness

Essex open Gym: See October 1.

Holidays

Boo to You! A Not-so-scary story Time: Costumed youngsters follow Mr. Monkey for a trick-or-treating parade through the library. Ages 6 and under. South Burlington Community Library, 10 a.m. Free. Info, 652-7080.

Trick-or-Treat in the Library: Dressed up kids drop in for Halloween fun. St. Albans Free Library, 5-6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 524-1507.

26 moNdAY (cOntinued)

Library & Books

Colchester Lego Club: See October 1.

Lego Thursdays: See October 1. Read to Archie the Therapy Dog: See October 8.

Music

Music for Preschoolers: See October 1.

Parenting

Early Math Literacy Workshop: Childcare providers learn how to instill a strong mathematical foundation in little ones. Books and math manipulatives provided. Milton Public Library, 6-8 p.m. Free; preregister. Info, 893-4644.

30 FRIDAY

Arts & Crafts

Family Wheel Drop-In: See October 2.

Baby & Maternity

Burlington Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 8:15-9:15 a.m.

Mothers’ Gathering: See October 2.

Education

Early Bird Math: See October 2.

Games

Magic: The Gathering: See October 2.

Health & Fitness

Essex Open Gym: See October 1.

Yoga with Danielle: Simple movement, stories and songs satisfy children age 5 and under and their caregivers. Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston, 10:30 a.m. Free. Info, 878-4918.

Holidays

Halloween Express: Halloween lovers enjoy a 60-minute round-trip train ride from Burlington to Shelburne. The family-friendly experience features costumed characters and children’s activities. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Vermont Food Bank. Burlington Main Street Station, noon, 2 and 4 p.m. $23 and handling fee per ticket. Info, 872-9000 x18.

Spookyville Vermont: See October 23.

Library & Books

Brownell Drop-in Story Time: See October 2.

Haston Pajama Story Hour: Small listeners in PJs or costumes snuggle up for holiday stories and snacks. Haston Library, Franklin, 6:30 p.m. Free. Info, 285-6505.

Rhythm & Movement Toddler Time: See October 2.

Music

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

Theater

‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ with PuppeTree: This classic tale is staged with more than 100 shadow puppets. Kids in costume parade after the show. Burnham Memorial Library, Colchester, 6 p.m. Free. Info, 264-5660.

Arts & Crafts

Saturday Kids’ Drop-In Craft

Class: See October 3.

Webby’s Art Studio: See October 1.

Baby & Maternity

Chace Mill Prenatal Yoga: See October 1. 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Dance

Hopstop Family Show: the Dance Collective: Local dancers share jazz, ballet and modern styles and invite the audience to make merry, too. All ages. Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hanover, N.H., 11 a.m. Free. Info, 603-646-2422.

Education

One-on-One Tutoring: See October 3.

Food

Burlington Farmers Market: See October 3.

Capital City Farmers Market: See October 3.

Chocolate-Bar Making: See October 3.

Middlebury Farmers Market: See October 3.

Health & Fitness

EvoKids Saturday Yoga: See October 3.

Holidays

Halloween Express: See October 30, 10 a.m., noon, 2 and 4 p.m.

Halloween Hustle 5K & Kids’ Race: Runners hoof it to the finish line in short road races. Prizes awarded by age group and for best costume. Maple Street Park, Essex Junction, 9 a.m. $12-15 5K registration; $5 for kids’ race, or free with a registered runner in the 5K. Info, 878-1375.

Halloween Party: Trick-or-treaters play silly games, then smile for the camera in a super spooky photo booth. Stowe Elementary School, 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Gaming fees may apply. Info, 253-6138.

Montpelier Halloween Party: Costumed kids celebrate a not-too-scary afternoon with games, goodies and a magic show at 2 p.m. Ages 6-12. Montpelier High School, 1-2:30 p.m. Free. Info, 225-8699.

Scary Story Read Aloud: Haunted stories and themed crafts honor Halloween. Ages 5 and up. Fairfax Community Library, 11 a.m.-noon. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Spookyville Vermont: See October 23, noon-2 and 6-10 p.m. Earlier show for younger children.

Trick-or-Treating at the Library: Dressed-up kiddos get goodies in the stacks. Fairfax Community Library, 5-7 p.m. Free. Info, 849-2420.

Library & Books

Drop-In Saturday Storytime: See October 3. The Haunted Library: Little ones in costumes get sweet treats. Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 5-8 p.m. Free. Info, 472-5948.

Nature & Science

Bird-Monitoring Walk: Eagle-eyed participants bring binoculars to search the museum’s property for fluttering feathers. Best for adults and older children. Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington, 8 a.m. Free; donations welcome; preregister. Info, 434-2167.

Full Dome Planetarium Movie: See October 3. Mad Science Saturday: See October 3.

Party On!

Kem Ziegerhofer, a stay-athome mom to Calvin, 11, Elliott, 8, and Phoebe, 6, has thrown an over-the-top party at her Cambridge home on the Saturday closest to Halloween for the past several years. We asked her to share tips for families looking to plan an allages celebration of their own.

• Go for classic decorations that are spooky but not too scary, like spiders, cobwebs, string lights and lanterns. Simple and affordable decorations like “floating” ghouls, skeletons and silhouettes can be found in dollar stores or online.

• Pumpkins are a versatile decoration. Cover them in glitter, paint them, or carve holes in them and fill them with little toy mice peeking out.

• Use a mold to make a Jell-O “brain,” then surround it with “dirt” (crumbled chocolate cookies) and “worms” (Jell-O set in bendy straws).

Halloween Decorations

ASK ANYONE IN THE UNDERHILL-JERICHO AREA where to find the best Halloween decorations, and most will send you to the Stoners’ house. Gerry, Jackie and their sons, 10-year-old Rowan and 8-year-old Rory, create a spooky display in their front yard each year, starting in early October.

out with a jigsaw and painted the entire piece black.

• A serve-yourself goody bag station with colorful candies and toys provides take-home treats and, if displayed artfully, acts as a decoration.

• A cauldron of chili can be made ahead of time and serves a crowd.

Gerry

Gerry is an art instructor and sculptor. His forgediron sculptures of horses, fish and abstract shapes fill the family’s backyard. So when October rolls around, a few pumpkins on the porch simply won’t do.

The mad decorating started when the boys were toddlers. Jackie and Gerry put a series of small, carved pumpkins above their front door. Since their house is located on a well traveled road, they received a lot of comments about how perfect the gourds looked against their old blue house. Since then, they have added at least one piece each year.

Most prominent are the life-size trio of wooden witches stirring a cauldron that the Stoners place in the middle of the front lawn. To make them, Jackie first drew them on paper, then cut out the drawing and used a projector to display the image on a large piece of three-quarter-inch plywood. She traced the witches on the wood, cut them

The family runs an extension cord from the house to the cauldron, where orange lights are arranged to look as if they’re spilling out of the pot. The piece is so big it has to be screwed into stakes that Gerry pounds into the lawn each year.

spilling out of the pot. The piece is so big it has to be screwed into stakes that Another life-size figure in a flowing white gown —

Another life-size figure in a flowing white gown — Haunted Helsa — came from the home décor supplier Grandin Road. The Stoners also bought some plastic ravens, along with a skeleton on a bike walking a skeleton dog.

some plastic ravens, along with a skeleton on a bike walking a skeleton dog. hangs

For window dressings, Jackie sewed silhouettes of ravens on burlap, which she hangs over the windows facing the road. A large, homemade banner on the porch reads, “Happy Halloween,” and purple lights and cornstalks adorn the stairs to the front door.

What is it about the haunted holiday that the Stoners like so much? “There are no obligations in Halloween like there are on other holidays,” says Gerry. “It is just fun with a capital F.”

in Halloween like there are on other holidays,” says Gerry. “It is just fun with a capital F.”

Parents: Jackie and Gerry Stoner

Sons: Rowan, 10, and Rory, 8

is an art instructor and sculptor. His forged-

Book-Inspired

Camel’s Hump School Richmond, VT

PASS RATES: Early Bird Special $425 Family of any size

WEDNESDAY•OCT 21 • 5:30 PM • FREE

MAIN STREET LANDING FILM HOUSE, BURLINGTON

A Special Engagement Preview Screening of the documentary feature film “MisLEAD:America’s Secret Epidemic.” A panel discussion will follow the screening with Jon Fishman, the film’s director, Tamara Rubin, and leading experts in the lead poisoning prevention field.

A project of the Lead Safe America Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

JON FISHMAN

In Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, a boy and a robot meet in the woods and become friends. When Bot powers down, Boy thinks he’s sick and tries to help by reading him a story and giving him applesauce. When Boy falls asleep, Bot attempts to revive him by reading him an instruction manual and giving him oil. Imagine that you met a robot and became friends. What would you do together? What misunderstandings would occur? Write about it, then draw a picture of you and your robot friend.

JON FISHMAN

(Drummer of the legendary rock band PHISH) hosts a FREE Preview Screening of MisLEAD: America’s Secret Epidemic. This documentary is an intellectually rigorous, emotionally compelling exposé of a hidden epidemic that impacts one in three American children today.

(Drummer of the legendary rock band PHISH) hosts a FREE Preview Screening of MisLEAD: America’s Secret Epidemic. This documentary is an intellectually rigorous, emotionally compelling exposé of a hidden epidemic that impacts one in three American children today.

THIS EVENT IS SPON SORED BY

CEDO: 865-5323 (special accommodations available upon request)

Fishman, the

WATCH THE TRAILER AT WWW.LEADSAFEAMERICA.ORG

PUZZLE PAGE

Jumble

BY DAVID L. HOYT & JEFF KNUREK

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

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

Maze

ISAAC lives in Burlington and turns 4 on October 12. He loves anything with wheels — especially the race cars at Thunder Road and his balance bike. He enjoys boat rides on Lake Champlain, puzzles and spending time with his baby sister.

Issac wins a birthday-party package for up to 10 kids.

Print

Puzzles4Kids

Riddle Search — The USA

Search 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. Read from left to right, top to bottom, to answer this riddle: Which two ladies appear on a map of the USA?

BY HELENA HOVANEC

ALEX lives in South Burlington and turns 13 on October 10. He enjoys football, soccer and cross-country running. He also likes video games, music, reading and making friends.

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.

Alex, Jameson and Sophie each win a player’s pass.

JAMESON lives in Cambridge and turns 2 on October 19. He loves swimming and dancing. His favorite foods are noodles and blueberries.

PIZZA

ARCADE • BATTING CAGES BIRTHDAY CROWN OR TIARA

SOPHIE lives in Morrisville and turns 5 on October 27. She likes going to preschool, reading books, and taking care of the chicks and piglets at her home.

COLORING CONTEST!

Three winners will each receive a one-day pass to Petra Cliffs Send Kids VT your work of art by October 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 November issue of Kids VT. Send your high-resolution scans to art@kidsvt.com, or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1184, Burlington, VT 05402.

Nix the Pixels

How my son kicked his Minecraft habit

WaTching ducKs paddle along the edge of Lake Dunmore on a beautiful late May afternoon three years ago, my then-9-year-old son shrugged his shoulders and let out a big sigh.

“What is it?” I asked.

He looked wistfully across the blue water. “I wish I was playing Minecraft,” he said.

That’s the moment I realized something needed to change.

Minecraft is an online game where you “mine” or dig for materials in a 3D world composed of boxy, pixelated blocks. They look like computer-generated Legos. You can grow crops, build cities, raise livestock and armies, and — depending on if you choose “creative” or “survival” mode — defend your creations from an assortment of destructive creatures. Minecraft is open-ended, allowing players to virtually build anything they can imagine.

We only allowed one hour of screen time each day, but my son was obsessed with the game. It invaded his off-screen life. His writing at school revolved around Minecraft characters. His artwork was pixelated. He had trouble falling asleep at night because he was constantly playing the game in his mind. The curious and engaged boy I once knew seemed permanently distracted, as if he always wanted to be somewhere else.

The Minecraft world was drawing my son away from the world we shared, and I was determined to do something about it. That’s part of what prompted our family — my husband, Mark, and I, our son, and then-8-year-old daughter — to decide to go without screens for an entire summer.

On the last day of school, we stored the TV in the barn and disconnected the wireless router. No Netflix, Hulu, podcasts or Pinterest. (The single exception: email. It was necessary for business, so Mark and I were allowed to check it twice daily on our desktop computer.)

The first few days went smoothly for the kids. They rediscovered board games, devoured Harry Potter books and puttered around the backyard. I, on the other hand, found going about my daily routine unexpectedly stressful without the distraction of podcasts or easy connections on Facebook. When Mark came home from work, our habit of winding down while watching “The Daily Show” together on Hulu turned into some surprisingly awkward moments. “What do you want do?” I’d ask. “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” he’d reply.

Minecraft was hard to replace. Our home did not provide an unlimited variety of terrain, habitats and materials to build with. Our son could not dominate the household pets the same way he controlled large flocks of pixelated creatures. Without access to Minecraft, he had to rediscover his own sense of play and imagination. This took time, and

cries of “I’m bored!” were common after the novelty of the experiment wore off.

But slowly, the boredom and discomfort transformed into opportunity — for all of us. We shared the same space together instead of occupying the separate worlds of Minecraft, Vermont Public Radio and Nickelodeon. We talked more, and my son and daughter played together more often. They drew pictures and wrote stories. Mark’s and my evening TV habit was replaced by a nightly chess game that left us feeling more connected than when we were just staring at a screen together.

We also relied more on others. Instead of using Google to get information, we walked to the library or called someone who was more knowledgeable. When I needed a recipe, I asked a friend or neighbor. We planned ahead more. We folded and unfolded maps, and stopped to ask directions. We read the newspaper and dusted off the dictionary. Going cold turkey helped us see how technology altered our lives and relationships in a way that just limiting media wouldn’t have. The impulse to keep looking elsewhere — checking email, texts or Facebook — faded over time. We reconnected with inner voices that spoke to us through the silence.

We’ve recently completed our third media-free summer. Admittedly, we enter each September with anticipation. Family movie night is back! The TV and Wii are reinstalled, and iPods emerge from hibernation. But rather than a sudden, gleeful technology binge, the web slowly weaves itself back into our lives. We remain deliberate about our use throughout the year, and some of us have made permanent changes to our habits. At the end of our second screen-free summer, my son came up to me while I was setting the table.

“Mom” he said, “I’ve decided not to play Minecraft anymore. I think it affects my creativity. I get too obsessed with it.”

When I asked him to tell me more, he said Minecraft was fun, but it didn’t teach him any real skills, other than building things in Minecraft. He recognized that what initially seemed like endless possibilities for creation became, for him, an imagination limited to the ideas of game programmers. He’s visited his Minecraft world a few times since, but it has been almost two years since he consistently played that — or any other — video game.

Being separated from digital media for three months every year has made us all aware that accessing it is a choice, one that can profoundly affect our ability to be present in our everyday lives. I’m grateful that my son can now sit at the lake, admiring the birds and bathing in the sunshine, without wishing he was in a different, more pixelated, world. K