Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in denver, CO

Polarpalooza!

by Aimee Giese

October 05, 2009

Organizations funded through the public's SCFD (Science & Cultural Facilities District) tax are hosting a variety of low cost and free events during the month of October to thank the citizens of the seven county district for their support. Events being offered are listed below.

October 7 - Denver Zoo Free Day
Over 60 SCFD funded organizations will be offering free performances, crafts, face paiting. Click for printable schedule.
Main Gate Performance Schedule:                                                    
9:00 - 9:30          Media/SCFD/Denver Zoo                                          
9:30 - 10:00        Denver March Pow Wow                                           
4:00 - 4:20          South Jeffco Youth Orchestra                                  
5:00 - 5:30          Aurora Symphony Orchestra                                             
5:30 - 6:00          Aurora Symphony Orchestra            
All Day                Aurora Fox

Conoco Zoo Gardens Performance Schedule:                                               
9:40 - 10:00         Tango Colorado                                                         
10:40 - 11:00       Belliston Ballet   
11:40 - 12:00       Aurora Dance Arts                                                
12:40 - 1:00         CM Dance                                                                   
2:20 - 2:40           Colorado Chamber Players
2:40 - 3:00           Hannah Kahn Dance Company                              
3:40 - 4:20           Aurora Fox                                                                            
4:00 - 4:20           Rocky Mountain Arts Assoc.                                              
4:40 - 5:00           Kim Robards Dance    
5:00 - 5:20           Rocky Mountain Children's Choir
5:40 - 6:00           Longmont Chorale
Wild Encounters Theater Performance Schedule:
9:20 - 9:40           Children's Museum of Denver
10:20 - 10:40       Think 360
11:20 - 11:40        Parker Arts Council
1:20 - 1:40            Parker Arts Council
2:20 - 2:40           Denver Zoo

Wildlife Theater Performance Schedule:
10:00 - 10:20      Augustana Arts
11:00 - 11:20      Su Teatro    
1:00 - 1:20          Christian Youth Theater
2:00 - 2:20          A Child's Song
3:00 - 3:20          Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
5:00 - 5:20          Colorado Hebrew Chorale

Primate Panorama Performance Schedule:
11:30                Arvada Center for Arts & Humanities
2:00 - 2:30        Denver Urban Gardens
4:00 - 4:30       Colorado Children's Chorale

PLUS many organizations will be located throughout the Zoo providing interactive activities for the whole family.

Heritage Fine Arts Guild of Arapahoe County will be holding an Art Show at the Bemis Library.  The Library is located at 6014 S. Datura Street, Littleton. The juried show starts Sept 29th and runs to October 27th and is free and open to the public. The opening reception is Thurday October 1st from 6:30 to 8pm. Otherwise the lower gallery is open during all library hours. Come and experience all kinds of painting from watercolor and oil to acrylic and pastels.

October 1 -The Alliance Française will have a free happy hour French conversation night on Thursday. French Conversation Happy Hour. Practice your French and meet other Francophiles in the Denver area. 571 Galapago Street - 5-7pm - FREE, hors d'oeuvres and wine provided - RSVP:  303-831-0304, afd@afdenver.org

October 3 - Edelweiss Preservation Foundation - German Day - 11am - 10pm, 14197 E. Exposition Ave, Aurora, CO 80012 Join us for German Music, Food and Drinks, German Entertainment, Military Tribute, Vendor Booths, German Reunifcation Day.

October 4 - Boulder History Museum offers the first Sunday of every month as a free day, Sundae Sundays. Guests will receive free admission to the Museum and free ice cream at the conclusion of their visit. We are located at: 12th an Euclid Ave. on ‘the Hill', Boulder - Free parking

October 4 - The Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys will be beginning our collaboration with Buntport Theater's tRUNks with free day activities at the Museum. Visitors to the Museum on Oct. 4 from 1-4 can make a mask and draw an entry for the Super Hero Drawing contest.

October 4 - The Boulder History Museum offers the first Sunday of every month as a free day. Guests will receive free admission to the Museum and free ice cream at the conclusion of their visit. 12th an Euclid Ave. on ‘the Hill', Boulder www.boulderhistory.org 303-449-3464 Free parking.

October 7 - 12:00 to 1:00 - Brown Bag Lecture - A panel of artist's from the Paint, Sculpt, Shoot exhibit will discuss the show and many of the events that lead up to the exhibit. The lectures are held at the Art Center on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00pm and are free to the public. The Arts Evergreen is located at next to the Buchanan Rec. Ctr. on Hwy 74 and Squaw Pass Road). For more information call 303.674.0056 or visit www.evergreenarts.org.

October 7 - Broomfield Cultural Affairs is offering a FREE CU Jazz concert in the Broomfield Auditorium. This is a tribute to the great American songwriters and the music of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and more. This event is sponsored in part by SCFD funds.

Cherry Creek Arts Festival will be offering free viewings of the Mobile Art Gallery to the public throughout the week of October 7th in celebration of Polarpalooza.  The Mobile Art Gallery will be on tour in Lakewood at Carmody Middle School which is located at 2050 S. Kipling Street.

October 8 - "Evening of Hebrew Round-Singing in the Sukkah" What: Annual Evening of Hebrew Round-Singing in the Sukkah, includes food, fun, and instant music-making! Where: 2 Ash Street, Denver When: 7:30 p.m. Who: For Singers and Listeners of All Ages Cost: Free and Open to the Public Sponsored by: the Colorado Hebrew Chorale Info: (303)355-0232 or visit www.coloradohebrewchorale.org

October 14 -NMAA presents - Marvels of Motion- Children will got on a journey thorugh the world of Newton's 3 laws of motion.  This interactive event is all about the fun-damentals of moving science.(Designed especially for young children) 10:00 am at the Perl Mack Community Center, 7125 Mariposa Street, Denver.

October 15 - Boulder International Film Festival is offering a free viewing of The Human Experience - 7PM, AT THE BOULDER PUBLIC LIBRARY AUDITORIUM - 1000 Canyon Boulevard

Spotlight on the Boulder International Film Festival - Directed by Charles Kinnane (USA - 2008) Drawing sellout audiences and a winner at dozens of film festivals around the world, this remarkable film is the story of a band of brothers who travel the world in search of answers to the questions: Who am I? Who is Man? Why do we search for meaning? Their journey brings them into the lives of the homeless on the streets of New York City, the orphans and disabled children of Peru, and the abandoned lepers in the forests of Ghana, Africa. What the young men discover changes them forever. Through one-on-one interviews and real-life encounters, the brothers are awakened to the beauty of the human person and the resilience of the human spirit. In English. (90 minutes)

October 20 - Edelweiss Preservation Foundation - GERMAN LANGUAGE FILM NIGHT "Monster's Inc." - 6:00 P.M. Front Range Community College - Room C1517 Great for kids or adults learning German as well a fun night for those who are fluent! FREE ADMISSION

October 20 - 21 - WOW Museum presents: Planet Earth - Curious about how to approach science with your kids?  Join us throughout the fall months for family science fun!  We will explore a different science topic each month!  Drop-in science is an informal interactive science program that is available for exploration from 10:00am-12:00pm and again from 2:00pm-4:00pm.   Included with Museum admission for the general public; free for Museum members!

October 21 - 12:00 to 1:00 - Brown Bag Lecture - Reno Carollo, sculptor, will be speaking about public sculpture and how people interact (and react) to various pieces of art found around Denver and our mountain community. The lectures are held at the Art Center on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 1:00pm and are free to the public. The Arts Evergreen is located at next to the Buchanan Rec. Ctr. on Hwy 74 and Squaw Pass Road). For more information call 303.674.0056 or visit www.evergreenarts.org.

October 29 - 30 - 9am - 8pm and Saturday, October 31st 10a - 8p - Trick or Treat Street at The Children's Museum Denver - Get your little goblins, superheroes and fairies ready for the sweetest fall festival in town! Travel through the pumpkin patch down Cider Lane and onto a trick-or-treating adventure full of yummy treats, exciting entertainment and fun surprises. Try your luck at the monster carnival, hear stories about creatures and critters, make arts and crafts projects to take home, see theater, music and dance performances, and meet roaming costumed characters! For a full schedule of events, visit www.mychildsmuseum.org.

October 29 - Boulder International Film Festival if offering a free viewing of Sita Sings the Blue
7PM, AT THE BOULDER PUBLIC LIBRARY AUDITORIUM - 1000 Canyon Boulevard
Spotlight on the Boulder International Film Festival - Directed by Nina Paley (USA - 2007)Nina is an animator whose husband dumps her by email. Sita is a goddess dumped by her husband Rama. Why couldn't these two women, 3,000 years apart, make their marriages work? This award-winning, beautifully animated interpretation of parts of the Indian epic, Ramayana, was rendered on a laptop by a single animator mostly using Flash. Nina Paley lays down wildly imaginative musical interludes that use authentic 1920s blues recordings to link the narratives of these two unfortunate ladies. Why did Rama reject Sita? Why did the animator's husband reject the animator? Find out in this groundbreaking triumph of personal motion picture art. Winner of Best Animated Film at the Boulder International Film Festival and many awards from around the world.  (82 minutes)

October 30 - Friday - 5:00pm to 8:00pm - Evergreen Artists Association Fall Member Show - Members of the Evergreen Artists Association will exhibit their Fall Member Show from October 30 through November 20. The opening reception is Friday, October 30 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the Center for the Arts Evergreen. The Art Center is located at 32003B Ellingwood Trail (Hwy. 74 & Squaw Pass Road - next to the Buchanan Rec. Center). www.evergreenarts.org

October 31 - The Littleton Symphony offers a free Children's Concert on Halloween, featuring the Colorado premiere of ‘The Composer is Dead' and various other spooky music. Littleton United Methodist Church, 5894 South Datura, Littleton. Doors open at 2pm - Performance begins at 2:30pm

CYT Denver presents the musical comedy "THOROUGLY MODERN MILLIE". Performance dates are November 6, 7, 13 & 14th @ 7pm. Matinee performances on November 7 & 14th @ 2pm. Tickets are $12 if purchased online at www.cytdenver.org and $15 at the door. Shows are performed at the beautiful Pinnacle Dinner theatre in Littleton. 9136 w. Bowles ave. Littleton, Co. 80123

The Public Library: What All Does It Offer?

by Aimee Giese

March 25, 2009

Denver is is very lucky in many ways - and one of the ways we are VERY lucky is our huge public library system. AND! Not only do we have a huge library system by location (see listings below), the offerings from the Library is amazing.

First and foremost, we can't forget the Central location at 14th and Lincoln which was designed by Michael Graves (yes, THAT Michael Graves of Target fame). This location is clearly an architectural wonder - but also is so centrally located, a quick trip to the Capital and the Denver Art Museum is also a hop, skip and a jump away. But the Central location also has great activities planned nearly every Saturday. I can't tell you how many times my husband and son attended Book Babies when Declan was very young. In fact, we still stay in touch with friends we made through that program.

The good news for those not close to the downtown location is that ALL public libraries in Denver have fun things going on, ALL the time. Check their official web site for a continually updated list of activities. From storytimes, magic shows to special classes - [and oh yeah - BOOKS]... the library offers so many things to enrich our kids lives. And nearly all of it is completely FREE.

Talk about an amazing resource.

CURRENT DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS:

The Central Library
10 W. Fourteenth Ave. Pkwy. (80204), 720-865-1111, TTY: 720-865-1472

Athmar Park Branch Library
1055 S. Tejon St. at W. Mississippi Ave. (80223), 720-865-0230

Bear Valley Branch Library
5171 W. Dartmouth Ave at S. Sheridan Blvd. (80236), 720-865-0975

Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library
2401 Welton Street (80205), 720-865-2401

Byers Branch Library
675 Santa Fe Dr. at W. 7th Ave. (80204), 720-865-0160

Eugene Field Branch Library
810 S. University Blvd. at E. Ohio Ave. (80209), 303-777-2301, TTY: 303-733-7435

Ford-Warren Branch Library
2825 High St. at E. 28th Ave. (80205), 720-865-0920

Hadley Branch Library
1890 S. Grove St. at W. Jewell Ave. (80219), 720-865-0170, TTY: 303-935-4267

Montbello Branch Library
12955 Albrook Dr. (80239), 720-865-0200

Pauline Robinson Branch Library
5575 E. 33rd Avenue at Holly St. (80207), 303-370-1530

Ross-Barnum Branch Library
3570 W. First Ave. at Lowell Blvd. (80219), 720-865-0145

Ross-Broadway Branch Library
33 E. Bayaud Ave. at S. Lincoln St. (80209), 720-865-0135

Ross-Cherry Creek Branch Library
305 Milwaukee St. at E. 3rd Ave. (80206), 720-865-0120

Ross-University Hills Branch Library
4310 E. Amherst Ave. at S. Birch St. (80222), 720-865-0955

Schlessman Family Branch Library
100 Poplar Street (1st and Quebec) (80220), 720-865-0000, TTY: 720-865-0045

Smiley Branch Library
4501 W. 46th Ave. at Utica St. (80212), 720-865-0260

Valdez-Perry Branch Library
4690 Vine St. at 47th Ave. (80216), 303-295-4302

Virginia Village Branch Library
1500 S. Dahlia St. at E. Florida Ave. (80222), 720-865-0940, TTY: 303-504-5790

Westwood Branch Library
1000 S. Lowell Blvd. (80219), 720-865-0215

Woodbury Branch Library
3265 Federal Blvd at W. 33rd Ave. (80211), 720-865-0930 

Places To Count in Denver

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

February 03, 2009

Math is more than just counting, adding and numbers. It can be an experience, especially when the kids are so young. There are plenty of places around town to make math so fun your child won't even realize they are learning! Denver Public Library I seems pretty obvious that all those books are not only good for reading - but good for counting! Downtown Aquarium Fishes fishes fishes! So many  Read more...

Best Spots To Play Indoors When It's Cold Outdoors

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

January 20, 2009

Uhhhh. This is a weird post to write seeing as it's been nearly 70 degrees all week in Denver, but trust me. We have a long while till this warm weather sticks around for good - so you will be thanking me for this post later! So, what do *you* do when the cold weather is swirling all around the Mile High City? Here are some of my favorite "hot" spots. HA! Downtown Aquarium - They keep it warm  Read more...

Book Nooks for Tots

by Aimee Greeblemonkey

May 14, 2008

There are really two major places that come to mind when you think books in Denver. The Denver Public Library and the Tattered Cover. The crown jewel in the Denver Public Library system is of course, the Central location downtown near the capital. Designed by Michael Graves (yes, *that* Michael Graves you see in Target), the building itself is incredibly interesting to see and be inside of. But  Read more...