Kids Almanac: Minnewaska's Babes in the Woods, raptors, teen ...

Photo of Red-tailed Hawk by Dion Ogust.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature?s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

? John Muir

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I wish that every parent with a baby had a chance to participate in Minnewaska State Park?s weekly ?Babes in the Woods? hikes. This program was one of my first opportunities to go on a guided local hike, and I was grateful for the chance to familiarize myself with some of the trails. I didn?t know anyone when I started attending. But just walking in the woods seemed calming to my baby, whether in a jogging stroller or, more likely, my baby carrier. I felt so free, knowing that my baby?s unpredictable meltdowns and diaper blowouts somehow felt less traumatic out in Minnewaska?s majesty. My body loved the exercise and the stress relief. I was actually able to have sustained conversations with other parents along the meandering carriage roads, and many of us have stayed connected even today.

These days, when I walk these pathways with my now-ambulatory children, it brings back lots of memories. And I still get my money?s worth out of the wonderful Empire Passport sticker that I buy each year. Do you have one? You can buy it online or right at the entrance of Minnewaska (or any state park). It enables entry by the carload to New York State Parks, including Pine Hill Beach, Lake Taghkanic, even Robert Moses Beach in Long Island for my day-trip ocean getaways.

?Babes in the Woods? meets the first and third Tuesday and the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The next hike takes place on Tuesday, April 17 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Meet up at the Wildmere Parking Area kiosk. Older siblings are welcome. Bring water, a blanket and a snack to hang out afterwards. Registration is required. For more information or to register, call (845) 255-0752.

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Cheap stuff for kids at consignment sales in Fishkill April 12 to 15

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My kids? interests in toys and games are constantly evolving, and they outgrow their wardrobe every year. How do I keep up with their clothing and gear while staying within a budget? I buy quality kids? consignment! You can score some deals and put your recycling ideals into action at the ?Be Green Kids? Consignment Sale? in Fishkill. A presale for new and first-time parents begins on April 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. (must preregister). Public sales run April 13 from noon to 8 p.m.; April 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and everything is half-price on April 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (early birds can bring a diaper or wipes donation to get in at 9 a.m.).

Some of our all-time favorite toys (collapsible playhouse, snowcone-maker, an epic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles van) have come from this type of large-scale consignment event. There is such variety, and you never know what you?re going to find. This event is ideal for families shopping for infants through about age 10.

The ?Be Green Kids? Consignment Sale? is located at 793 Route 52 in Fishkill. For more information including sales hours, call (516) 672-2614 or visit www.begreensale.com.

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This Friday is Kids? Sports Night at SUNY-New Paltz gym

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SUNY-New Paltz offers fun opportunities for families. My kids love the cool cereal machines at the (cheap!) Sunday brunch in Hasbrouck Dining Hall, riding their scooters around campus, feeding the ducks (stop at the local New Paltz Freihofer?s outlet on North Putt Corners Road on your way over and ask for animal bread, dirt-cheap!) and celebrating Halloween at the annual Community Trick-or-Treat. We also get terrific babysitters through the college?s off-campus employment page.

On Friday, April 13 the SUNY-New Paltz Department of Athletics, Wellness & Recreation invites children from kindergarten through fifth grade to Kids? Sports Night. Registration is free and takes place from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Activities run from 6 to 8 p.m. and include kickball, Capture the Flag, relay races and more, all with the college?s student/athletes. The event takes place in the Athletics & Wellness Center on campus. SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information on Kids? Sports Night, contact Jamie Seward at (845) 257-3923 or sewardj@newpaltz.edu.

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Teen screenwriting workshop in New Paltz

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I learned about a fantastic opportunity for aspiring teen screenwriters, and I would love your help in spreading the word about it. The Elting Library in New Paltz is hosting a ?Screenplay Writing Workshop for Teens? led by Los Angeles writer/musician Chris Zerby. Zerby explains, ?I started working with teens several years ago here in Los Angeles through a program called ?Spoken Interludes,? which is actually based in New York. Published authors go into high schools and teach eight-week courses on fiction-writing, in which the students complete a short story and get to read some of it in front of an audience at the school. As a writer, it?s incredibly inspiring to guide the kids through the creative process, as well as helping them think critically about classic fiction from Poe, Salinger et cetera. Living in Los Angeles, it was inevitable that I would try my hand at screenwriting, and it seemed very natural to construct a course for that as well, on my own.?

Participants will learn screenplay basics, develop their own screenplays, assemble their own cast and musicians and rehearse their scenes with Robert Miller, founder of the Mohonk Mountain Stage Company. The class will finish with a Readers? Theatre version of their scenes before an audience of family and friends.

I asked Zerby what advice he had for budding screenwriters: ?Treat each scene like a mini-movie; it should have conflict, plot movement and something should change. Watch as many movies, of whatever genre, that you can, and pay attention to the structure of the plot when you do. Every scene and every character in your screenplay should have a purpose or should be cut. If you can?t explain the basic premise of your movie in a sentence or two, something is not right.?

The ?Screenplay Writing Workshop? runs Saturday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, April 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturday, April 28 from noon to 4 p.m., with a performance that night. Participants can bring a piece that they are already working on, or they can start something new. Since screenplay-writers often work with partners, students are encouraged to bring a friend. This workshop is free and open to all teens. Registration is required. The Elting Library is located at 93 Main Street in New Paltz. For more information or to register, call (845) 255-5030 or stop by the Library.

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Celebrate Charlie Chaplin?s birthday this Saturday at Kingston?s Little Shop of Horses

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Fun fact: Charlie Chaplin?s birthday is April 16. If you, your child or your grandchild already knew that, you?re probably a big fan. If so, get your moustache on and join other Chaplin enthusiasts at the second annual Charlie Chaplin Tribute Exhibit at the Little Shop of Horses in Kingston. Dressing as the Little Tramp or in period costumes is encouraged for this free event which includes food, films and, of course, birthday cake. Keep in mind that this gallery is small ? 25 to 30 people maximum ? and you might want to bring your own folding chair. Donations of food or drink are welcomed but not necessary. This Chaplin Tribute takes place on Saturday, April 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. The Little Shop of Horses is located at 37 North Front Street, second floor, in Kingston (over JJ?s Hobbies). For more information, call (845) 340-0501.

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Meet kid-lit authors this Saturday at ?Read Local Red Hook?

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In the same way that our family loves attending performances by our favorite musicians, we enjoy attending readings by our favorite authors. The ?Read Local Red Hook? Literary Festival gives us a chance to do just that. When my kids bound through the house exclaiming that they ?can do anything, like Ladybug Girl!? I value how their imaginary play brings to life the theme of empowerment from this wonderful story. When I witness the emotional Facebook sharings of my teenaged relatives and friends searching for their personal truths, like Laurel explores in The Beginning of After, I appreciate how much contemporary literature can help us discover aspects of ourselves, whatever our age.

I asked my friend Jennifer Castle, author of award-winning Young Adult book The Beginning of After, for her perspective. Jen says, ?It?s an exhilarating time to be writing for preteens and teens, because of the range and quality of work out there, and because the readers are so passionate ? even the grownups who devour these books aren?t afraid to admit it! Events like these are great opportunities for authors and readers to share their love of young people?s literature.?

?Read Local Red Hook? takes place on Saturday, April 14 at the Red Hook Village Building, located at 7467 South Broadway in Red Hook. The event is free and runs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Picture-book storytime begins at 10 a.m. with readings by David Soman and Jacky Davis (Ladybug Girl) and Peter McCarty (The Monster Returns). Jen Castle will participate in the panel for the Young Adult reading and book discussion at 12 noon. For more information about ?Read Local Red Hook,? visit its page on Facebook or e-mail rhcanreadlocal@gmail.com. To learn more about the books and writers mentioned here, visit www.ladybuggirl.com, www.jennifercastle.com and www.petermccarty.net.

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Iza Trapani reads from her latest this Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie & Kingston

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You and your crew can catch up with another well-known local author, Iza Trapani, who is doing readings and signings on Saturday, April 14 for her new children?s book, The Bear Went over the Mountain. This book connects easily with the reader through sweet illustrations, storylines of each verse and a songsheet in the back. You could make this an adventure, just like our furry protagonist: Take your family for a hike (sing the song with your kids in the car on the way); experience nature with all of your senses; and return home feeling the same sentiments as the bear: ?His spirits were just soaring/From all of his exploring??

Iza Trapani will be at Barnes & Noble at 2518 South Road in Poughkeepsie at 11 a.m. and at Barnes & Noble at 1177 Ulster Avenue in Kingston at 2:30 p.m. The readings are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Poughkeepsie store at (845) 485-2224, the Kingston store at (845) 336-0590 or visit www.izatrapani.com.

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Meet Brian Bradley?s live raptors this Saturday at Unison in New Paltz

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I think that hawks and falcons are such fierce, fascinating creatures. Unfortunately, the only close-up glimpses that the kids and I get are when they?re on the roof of our chicken coop, poised to go after one of our hens. More often they?re far away, coasting on wind currents high above, or perched regally at the top of a tree scouting out a prospective meal scurrying below.

We?ll have the opportunity to see and learn about these amazing birds at the ?Skyhunters in Flight? presentation at Unison Arts & Learning Center on Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m. Raptor expert Brian Bradley will display different live raptors and give some background about each one. He will also teach about the sport of falconry, ?the art of catching game with wild raptors.?

Tickets for this show cost $10 general admission, $7 for Unison members. Space is limited, so reserve early. Unison is located at 68 Mountain Rest Road in New Paltz. For reservations or for more information, call (845) 255-1559 or visit www.unisonarts.org.

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Wilderstein in Rhinebeck hosts Daffodil Tea this Saturday

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If you have lovingly shared countless cups of imaginary tea with your little one over the years, squeezed into a tiny chair while conversing with lopsided dolls and stuffed animals, then it might be time to treat yourselves to the real deal and attend the springtime Daffodil Tea at the Wilderstein Mansion. In addition to enjoying tasty homemade treats, the festivities include tours of this mansion previously inhabited by Franklin Roosevelt?s cousin and confidante, Margaret ?Daisy? Suckley, and you can walk the trails around the grounds.

The Daffodil Tea takes place on Saturday, April 14 at 1 p.m. Tickets for this event cost $30 for adults, $20 for children. Space is limited. The Wilderstein Mansion is located at 330 Morton Road in Rhinebeck. For reservations or for more information, call (845) 876-4818 or visit www.wilderstein.org.

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?Nest Watch? program this Saturday at Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall

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Every so often, we discover a bird?s nest around our house: in our eaves, in nearby trees or even in a hanging plant. Sometimes we get lucky and get to watch the family cycle from eggs to hatchlings to leaving the nest. With nest-building season upon us, perhaps your family would like to join in. The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum is hosting ?Nest Watch,? a program that explains how to identify bird nests found in our area. You can also make a bluebird box to take home. Learn how you and your kids can participate in Citizen Science by reporting your nest activity to Cornell University.

?Nest Watch? takes place on Saturday, April 14 at 10 a.m. at the Outdoor Discovery Center. This program is suggested for adults and for children over age 5. This cost for this session is $5 per person, $3 for members. Bluebird-box kit quantities are limited and the cost per kit is $15, limit one per family. The Outdoor Discovery Center is located at 120 Muser Drive in Cornwall. For more information or to make a reservation, call (845) 534-5506, extension 204, or visit www.hhnaturemuseum.org.

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Kingston?s Fair Street Reformed Church hosts CSA Fair this Saturday

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Do your kids know where different foods come from? Or what time of the year various fruits and vegetables grow? Are they connected with any local farms or growers? Does your vegetable range include kale or kohlrabi? Even if you grow your own garden, many of the established farms in our area have much to offer in terms of variety, expertise and community. Consider joining a CSA this year.

When you join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), you?re investing in a seasonal share of a local farm. In return, you receive a weekly share of the harvest. This model of food-sourcing is so valuable to families because it?s a way to restore an understanding of how food happens and establish a direct link to the land that grows some of your family?s food. It?s like getting a taste of farming without actually having to do or know it all.

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) Catskill/Hudson Region is hosting a CSA Fair on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fair Street Reformed Church. This event is free and open to the public, specifically intended to help acquaint you with participant farms in our area and the CSA terms for each one. Fair Street Reformed Church is located at 409 Fair Street in Kingston. For more information, contact NOFA-NY at (585) 271-1979, e-mail info@nofany.org or visit www.nofany.org/csafair.

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Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie showcases Strawberry Hill Fiddlers this Sunday

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Vibrant! Uplifting! Energized! These are three words that come to mind when I think about the Strawberry Hill Fiddlers. This group of young people works and plays hard to bring terrific music to audiences everywhere. They just might inspire your own kids to take up a stringed instrument, or if they are classically trained already, to audition for the group.

Their next performance is part of the Tower Music Series at the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie and takes place on Sunday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m. The concert is open to all, and a free-will offering will be taken (suggested donation $10). The Reformed Church is located at 70 Hooker Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 452-8110 or e-mail towerseries@hvc.rr.com. To learn more about the musicians, visit www.strawberryhillfiddlers.com.

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Gardiner Library hosts kids? self-defense workshops beginning this Sunday

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Jen Wait is passionate about teaching children that no one has the right to hurt or bully them, and she is offering a four-part children?s self-defense series at the Gardiner Library called radKIDS (?resist aggression defensively?). This hands-on course provides participants with the opportunity to practice safety techniques rather than just talk about them. Per the radKIDS website, ?Would we train our children how to swim by telling them how in the living room, then throwing them in the water??

This class is intended for children ages 7 through 12 and meets on April 15, 22 and 29 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and on May 6 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per child, and preregistration is required. Class size is limited.

The Gardiner Library is located at 133 Farmers? Turnpike in Gardiner. To register for the program, call the Gardiner Library at (845) 255-1255. If you have specific questions for Wait, she can be reached at strongwomenrock@gmail.com. To learn more about the program, visit www.radkids.org.

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Learn about sheep and wool this Sunday and animal tracks this Wednesday at Olana in Hudson

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Olana is beautiful and historic. It?s worth a visit on its own. But it has also put together some terrific programs, so that you can bring your families to experience this Hudson Valley treasure and have the opportunity to learn even more about life here, both past and present. On Sunday, April 15 from 1 to 3 p.m., Olana and Hawthorne Valley team up to present ?The Art of Farming Series: Sheep and Wool in Columbia County ? Part 1, Investigate the History and Character of Sheep in Columbia County.? (Part 2 takes place on April 29.) The hands-on activities include carding and spinning (just like in fairy tales), and there will be gentle live sheep on-site to meet and greet. Participants will take home a woven wool bracelet.

Preregistration is required by noon on Friday, April 13. The cost for the one-day program is $15 per person, $5 per class for each additional family member; children age 5 and under are free. There is an additional $5 fee per car for parking (waived for current Empire Passport holders and Olana Partnership members).

Are your kids mystery buffs as much as mine are? Are they determined to pull together clues to help figure out the answers to puzzling questions? On Wednesday, April 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon, Olana is hosting ?Science Class: Animal Tracks ? Clues that Tell a Tale.? Participants will walk the carriage roads searching for animal tracks using track patterns and signs in nature to identify the animals that made them. They?ll also make plaster molds of animal tracks to take home.

This event is free and open to the public, ages 6 through 9 and ages 10 through 14. Preregistration is suggested by Monday, April 16. Olana is located at 5720 Route 9G in Hudson. For more information or to register for either program, call (518) 828-1872, extension 109, e-mail sley@olana.org or visit www.olana.org.

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?Eric Carle stories come alive with Mermaid Theatre?s puppets at UPAC in Kingston on April 18

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Our family is so looking forward to Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia?s ?A Brown Bear, a Moon and a Caterpillar: Treasured Stories by Eric Carle.? Our daughter is always enchanted by the mesmerizing puppetry during the show, and our son is fascinated by the technical explanations shared at the end by the puppeteers. I think that the troupe?s sets are clever, and its stories are familiar and engaging.

Seats for this one-hour show are still available at the Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) on April 18 at 10 a.m. and at 12:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 each or $6 for members and may be purchased at the door the day of the performance. UPAC is located at 601 Broadway in Kingston. For more information, call the theatre at (845) 339-6088 or visit www.upac.org. To learn more about Mermaid Theatre, visit www.mermaidtheatre.ns.ca.

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Erica Chase-Salerno lives, loves and laughs in New Paltz with her husband Mike and their two children: the inspirations behind hudsonvalleyparents.com. She can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.

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