100+ Suggested Learning Ideas, Events & Resources for August 1-7, 2020

  Posted on July 30, 2020 By

Awarded the “Essential Agent of Change Award” by the MDPH’s Massachusetts Essentials for Childhood, Hilltown Families is recognized as a leading family strengthening initiative in the region, promoting “positive parenting through bthe social norm of community social connectedness.” Serving Western Massachusetts since 2005, Hilltown Families continues to support the development and enhancement of our local economy and community. Local businesses, farms, individuals, schools, and non-profit organizations are invited to collaborate with Hilltown Families in their community outreach. With 10,000 opt-in subscribers and over 2.7 million visits to our web site alone, Hilltown Families can deliver your message to thousands of families living throughout the four counties of Western MA! Find out about our affordable advertising options and how you can partner with Hilltown Families in your online marketing by contacting us at info@hilltownfamilies.org… and scroll down to discover learning ideas and community-based educational opportunities to explore at home and outdoors this weekend and next week.

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Fri & Sat – Aug 29

Family Fun Activities at Storrowton Village Museum. West Springfield, MA. Do some Family Fun Activities at Storrowton Village Museum on Fridays and Saturdays this summer. Each week combines 19th-century history with 21st-century fun! Weekly themes include homesteading, archaeology, nature & art, inventions & machines, toys & games, and clocks. Geared toward ages 7-12, with all ages welcome! Dates: Fri & Sat – Aug 29; Age Range of Participants: 7-12yo. Contact: 413-205-5051. storrow@thebige.com. www.storrowtonvillage.com.

Aug 1-30

Virtual

Kamp for Kids. Virtual/Westfield, MA. Kamp for Kids brings together children with and without disabilities in a unique integrated model that promotes understanding and growth. This summer’s virtual Kamp experience includes art, health, nature, and other inclusive, fun activities. Zoom gatherings and some project supplies available for delivery. As a fully inclusive summer camp, it is Kamp for Kids’ mission to serve a population of both children with disabilities and their typically developing peers. Visit their website to register and for more information. Dates: Aug 1-31; Age Range of Campers: 3-22yo. Contact: 413-562-5678. anne.benoit@bhninc.org. www.bhninc.org

Virtual & Outdoors

Sattva Center Archery Classes & Coaching. Florence, MA. Archery classes for ages 7+. Sattva Center offers outside socially distant target archery classes all week, all summer at Look Memorial Park. Their classes are ideal, whether you’re exploring archery for the first time or want to take your skills to the next level. With their experienced coaches, participants will develop a solid foundation in a welcoming and professional atmosphere. Participant registration includes a one-time annual pass to Look Park per family. All equipment included. All classes are multi-generational and multi-level. Virtual coaching is also available as well as backyard archery range equipment. For more information: hello@sattvaarchery.com; 774-261-3399; www.sattvaarchery.com.

Virtual

Northampton Community Music Center: Online Lessons & Classes. Northampton, MA. The Northampton Community Music Center is a nonprofit organization offering the highest quality music instruction for all ages and abilities to residents of Western Mass and beyond since 1986. Music Together for babies and toddlers provides an excellent musical foundation and family bonding experience. Individual lessons in more than 20 instruments and a variety of musical genres are available for students as young as age 4. A wide choice of group classes is available for children and adults to explore specific styles, tools, and music-making techniques. All skillfully taught online until we can all safely be together again. Registration now open for the fall through their website. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. For more information: registrar@ncmc.net; 413-585-0001; ncmc.net.

Hybrid/Virtual

Community Music School of Springfield: Hybrid Music Lessons and Classes. Virtual/Springfield, MA. Fill your fall with music! CMSS is now enrolling for hybrid private and semi-private music lessons for children, teens, and adults across a wide range of instruments and genres. Students are carefully matched with a teacher who will best meet their needs, and CMSS registration team will gladly assist you in deciding whether to rent or purchase your instrument. This year, ensembles are completely FREE! CMSS invite musicians of all ages to meet and mingle with like-minded music-loving peers and create memorable music experiences in a group that matches your interests and musicianship level. 2020-21 programming will start remotely, and students will have the choice to ease into a mix of remote and in-person experiences as possible/appropriate. For more information: info@communitymusicschool.com; 413-732-8428; communitymusicschool.com.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN OUR CLASS DIRECTORY!
Deadline to register: August 7th
Add virtual or in-person classes, private lessons, tutoring services, and online educational opportunities to Hilltown Families’ annual Class Directory! The deadline to register for our Class Directory debut is August 7th. Reserve your spot now and benefit from free updates to your listing throughout the year. Advertise in the region’s go-to, online resource for community-based educational opportunities in Western Massachusetts, reaching thousands of students throughout the region.
Sign up by August 7th and take advantage of our advertising package!
More Information. | Reserve a spot. | Submit your listing.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT IN OUR PRESCHOOL & DAYCARE DIRECTORY!
Deadline to register: August 7th
Hilltown Families’ Preschool & Daycare Directory welcomes yearlong listings for preschools, daycares, and early childhood programs across Western MA, including indoor/outdoor and virtual/in-person programs. The deadline to register for our Preschool & Daycare Directory debut is August 7th. Reserve your spot now and benefit from free updates to your listing throughout the year. Advertise in the region’s go-to, online resource for community-based educational opportunities in Western Massachusetts, reaching thousands of students throughout the region.
Sign up by August 7th and take advantage of our advertising package!
More Information. | Reserve a spot. | Submit your listing.

ADVERTISE HERE: Partner with Hilltown Families in your online advertising! Delivering your message each week to over 25,000 subscribers, web visitors, and social media followers, Hilltown Families can deliver your message to thousands of readers in Western MA who are committed to their community and willing to support one another in times of need. In-person and virtual event organizers, local and online businesses, virtual and local service providers, non-profit organizations, and individuals are encouraged to reach out to find out about our affordable advertising options and marketing packages. To find out how we can partner together in your online marketing and outreach, contact Sienna at swildfield@hilltownfamilies.org.

SUGGESTED LEARNING IDEAS,
RESOURCES, & EVENTS
August 1-7, 2020

Saturday, Aug 1 • Sunday, Aug 2
Monday, Aug 3 • Tuesday, Aug 4 • Wednesday, Aug 5
Thursday, Aug 6 • Friday, Aug 7

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Online and in-person events and resources shared below are done so as a courtesy and not as an endorsement. While we do our best to share accurate and up-to-date information, please take the time to confirm information, age appropriateness, registration requirements, safety protocols, and associated costs.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Suggested Events

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

UNSEEN WORLD

There is much which is imperceptible to the human eye, either because it moves too fast, too slow, is too small, or is all-encompassing. This unseen world can be unveiled to us through the use of film and microscopes. The use of tools to help us see a world that exists right in front of us is a fascinating experience. What else might we not be able to see or detect yet someday be able to with the invention of new tools and resources? How does perceiving an “unseen world” contribute to our perspectives on life, and how might it impact our way of being in the world? Today’s self-directed learning module takes this concept and unfolds it by illustrating what we do have access to seeing using cameras, film, and electron microscopes, leaving us to ponder what we might be missing, which is literally in front of our eyes!

__________

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Suggested Events

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

WORDS OF WISDOM: ASTRONAUTS

When a human leaves earth and travels to space, they return with the universal reward of a new perspective. These videos highlight astronauts’ renewed viewpoints, echoing an embodied awareness through their experiences in outer space that we are all connected. In today’s self-directed learning module, listen deeply to the wisdom of these astronauts, discussing with your family, and share your thoughts on human connection during a time of social isolation.

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COMING SOON!

Monday, August 3, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

EXTINCTION

The extinction of animal species can be attributed to many different factors, but it all boils down to the impacts of humans. Thinking about endangered and extinct animals can conjure up great questions and topics to explore. Loss of habitat and invasive species are two human-induced causes of extinction of plants and animals. (Are WE an invasive species?!) A difficult topic to face, learning about extinction, the contributions of human behavior, and understanding which species will survive can lead us to a better understanding of why scientists are looking towards gene-editing and cloning as a method for reversing extinction and solutions for habitat conservation. For today’s self-directed learning module, link together human impact, invasive species, the strategy behind the conservation of umbrella species, the ethics of gene-editing, and a look at the efforts to save species for a deep dive on a hard subject.

__________

COMING SOON!

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

TOMATO SEASON

Late July and August is the season of tomatoes! Looking through the lens of tomatoes, there are many directions your curiosity can lead you. Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Surprise your kids with that answer and then go down the rabbit hole of how the anatomy of plants guide us in how we classify fruits and vegetables. Once you have that squared away, interests in agriculture, food history, and culinary arts can be illuminated through tomatoes in today’s self-directed learning module!

__________

COMING SOON!

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY: REWILDING

Today, let’s explore rewilding, an attempt to reverse the destruction of our natural world through the reintroduction of keystone animals. What’s a keystone animal? We’ll start our learning there, learning what happens when they are no longer a part of an ecosystem (trophic cascade) and how their reintroduction (rewilding) can impact our environment. Today’s self-directed learning module is an excellent catalyst for getting curious! Search online to discover what megafauna once roamed New England. See if you can list which local animals are keystone species. After watching the video series below, ask yourself how you might imagine keystone animals would impact our local environment if they were reintroduced or allowed to increase in number.

__________

COMING SOON!

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Suggested Events

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

SHADOWS

When the hot summer sun is high in the sky, what might be the first thing you look for (other than a cold body of water)? A shadow! Summer shade is a well-appreciated shadow on a hot August day! Another well-known shadow, one full of myth and folklore, is the shadow of the earth on the moon’s surface as it moves between the sun and the moon. Following your interests through the shade of shadows can not only touch on myth and folklore, but it can also support an interest in storytelling! Start with an online search to discover the stories different cultures have around the earth’s shadow on the moon, then give storytelling through the medium of shadows a go in your own home. In today’s self-directed learning module, get inspired by several methods for telling stories through the use of shadows!

__________

COMING SOON!

Friday, August 7, 2020

Suggested Events:

Want to have your online or in person event, class, or workshop featured with Hilltown Families? Inquire at info@hilltownfamilies.org.

SWEET CORN SEASON

August is the season of sweet corn! Sold at most farmers’ markets and local grocery stores in late summer, corn is a summer staple with a rich history and loads of learning opportunities. Corn can be a catalyst for learning about different Native American cultures and current efforts to save heirloom varieties and traditional preparation techniques. Corn can also be a useful lens for learning about agriculture, physics, culinary arts, and folk music. In today’s self-directed learning module, let corn lead the way for sparking your curiosity and supporting your interests!

__________

Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Chester, Gill, Goshen, Hadley, Heath, Hinsdale-Peru, Holyoke, Montgomery, Mt. Washington, New Salem, Northern Berkshire, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Springfield, Washington, Westhampton, and Windsor Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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