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Weekly Suggested Events for April 10-16, 2021
Home < Weekly Suggested Events < April 10-16, 2021
Are you looking for things to do in western Massachusetts? Seeking curriculum ideas for remote learning or homeschooling? Are you a self-directed, life-long, and/or experiential learner? Are you curious or wanting to support the interests of your family. Our weekly Suggested Events list includes suggested learning ideas, resources, and events for all ages, each week!
Scroll down to discover featured events, learning opportunities, and educational videos to support learning from home. And be sure to subscribe to our free weekly eNewsletter so you never miss out!
15 SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IDEAS
10 LEARNING RESOURCES
INTERGENERATIONAL. Board Games
MINDFULNESS. Mindfulness Through the Seasons
PEDAGOGY. Integrating Permaculture with Community-Based Education
CREATIVE-FREE PLAY. Fresh Ways to Engage Toddlers in Creative Free-Play
ART STUDIES. Google Cultural Institute: A Portal to the Cultural Treasures of the World
PreK. Making the Transition to Kindergarten
PreK EVENTS. Hampshire Regional District Coordinated Family Community Engagement Activities (Chesterfield, Goshen, Southampton, Westhampton & Williamsburg)
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN. Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
LOCAL HISTORY. Virtual Local History Learning Opportunities with The Trustees.
DISABILITY HISTORY. Smithsonian Disability History
Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just… isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Inspired by the children’s books of Mo Willems, multimedia artists Manual Cinema use mind-bending projection, DIY cinema, and immersive sound to tell the story of a monster who longs to be scary and the big decisions about identity and empathy that we all must make. Join the UMass Fine Arts Center on Sunday, April 11 at 3pm (ET) for a virtual performance of Leonardo & Sam: the Terrible Monster and the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World, Respectively. Tickets are $12 per household or device, and on demand access is available for 72 hours. Visit: fineartscenter.com. or call: 800-999-8627.
Autism Connections, the western Massachusetts Autism Center serving families and individuals in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, hosts its 30th Annual Autism Conference on April 29, 2021. The day-long VIRTUAL educational conference brings together more than 400 parents, caregivers, educators, people with autism, self-advocates, professionals, organizations, and service providers to build awareness and knowledge, be inspired, and make meaningful connections. For more information about Autism Connections or the 30th Annual Autism Conference, visit AutismConnectionsMa.org or email autismconnections@pathlightgroup.org.
Hartsbrook School Fiddle Camp: it’s not just for fiddles! Bring your cellos, guitars, and ukuleles too. Campers learn tunes from around the world, playing under outdoor canopies on Hartsbrook’s beautiful, spacious campus in Hadley, MA. The experienced instructors bring joy and fun to music lessons, and the school’s donkeys and goats are a receptive audience for practice concerts. For beginner-intermediate through intermediate level musicians in rising 4th through 9th grade. July 5-9, 9am-12:30pm. For more information: www.hartsbrook.org/programs/fiddle-camp.
Bare Roots Farm in West Chesterfield, MA.
Now is the time to order your plants, and Bare Roots Farm in West Chesterfield is open for pre-orders via their online store.
This time every year, many families start to think about tending to their gardens, growing their own food, and being able to access locally grown food easily. Gardening connects families with the seasons and is a multidisciplinary activity embedded with learning every step along the way, from botany to soil science to meteorology. At home, gardening can occur in either a garden plot, porch containers, or window sills, becoming a learning laboratory for all family members. Bare Roots Farm is a locally owned family greenhouse growing useful organic plants. Orders can be picked up at their Farm Stand (329 Ireland Street) beginning the 2nd week of May. Place your order now at Barerootsfarm.com.
FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
Hilltown Sleddogs Day Camps
West Chesterfield, MA
Dates: July 6-August 27, 2021; Age Range of Participants: 8-16yo
Contact: 413-320-8287
♦ hilltownsleddogs@gmail.com
♦ www.hilltownsleddogs.com/camps
Learn to take care of & exercise a world-class athlete – the Alaskan Husky Sled Dog. Choose a dog for the week. Learn to feed, pet, play, clean-up after, and train a sled dog. Ride a racing rig, scooter, bike, jog, and swim – some of the warm weather activities dogs & Campers love to do together. All have fun bonding, playing & mushing with the team! “My daughter loved the week-long camp, really bonded with her dog and plans to return next year. Hilltown Sleddogs is one of Pioneer Valleys’ unique treasures!” (JG) “The hands-on connection with dogs is amazing. At the end of the week, my boys don’t want to come home.” (EM) Overnight Camps will resume 2022. Covid Safety Protocol will continue for 2021. July 6-August 27, 2021.
FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
The Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA)
Goshen, MA.
Dates: July 10-August 15, 2021; Age Range of Participants: Girls/Young Women 9-24yo
Contact: 413-268-3074 ♦ info@ima.org ♦ www.ima.org
IMA’s Rock the Summer (Virtually) 2021 are programs for girls and young women focusing on ensemble playing, songwriting, and recording in a deeply creative environment. Explore Rock (July 10-18) and the Performance Program (July 21-August 1) will use the Acapella app as the vehicle for collaboration and performances, students in the Home Studio Recording Program (August 5-15) will learn to use Pro Tools and an interface to raise the bar on home recording projects. Sessions end with a virtual presentation for friends and family. Faculty members are veteran musicians, engineers, and producers.
FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
Miss Leticia Music Summer Camp
Amherst, MA
Dates: July 12-August 13, 2021
Age Range: 6-16yo
Contact: 413-246-7338
♦ missleticia@missleticia.com
♦ www.missleticia.com
Miss Leticia Music Summer Camp and Songwriting Camp: Week 1:Beginner,Rock band-Radio Hits July 12-16, 9-3pm Week 2 Camp Beginner, Rock Band- Radio Hits, British Invasion, Alternative July 26-30, 9-3pm Week 3 Songwriting/Recording Camp – August 9-13, Mon – Thurs 9-4pm, Friday 9-6pm
FEATURED SUMMER PROGRAM
Camp Common Ground Family Camp Starksboro, VT
Dates: July 24- August 13, 2021
Age Range of Participants: 0-99yo
Contact: 802-453-2592 ♦ info@cgcvt.org ♦ www.cgcvt.org
Starksboro, VT ♦ Camp Common Ground (CCG) is an intergenerational family camp designed to provide families with a healthy and happy bonding experience while weaving in elements of nature education, arts, wellness, sports, and fun! CCG is dedicated to celebrating all families and cultivating a sense of community among campers. CCG’s 700-acre site in Starksboro, Vermont, provides campers with hiking trails, streams, ponds, and a low carbon footprint main campus to explore. Sliding scale fees include lodging in a tent, cabin, or lodge; all meals (local, organic, and vegetarian) and all activities. There is something for everyone’s taste – whether you want to ‘rough it’ or are more into ‘glamping’ – CCG has you covered!
FEATURED SCHOOL
Bement School
Deerfield, MA
Bement is open with students attending school in person, and they are accepting applications for fall 2021 as space remains available. The Bement School, founded in 1925 and located in Deerfield, is a co-educational junior boarding and day school serving 200 students in kindergarten through grade 9. Bement’s rich curriculum motivates and challenges students with strong academics, a renowned fine arts program, and a diverse athletic program. Students participate in athletics and fine arts every day. The pervasive atmosphere at Bement is that of a family, learning, and living together. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multi-cultural student body. For information, join their virtual open house or call 413-774-4209 www.bement.org.
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Preschool Directory
Find what you’re looking for in our Preschool & Daycare Directory for Western MA
List of Weekly Suggested Events
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021
FAMILY RADIO. 9-10am. Hilltown Family Variety Show w/guest DJ Katherine Dines & James Coffey (Radio or Streaming)
FASHION HISTORY. 9:15am-4:45pm. Invisible Makers: Textiles, Dress, and Marginalized People in 18th- and 19th-Century America with the Historic Deerfield (Virtual)
OUTDOOR SKILLS. 10am. Intro to Outdoor Skills for Pre-K and Kindergarten Girls at Tolgy Wood (Chesterfield, MA)
ECOLOGY. 10am. Life in a Vernal Pool at Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton, MA)
INTERGENERATIONAL. 10:30pm. Communication in Cooking: Cooking is a great way to expand your child’s communication skills. Sponsored by Pathways for Parents. (Virtual)
PUPPETS. 10:30am. Puppet Show with Tom Knight with South Hadley Family Center (Virtual)
LOCAL FOOD/FARMERS’ MARKET. 10am-2pm. Berkshire Grown Great Barrington Winter Farmers Market
LANGUAGE ARTS. 1pm. Write-Up Springfield! with the Springfield City Library (Virtual)
ART STUDIES. 1:30pm. The Art of Remembering: Nostalgia as Feeling and Experience in Art with Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
PreK PLAY. 2pm. Teddy Bear Ball with Palmer Historical & Cultural Center (Virtual)
SOCIAL JUSTICE. 3pm. Making Science Work for Social Justice with Sojourner Truth School for Social Change Leadership (Virtual)
PARANORMAL. 3:30pm. Paranormal Investigation at the Ventfort Hall and Gilded Age Museum (Virtual)
MUSIC STUDIES. 5pm. Springfield Symphony Orchestra Spring Chamber Concert Series (Virtual)
MAGIC. 6pm. Magic Workshop (Virtual)
ECOLOGY. 7pm. Spring Ecology Workshop: Frogs, Salamanders, and Vernal Pools at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Lenox, MA)
MUSIC STUDIES. 7pm. The Mystery of the Missing Music: A Musico-logical Whodunit with Pioneer Valley Symphony (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
VERNAL POOLS
Sat., Apr 10 @ 10am. Life in a Vernal Pool at Mass Audubon Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton, MA)
Self-Directed Learning:
ENTOMOLOGY
Sat., Apr 10 @ 3pm. Attracting Birds, Butterflies, Bees, and Other Beneficials with the Worthington Library (Virtual)
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2021
GARDENING. 11am-12:30pm. Seed Starting for the New Cutting Garden with Berkshire Botanical Garden (Virtual)
GEOGRAPHY. 11am-12:30pm. Expedition to the North Pole (Virtual)
WORLD HISTORY. 12:30-2pm. Central America: Mayans of Central America Temples and Runs (Virtual)
COMMUNITY BUILDING. 1pm. Creative Resilience: Holding Space for Grief and Loss with Northampton Center for the Arts (Virtual)
PERFORMANCE ART. 3pm. A Manual Cinema Monster Movie: Leonardo & Sam with UMass Fine Arts Center (Virtual)
RELIGIOUS STUDIES. 6:30-8pm. Ramadan: Tour of Mecca and the Masjid al-Haram (Great Mosque) (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
CENTRAL AMERICA
Sun., Apr 11 @ 12:30-2pm. Central America: Mayans of Central America Temples and Runs (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
RAMADAN
Sun., Apr 11 @ 6:30-8pm. Ramadan: Tour of Mecca and the Masjid al-Haram (Great Mosque) (Virtual)
MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021
PLAYGROUPS. Family Centers & Playgroups in Western MA
LITERACY. 11am. Kindergarten Write and Read (Great Barrington, MA)
PLAYGROUP. 9:30-11:30am. Preschool Play Program (Great Barrington, MA)
MINDFULNESS. 10am-12pm. Mindful Monday Nature Walks at Tolgy Wood (Chesterfield, MA)
PreK MUSIC. 10:30am. Sing With Your Little Ones with the Pelham Library (Virtual)
PreK LITERACY. 11am & 2pm. Storytime at the Amelia Park Children’s Museum (Westfield, MA)
PreK LITERACY. 11am. Spring Story Time on the lawn at the Hubbard Library (Ludlow, MA/Hybrid)
GOVERNMENT. 11am. Civics 101 with Arvid E. Miller Library Museum and Cultural Affairs Department (Virtual)
CULINARY ARTS. 12pm. Cookbook Club with Richard Salter Storrs Library (Virtual)
NATURE-BASED ART. 5pm. Teen DIY Nature Print Take-home with Southwick Public Library (Pick-Up)
ORNITHOLOGY. 5:30pm. Songbird Migration in Western MA (Virtual)
MUSIC STUDIES. 7:30pm. Jazz Concert with the Northampton Jazz Festival (Virtual)
RACISM. 8:30pm. Breaking Down “Structural” and “Systemic” Racism for Our Children with EmbraceRace (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
MINDFULNESS
Mon., Apr 12 @ 10am-12pm. Mindful Monday Nature Walks at Tolgy Wood (Chesterfield, MA)
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
PLAYGROUPS. Family Centers & Playgroups in Western MA
NATURE-BASED PreK. 9am. Nature Sprouts at Bement. Connecting with nature through stories & hands-on activities (Deerfield, MA)
MATH. 9:30am. Free Interactive Math Walk in Downtown Northampton (Northampton, MA)
PLAYGROUP. 10am. Playgroup with Hatfield Library. (Email for Zoom link) kids.hatfieldlibrary@gmail.com (Virtual)
PreK LITERACY. 10am. Story Hour with Greenfield Public Library (Email for Zoom link) librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org (Virtual)
NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
RACISM. 4pm. Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work: Be Anti-Racist (Ages 11-17) with Jones Library (Virtual)
PreK MUSIC. 4:30pm. Musical Storytime with Pelham Library (Virtual)
ART STUDIES. 5:30pm. Beginner Pastel Painting and Skyscapes with Northampton Center for the Arts (Virtual)
CULINARY ARTS. 6:30-8pm. Cookbook Club with Emily Williston Memorial Library (Virtual)
MUSIC STUDIES. 7:30pm. Jazz Concert with the Northampton Jazz Festival (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
MATH
Tues., Apr 13 @ 9:30am. Free Interactive Math Walk in Downtown Northampton (Northampton, MA)
Self-Directed Learning:
COOKING
Tues., Apr 13 @ 6:30-8pm. Cookbook Club with Emily Williston Memorial Library (Virtual)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021
PLAYGROUPS. Family Centers & Playgroups in Western MA
PreK MUSIC & MOVEMENT. 9:30am. Interactive Music & Movement Workshop for Caregivers + Kids 1-5yrs (Virtual)
PLAYGROUP. 9:30-11:30am. Preschool Play Program in Great Barrington
PreK MUSIC. 10:30am. Family Jam (Virtual)
NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
ART-INTEGRATED ACTION. 12pm. Intergenerational Conversation: Art, Climate, and Action with UMass Arts Extension Service (Virtual)
STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
PreK LITERACY. 4pm. Cushman Library Story Hour with the Cushman Library (Virtual)
ART STUDIES. 4-5:30pm. Art and Belief in Early China with Museum of Fine Arts Boston (Virtual)
THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021
PLAYGROUPS. Family Centers & Playgroups in Western MA
PreK DEVELOPMENT. 9:30am. Grow Play & Learn Weekly Group with Hubbard Memorial Library (Virtual)
PreK PLAYGROUP. 10am Music & Movement with the Montague Libraries (Virtual)
PreK LITERACY. 10:30am. Outside Story Time at the Lenox Library (Lenox, MA)
NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
PreK MUSIC. 11am. Music Classes for Families with Young Children with Northampton Parents Center (Virtual)
LITERATURE. 11am. Young Learners Program: Walt Whitman with US National Archives (Virtual)
ARTS & CRAFTS. 11am & 2pm. Crafts at Amelia Park Children’s Museum (Westfield, MA)
STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
HISTORY. 3pm. Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis with US National Archives (Virtual)
FOOD SCIENCE. 3pm. Microwave Magic in a Mug with the Emily Williston Memorial Library (Virtual)
ART STUDIES. 5:30pm. Color & Pigments in South Asian Painting with Williams College (Virtual)
HOMESTEADING SKILLS. 5:30pm. Making Butter with The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (Virtual)
RACISM. 7pm. Supporting Anti-Racist Youth with Jones Library (Virtual)
MUSIC STUDIES. 8pm. Virtual Live Concert and Tour of 6 Continents (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
LITERATURE
Thurs., Apr 15 @ 11am. Young Learners Program: Walt Whitman (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
FOOD SCIENCE
Thurs., Apr 15 @ 5:30pm. Making Butter with The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake (Virtual)
FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021
PLAYGROUPS. Family Centers & Playgroups in Western MA
INTERGENERATIONAL YOGA. 10am. Caregiver Yoga & Mindfulness (baby & kid-friendly!) with It Takes a Village (Virtual)
PreK LITERACY. 10:30am. Storytime with the Lenox Library (Virtual)
PreK LITERACY. 10am. Virtual Story Hour with Greenfield Public Library (Email for Zoom link) librarian@greenfieldpubliclibrary.org
NEW ENGLAND HISTORY. 11am Tours of Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
STEAM. 3pm. STEAM Tours at Storrowton Village Museum (West Springfield, MA)
ECOLOGY. 6:30pm. Spring Frog and Salamander Search for Families at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Lenox, MA)
MUSIC STUDIES. 7pm. Concert with Shaken and Stirred (Virtual)
Self-Directed Learning:
HERPETOLOGY
Fri., Apr 16 @ 6:30pm. Spring Frog and Salamander Search for Families (Lenox, MA)
Weekly eNewsletter
Online and in-person events and resources shared above 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.
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Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Agawam, Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Charlemont/Hawley, Chester, Chesterfield, Chicopee, Colrain, Dalton, Deerfield, Easthampton, Gill, Goshen, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, Heath, Holyoke, Huntington, Huntington, Leyden, Montgomery, New Salem, Northern Berkshire, Northfield, Palmer, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Springfield, Tolland, Tyringham, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
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