|
|
BEAUTY & THE BEASTS is the Tenth Annual Summer Musical for Children, presented by the Austin Civic Chorus. Lions, bears, and even a big bad wolf will delight children with their antics as members of the Austin Civic Chorus and friends take a break from Beethoven and Bach to present this original production based on cherished fairy tales and the modern classics of musical theatre. Performances will be held at the Austin Scottish Rite Temple, 207 W. 18th St. A special gala performance for adults-only will be held Fri, Aug 8, at 8pm ($10). Regular performances are free and open to the whole family. Sat & Sun, Aug 9 & 10, 2pm & 4pm. 328-5336 or 703-5231.
KIDSBINGO GAMES for kids will be held at Toad Hall Children's Bookstore, 1206 W. 38th. Admission is free. Sat, Aug 9, 1pm. 323-2665.
CURIOUS GEORGE, the world-famous fictitious monkey, celebrates his birthday at Terra Toys, 1708 S. Congress. The ten banana birthday party begins with the arrival of Curious George, then proceeds with a peanut-guessing contest, Curious George stories and cartoons, monkey mask-masking, puzzles and mazes, and of course, lots of birthday cake and refreshments! Sat, Aug 16, noon-2pm. 445-4489.
ANIMAL TALES, storytime on the terrace, is offered for children ages 3-12 at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum, 605 Robert E. Lee Rd. Storytellers, members of the Central Texas Story Telling Guild, will tell tales about some of the animal sculptures in the garden. $1 per child. Sun, Aug 17, 2:30pm. 445-5582.
ONGOING ART CLASSES for children ages 6-10 are offered at Laughing at the Sun Gallery, 2209 S. First. $40/three weeks (materials included). 326-4410.
TODDLER ADVENTURES allows children ages 3-5 years to explore their world through arts and crafts, performing arts, games, nature studies, field trips, and more. Offered by the South Austin Recreation Center, 1100 Cumberland. $66 per month. Mon/Wed/Fri, 9am-1pm. 444-6601.
TERRA TOYS' SCAVENGER HUNTS are currently underway for kids of all ages! Four types of prizes will be awarded, based on the number of items that are recovered by 6pm each Saturday. Rules and the list of items will be handed out promptly at noon every Saturday at the shop, 1708 S. Congress. Saturdays, through Sept 6. 445-4489.
THE AUSTIN NATURE & SCIENCE CENTER, located in Zilker Park, provides exhibits and educational programs for children of all ages. Free. Mon-Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm. The center is currently offering a variety of summer camps for youth ages 7-12, running Aug 11-15. Call for a complete schedule. 327-8181.
AUSTIN ZOO is a user-friendly, hands-on, interactive, happy kinda zoo. Come see the new Black Bear exhibit and grab a ride on their miniature train, the "Rawhide Rocket." Open daily, 10am-6pm; 10807 Rawhide Tr. 288-1490.
NATIONAL WILDFLOWER RESEARCH CTR., 4801 LaCrosse. Saturdays feature activities for the whole family, including nature walks, planting, leaf-printing, stories, etc. The center is currently featuring an exhibit of gigantic "bugs," sculptures of a dragonfly too big to fit in your living room; fire ants as big as pickup trucks; a black widow spider on a web larger than an office; and a praying mantis that's very, very big! Created by David Rogers, "Big Bugs" has toured the New York Botanical Gardens, the Dallas Arboretum, and Walt Disney World's Epcot Center. On view through November, 292-4200.
PIONEER FARM, 11418 Sprinkle Cut Off Rd., demonstrates how pioneers settled and farmed the land. Visitors can see farm animals, take part in daily chores, and tour historic homes and barns. Aug 10: Prairie Sweets - Cooking with Sorghum; Aug 17: Tall Grass Prairie - Behind the Scenes; Aug 24: Corn Husk Crafts. Sun, 1-5pm; Mon-Wed, 9:30am-1pm. Admission is $3 adults/$2 children 3-12. 837-1215.
AUSTIN CHILDREN'S MUSEUM "Inside the Looking Lens - The Art and Science of Photography" is on display, allowing participants to work in a darkroom, select tools in a camera store, compose their own photographs on a computer, and capture images on film in the museum's photo booth. Admission is free every Wed, 5-8pm. Hours: Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm, Sun, noon-5pm (closed Mon). 1501-A W. Fifth. 472-2494.
