Fun and free/low-cost things to do with kids in Fairfield County, CT this June, including a Dinosaur Petting Zoo in New Haven, Colonial Day in Ridgefield, and a family campout in Southport.
June 8-9
Outdoor Sleepover
Claim a place to stake your tent at the Pequot Library in Southport’s Summer Reading Program’s Annual Campout and Potluck Supper. Families are asked to bring tents, sleeping bags, pillows, and a dish to share with the other campers. Evening events include music provided by The Merwin Mountain Band, games, s’mores, a pillow fight for grownups and kids, and sleeping in the fresh air (though camping out is not required to participate). Rain cancels the campout, but all other activities move indoors. FREE!
June 8-10
Victory Lap
Cheer on more than 5,000 athletes, coaches, and volunteers who have trained all year for the Special Olympics Connecticut 2012 Summer Games. The weekend-long events, June 8-10, are being held at two separate locations: Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven is the site of athletics, aquatics, cycling, and gymnastics, while Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden hosts soccer and tennis. One opening ceremony for both venues will be held June 8 at 7:15pm at Southern Connecticut State University. All events are FREE for spectators. For a full schedule of events and times, visit soct.org.
June 9
CT Open House Day
The term “open house” usually conjures images of tidy colonials with two and half baths and curb appeal. Not these open houses. June 9 is the 8th annual Connecticut Open House Day, when cultural establishments all over the state will roll out the red carpet, offering freebies and special incentives to draw visitors to their doors. Below are a few of our favorite participating venues.
June 9
Dog Days
There aren’t too many museums that allow dogs, but at Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk’s Boozoo’s Canine Carnival these four-footed friends are the guests of honor. Join BooZoo, the museum’s canine mascot for childhood literacy, for old-fashioned carnival games, face painting, pet performances, canine cinema, and other dog-themed fun. Bring your own (licensed) dog for crazy canine awards and dog-friendly games. The day also includes a dog walk (includes an entry fee) that benefits the museum’s early childhood initiatives.
June 9
Cultural Puppets
Vit Horejs from the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre uses century-old marionettes to bring traditional folk tales to life in an Around the World Performance at Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk. Watch as a shepherd outsmarts evil and a water spirit teaches a stingy tailor a lesson.
June 10
On the Town
The town of Georgetown invites its neighbors to enjoy the Annual Georgetown Day Festival, a day of family-friendly music, children’s activities, and food. Kids can enjoy face painting, bounce houses, yoga, and karaoke. Anyone with a secret family chili recipe is welcome to enter it into the chili cook off, and all attendees are invited to be taste-testers. FREE!
June 16
History on Parade
Learn what life was like three centuries ago at Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield’s Colonial Day. Step back in time to before the Industrial Revolution, when everything was handmade. Watch soap making, rope making, candle making, and blacksmithing demonstrations and enjoy a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and games and crafts. Strolling minstrels and a Fife & Drum Corps provide added entertainment. The tavern, which has a 1777 cannonball lodged in one of its corner posts, is open for tours.
June 18
Dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs are alive and well at The Yale Peabody Museum’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo in New Haven. Stop by for a highly interactive puppet show presented by the Australian performance troupe Erth. You’ll experience a journey through prehistoric Australia and meet dinosaurs and other animals that inhabited that landscape millions of years ago. Children can feed, water and care for these prehistoric creatures.
June 23-30
A Natural Entertainer
You may find yourself wearing silly hats and singing on stage when you attend Family Favorite Chris Rowlands Live at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. The musician uses self-penned songs, dancing, puppets, props, and audience participation to entertain and educate families about animals and the environment.
Opens June 23
Creature Feature
Some creatures, like the tarantula, just get a bad rap. But the Stamford Museum and Nature Center hopes to promote a better understanding of these spiders with its summer exhibit: Tarantulas: Alive & Up Close. Twenty live tarantulas, including a Goliath bird-eater (the largest of all tarantulas), are displayed in a family-friendly, educational, and interactive exhibit where visitors can learn to identify different species and discover the terrains they call home. A “Tarantula Burrow” is on hand for climbing and for photo opportunities.
For even more fun family events in Fairfield and the NYC area, search our full calendar of events
