LICM continues to be an excellent resource of activities that are enjoyable, creative and (yes) educational, for the toddler through elementary school set, especially during the school vacation periods. The museum welcomes visitors for an "Underwater Adventure" week of special programming. Art workshops, movies and live theater performances will explore the undersea world as part of the museum's "It's Alive" monthly theme. "These museum programs allow children to have a more in-depth, enriching experience as they study underwater life, " explained Hillary Olson, LICM Assistant Director of Education and Programs. " If a child examines a fish in the aquarium in our "It's Alive' gallery, she may see how the fish moves, breathes and eats. If that same child participates in the Japanese fish printing (Gyotaku) activity, she will be able to better understand how another culture views fish and fishing, art, biology, and stewardship; all while thinking back and reflecting upon her experience in the gallery." There's much to do throughout the week, Monday, Apr. 25, through Friday, Apr. 29.
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Gyotaku: The Art of Japanese Fish Printing - Monday and Tuesday, Apr. 25-26, 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Apply the art of oriental "fish printing" to models of fish that live in Long Island's waterways. Participants will record and recreate sea life from both fresh and salt waters using paints and fabric. Bring a t-shirt to create one-of-a-kind wearable art! Ages 6 and up.
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Fish Tales Performance - Monday and Tuesday, Apr. 25-26, 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. LICM's own amateur ichthyologists, Aimee Fromick and Eric Leggio, set out on an imaginary fishing trip to celebrate one of Long Island's oldest industries: fishing! Learn how to catch a fish, dissect it, then cook and eat it. Explore fish habits, habitats and anatomy. Find out such fishy facts as what it is like to look through a fish eye and what do fish eat for lunch. Ages 4+.
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Lunar Calendar Workshop - Wednesday, Apr. 27, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Blast off to the moon on Astronomy & Space Day. Explore the differences between the solar and lunar calendars, and the phases of the moon, along with Chinese and Aztec astronomical calculations of time.
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Light From Life, Wednesday, Apr. 27, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Discover the undersea world of bioluminescence by examining marine animals that create light with their bodies! Participate in the dissection of a real squid, and then create a 'bioluminescent' masterpiece using fluorescent paints and see how amazing they look when the room gets dark! Ages 6 and up.Also that day, Franklin, LICM's resident box turtle makes an appearance, from 2:30-4 p.m. It's a chance to find out interesting facts about Long Island's own resident reptile.
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Under The Sea Workshop, Thursday and Friday, Apr. 28-29, 12:30-4 p.m. Discover all of the living things that make their homes under the sea, from octopus to exotic fish, sea anemones to coral. Awaken the senses with the sounds and scents from the sea, with real life objects such as shells and sand. Using images from artists and marine photographers, become part of a collaborative mural team to recreate an Under The Sea painting. Ages 6-12.
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Living Fossils Workshop, Friday, Apr. 29, 2:30-4 p.m. Meet a live limulus polyphemus or, as it's more commonly known, the horseshoe crab. Learn about this astonishingly adaptable species that has been around since the age of the dinosaurs. Discover the role this fascinating arthropod plays in the medical field with LICM educator Eric Leggio. It all happens at 11 Davis Ave., Garden City. For further information, contact
(516) 224-5844 or www.licm.org.
The Cradle Of Aviation Museum
At Long Island Children's Museum's neighbor, the Cradle of Aviation Museum, it's time to celebrate Space Week, Apr. 25-29. It coincides with the annual Astronomy & Space Day, held on Wednesday, Apr. 27. The day's events feature a robot programming game, star lab shows, demonstrations and workshops, with an astronomy presentation by Amateur Observers Society of NY. Other activities throughout the week include:
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Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft Drop - Visitors learn about the recent mission to Saturn and how NASA sent a probe to Saturn's moon. Then, try building a mini-probe and parachute it off the balcony.
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Constellation Finder - Explore favorite constellations in this month's night sky. Use the knowledge to create a personal star finder to take home. The museum is located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City. For further information, contact (516) 572-4111 or www.cradleofaviation.org.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Witness a traditional rite of spring: the arrival of newborn lambs. It's happening at Old Bethpage Village, where the ewes have been busy "lambing" over the past several weeks. So far this spring, the Village has welcomed 14 lambs! The sheep at Old Bethpage Village are bred to resemble the Southdown sheep typical to rural Long Island in 1850. See them Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Old Bethpage Village is located on Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage.
(516) 572-8400 or www.oldbethpage.org.
Magical Illusions
For an experience that is truly out of this world, experience the magic of David Copperfield, when he visits the area, with his latest show, "An Intimate Evening of Grand Illusion," Tuesday, Apr. 26, 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. All ages will be enthralled as he turns dreams into extraordinary bits of magic. One of the highlights, is "Thirteen," a vanishing act in which 13 people selected from the audience disappear, then reappear. "Its a classic piece and an audience favorite, that I'm continually evolving," Copperfield noted. "You never know what to expect." See Copperfield's evening of wonders at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, C. W. Post Campus, Rte. 25A, Brookville. Tickets are available from TillesCharge
