Many family activities await during break week
Winter break is next week, and throughout Rochester organizations are putting out the welcome mat for families.
You can start the staycation Saturday with the KidsFest at Unity Health System Total Sports Experience from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A RockVentures rock wall, inflatables, the Seneca Park Zoo ZooMobile, Corning Museum of Glass demo on the road, bowling and more will be available at the Gates center. Tickets are $7 ($5 for youths) at the door, and $5 ($3 for youths) in advance at Wegmans. Call (585) 458-4263.
Many family activity centers such as Horizon Fun F/S and Adventure Landing in Greece will be having specials throughout the week. Others will be geared up for extra hours or with extra staff for the week, including the aquatic centers in Webster and Perinton.
Here are some other activities planned for the week. Call ahead for special events such as those at the libraries because reservations are required for most of the programs.
Museums
Fat Brain School Break Week: Play games such as Twig Animalogic and Tri-Spy and then play with Dado Cubes and Legos at Strong National Museum of Play. See the “Lego Castle Adventure” exhibit. Activities are throughout the week and free with museum admission, $11 ($10 for seniors, $9 for ages 2 to 15). Call (585) 263-2700 or www.museumofplay.org. February Break Dinosaur Fun: Rochester Museum & Science Center will be celebrating the dinosaur all week. Besides the “Be the Dinosaur: Life in the Cretaceous,” the museum will host “Masters of the Mesozoic: When Dinos Ruled” with hands-on activities and displays from noon to 4 p.m. every day of the break. The museum’s library, usually closed to the public, will be open during these hours, featuring dinosaur books at every level and a movie about the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the simulator ride in AdventureZone will be Virtual Time Machine. The ride is an extra $1. All other activities are free with admission, $12 ($10 for seniors and youths). Call (585) 271-1880 or go to www.rmsc.org.
Corning Museum of Glass Winter Break: The museum, just off Interstate 390 about 90 minutes south of Rochester, offers family activity crafts from noon to 4 p.m. each day of break, “Family Hidden Treasures Tours” and gallery hunts from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day and glassmaking shows (people can submit their own designs in hopes of seeing them made). On Feb. 21, the museum is holding a special “Families Explore: India” day from noon to 4 p.m. with activities and performances. Admission is $14 for adults, free for those 19 years old and younger. Call (800) 732-6845 or go to www.cmog.org.
Libraries
Brighton: Celebrate the Olympics with activities such as the movies Miracle at 2 p.m. Monday, Ice Princess at 3 p.m. next Wednesday and The Cutting Edge at 3 p.m. next Thursday. Also the library will present Mrs. McPuppet, a performance about the largest mitten in the world and the animals that live in it at 10:30 a.m. Monday. Call (585) 784-5300 or go to www.brightonlibrary.org.
Brockport Seymour Library: A Family Scrap Art Event for those ages 3 to 11 and a caregiver will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Call (585) 637-1050 or go to www.seymourlibraryweb.org.
Charlotte: The children’s room will have Olympic-themed crafts, games and activities throughout the week.
Fairport: Bring your Legos at 10:30 a.m. next Wednesday and build the best structure you can. Prizes will be awarded. Call (585) 223-9091or go to www.fairportlibrary.org.
Gates: The Dollhouse Lady performs songs, stories and more at 1:30 p.m. next Wednesday in a program for 5- to 10-year-olds. Call (585) 247-6446 or go to www.gateslibrary.org.
Henrietta: The Magic Guy (a.k.a. Chris Wilkinson) will perform at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The ZooMobile will hold its Call of the Wild program at 11 a.m. next Wednesday. Call (585) 359-7092 or go to www.hpl.org.
Irondequoit: The Pauline Evans Branch will show Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs at 3 p.m. Tuesday and will hold a program called “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” learning through a mobile planetarium how the slaves used stars to escape north to freedom at 3 p.m. next Thursday. Call (585) 336-6062 or go to www.rochester.lib.ny.us/irondequoit. The Helen McGraw Branch hosts The Reptile Guys from Captive Life Forms at 3 p.m. next Thursday. Call (585) 336-6060.
Penfield: Meet Star Wars characters from the 501st Legion’s Garrison Excelsior (and dress up if you’d like) at 6 p.m. next Wednesday. Call (585) 340-8720.
Pittsford: Adventures in Rhythm, a drumming program with Ed Keegan of Rhythm Connect will be at 2 p.m. next Wednesday. Call (585) 248-6275.
Webster: Join the Bloodsucker Bash for grades 8 through 12 at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Call (585) 872-7075 or go to www.websterlibrary.org.
See the animals
Winter Fun on the Farm: Springdale Farm in Ogden will host arts and crafts and other activities, s’mores by the campfire and tours of the robotic dairy barn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Wednesday. Cost is $3. Call (585) 349-2090.
Owl Observations: Braddock Bay Raptor Research in Greece will present a program about local owl species, including making a nest box, from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday. There’s a $2 suggested donation. Call (585) 267-5483 or www.bbrr.org.
Bird Song Trail hike: The city of Rochester Recreation Bureau is sponsoring a hike along the Mendon Ponds Park Bird Song Trail at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Call (585) 753-7275.
