Have you been enjoying the free summer programming at your local library? We have and sadly it’s starting to wind down with only about 2 weeks left at most of your libraries.. Make sure to check local calendars as many Libraries have big Reading Program Finale’s planned!
We’ve got Kids Zumba, Safari Greg and movie choices for Mom and Dad this week with Harry Potter at the Alabama Theatre and the Dark Night at the McWane Science Center.
Don’t forget about the Water park and splash pad if you’re looking for something to keep you cool this week!
It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!
Sunday July 15th:
Ice Cream Sundae Sunday – Homewood Library
Hey Summer Readers! Join us as we celebrate National Ice Cream Week with a special ice cream sundae.
2:30pm
Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinic
Your child’s favorite movie characters are back at Lowe’s this weekend! Bring your child to Lowe’s and they can master building and Kung Fu with this weekend’s project; Kung Fu Panda Spinning Attack!
10:00am – Follow this link for participating stores and to register.
Bart’s Art Cart, Artistic Flags – Birmingham Museum of Art
Come by in July to show your patriotism by creating an artistic flag!
Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
1pm
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Monday July 16th:
Sleeping Bag Stories – Alabaster Library
Bring your sleeping bag and cozy up to some stories, songs and activities at the Albert L. Scott Public Library in Alabaster. Contact library for more details.
3:30pm
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Tuesday July 17th:
Kid Zumba – Homewood Public Library
Get your groove on as we welcome ZumbAtomic instructor Christina Rodriguez. Ages 4-12 yrs are welcome.
10:30am
Safari Greg: Things that Go Bump in the Night – Hoover Public Library
Our favorite Nashville-based animal “dude” has a new show! Get ready for fun and lots of surprises in The Library Theatre.
10:30 am, 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm
Summer Science Studio – McWane Science Center
Join us for a summer of fun and learning in the new Summer Science Studio for early childhood education programs. Junior League of Birmingham volunteers will be guiding activities for children ages two to six in the studio that are designed to help children learn while they play. The Studio will offer a fun, hands-on educational environment that inspires creativity and exploration. Little ones are sure to have a blast using their imaginations to paint, make music, dress up in costumes, and more.
10am – 1pm
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Wednesday July 18th:
Safari Greg: Things that Go Bump in the Night – Hoover Public Library
Our favorite Nashville-based animal “dude” has a new show! Get ready for fun and lots of surprises in The Library Theatre.
10:30 am, 1:30 pm
Summer Reading Finale, Dora Party and Face Painting – Bessemer Public Library
Join us in celebrating a successful Summer Reading full of dreaming big! There will be food, music, dancing, and more! Grand Reading prizes will be given out at the event.
11am – 1pm
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read Corduroy Goes to the Beach. Find out what Corduroy and his friends do when they go the beach. We will make something fun and we will have something delicious from the Cafe.
11am
Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am
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Thursday July 19th:
Leapfrog Tag Hands on Fun – Barnes and Noble Summit
Children ages 4 and up and their parents are invited for the LeapFrog Tag Geography Relay. This fun event will teach children teamwork and map skills while they learn the geography of the U.S.
1pm
Night Kid Zumba – Homewood Public Library
Come get your groove on with Zumbatonic instructor Christina Rodriguez.
Ages 4-12yrs
6pm
Summer Science Studio – McWane Science Center
Join us for a summer of fun and learning in the new Summer Science Studio for early childhood education programs. Junior League of Birmingham volunteers will be guiding activities for children ages two to six in the studio that are designed to help children learn while they play. The Studio will offer a fun, hands-on educational environment that inspires creativity and exploration. Little ones are sure to have a blast using their imaginations to paint, make music, dress up in costumes, and more.
10am – 1pm
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Friday July 20th:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – Alabama Theatre
As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously “This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince” and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past.
We’re showing all of the Harry Potter movies this summer! Enjoy Butter Beer and Bertie Botts Beans from the concession stand.
Doors open at 6, come dressed up and enter the costume contest for some fun prizes! Movie starts at 7pm
Tickets will be $8 at the door. Passes to all 8 movies will be available for $40 at the door.
Dinner Drinks and a Dark Night – McWane Science Center
Experience Gotham City as you’ve never seen it before. See The Dark Knight Rises in McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater and party in downtown Birmingham opening weekend at Dinner, Drinks & A Dark Knight. Party on the McWane Science Center plaza with movie characters from Kingdom Comics and enjoy great food, drinks, music and more. Tickets include dinner, a drink ticket, entertainment and a movie ticket. You must be 21 and over to attend this event.
PARTY: 8pm – 10pm, MOVIE: 10pm
Cost: $25 ($20 for members)
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Saturday July 21st:
Dinner Drinks and a Dark Night – McWane Science Center
Experience Gotham City as you’ve never seen it before. See The Dark Knight Rises in McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater and party in downtown Birmingham opening weekend at Dinner, Drinks & A Dark Knight. Party on the McWane Science Center plaza with movie characters from Kingdom Comics and enjoy great food, drinks, music and more. Tickets include dinner, a drink ticket, entertainment and a movie ticket. You must be 21 and over to attend this event.
PARTY: 8pm – 10pm, MOVIE: 10pm
Cost: $25 ($20 for members)
Member Day 2012
As a way of saying thanks to current members and supporters of arts and culture in the Birmingham region, area organizations have planned a special members-only day of free admission and family-friendly activities. One valid membership card and/or postcard invitation admits 2 adults and up to 4 children into absolutely any and every participating venue all day long. Plus enjoy special Member Day activities and performances throughout the day.
With 18 wonderfully varied groups of performers, museums and historical landmarks participating in Member Day, it’s one of the best ways to experience the incredible talents and unforgettable experiences offered by our region’s arts and cultural organizations—all in one day!
Alabama Ballet • Alabama Sports Hall of Fame • Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum • Birmingham Children’s Theatre • Birmingham Botanical Garden • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute • Birmingham History Center • Birmingham Museum of Art • Birmingham Public Library • Birmingham Zoo • Cultural Alliance/Birmingham365.org • Embellishments Handbell Ensemble • McWane Science Center • Red Mountain Theatre Company • Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Central Alabama • Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival • Southern Museum of Flight • Vulcan Park And Museum
Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
Bart the Art Bat selects one book each month about art that he thinks 4-7 year-olds will enjoy. The storytellers are often our favorite teacher volunteers from local schools. Bart has selected The Curious Garden by Peter Brown for July.
11am
Float your Boat – Turkey Creek Preserve
Turkey Creek Nature Preserve will host its third annual Float Your Boat. This fun-filled, family event features balsam wood boat races on a newly-designed race course, food, entertainment, and prizes. Proceeds from the races benefit the Preserve. TCNP is located in Pinson, Alabama and offers breathtaking natural beauty with spectacular falls, easy and moderate hiking trails, fishing, and swimming. Visit www.bsc.edu/sec to reserve your boats or become a Float Your Boat sponsor and for more information about Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.
Admission is free. Cost to reserve boats is as follows: 1 boat – $5; 6 Boats – $25; 12 boats – $50. Pre-race reservation of boats is recommended.
Summer Science Studio – McWane Science Center
Join us for a summer of fun and learning in the new Summer Science Studio for early childhood education programs. Junior League of Birmingham volunteers will be guiding activities for children ages two to six in the studio that are designed to help children learn while they play. The Studio will offer a fun, hands-on educational environment that inspires creativity and exploration. Little ones are sure to have a blast using their imaginations to paint, make music, dress up in costumes, and more.
10am – 4pm
Bart’s Art Cart, Artistic Flags – Birmingham Museum of Art
Come by in July to show your patriotism by creating an artistic flag!
Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
11am
Saturday Market – Pepper Place
Re-open again for the season! Pepper Place Saturday Market brings the best local growers, food producers and artisans to you each Saturday morning. Rain or shine!
7am – Noon
Yard Sale and Market –
Yard Sale, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Baked Goods, Local Arts and Fun Children’s Activities. For more information please contact the Norwood Resource Center at 205.322.7361.
Norwood Community @ 15th Avenue and 32nd Street North on Norwood Community Blvd.
10:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read An Awesome Book. Find out about all the different things people dream about and why it’s fun to dream. There will be a craft and we will have something tasty from the Cafe.
11am
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Sunday July 22nd:
Bart’s Art Cart, Artistic Flags – Birmingham Museum of Art
Come by in July to show your patriotism by creating an artistic flag!
Visit Bart’s Art Cart in the main lobby to explore great art and create some of your own with the help of our Teen Volunteers. Each month will highlight a different gallery and feature a new art activity. Learn how to look at art with your child. Stop by and make art with Bart!
1pm
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Local Attractions Open Daily!
McWane Science Center:
IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: Born to Be Wild, & Flying Monsters.
The Tornadoes of April 27th – Looking Back — Moving Forward, a new exhibit at McWane Science Center, reflects on the experiences of the April 27th, 2011 storms. The exhibit shares personal stories from those who experienced the devastation of the storms firsthand, while emphasizing the importance of tornado preparedness and explaining the science behind tornadoes.
Photos and stories from The Birmingham News help tell the story of the storms and the affect they had on survivors, volunteers, and the community as a whole. Students from Daniel Payne Middle School also help tell the story of their school and community through photos and artifacts from the storm for the exhibit. UAB students worked with the children from Daniel Payne Middle School to create short documentaries that can be seen in the exhibit as well.
In addition to sharing the personal stories from that day, the goal of this exhibit is to inform the community about how to prepare for extreme weather conditions, explaining the science of tornadoes and stressing awareness.
With vivid displays, the exhibit allows visitors the opportunity to learn about the scientific side of tornadoes. Graphics within the exhibit illustrate tornado formation and anatomy, educating visitors on how such extreme weather conditions develop. Additionally, the exhibit displays statistics and disputes common myths concerning the destructive storms.
Guests can watch live video from the storms that rolled across our state on April 27th, 2011, including the
weather forecasts from that day and actual images of the tornado as it made its way through our area provided by FOX6 WBRC. The exhibit is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum this summer.
Be Ready Alabama Exhibit Presented by:
The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
www.readyalabama.org
Dora and Diego, Let’s Explore Exhibit
Get ready for adventure with Dora and Diego at McWane Science Center in the new exhibit Dora & Diego—Let’s Explore! The exhibit features beloved characters Dora and Diego from Nickelodeon’s hit preschool series Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go!, along with their friends Boots, Map, Backpack, Isa, Tico, and of course Swiper, now in their own exhibit for children to explore as they learn and play along.
This new, interactive traveling exhibit, was created by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in partnership with Nickelodeon, and presented by the WellPoint Foundation.
Birmingham Zoo:
Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.
RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm
GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am & 2pm – 3pm
Vulcan Park and Museum:
Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!
Railroad Park:
Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.
Southern Museum of Flight:
Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm
Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!
** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call, especially when weather can impact the event.
