Storytimes, a LEGO Min
ibuild and some special Prenatal Yoga Classes are a few of the things you have to look forward this week in Birmingham.
You’ll also have a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the animals at the Birmingham Zoo. Make sure to carve out some time and check out the new Pop Up Project kicking off their first event this week.
Have a great week, everyone!
It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!
Sunday February 3rd:
Superbowl Sunday!!
—————————————————————————————
Monday February 4th:
Toddler Tales – North Shelby Library
A story program for children and a caregiver. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively program designed especially for short attention spans. Best suited for ages 19 months to 3 years. Must Register
9:30am and 10:30am
—————————————————————————————
Tuesday February 5th:
LEGO Mini Build – Riverchase Galleria
Quantities are limited and offer is good while supplies last only. A new model will be available every month and will be specially themed to that month – ask a Store Associate for details! Models are not for sale and cannot be purchased. One free per child. Event is open to children ages 6 to 14 only. See store for more details.
LEGO Log Cabin begins at 5:00 pm until supplies last.
Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Join us for the best part of your week with stories that make you laugh and songs that make you dance! Join us for the fun of it! All ages welcome. For large groups, a call to 332-6619 is nice.
10:30am
—————————————————————————————
Wednesday February 6th:
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us as we read Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy. Oh no, the playground is in danger! Looks like a job for Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy. Afterwards, we will make a craft and enjoy something sweet from our 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
—————————————————————————————
Thursday February 7th:
Peace for Everyone – Avondale Library
Join Ms. Katie for a preschool storytime with stories about peace. Call 226-4003 to register your group today.
In 1963 the world turned its attention to Birmingham, Alabama as peaceful civil rights demonstrators faced police dogs and fire hoses in a battle for freedom and equality. Later that year four girls died in the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. “It was the year of Birmingham,” Martin Luther King, Jr. said at the time. Today, Birmingham is now recognized around the world as a symbol of both racial intolerance and racial reconciliation. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Birmingham’s civil rights struggle, the Birmingham Public Library is sponsoring the Year of Birmingham, a 12-month series of lectures, documentary films, performances and panel discussions.
—————————————————————————————
Friday February 8th:
Pop Up Shops – Johnny Cochran Building
Part of the Pop-Up Project Initiative, Pop-Up Shops Feb 2013 promotes economic developement in Birmingham by temporarily setting up retail shops with local vendors! Come out and get some AWESOME stuff for yourself or loved ones — all in time for Valentine’s Day!
Noon to 7P
—-———————————————————————————
Saturday February 9th:
Valentines with the Animals – Birmingham Zoo
You are invited to join the Zoo in celebrating Valentine’s Day by making valentines for your favorite animals. You can also have your face painted, learn interesting animal facts, participate in fun activities and much more!
Members: FREE
Non-members: Adults $14 Children 2-12: $9
Senior Citizens 65 years+: $9
9am – 5pm
Prenatal Partner Yoga Workshop – Villager Yoga
Share this special time together finding support and creating space for your growing family through yoga. Partner yoga poses and massage will help couples to work together to relieve some of the discomforts of pregnancy, while breathing exercises and massage techniques will help to prepare for and to assist in relieving the sensations that arise during labor and delivery. This provides a fun, approachable, relaxed atmosphere to bond as partners, finding physical and emotional strength as you continue to journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery.
No yoga experience necessary; suitable for all trimesters; attend with your significant other or your birth partner. Please bring pillows and an exercise ball.
$50 Per Couple
1:30- 5pm
Chinese New Year Festival – Boutwell Municipal Auditorium
The Birmingham Chinese New Years Festival is an annual event that is organized by the Birmingham Chinese Festival Association. It’s primary purpose is to celebrate one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture while creating an environment that promotes cultural exchange between the community of Chinese Nationals in Birmingham and the greater community of Birmingham. The festival features Chinese games, Chinese food, Chinese dance, Chinese Music, Acrobat, Kung Fu and more.
Free admission but donations accepted.
11am – 4pm
Family Day – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us for a fun day at the Museum as we celebrate Chinese New Year: The Year of the Snake!
10AM-2:30PM // Extended Bart’s Art Cart hours, and other art activities
2:30PM // Family-friendly tour
3PM // Student artwork reception
3:30PM // Family film: Kung Fu Panda 2
Pop Up Shops – Johnny Cochran Building
Part of the Pop-Up Project Initiative, Pop-Up Shops Feb 2013 promotes economic developement in Birmingham by temporarily setting up retail shops with local vendors! Come out and get some AWESOME stuff for yourself or loved ones — all in time for Valentine’s Day!
10A to 1P
M Studio for Kids – Birmingham Museum of Art
$50 ($40 for Bart’s Kids Club Members) includes all supplies // Education Studio // Kids ages 8-14
Instructor: Chad Nelson of Nelson Studios, creator of UGCHUGS, whimsical and functional pottery!
Students will create their own Face Jugs using the exhibition Face Jugs: Art and Ritual in 19th-Century South Carolina as inspiration. Students will construct a vessel out of slabs of clay, resulting in a blank canvas upon which they will sculpt a face. They will experience the benefits and limitations of using clay as a sculptural medium and will also learn about different types of clay, the firing process, and various ceramic finishes.
Must attend January 19 and February 9 classes to participate. Click here to register!
Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
Bart’s Books is a storytelling program for children ages 4-7. Bart selects a new book and related work of art each month that he thinks kids will enjoy.
This month, Bart has selected Oliver Chin and Jennifer Woods’ The Year of the Snake: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac.
Bart’s Books is sponsored by Publix Charities.
11am
From Seed to Chocolate: A Valentine Venture
Venture out for Valentine’s Day to find the tree of chocolate- cacao (ka-kow) in The Gardens! Learn how and where this tree grows, discover football shaped seed pods that grow on trunks, and find out what’s inside as we learn the secret of how the seeds are used to make chocolate! Get your spoons and aprons ready as we mix up our own homemade chocolate candy perfect for sharing at Valentines Day! Children will take home an apron, recipe book of chocolate, and a box of their homemade chocolates in a do-it-yourself Valentine chocolate box designed by them!
$12 Members
$15 Non-Members
2pm – 4pm
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 Valentine’s Day Storytime on February 9 at 11:00 am. We’re featuring a reading of Joanna Walsh’s The Perfect Hug, fun activities and treats! The Cat in the Hat will also visit us today!
11am
—————————————————————————————
Sunday February 10th:
Yoga for Teens – Villager Yoga
Yoga is a fun and interactive way for children and teens to build strength, release excess energy and develop a healthy body and body image. Kids tend to lead intense lifestyles due to over-stimulation, academic and social pressures, blended families and busy schedules, all which create stress that can be hard for them to identify and clearly communicate. Our yoga practice provides tools children, teens and families can use to alleviate stress and find calm and balance in a safe, non-competitive environment.
Our sessions follow a loose curriculum through which kids and teens continue to add knowledge of poses, build strength and develop mindfulness with each class. All classes move from warm-up to active play, through mindfulness exercises and closing relaxation. Kids Series require full 8-week registration (one day per week), unless otherwise noted. All classes below are led by Annie Damsky
For Teens 13 & up, Traditional sequencing is introduced in an invigorating format to build strength, balance and flexibility while relieving physical and emotional stress. Mindfulness exercises offer teens exploration of their physical, emotional and mental development, both individually and as a group.
This class is drop-in (not a series), class passes apply
Individual class is $15
5-Class Pass $65
10-Class Pass $120
Sundays 5:00 – 6:00 pm
—————————————————————————————
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: The Last Reef, Santa and the Snowman, Rocky Mountain Express
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
Animal Grossology
Experience a new exhibit that is oozing with science as you meet some of the slimiest and yuckiest creatures on Earth! You’ll never look at the animal kingdom the same way after you see “ANIMAL GROSSOLOGY!”
The Animal Grossology exhibition, based on a popular series of books by science teacher Sylvia Branzei, is an educational experience grounded in the theory that the best way to get kids interested in science is to present it in terms they find most appealing. Let’s face it, topics such as slime, vomit, dookies and other gross stuff are completely fascinating for your average six to 14-year-old.
By physically stepping into the Animal Grossology exhibition, these subjects have become an interactive, larger-than-life biology lesson that harnesses kid’s natural curiosity about themselves and teaches them about how animals function.
Oozing with disgusting science and interactive learning games, the all-new “Animal Grossology” exhibit is sure to provide a unique perspective on the animal kingdom. Museum guests will experience some of the slimiest, stinkiest and downright yuckiest creatures on earth.
The exhibition contains solid science and introduces it in a way that makes kids giggle. It’s science disguised in interactive entertainment and kids are more apt to learn when they’re having fun doing it. You may think leeches are pretty gross but they’re used after some surgeries to assist in the healing process. Did you know that cows are one of the gassiest animals on earth? Learn why the dung beetle is nature’s living pooper scooper and why scientists are studying slug and snail slime production for clues in treating cystic fibrosis.
Animal Grossology is a temporary travelling exhibit created and produced by Advanced Exhibits, a division of Advanced Animations LLC, in collaboration with Sylvia Branzei, the author of the GROSSOLOGY series of books. The books are published through Price Stern Sloan, a member of Penguin (USA) Inc.
Adventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog
Join Clifford, Emily Elizabeth, and all their friends in the Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog™ exhibit! Featuring the people and places of the beloved children’s book and PBS Kids television series, this new interactive exhibit brings Clifford’s home on Birdwell Island to life with playful activities and enchanting environments for early learners to explore.
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.
I stumbled upon this article while I was resarching how to make a family budget. The blogger at Fun Cheap or Free Queen has written several popular posts about budgeting, but what caught my attention was an article she wrote about the day her son drown, but survived. It was eye opening to me, the gift of truly being present and not just there. We’re all guilty of playing on our phones. Take a minute, read, and let us know what you think.
