Here are several things to do for the kids and teens on Monday while Darien Public Schools, along with a number of other schools in the area, are closed for the Jewish New Year holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
ONE: STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER — FALL BREAK OUT DAY:
No school? No problem! Join us for a day of special programs and self-guided activities for all ages. Explore the places that animals live, both local and across the globe. Join us for forest exploration hikes and chances to meet animals from around the world up close and personal. Complete a habitat scavenger hunt in Heckscher WILD!, discover residents of our forest, and meet our newest animal teacher, Willow, a non-releasable barred owl. At 2:30 pm, join us for a chance to make (and eat) your own dirt cake!
Come for the day or drop-in for a few programs! Click here for the complete schedule of events.
Members: Free | Non-Members: Free with gate admission.
TWO: MARITIME AQUARIUM in Norwalk
- Dragons: Real or Myth?
- Jiggle a Jelly: Touch a jelly fish exhibit
- Meerkats
Imax movies now playing:
- “Flight of the Butterflies”
- “Humpback Whales”
- “Born to Be Wild”
- “Great White Shark”
At The Maritime Aquarium. an underwater viewing window offers visitors a unique perspective on the creatures in the Shark & Ray Touch Pool. (Photo courtesy of the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk)
THREE: STEPPING STONES MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN in Norwalk
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday.
Exhibits for children ages 5 and several years up:
FOUR: EARTHPLACE (Westport Nature Center)
Museum Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Admission:
$5.00 per child over 1
$7.00 per adult
$5.00 per senior over 62
Group rates available if you book in advance.
Grounds are open dawn to dusk year round – free of charge
Animal Feeding (drop-in event, no registration necessary)
Monday, Thursday and Friday, 10:30 a.m. Q & A with the Earthplace naturalists as they feed our indoor animals.
FIVE: FAIRFIELD MUSEUM & HISTORY CENTER
Here’s an exhibition we think would be especially good for younger children:
Creating Community: Exploring 375 Years of Our Past
Ongoing
“This hands-on exhibition invites visitors to explore the history of Fairfield and its region over the past four centuries. Look inside a Native American wigwam, climb into an American Revolution fort, decipher a spy code, and look through the windows of a trolley. Young and old alike will enjoy learning how people worked, lived, and built communities over time by exploring original objects, individual stories, and engaging activities. Sponsored by CT Humanities, Fairfield County Community Foundation, The Perry Family and Southport Area Association. Click here for more information about this exhibition”
SIX: CONNECTICUT’S BEARDSLEY ZOO in Bridgeport
Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here for hours of some parts of the zoo and for admission information.
Here are the animals you might see at the zoo.
SEVEN: Walk or play in a Darien Park
Here’s what the town government website says about some parks you can walk or play in:
| McGuane Park | Baker Park |
| Town Hall & Holahan Fields | Cherry Lawn Park |
| Tilley Pond Park | Stony Brook Park |
| Selleck’s Woods | Woodland Park |
You can also walk in a park in New Canaan.
EIGHT: GREAT LOCAL HIKES suggested by staff at Beardsley Zoo
Well, local is a relative term. If you and your kids are in good shape, here are some tips for hiking and suggested places to go that are not a huge drive away.
NINE: CONNECTICUT AUDOBON SOCIETY CENTER in Fairfield
Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Our adjoining 155-acre Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary is open dawn to dusk year-round.
Sanctuary Map”
“The Center is adjacent to the 155-acre Roy and Margot Larsen Wildlife Sanctuary and provides an indoor setting for the interpretation of its varied land, forest, and freshwater wetland ecosystems. The Center features a butterfly garden, the Farm Pond (great for spotting frogs, turtles, and ducks), a greenhouse featuring a ‘Fairy Garden’ and nature-related exhibits. The Center also features a “Live Birds of Prey” Compound which is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m – 3 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our owls, hawks, and falcons up close!
“Our Nature Store provides nature-related gifts, birding guides, a great variety of bird houses and feeders, a wide selection of Lyric bird seed and other bird-related supplies.”
TEN: Go pick some apples
Here’s a list of places where you can pick them, from the Mommy Poppins website.
YOU COULD ALSO:
Visit Darien Library or another interesting library in the area (with your Darien Library card you can borrow books at other libraries), find another municipal park in a nearby town to visit, or skate at Darien Ice Rink (there’s a public skating session from 9:50 to 11:50 a.m.
CLOSED:
- Darien Nature Center
- Bruce Museum in Greenwich
- Discovery Museum in Bridgeport
- Darien Historical Society