Adirondack Family Time™

A 2006 South Australian study into arts education indicates that going to the theatre can improve children’s literacy and social skills. The Children's Voices study documented the impact of live theatre on 140 State Government primary school students over three years. It was conducted and jointly funded by the Department of Education and Children’s Services, The University of South Australia and Windmill Performing Arts. Windmill Performing Arts project manager Julie Orchard, who is a Department of Education and Children’s Services teacher, said children’s oral and written language improved significantly during the project. In a prepared statement, author of the report and director of the study, Professor Wendy Schiller, Director of UniSA’s de Lissa Institute of Early Childhood and Family Studies Research Group, said the children’s response to live arts performance directly affected their learning and their lives. “The most noticeable impact was the children’s marked gain in lit

As my children grow older I understand that every child feels their parents grew up in the “olden days.” My daughter is confused during a family movie night when an actor plays an album on the turntable. To her a record player is a DJ’s scratch pad. She hears all about keeping things simple and I now realize I have set myself into that cliché. She believes I grew up in it, that simpler time in her mind, where people sang for no reason at all and danced to the orchestra in their head. Now it is my turn to pass along the experience and recreate a simpler time for my own children, to elevate some of the holiday stress and just enjoy being together. This weekend the village of Lake Placid will turn on its old world charm and celebrate its annual Holiday Stroll. Santa will kick off the event with free skating at the Olympic Oval starting at 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, for anyone wishing to complete or (gasp!) start holiday shopping, several venues are available for children to be dropped off gi

The Champlain Valley Film Society will be celebrating its 100th film with a free showing of classic Katharine Hepburn/Humphrey Bogart film The African Queen. In 1952, this film won Humphrey Bogart his only Oscar though he had been nominated for Casablanca and The Caine Mutiny. Read more

Here is the new mock-up for the latest Adirondack Outdoor Expeditions brochure. The website is still a work in progress. I will place an update when the 2010 schedule and calendar is up and running! Thank you for your interest. Tyler Chase has been leading small groups of teenagers and families into the Adirondack woods and waterways since 1983. He teaches Math in the Saranac Lake School District during the school year and has a Masters Degree in Outdoor Education. Although summer is his busy hiking season, he finds time all year to get into the wilderness with his wife and two children. He climbed his 46th high peak in 1978 and has continued hiking and climbing each peak several times since. For Tyler it is less about "conquering" the peak as it is about enjoying all a mountain has to offer. He has travelled to many parts of the world, but finds himself truly at home in the Adirondacks.

Just a quick note for anyone looking for a rainy day activity this weekend. Pendragon Theatre is performing Moby Dick Rehearsed November 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. on November 22. My ten-year-old and I attended the opening and we both loved it. It is remarkably well done. Even if you have not read the Herman Melville book of the white whale, the play brings to life that suspenseful tale of the sea that all can enjoy. Pendragon Theatre has managed to tell the story in just two hours. For an unabridged annual reading marathon you would have to travel well outside the Adirondacks to the New Bedford Whaling Museum where each year the book is read out loud by approximately 150 readers in a mere 25 hours.

The winter hours for The Wild Center are November 1st - Memorial Day: Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Bowling for Prizes I have never thought about bowling as something to do on the fly, go in for a quick game and leave. In my experience it has always been on outing. Romano’s Saranac Lanes has changed my opinion with all the various activities they have going on for children. Anyone wondering what to do with their children during school closings (snow days, conference days) may want to rethink bowling as an option where the special is $5.00 for two games and $1.00 for shoes. Though I am a huge fan of manual labor on school closings, I am sure my children would prefer to bowl. That said, there is also after school bowling from 3:00 -5:00 for the same $6. As far as my daughter is concerned bowling is all about the shoes. She does not care about the score on the screen or that her brother fist pumps with each pin down. She is there to see and be seen. Once again Romano’s Saranac Lanes has generously offered to hold another fundraiser. Twenty-four teams of five can sign up for the Nort

Trivia: What is the New York State bird? Answer Here

If you missed the live stream of the The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit that took place this past weekend at the Wild Center, please check out the video of the event. Workshops were scheduled throughout the two-day event pairing students with experienced personnel to inspire the 150 participants to come up with working models to green their schools and communities. Twenty high schools and six universities participated in this inaugural event. These institutions will serve as models in energy efficiency, sustainable energy usage, building maintenance, landscaping & grounds management, school & community garden planning, and how to affect the current science curriculum in schools. Read more

Did the rain or flu limit your ability to enjoy a bit of spooky happenings on Halloween? There is still an opportunity to continue the thrills and chills by seeing this year’s production of Sleepy Hollow, directed by Jessica Deeb. Based on the classic short story by Washington Irving, this musical pulls from a range of local child actors, ages five to fourteen. The story of Sleepy Hollow it takes place in 19th Century Dutch settlement of Tarrytown, NY where a gangly superstitious schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane comes to Sleepy Hollow looking for a wealthy wife. He meets Katrina Van Tassel whose brawny jealous boyfriend, Brom Bones, uses local stories to attempt to frighten off his rival. The townspeople further Crane’s fears with stories of the local ghost, the Headless Horseman. My daughter and I nip into the Lake Placid Center for the Arts for a quick preview. The Headless Horseman is sitting on stage waiting for the dress rehearsal to begin. She makes a beeline for my leg and peer

My children greet Stan Burdick, director of the Ticonderoga Cartoon Museum like he is the cable man and just offered free access to unlimited channels. They look at me like I am the only thing holding them back from nirvana. I brought them here. It is not the same thing as blankly sitting in front of a television though I stop short of telling them that. I shush them off making sure they carefully maneuver through the aisles. This museum is the result of Stan Burdick’s 50-year collection of cartoon memorabilia. A political cartoonist himself, Burdick contributed to many local newspapers during his career. His work has been selected numerous times for the annual publication, “Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year” and in 1996 he won the New York Press Association Award for his editorial cartoon of Eliot Spitzer. The museum houses over 700 pieces of original art from mainstream cartoonists like Chuck Jones’ Bugs Bunny, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, and Gary Trudeau’s Doonesbury to the m

It doesn’t happen that frequently so I want to take my bows when I can. In a clairvoyant moment I decided to get all the children’s winter gear out of storage to check for sizes. It was a bright sunny day and the youngsters huffed and puffed about having to wiggle into ski boots, helmets and snow pants. We made quick work of it and as much as I would like to squeeze another season out of the ski boots, my son’s feet just keep on growing. The children’s reaction to waking up to snow was so different from my own. They quickly got dressed and put on their winter gear. (Thank you very much, Clairvoyant Mom!) They threw a few soggy snowballs and attempted an angel. I on the other hand wonder why I can see only into my children’s future. I didn’t occur to me to grab a jacket for myself, let along hat and gloves. Now that I have organized my children’s gear and requested that the next growth spurt be in spring, I eagerly await the annual Ski and Skate Swap! Items need to be dropped off at the

Hiking with children does not have to be complicated. Below are a few tips to help you on your way. Check back as I am will be adding tricks as I learn them from my own children! Always remember the point is to have our children enjoy the outdoors. Learn from them and take our time. Sometimes the goal doesn't have to be getting to the top, its the journey along the way! Before you go! • Always check your gear before departing. • Dress in layers for the season. • Make sure you bring plenty of water for each person • Bring healthy snacks like GORP, granola bars, fresh or dried fruit • A first aid kit, flashlight and compass. • Be prepared to stop frequently. Autumn Hikes: • Bring rain gear no matter the weather. It can serve as a wind shield on top • Although trails are clearly marked, it is always best to carry a detailed map. • Hiking in late autumn can be tricky. Leaves can be wet and slippery and it is not unusual to experience small patches of ice. • Wear