Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:21:12 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/ Cape Cod's Online Community for Parents & Kids en-us http://www.capecodkidz.com/images/logo.gif http://www.capecodkidz.com/ cctadmin@capecodtoday.com http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=713 The Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District will hold “DY Community Advantage Week” events on Tuesday, February 14, Wednesday February 15 and Thursday February 16.  District schools will welcome parents, students and interested community members to open house events that highlight the district’s many unique programs.  Families considering Dennis-Yarmouth as a school choice destination are especially welcome. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:21:12 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=712 It feels like January crept by, despite the fact that it’s been very busy and chaotic. For parents, this is the time of colds—all kinds of cold—the cold outside, the colds circulating through our homes, and the cold that comes with the bills we have to pay after the holidays!!! Holy cold! Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:39:43 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=711 The Cape Cod National Seashore announced a week of free and fun activities for the whole family during February school vacation. All of the programs, from tours and movies to fun activities, are offered at no charge. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:46:55 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=710 Do you remember your first museum visit? Many of us experienced a museum for the first time while on a school field trip. Unfortunately, fewer children today are able to participate in field trips as financial pressures force schools to eliminate them. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:56:59 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=709 Last year we didn’t get much snow; we had precipitation during the winter but it was sleet and frozen rain. We have recollections of snow but not really snowman-making snow, or sledding snow. There might have been one or two days last year when there were a lot of opportunities for fun in the snow. Or maybe it was the place I was in as a parent last year around this time—with Henry barely 6 months old. What good was I at having much fun with my then almost 5-year-old when I was living with a baby pretty much physically attached to me? Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:07:54 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=708 Holy snow! I don’t know how much shoveling you did this past weekend, but we had a blast. The kids frolicked in the snow, sled down small hills in our yard and my little Henry loved being pulled in a sled. My daughter and I went snow-shoeing all over the back yard, making tracks. While Henry napped, Celia and I started making an igloo fort and before we knew it, Celia had roped her dad into the project and we were out there for hours. It was a blast. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:02:27 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=707 Here’s hoping everyone is having a great week as the weekend approaches! The new year has been feeling like a whirlwind of activity for my family and me and it’s felt like there’s been no opportunity to just sit back and take it all in…there’s been little opportunity for fun and goal setting and all those new years’ planning we manage to do to start it off right... Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:45:55 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=706 The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History announced its February School Vacation program entitled Year of the Whale. The program will run from Saturday, February 18 to Saturday, February 25. Special events will be held daily from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:22:11 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=705 Happy New Year! I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have 2011 behind us. It was truly a nightmare of a year for my family and me on so many levels. I could probably write a book entitled 2011 Sucked! But I can’t imagine it would sell, with such a negative, almost hostile sounding title…oh well. Maybe one of these days, my creative nonfiction juices will flow and I’ll be able to write a memoir of 2011 that has a more appealing, marketable title. I’ll keep you posted! Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:38:24 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=704 Superintendent of Falmouth Public Schools Marc Dupuis announced today that Karen Karson has been appointed principal of the North Falmouth School.  Karson has served as the school's interim principal since July 1, 2011. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:20:00 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=703 So the weekend approach-eth; the cold weather reminds us we live in New England and that it gets pretty cold here! As cold as it is, I think there’s still so much to take advantage of here on Cape Cod. So get your layers on. Don’t forget your hat and gloves and get outside. It’s good for the kids, as long as they’re bundled up. Head out to a local playground. Get out for a family walk on the canal, stroll through Mashpee Commons, head out to the mall to watch a movie on the big screen. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:34:40 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=702 The Laptops for KidZ project of the Masonic Angel Foundation has received a donation of fifteen Dell Latitude laptops from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, a federally funded research and development center that applies advanced technology to problems of national security. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:53:42 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=701 Happy New Year! I don't know how 2011 was for you all, but I am so grateful for a new year! 2011 for me was full of big, life changing stuff that was good as you look towards the future because it was that cog in the proverbial wheel that brings about change. However, it was also an incredibly difficult and at times overwhelming year which ended, with the last big near-catastrophe for my family-a big, ugly car accident as we attempted to travel to see family in NY. Thankfully everyone came out of it without a scratch. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:40:21 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=700 Registration for Lap Babies is now open at the Sandwich Public Library. There are two groups: Lap Babies 1 is for ages birth to 15 months (not walking) and meets from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and Lap Babies 2 is for ages 16 months to 22 months (walking) and meets from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:44:55 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=699 The Laptops for KidZ project of the Masonic Angel Foundation has placed the last of the nine computers donated by Yarmouth-based International Fund for Animal Welfare. This article is part of an exclusive CapeCodToday.com series that follows each of “IFAW 9” computers. This story concerns the five desktops IFAW donated along with four laptops. Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:16:57 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=698 Recently, the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod received a Family Plus grant from Kimberly-Clark through the Boys and Girls Club of America. The grant provides for up to 30 new memberships in the local chapter of the club for kids in households run by single moms. Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:01:31 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=697 Ninth and tenth graders spill into the halls, yank open their temporary lockers, cluster into clumps and then spread out again, a flowing stream of underclassmen molecules in downtown Hyannis. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:35:35 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=696 The Cape Cod Kidz What to Do on the Weekend Guide Featuring Christine's top picks for December 16 through 18, 2011 By Christine Chapman This weekend, it'll be a week before Christmas. Holiday fun abounds here on Cape Cod! Here's hoping you are done with all your Christmas shopping so you can enjoy some of what's in store for families as Christmas approaches quicker than many of us would want!!! Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:13:11 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=695 The Cape Cod Kidz What to Do on the Weekend GuideFeaturing Christine's top picks for December 2 through 4, 2011 By Christine Chapman I can't help it. It feels way too weird to be just over two weeks away from Christmas! It doesn't seem possible when there's barely any snow on the ground and most of us are walking around as if it's spring outside! I saw a man walking around in shorts on my way to a doctor's appointment just yesterday! I guess it allows me to procrastinate, or to decide to celebrate the spirit of Christmas and not bother spending a whole lot of money-this economy can be humbling to many of us-but it's been a great learning experience for so many of us, too-no need to go overboard because the stores seem to be advertising sale prices. The holidays don't have to be about gifts...after all. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:59:16 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=694 Girl requested toys in lieu of birthday gifts Posing with Patrol Officer Aram Goshgarian (left) and Fire Chief Norman Clarke (right) at the Harwich Public Safety Department Wednesday afternoon with three, huge bags of toys collected by one 13-year old girl. Photo by Will Brooks. HARWICH - Wednesday afternoon, a 13-year-old Harwich middle schooler presented fifty new toys to Patrol Officer Aram Goshgarian and Fire Chief Norman Clarke at the Harwich Public Safety Department on Sisson Road.  The toys were added to the gifts already donated to the joint-department Toys for Tots collection. Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:16:45 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=693 An impressive beginning as a charter middle school moves to a new town Associate Director Joanne Amaru leads the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School's Select Chorus. New director, new location, new building, a new beginning By Walter Brooks Founding teacher and new school director Paul Niles set the tone with his first words, "Our school is about all of us - working together," and he went on to pile praise on the "exemplary support" the school has received from its staff, parents and students. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:39:31 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=692 The Cape Cod Kidz What to Do on the Weekend Guide Featuring Christine's top picks for December 2 through 4, 2011 By Christine Chapman So the weather outside is unnaturally warm for this time of year, it didn't snow on Thanksgiving and I actually had to think twice before figuring out whether to put something warm on over the weekend or not-at the end of November in New England! Go figure! Well, I'm not going to complain about it-it's confusing but wonderful and my family's enjoying the opportunity to be outside at a time when we usually feel like a bunch of stir crazy monkeys trapped in the house wearing layers! But it's already December this weekend, folks! The countdown is on for Christmas vacation and although it's warm out still, we've already got the tree up and trimmed and we're humming those Christmas tunes and watching the Christmas movies and mulling apple cider as part of the seasonal ritual. So with all that in mind...here's hoping you had a great Thanksgiving and that you're ready for all that Cape Cod has to offer as the holiday season kicks off!  Weekend-long activities: Brewster will be extra festive this weekend. Here, the Higgins Windmill at Drummer Boy Park on Route 6A. cckidz photo. 5th Annual Brewster for the Holidays (December 2, 3 and 4, 2011) 5th Annual Brewster for the Holidays--a magical weekend of festivities to launch your holiday season. Enjoy an old fashion town celebration complete with concerts, parties, music, food and family fun. Many special events mark this weekend of celebration. Friday Evening December 2nd: Wreath and Tree lighting at the Drummer Boy Park, Brewster Band Concert at the Brewster Baptist Church; Sunday afternoon December 4th: Gala Family Holiday Party at the Cape Cod Natural History Museum. All festival events are sponsored by local businesses and are free of charge unless noted on the event calendar. Check the Calendar of Events for details of time and place as well as all other special things happening around town during our Brewster for the Holidays celebration. Complete calendar of events here: http://www.02631.com/pg-3.htm Heritage Gardens Aglow Annual Celebration of Lights 5:00PM - 9:00PM all weekend. The museum's buildings and grounds will sparkle with festive lights and decorations and Old St. Nick will hold court in the museum's Ford Model T (as his sleigh is in the shop). There will also be a gingerbread house display and kids' holiday crafts area. Tickets are $7/member adults, $4/member children ages 3 to 17, $10/ non-member adults, $5 member children ages 3 to 17, and free for children age 2 and under. Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich. Cape Cod Enchanted Village 5:00PM - 9:00PM at The Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis. 10th annual event. Come bring the kids to see a magnificent display of more than 100,000 lights, animated reindeer and more. In addition, carolers and Santa Fri-Sat from 5:30 to 8:30 and Sun from 5 to 7 thru 12/18. Lights remain on display through January 2, 2012. As you approach our courtyard each night at dusk, you will be dazzled by the glow of more than 100,000 lights. Topiary animals will greet you as you make your way past rows of miniature Christmas Trees and Santa's Reindeer to a Santa's Village reminiscent of an old fashioned Enchanted Village. On Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30pm to 8:30pm and on Sundays from 5pm to 7pm, strolling carolers will walk among the visitors, spreading holiday spirit through song. And, back by popular demand, Santa will be taking some time out of his busy schedule to visit us at the Cape Codder! Children are welcome to sit on his lap to tell him their holiday wishes. Hot apple cider, hot chocolate and cookies (available for purchase in the Hearth 'n Kettle) may be enjoyed by the glow of the Cape Codder's bonfire, while children roast marshmallows and sing along with the carolers (weather permitting). The centerpiece of the Enchanted Village will be a 12 foot tall "Giving Tree" with a 3.5 foot star on top. Guests to the Enchanted Village are encouraged to bring NEW, unwrapped gifts or Gift Cards or non-perishable food to place under the tree. All donations will be given to Independence House in Hyannis. Last year, the "Giving Tree" yielded over $10,000 in food, toys, and gift cards for Independence House! Christmas in Harwich is another fun, weekend long event and I will post the actual events below by date but this sounds like fun: http://www.harwichcc.com/event-christmas-harwiches.php Here are some great things to consider on Friday December 2, 2011 HYCC Stroller Skating 9:30AM - 10:30AM at The Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis. All levels of skating ability are welcome! We'll help you get started! Kid-Friendly Music: We'll lower the volume to a level that is acceptable for babies' ears! This is a great way for new moms and caregivers to get a workout that offers aerobic strength training and fun interaction with their babies, older children and other moms!! EVERY FRIDAY starting November 11th! 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ADMISSION IS JUST $5 (includes your adult skate rental!)Bring your older kids! Family Admission is $10 Child Skate Rentals are just $2 during Stroller Skating. Small Fries: Animals in Motion - Ages 2-5 10:00AM - 11:00AM at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet. Engage your preschooler in nature with this Mommy-and-Me style class. We'll use songs, stories, role plays, crafts and hands-on explorations to discover the world around us and develop our cognitive, motor, and social skills. Each class focuses on a special animal or habitat. Preschool Storytime is at10:30AM at Eastham Public Library in Eastham for ages 2 - 5 will include stories, fingerplays, songs, silliness and a craft. All are welcome. Toddler Town will happen from 10:30AM - 1:00PM at Wellfleet Public Library in Wellfleet. Join us for stories and crafts at 10:30am and lots of fun in our "indoor gym" at 11am! Critter Capers 10:30AM - 11:00AM at Green Briar Nature Center in East Sandwich. Families are invited to drop by for a half hour visit with a Thornton W. Burgess Society naturalist and one of the resident animals at the nature center. Learn about life cycles, habits and habitats. This program, which is offered every Friday morning, is suitable for children ages 3 and up with an adult. Advance registration is not required. Free to Society members, $2 per person for non-members. Holly Jolly Time! 10:30AM at Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Join Santa's elf in creating holiday crafts that will make great gifts for parents and grandparents. Each week will feature two different holiday crafts. Program includes: two crafts, a holiday snack and zoo admission. Please Note: Space for Holly Jolly Time is limited. Zoo Members: $7 per child; Non-Members: $10 per child. Christmas in Harwich: Harwich Port Stroll from 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Tree lighting ceremony & family carol sing kicks off the stroll in Doane Park at 5:30pm. Santa arrives by fire truck at the visitor center at 6:15 pm, photos ($5) and visits until 8pm. Free horse-drawn carriage rides through the Port. Pilgrim Church chili/hot dog cafe, Girl Scout craft/bake sale, cookie walk, Harwich strings, live nativity, CCEYM silent auction, Guild of Harwich Artists Small Works show at the Port Building. Garden Club boutique, merchant open houses, music, refreshments, good cheer from 6pm to 9pm.WOMR 92.1 FM/91.3 FM Lady Di's Christmas Music Program. Points throughout Harwich Port . Kid's Night Out 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM for students aged 6-10 years. Head out to the YMCA of Cape Cod in West Barnstable to drop the kids off for a planned, themed activity, dinner and swimming afterwards. This is a wonderful monthly activity on the first Friday each month. Rock Night at HYCC (Grades 3-7 only) 7:15 PM - 9:15 PM at Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis-a favorite for skaters in grades 3-7-get those skates on and skate to whatever is popular in rock and roll these days! HJT presents "Madeline's Christmas" - A Musical 7:30 PM Enjoy the Madeline Christmas story, in musical form! Books and lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby, Music by Shirley Mier. Based on the book by Ludwig Bemelmans. Directed with musical direction by Robert Wilder. Choreography by Suzette Hutchinson. Sounds like great fun at Harwich Junior Theatre in W. Harwich. Treat the whole family to a live show as "Madeline's Christmas" premieres this weekend. HJT photo. Saturday December 3, 2011 has a lot going on, too! Christmas in Harwich: Saturday Events 8:30AM - 6:30PM. There is lots going on today in Harwich: Harwich Elementary School Pancake Breakfast with Santa, 8:30am-10:30am. Harwich Elementary School PTA Holiday Bazaar & Craft Fair, 9am-1pm. Community Center Holiday Extravaganza, 9am-2pm. Snow's Home & Garden Seasonal Train Display, 9am-5pm. Brooks Free Library Big Ryan's Tall Tales, 10:30am. Brooks Academy Exhibits & Open House, 1pm-4pm. Brooks Free Library Let's Deck the Halls Sing-Along with Dan McCarthy, 2pm-3pm. Merchant open houses, music, refreshments and good cheer. Cove Club Open House, 10am-2pm, 383 Route 28, Harwich Port, light refreshments, gift items for sale to benefit Cove Club Education Training Fund. East Harwich Stroll, 1pm-4pm. Stop & Shop - letters to Santa table and raffle for two new bicycles to benefit HECH. Merchant open houses, Santa, music, refreshments and good cheer. FREE enclosed trolley shuttle between Harwich Center/Harwich Community Center/East Harwich provided by Cape Destinations. Doughnuts with Santa 9:00AM Enjoy the North Pole's favorite pastry! Gift from Santa, train ride and admission to the Zoo for the day is included in program price. Don't forget to bring your camera to take a picture with Santa! Participants must pre- register and pay in advance by visiting www.bpzoo.org or calling (508) 991-4556 x 18. Please Note: Professional photos will not be provided at these events. We invite you to bring your own camera if you wish to take a photo with Santa. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Harwich PTA Holiday Bazaar & Craft Fair 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM This fun community event at Harwich Elementary School features a children's shopping room where they can get gifts for family and loved ones (all gifts $1!), a Craft Fair with a wide variety of vendors, local community organizations, entertainment, snacks, and more! Don't miss this great opportunity to support our schools and do your holiday shopping!! Come early for the Pancake Breakfast with Santa starting at 8:30 a.m.! Part of the Christmas in Harwich events!Harwich Elementary School, Harwich. Bridgeview Montessori School's Holiday Artisan Fair 10:00 AM - 03:00 PM Bridgeview Montessori School's Holiday Artisan Fair is on December 3, 10 am - 3 pm. Hand-created items by professional artisans: jewelry, felted purses, crocheted hats, scarves and sweaters, unique fleece clothing for adults and children, felted fairies and animals, colorful hula hoops and fuzzy monster dolls, nautical prints, pottery, and folk art. 885 Sandwich Road, Sagamore. For information call 508-888-3567. Bridgeview Montessori School, Sagamore. Live Animal Story Time 10:30AM - 11:00AM Drop by and join a naturalist for a lively story of "Peter Rabbit" and friends and a visit with one of the animals featured in the day's story. Suitable for families with children ages 3 and up. Advance registration is not required. Green Briar Nature Center in East Sandwich. That Santa is one busy fellow! Check out all the places you'll be able to catch him on Cape Cod! Milk and Cookies with Santa 1:00PM Enjoy cookies and milk with Santa before he makes his annual trip. Don't forget to bring your camera to take a picture with Santa! Gift from Santa, train ride and admission to the zoo for the day is included in program price. Participants must pre-register and pay in advance by visiting www.bpzoo.org or by calling (508) 991-4556 x 18. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Annual Eastham Holiday Festival 10:00AM - 1:00PM The. Event is free! Free Trolley between both venues. Food and entertainment! Pony Rides thanks to Eastham Discount Oil. Toys for Tots Collection at the Elks. Gift Barn, 4180A State Highway/Route 6 and Orleans-Eastham Elks Lodge, 10 McKoy Road in Eastham. Not Your Average Duck--Discover the Spectacular Ducks of December! 10:00AM - 12:00PM. The odd word "duck" just doesn't convey the variety and the beauty of the birds that visit our ponds and bays in winter. We will scan for eiders, grebes, mergansers, widgeons and other who find our chilly climate quite comfortable. Please dress warmly. Suitable for children ages 5 and up. Adults $6.00m/ $8.00nm, Children $4.00m/ $6.00nm. We will meet at Long Pasture Visitor Center! Meet at Long Pasture Visitor Center in Cummaquid. Nauset Model Railroad Club "Magical" Open House 1:00PM - 4:00PM. There is something magical about trains at Christmastime, as visitors will discover at the Nauset Model Railroad Club this holiday season. The club is hosting public Open House events from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, November 26 and December 3, 10, 17 and 31, at its location in the lower level of Hilltop Plaza on Route 6A in Orleans. Admission is free. Nauset Model Railroad Club in Orleans. American Girl's Winter Wonderland Tea 1:00PM - 3:00PM. An American Girl's Winter Wonderland Tea will be held at St. David's Episcopal Church, Nelson Hall. Sponsored by the Captain Joshua Gray- Jonathan Hatch DAR Chapter, Cape Cod. 227 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth. For more information or tickets call 508-398-4719 or visit darcc.weebly.com. St. David's Episcopal Church in South Yarmouth. Milk and Cookies with Santa 3:00PM. Enjoy cookies and milk with Santa before he makes his annual trip. Don't forget to bring your camera to take a picture with Santa! Gift from Santa, train ride and admission to the zoo for the day is included in program price. Participants must pre-register and pay in advance by visiting www.bpzoo.org or by calling (508) 991-4556 x 18. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Holiday Fun at the Zoo 5:30PM. Party with your favorite holiday characters, Frosty & Rudolph! Pizza dinner, photo with Santa, holiday lights train ride (weather permitting) and a craft with Mrs. Clause included. Participants must pre-register and pay in advance by calling (508) 991-4556 or by visiting www.bpzoo.org. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Provincetown Children's Theater presents "The Snowman in the Dunes" 6:00PM. This family musical has endeared itself to the Outer Cape community over the past two years. Originally a short play, Snowman tells the story of Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, who moves from the Himalayas to Provincetown to find his dream-acceptance and friendship. Yeti moves into a dune shack just before Christmas and meets two kids whose mother, Mrs. Galilee, runs the Sea Glass Inn. Mrs. Galilee has no time for "monsters in the dunes" because the bank is foreclosing on the inn while her wife is deployed overseas in Afghanistan. Will the family be able to save the inn? Will Yeti become the friend he yearns to be? Will the Evil Banker remain... evil? And will the magic and spirit of Christmas prevail and save the day? All these questions will be answered in The Snowman in the Dunes with the help of the audience and some dancing snowflakes.Provincetown Theater in Provincetown. Barnstable Recreation Holiday Public Skate at the HYCC 7:00PM - 9:00PM . Come and skate to Holiday music with friends and family! Enjoy hot cocoa and the holiday spirit with carolers and figure skating exhibitions by skaters of all levels! Bring an item for our coat drive to benefit local shelters and receive free skate rentals! Sponsored by Cape Cod Skating Club. Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis. Public Skate 7:00PM - 9:00PM. Head out to the Hyannis Youth & Community Center in Hyannis for this awesome family time. And for Sunday December 4, 2011: Story Time with Santa at Cape Cod Mall 9:00AM - 11:00AM. Cape Cod Mall and Santa are hosting Story Time. Kidgits will listen as Santa reads a collection of his favorite Christmas tales and shares his favorite holiday spirit! Kidgits will also have a chance to participate in a variety of other holiday activities including:-Holiday Snacks and Treats, Christmas Crafts, Bring A Cozy Blanket to sit on Milk and Cookies with Santa 1:00 PM Enjoy cookies and milk with Santa before he makes his annual trip. Don't forget to bring your camera to take a picture with Santa! Gift from Santa, train ride and admission to the zoo for the day is included in program price. Participants must pre-register and pay in advance by visiting www.bpzoo.org or by calling (508) 991-4556 x 18. Please Note: Professional photos will not be provided at these events. We invite you to bring your own camera if you wish to take a photo with Santa. Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford. Brewster for the Holidays Gala Family Party at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History 2:00PM - 4:00PM. Free admission to the Museum all day from 11 am-4 pm. The Gala Family Party will include raffle drawings, music, refreshments and kids' crafts. Santa will arrive at 2:30 pm!Come and join in the fun as we celebrate Brewster for the Holidays at the Museum! Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. HJT presents "Madeline's Christmas" - A Musical 2:00PM. Enjoy the Madeline Christmas story, in musical form! Books and lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby, Music by Shirley Mier. Based on the book by Ludwig Bemelmans. Directed with musical direction by Robert Wilder. Choreography by Suzette Hutchinson. Sounds like great fun at Harwich Junior Theatre in W. Harwich. Christmas in Harwich: Sunday Events 3:00PM - 7:00PM. Service of Advent and Christmas Lessons and Carols, Christ Church Episcopal, Harwich Port, 3pm to 4pm. Refreshments to follow. Christmas Cantata - One Starry Night, A Concert of Contemporary Songs and Classic Carols Celebrating the Story of Christmas, First Congregational Church, Harwich Center, 7pm. Reception to follow. Provincetown Children's Theater presents "The Snowman in the Dunes" 6:00PM. This family musical has endeared itself to the Outer Cape community over the past two years. Originally a short play, Snowman tells the story of Yeti, the Abominable Snowman, who moves from the Himalayas to Provincetown to find his dream-acceptance and friendship. Yeti moves into a dune shack just before Christmas and meets two kids whose mother, Mrs. Galilee, runs the Sea Glass Inn. Mrs. Galilee has no time for "monsters in the dunes" because the bank is foreclosing on the inn while her wife is deployed overseas in Afghanistan. Will the family be able to save the inn? Will Yeti become the friend he yearns to be? Will the Evil Banker remain... evil? And will the magic and spirit of Christmas prevail and save the day? All these questions will be answered in The Snowman in the Dunes with the help of the audience and some dancing snowflakes.Provincetown Theater in Provincetown. There's so much going on here on Cape Cod this coming weekend. Postpone the Christmas shopping! After all, even Santa isn't recession-free! I've told my little girl that what with the cost of feeding the reindeer and the elves, even Santa won't be able to afford as much as he used to in past years. I've come to believe that more important than all the stuff we accumulate for the kids during the holiday season are the moments and experiences we share with them. Get out and do something fun and memorable with your kids this weekend as the holidays approach. Fill them with that spirit of Christmas, and I guarantee they'll be more grateful as they look back on all that you did with them...long after they've forgotten all that you bought them! Have a great weekend! Christine Chapman is the mother of two children: Celia is 5-years-old and Henry is one. She is a type 2 diabetic determined to become a healthy role model to her children. Christine was born and raised in Montreal, and has resided in Seoul, South Korea, Vancouver, Canada and in Boston, MA. She is an alumna of the Sacred Heart School of Montreal, Skidmore College and is in pursuit of her master's degree at Harvard University.  She runs her own business, Starr and Chapman, from her South Plymouth home. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:51:09 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=691 School district showcases options and success DY 8th graders Taylor McDowell (left) and Maxime Parent (center) answer questions from seventh grade parents during the first of a series of DY Advantage presentations to be held across the district. The two students attend the pilot STEM/accelerated program located at the high school. Photo by Teresa Martin. By Teresa Martin A group of about 25 parents and several students joined the Dennis-Yarmouth school district as it kicked off its multi-day, multi-site "DY-Advantage" information series yesterday evening at the NH Wixon Middle School in Dennis. Communicate, compete With growing competition among the region's schools, districts have embraced everything from advertising to community outreach to slogans in order to communicate what they do and why it matters -- and to help parents and students be informed consumers of their school options. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:52:45 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=690 The American Red Cross, Cape Cod and Islands Chapter is pleased to announce that it received $693 from JTEC as part of the Cape and Islands Youth Community Development Council grant program. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:23:29 -0500 http://www.capecodkidz.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=689 125 homebound seniors receive delicious holiday meals for Thanksgiving The Barnstable Senior Center hosted their 9th annual Turkey Trot today.  A team of staff and volunteers led by Outreach Coordinators Claudia Borden and Judy Redd, prepared and delivered delicious holiday dinners to 125 homebound seniors in Barnstable. Horce Mann Charter students show off the colorful cards they created to accompany the holiday dinners. Photo courtesy of the Barnstable Senior Center. The tasty meals were made all the more special thanks to area students. Students from the Horace Mann Charter 4th and 5th Grade School created Thanksgiving Day cards to accompany each dinner and kids from the 4H Club baked delicious cookies adding a sweet treat to the meals. Area businesses were generous this year, providing food and monetary donations to make the mobile feast possible. Heather Arrascue of the Barnstable Senior Center, said the center would like to thank everyone who participated in the community effort and made it possible to reach out to so many local homebound seniors. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:12:34 -0500