Fairy House Decorating for Kids at Pitney Meadows Community Farm 9/7

Kids from ages 5+ can join us at the Community Gardens at Pitney Meadows Community Farm on Saturday, September 7th from 10am to 12pm to decorate their very own mini fairy houses with Fairy Garden artist Jess Clauser. They'll be able to decorate 2 houses-one to bring home and one to be displayed during the Fairy Fest on September 21st. $15 fee includes all materials. Pitney Meadows Community Farm is located at 223 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Class size is limited to 20. To sign up click the button below:

Sensory Day with Llamas 9/7

Come spend the afternoon at the farm with our 58 llamas and their gracious caretakers.

This event will be led by Alexa, an occupational therapy student at Utica College.

We will offer a multi-sensory experience for kids and adolescents on the spectrum through the aid of the llamas and horses on the farm.

You will have a personal hands-on experience as we bring out a llama for you to pet, brush, feed and walk.

We will bring you in all 3 llama barns, so you can see and interact with them, including taking photographs.

Pizza and refreshments will be served for all. For more info, click the button below:

2019 Nutcracker Auditions - Northeast Ballet Company at Proctors Theatre 9/14

Auditions will be held at the GE Theater at Proctors in Schenectady on Saturday, September 14th.

CHILDREN MUST BE AGE 5 on September 14 to audition and be considered for a role.

12:00 - 1:00 pm Children Roles (ages 5-8)

1:00 - 2:30 pm Children Roles (ages 9-12)

2:30 - 3:30 pm Act 1 Adults

3:30 - 5:00 pm Variations (ages 13 and up) - Ladies, please bring pointe shoes

Northeast Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Making its annual return to the MainStage at Proctors is everyone’s favorite holiday ballet. Enter a world of Christmas dreams to the joyous music of Tchaikovsky in this annual year-end favorite. Join the Sugar Plum Fairy, the heroic Nutcracker Prince and the evil Rat King in this whimsical celebration of the season.

Joining the 2019 Northeast Ballet production are New York City Ballet principal dancers: Lauren Lovette and Taylor Stanley.

Choreographer and teacher Darlene Myers began her professional career with Pennsylvania Ballet Company. She toured the United States, dancing works of Balanchine, Butler and Sokolow. Ms. Myers went on to teach classical ballet, modern, jazz and choreography at Union College for 20 years, and at the State University of New York at Albany for five years, prior to opening her own ballet school.
In 1990 Darlene Myers founded Northeast Ballet Company, the resident ballet company of Proctors, and continues to serve as Artistic Director.

For more information click the button below:

Summertime Fun Community Event at the Saratoga Regional YMCA 8/24

Join the Saratoga Regional YMCA for some SUMMERTIME FUN!

This FREE COMMUNITY EVENT will take place Saturday, August 24th from 6-8 pm at our Saratoga Springs branch! Activities include bounce houses, slip-n-slide, open climbs on our adventure course and more!

TO REGISTER, please call 518-583-9622.

Paint Kindness Rocks at Palette 8/24 FREE for Kids Under 6

Get creative and inspirational with your mini! Head to Palette at 493 Broadway in Saratoga Springs for a Palette art project and paint Kindness Rocks this Saturday, August 24 from 10-11am.

Free for kids under 6 and supplies will be provided. Bring your own rock if you happen to have the perfect rock, but we will have rocks available! Your kiddo’s message of positivity and inspiration can go home with you or live here in our Inspiration Garden at Palette.

Registration is Open for Fall Classes at Myers Ballet School

Fall term registration is in full swing at Myers Ballet School! Click HERE to check out their website to register for the upcoming term. As a Myers family for six years now, we have had such a fantastic experience, and this year our five year old will be starting at the school as well! Click the button below to see more photos from this past spring’s Annual Recital at Proctors Theatre in Mini City Magazine. Classes begin on September 2nd at the Liberty street studios in Schenectady.

SAVE THE DATE for the 2019 Nutcracker Auditions!

Auditions will be held on September 14, 2019

Auditions will be held at the GE Theater at Proctors

CHILDREN MUST BE AGE 5 on September 14 to audition and be considered for a role.

12:00 - 1:00 pm Children Roles (ages 5-8)

1:00 - 2:30 pm Children Roles (ages 9-12)

2:30 - 3:30 pm Act 1 Adults

3:30 - 5:00 pm Variations (ages 13 and up) - Ladies, please bring pointe shoes

Mini City Spotlight: Waldorf’s Free Drop-in Playgroups

Waldorf’s Free Drop-in Playgroups Offer Perfect Opportunity To Test the Pre-school Waters for Infants to 3-Year-Olds

Kids tend to grow like tomato plants in the heat of the summer. If that babe-in-arms you knew this past spring is beginning to look like more of an active toddler suddenly, you may be wondering if some social engagement outside of the home may be appropriate for him or her this fall. The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs is offering the perfect opportunity to test the waters with their free drop-in playgroups beginning in September.

Waldorf education began 100 years ago this fall in Germany, and The Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs has been offering this unique educational approach to our region since 1981 as the only pre-K through 12 independent school in Saratoga County. The Waldorf approach incorporates a deep understanding of child development and what a child needs (and doesn’t need) during certain phases of their development in order to reach their full potential as a whole human being.

All of the school’s early childhood programs — serving children from infancy through age 6 — have a distinct feeling of beauty, calm and rhythm, allowing the child to develop a secure attachment to the world and explore it through all of their senses at their own pace. The classrooms are full of natural light and simple, creativity-enhancing toys made of wool, wood, cotton and other natural materials. Traditional academics, such as reading and arithmetic, are not taught in a traditional sense, but through language-rich stories and circle games, clapping and skipping, healthy brain and body development are enhanced to lay the best foundation for academic learning in grade school and beyond. Children are also afforded ample opportunity for free play with each other — enhancing social skills, collaboration, creative problem solving and self-direction that will serve them for life.

The school’s drop-in playgroups began this past May, and proved so popular that the school will offer them again this fall, with two currently scheduled for September 19 and 26 at 9:30 a.m. and more likely to be scheduled later in the fall. Each playgroup session is free and open to the public for birth to three-year-olds with a caregiver and provides a taste of the school’s more formal parent-child classes.

“​Parents spend much of their days keeping up with all the needs of their children. In our playgroups parents can enjoy a break by sitting around the edges of the room and bringing their attention to the children as they play,” notes Katherine Scharff, a longtime early childhood educator at the school and Simplicity Parenting ​® ​coach. The playgroup time also includes observation time, some time to share, lap and finger games, snack for the children and outside playtime.

Other early childhood programs at the school include parent-child classes offered weekly in six-week sessions based on demand and whole-year pre-school and kindergarten classes for either two or five days a week based on age. Classes are held at one of two campuses. At the Waldorf ​Early Childhood Center across from Eastside Recreational Park on Lake Avenue, children experience intimate and nurturing classrooms and a play yard and gardens within a friendly neighborhood setting. Located on Spa State Park land, the Forest Kindergarten campus features numerous forested hiking trails and ample yard space for climbing, gardening, digging, playing, and working. A restored farmhouse provides a nurturing indoor space for a nutritious organic lunch, rest, and respite from extreme weather.

For more information on The Waldorf School’s drop-in play groups or any of their other early childhood programs, visit their website at ​www.waldorfsaratoga.org/earlychildhood​ or call or email their admissions office at 518-587-2224 or ​admissions@waldorfsaratoga.org​.

Waldorf September Drop-in Playgroups:
September 19, 9:30 a.m. at the Forest Kindergarten, 45 Kaydeross Ave. West September 26, 9:30 a.m. at the Early Childhood Center, 212 Lake Ave.

Also save the date for a special Waldorf Autumn Festival celebrating 100 years of Waldorf Education worldwide! Saturday, October 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pitney Meadows Community Farm

Ready for School Story Time with Katrina Trask Nursery School at Northshire Bookstore 8/30

A teacher from Katrina Trask Nursery School will share special stories and a simple craft to help young listeners get ready for the start of the school year at Northshire Bookstore on Friday, August 30th at 10:30am. this event is free and open to the public. Northshire Bookstore is located on 424 Broadway in Saratoga Springs.

Learn about Snakes at the Saratoga Spa State Park 8/29

Join a park educator at Saratoga Springs State Park’s Creekside Classroom to learn about snakes in New York and take a short walk to look for snakes on Thursday, August 29th from 1-2pm. Please call (518) 584-2000 Ext. 111 to register.

Tiny Town Family Board Game Night at Northshire Bookstore 8/29

Join game designer Peter McPherson on Thursday, August 29 at 6 pm at Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs to learn to play his new game Tiny Towns. McPherson will speak briefly about his work as a game designer, and then will teach event attendees how to play the game - with time for attendees to play the game.

Tiny Towns is a competitive game about building a well-designed township from a shared pool of resources. It uses an innovative mechanism of resource selection where each player receives the same resources in the same order. This is a fast-playing game of low rules complexity but substantial strategic depth.

The game & event are great for ages 10 and up.

Crafting and Bicycle Blending at the Farmers' Market! 8/28

This week in the Power of Produce Club at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, we'll be crafting with the Saratoga Springs Public Library and C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios, plus the Cornell Cooperative Extension will bring their bicycle blender! Children may show up any time between 3-6 pm to participate. Children who participate are given a $2 POP coin to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, and they will earn a stamp in their POP Passport (4 stamps = a prize!). POP Club will begin on Wed, June 26 and will run through Wed, September 11. This season, we have an incredible lineup of activities offered by a variety of hosts. It's all about farm, food, and nutrition education for all ages and abilities! Behold the power of produce!

This program is free. The Saratoga Farmers' Market is located at High Rock Park, 105 High Rock Ave in Saratoga Springs.

4-H Camp Wild - Where the Wild Things Are 8/28

Due to popular demand, Saratoga County 4-H Camp Wild has added TWO additional camp dates; August 28th and 29th!

Join our Camp Director, Andrea Love Smith, for this fun day in the woods! The morning starts with a leisurely hike along the Gordon Creek, with an emphasis on learning to  observe and identify local plants and animals. Campers will also learn  about their different, but equally important roles in our forests.  Then we will enjoy a fireside lunch,  Native story, and a craft made with natural materials.

This program has been hugely popular this summer, do NOT miss this final chance! The experiences will begin @ 10:00AM and end @ 12:30PM. The cost is $5 per camper.

Campers are encouraged to

• Bring their own lunch

• Dress in layers

• Wear closed-toed shoes

• Bring bug spray, sunscreen, and a hat

• Bring a water bottle

** All programs are rain or shine, canceled only for thunder and lightning. Please stay tuned to our social media for announcements or call our office 518-885-8995

Hosted by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County at the Saratoga County 4-H Training Center, 556 Middleline Road in Ballston Spa. Wednesday, Aug 28th and 29th from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

Backstretch Babies Drop In Program at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame 8/28

The Backstretch Babies Drop In Program is offered for young children two years old and younger at the The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, 191 Union Ave Saratoga Springs on Wednesday, August 28th from 10-11am. These weekly programs during the Saratoga racing season will feature a short story or activity followed by free play with our sensory-friendly toys. Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. from July 10 through Aug. 28. Free with a paid adult admission.

Making Connections Autism Program at the Children's Museum at Saratoga 8/25

Free for children on the spectrum and their families. The Children’s Museum at Saratoga is offering an early intervention program for children on the spectrum and their families. Meet other families in the area and specialists from AIM Services while exploring the Museum during this special off hour time. The Children’s Museum at Saratoga is pleased to offer the Making Connections program free of charge for families thanks to the generous support of our sponsors! The Saratoga Springs Lions Club and our members and guests who have contributed to our Give Play initiative. 

Sunday, Aug 25th from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM. The Children's Museum at Saratoga is located at 69 Caroline Street in Saratoga Springs.

Children's Program: "Build a Travers Stakes Trophy" at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame 8/22

Prepare for Saratoga’s 150th running of the Travers Stakes race by going on a Museum scavenger hunt for trophies and related objects then decorate a small trophy of your own at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame on Thursday, August 22nd from 10am to 12pm. Recommended for children ages 3 through 8. Free with paid adult admission. The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is located at 191 Union Ave in Saratoga Springs.

Turtle Time at Moreau Lake State Park 8/20

Harrelson and Daryl are the two resident terrestrial turtles at Moreau Lake State Park. Come and spend some time learning about their habits, habitat, diet and what life would look like in the wild at Turtle Time on Tuesday, August 20th from 1-2pm. Afterwards we will take a little walk with them on the beach. Reservations are required with 24 hours advanced notice, 518-793-0511. Please stop at the office first to pay for the event. Children and seniors are $1, everyone else is $2.

Summer Crafts at Saratoga Spa State Park 8/22

Come make some summer themed crafts at the Creekside Classroom at Saratoga Spa State Park on Wednesday, August 21 from 10am-12pm! This program is appropriate for ages 2-10. Please call (518) 584-2000 Ext. 111 for more information.

Summertime Fun Community Event at the Saratoga Regional YMCA 8/24

Join the Saratoga Regional YMCA for some SUMMERTIME FUN!

This FREE COMMUNITY EVENT will take place Saturday, August 24th from 6-8 pm at our Saratoga Springs branch! Activities include bounce houses, slip-n-slide, open climbs on our adventure course and more!

TO REGISTER, please call 518-583-9622.

Magic with Scott Jameson at the Saratoga Springs Public Library 8/21

Join magician and juggler, Scott Jameson on Wednesday, August 21st from 11am to 12pm for an extraordinary performance that will have you laughing out loud and perched on the very edge of your seat. Stick around for free ice cream after! Free tickets are available at the Children's Room desk.

Tot Time Tuesday at Saratoga Spa State Park 8/20

Come spend the morning at the Creekside Classroom with an environmental educator every Tuesday this August! We will talk about a different nature theme each week, read a story, do a craft, and, weather permitting, go on a short hike This is a free event. Please dress for the weather. For ages 2-5. Registration is required. Please call (518) 584-2000 Ext. 111 to register. Creekside Classroom is located on Picnic Loop Road in the park. August 20th at 10am. Topic is trees.