Today – September 1st

Summer Sounds.  Stony Point Fashion Park.  Enjoy live music while you stroll, shop and dine to all your favorite tunes performed by local musicians every Friday, Saturday and Sunday!  Weather permitting.

Today – Sunday, September 7th

How to Make a Monster.     Science Museum of Virginia.  Uncover the world of monsters and creatures from the movies! Find out how they’re brought to life – from an idea to the final project – and take a look at the behind-the scenes art and technology of animatronics. Included with exhibit admission; free for members.

Today – September 30th

Water Play.  Weekdays 1pm-4:45pm.  Saturdays and Sundays 9am-4:45pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.   During warm spring, summer, and fall days, the Children’s Garden is the coolest place to be! Bring or wear your bathing suit and water shoes to enjoy the gentle water sprays. Don’t forget a towel and remember that swimming diapers are required for those not potty-trained. Water Play is operational when the air temperature is 70 degrees or higher.  April 21 – Sept 30. (weather permitting).  Free with garden admission.

Monday, June 2nd

Garden Art Studio.  1pm-3pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Work alongside staff artist, Katelyn Coyle, in the colorful Garden Art Studio located beside the Hidden Tunnel. Drop-in and unfold your creative energy. Use provided materials to collaborate, explore and reflect on your own Garden experience.  Free with Garden admission.

Collaborative Parenting.  7pm-9:30pm.  CPR Conference Room, 8500 Bell Creek Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 23116.  Fee.

Tuesday, June 3rd

Kids Club at Chesterfield Towne Center.  9:30am-10:30am.  Chesterfield Towne Center Food Court.  Free entertainment and light snacks.

Garden Explorations for Families.  10:15am.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  For children 3-5 years (older siblings welcome) with accompanying adult.  Enjoy story time and a fun-filled adventure while exploring different areas of the Garden. We observe our surroundings using a variety of hands-on activities and take-home treasures. Themes change each month and new stories, activities and garden areas are introduced each week.  Fee.

FROZEN Musical Playdate.  5:30pm-6:10pm.  Melody Magic Music Studio, 3041 Lauderdale Drive, Richmond, VA.  Kids up to age 7 will love this playdate, based on the music from the popular Disney movie “Frozen!” We will use magic frozen wands to do a freeze dance (helping our inhibitory control, of course!), drum like we are cutting ice, dance and sing with microphones, and so much more. Your child will be THRILLED, and you will be ecstatic at how we use play to help your child learn! Just $10/child. Advance registration required online at www.melodymagicmusic.com.

Twilight Bluegrass Session.  6:30pm-9pm.  Rockwood Nature Center, Chesterfield County.  Spend a summer evening listening to some of the best bluegrass picking in the area. Musicians from the Virginia Folk Music Association will be performing in this free, family-friendly event.  Free.

Autism Spectrum Disorders 101.  6:30pm-8pm.  Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting.  Fee.

All Pro Dad.  6:30pm-7:30pm.  MARTIN’S at Crossridge.  To provide dads and their elementary-aged kids with a chance to bond beyond school and the home, First Things First offers a monthly All Pro Dad program. Using the nationally recognized program, First Things First provides chances for dads to interact with their elementary age kids in a fun-filled, engaged environment while enjoying some great pizza courtesy of MARTINS’s generosity. Dads and kids will walk away with great life lessons and a stronger connection. Space is limited and registration required.  Free.

Tuesday, June 3rd and Wednesday, June 4th

On-the-Air Radio Players.  Come and be a part of the studio audience for this hour long taping featuring live music, live sound effects and old commercials from this classic tale from the “golden age of radio.”   Visit the website for show times.  Free.

June 3rd and June 7th

Battle of Cold Harbor Sesquicentennial Commemoration.  Cold Harbor Battlefield.

Wednesday, June 4th

Managing Summertime Stress for Working Parents of Children 11-16 yrs.  Noon-1pm.  Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting.  Fee.

Drop in and Dig!  1pm-3pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Families with children are invited to drop-in and participate in simple, easy to learn gardening tasks under the guidance of Children’s Garden staff and volunteers. These family-oriented gardening experiences can easily be enjoyed at home. Free with Garden admission.

Thursday, June 5th

Families After 5.  5pm-9pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.  Enjoy Flowers After 5 with the family and special events for kids in the Children’s Garden.  Listen to story books, garden, participate in walkabouts and have good, green fun. Featured activities will rotate based on the Children’s Garden monthly seasonal themes.  WaterPlay will remain open until 8pm.  Fee, free for members.

Making Sense of Toddler and Preschool Meltdowns (Parents/Caregivers of Children 18 mos.-4 yrs.)  6:30pm-8pm.  Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting.  Fee.

Thursday, June 5th  – Saturday, June 7th

2014 HEAV Virginia Homeschool Convention.  Greater Richmond Convention Center.   Homeschooling…or considering it? Don’t miss HEAV’s 2014 Virginia Homeschool Convention for three days of encouragement, support, resources, learning, and hands-on fun for the whole family! Exciting workshops, programs, and exhibits—including a robotics expo, NASA and the Virginia Air and Space Center, Segway® demos, and more—all combine to create a homeschool event that will change the life of your family! Choose from 150+ workshops—from finance and parenting to photography and reading. Explore many events, including a hands-on science lab, a silent auction, children’s program, graduation, chess championships, instrument petting zoo, huge used curriculum sale, and so much more! FREE shuttle-bus service on Friday runs from the Diamond Stadium to the convention center—with optional stops for mini excursions to the Children’s Museum and Science Museum.

Friday, June 6th

First Friday Sampler.  5:30pm-8:30pm.  Visual Arts Center of Richmond.  Engage in a night of family creativity with a variety of artistic options at very reasonable prices. Call 804-353-0094 for more information. Fee.

Candy Bingo.  5:30pm.  Sweet Spot, 2228 Old Brick Road, Glen Allen, VA 23026.  All ages welcome.  Free Event.

Special Night for Special Needs.  5:30pm – 7:30pm.  CMoR Chesterfield.  An evening especially for children 10 years old and younger who have special needs and their families.  Enjoy museum exploration, adapted materials, special activities, and reduced number of visitors on this special night. Children will have access and learning opportunities, but most importantly they’ll have fun!  Admission is Free.

Movies in the Moonlight – ‘Frozen’.  6pm.  Innsbrook Pavillion.  Outdoor Screening of ‘Frozen’.  Tickets $5-$10.

Richmond Raiders Game.  7pm.  Richmond Coliseum.  The Raiders play in the fast paced, action packed sport of Professional Indoor Football.  Fee.

Saturday June 7th

Build a Riding Lawn Mower.  9am-Noon.  Local Home Depot Stores. FREE hands-on workshops designed for children ages 5 – 12 offered at all Home Depot stores.  Workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills, tool safety and instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. All kids get to keep their craft and receive a FREE Kids Workshop Apron, commemorative pin and certificate of achievement.  Register online.  Free.

Boot Camp for New Dads.  9am-Noon.  Locations vary.  Delivered by First Things First of Greater Richmond.  A unique father-to-father community-based workshop prepares and equips expectant dads to become confidently engaged with their infants, support their mates, and navigate their transformation into dads.  Fee.

Varina Day.  10am-2pm.  Dorey Park, Henrico County.  Live performances will be featured on stage throughout the day. Children’s activities include a petting zoo, moonwalk, and more. Free.

Ashland Strawberry Faire.  10am-5pm.  On Henry Street in historic Ashland, Virginia, adjacent to the Randolph-Macon College campus.  It is a traditional celebration to promote the community and feature the strawberry harvest. The Faire is a free, community and family-oriented event during which non-profit groups and churches raise funds and offer something for everyone. There are vendors selling arts, crafts, plants, and antiques to the thousands who attend. There are local businesses featured from Ashland and Hanover.

Stories at the Museum.  11am-Noon.  Virginia Historical Society.  Reading of a children’s history book and a make-it-and-take-it craft.  June Theme – World War II History.  For all ages.  Free.

Hoopin’ in the Garden.  1pm-3pm.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  Adult-child pairs join guest instructor Stacey Firefly of RVA hoop house to craft a hoop of your own and learn a few tricks of the trade. No experience necessary.  All materials provided. Rain or shine. Ages 7-12.  Pre-registration required.  Fee.

Behind the Scenes.  1pm.  Maymont Nature Center.  Fee.

Kids Night Out.  6pm-9pm.  Romp n’ Roll Mechanicsville, 6300 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Mechanicsville VA 23111.  Every kid deserves a special night out…and so do you!  Parents get an evening to themselves while the children get to run and play with energetic instructors and enjoy a pizza party dinner.  No need to be a member; register by calling 804-730-2060. (Members: $20 for one child, $35 for two children, $40 for three children. Non-Members: $25 for one child, $40 for two children, $45 for three children; no discounts apply, children must be siblings to qualify for pricing.)

Sunday, June 8th

Celebrate Fatherhood Event.  1pm-4pm.  Ukrop Park, 5300 Ridgedale Parkway, Richmond, VA 23234.  First Things First of Greater Richmond in conjunction with the Richmond Kickers and Collegiate School Aquatics Center presents Celebrate Fatherhood 2014, a collaborative effort to honor dads as they enjoy time with their kids at state-of-the-art recreational facilities.  Food and drink vendors will be onsite.  Free admission.

Reenactment of the Second Virginia Convention and Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!”.  1pm-3pm.  St. John’s Church.   1:15 pm — Doors open.  Seating is on a first-come, first served basis.  1:30 pm — Music program.  1:45 pm — Reenactment begins.  This event is also FREE, with a suggested donation of $5.00.  Reservations are available for groups of ten or more for fee of $5 per person, up to 100 reserved seats.