October 12th – 18th

trick or treatMonday, October 12th

Music & Movement Mondays.  Children’s Museum of Richmond – All Locations.  Activity times vary by location.  Kids can take part in an activity that focuses on music and movement every Monday!  Free with museum admission.

Itsy Bitsy Artists.  10am. Cartwheels and Coffee, Carytown.  Explore your creative side with Miss Lisa.  FREE with admission.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA.  2pm.  Sandston Library.  Looking for something fun to do on a school holiday? Watch Hotel Transylvania at the Sandston Library.  Free.

Haunting Tales & Tours.  This unique tour of Edgewood, Berkeley and Shirley Plantations will give an insight of the spirits and mysteries of these three historic homes in Charles City, Virginia.  Hear the haunting tales of the paranormal activities at each site on a progressive tour offered on October 10, 12 & 24 2015.   The tour begins at 2:30 & 3:30 at Shirley Plantation, continue to Berkeley and end at Edgewood.  The cost is $36.00 per person and reservations are required.  To make reservations call Edgewood (804) 829-2962

Tuesday, October 13th

Tinker Tuesdays.  Children’s Museum of Richmond – All Locations.  Activity times vary by location.  Kids can take part in an fun Math or Science project every Tuesday!  Free with museum admission.

Time to Sing. 10am. Cartwheels and Coffee, Carytown.  You and your little ones will enjoy singing, dancing, and making music together. Kids will use simple instruments and movements to learn new songs as well as sing along with their favorites. FREE with admission.

PLAY, LEARN AND GROW.  10:30am.  Gayton Library.  Play is how our youngest children learn! Join this playgroup to develop early literacy skills, to make new friends, and have fun! Ages 6-24 months with an adult.  Free.

Weekly Storytime.  11am.  Pottery Barn Kids, Short Pump Mall.  Kids can enjoy some of their favorite books read aloud.

Children’s Storytime. 11am. Barnes and Noble Chesterfield. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Free.

Short Pump Pals Clubhouse Meeting.  11am.  Short Pump Mall.  Free.

Family Jump Night.  6pm-8pm.  Pump It Up, 9555 Kings Charter Drive, Suite I, Ashland , VA.  Come play on the giant, soft, fun-filled interactive inflatables during Family Jump Time, then enjoy a pizza dinner together! Pizzas and 2-liter drinks can be ordered at check-in, and food will be available later in the playtime. Check the calendar for any schedule changes. Fee.

Wednesday, October 14th

Art Workshop Wednesday.   Children’s Museum of Richmond – All Locations.  Activity times vary by location.  Kids can head to the Art Studio for an instructor-led art activity every Wednesday!  Free with museum admission.

Move with Me. 10am. Cartwheels and Coffee, Carytown.  Clap your hands, stomp your feet, move your bodies to the beat! Miss Sarah Ruppel, of the Richmond Ballet, leads a creative and energetic movement time for your little dancers every Wednesday at 10. Free with admission.

Mommy and Me. 10am-11:30am. Willow Lawn – Outside on the Plaza. Join The Shops at Willow Lawn on the second Wednesday of every month as they host a free morning out with live entertainment and activities designed to enhance parents’ interaction with their children. This month – Hope Harris. Free.

Story Time.  11am.  bbgb tales for kids, 3003 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221.  A local children’s bookstore in Carytown with story time every Wednesday at 11am.

RECYCLING FUN.  11am.  Varina Library.  A Recycling Specialist from CVWMA presents an interactive program about the importance of caring for our environment. Hear stories and check out some interesting items made from recycled materials. (Have you ever seen soft polar fleece gloves that were made from plastic bottles?).  Free.

October 14th – November 15th

THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER.  Virginia Rep’s Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn.  Fee.

Thursday, October 15th

15 Cent Kids Days.  Children’s Museum of Richmond.  15¢ Kids Days will offer admission to children for 15¢ on the 15th of each month. Valid at all four locations (Central, Short Pump, Chesterfield, and Fredericksburg), the Museum will feature activities for the entire family – in addition to the play-filled, educational environment that families across Central Virginia have come to associate with CMoR.

Thoughtful Thursdays.  Children’s Museum of Richmond – All Locations.  Activity times vary by location.  Kids can take part in an activity that focuses on helping others!  Free with museum admission.

Fit Tots. 10am.   Cartwheels and Coffee, Carytown.  It’s never too early to instill the importance of leading healthy and active lifestyles! Participants will be lead through various activities that help develop flexibility and hand-eye coordination.  Free with admission.

Children’s Storytime. 10:30am. Barnes and Noble Short Pump. Every Thursday. On the fourth Thursday of each month, enjoy a special visit from Seymour and the folks from the Children’s Museum. Free.

Children’s Storytime. 11am. Barnes and Noble Chesterfield. Every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am. Free.

Beginning Drawing.  4:15pm.  VMFA, Art Education Center. For ages 5 – 8.  Learn about fundamental drawing techniques! Practice sketching and shading, while experimenting with different drawing media.  Fee.

The Goodnight Story: What New Parents Need to Know about Babies and Sleep.  6:30pm – 8pm. Delivered by Commonwealth Parenting.  Understanding sleep needs for babies and establishing sleep routines are often a concern and challenge for parents. Learn about the ages and stages of sleep, how to set routines and conditions conducive to sleep, sleep safety tips and solutions for common sleep challenges. Find out what to expect with your newborn and into the first year of life. Free.  Pre-registration required.  Free.

RVA Parents Forum: Raising Healthy Eaters in an Unhealthy World.  6:30pm – 8:00pm.  Children’s Museum of Richmond – Central, 2626 W Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220.  Today, nearly one-in-three children are overweight or obese, facing a future with possible chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma. Parents and caregivers play a key role in not only making healthy choices for their children but also in teaching them how to make healthy choices for themselves.The increasing presence of high sugar and highly processed foods in today’s world presents numerous challenges in communicating to children the value of healthy eating habits and in cultivating those behaviors.  Hear Dr. Melanie Bean of  Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University present solutions and strategies.  The $30 ticket cost includes dinner, parenting experts, interactive Q&A sessions and babysitting; reservations are required. Scholarships and discounts are available. Please call 804-545-1272.

POE & “THE RAVEN”.  7pm.  Tuckahoe Library.  Chris Semtner, Curator of the Poe Museum, will provide an intriguing look at Edgar Allan Poe and the classic poem that upon its publication in 1845 made him a national celebrity. Sponsored by Friends of the Tuckahoe Library.  Free.

Friday, October 16th

Fit Fridays.  Children’s Museum of Richmond – All Locations.  Activity times vary by location.  Kids can take part in an activity that focuses on getting fit every Friday!  Free with museum admission.

Storytime. 10am. Cartwheels & Coffee, Carytown.  Sponsored by bbgb tales for kids and lead by Miss Hannah, story time will take you to far away lands, introduce you to new friends with all sorts of interesting creatures, and allow you to discover a world of imagination inside your favorite books!   Free with admission.

Science After Dark: Glow!  5pm to 9pm.  Science Museum of Richmond.  An evening filled with glow-in-the-dark crafts, games and experiments as you learn about luminescence and phosphorescence. Step into The Dome for an all-live Cosmic Expedition at 6:30 pm before enjoying a special showing of Back to the Future Part II. Venture outside to stargaze with the Richmond Astronomical Society or get glowing with black light activities and more! $5 or free for members. College students with ID will receive free admission. To purchase tickets, please call 804.864.1400.

Parent’s Night Out.  6:30pm-10:30pm.  Pump It Up, 9555 Kings Charter Drive, Suite I, Ashland , VA.  The kids will be happy with an evening of jumping, games, dinner and a movie! 4-12 years old.  Fee.

Friday Night Movie at the Pumpkin Patch.  7pm movie start time.  Tom Leonard’s Outdoor Haybale Theatre, 4150 Tom Leonard Drive, Glen Allen, VA.  Tonight – ‘Spooky Bats and Scardy Cats’.  Dress Warm, Hot Chocolate, Warm Cider.  Free.

Friday, October 16th – Saturday, October 17th

Family Camp-Out: Spooky Spectacular.  6pm-9am.  Maymont Grounds.  Meet some of Maymont’s spooky creatures and celebrate “Owl”-oween! Explore the grounds on a lantern-lit hike as the (almost) full moon rises. Afterwards,  make s’mores and enjoy stories around the campfire. Following a night in your tent on Maymont’s grounds, enjoy a continental breakfast and take a morning hike. Ages 4 and older; one adult must be registered for every four children. Register online by October 14.  Fee.

Richmond Oktoberfest.  Fri – 6pm to Midnight and Sat – 5pm-Midnight,  All the fun you’d expected and a “Kinder Korner”, which offers supervised activities such as face painting and table games for the kids.  Fee.

Saturday, October 17th

Day of Service.  9am-Noon.  Reveille United Methodist Church, 4200 Cary Street Road, Richmond, VA 23221.  Participate in 12 service opportunities in three hours. The event is free and open to the public.
Day of Service offers meaningful fun for the entire family through a unique opportunity to participate in a wide range of service projects all in one place and in one morning:
• Help package 20,000 meals for the non-profit, international hunger-relief organization Stop Hunger Now, which coordinates the distribution of food and other aid to crisis areas across the globe.
• Work with others to prepare the church to host families who are working to transition from homelessness to permanent housing through CARITAS.
• Create personal care kits and assemble bag lunches for distribution to homeless individuals.
• Participate in service projects with United Methodist Family Services and the church’s other outreach ministries.
• Information also will be available about opportunities to serve both locally and abroad, including upcoming mission trips.
Drop in to help with most activities at any time from 9:00 a.m. until noon on Saturday, October 17. However, if you are interested in participating with Stop Hunger Now or CARITAS please register ahead of time at http://bit.ly/rumcservice.

Liberty Christian School’s Fall Festival.  9am to 3pm.  8094 Liberty Circle, Mechanicsville, VA 23111.  Huge Indoor Yard Sale to begin at 7am, activities for the kids, Bake Sale, Food and more.

HandsOn Day 2015.  Projects: 9am-1pm. Celebration: 1pm-3pm.  Imagine how much better Richmond could be if we all spent just 4 hours doing something together for the community. Join over a thousand volunteers across the metro region at over 60 sites to make a difference on one of many organized volunteer opportunities.

Stay Flu-Free with Free Flu Shots. 9am-1pm. St. Francis Watkins Centre, 601 Watkins Centre Parkway, Midltohian, VA. 23114.

Fall Festival.  9am-6pm.  Hanover Vegetable Farm, 13580 Ashland Road, Ashland, VA 23005.  Fun fall activities which include: hayrides,petting zoo,pig races, smores making over an open fire, bounce houses, corn maze and corn sling shots.  There will also be Wilbur’s Carolina BBQ serving all the fresh bbq you can eat and James River Cellars Winery will have a tasting tent and wine for sale.

VCU Broad Street Mile.  10am-2pm.  Broad Street between Belvidere Street and Hermitage Road.  The VCU Broad Street Mile combines a street festival with a 5K Run and series of one-mile fun runs on the city’s major thoroughfare, Broad Street. In addition to providing a fun, festive event, the VCU Broad Street Mile provides a turnkey fundraising opportunity for local community organizations. This year’s 5K route explores its way through the VCU Campus and the festival thrives with performances from local community organizations and bands.  This years themed One Mile Fun Runs include: The Doggy Dash, Kids Mile, Senior Mile, No Limits Mile and Spirit Mile.  The Kids Mile features a fun run with Rodney the Ram and area mascots in support of children’s charities. (Start time: 11:20 AM).  The FREE festival will feature live music, food trucks, local vendors, kids activities and more. People are encouraged to come enjoy the festival even if you are not participating in one of the run/walks.

Midlothian Village Day Festival & Craft Fair.  10am-3pm.  Midlothian Middle School, 13501 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian, VA 23113.  A community day filled with fun activities for the whole family. There will be crafters, community booths, games, inflatables, entertainment, food vendors, a raffle and more!  No admission fee.

Party on the Avenues.  Noon-6pm.  Libbie Avenue from Patterson to Guthrie.  Music, craft beer and food trucks, kids’ area with bounce houses, face-painting, jugglers, games.  Free.  Rescheduled from October 4th

Harvest Festival.  Noon-4pm.  Meadow Farm, 3400 Mountain Road Glen Allen VA 23060.  Celebrate the harvest with fun for the whole family. Explore hands on activities and demonstrations that bring fall to the forefront, such as candle dipping, apple pressing, tractor rides, and living history exhibits. Enjoy live musical entertainment and the Wild West Medicine Show. Children can pick their own pumpkin to take home from the “Great Pumpkin Patch”. Concessions will be available for purchase.  Free.

Fashion: Felted Accessories.  1pm – 4 pm.  VMFA, Art Education Center.  For ages 13 – 17.  Create colorful wool accessories—everything from buttons to beads—to adorn your outfits, backpacks, and more.  Fee.

Artful Artifacts.  1pm – 4 pm. VMFA, Art Education Center.  For ages 6 – 9.  Imagine living in Egypt 5,000 years ago and the items you would’ve used in everyday life. Apply basic sculpting methods to replicate objects used by the ancient Egyptians.  Fee.

Fancy Me Mad: Graveyard Tour + Tales from Edgar Allan Poe.  5pm-7pm.  St. John’s Church, 2401 E. Broad Street, Richmond, 23223.  A ghostly Graveyard tour, followed by tales from Mr. Poe himself inside the church.  Fee.

Fancy Me Mad: Tales from Edgar Allen Poe + Graveyard Tour.  6pm – 8pm.  St. John’s Church, 2401 E. Broad Street Richmond, 23223.  Tales from Edgar Allen Poe followed by a self-guided walking tour of the graveyard.  Among the spirits represented: Edgar’s mother Eliza Poe, George Wythe and his murderous nephew, and Elizabeth Van Lew – Union spy.  Fee.