As an avid Jim Henson fan, I was quite excited to hear about the National Heritage Museum’s current exhibit titled “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” a traveling exhibit organized by the Jim Henson Legacy and funded by The Biography Channel. Touted as featuring “100 original artworks, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards that illustrate Henson’s talent as a storyteller and visionary” as well as “puppets and television and movie props, photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work and original video productions, including excerpts from Henson’s early career and experimental films,” the exhibit seemed like a Henson devotee’s dream come true. Having some free time over April vacation, I grabbed a fellow enthusiast and checked it out.
The National Heritage Museum is a modern, beautifully kept site founded and supported by a grant from the Scottish Rite Masons. There are tables outside for sitting and relaxing or enjoying food from the museum’s small cafe. The bright main atrium features a small gift shop and the cafe, as well as additional tables and chairs. The young lady who greeted us was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, directing us to the various exhibits currently on display. We first took a walk through “Treasured Lands: The Fifty-Eight U.S. National Parks in Focus,” which featured gorgeous landscape photography by Quang-Tuan Luong, who traveled across the U.S. capturing our national parks on film. The photographs were beautiful and interesting enough to hold the attention of older children. The exhibit leaves you feeling the need to either pack and tent and hop on a plane or grab your camera and start snapping your surroundings. It was well worth the 15 minutes it took to stroll through.
Having read Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol mostly for the interesting historical (and pseudo-historical) tidbits he dispenses, as well as the mythology he builds around the Masons, I was excited to check out “The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry and the Architecture of Washington, D.C.” The exhibit is described as exploring “the Masonic ideals and symbols made manifest in our nation’s capital city.” It features Masonic artifacts, as well as “oil paintings by artist Peter Waddell based on the architecture of Washington, D.C., and the role that our founding fathers and prominent citizens—many of whom were Freemasons—played in establishing the layout, design and construction of the city.” While the exhibit does indeed feature those things, it failed to hold my attention - the colorful modern paintings divulged very few secrets, and I found myself wishing for a Brown-like guide to the exhibit which would point out the details of symbolism in a way the plaques next to the paintings did not. Having no connections to Freemasonry myself, the exhibit failed to deliver any sense of excitement, other than mild interest at recognizing certain places from recent trips to D.C.
Since we grew up in Massachusetts and feel thoroughly versed in the state’s role in the American Revolution, we elected to skip “Sowing the Seeds of Liberty: Lexington and the American Revolution,” described as “the Museum’s new cornerstone exhibition on Lexington and the American Revolution” which is “designed to stimulate new ways of thinking about the battle at Lexington on April 19, 1775.” We did check out the 200-year-old 15-star flag, displayed in a beautiful conference room, but then hurried on to our main event.
It did not disappoint. The exhibit features everything it promises and more. Organized chronologically, it consists mainly of sketches, drawings, storyboards, pictures, sales pitches and other printed material from all stages of Henson’s life, but the real treasures are the glass cases containing actual puppets Henson worked with, including Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Bert and Ernie, and Fraggles Gobo and Cantus. There is also a room with props from one of Henson’s most popular movies, The Dark Crystal. Several screens loop videos of his early work, such as talk show appearances, commercials, and some little-known experimental films, and a small room shows a longer biographical film. While “The Muppet Show”, “Sesame Street” and The Dark Crystal are featured, the focus seems to be on Henson’s earlier and lesser-known works. Posters he created in high school, his commercial work, and his less-successful television and film attempts give Henson fans a fuller understanding of his body of work. It ends roughly where Henson’s life did (1990) and does not feature any of the later Muppet works done through Disney.
Children will be excited to see characters they know up close, but as photography is not permitted, and most of the exhibit’s interest lies in closely reading the materials, the exhibit is best for older children and those who are already fans or who want to know more about the fascinating man behind so many beloved characters and programs. I was most struck with the way every scrap of paper Henson touched seemed to have been preserved - doodles, ideas jotted on notepads, silly drawings, cartoons, early conceptions of well-known works - it all became fascinating in retrospect. How many of us think, when doodling in the margins of a notebook during a meeting, that our work could one day be displayed in a museum? Henson was truly a visionary, and the exhibit allows a full appreciation of his mind and work. More information on the touring exhibit can be found at http://sites.si.edu/henson/index.html.
The National Heritage Museum is located at 33 Marrett Road (At the intersection of Route 2A and Massachusetts Avenue), Lexington, MA and can be reached at (781) 861-6559. Admission to the museum and all exhibits is free, and hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 4:30 pm, and Sundays from noon to 4:30 pm. More information, including special events and group information, is found at http://www.nationalheritagemuseum.org/. I would recommend both the museum and exhibit for ages 9 and up.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is the #1 movie in North America after its opening last weekend. We recently got a chance to talk to the movie's writer/directors Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, visual effects supervisor Rob Bredow, production designer Justin Thompson, and animation supervisor Pete Nash about the movie and can't wait to see this one!
Miller and Lord both loved the classic children's book and thought it would make a great action movie so they teamed up with Sony Pictures Animation to make the 3D film. Miller and Lord expanded on the book's storyline, but made sure to keep key visual elements from the book in the movie. The pair spent over two and a half years developing the story for the movie and critics agree it is a winner. Check it out at a theater near you this weekend!
We found ourselves near Hartford, CT, this weekend and decided to stop by Lyman Orchards to check out their Sunflower Maze. We've been to corn mazes before, but had never seen the sunflower variety. This place is a bit of a drive, but we think it was worth it as the sunflower maze was great and the rest of the facility made for a great afternoon.
Owned and operated by the Lyman Family since 1741, Lyman Orchards has something for everyone including the Apple Barrel market, pick-your-own fruit, a corn maze, a sunflower maze, Frisbee golf, and even a 36-hole championship golf course. We arrived around lunch so parked and headed directly for the Apple Barrel market to find some nourishment.
Eating at Lyman Orchard
There were a few options to choose from: an outdoor fast food-style vendor (hot dogs, hamburgers, fried dough, etc.), a full-service deli, and wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The deli is inside the market, so you can check out the produce and homemade pies at the same time. The deli offers fresh made sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, and a hot entree.
There are plenty of seating options available around the market. The outdoor deck has numerous picnic tables, or you can do a real picnic on any of the grassy areas throughout the area. We sat under a tree near the pond next to the market and were entertained (our son more than us) by the geese and birds begging for food.
Pick up a map at the information desk in the market to get the lay of the land. The activities are a bit spread out so make a game plan before visiting by checking out the map. You can visit the Apple Barrel market and do the corn maze with one car stop, but you have to drive to the rest of the areas. The sunflower maze isn’t on the map yet as it’s new, but is in the general vicinity of the pick-your-own area.
The Mazes
Admission to each maze is $9.00 for adults and $5.00 for kids ages 4 to 12. A combo pass for both mazes is available for $12.50 for adults and $8.00 for kids. Before entering the maze you can pick up a map and a set of trivia questions. You must choose from various categories such as American History, sports, politics, and tots and tikes. Each sheet has ten questions that will help you navigate through the maze. Each question is multiple-choice and the answer corresponds to either left or right—the direction you should take at that numbered pole in the maze. Get the question correct and you will head in the right direction. This is a great opportunity to work with your kids on some problem solving by helping them eliminate certain multiple choice answers and even letting them get a few wrong (if you know the answer).
We took a few different categories of questions and found that some, like American History, were more difficult than others, such as tots and tikes. Ask the attendant for the category that is most appropriate for your kid’s age group. This year’s corn maze theme was George Washington and Barack Obama. The aerial view of the maze is quite impressive as it does resemble the two presidents. In addition to the trivia the corn maze had additional presidential factoids throughout the maze, so if you kid is into history they’ll enjoy stopping to read up along the route.
Pick Your Own
Lyman offers one of the most diverse and largest pick your own orchard that we have been to with the following available throughout the year: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, jostaberries, peaches, pears, Asian pears, apples, and pumpkins.
You can use their containers or bring your own and get to picking. They provide nice stations to work from and store your picked fruit as well as recipes to help you come up with ideas for the fresh produce. The staff was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful during our visit. We would recommend calling before heading to Lyman to see what is ripe for picking and check out the current prices. The number is 860-349-6015.
Dad Says: The price of the maze seemed a bit high, but was worth it. Next time, I think we’d stick with the sunflower maze only. The food was great and this place is worth a visit if you are in the area.
Mom Says: Between the picnic and the sunflower maze, this was one of the most romantic family events we’ve ever done. It was so beautiful walking around the sunflowers we didn’t even care if we got lost! Note: you are in a field, so it is a bit warmer than the actual temperature.
Noodle Noggin' 'N Bean is proud to be working with "Once Again Kids" a new children's resale shop located at 243 West Main St in the Northborough Shopping Center next to Dawn's School of Dance.
Once Again Kids, a unique resale shop is now open at 243 West Main St. in Northboro. Shop and spend $25.00 or more and get a FREE visit to NNNB! Offer good until September 15. What is accepted for resale: Gently used, like new clothing and shoes, sizes newborn through size 12-14. Seasonal only. Items should be freshly washed or laundered and less than five years old.
Toys, Infant Toys, playsets, and games (no missing pieces).
Books with complete and tear free pages/CD's.
Customer is paid in advance. No consignment, no waiting until after the items are sold.
What is NOT accepted for resale:
Rattles, plush animals, teethers, baby monitors, breast pumps, bottle warmers or items to transport baby which attach to an adult bicycle.
It is this easy:
Drop your items off at Once Again Kids during any of our open hours. (Mon. through Sat. 10:30 am to 6:00 pm).
Fill out a resale agreement form.
Within three weeks you will receive your cash offer via telephone.
Pick up your check and returns at NNNB.
All buys will be limited to one large bag OR one large box or bin or two small bags OR two small boxes or bins at one time. More items may be brought in when seller picks up checks and return.
We had heard quite a bit about Noodle Noggin’ ‘N Bean (NNNB) and finally brought our son there this past weekend. The place is fantastic! The creators of NNNB really understand how children like to play and the importance of it, especially the interaction between kids and their parents.
NNNB dubs itself as an “EDU-tainment parent-child experience for children ages one through six,” and is located in Northborough, MA. Featuring 5,000 square feet of open play and learning space split into 12 themed rooms, NNNB will keep your kid(s) entertained for hours. The entry fee is $9.99 per child and $2.99 per adult, and is good for the entire day so you can come and go (after all that play everyone needs some food!).
What really struck us about NNNB was the variety and quality of activities for the kids and parents to participate in, and unlike traditional playplaces, NNNB encourages parents and caregivers to participate right alongside their kids. We won’t attempt to detail each of the twelve themed rooms that make up NNNB, but will tell you about some of the highlights from our visit.
Old Town Square is where we entered and were immediately struck by the large wooden vehicles that you could climb aboard to start your adventure – one is a train and the other is a fire truck. This room is covered in murals, giving it a nice warm feel. Kid-friendly music is playing throughout the entire facility. Some noteworthy tunes we heard were kid versions of
Chumbawamba’s ‘Tubthumping’ and House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around;’ the the songs were sung by kids and the lyrics were changed a bit to remove anything inappropriate (‘Whiskey Drink’ became ‘Soda Drink’).
Off of this room are several other themed rooms including Bean’s Bricks & Blocks, Inc., Mona Lisa’s Art Studio, Pirate’s Cove, Dr. Bone’s Body Shop, and Noggin’s Knock Knock Nook. Each room features unique activities for your kids to try out. Bean’s Bricks & Blocks is full of different building systems—Duplos, Quartros and Lincoln Logs—allowing your kid to perfect his craftsmanship. Mona Lisa’s Art Studio has a huge chalk board as well as a large wall covered in paper waiting for young artists to adorn it with their work. The Knock Knock Nook is filled with musical instruments, costumes, and sheet music, encouraging your kid to express himself musically. We were even able to follow the colored notes and play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’ on the xylophone. Our son really enjoyed this room, especially the kid-sized cymbals and the life-sized floor keyboard al-la Tom Hanks in ‘Big.’ We didn’t have time to go into Pirate’s Cove, but it looked like a lot of fun. It had a full-size pirate ship and a long water trough where kids can play with various water toys or use a fishing pole to catch a live one (don’t worry, there are no real fish).
Walking from one side of the complex to the other, the hallways feature different types of activity toys mounted to the walls. From rollercoaster bead mazes to circle spinners, the folks at NNNB have covered all the bases to keep your kids entertained, even when walking down a hallway. We spent 15 minutes playing with the toys in one of the hallways.
The opposite side of the building is laid out in a similar fashion, with a central room, aptly named Central Park, and a few smaller themed rooms. Central Park is meant for younger kids and has soft mats and padding allowing for the little ones to tumble around. There is a diner where your kids can cook up a feast or be a guest and sit down for a nice meal. Before cooking, you can hit up the kid market, a well-stocked supermarket complete with shopping carts and a cash register. The sea-saw and ball pit were big hits for our kid on this side of the building.
As you can tell, Noodle Noggin’ ‘N Bean packs quite a punch under a single roof. We’d encourage you to check out their site, especially the ‘Rooms’ section, to get a better feel for the variety of offerings. When visiting, we’d also recommend taking a walk around the entire facility to gauge your kids’ interest and plan your visit. NNNB has two rooms for birthday parties and is definitely in our list of venues for future birthdays.
Mom Says: Clean and cute!!! No food allowed in the building except for the party room, so there aren’t any wayward crumbs. The toys were very gently used – I wasn’t disgusted with anything that my kid touched. I even got in the ball pit with him and found it to be clean. Next time I’m planning on staying for at least 2 hours.
Dad Says: This place knocked our socks off! It is clear that NNNB understands how to create an engaging and fun environment for kids and adults. The idea of playing and learning with your kids is great and I know we’ll be doing more of it at Noodle Noggin’ ‘N Bean.
