Summer Fun - where to find it

The kids are out of school and the days are longer. Are you in need of things to keep them occupied and entertained without breaking the bank?  A good place to start is this site.  Need more ideas, keep clicking:

The Rome Floyd Library is one of the best free places to explore with plenty of kid friendly activities. Kindermusik will be doing a special show on June 19 at 11 a.m.  Did I mention it's FREE?

Shop local every Friday through September at Rome Grown, Rome Made.  Fresh produce, jams and jellies at the Rome Visitor Center.

An organic scavenger hunt activity is Free Art Friday. Check them out on Facebook, and it's not just on Friday.

Learn about the Cherokee culture of Northwest Georgia at the Chieftain's Museum this Saturday, June 17.

Rome Little Theater has one more weekend of Jungle Book.  This is a short version just right for kids. The show is only about 40 minutes and features many children on stage for the first time!

Want to cool off?  Go to the Town Green and play in the fountains.

Looking for a playground?  Ridge Ferry is shady, has picnic tables and is a great place to meet friends for a play date.  There are also some upcoming outdoor movies at Ridge Ferry.

Have you heard about The Rock Garden in Calhoun?  This is a short drive and the perfect place to explore and take a picnic.

Christmas in July is the place to start your shopping early.

For all your local activities go to Venue Dog.

Family Fun in the Fall!

Fall Fun for Families Activities around Rome Storytime at the Rome Floyd Library meets on Tuesday mornings at 10 and 11 a.m. Puppets, songs and stories for toddlers and preschoolers! Chiaha is coming! Rome’s favorite arts and crafts show is the weekend of October 22-23. Peach State Marching Festival is at Barron Stadium on October 22. Wings Over North Georgia Air Show – October 29-30 at Russell Field, but parking is off site with free shuttles.    Fine Arts at Berry offers many free concerts and shows. Click here for a calendar of events.  Copper Creek in Calhoun is an easy drive to enjoy family time on the farm with a corn maze. Trinity Methodist Church on Turner McCall has their annual Pumpkin Patch October 3 through October 31.  Pick out a pumpkin, gourd or grab a corn stalk for your fall decorating. Rome Little Theater's holiday show is Into the Woods!  It's a musical and Jack is played by Kindermusik grad and Coosa High sophomore, Zac Mitchell. Berry College theater is performing Charlie Brown Christmas. Performances are December 1 - 3 in the Krannert ballroom. Kindermusik registration for spring semester opens November 1

Family Activities for the Holidays

Tis the Season Are you looking for some local holiday fun?  Here's a list to get you started: Downtown Holiday Open House is set for November 20-21 on Broad Street. Start your holiday shopping with local merchants on Friday and bring the kids on Saturday for a candy cane hunt at the Town Green at 1 pm.  There will also be free trolley rides with Mr & Mrs. Claus from 11 am - 3 pm. The Nutcracker returns to the Rome City Auditorium on November 20-21 with performances at 7:30 pm each evening and a 2 pm matinee on Saturday afternoon.  A special Tea Party will be held on Saturday, November 21st from 12:30-1:15, before the matinee performance. Young children will have a hot chocolate and sugar cookie tea party while given the opportunity to meet some of the lead characters in the show. It will include a reading of "The Nutcracker" book as well as a meet-and-greet, and photo-ops. It will be a great way for children to really connect with the show and with the dancers that they so admire on stage. Limited tickets for the Tea are $5 per child, and children must be accompanied by an adult  to ensure proper supervision. Tea Party tickets are available at Rome Civic Ballet (info@romecivicballet.com).  The ticket does not include the performance, so performance tickets will need to be purchased at here, with limited available at the door. Rome Christmas Parade is Tuesday December 1 at 630 pm on Broad Street.  Bands, floats, and Santa! White Christmas is coming to the Rome Little Theatre at the Historic Desoto in December.  This is a fabulous musical with great singing and dancing! Saturday, December 5, kids under 13 get in for $5 with a paying adult!  Also, photos taken with Santa at performances on December 5 and 6. Candles and Carols at Oak Hill on December 4 and 5. What else?  Check out Venue Dog for all Rome events! Eventually the holidays end and it will be winter. Don't get the winter blues and be stuck inside, enroll in Kindermusik for the spring semester. Kindermusik makes a great Christmas gift, because it last for 15 weeks!

Kindermusik Kids on Stage at RLT

Charlotte's Web is a favorite story of friendship. You can see a wonderful production at the Rome Little Theater this weekend. The shows are Friday & Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2:30 pm at the historic DeSoto Theater on Broad Street.

I went to see the show on opening night, and was pleasantly surprised to find FIFTEEN, yes 15, Kindermusik kids in the show. They ranged from having the lead role of Charlotte to being a fair goer or baby spider. Not all the roles in the show had speaking parts, but 9 of the Kindermusik kids did!

I recall several children that were shy when they came to Kindermusik. Not anymore, they are actors on a live stage. The have gained poise, confidence, and endurance When the show closes on Sunday, they will have logged many hours of rehearsal, plus 11 shows.

Though this wasn't a musical, there are many things that transfer from the Kindermusik class to the stage. Here are a few:

taking turns - waiting to take the stage

listening skills - listening for when to say your line

movement activities - moving on & off stage in an appropriate way

vocal production - speaking with clarity & volume

imaginative play - turns into a character

The show is approximately 2 hours, and is great for children. They love the animals & fun costumes. The tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors; tickets are $1 more the day of the show.

To all the KM kids in Charlotte - you did a great job, I'm so proud of all of you!!