Category Archives: Craft

Riverfest Family Fun

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Riverfest 2013 is this weekend! The three-day event is full of food, entertainment and family fun. Here are some of this year’s family activities.

KidZone
Sponsored by Deltic Timber, the KidZone Playtime Promenade is located along the banks of the Arkansas River near the Peabody Playground & Water Park in the central area of Julius Brecking Riverfront Park. KidZone features crafts, activities and more. Be sure and stop by the Tag-A-Child Tent sponsored by the Office of Attorney General to ensure your child’s safety.

Crafts include butterfly finger puppets, paper bag trees, paper cup flowers and sun visors. Other activities include face painting and finger casts, bongo drums, dress up like a fireman, bean-bag toss, bubbles, chalk hula hoops and more. There is also a 20-foot rock climbing wall and bungee cord jumps.

Family Zone
Sponsored by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Family Zone, located on the east side on the grounds of the Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer International & Village, offers entertainment for families, including the Family Stage, Super Retriever Crown Championship Series, the Weenie Dog Derby, International Village and much more. Family Zone is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

At the International Village, kids can make wooden bead bracelets in Kenya, morocco in Brazil, Chinese lanterns in China, rain sticks while in Chile, shamrocks in Ireland and “crown jewels” in England. Kids can take their stamped passports to Customs for a surprise.

Riverfest Cheese Dip Classic
RIverfest-Cheese-Dip-Classic-Logo-1024x979The inaugural Riverfest Cheese Dip Classic is Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. Attendees can help decide which cheese dip will represent Riverfest at the 4th Annual World Cheese Dip Championship in October in Little Rock. The cheese dip competition is divided into amateur and professional divisions. Cost is $5 for adults and $2 for children 10 and younger to join in the tasting.

Pooch Parade
Ruff-on-the-RiverThe 2013 Ruff on the River Pooch Parade is Sunday. This year proceeds go to All About Labs, Canine Companions for Independence, Little Rock Animal Village and Out of the Woods.

The registration “PAWTY” is at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at the corner of 2nd and River Market Ave., the perfect drop off location for the escort and dog! Parade starts at 10:30 a.m. and ends at Heifer International. Immediately following the parade is the Weenie Dog Derby for all short-legged dogs. There are three different sized categories for the short-legged dog races. Prizes will be given for best costume. Register here.

Saturday: Thea Arts Festival

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This Saturday, April 27, the second annual Thea Arts Festival will feature 39 artists from across Arkansas, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Main Street in the Argenta Arts District in North Little Rock.

Matt McLeod is the festival’s featured artist. His one-of-a-kind painting, created specifically for the arts festival, is for sale. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Thea Foundation.

The festival includes artist demonstrations, live music and hands-on activities for the whole family, including Fun with Art, Portrait Perfect, Not Your Mama’s Paint-by-Number, Chalk it Up, Relief Printmaking and Musical Instrument Petting Zoo.

“The mission of the Thea Arts Festival is to raise awareness throughout the arts, education and business communities of the mid-South region about the Thea Foundation and its initiatives to encourage creativity among Arkansas students through this celebration of the arts in the Argenta Arts District,” says Paul Leopoulos, executive director of the Thea Foundation.

For more information, call (501) 379-9512 or click here.

5 Weekend Activities

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  1. Saturday: 10th Annual Arkansas Literary Festival features a slew of free activities for kids and teens at the Main Library and new Children’s Library and Learning Center. Click here to read our blog post for more details.
  2. Saturday: Arkansas Earth Day Festival on the grounds of Heifer International. This free event features food, music and family activities. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Details here.
  3. Saturday: Archery on the Lawn at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center for ages 10 and up. This is a drop-in activity, from noon until 2 p.m. For more information, call (501) 907-0636.
  4. Saturday: Central Arkansas Heart Walk includes a family friendly 5K fun walk, kid zone, red cap cafe, vendor expo and live music. Burns Park in North Little Rock. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Details here.
  5. Sunday: Celebrate Earth Day at Pinnacle Mountain, with an array of “green” activities. Free. Details here.

Saturday: Family Events at the Arkansas Literary Festival

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The 10th Annual Arkansas Literary Festival officially kicks of Thursday, April 18, with lots of workshops, panel discussions and activities for the whole family.

Saturday, April 20 is full of activities and fun for kids and teens. All events are free, and will be held at the new Children’s Library and Learning Center (4800 W. 10th St.) or a the Main Library downtown. Teen events are on the Fourth Floor Teen Center of the Main Library, except for the Zombie Survival Activity

Here’s an overview of Saturday’s happenings. For the most up-to-date information, download a full schedule here.

Events for Kids:

  • All Day, Children’s Library – Artmobile, featuring the “Weird and Wonderful,” a selection of unique works of original art.
  • 10 a.m., Children’s Library – “Just So Stories” with Arkansas Arts Center’s Tell a Tale Troupe.
  • 11 a.m., Children’s Library – Book Fiesta, featuring award-winning authors Carla Killough McClafferty, Darcy Pattison, Steven Teske, Duncan Tonatiuh and Rita Williams-Garcia.
  • 11 a.m., Main Library, 3rd floor – The Kinders perform.
  • 12 p.m., Main Library, 3rd floor – Fancy Nancy Party, with dress up, crown-making, snacks and photo opportunities.
  • 1 p.m., Children’s Library – Even More Mora, with Pat Mora, author of “A Birthday Basket for Tia.”
  • 1 p.m., Main Library, 3rd floor – Superhero Activity Afternoon, with cape-building and mask-making. Kids are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite superhero.
  • 2:30 p.m., Children’s Library – Shakespeare Asian Fusion, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre’s presentation of the Bard’s scenes performed with an Asian flair.

Teen Events, aka ComiCALS:

  • 10 a.m. – Right2Write, with Heather Sutherlin, author of “A Light in the Darkness.”
  • 11 a.m. – Spine Shuffle, with presentations from authors and illustrators.
  • 1 p.m. – Light Saber Combat, learn to wield a light saber and use your skills in combat.
  • 2 p.m. – Cosplay (costume play) competition, come dressed as a character from your favorite anime, manga, video game or comic book.
  • 3 p.m. – Video Game Tournament, with prizes for the top winner at “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.”
  • 4 p.m. – Ask an Artist: Graphic Novel Drawing, with festival illustrator Dusty Higgins.
  • Cover to Cover: Understanding Comics – Learn about the ins and outs of comic books during this discussion panel.
  • Zombie Transformations – Become one of the undead to prep yourself for the Zombie Survival Activity.
  • 5 p.m., Main Library Garden – Zombie Survival Activity
    Will you survive the Zombie Apocalypse? Collect survival goods and try to make your way to safety without becoming one of the undead.

6 Things To Do This Weekend

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  1. Easter Eggstravaganza at Hillcrest Farmers’ Market, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 23. This is an indoor party for kids of all ages, with breakfast, crafts, Easter story and a gigantic egg hunt with toys, candy and prizes. The market is in front of Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 2200 Kavanaugh; the event is in room 100. Free.
  2. Easter Family Festival and Arkansas’s Largest “Green” Egg Hunt at the Clinton Presidential Center, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. Enjoy free games, activities, crafts, a petting zoo and prize drawings! In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.
  3. Jacksonville’s Easter Egg Hunt is Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m. at Excell Park with 2,000 eggs per age group. In case of rain, the festivities move to the Jacksonville Community Center. Hunts start at 10:15 a.m. for walking to age 3 and 10:45 a.m. for ages 4-5 at Field 2; 10:30 a.m. for ages 6-7 and 11 a.m. for ages 8-10 at Field 3. The Easter Bunny will make a special appearance, too. Free. For more information, contact Dana Rozenski at (501) 982-0818.
  4. Meet the characters from the 2013-2014 Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre season in the Arts Center’s Lower Lobby on Saturday, March 23 at 1:30 p.m. Characters will be in full costume to chat with guests.
  5. Fireflies and Shooting Stars event at Wildwood Park for the Arts, featuring writer Ed Raarup and composer and Arkansas native Michael Rice, Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m. Raarup and Rice will also be on hand for a book signing at WordsWorth Books & Co. in Little Rock on Saturday, March 23 at 3 p.m. Details here.
  6. Enjoy a kite-flying competition at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 24. Meet at the Over-flow Parking Area. Free. Details here.

Humane Society of Pulaski County’s 8th Annual Art Contest

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In honor of “Be Kind to Animals Week,” May 1-8, the Humane Society of Pulaski County is holding its eighth annual art contest.

The contest is open to kindergarteners to 12th-graders. Artwork may be of any media, including pencil drawings, paintings and more, but must follow the “Be Kind to Animals” theme.

Artwork will be judged on originality, creativity and message. Prizes include pizza gift certificates, movie tickets and cash for first prizes.

The deadline is April 15. For more details and an entry form, click here.

Fun Under Five: In Praise of Finger Paints

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Our new series “Fun Under Five” will explore fun family activities for five dollars or less. We’d love to hear your ideas, so if you have any suggestions please let us know!

Finger paints are a quintessential preschool activity. And with good reason. They’re easy to use and are great for encouraging dexterity and creativity. The best part? A box of paints at Target will only cost you around 5.00.

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But you’re totally wrong if you think they’re just fun for little kids. Besides being cheap, finger paints are tons of fun for parents, too. Clear off the kitchen table and use a few old plates for the paints. Use whatever kind of paper you have on hand—notebook, recycled printer pages, construction paper, torn up paper grocery bags, whatever—and have fun making an artistic mess. They’re washable, so you don’t have to worry about the paints ruining the clothes or furniture.

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When you get finished you can showcase the artwork around the house with clothespins and string!

What are some of your favorite activities for 5.00 or less? We’d love to hear about them!