CT Workshop Announces Vacation iCamps

Computer game design, robotics, engineering, programming, digital design, movie production, news casting, and animation are some of the exciting possibilities at iCamp by Children's Technology Workshop. Campers create their own experience by choosing one of ten cool adventure themes and combining several projects to tell a story. Themes include "Architect," "Fashion Designer," "Team F1," "Rescue," "Olympics," "Medieval," and others. Activities occur both on and off the computer, with outdoor breaks and games throughout the day. Trained adventure guides help campers select projects that suit their age, area of interest and skill level to maximize the fun and the thrill of success. Camp runs Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm, with optional extended hour. Registration is open now for winter and spring programs: Full-day: $595/week, half-day: $345/week. Call for availability and registration: 617-395-7527 or send an email.

Photos from Fuller Craft Museum

The Divas attended the opening of the Fuller Craft Museum's newest exhibit, "Wear Art: Now and Then," took in jewelry and woodworking class demonstrations, and strolled arond the grounds. The Museum is in Brockton, about 30 minutes from 2 & 128.

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Give Holiday Cabin Fever the Boott!

If you find yourself with cabin fever over the holidays, try taking your family or out-of-town visitors out on a Perfect Day Trip* to Lowell. We did this recently, and by absolute luck, we stumbled on the historic Boott Mill Museum, where generations of men and women, including my children's great-grandmother, labored to make a better life for their families.

Friendly park rangers give you an authentic mill apron and answer questions along a trail of life-sized pictures of children through the mill. Walking through the weaving room is a step back in time - minus the dust, but including the din of the clacking looms (don't forget to take the complimentary earplugs). Upstairs, you can follow the process of turning cotton into thread, into cloth. Try out a small loom and listen to the voices of men and women who actually worked in the mills. By another stroke of luck, I later found our copy of The Bobbin Girl by Emily Arnold McCully handed down by Lowell relatives, which made for great reading that night.

There are many reasons why Lowell makes a Perfect Day Trip: From the mill, you are just steps away from many other indoor and outdoor Lowell attractions, including The Revolving Museum, antique shops, (Jack) Kerouac Park, the Lowell Spinners (in season) and dinner at The Lowell Brewery. You can take a trolley tour along the Canals and check out the music festivals in the summer. The National Park Service site is a great place to preview your trip to Lowell. - by Laurie Smith

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* Downtown Lowell, Harvard Square, and Moody Street in Waltham are just a few of the dozens of "Perfect Day Trips" featured in The Compleat Day Tripper.

Arlington Enrichment Offers Parents' Night Out

This monthly program at Arlington Enrichment Collaborative gives kids an evening of pizza, games & crafts at a fraction of the cost of babysitting - and parents a worry-free night out! The next event is Saturday, December 16 from 6 –10 PM. The cost is $25 per child or $20 for each additional child per family. To register, please email or call (781) 643-4694. AEC is a nonprofit corporation and a licensed and insured child care provider. AEC is at 1100 Mass Ave, 2nd Floor in Arlington.

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DISPATCHES SPECIAL
Bring a copy of this announcement for a $2 discount per child!

Keep 'Em Busy in the Car!

From the license plate game to counting cows - time flies when you’re having fun, and the miles fly by too! Even the shortest day trip can seem long unless you have some tricks up your sleeve for keeping the kids engaged along the way. Plan ahead with a few car activities like the ones detailed in this article by Laurel Smith, a former schoolteacher and mother of three who has logged thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and a mom. Visit her website for more than 101 travel games and activities for kids.

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