Come to the Fairy & Gnome Festival 2019 @ Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah for a day of enchantment, Sat. May 4, 2019, 10AM-2PM

This family-themed festival is all about the “wee folk” getting up close with the natural world and encouraging imaginative play. Dress in costume and flaunt your wings in our fashion show; mine for magic gems; frolic in the enchanted forest for a fairy surprise; construct a fairy village; enjoy games and crafts inspired by the natural world.

Bring the whole family and stroll through Oatland’s magical trails and maybe you will catch a glimpse of a fairy or gnome looking for a place to call home. Additional fees may apply. All proceeds go to feeding our magical animal kingdom.

Cost: regular admission to Oatland Island Wildlife Center as well as some extra fundraising activities during the event. Find admission costs here.

Fairy & Gnome Festival 2019
Oatland Island Wildlife Center
711 Sandown Rd.
Savannah, 31410
(912) 395-1500

The SCAD School of Entertainment Arts presents “Sense and Sensibility,” Kate Hamill’s inventive adaptation of the classic novel. Directed by SCAD performing arts professor Victoria Mack, Hamill’s reimagining of the romantic tale is not your mother’s Jane Austen. Fans of the novel will be swept away by the faithful spirit of the play, while theatergoers who have never read Austen’s novel will be amazed at the fun and irreverence in the SCAD performing arts department’s wacky production.

Set in gossipy late 18th-century England — and guided by a fresh female voice — the play is full of humor, emotional depth and bold theatricality. “Sense and Sensibility” examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?

Showtimes:
Feb. 28–March 2 2019, 8 p.m.
March 3 2019, 3 p.m.

The Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019, performance is free with a valid SCAD Card. Tickets for remaining performances are $5 for SCAD Card holders; $8 for non-SCAD students, seniors and military; and $10 for the general public.

Tickets are available online here and in person at the Savannah Box Office, 216 E. Broughton St., or at the door one hour before the production.

The 2019 Savannah Earth Day Festival marks the first year the festival will be in Savannah’s Daffin Park

Learn more here. 

2019 Savannah Earth Day Festival
April 20 2019
Daffin Park, Savannah GA

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Find more local, kid-friendly events here. 

FREE SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival 2019
Sat. April 27 2019, 11AM-5PM
Forsyth Park, between Drayton and Whitaker streets

Watch as talented SCAD artists bring a splash of color to scenic Forsyth Park at the 36th annual Sidewalk Arts Festival. SCAD students, alumni and high school students create colorful chalk masterpieces and compete for coveted prizes in this tradition that’s nearly as old as the university itself.
Chalk drawings, music and food
Share your experience and follow the action with #scadchalk.

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Find more free kid-friendly Spring Savannah events here.

FREE SCAD Sand Arts Festival 2019

SCAD Sand Arts Festival
Fri. May 3 2019
Tybee Island, GA
South Beach by Tybee pier (note the new location that’s different from previous years)

See SCAD students, alumni, faculty & staff create elaborate sand creations on Tybee’s beach. Participants vie for awards and prizes, including the coveted top prize for SCAD Spirit.

See the 2017 winners here.

The public is invited to enjoy SCAD Sand Arts Festival.

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The 2019 Savannah Scottish Games – Sat. May 4 2019 at Bethesda Academy – are the fourth oldest Scottish Games in the southeastern United States.

The Savannah Scottish Games are a celebration of Scottish heritage and music, the Games truly have something for everyone to enjoy including entertainment by City Hotel and the Savannah Ceili Band, a Highland dancing competition, traditional heavy athletics, Celtic ale from Asheville, NC’s Highland Brewery, and a wide variety of Scottish art available for purchase.

The games will also feature the very popular traditional heavy athletic events including the caber toss and hammer throw, children’s activities, and border collie skill demonstrations.

Gates will open at 9AM and closing ceremonies will take place at 4:30PM Sat. May 4 2019.

Cost

Tickets free for children 10 and younger. Find adult & senior ticket prices here.

To purchase tickets and for more information on the 43rd Annual Savannah Scottish Games, please visit www.savannahscottishgames.com.

43rd Annual Savannah Scottish Games
Sat. May 4, 2019
Opens at 9AM to the public | Closing ceremonies at 4:30PM
WHERE: Bethesda Academy
9520 Ferguson Ave.
Savannah, Georgia
CONTACT: Savannah.scottish.games@gmail.com

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Spring 2019 is a fun time to visit Coastal Heritage Society sites in Savannah.

Upcoming CHS Special Events:

Feb. 23 2019: Seuss Fest 10AM-4PM @ Savannah Children’s Museum. Details here. 

March 2 2019: Sensory Soft Saturday, 9AM-10AM @ Savannah Children’s Museum.  The museum will open their doors early, so families with children with special needs or autism can explore & enjoy the space with less concern regarding crowds (weather permitting).

March 8 2019: Family Camp Out at Old Fort Jackson. REGISTER ONLINE HERE.

March 18-19: Special Open Days at Savannah Children’s Museum

March 30: STEAM Fest @ Georgia State Railroad Museum

Coastal Heritage Society is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

OPEN HOUSE

JEA Preschool Savannah will host an open house Sun. Feb. 24 at 11AM for prospective families.

Don’t miss this opportunity to tour JEA Preschool Savannah’s dynamic learning spaces & meet their wonderful staff.

Come get a peek @ Savannah’s premier early childhood education program.

Please RSVP: 912-355-8111

JEA Preschool Savannah 
5111 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31405

JEA Preschool Savannah admits students of any race, color, national, racial or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

JEA Preschool Savannah, Jewish Educational Alliance, 5111 Abercorn St. Savannah, 31405 912-355-8111. JEA Preschool Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

33rd ANNUAL BEACH BUM PARADE 2019

Fri. May 17, 2019 6:30-8PM
Come prepared to be soaked at the Annual Tybee Beach Bum Parade! This classic Tybee event is a favorite for the whole family. Equip yourself with waterguns and other water soaking paraphernalia to douse the passing by parade floats.

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FIND MORE SAVANNAH-AREA FAMILY EVENTS HERE.

Saturday classes! Join Kindermusik Savannah with 88 Keys Piano for Saturday 11AM class for ages 0-7.

Sing, dance, move, and learn with your little one through the playful, engaging avenue of music.

First class is free.

Text MUSIC to 912-432-5885.

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Musical Play Dates for ages 0-7

February “Love Notes” musical play dates continue this week.

Ages 0-7 and their caregivers welcome! Wed. Feb. 20 2019 & Sat. Feb 23 2019 at 10AM. Each child will get an instrument, 10 Kindermusik songs and a $10 coupon for weekly classes.

Enroll online at kindermusikwith88keys.com. Spaces limited.

Kindermusik Savannah, kindermusikwith88keys.com,  email music@kindermusikwith88keys.com or info@kindermusikwith88keys.com, 912.988.KEYS (5397) Kindermusik is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Ready to tumble?

Check out one of  Crowned Elite Athletics in Savannah‘s  tumbling classes today.

Crowned Elite Athletics has Savannah tumbling classes for all ages and skill levels with new intermediate and advanced classes beginning on Thursdays.

Combine a tumbling class with one of Crowned Elite’s stunting or flexibility classes for a winning combo.

Cost: $55 monthly or $95 for any two.

Register online here. 

Crowned Elite Athletics, (912) 308-5719, crownedeliteathletics.com, 202 Bourne Blvd, Suite 160 Savannah, GA 31408, Crowned Elite Athletics is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

The Colonial Foundation and Rob Demere were presented with the John R. Chandler Award at the 2019 CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) and NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Annual Conference in Philadelphia. The award recognizes the long-term support of a corporation or foundation toward the advancement of independent schools.

St. Andrew’s School   in Savannah nominated the Colonial Foundation and Demere for their longstanding philanthropic support to the independent school on Wilmington Island. They have given lead gifts for every major capital campaign in the 40-year history of the school, provided funding for financial assistance to qualified students through Georgia’s special tax redirection program, and have been a champion for the school in the local community.

“Over the years, the Demere family has supported many independent schools for their ability to transform our city and create meaningful progress,” said Head of School Dr. Kelley Waldron (pictured above with Rob Demere). “They also do so humbly and altruistically because it is the right thing to do. In fact, it took some convincing to get them to accept this award in honor of the tremendous impact they have had and continue to make in Savannah through the support of independent education and St. Andrew’s School.”

The award is named in honor of John R. Chandler, former assistant headmaster at the Hotchkiss School, and one of CASE’s first independent school trustees. Past recipients include American Honda Company, William Randolph Hearst Foundation and Mobil Corporation.

St. Andrew’s School  is a private, independent International Baccalaureate World School in Savannah inspiring young people age 3 through grade 12. Find more information here.

Schedule a tour.

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Open House

Get to know St. Andrew’s School @ an Open house @ St. Andrew’s School, Wilmington Is., 9AM Thurs. March 7 2019. Registration details here. 

St. Andrew’s School, 601 Penn Waller Rd, Savannah, 31410. 912.897.4941, www.saintschool.com , email admission@saintschool.com  On Facebook here.   On Twitter here. St. Andrew’s is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Spring 2019 Youth Lacrosse registration is open in Savannah.

All are welcome. Practices for boys & girls are @ Daffin Park in Savannah.

Coastal Empire Lacrosse is a team oriented lacrosse program for beginners, intermediate and advanced players. Coaches stress the fundamentals and subtle nuances of the game over “winning at all costs”.  CE Lacrosse believes in hard work, unselfish play, and building character.

Teams will practice during the week with games on the weekends. Some travel is necessary to get more games, but teams mostly play against local teams throughout the year.

No experience necessary. Teams are for all players to learn, grow and have fun. Rental lacrosse equipment is available.

Questions? Email  charris@lowlax.com or call (912)-200-3442

Find registration info here. 

Follow Lowcountry Lacrosse Savannah on Facebook here. 

Lowcountry Lacrosse Savannah is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 Old Fort Jackson Family Camp-Out, a new nighttime event for families to experience historic programs and family fun in a 210-year-old National Historic Landmark in Savannah.

The event will be Fri. March 8, 6-10PM @ Old Fort Jackson, 1 Fort Jackson Rd, Savannah, 31404.

Guests will train as soldiers, make a Civil War decoder, and write secret messages. Throughout the night, attendees will be able to use their new skills and tools to uncover a spy among the soldiers.

Dinner is included in the ticket price and will be served at 6:45PM. The dinner menu is: BBQ chicken, Mac & Cheese, Green Beans and your choice of soda or water or tea. Hot coffee will also be available for adults.

Pre-registration and prepayment are required. Tickets: $25 for members & $30 for the general public.

Event tickets can be purchased online here.

FREE Family Friday Nights @ The Sandbox Children’s Museum on Hilton Head Is. are open to ALL families

March 1 2019 Family Fun Night is pirate night. Children can come dressed in pirate attire and meet Captain Jack Sparrow and participate in a scavenger hunt or walk the plank.

Depending on the weather let the kids take a bounce in the Bounce House, build big with the Big Blue Blocks or get creative and crafty. Light refreshments available.

Free Family Fun Nights are held on the first Friday of the month & are designed to bring families together, for a cost free evening of fun activities.

FREE & FUN for all ages. Learn more here. 

Upcoming Free Family Fun Nights
Fri. March 1, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. April 5, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. May 3, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. Sept. 6, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. Oct. 4, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. Nov. 1, 5:30-7:30PM
Fri. Dec. 6, 5:30-7:30PM

Supported by The Bargain Box

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Sandbox Children’s Museum
The Sandbox Children’s Museum
18 Pope Ave
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

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The Sandbox Children’s Museum is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Join Do-Re-We  for 8 weeks of singing, playing, and dancing along with the “Grandfriends” at Buckingham South!
9:30 – 10AM: Toddlers (13-24 months)
10:15 – 10:45AM: Two and Three Year Olds
11:00 – 11:30AM: Infants (0-12 months)

$120 for the 8-week session. One make-up class is offered for free (May 29).

Classes are @ Buckingham South retirement & assisted living facility, 5450 Abercorn St., Savannah. Residents of Buckingham South, lovingly referred to as “Grandfriends,” participate in these classes along with parents and children.

These 30-minute weekly sessions offers traditional musical games and songs to share together in class and at home.

Stay connected and see photos of Do Re We classes on Facebook here. 

Do Re We, www.dorewe.com, 912.398.7800 Do Re We is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser 

Join Crowned Elite Athletics in Savannah for a fun filled skills day on Presidents’ Day Mon. Feb. 18, 9AM-3PM.

Levels 1 – 5 skills camp, focused on perfection and progression.

Tumbling, Stunting, Jumping and Flexibility. Become the best cheerleader you can be.
Bring a lunch.
Open to the public. For ages 6 & older.
$55 ONLINE REGISTRATION / $65 AT DOOR

Crowned Elite Athletics, (912) 308-5719, crownedeliteathletics.com, 202 Bourne Blvd, Suite 160 Savannah, GA 31408, Crowned Elite Athletics is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Visionary videogame designer Keita Takahashi’s game “Alphabet,” located in the Jepson Center’s TechSpace gallery in Savannah, can be played by up to 26 people at a time.

Players work together to avoid obstacles and get the letters of the alphabet across the finish line.

Read more about this innovative game online here.

KEITA TAKAHASHI: ZOOMING OUT exhibition
Jan. 24 – to July 14, 2019
Jepson Center

The Jepson Center is open daily. See hours & admission costs here. 

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The work of Keita Takahashi – noted for his outside-the-box approach to game development, game mechanics, aesthetics & music – will be the focus of February’s  Art Start Stroller & Toddler museum tour, a kid-focused program @ Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center in Savannah on the 3rd Thursday morning of each month.

February Art Start: Feb. 21 2019, 10:30AM / Jepson Center (207 W York St.) Learn more & register online here. 

Telfair Museums’ youngest patrons are invited to the museum for story time, a special tour, and an art activity. Strollers, crying babies, toddlers, and older siblings are all welcome here. Come play and learn.

$5 per child / adult members free / adult non-members $12

Upcoming Art Start & Toddler Tours

March 21 2019 theme: Jaume Plensa: Talking Continents. Register online here. 
April 16 2019 theme: Rembrandt. Register online here. 

Art Start Stroller & Toddler Tour
Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center
Jepson Center for the Arts
207 W York St.
Savannah, GA 31401

Learn more & register online here. 

Telfair Museums is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Give your little one a hug, kiss, and cuddle… it’s time for Kindermusik Savannah ‘s  February playdates: Love Notes!”

You’ll be singing, moving, and exploring instruments through this endearing, heartwarming theme that celebrates the love you share with your child. After all, what’s a better way to bond with someone you cherish than to make music together?
You and your child will get:

• A 40-minute class packed with learning, love, and laughter
• A Kindermusik instrument/prop to take home
• 10 digitally downloadable Kindermusik songs of YOUR choice!
• A $10 coupon for our weekly studio classes

Join Kindermusik Savannah Sat. Feb. 16; Wed.,Feb. 20, or Sat. Feb. 23 at 10AM.

Enroll online at kindermusikwith88keys.com, or call 912-988-KEYS.   Spaces are limited.

Kindermusik…where music and learning play.

Kindermusik Savannah, kindermusikwith88keys.com,  email music@kindermusikwith88keys.com or info@kindermusikwith88keys.com, 912.988.KEYS (5397) Kindermusik is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

The Rotary Club of Savannah is searching for volunteers to serve as community readers for the second annual Savannah Rotary Read-In on Wed. March 13 2019. 9-10:30AM.

The goal of the event is to promote literacy by encouraging the desire to read more.

A report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation indicates children who aren’t reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times as likely to drop out of high school.

Read about the Read-In co-chair & Savannah public school advocate Frank Moore, Jr. in our Savannah Morning News column here.

Last year’s inaugural event drew 526 volunteer readers who read to students in 566 classrooms. This year, Savannah-Chatham public schools plans to add pre-kindergarten to the list, which means rotarians and volunteers will read to students in 600 pre-k through third-grade classrooms in 32 schools.

You don’t have to be a rotary member to participate.

Register online to volunteer here.  

27th Annual Savannah Irish Festival
February 16-17, 2019

Savannah Irish Festival brings two days and one night of internationally acclaimed Irish-American and Celtic music, dance, culture, food and fun to historic downtown Savannah.

Free for children 14 & younger. Find ticket info here.

This is a special event for your children to see Irish dancing – especially now that the beloved annual Tara Feis celebration is not happening again this year.

When: Feb. 16-17 2019
Where: Savannah Civic Center, 401 W. Oglethorpe Ave., Savannah, GA

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased the day of the event.  Find info on advance ticket sales here.

CHILDREN 14 & YOUNGER ARE ADMITTED FREE

For more details & the full schedule of performers, click here.

New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander will present free children’s programs in Savannah Sat. Feb. 16 & Sun. Feb. 17 2019.

Bring your kids to see these New York Times best-selling authors share stories @ Live Oak Public Library branches on Sat. Feb. 16, 2019.

Special free author programs – which are for all ages, are free & open to the public – include:

Kwame Alexander & Randy Preston
Bull Street Library
Sat Feb. 16, 2:30PM
2002 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401

Join Kwame Alexander & Randy Preston for a presentation centered on the work Solo.

Betrayed by those closest to him and stunned by a family secret, 17-year-old Blade Morrison flees his comfortable but chaotic life and travels to the Ghanaian village of Konko to find answers and closure. There he gains new perspective on family and belonging.

Author Kwame Alexander will inspire as he shares some of his poetry and writing from his book Solo along with a photography exhibit of Ghana, captured by Randy Preston. Learn more here.

Jessica Kensky & Patrick Downes
Southwest Chatham Library
Feb. 16, 2PM
14097 Abercorn St.
Savannah, 31419

Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes present an engaging program about overcoming adversity. Survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, their service dog Rescue inspired an incredible story of healing and love.
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Live Oak Public Libraries and Savannah Book Festival will present free children’s authors events on Sun. Feb. 17 at 1PM in Reynolds Square. The SBF Children’s Tent, which will feature author appearances, activities and book-signings, will be sponsored by Live Oak Public Libraries and Live Oak Public Libraries Foundation.

Featured authors scheduled to appear in the SBF Children’s Tent are:
Kwame Alexander, Newbery Medal winner
Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, New York Times Best Sellers
Michael Patrick O’Neill, World Press Photo award-winning wildlife photographer
Javaka Steptoe, Caldecott Medal winner

Additional activities include book-signings, celebrity storytimes, music, and arts and crafts for kids. The SBF Children’s Tent is free and open to the public.

You’re invited to the FREE Savannah’s Fit Kids Fest on Sat. March 2, 1-4PM @ Savannah State University, 3219 College St.

This annual event hosted by the The Junior League of Savannah promotes wellness for K-12 students, teaches the importance of growing a fit body and mind through a fun and interactive day designed for children of all ages and their parents. The goal is to improve health awareness and encourage children to lead a healthier, happier lifestyle.

Activities include tips on making healthy meals and snacks, hands on activities, potato sack races, live fitness demonstrations, stage performance, face painting, soccer drills, exercises and other fun ways to get moving, as well as exploring resources for strengthening the mind.

Learn more here. 

Admissions season has begun! Come visit Savannah’s schools @ these open houses to get to know the schools yourself.

Upcoming Savannah school open houses for prospective families include:

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Open house @ Savannah Christian Preparatory School, 9:30AM Wed. Feb. 20 2019. Registration details here. 

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Open house @ St. Andrew’s School, Wilmington Is., 9AM Thurs. March 7 2019. Registration details here. 

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Open House @ Coastal Empire Montessori, which offers a free, public, charter school program for Kindergarten – 5th Grade (K-5), 10AM Sat. March 2 2019.  Details here. 

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Savannah-Chatham Public School Open Houses start in January 2019. Find the schedule & application info here.