May 26 – A T. rex Named Sue Grand Opening – Join MOSH for special activities to celebrate the grand opening of the summer blockbuster exhibit, A T. rex Named Sue. The exhibit tells the story of “Sue,” the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed. A replica cast of Sue’s 42-feet-long and 12-feet-tall skeleton is the centerpiece of this traveling exhibition that also includes interactive components. See it at MOSH through September 23! Sue is on loan from The Field Museum in Chicago.

Come meet Curious George at MOSH! From noon to 4 p.m., MOSH will host Curious George and will present hands-on activities that are sure to feed the insatiable curiosity of children. WJCT and the Jacksonville Public Library are partnering with MOSH for this event. All the activities are included with museum admission.

Memorial Day Commemoration
Monday, May 28, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Fort Morris Historic Site – Midway
This coastal fort will present hourly Revolutionary War soldier talks and musket and cannon demonstrations. $3-$4.50 (912) 884-5999.

Memorial Day Kayak Trip
Monday, May 28, 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Crooked River State Park – St. Marys
Kayak the salt marsh on this high-tide paddle behind Grover Island. This is a 6-mile paddle for beginners. Participants can enjoy learning about Georgia’s marshes and are likely to see birds, dolphins, and more. Reservations required. $35 Single; $45 Tandem. $5 parking. (912) 882-5256.

War of Jenkins’ Ear
Saturday, May 26 through Monday, May 28, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Wormsloe Historic Site – Savannah
Experience colonial Georgia’s military operations during the 1739-1748 war between England and Spain. Demonstrations include military drills, musket and cannon firings, and a military demonstration at 2 p.m. $4.50 – $8 plus tax. (912) 353-3023.

Memorial Day Weekend at Fort McAllister
Saturday, May 26, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Fort McAllister Historic Park – Richmond Hill
This program about the common confederate soldier includes what he ate, how he lived, what he wore and the medicine of the day. Also included will be musket and cannon firing demonstrations. $3.50 – $6.50 (912) 727-2339.

Savannah Tall Ships Challenge® on River Street, Savannah
Admission: Prices range from $20 – $50, with discounts available for children and the military
www.savannahtallshipschallenge.com  
This once-in-a-lifetime experience awaits you and your family this Spring at the Historic Riverfront in downtown Savannah, Georgia. Savannah welcomes some of the most majestic Tall Ships the world has to offer. Visitors will be able to view all the ships, board many and even sail aboard their favorite Tall Ship.
There’s something for everyone with events beginning May 3 and ending May 7.
Sailabrate the Savannah Tall Ships Challenge 2012:
Festival Admission/Dockside Viewing Ticket – festival grounds admission and viewing of all Tall Ships.
Dockside Boarding Ticket – boarding up to 12 tall ships, plus festival grounds admission and riverfront viewing.
Sail-Away Excursions – enjoy our own private sailing excursion upon participating ships.
Schedule includes many entertainment stages including:
Fri. May 4
Kids Cove Adventure Stage
Jeff Beasley Band 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Bone Island Buccaneers 11 a.m.

Sat. May 5
Kids Cove Adventure Stage
Jeff Beasley Band 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Capt’n Splatter Puppet Show 11 a.m.
Capt’n Splatter Puppet Show 2 p.m.
Magic with Mayhem (Pirate Magician) 4 p.m.

Sun. May 6
Kids Cove Adventure Stage
Jeff Beasley Band 10 a.m.
Indonesia-Dewaruci Naval Cadets Marching Band 11 a.m.
Capt’n Splatter Puppet Show 12 p.m.
Capt’n Splatter Puppet Show 2 p.m.
Magic with Mayhem (Pirate Magician) 4 p.m

For a complete schedule of all events, click here.

“Junior Ranger Day” at Fort Pulaski
Saturday, April 28, 2012.
10 AM until 4 PM.
Looking for something fun, free, fantastic, and kid-friendly to do! Visit America’s national parks! During National Park Week, from April 21 to April 29, all national parks offer free admission.

Savannah’s national park – Fort Pulaski National Monument – will celebrate the sixth annual Junior Ranger Day on Saturday, April 28. Young visitors are invited to “explore, learn, protect” and be sworn in as Junior Rangers.

For National Junior Ranger Day, Fort Pulaski National Monument will offer a focused Junior Ranger tour at 1:30 PM, which will allow participants to satisfy all site requirements for the Junior Ranger program. At the end of the tour, the new Junior Rangers will be sworn in and receive a special Junior Ranger award.

Children are also invited to participate in a Junior Ranger activities related to our historic weapons demonstrations. The Junior Ranger Muster is a Civil War inspection. The muster is a special hands-on activity scheduled for 12:30 PM. There will also be two Junior Ranger Cannon Drills at 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM. The cannon drills will be a fun, interactive opportunity for children to walk through the steps involved in firing a cannon, according to historically correct firing drills.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

10:00 AM Guided Fort Tour
11:00 Cannon Firing Demonstration
11:30 Junior Ranger Cannon Drill
12:00 PM Musket Firing Demonstration
12:30 Junior Ranger Muster
1:00 Cannon Firing Demonstration
1:30 Junior Ranger Tour
2:00 Guided Fort Tour
3:00 Cannon Firing Demonstration
3:30 Junior Ranger Cannon Drill

http://www.nps.gov/fopu/​parknews/​junior-ranger-day-2012.htm

Grab your blanket and enjoy free kids’ movies under the stars this upcoming week at Films in Forsyth, courtesy of Savannah College of Art and Design.

“Goonies” will be show at 8 PM Thurs. April 26 & “How to Train Your Dragon” at 8 PM Fri. April 27 in Forsyth Park, Savannah.

For more local kid-friendly activities, visit our Events Calendar here.

Films in Forsyth Park: “Goonies”
8 PM Thurs April 26 2012
Grab your blanket and enjoy a screening of “Goonies” under the stars.
FREE

Films in Forsyth: “How to Train Your Dragon”
8 PM Fri April 27 2012
Forsyth Park
Grab your blanket and enjoy a screening of “How to Train Your Dragon” under the stars.
FREE

Chances are you’ve considered, however briefly, becoming a foster family as a way to help allieviate Georgia’s foster children crisis and improve the lives of children.

And chances are you’ve thought of all kinds of reasons not to do so. But what if becoming a foster family came with huge amounts of support, a whole churchload of support to be exact? Would that make you more likely to consider taking in a foster child?

If so, then check out a local network called Faith to Foster, a coalition of Chatham County churches that serve families and children in foster care. The goal of Faith to Foster is to make foster parenting less challenging and more appealing to local families.

You’re invited to a Faith to Foster informational meeting, 6-7:30 PM May 7 at Southside Baptist Church, 5502 Skidaway Road, Savannah 31406. Child care will be provided if you call ahead to ministry director, 912-355-9555.

For more info on Faith to Foster including how you can help volunteer to aid local foster families or bring the program to your church, click here or email Faith to Foster ministry director Jenn Menn at jennifermenn@hotmail.com or call 912.925.5074.

Read more about Faith to Foster and the foster mom behind it – who along with her husband have fostered a total of 17 children (not all at once) since 2007 –  in my Savannah Morning News column this week here.

You and your kids are invited to the First Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Bilingual Speech Therapy and Language Center, Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Enjoy Spanish-themed activities and snacks from 12:00pm – 4:00pm; StoryTime 12:15pm, Music and Games 1:00pm & 2:45pm and a “Break the Pinata” 1:45pm. All Activities are Free and Open to the Public! 9100 White Bluff Road, Suite 202. For more information call (912) 335-8486 or click here.

Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center, 9100 White Bluff Road Suite 201, Savannah, 31406. On Facebook here. 912.335.8486, www.bilingualspeechtherapy.net/ Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

You and your kids are invited to the First Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Bilingual Speech Therapy and Language Center, Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Enjoy Spanish-themed activities and snacks from 12:00pm – 4:00pm; StoryTime 12:15pm, Music and Games 1:00pm & 2:45pm and a “Break the Pinata” 1:45pm. All Activities are Free and Open to the Public! 9100 White Bluff Road, Suite 202. For more information call (912) 335-8486 or click here.

Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center, 9100 White Bluff Road Suite 201, Savannah, 31406. On Facebook here. 912.335.8486, www.bilingualspeechtherapy.net/ Bilingual Speech Therapy & Language Center is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Lovin’ Spoons self-serve froyo has a new 50 percent off coupon to use at their Richmond Hill location. Click here for the coupon & enjoy! Valid through May 9 2012.

Richmond Hill
60 Exchange St. Located in the Kroger Shopping Center on Hwy 144 next to Jalapenos
912-459-1490

Hours: Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 12pm-10pm

Lovin Spoons, 912.355.2723, email info@lovinspoons.com , www.lovinspoons.com, Lovin’ Spoons is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

Hunter Cattle Farm Day 2012!
1-6 PM Saturday April 21
Enjoy an afternoon on the farm. $5 per person, which includes wagon ride, hay jumping, steer roping, farm animal petting and learning, hen house education & more.
Horse Rides: $5.00
Jumpy House: $3.00
Farm Fresh Concessions: $5.00-$10.00
Hunter Burgers, Fresh Sausage Dogs, and more!
Details here

Fort Pulaski “Animal Encounter”
April 22 2:00 PM
Part of the Fort’s FREE Earth Day activities. An animal program by an educator from Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Information on local fauna, including an up close animal encounter. Free and open to the public
http://www.nps.gov/fopu
Fort Pulaski Picnic Area

Fort Pulaski’s Earth Day activities on April 21 are also the kick-off for the Fort’s annual National Park Week event. Admission fees to all national parks including Fort Pulaski are waived through Sunday, April 29. Hour-long public marsh trek on Saturday, April 21 at 3:30pm. Free and open to the public http://www.nps.gov/fopu ; 912-786-5787

The Savannah Arts Academy’s Theatre Department under the direction of Andrea Verdis, Theatre Department Chair, presents their spring production, Dearly Departed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 26 – 28, 2012 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, April 29 at 2:30 PM. Dinner and the show will be offered on Friday and Saturday with designated seating at 6:00 PM. Dinner Theatre tickets are $25 and must be reserved by Tuesday, April 24th. General admission for the show only is $10 and Students and Senior Citizens are $6. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM beginning April 18th.
Dearly Departed is a comedy that highlights the colorful antics of a very dysfunctional Southern family as they struggle to get their patriarch, Bud Turpin, buried, In hilarious “redneck” tradition each family member deals with life, death and their own mortality in their own unique way.

Massie Heritage Center, Savannah’s museum for history and architecture located on Calhoun Square, will open its doors to the public after $1 million restoration project. The Grand Re-Opening Celebration activities are planned over 4 days, Thursday, April 26-Sunday, April 29 2012.

Discover new interactive exhibits including a laser show of the rebuilt three-dimensional model of James E. Oglethorpe’s famous city plan in Savannah: An Intelligent Grid. You’ll also see life-size classical structures from around the world which demonstrate the impact on Savannah’s own architecture in the Classically Inspired exhibit.

Schedule of Events:
Thursday, April 26 10 am: Ribbon Cutting & Dedication Ceremony
Friday, April 27 10 am-5 pm: Open FREE to public
Saturday, April 28 10 am-4 pm: Open FREE to public
Sunday, April 29 1-5 pm: Open FREE to public

For more information call Sandee Lipsitz at (912) 395-5070. Massie Heritage Center, 207 E. Gordon Street, Savannah, GA 31401. www.massieschool.com

Massie Heritage Center, Savannah’s museum for history and architecture located on Calhoun Square, will open its doors to the public after $1 million restoration project. The Grand Re-Opening Celebration activities and FREE ADMISSION are planned over 4 days, Thursday, April 26-Sunday, April 29 2012.

Discover new interactive exhibits including a laser show of the rebuilt three-dimensional model of James E. Oglethorpe’s famous city plan in Savannah: An Intelligent Grid. You’ll also see life-size classical structures from around the world which demonstrate the impact on Savannah’s own architecture in the Classically Inspired exhibit.

Schedule of Events:
Thursday, April 26 10 am: Ribbon Cutting & Dedication Ceremony
Friday, April 27 10 am-5 pm: Open FREE to public
Saturday, April 28 10 am-4 pm:  Open FREE to public
Sunday, April 29 1-5 pm: Open FREE to public

For more information call Sandee Lipsitz at (912) 395-5070. Massie Heritage Center, 207 E. Gordon Street, Savannah, GA 31401. www.massieschool.com

Read about the Tour de Kids & why your kids should participate here.

Features bike care, learning games and a group ride around Lake Mayer with kids participating in the event.

All participants must have helmets. A limited number of free helmets will be available. The event is a fundraiser for the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Coastal Georgia, which helps families who are homeless.

9 AM-noon Saturday May 5 2012

Kids will get their bikes checked out, fixed a bit and participate in bike skills learning games. There will be a group ride for kids, parents & friends. Participants must have a release signed by parent or responsible adult. All participants must wear helmets. A limited number of free helmets will be available. Training by volunteers from Savannah Bicycle Campaign & Coastal Bicycle Touring Club. Call 912.786.9622 or email Diane at dschleicher@cityoftybee.org for more info.
10 AM-1 PM Sat. April 28