Family Activities

fri. 15-mon. 18
.10th Annual Great Backyard
Bird Count - Hosted by the
National Audubon Society and Cornell
Laboratory of Ornithology. Count birds
at as many places and on as many days
as you like - just keep a separate list of
counts for each day and/or location,
then enter your results at
www.birdsource.org. That's all it takes.
sat. 16
.Crafts for Kids - 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16, Brighton Place, 999
Brighton Road, Tonawanda. 332-4375
.Arts & Crafts - West Seneca
Y.E.S. program for children ages 5-11,
1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Orchard Park
Public Library, 4570 S. Buffalo St.,
Orchard Park; free; registration required.
662-9851, www.buffalolib.org
.Fun Saturdays with Y.E.S. -
Children in grades K-3 can join the
West Seneca Y.E.S., 11 a.m. Saturday,
Feb. 16, West Seneca Public Library,
1300 Union Road, West Seneca.
674-2928, www.buffalolib.org
.Terrific Trucks - Program for
children ages 3-7, 11 a.m. Saturday,
Feb. 16, Williamsville Branch Library,
5571 Main St., Williamsville. 632-6176,
www. buffalolib. org
.Snowshoe Patrol - Join the
garrison of Fort Niagara on a winter
trek along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Snowshoes and instructions provided, 2
p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Old Fort
Niagara, Lewiston; $; advanced
reservation required. 745-7611,
www.oldfor tniagara.org
.Winter Hike - Meet the
Foothills Trail Club at the first shelter
off Bowen Road, 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb.
16, Como Park, Lancaster; free;
registration recommended. 828-0282

.Matt's Music For Kids - "On
the Moon" CD release party and
Valentine's Day celebration with Matt
Surowiec, 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16,
Borders Books, 2015 Walden Ave.,
Cheektowaga. Children 12 and younger
can enter a drawing to win a Webkinz
Love Frog. There will also be games
and activities, and children are
encouraged to wear red.
.Storytelling at the Aquarium
- Karima Amin, 11:30 a.m. and 2:45
p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Aquarium of
Niagara Falls, 701 Whirlpool St.,
Niagara Falls; $. 285-3575,
1-800-500-4609,
www.aquar iumofniagara.org
.Winter Birding - Learn about
the Great Backyard Bird Count and
enjoy a walk as you discover which birds
stay around during the winter season,
10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Reinstein
Woods, 77 Honorine Drive, Depew;
free; advanced registration required.
683-5959,
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html
.Bug-alicious Insect Food
Festival - This event is fun for the
whole family with demonstrations of
cooking with insects from around the
world, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb.
16, Niagara Parks Butterfly
Conservatory in the Botanical Gardens,
2405 Niagara Parkway in Niagara Falls,
Ontario; $. (905) 356-8119
.Kiddie Character Carnival -
Featuring "Elmo," "The Princesses" and
Spiderman," as well as a bounce house,
games, crafts and more, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16, Boulevard Mall Food
Court, Niagara Falls Boulevard,
Amherst; free. Contact Mary Beth or
Kristen from the Amherst Youth Board
at 631-7215.
.Art Express - Stories from the

exhibition "Many Winters Ago," with
theme-based art projects including
"Painted Horses" and "Make a Picture
Book," 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16,
Castellani Art Museum, Niagara
University Campus, Lewiston; $.
286-8367, granfield@niagara.edu
.Diamonds of Winter - A
glimpse of the winter skies, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16, Whitworth Ferguson
Planetarium, Buffalo State College,
1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo; $.
878-4911
.Skies of the South Seas - Set
in the outback regions of New Zealand,
observers will see an entirely different
perspective on the heavens below the
equator, which cannot be seen from
northern latitudes, 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb.
16, Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium,
Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood
Ave., Buffalo; $. 878-4911
.American History Girls' Club
- Girls will take part in crafts,
activities and a lesson surrounding
"Addy" American Girl® doll and the
themes of slavery in America, 10
a.m.-11:45 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, the
Pan-American Building of the Buffalo
and Erie County Historical Society, 25
Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue,
Buffalo; $. 873-9644, Ext. 310
.Guided Walk and Wildlife, 9
a.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, Knox Farm State
Park, Seneca Street, East Aurora.
585-457-3228
sun. 17
.Chinese New Year: The Year
of the Rat - Welcome the Year of
the Rat Chinese style with lunar New
Year festival with food, crafts, music,
Chinese calligraphy, dancing (2 p.m.)
and parade led by a lion, noon-4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17, Explore & More... a
children's museum, 300 Gleed Ave.,
East Aurora; $. 655-5131
.Black History Month
Celebration - Special cultural
programming includes the Colored
Musicians' Club musicians and the
Crusaders Drill Team, informational
displays, family and children's activities
and exhibits "Snow" and "The Zula
Patrol: Mission Weather," noon-5 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17, Buffalo Museum of
Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway,
Buffalo; $. 896-5200,
www.buffalomuseumofscience.org
.Sunday Family Walks - Walk
through the woods as naturalists help
you seek out the natural wonders that
abound at Beaver Meadow, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17, Beaver Meadow
Audubon Center, 1610 Welch Road,
North Java; free. 1-800-377-1520,
www. buffaloaudubon. com
.Winter Snowshoe Hike -
Meet the Foothills Trail Club for a

three-hour hike at the railroad bridge
parking lot using the Portageville
entrance, 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 17,
Letchworth Circle Route or carpool
from the Millennium Inn by Galleria
Mall (9 a.m.); free; registration
recommended. 836-1166, 833-5703
mon. 18 & tues. 19
.Edible Log Cabins - Celebrate
the home of Abraham Lincoln and
enjoy some scrumptious buildings and
fun construction, 1-4 p.m. Monday and
Tuesday, Feb. 18 and 19, Explore &
More... a children's museum, 300 Gleed
Ave., East Aurora; $. 655-5131
tues. 19
.Princes & Princesses - Fairy
tales, games and a royal craft with Miss
Mary Lou, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19,
Eggertsville-Snyder Branch Library,
4622 Main St., Snyder; free; registration
is required. 839-0700,
www. buffalolib. org
.Winter Crafts - Children ages
5-11 are welcome to join the West
Seneca Y.E.S. program in a crafts day, 4
p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, Marilla Public
Library, 11637 Bullis Road, Marilla.
652-7449, www.buffalolib.org
.Winter Crafts - Children ages 5
and older are welcome to join the
Amherst Y.E.S. program for vacation
crafts, 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19,
Williamsville Branch Library, 5571
Main St., Williamsville. 632-6176,
www. buffalolib. org
.Full Moon Cross-country Ski
Tour - Take a moonlight tour of the
woods on cross-country skis, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 19, Reinstein Woods, 77
Honorine Drive, Depew; free; advanced
registration required. 683-5959,
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html
.Family Movie Night - Bring a
pillow and wear your comfy clothes to
watch "Hoot," a 90-minute movie about
a group of kids who fight to protect the
habitat for burrowing owls, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb 19, Reinstein Woods, 77
Honorine Drive, Depew; free; advanced
registration required. 683-5959,
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html
tues. 19-thurs. 21
.Winter Camp for Kids -
Suggested for children 8-12 years old,

activities for Tuesday's Puppets &
Porridge include preparing and eating a
colonial meal, puppet making and
producing a puppet show featuring 18th
century characters. Follow in the
footsteps of 'Jolicoeur' Charles Bonin
and learn wilderness skills of 1753 such
as fire building, making a woods shelter
and snowshoeing. Race with fur traders,
read a compass, make clothing items of
the colonial period for Jolicoeur's
Journey on Wednesday, build a model
colonial fort, make a candy castle, make
a War of 1812 shako hat, drill like an
early 19th century soldier, play colonial
games and make an 1812 flag while
participating in Thursdays Forts, Flags
& Fun. All activities run from 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at Old Fort Niagara,
Lewiston; $; advanced registration
required for one or all three days by
calling 745-7611.
wed. 20
.Lunar Eclipse - With the start
of the Lunar Eclipse, there will be an
observation, weather permitting, and a
program sponsored by the Buffalo State
College Astronomy Club, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 20, Whitworth
Ferguson Planetarium, Buffalo State
College, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo;
$. 878-4911
.Electrifying Fun - This
Renewable Energy Program by Dave
Young of the New York Power
Authority will be electrifying and
hair-raising, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20,
Explore & More... a children's museum,
300 Gleed Ave., East Aurora; $.
655-5131
.Full Snow Moon Snowshoe
Walk - Dress warmly to enjoy a walk
through the snowy trails, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 20, Reinstein Woods,
77 Honorine Drive, Depew; free;
advanced registration required.
683-5959,
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html
.Wacky Wednesdays! - Open
play for ages 5-12 with inflatables and
games, 3:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20,
Kidzplay Hero's Facility, 9300 County
Road, Building C, Clarence Center; $.
741-1500