Family Activities

now-March 14
.PURRade: Virtual Cat Walk -
Help the SPCA of Erie County from
the comfort of your own home. That's
right - log on to www.yourspca.org and
follow the link to raise much-needed
money. Each week participants will
receive e-mails from Jiggy, the
PURRade's Grand Marshall, featuring a
new PURRade stop/tourist attraction
courtesy of RoadsideAmerica.com. The
messages will include a description of an
SPCA program or service that supports
animals in our community and a link for
those who wish to make a tax-deductible
donation. Send the e-mails on to other
cat fans who can support your cats'
participation in the PURRade. As a
participant, you are invited to unleash
your cats' creative side by designing your
own fundraising Web page to share with
other cat enthusiasts. Your cats' Web
page can be used to raise much-needed
funds for the SPCA. Best of all, the
more you raise, the more prizes your
cat(s) will win. PURRade prizes include
entertaining mouse toys, Mylar balls and
other toys popular with the feline set.
Prizes will be awarded starting at the
$10 donation level. The PURRade's top
earners will win: 1st Prize - $50 Petique
Gift Certificate and a Meow Town Palm
Tree Climber; 2nd Prize - Meow Town
Flower Power Tower; and 3rd Prize -
Zanies Fishy Fun Tunnel.
thurs. 21
.Winter Crafts - Children ages 5
and older are welcome to join the
Amherst Y.E.S. program for a creative
bead activity, 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21,
Audubon Library, 350 John James
Audubon Parkway, Amherst. 689-4922,
www. buffalolib. org
.Chinese Lantern Festival -
Celebrate the Chinese Lantern Festival
as you make your own lantern, 1-4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 21, Explore & More... a
children's museum, 300 Gleed Ave., East
Aurora; $. 655-5131
.Worms Eat My Garbage -
Parents and children are invited to learn
all about worms and how they can be
used to recycle food scraps in your
home. Your family will receive all the
materials necessary to start your own
worm bin - including worms, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Feb 21, Reinstein Woods, 77
Honorine Drive, Depew; $; advanced
registration required. 683-5959,
www.dec.ny.gov/education/1837.html
fri. 22
.Pop-Up Card - Make your own
pop-up card with Mike Kelly, 1-4 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 22, Explore & More... a
children's museum, 300 Gleed Ave., East
Aurora; $. 655-5131
sat. 23
.Year of the Frog Kick-Off
Party - Help kick-off the Year of the
Frog inside the Reptile House of the
Buffalo Zoo. Learn how you can help
save amphibian species that are
threatened with extinction. Join this
global conservation effort, noon-3 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23, Buffalo Zoo, 300
Parkside Ave., Buffalo; $. 995-6133,
www.buffaloz oo.org
.Storytelling Saturdays, with
The Wondermakers, 11:30 a.m. and 2:45

p.m., the Aquarium of Niagara, 701
Whirlpool St., Niagara Falls; $.
285-3575
.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. 23,
Castellani Art Museum, Niagara
University Campus, Lewiston; $.
286-8367, granfield@niagara.edu
.Chinese Signature Stamp -
Make a stamp that you can use over and
over again, 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23,
Explore & More... a children's museum,
300 Gleed Ave., East Aurora; $.
655-5131
.Diamonds of Winter - A
glimpse of the winter skies, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23, 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.
23, Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium,
Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood
Ave., Buffalo; $. 878-4911
.Barnes and Noble Curious
George Story Time - Children can
meet and greet Curious George, 10:30
a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, Brighton Place,
999 Brighton Road, Tonawanda.
332-4375
sat. 23 & sun. 24
.Seventh Annual WNYRHS
Winter Train & Toy Show - Just in
time to cure the winter blues, kids of all
ages will love the operating train layouts
on more than 300 tables filled with great
deals. Proceeds to benefit the
preservation and restoration projects of
the Western New York Railway
Historical Society throughout the area.
The show runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday,
Feb. 23 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb.
24, Agri-Center on the Fairgrounds,
Hamburg; $. 743-0945,
www.wnyrhs.com
sun. 24
.Kwa:ne Kuhseshe ha Yu
nekuhne: Many Winters Ago...
Opening reception rescheduled from
Feb. 1 because of icy weather conditions,
2-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 and continues
through June 30, Castellani Art
Museum, Niagara University, 5795
Lewiston Road, Lewiston; donation.
286-8201, www.niagara.edu/cam
.Doctor Andy's Day for Kids -
Physicians from several area hospitals
will trade in their stethoscopes for
aprons as they team up for the 14th
annual "Doctor Andy's Day for Kids,"
theme basket raffle, physician bartenders
and music with Gregg Sansone, noon-6
p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, Buffalo Brewpub,
6861 Main St., Williamsville; $.
.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. 24, Beaver Meadow
Audubon Center, 1610 Welch Road,
North Java; free. (800)377-1520,
www. buffaloaudubon. com
wed. 27
.Sesame Street Live: When
Elmo Grows Up - Do you know
what rubber duckies, trash can lids and
cookie jars have in common? They can
also be musical instruments. Join Elmo,
Big Bird, Cookie and all the Sesame
Street friends as they take the stage for
a musical adventure. Performances: 7
p.m. Feb. 27; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Feb. 28 and 29; 10:30 a.m., 2 and 5:30
p.m. March 1; and 1 and 4:30 p.m.

March 2, Shea's Performing Arts Center,
646 Main St., Buffalo; $ (Ticketmaster,
852-5000; Shea's box office, 650 Main
St., Buffalo).
.Knee-High Naturalists -
Looking to get out of the house this
winter with your young child? Join a
new series just for children ages 3 to 5.
Each hour-long indoor session will
feature a variety of activities, such as
stories, games and crafts and will end
with a snack, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb.
27, Reinstein Woods, 77 Honorine
Drive, Depew; $; 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. 27,
Kidzplay Hero's Facility, 9300 County
Road, Building C, Clarence Center; $.
741-1500
now-thurs. 21
.Winter Camp for Kids -
Suggested for children 8 to 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.
through Feb. 21, Old Fort Niagara,
Lewiston; $; advanced registration
required for one or all three days.
745-7611
now-March 2
.The Zula Patrol: Mission
Weather - The Buffalo Museum of
Science has Buffalo's weather forecast
and it looks like rain, snow, sunshine,
wind and clouds during this
weather-themed exhibition. The Zula
Patrol teaches young explorers about key
science concepts as they encounter the
strange and wild weather of our planet,
through March 2, the Buffalo Museum
of Science, 1020 Humboldt Parkway,
Buffalo. 896-5200,
www.buffalomuseumofscience.org
now-June 30
.Kwa:ne Kuhseshe ha Yu
nekuhne: Many Winters Ago...
Native American Children's Book
I llustrations. Features a selection of some
of the leading Native American
Children's book illustrators from across
the United States and Canada, bringing
to life themes of cultural, tradition,
family life and respect for nature,
through June 30, Castellani Art
Museum, Niagara University, 5795
Lewiston Road, Lewiston; donation.
286-8201, www.niagara.edu/cam
Ongoing
.Freedom Crossing: The
Underground Railroad in Greater
Niagara - Interpretive Center is part
of the New York State Heritage Trails,
and tells the story of the Underground
Railroad in our region through
photographs, history, video and art, 11
a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays,
and 1-5 p.m. Sundays, Castellani Art
Museum of Niagara University,
Lewiston; free admission. 286-8200,
www.niagara.edu/c astellani