Chattanooga Times Free Press

Plan a day of fun before kids go back to school

Plan a day of family fun before kids go back to school

- STAFF REPORT

Decoration­s are down, visiting relatives have returned home and we’re four days into the new year — with four more days left until classes start again in Hamilton and Catoosa counties.

Avoid the “I’m bored” whines by planning a family outing for one last hurrah before school starts back. The destinatio­n might even be educationa­l — but the kids don’t have to know that; they’ll just think it’s fun. Book one of the last cruises aboard the River Gorge Explorer to see sandhill crane migration, learn to skate at Ice on the Landing, investigat­e “Kitchen Chemistry” at the Creative Discovery Museum or turn the kids loose on some Lego bricks at a public library branch near you.

Here are some options to close out Christmas break that are happening today through Sunday, Jan. 4-7.

LEARN TO SKATE

What: Ice on the Landing Where: Chattanoog­a Choo Choo, 1400 Market St.

When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. today and Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday

Admission: $10 adults, $8 ages 12 and younger; includes skate rental and two hours rink time For more informatio­n:

www.iceonthela­nding.com Visitors to Ice on the Landing on Friday and Saturday might just run into the Crash Dummies from Warren & Griffin. Family Night hours are today between 5 and 9 p.m.

LAST LOOK AT THE LIGHTS

What: Enchanted Garden of Lights Where: Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain

When: 6-9 p.m. today-Saturday Admission: $19.95 adults, $11.95 children today; $22.95 adults, $12.95 children Friday and Saturday For more informatio­n: 706820-6531

If you’ve procrastin­ated about visiting this light extravagan­za, you have just three days left before it ends Saturday.

Tonight is the best deal, when an adult ticket is $3 less, and a child’s ticket $1 less, than they will be Friday and Saturday. But no matter when you visit, it’s money for a good cause.

Proceeds from this holiday wonderland benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanoog­a.

Combo tickets with Ruby Falls and the Incline are also available to make a full day’s adventure.

BOOKS, BRICKS AND MORE

What: Chattanoog­a Public Library youth activities Where: 1001 Broad St., downtown branch; 5705 Marlin Road, Eastgate; 278 Northgate Mall Drive, Northgate

Admission: Free

For more informatio­n:

chattilibr­ary.org

Parents watching their pennies after Christmas will want to check out the library’s free activities for elementary children, tweens and teens at local library branches.

TODAY

10:30 a.m. Music and Movement, Eastgate

4 p.m. Sew What for tweens and teens, downtown 4 p.m. Kids Quest, Northgate

FRIDAY

11 a.m. Duplo free play, down town 4 p.m. Kids Lego Club, North gate 4 p.m. Sew What for teens;, Eastgate

5 p.m. Session Recording for teens, The Studio in downtown branch

SATURDAY

10 a.m. Spanish playtime, downtown

10 a.m. Sew What for teens, Northgate

11 a.m. Acoustic guitar for teen songwriter­s, The Studio in downtown branch

2 p.m. Kids Lego Club, Northgate 2 p.m. Session Recording for teens, The Studio in downtown branch

2:30 p.m. “Despicable Me 3,” movie for kids to teens, Eastgate branch

ADVENTURES IN ACTION

What: “Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action” exhibit Where: Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today-Sunday Admission: $13.95

For more informatio­n: 423756-2738

This week and next are the last days of the children’s museum’s current exhibit, “Run! Jump! Fly!” And kids literally do just that. Activities encourage little ones

to try kung fu, surfing, snowboardi­ng, yoga and climbing.

Then there are daily activities going on as well. And all these options are included in regular museum admission.

TODAY-SUNDAY

3 p.m. Cool Wonders Science Show. What happens to everyday objects when they become super-cooled by liquid nitrogen?

TODAY

2 p.m. Kitchen Chemistry: Drink It Caliente! Children may have tasted many of the hot drinks in this lesson, but they haven’t made them and probably don’t understood the science behind them. They will experiment with different temperatur­es, use herbs and spices to make hot chai, and froth milk to add to homemade hot chocolate.

5:30-8:30 p.m. Sensory Night for children with sensory sensitivit­y and their parents. Reservatio­ns required, limited to 100.

FRIDAY AND SUNDAY

2 p.m. Kitchen Lesson: Potato, Leek and Bok Choy Soup. Learn how to make this savory soup the whole family will love.

SATURDAY

2 p.m. Heart of the Home Cooking Series. This series on the first Saturday of every month focuses on cultural cooking tradition. Chefs from diverse ethnic communitie­s will prepare a dish specific to their culture and talk about their heritage.

BOAT TO THE BIRDS

What: Sandhill Crane Cruises Where: Depart from Sale Creek Marina, 3900 Lee Pike,

Soddy-Daisy When: 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Jan. 5-7 and Jan. 12-15

Admission: $35 Aquarium members, $45 nonmembers For more informatio­n: www.tnaqua.org

How many chances do you have to see several thousand sandhill cranes lift off from marshes with a rushing “whoosh” sort of roar? It’s a spectacle that should be on your bucket list — and getting there only involves a fun boat ride on the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Gorge Explorer catamaran.

Don’t put it off until next January. The River Gorge wraps up operation after these two last cruise weekends.

WINGED WONDERS

What: “Conquest of the Skies 3D”

Where: Tennessee Aquarium Imax 3D Theater, 201 Chestnut St. When: Noon, 2 and 4 p.m. daily, with additional 6 p.m. screenings Fridays and Saturdays Admission: $11.95 adults, $9.95 children ages 3-12 For more informatio­n: tnaqua.org

It’s impossible to really see the lightning speed of a hummingbir­d’s wings with the naked eye, but it’s quite visible in the new Imax movie, “Conquest of the Skies 3D.” That’s because its flight is shown in slow-mo on a six-story screen — making it obvious how they move through the air with such agility.

“Conquest” explores flight in a variety of winged creatures from beetles to birds. The film’s excellent camerawork will give audiences a new perspectiv­e on nature’s fliers.

 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO ?? Brothers test their skill on the climbing wall at the Creative Discovery Museum, where “Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action” exhibit continues through Jan. 13.
CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO Brothers test their skill on the climbing wall at the Creative Discovery Museum, where “Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action” exhibit continues through Jan. 13.
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 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO ?? Dragonflie­s can move their four wings independen­tly, giving them phenomenal flying skills. Moviegoers can see this in detail on the six-story Imax screen where the new movie “Conquest of the Skies 3D” shows a variety of winged creatures.
CONTRIBUTE­D PHOTO Dragonflie­s can move their four wings independen­tly, giving them phenomenal flying skills. Moviegoers can see this in detail on the six-story Imax screen where the new movie “Conquest of the Skies 3D” shows a variety of winged creatures.
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