CREATE BY THE FESTIVAL In honor of Mass STEM week, the Boston Children’s Museum has planned almost a full week of events to encourage creativity and education. Typically, the annual festival is held at the museum, but most events have moved online this year for safe social distancing. Artists, technologists and other creatives will collaborate on workshops, demonstrations and science lessons, all accessible from your computer. Selected events will take place at the museum throughout the week, including a robotics demonstration on October 20 and an exploration of steampunk art and design on October 21. October 19-24. Free with RSVP. Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St. created byfestival.org
MEET YOUR MAKERSPACE In this offering from the Boston Public Library’s Teen Seminar Series, attendees can learn a thing or two about hands-on crafts. In collaboration with the community organization PIC, the library will organize a virtual visit – reserved for adolescents – of the artisan asylum in Somerville. Artisan’s Asylum is a community creation space for visual artists, engineers and other creatives. The tour will feature Anne Wright, Director of Education of Artisan’s Asylum, interviews with numerous creatives and a glimpse of their workspaces. October 21, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free with RSVP. bpl.com
STREET CAR TOUR OF THE ART Take a good look at some of the best public art in Lynn Town. This tour, designed specifically for families with young children, will explore many of the downtown murals while sparking conversations about graffiti and street art. Entrants will arrive at the scheduled starting point and drive together to each stop, never leaving the comfort of their own car. Audio information on each work will be provided via a group phone call. Participants are encouraged to ask questions. And the presence of babies is not only allowed, but encouraged. Oct. 24, 11 a.m. Tickets $ 12, pre-registration required. eventbrite.com
NIGHT OF A THOUSAND FACES Prepare to solve a mystery with the New England Wildlife Center. The organization’s annual fundraiser typically sees nearly 4,000 in-person visitors, but has been moved online this year due to the pandemic. This year’s attendees can log into a Facebook Live event for “The Mystery of the Owl and the Pumpkin,” a police adventure featuring a pumpkin pie fight, crashing cars, a car crash. off-road motorcycle and much more. October 24, 7 p.m. Free. facebook.com/NewEnglandWildlifeCenters
HARVEST FESTIVAL Celebrate the fall season at Southwick Zoo. This full-day festival will combine music, craft vendors, and all of your usual favorite zoo events. Presentations by zookeepers will take place throughout the day – with topics such as enrichment for monkeys and great apes, encounter with parrots and ‘spooky animals up close’. Timmy Brown, Ayla Brown and Rob Bellamy will offer live tracks throughout the day. Costumed children aged 3 to 12 will receive free entry to the zoo with the purchase of an adult ticket. October 25. Tickets $ 25, pre-registration required. Southwick Zoo, 2 Southwick Street, Mendon. zoosudwick.com
SING WITH MATT HEATON Get your groove on with a virtual performance from singer / songwriter Matt Heaton. Open to all ages, this event will allow participants to dance and sing along to rockabilly music suitable for all listeners. Older family members are also expected to make an appearance, as Heaton often mixes a wry sense of humor with kid-friendly tunes, making him a hit across the generations. October 28, 11 a.m. Free. maldenpubliclibrary.org
Haunted virtual escape room Missing the thrill of a haunted house this season? Look no further than the Dover Town Library Haunted House Virtual Escape Room. With Zoom, groups of up to 10 participants can guide a librarian through a real escape room, looking for clues, solving puzzles, and hopefully finding a way out. The librarian will be the eyes and ears of participants inside the room, so they must work together to escape before time runs out. October 29, 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. October 30, 3:30 p.m. Free with RSVP. dovertownlibrary.org
THE SCIENCE SPOOKY SLIMY OF MAGIC This Metropolitan Waterworks Museum event is perfect for anyone who has ever seen a magic trick and wondered how it works. Aimed at children aged 3 to 10, the Halloween adventure begins with a reading of “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” by Dr Seuss. After that, the educational staff will demonstrate how common magic tricks are actually produced by science. Kids will have the chance to make their own oobleck slime and explore the museum exhibits. October 30, 3:30 p.m .; Oct. 31 10 a.m. Tickets $ 5. The Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, 2450 Beacon St., Boston. eventbrite.com
EXCHANGE CODES Over the past seven months, young creators have worked with artist Sarah Pollman at the National Gallery on a large-scale relief that captures the interdependence of human history through the exchange of materials and ideas. After visiting the museum for inspiration, the group decided to associate their final relief with a historical map of the world’s first trade routes. This exhibit marks the 15th year of the museum’s Community Arts Initiative, a program designed to introduce children to critical observation and artistic creation. Nov. 11-April 11, 2021. Tickets $ 25 or free with membership. Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave. mfa.org
BOSTON LIGHTS More than 50 lanterns representing everything from flora to fierce lions will be on display on the 72-acre grounds of Franklin Park Zoo. Visitors can walk through a 66-foot-long illuminated tunnel, observe scenes of traditional Asian lanterns, and spot a dramatic 197-foot-long dragon lighting up the night sky. Bonus: Music-loving participants can create a melody on a step-and-play grand piano. Until November 15th. Tickets $ 19.95. Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston. zoonewengland.org
Grace Griffin can be reached at grace.griffin@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GraceMGriffin.
