Grab the Kids and Go - For the Week of Feb. 15

On Tuesdays, Tolland Patch features its Grab & Go Kids Planner! Each week, we’ll offer a calendar of kid-friendly activities and new places to try out with your family, both locally and across the region.

Help us build the planner with your own suggestions and tips — just add them to the comment box. We want to hear from you! 

This week we have Shrek on stage, a chance to play composer, a winter festival for the whole family, open cockpit at an air museum and virtual alpine skiing at the science center.

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Where/When: The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts at 166 Capitol Ave in Hartford on Wednesday, Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. The Feb. 18 show is 8 p.m., Feb. 19 is at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and the Feb. 20 show is 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Why Go: See the irresistibly funny and sweet Shrek brought to life on stage. With 19 brand-new songs, great scenery and of course lots of laughs, this is sure to be a hit with the kids—and their adult companions.

Price: Seating choices range from $17 to $75.

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Where/When:  in Manchester on Thursday, Feb. 17, 4-5 p.m.

 Why Go: Children can write and use instruments to play songs about winter. They will also learn about how composers of the past have done so.

Price: The cost is $13 for members and $15 for non-members.

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Where/When: Sun Valley Resort at 51 Old Springfield Rd in Stafford Springs on Saturday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Why Go: It’s a fun festival for the whole family, featuring ice skating, snowmobile rides, a beach bonfire, ice fishing derby, food and craft vendors, music and more. 

Price: It’s free, though donations to benefit the Channel 3 Kids Camp are welcome.

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Where/When: in Windsor Locks, on Sunday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Why Go: Kids get the chance to play pilot by climbing into the cockpits of a full-motion flight simulator, two static flight simulators and 12 vintage aircraft, including the famous Vought Corsair of WWII, the North American F-100 Super Sabre, a DC-3 airliner, helicopters and more.

Price: Free with admission to the museum, which is: Adults (ages 12+), $10; Children, ages four to 11, $6; Children under the age of four are free. Seniors over age 65 get in for $9.

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 Where/When: The Connecticut Science Center at 250 Columbus Blvd in Hartford on Monday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Why Go: Leap into February break! Youth are dared to master the force of nature using the skills they’ve gained from video games. Using the new Ski Simulator, kids can hop onto the slopes in the virtual world of alpine skiing.

Price: Admission to the museum is $15 for youth (ages three to 17), $17 for adults and $15.50 for adults over the age of 65. Members and kids under the age of three get in for free.