Happy November, all! Let the holiday craziness begin! I’ve started to feel like Halloween is now the start of the holiday frenzy, with the rush of candy and parties and friends that jumpstarts November. We start the month with a burst of energy, so might as well find some fun activities to fuel the fire.

It gets a bit harder to get outside during these chillier months, but hey-there’s no snow on the ground, so take advantage of the last beautiful bit of foliage and dry ground to take a power walk along the Charles, or through the Arboretum. And remember-most of the animals at the Zoo seem to love fall, so make a fun afternoon of visiting the lions and tigers and monkeys, oh my!

Boundless energy? What better way to harness that energy than through DANCING?? And singing, of course! Our favorite rock star, Vanessa Trien, with her band of Jumping Monkeys, will be performing TWO TIMES in November!! It’s as though she planned this just for us! Kids singing and dancing for an hour with their rock star idol? C’mon-it doesn’t get any better than that. She’ll be performing in Arlington on the following dates:

Saturday, November 7, 10:30 am
Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA
7 Medford Street, Arlington, MA
FULL BAND SHOW, including Music Together’s own Sharon Simon and Julie Winslow!
We’re so happy to have a chance to return to this wonderful theatre’s children’s series. Please tell your friends!
For more info about the show or to order tickets online, visit http://regenttheatre.com/events/ff_trien.htm
Or call (781) 646-4849 for the box office. $10 adults, $8 kids and seniors

Saturday, November 21, 10:30 am
“Concert and Cupcakes!”
Brattle Theater, Harvard Square, Cambridge
40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Vanessa will be joined by Sharon Simon and Julie Winslow for an intimate morning of movin’, groovin’ kids music, followed by cupcakes and decorating supplies at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education next door!
This event is being presented by the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. You can purchase tickets for just our show, OR a “Concert and Cupcakes” combination (yum!). Visit www.ccae.org or call (617) 547-6789 for more info and to purchase tickets online. $8 adults and kids.

For complete show information, and to purchase Vanessa’s children’s CDs (“Carnival Day” and “Hot Air Balloon”), please visit www.vanessatrien.com.

For those of you who won’t be able to make these shows, don’t fret. She’ll do more.

So let’s check out some additional events. Holidays are coming, which means holiday shopping is upon us! Why not take advantage of some of the amazing works being displayed and sold at the Brookline Arts Center during their Holiday Craft Fair. It runs from December 3 through 20. On December 9th, they will be having a special holiday shopping event just for preschoolers and parents. So sweet. Give them a call at 617-566-5715 for more information.

On Sunday, November 15th, 2009 join Reach Out and Read at the Seaport Hotel in Boston for the sixth annual Read and Romp event. Read and Romp is a unique family event which allows children to travel through the pages of some of their favorite storybooks. Activity booths, games, and arts and crafts based on such family favorites as “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” “Frog and Toad,” and “Runaway Bunny” are designed to provide hours of fun for children and their families. Along with interactive storybook stations, there will be a buffet lunch with children’s musical entertainment, and a visit from storybook characters like Clifford, the Big Red Dog. The event runs from 10:30a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Enjoy this great day with your family, and help ROR continue to prepare children for success in school. Tickets to the event are $50 each and include lunch, a gift bag, a fun-filled day of activities for children and more! For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.readandromp.o

For more fun activites, check out the public libraries for storytimes, or head over to the Clayroom on Beacon St. to craft your own holiday gifts. Nothing sweeter than a homemade platter from the kids. The Puppet Showplace Theater on Station St. in Brookline Village also has some great shows this month, mostly for kids ages 4 and up.

Have more fun suggestions? Let us know. We’d love to spread the news…