Shake, Wiggle, Paint & Pretend!!

Click here for Children's Stage Schedule!!

The children’s area of the Little Buffalo Festival will offer an enticing variety of participatory and hands-on activities for families of all ages. There will be art and craft opportunities from recyclables and nature for the littlest artists up to school age children. Children can have their faces painted or don paint shirts for some free-style painting and group murals. And of course the festival would not be complete without the hat-making station where creativity knows no bounds! (All activities at the festival are provided and all materials are free.)

New this year will be a separate Children’s Stage with rhythm instruments for young ones to try and scheduled shows and participatory activities.

Near the Children’s Stage, look for a gypsy tent where you will find Genevieve the Jingle Gypsy (www.jinglegypsy.com), a published poet and writer. She will tell stories with the help of her cuddly puppet, Ginger Gypsy Bunny. You may also see Genevieve wandering throughout the festival pulling Ginger’s tiny gypsy wagon.

Jody and Her Story Time Critters will make story books come alive. As Jody tries to tell her stories, her curious and inquisitive puppets “comment” on the characters and events based on their own, personal experiences. Sometimes they even entice the audience to participate in the conversation. “Bobby" is a little impulsive but very sensitive "Sammy the Crow" is afraid of everything but would never admit it.  There’s a spider named “Squash” who just doesn't want to be squashed and " Goat" who thinks he is a surfer and calls everyone "dude". After the show, the kids are invited up to shake hands, or give the puppets hugs.

You can bring the little ones for a family jam session and sing-along with Kathy Eckhaus of Music Together in Susquehanna Valley.  (www.musictogethersusquehanna.com) Kathy was Perry County Council of the Arts Artist of the Year in 2008. Her program has been voted “best music class” by readers of Central Penn Parent Magazine two years in a row.  

Children will also be invited to join in several parades that will meander through the festival area at specified times to give them an opportunity to sing the songs they learned in the jam session and use the shakers and streamer rings they made themselves. So bring the kids and enjoy a day with your family at the Little Buffalo Festival.

Check the festival website for a show schedule.