A Tempting Tabletops benefit for the East Hampton Day Care Learning Center on Saturday will give ticketholders a chance to win a variety of “unique and whimsical” table settings on display during the 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. affair.

    The party will be at the center on Gingerbread Lane Extension near East Hampton Village’s long-term parking lot. Savory hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served. The price of entry, starting at $20 for a single ticket, includes a chance at winning a favorite table setting. For $100, guests will get 12 raffle tickets, $300 buys 20, and $500 buys 30 tickets.

    Proceeds will benefit the nonprofit center, which serves preschool students with full and half-day programs geared toward meeting the needs of working parents. Tickets can be reserved by calling the center or e-mailing [email protected].

    The Montauk School is all spruced up and ready for classes to begin on Sept. 4. There are new teachers, new equipment, new programs, and a new security system. Lee White, the newest school board member, was elected in May and has already taken his place on the board for several meetings this summer.

    Mary Jo Walker, whose position was eliminated three years ago, has been reinstated as promised and will teach kindergarten, first and second-grade math, reading, and language arts. She is replacing Richard Larsen, who will teach fifth grade, replacing Sue Nicoletti, who retired in June.

    Louis Guzman has been hired to teach Spanish, replacing Kathleen Byrd, who also retired in June. Will Collins of East Hampton replaces John Salmon, the physical education teacher, another June retiree.

    During budget meetings in March and April, Jack Perna, the school superintendent, pitched a plan for tighter security at the school, especially after the Sandy Hook shootings in Newtown, Conn. The new system, still under construction, features a set of glass doors that can only be accessed by staff when they swipe an identification card. The new doors are set back from the entrance doors, leaving a glass vestibule for visitors to wait until they are identified and buzzed in by a staff member. All other entrance doors will be retrofitted in the fall, but are always locked during school hours.

    There are new laptop computers in the library/media center to replace the older models. The laptops can be moved around to classrooms as needed, which could free up the computer room throughout the day, said Mr. Perna.

    The Spanish program has been expanded in grades one and two. In other grades, in addition to the two regular Spanish classes per week, there will be two computer classes and one library class run by Spanish teachers in cooperation with the school librarian, Rachel Kleinberg. Some classes will be bilingual.

    Finally, new hanging light fixtures have been installed in the school entrance hall; the library has new and different fixtures.

    Everything will be ready on the first day of school, Mr. Perna promised. It might take a while for the staff to adapt to the new security system, but adapt they will, he said.

   With school to start next Thursday, Jack Perna, the district superintendent, wanted to make sure this week that the community knows the school board decided to reinstate a full-day prekindergarten program.

   Enrollment is down to 32 students, making it possible to have two classes with 16 pupils in each. The program will run Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    Last year, the student numbers were much higher and the board split the group into four classes, with two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Working parents pleaded with the board to add a third class so that some students could attend for a full day. They even offered to hold fund-raisers to pay for it. At the time, many parents said it would be almost impossible to leave their workplaces to pick up students at the assigned times. They were told that the price of adding another teacher and an aide, plus health insurance for the new employees would make it impossible.

 Mr. Perna also reminded parents that they or adult guardians must transport the little ones to and from school.

 Durell Godfrey

The East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society awarded 20 scholarships to graduating seniors this year, a total of $116,000 in college money for local students, many of them pictured above. The society’s top awards, the $10,000 Dudley Roberts Scholarship and the $10,000 Richard Ryan Scholarship, went to Skye Marigold and Laura Gunderson respectively. The L.V.I.S. gave $6,000 scholarships to Sarah Becker, Courtney Dess, Gabriella Green, Jessica Gutierrez, Brock Lownes, Ian Lynch, Melanie Mackin, Laura Perez, Keith Schad, Christopher Schwagerl, Jamesine Staubitser, Lena Vergnes, Jesse White, and Nicolas Zablotsky. Four scholarships of $3,000 each were given to students planning to attend two-year colleges: Maria Sacaquirin Aucapina, Andrea Morocho Japa, Elena Morocho Japa, and Jessica Brito Valladolid.

St. Luke’s Family Fair

    Pony rides, face painting, a dunk tank, a fun house, and more are in store for kids at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Church’s Summer Family Fair on Saturday. Entry to the fair is free. The church is on James Lane in East Hampton.

Hedgehog on the Go

    The Amagansett Library will launch its summer reading program on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the help of some unusual animals, including a hedgehog. A petting zoo will also feature frogs, bugs, ducks, and bunnies, among other animals. Afterward, kids can sign up for the library’s reading program. More creatures, of the marine variety, will visit the library on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. during the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Seahorse See and Touch Safari program for families.

    This week at Amagansett also marks the beginning of Tween Movie Night on Wednesday at 6 p.m. when “Oz the Great and Powerful” will be screened for kids 8 to 14. Family movies will be shown at the library on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m., starting next week with “Monsters Inc.” Registration is requested for all programs.

Creatures for Petting

    A hedgehog will make an appearance in Bridgehampton on Saturday, as well, visiting the Hampton Library at 2:30 p.m. along with other pettable creatures.

    Tomorrow at 11 a.m., the library begins a Friday series of cooking classes for kids 8 and older. This week they’ll make “worms and dirt,” and next week it’s the “real potato head.”

Kids Cartooning Camp

    Peter Spacek, an artist and cartoonist who does The Star’s weekly editorial cartoons, will be the instructor during a kids cartooning camp in Bridgehampton Monday through next Thursday, and again Aug. 19 through 22.

    The camp, for kids of all ages who love to draw, is sponsored by the Bridgehampton Museum and the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation. It will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day with kids divided by age group. Participants will sketch their ideas, then use pen and ink to create finished cartoons. They will also make illustrations based on descriptions of Charles Addams’s cartoons, and then see his originals at the end of the week. An exhibit of student work will happen on the final day of each program.

    Workshops will take place at the museum’s archives building at 2539A Montauk Highway. The cost is $200 per student. Space is limited. Advance registration is a must and can be done via e-mail to [email protected] or by calling the Bridgehampton Historical Society.

Roller Breakdancing

    BreakSk8, a breakdancing group that performs on roller skates, will bring their moves to the Montauk Playhouse Community Center next Thursday at 7 p.m. during the first of the Playhouse’s FamilyFest performances.

    Tickets are $15 per person or $50 for a package of four performance tickets plus a ticket to an Aug. 9 circus workshop. Also coming to the Playhouse for FamilyFest are the Hampton Ballet Theatre School performing “Peter and the Wolf” on July 25, the National Circus Project on Aug. 9, and the Harlem Hoopsters on Aug. 23.

Youngsters Yoga, Bubble Blowers

    This week brings loads of fun for kids at the East Hampton Library, from calming activities like yoga to music, painting, and hat making.

    Story time for kids 5 and older on Monday from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. will come with yoga. Susan Verde, a children’s book author and yoga instructor, will help make kids part of the story as they pose, move, and breathe through different yoga postures. This is a program for children only, while parents run an errand or browse in the library.

    Kids 4 and older can learn about the shapes, sizes, and colors of bubbles and build their own bubble blowers, which they will use to make unusual paintings, on Tuesday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. On Wednesday, they can make their own sun hats from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., and next Thursday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. they’ll combine science and art to make their own paints with household materials. Children under 7 must be accompanied by adults for these programs.

    For littler ones ages 1 to 3 and their parents, a Music Together session next Thursday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. will mix songs, movement, and instruments for 45 minutes of lively fun.

    Sign-up is at the library’s children’s desk and is required for all programs.

Puppets, Pigs, Peace

    These are busy days for the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre. In addition to its regular puppet shows in Sag Harbor, it will offer shows in Amagansett Square next week and inaugurate a series of family puppet workshops.

    The show this week at the theater on East Union Street in Sag Harbor will be “The Three Little Pigs,” performed tomorrow and Saturday at 11 a.m. Next Thursday, Friday, July 12, and July 13 at the same time, Bonnie Duncan will present “Squirrel Stole My Underpants.” Tickets are $12, $10 for member and grandparents, $8 for siblings, and $5 for kids under 3.

    Ms. Duncan will lead a puppetry workshop for families with kids 5 and older next Thursday from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. She will cover how to tell stories using your whole body and talk about how she puts together and performs her shows using mime, puppetry, and dance. The cost is $25 per family. A July 18 family puppet workshop will be led by Puppets of Prague.

    On Friday, July 12, at 5:30 p.m., Ms. Duncan will bring “Squirrel Stole My Underpants” to Amagansett Square. Her show will be the first of a free Friday evening series offered by the Goat in Amagansett.

    Peaceful Planet Yoga aims to give parents a little peace next Thursday from 6 to 8:15 p.m., when they can drop off their little ones ages 4 to 10 at the puppet theater in Sag Harbor for an evening of yoga-style fun and games, ending in “sleepy yoga mist, soothing, sparkly meditation balm, a yoga rest, and relaxation” to get them ready for dreamland. Kids can attend in pajamas. The cost is $25, $15 for an additional sibling, and $10 for a second sibling. Advance registration is required at peacefulplanetyoga.com.

KidFest Crafts

    Kids can practice their action painting on Wednesday during the first of Guild Hall’s KidFest craft workshops. Children 5 and older will make flat paintings or 3D sculptures in the style of Jackson Pollock from 4 to 4:45 p.m. The cost is $10, $8 for members. KidFest craft programs will be held every Wednesday through Aug. 28.

Music Theater Camps

    Eight to 12-year-olds who love to sing, dance, and perform onstage can practice all three and more during three weeklong music theater camps run by the Bay Street Theatre this summer, from July 22 to 26, Aug. 5 through 9, and Aug. 12 through 16.

    Each week will include improv, vocal and dance instruction, and other theater activities. The camps run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Students can sign up for one, two, or all three sessions. The cost is $425 per week, $800 for two weeks, or $1,100 for all three. Karen Peele Hochstedler, a performer and musical director who has taught music and movement, acting, scriptwriting, and improvisation to children and adults, will teach the first and third sessions.

    The camps will be held at Studio 3 in Bridgehampton, with size limited to 20 students per session. Advance registration is required through Bay Street’s administration office or online at baystreet.org.

Art for the Young

    At the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, Joyce Raimondo will teach a series of youth art programs for kids 6 and older starting next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The classes, which are free, will feature a different theme each week. Next week, young artists will use self-hardening clay and found objects to make sculptures. Advance registration is required.

Rock Hunters, Pond Explorers

    A rock-collecting beach treasure hunt run by the South Fork Natural History Museum will have kids 3 to 5 searching out special stones on the beach in Noyac on Saturday at 10 a.m. Collection bags and magnifying glasses will be provided for a $4 fee.

    At 4 p.m. that day at the museum in Bridgehampton, George Held will read animal poems from his new book, “Neighbors: The Yard Critters Too.” The book was illustrated by Joung Un Kim, with art direction by Matteo Bologna. Those who attend will be invited to read a poem or chime in with some animal sounds. Mr. Held will sign copies of his book and there will be refreshments and complimentary print tattoos after the reading.

    On Sunday at 10 a.m., 3 to 5-year-olds will use underwater viewers they’ll make with the help of an adult, magnifying glasses, and microscopes to examine the life in a pond. The program has a $3 materials fee.

    Reservations have been requested for all programs.

Reptiles and Cave Paintings

    The South Fork Natural History Museum will take its reptiles and amphibians to the East Hampton Library on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. for a visit with kids 4 and older. Kids will learn what the critters eat and why they’re an important part of the local ecosystem.

    Cave boys and cave girls 4 and up can report to the library on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. for a “prehistoric cave painting” session. They will grind chalk, berries, charcoal, and other materials to make their own paints, which they will use on their own clay tablets. Those with a berry allergy have been advised to avoid the class. That same age group will make their own checkerboards at the library on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.  Adults have been asked to accompany all children under 7, and reservations have been requested for all programs.

Pet the Cello, It Doesn’t Bite

    A family concert at the Perlman Music Program’s Summer Music School on Shelter Island on Sunday will expose children to classical music and give them a hands-on introduction to string instruments. The program’s students and faculty will perform on cello, viola, violin, and bass and offer a musical skit. An instrument “petting zoo” following the performances will have them trying youth-size string instruments with supervision and coaching from the performers. The free event will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the program’s performance tent at 73 Shore Road.

Bugs, Museums, Movies

    Creepy crawlies, awesome arachnids, lovely ladybugs, and all sorts of other insects will be the stars of an I Love Bugs family story and craft time at the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

    On Wednesday at the library, Susan Verde, the author of the children’s book “The Museum,” will read from it at 3:30 p.m. A collage-making session will follow. Those who attend will get a free family pass to the new Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill for Friday, July 19, including a tour at 5 p.m.

    Wednesday at the library is also Tween Movie Night. This week’s flick, which starts at 6 p.m., will be “Iron Man 2.” The family movie, tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., will be “Brave.” Snacks will be provided. Advance registration has been requested for all library programs.

Puppet Takeover

    Families interested in the art of puppetry can learn some tricks of the trade during puppetry workshops this month at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor.

    The first will be today at 12:15 p.m. with Bonnie Duncan, who is presenting her show “Squirrel Stole My Underpants” at the theater today, tomorrow, and Saturday at 11 a.m. Next Thursday, Puppets in Prague will be in Sag Harbor to present “Snow White” at 11 a.m., then lead a family workshop on making Czech-style marionettes at 12:15. “Snow White” will also be presented on Friday, July 19, and July 20. Puppet show tickets cost $12, $10 for theater members and grandparents, and $5 for kids under 3. The puppetry workshops, which are best for kids 4 and older, cost $25 per family. Reservations have been requested.

    Goat on a Boat will also give a free outdoor puppetry workshop at the Southampton Center on Job’s Lane next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. Workshops will continue each Thursday at the same time (weather permitting) through Aug. 8. The center is in the space formerly occupied by the Parrish Art Museum.

    Tomorrow will mark the start of the Goat’s free Friday evening puppet shows in Amagansett Square. Ms. Duncan will take her show there tomorrow. Puppets in Prague will be there on Friday, July 19. Show time is 5:30 p.m.

New in Southampton

    In addition to the puppet workshops mentioned above, the Southampton Center has a number of other free programs on tap for kids this summer. Puppet shows, presented in cooperation with Goat on a Boat, will be held every Sunday at 5 p.m. through Aug. 25. Also ahead are an animal visit courtesy of the Quogue Wildlife Refuge next Thursday, self-portraits with Marquis Studios on Aug. 11, and a Musicworks family concert on Aug. 25.

For Young Chefs

    Cooking classes for kids 8 and older will continue at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton tomorrow at 11 a.m. This week young chefs will make “the real potato head.” Next week at the same time, they’ll make tropical treats.

    Kids entering sixth grade and above can apply temporary tattoos of their own creation on Saturday at 11 a.m. From Saturday through Friday, July 19, during library hours kids of all ages can drop in to make their own cave paintings at the library. Reservations are required for all but the drop-in craft program.

Pop Ups’ “Radio Jungle”

    “Prepare for an educational romp through time and space populated with mermaids, bananas, on-location-extreme-cooking shows, treasure maps, giant crayons, a sky full of glowing constellations, bilingual bats, and more,” the Pop Ups promise of their new show, “Radio Jungle,” which they will take to the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Tuesday.

    The band, joined by a cast of puppets, will be the first performers in the museum’s Twirlygig Tuesdays series, presented outside at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30. And what a start it is: The band was nominated for a Grammy last year for best children’s album. Advance tickets cost $17, or $15 for members. Tickets are $20 at the door. People have been invited to take chairs and a picnic dinner. The rain date is Wednesday.

Stomp and Wiggle

    The South Fork Natural History Museum will take a selection of live reptiles and amphibians to the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Crystal Possehl, an educator from the museum, will talk about the creatures and explain some of their habits, such as the “turtle stomp” and “salamander wiggle.”  On Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., after listening to Eva Moore read from her new book, “Lucky Ducklings,” families can make their own duckling pop-up cards.  “Brave” will be on the screen for families this afternoon at 3:30. Next Thursday, it’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift.” The library will show “Paranorman” on Wednesday at 6 p.m. for kids 8 to 14. Snacks are provided. Advance registration has been requested for all library programs.

Chess Masters

    The chess masters of Chess NYC will be at Guild Hall in East Hampton this month and next to teach kids the game or turn them into serious competitors. An evening drop-off program, which will include dinner for young players, will be held on five Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. starting today. The cost is $395 for all five sessions or $99 apiece if space is available. Registration is at 212-475-8130 or [email protected]. Chess NYC will run a chess camp at Guild Hall from Aug. 19 through 23, with full and half-day options.

“Peter and the Wolf”

    The young dancers of the Hampton Ballet Theatre School in Bridgehampton will perform “Peter and the Wolf” at the Montauk Playhouse Community Center next Thursday at 7 p.m. as part of the center’s FamilyFest. Tickets cost $15.

Mr. Skip’s Moves and Grooves

    Mr. Skip will get young kids 2 to 6 “Movin’ and Groovin’ ” tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the East Hampton Library. Kids 4 and older can make cut-paper collages at the library tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. and plant their own herb gardens on Wednesday at 3:30.  On Monday at 1:30 p.m., Susan Verde, a yoga instructor and children’s book author, will lead a kids-only story time yoga session for those 5 and older. Those 8 and up can make cool rock-art characters at the library next Thursday at 2 p.m. Advance registration has been required for all programs.

Puppetry Galore

    The Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre is spreading the word of puppetry far and wide with shows and programs at its East Union Street, Sag Harbor, theater and in Amagansett and Southampton this week.

    Puppets in Prague will present “Snow White” today, tomorrow, and Saturday at 11 a.m. in Sag Harbor. Tickets cost $12, $10 for members and grandparents, $5 for children under 3. Next Thursday, Friday, July 26, and July 27, Z Puppets Rosenschnoz will take their show “A La Carte” to the theater.

    “Snow White” will be presented for free in Amagansett Square tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. “A La Carte” will be the show on tap in the square on Friday, July 26.

    Puppets in Prague will lead a family puppetry workshop in Sag Harbor today at 12:15 p.m. for $25 per family. Kids should be 4 and older. A rod-puppet workshop is scheduled for next Thursday at the same time. Advance registration is required.

    Goat on a Boat will teach people to make a toy theater from a small cardboard box during a free workshop next Thursday at the Southampton Center on Job’s Lane at the former Parrish Art Museum building. The program runs from 4 to 5 p.m.

“The Fish Juggler”

    A summer picnic at noon on Saturday followed by a 2 p.m. performance of “The Fish Juggler” by the East End Special Players will help the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton kick off its summer reading program. The library will provide lunch and refreshments. The theme “dig into reading” is carried over to a number of programs at the library this summer. Among them is a fossil-making session on Friday, July 26, at 2 p.m. for kids 4 and up.

    Also at the library this week, Play With Your Food, a cooking program for kids 8 and older, continues tomorrow at 11 a.m., with tropical treats on the menu. On Friday, July 26, kids will make a happy-face healthy snack.

    Kids in grades six and up should take their own white T-shirt or tank top to a neon spray T-shirt design session on Tuesday at 3 p.m. That same age group can make zombie box heads any time during library hours from Saturday through July 27. Advance sign-up is a must for all programs.

Butterflies and Friends

    The “friendship” between butterflies and flowers will be the topic of a family program at the South Fork Natural History Museum on Saturday at 10 a.m. Families with kids 5 and older will explore the museum’s garden, learning about how to attract butterflies and how flowers and insects help each other. Seeds will be provided. There is a $3 materials fee, and reservations are required. The museum is on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton.

Gaiman’s “Neverwhere”

    Teens who have read Neil Gaiman’s book “Neverwhere” have been invited to talk about it on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. Advance registration is a must.

It is a changing of the guard for the Springs School Board, which recently elected a new president and vice president.

    At a reorganizational meeting on July 8, board members chose Elizabeth Mendelman as president and John Grant as vice president. Ms. Mendelman replaces the former president and outgoing board member, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, whose nine-year term ended at the end of June. Mr. Grant was also vice president last year.

     “I’m excited,” said Ms. Mendelman, at the conclusion of the early July meeting. All members serve three-year terms; Ms. Mendelman was elected in 2011. She has two children at Springs School, in the sixth and seventh grades.

    In terms of her priorities for the year ahead, Ms. Mendelman is hopeful that the district will remain financially sound while also faced with a growing student population. “The most important thing is making sure that we can continue to keep the programs that are important to our kids and their academic achievement,” she said.

    Besides electing new officers, Jeffrey Miller and Adam Wilson, the two candidates who won May’s election, were also sworn in. 

    Apart from two members of the press, for a majority of the hour-long meeting, no one else was in attendance. But midway through, a handful of Springs residents started trickling in. Confusion quickly arose concerning the actual start time. Though the Springs School marquee advertised a start time of 6:30 p.m., and no information pertaining to the meeting was available on the school’s Web site, the re-organizational meeting actually started at 6 p.m.

    “I just wish we knew so we could be here on time,” said Mary Jane Arceri, a retired Springs teacher and frequent attendee.

    Timothy Frazier, a board member, said that going forward, it would be the first priority of the communications committee to ensure that the Web site is properly updated and information properly disseminated to parents.

    Besides the rubber-stamping of annual appointments and contracts, little else was covered during the meeting. For the coming school year, the monthly school board meetings will be held on the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m., instead of the previous meeting time of 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 12.

    Five years ago, when Travis Field of Springs was killed in a car accident at the age of 20, a scholarship was set up in his honor.

    Mr. Field was known for his athleticism, kindness, and love for East Hampton. He worked as a traffic control officer for the East Hampton Village Police Department and was a member of the Springs Fire Department and a volunteer for the Springs Youth Association. He also played for two softball teams in leagues here.

    Four student-athletes are chosen each year to receive a scholarship set up in Mr. Field’s memory. To be chosen, students must demonstrate community service, respect for others, and a love for their community. Donations to the fund would be appreciated; details about how to give are available from Brian Anderson at 324-9276.

    All of the proceeds from a Bracket Bash on July 28 will go to the Travis Field Memorial Scholarship Fund. The 7 to 10 p.m. event will be held at the American Legion Hall in Amagansett, where hors d’oeuvres will be served and D.J. Matty Nice will provide the music. Tickets cost $20 at the door.

“Pippi Longstocking”

    The young actors of Stages, a Children’s Theatre Workshop, will take the musical “Pippi Longstocking” to the stage at Pierson High School this weekend.

    The musical is an original script by Jerry Leonard based on the series of books by Astrid Lindgren about a brash girl who lives along with a monkey and a horse. Helene Leonard will direct the production and Amanda Jones and James Benard will provide musical accompaniment.

    Performances will be in the school auditorium tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased in advance at [email protected].

Stitched Fashion Camp

    Calling young fashion aficionados! The Stitched Fashion Camp, run by Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle magazine, and Rob Younkers, a fashion designer and adjunct professor at Parsons the New School for Design, will come to Guild Hall in East Hampton from Aug. 5 through 16.

    The camp, for boys and girls ages 10 to 14, will offer young fashion fans a first glimpse into this creative industry with instruction on everything from sewing, illustration, and construction to styling and visual merchandising.

    Participants will develop a concept, create inspiration boards, and illustrate a six-look collection for spring/summer 2014. The cost for the two week session, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, is $1,850 and includes all materials. A one-week option is also available for the second week. Advance registration is required at [email protected].

Amazing Universe

    From new solar systems to black holes to time travel, our understanding of the universe continues to expand. Tonight at 7 p.m. at the Amagansett Library, the Montauk Observatory will host a free lecture by Mike Inglis, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics. Anyone 9 to 90, or older, will be welcomed. Weather permitting, the group will use observatory telescopes for stargazing from 9 to 10 p.m.

    On Saturday afternoon the library has invited families to a parade and mask-themed story and craft time at 3:30 p.m. There’s a “dinosaur dig” on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. with Cornell Cooperative Extension, giving kids the chance to learn more about these long-extinct creatures while also exploring clues they left behind not only in rocks, but in present-day wildlife as well.

    The library’s tween film night on Wednesday at 6 will feature “Hotel Transylvania.” The family film next Thursday at 3:30 p.m. is “Despicable Me.” The library will provide the snacks.

    Registration is requested for all programs.

Dig Into Clay and Go Green

    Joyce Raimondo will lead two art workshops at the Montauk Library tomorrow. In the first, from 4 to 4:45 p.m., kids will discover how famous artists transform earth into art, then make creatures from self-hardening clay and other natural materials. At 5 p.m., Ms. Raimondo will teach Go Green, a workshop on making art from recycled materials. Both events are free. Registration, while requested, is not required.

Recycled Raw Beads

    On Monday, July 29, the East Hampton Library will sponsor a recycled raw bead craft using beads made from magazines from 1 to 2 p.m. Ages 8 and above are welcome. Registration is required.

    Calling all entering seniors. The East Hampton Library is sponsoring a three-part series on college application essay writing for students beginning their senior year of high school this coming fall. The classes will cover such areas as topic selection, organization, finding voice, sentence structure, and revision. The three sessions will take place on July 29, July 31, and August 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Linda Fuller, who formerly ran the English department at East Hampton High School, will teach the classes. Space is limited and registration is required.

    On Tuesday, July 30 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., the East Hampton Library will sponsor a printing event where children can explore different printing techniques and create a beautiful collage of their work. It will include bubble printing, wood block printing, and stamping. Ages 4 and up are welcome. Sign-up is required.

    Come make homemade dog treats at the East Hampton Library on Wednesday, July 31, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Children, ages 4 and up, can either make treats for their own pets or donate them to the local animal shelter. Sign-up is required.

    Next Friday, August 2, children ages 4 and up are invited to discover watercolor techniques to create special effects when painting outdoor scenes. The East Hampton Library is sponsoring the program from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Children under seven must be accompanied by an adult. Sign-up is required.

Puppet Shows Galore

    Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, a Minneapolis puppet company, will present their show “A La Carte” at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor today, tomorrow, and Saturday at 11 a.m.

    The show, set to accordion music, features a comic battle between a faux French chef and a wily lobster. It is recommended for children ages 3 and up. Tickets cost $12, $10 for members and grandparents, and $5 for kids under 3. Z Puppets will also perform a free show in Amagansett Square tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.

    Next Thursday, Friday, Aug. 2, and Aug. 3 All Hands Productions, an Atlanta puppet company, will present “The Reluctant Dragon” at the Sag Harbor theater, also at 11 a.m. Loosely based on Kenneth Grahame’s book of the same name, this production utilizes colorful rod puppets amd moving-mouth hand puppets to tell a story about friendship and understanding. All Hands will also take the show to Amagansett Square this coming Friday, Aug. 2, at 5:30 p.m.

    A rod puppet family workshop for kids 5 and up will be held at the theater today from 12:15-1:15 p.m. In next Thursday’s workshop, families will make a toy theater. The cost is $25 per family. Advance registration is requested.

    This afternoon, from 4 to 5, Goat on a Boat will present a puppet-making workshop at the Southampton Center on Job’s Lane. Children ages 4 and up are invited to create a miniature puppet theater using small cardboard boxes as stages and paper puppets as the stars. Next Thursday, Goat on a Boat will present a finger puppet workshop at Southampton Center. Youngsters 3 and up are invited to make finger puppets using felt, feathers, and other materials.

    Tonight and every Thursday, Peaceful Planet Yoga promises parents two hours of peace with drop-off programs for kids 4 to 10 at the puppet theater. The program runs from 6 to 8:15 p.m. and kids are encouraged to go in their pajamas. Pre-registration is required at peacefulplanetyoga.com. The cost is $25 for one child, $15 for a sibling, and $10 for a second sibling.

Peter and the Wolf

    The Hampton Ballet Theatre School will present “Peter and the Wolf” with the Hampton Festival Orchestra tonight and Tuesday in Montauk and Bridgehampton.

    Tonight’s production is part of the Montauk Playhouse Community Center’s FamilyFest. It begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.

    Tuesday, the musicians and dancers take their production to the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Doors open at 5:30 for the outdoor performance, which will start at 6. Advance tickets are $17, $15 for members in advance or $20 at the door. In case of rain, the production will be staged on Wednesday.

KidFest

    Guild Hall’s KidFest arts and crafts workshop on Wednesday will take kids 5 and up into the outdoor sculpture garden, where they’ll look at Joel Perlman’s work, and then create their own sculptures. The program runs from 4 to 4:45 p.m. The cost is $10, or $8 for members. Advance registration is suggested.

Animal Exploration

    On Saturday night the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will present “A Wild Night of Animals and Films” from 6:30 to 10. Co-sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival and the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, the event will include an introduction to live birds of prey, reptiles, and amphibians. After the sun goes down, there will be wildlife films under the stars in the field behind the museum. The cost is $5 for children ages 8 to 12 and $15 for everyone else.

    Also on Saturday, Crystal Possehl, a nature educator, and her story-time puppet, Lodo the River Otter, will lead a story time at 10 a.m. featuring a tale about the different animals that live in or visit nearby ponds. After the story, children will visit the ponds behind the museum and make their own pond crafts There is a $3 material fee. Advance registration is requested.