Volunteering

Nestled between Niagara Falls State Park and the Niagara Falls Conference and Event Center is historic Old Falls Street. There are many free or low-cost events that occur on this cobble stone and tree-lined destination. This is a great opportunity to enjoy one of the world’s natural wonders with your Little, but also treat them to some other fun activities. A full schedule of events may be found on the website for Old Falls Street, but here are a couple highlights: Flicks on Old Falls Movie Series   You and your Little can enjoy this free weekly movie series featuring free classic and contemporary movies under the stars. Movies are presented each Thursday from July 11 through August 29, beginning at 9 p.m., on Old Falls Street’s…

  Times Beach Nature Preserve/ Wilkerson Park Wilkerson Park is probably Buffalo’s newest and best kept secret (for now). Located adjacent to the Coast Guard station on Fuhrman Blvd, Times Beach Nature Preserve features a small beach with a well kept nature preserve to the right, and beautiful Wilkerson Park to the left with a double slide, kinetic sculptures against a breathtaking view of Lake Erie, that you can get to on top of a hill with a spiral path. Kids enjoy taking their bikes up to the top of the hill and spiraling down. Also, this park is one of the stops for the Queen City Ferry! Gallagher Beach Gallagher Beach is popular with windsurfers because it tends to be the windiest beach around…

Check out the Artvoice 2013 Summer Guide. It’s full of fun, free & low cost activities to do this summer, some of which are great for kids! Maybe your Little loves to garden and would be thrilled to check out a Garden Walk. Or maybe he or she is into film and would appreciate Squeaky Wheel’s Outdoor Animation Festival on August 21st. If you have questions about any of these events, or about their appropriateness for your little, please feel free to e-mail bigs@beafriend.org or contact your case manager. Click the link to see the listing.

Families flock to Artpark for hours of hands-on discovery and fun with weekly themed workshops and live performances! A variety of “Make and Take” workshops are available at each and every installment of Family Saturdays- no matter the theme. These Artpark classics include, The Paint Space, Costume Closet, Sand Box, Face Painting, and the Pottery Wheel.   An Artisan Market and Amy’s Place Food Truck will be on-site during each and every Family Saturday for families to purchase a unique piece of artwork or an afternoon snack!   The events take place in Artpark’s outdoor Amphitheater, 450 S. 4th St Lewiston, NY 14092. June 6th-27th from Noon-4PM   2013 Schedule  July 6 : Art of the 70’s Workshops!Live performances by Niagara University Repertory Theatre (N.U.R.T.) at…

Buffalo Urban Outdoor Education Foundation presents a two-hour exploration sail on Lake Erie aboard the Spirit of Buffalo. The cost is $5 per person and it takes place from 10AM-Noon on the following days: Monday, June 24th Thursday, June 27th Tuesday, July 2nd-Friday, July 5th Reservations Required: Call (716) 796-8393

  Queen City Ferry offers a water ferry service between Buffalo’s inner and outer harbor. Board the Queen City Ferry at the Central Wharf. The Ferry travels to the Outer Harbor, Erie Basin Marina and along the Buffalo River to Riverfest Park in Buffalo’s old First Ward district. Operations are daily from 12-8pm mid May through September. Round trip takes approximately one (1) hour. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults, $6 for children. Narrated Buffalo River History Tours are available daily from 10:30am-12pm for $14 adults and $10 for children. For more information about the Queen City Ferry call 716.796.4556.

You and your Little can enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of Canalside while playing a game. Old fashioned board games are available, as well as new ones. The best part is, you can rent them for free! You just need proper identification to sign the games out. Look for the Treehouse kiosk by the water! Presented by Treehouse Toy Store on Elmwood. The kiosk is open during the summer months.    

Summer Reading 2013, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Kids ages 12 & under Summer Reading participants are asked to write brief book reviews, each of which counts as an entry in a prize drawing. The more book reviews submitted, the better chances of winning. Submissions can be fiction or nonfiction books. There are some great prizes to be won. The book reviews can be submitted online. Visit the reading program’s website to get started!

  Now running through the end of October, Hidden Valley Animal Adventure Park hosts a guided trolley tour to view over 200 animals! Each ticket comes with a cup of grain and access to Small Animal Adventure, where you can interact with smaller, friendly animals. Tickets are $18 for adults and $14 for kids ages 3-10. The park is located in Varysburg, NY. The tours run on weekdays starting in late June. See Hidden Valley Animal Adventure Park’s website for more details!

  Hawk Creek is a nationally known gem in East Aurora, New York that aims to create an understanding of the natural world. They specialize in environmental education and wildlife conservation and rehabilitation. Hawk Creek has over 80 different types of animals that reside there as they can not be returned to their natural habitat, due to permanent injury or dependence on humans. There are over 2,500 educational programs provided by Hawk Creek each year, such as Rise of the Raptors! coming up tomorrow, June 8th. See the event calendar for more information, and to keep track of more upcoming events at Hawk Creek such as The Wildlife and Renaissance Festival in July! Visit Hawk Creek’s Website to learn more!