Considerable cloudiness. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 64F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Ali Sharpe and her children Amelia, 3, and Grant, 1, attend the Museum ABC's event in partnership with the library on Thursday afternoon.
Allie August of Arlington, and her son, Ransom, 2, attend their first Museum ABCs event.
Freddy Karis, 3, paints and collages during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Oskar Stubel, 3, looks through a magnifying glass alongside his mother, Victoria.
Ali Sharpe points out a flower along the trail to her children, Amelia, 3, and Grant, 1.
Freddy Karis, 3, admires a dandelion along the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at Bennington Free Library, reads the children's book "Wonder Walkers," while the toddlers and their mothers walk along the trail. Donigan cut out and laminated the book's colorful pages and placed them on posts along the trail, creating a "Trail Tale."
"If branches are the tree's arms, can you spread your branches like a tree?" Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at the Bennington Free Library, asked several toddlers and their mothers Thursday as she led them along a section of the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum.
Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at Bennington Free Library, reads the children's book "Wonder Walkers," while the toddlers and their mothers walk along the trail.
Deana Mallory, Director of Public Programs at Bennington Museum, shows Amelia Sharpe, 3, a piece of bark to analyze with her magnifying glass.
Freddy Karis, 3, looks with his magnifying glass along the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Amelia Sharpe, 3, participates in an art activity at Museum ABC's at the Bennington Museum in partnership with The Bennington Library on Thursday afternoon.
Amelia Sharpe, 3, paints with stamps during an art activity at Museum ABC's at the Bennington Museum in partnership with The Bennington Library on Thursday afternoon.
Bennington Free Library youth services librarian Linda Donigan leads children on a story walk through the George Aiken Wildflower Trail in the Hadwen Woods at the Bennington Museum in 2021.
Henry Clausen, 3, walks along the trail looking for leaves during a story walk with the Bennington Free Library through the George Aiken Wildflower Trail in the Hadwen Woods at the Bennington Museum in 2021.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Ali Sharpe and her children Amelia, 3, and Grant, 1, attend the Museum ABC's event in partnership with the library on Thursday afternoon.
Allie August of Arlington, and her son, Ransom, 2, attend their first Museum ABCs event.
Freddy Karis, 3, paints and collages during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Oskar Stubel, 3, looks through a magnifying glass alongside his mother, Victoria.
Ali Sharpe points out a flower along the trail to her children, Amelia, 3, and Grant, 1.
Freddy Karis, 3, admires a dandelion along the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Several toddlers and their mothers take a walk on the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, at a Museum ABCs event.
Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at Bennington Free Library, reads the children's book "Wonder Walkers," while the toddlers and their mothers walk along the trail. Donigan cut out and laminated the book's colorful pages and placed them on posts along the trail, creating a "Trail Tale."
"If branches are the tree's arms, can you spread your branches like a tree?" Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at the Bennington Free Library, asked several toddlers and their mothers Thursday as she led them along a section of the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum.
Linda Donigan, Children's Librarian at Bennington Free Library, reads the children's book "Wonder Walkers," while the toddlers and their mothers walk along the trail.
Deana Mallory, Director of Public Programs at Bennington Museum, shows Amelia Sharpe, 3, a piece of bark to analyze with her magnifying glass.
Freddy Karis, 3, looks with his magnifying glass along the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum, during a Museum ABCs event on Thursday afternoon.
Amelia Sharpe, 3, participates in an art activity at Museum ABC's at the Bennington Museum in partnership with The Bennington Library on Thursday afternoon.
Amelia Sharpe, 3, paints with stamps during an art activity at Museum ABC's at the Bennington Museum in partnership with The Bennington Library on Thursday afternoon.
Bennington Free Library youth services librarian Linda Donigan leads children on a story walk through the George Aiken Wildflower Trail in the Hadwen Woods at the Bennington Museum in 2021.
Henry Clausen, 3, walks along the trail looking for leaves during a story walk with the Bennington Free Library through the George Aiken Wildflower Trail in the Hadwen Woods at the Bennington Museum in 2021.
BENNINGTON — Ever wonder if the sun is the world’s lightbulb?
Is the wind the world breathing?
What about if branches are the tree’s arms?
“If branches are the tree’s arms, can you spread your branches like a tree?” Linda Donigan, children’s librarian at the Bennington Free Library, asked several toddlers and their mothers Thursday as she led them along a section of the George Aiken Wildflower Trail, next to the Bennington Museum. Everyone in the group, including Deana Mallory, the museum’s director of public programs, raised their arms.
The poetic musings come from the children’s book “Wonder Walkers,” written and illustrated by New England artist Micha Archer. Donigan cut out and laminated the book’s colorful pages and placed them on posts along the trail, creating a “Trail Tale.”
A walk along part of the trail was part of a recent event through Museum ABCs, a collaboration between the museum and the library. The free program, established in 2009, aims to support literacy and familiarize young children with the museum.
Thursday’s event, which fell on a warm, sunny afternoon, also included an artmaking component, in which the children were invited to create art in a similar style to Archer’s illustrations — using collage and painting without brushes. At tables under the Hadwen Pavilion, the children painted with rollers, nature-themed stamps and various shapes. And occasionally, they would just use a finger.
“They’re so awesome. Everything is new to them. They’re discovering everything, and everything is kind of a wonder,” Mallory said of the preschool-aged participants.
This was perhaps no more evident than when a large trailer carrying multiple trucks flew by on Main Street, and Freddy Karis, 3, expressed his delight at the sight of a “truck full of trucks.” His excitement matched his T-shirt with trucks on it.
Freddy’s mother, Jan Buonanno of Bennington, said her family walks the George Aiken Wildflower Trail regularly, and she tries to bring her son to the Museum ABCs events when she can.
“Linda and Deana are just amazing, and this program feels like such a resource,” she said. “Freddy clearly loves trucks, but we get in a truck zone at home — it’s nice to have some other things.”
On the walk, Donigan gave the children magnifying glasses (and bottles of water) and invited them to explore nature, like the characters in “Wonder Walkers.” Freddy and his mother looked under a log. They thought they might find some bugs, and found a slug.
“OK, well, put the roof back on. They don’t want to get cooked,” Freddy’s mother told him when it came time to put the log back — the “roof” being the log.
Allie August of Arlington, there with her son, Ransom, 2, said this was their first time at a Museum ABCs event.
“It’s really wonderful that Miss Linda and Miss Deana put together such a nice program for the kids,” August said. “And it’s nice to be out in nature on such a gorgeous day.” She turned to Ransom and added, “You’ve been waiting all winter.”
Ali Sharpe of Bennington, said she has been coming to the Museum ABCs events for about a year. She said her daughter, Amelia, 3, does not go to day care or preschool, and the program gives her a chance to experience group activities. She noted that the organizers have done well at adapting to different ages. That day, she was also there with her son, Grant, 1.
When asked about favorite Museum ABCs events, she recalled one where the children learned about historical toys, then made their own toys out of wooden blocks.
“That was definitely a favorite,” Sharpe said.
Victoria Stubel of Bennington, was there Thursday with her son, Oskar, who will be 4 in July.
“I love that they’re always incorporating art and reading,” she said.
Donigan said the program provides an opportunity to see children “unscripted” at different developmental stages, “outside of school and outside of data.”
“They’re so creative. They see the world with such fresh eyes, and keeping with the story, their world is filled with wonder,” she said.
More information on the museum is at benningtonmuseum.org. Museum ABCs is supported by The Bank of Bennington. While organizers do not expect to hold Museum ABCs programming through the summer, the Trail Tale will stay up for the season.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.