Mostly Free and Fun Things to do in CT with Kids This Weekend: June 8-9: CT Open House, Tom Sawyer, and Strawberry Picking

6/6/13 - By Jacqueline Miller

Last weekend's warm weather might have made us believe that summer was already here, but this weekend's forecast poses a few more planning challenges. Never fear! We have a whole roster of activities to keep kids of all ages occupied--whether indoors or out.

Looking for a fun night out for your kids and yourself? Check out our guide to childcare providers offering Parents' Night Out in Fairfield County (in particular the Easton Community Center, which is hosting Parents' Night Out on Friday, June 7th from 6:30-10.)

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It may not be a terrific weekend for sunbathing, but many of the Beaches in Eastern Connecticut offer activities for all kinds of weather, from playgrounds to tennis to train watching. For more indoor options, check out our list of CT Open House Day activities on Saturday, June 8th that includes museums, art galleries, and a bakery offering free samples of some of their tastiest products.

Saturday is also Tom Sawyer Day at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford. This annual free event will include crafts and fun activities, magic with Joe Barney and Daniel Greenwolf, a bouncy castle, and wildlife courtesy of the Connecticut Children's Museum. This year's theme "Tom Sawyer Day in King Arthur's Court" will offer a medieval twist that includes troubadours and other feudal entertainment.

Do you have a history buff or little soldier in the house? Head out to see Civil War re-enactors at the Soldier's Fair at Ballard Park in Ridgefield. This weekend is the annual Celebrate West Hartford event. Enjoy a highly rated juried arts & crafts show, great food, entertainment, games, carnival rides, and a certified 5K road race.

Several of this weekend's activities are featured in our June Go List, including the Chelsea Botanical Gardens Butterfly Pavilion in Norwich, where volunteers will supply a nectar solution that may attract a butterfly to land on your finger. Audubon Arts on the Edge on Audubon Street between Whitney Avenue and Orange Street in New Haven offers free, family-oriented music and dance performances, and interactive arts-and-crafts activities. Or check out Paint the People, a unique interactive art festival at Young's Field in New Milford where kids can help paint a mural wall, fire a paint cannon, or experiment with slingshot paint balloons. Feel like making something, or better yet see what other people are making? Don't miss out on the Danbury Mini Maker Faire this Saturday. Fun for the entire family.

This weekend is also the Olde Mystick Village International Food Festival, which provides the opportunity to sample the latest and greatest creations from award winning executive chefs from numerous local restaurants. This fun, free family event is open to the public and showcases live entertainment including music, face painting, and balloon creations as well as prize giveaways.

And if international delicacies aren't your style, you might try another local taste sensation: strawberries. Our guide to Pick Your Own Strawberry and Berry Farms in Connecticut will tell you which farms are open for this all-too-short berry picking season.

For a different kind of treasure, check out the 9th Annual Cap'n Kidd Treasure Hunt Pirates Day in Milford. Captain Kidd and his crew of scurvy pirates will sail into the harbor at noon on Sunday and "kidnap" Mayor Blake. Families are invited to arrive in costume and participate in Connecticut's largest scavenger hunt, through all the shops and restaurants downtown that are displaying the pirate flag.

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