July 13, 2023 3 For Free: Free Admission in August for Three Local Museums The Andy Warhol Museum, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, and the Heinz History Center will be open to visitors free of charge every operating day throughout the month of August 2023. ‘3 For Free’ Campaign The ‘3 For Free’ campaign will celebrate the museums’ recognition among the nation’s best. All three museums recently won honors from USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Through online voting, the museums collectively ranked in top five as some of the finest museums in the country: The Warhol (fourth in Best Art Museums), Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (second in Best Children’s Museums), and the Heinz History Center (second in Best History Museums). Plan Your Visit Visitors seeking free tickets during the ‘3 For Free’ month are encouraged to book online at each museum’s website. Advanced reservations are recommended, but not required. Use the links below to secure your tickets: Book your tickets for The Andy Warhol Museum (RAD promo will apply at checkout) Book your tickets for Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Book your tickets for the Heinz History Center This offer will be in addition to the annual free-admission RAD Days, which will begin in September. Related Content & Resources 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers CitiParks Announces Free Pool Access for Area Youth Updated: Summer Food Programs Offer Free Meals to Children Carnegie Museums Offer Free Memberships to Teens CitiParks Publishes Summer Guide LDA of PA Offering Free Reading Tutoring to Children in Hill District
November 3, 2020 WQED Cardigan Day Did you know that Friday, November 13 is both World Kindness Day and King Friday the XIII’s birthday? Join WQED to celebrate kindness and the inspiring work of Fred Rogers during their 3rd Annual Cardigan Day. About As a day of festivity, Cardigan Day brings the community together to celebrate kindness. Beginning at 10 a.m., WQED will showcase the “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” castle in the street outside of the WQED building (4802 Fifth Avenue). This street lane will be closed to regular traffic, allowing motorists with children to safely pull up to see the castle and receive a kid’s kindness bag. Each bag comes filled with snacks, crown-making materials, and Sarris Candies chocolates. The castle will be available, weather permitting, for picture taking from the car, and kindness bags will be offered while supplies last. Following COVID Safety Guidelines, the event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Motorists MUST remain in their car at all times. Wear Your Favorite Cardigan As has been the yearly Cardigan Day tradition, WQED asks its neighbors to support kindness by donning their cardigans and using social media to post photos using #CardiganDay. Last year, Cardigan Day blew-up social media, trending as number one, as cardigan-wearing babies, pets and entire classrooms of students overtook Facebook and Twitter. Episode Screening of Mister Rogers Neighborhood WQED will culminate the celebration with a Family Movie Night featuring a Mister Rogers Neighborhood “kindness” episode. The show begins at 7 p.m. on Facebook. The event link will be available soon. Please continue to monitor the Facebook event page for updates. More Information For more information, visit the event Facebook page.
October 6, 2020 Dance the Story: Dracula! Are you interested in participating in an up-on-your-feet program for children and families that introduces basic ballet steps and movement concepts through stories and characters? Join the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre on October 20 for, “Dance the Story: Dracula!” About The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre invites you to a special edition of “Dance the Story: Dracula!” as a part of RADical Days. During the event, children aged pre-k to fifth grade and their caregivers will join together on Zoom for a pre-Halloween exploration of dance and movement. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage. Admission is free, but attendance will be limited based on Zoom capacity.
June 19, 2020 Adaptive Dance | Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Hosted by the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Adaptive Dance is an online class series intended for children ages six and up with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or other sensory sensitivities. About The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) emphasizes creative movement principles and modified ballet technique in a welcoming and structured studio environment. Classes are taught by PBT School instructors experienced in adaptive dance and are limited to 15 students. Live music/percussion accompany each class. Caregivers may observe and/or participate in classes if they wish. This class is for children ages six and up. All classes will be held on Zoom. Each student that registers for the entire semester will also receive an adaptive dance kit to bring even more of the studio experience to their home. Session costs five dollars each or you can buy purchase all six sessions for 25 dollars. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre website. More Information For questions about the class or registration, email accessibility@pittsburghballet.org. Share this flyer with your network.
June 10, 2020 Citiparks Offers Take-Home Literacy and Math Camp Program From June 15 to July 24, Citiparks will be offering CitiCamp@Home, a six-week program for families that offers weekly take-home STEM/STEAM projects, games, giveaways, and chances to win prizes. About Families are invited to join Citiparks lead explorer Caterina as she guides explorers through summertime urban adventures! Through conveniently packaged To-Go Kits, families will gain access to everything they need to create great projects that include built-in literacy and math components. Additional resources will be provided by WQED, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Carlow University Education Department, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and UPMC Children’s Hospital. Pick Up Locations Kits will be available at the Citiparks Summer Grab & Go locations listed below starting Monday, June 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. Ammon Recreation Center Anderson Playground – Schenley Park Arlington Recreation Center Jefferson Recreation Center Magee Recreation Center Moore Park, Brookline Paulson Recreation Center Warrington Recreation Center Northview Heights Public Safety Center Salvation Army – Westside If you are not able to participate in the Summer Food program but would like to play along, printable materials will also be available on the Citiparks website. More Information For more information, read the full press release or call 412.665.3665. Share this flyer with your network.
June 1, 2020 Summer Camp and Recreation Guidance During COVID-19 On May 22, the Wolf Administration issued frequently asked questions to provide guidance to parents, caregivers, summer camp operators, public bath places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that provide necessary child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth during the summer. About Summer programs that provide child care and enrichment and recreational activities for children and youth are permitted to operate without a waiver in counties in the yellow and green phases of the Governor’s phased-in reopening plan so long as they follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for Youth and Summer Camps and the CDC Supplemental Guidance for Child Care That Remain Open. Summer programs include child care facilities regulated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and the following part-day school-age programs: a part-day school-age program that operates for less than 90 consecutive days per calendar year from the date the program opens to the date the program closes; a part-day school-age program that operates 2 hours or less per day for 3 or fewer days per week; a part-day school-age program that has a single purpose for the children’s attendance and that purpose is the only focus of the program (e.g., soccer or art class); and a drop-in program where a child or youth may come and go at will. To view the guidance, visit the FAQ document. This guidance does not apply to public school-operated summer programs or extended school year services. Guidance related to reopening public schools will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at a later date. Summer Programs in Pittsburgh On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. To view lists of permitted and non-permitted activities, read our news post. More Information For more information, view the full press release.
May 20, 2020 Let’s Move! Family Dance Party Join the Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) on May 30 for a 20-minute dance class and dance jam session! Let’s Move! Family Dance Party offers a low impact workout that the whole family can enjoy. This session will also feature a new coloring book page from KST’s archive of performances. Registration To register and learn more, visit the Kelly Strayhorn Theater website! Download the KST Coloring Book. More Information For questions, please contact the Kelly Strayhorn Theater at info@kelly-strayhorn.org or 412.363.3000.
May 15, 2020 Changes Made to Summer Activities During COVID-19 Pandemic On May 15, the City of Pittsburgh announced how summer activities will be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many activities will be allowed, others will be cancelled or postponed. All decisions follow federal and state guidelines. About In a City press release, Mayor William Peduto praised Pittsburgh residents, stating, that “Pittsburgh residents have done a great job during these trying times staying safe and looking out for each other.” However, he recognized that the battle against COVID-19 is far from over, and social distancing and other measures must remain in place to win this fight. With a larger number of residents venturing outdoors as the weather warms, the City has outlined lists of activities that will or will not be permitted during the pandemic. Decisions on closures and activities may be revisited as pandemic circumstances and federal and state guidelines change. Permitted Summer Activities Activities that can safely comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) social distancing guidelines will be allowed. Permitted activities include the following: Drive-in movies (by the Special Events office) Farmers Markets Pickup of bulk trash Road closures in City parks (more information below) Tennis courts (singles matches encouraged) Pickleball courts (singles matches encouraged) Skate parks Fields (but not for organized group sports) Frisbee Golf Lawn Bowling Bocce Expanded summer food program (likely to begin June 15) City crews are working to reopen facilities starting May 15 and will continue their work into next week. Drive-in movies organized by the Special Events office will begin June 13. More information will be released later. Farmer’s Markets will begin June 3 in Carrick and begin in other neighborhoods thereafter. Social distancing and safe purchasing requirements will be in place. Non-Permitted Summer Activities Large group events that cannot safely comply with social distancing will not be allowed. Non-permitted activities include the following: July 4 fireworks City-sponsored concerts 5Ks, the Great Race and other races (though they can be held virtually) Summer Camps Citiparks summer youth baseball Summer Line Dancing Pistons in the Park Playgrounds, park shelters, and spray parks will remain closed until further notice. Swimming pools (including the Oliver Bath House) will also remain closed. While the CDC says that swimming itself is safe, the guidelines require at least six feet of distance between users and no more than ten people would be allowed at any time. It has been determined that city pool waiting areas, locker rooms, and lounging areas are too cramped to allow for appropriate distancing under these guidelines. Activities To Be Determined Final decisions on other activities and facilities have not yet been made, including decisions on the following: Recreation centers Senior Healthy Active Living centers Block party permits Mellon Tennis Bubble Art Cart Water fountains and water features Park restrooms Organized group sports including deck hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball DOMI Task Force The City Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) has established a task force to study methods of using some streets and sidewalks to allow for safe recreation and business activity. Its recommendations will be issued soon. In the meantime, plans are underway to close some streets in City parks to vehicular traffic. No timetables are yet set, but plans are for the following closures: Sheraden Park: Adon Street West End Park: West End Park Drive at Weaver and Herschel Highland Park: Reservoir Drive; Farmhouse Drive at Jackson Street/Connecting Road/Heberton/Grafton (These will be partial closures to allow for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority access to facilities.) More Information For more information, read the full press release. *Information provided by the City of Pittsburgh
January 7, 2020 Storytime: Baby and Me | Homewood Join the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Homewood to sing, clap, and bounce along with your baby to action rhymes, stories, and songs. Songs help children develop listening skills and pay attention to the rhymes and rhythms of spoken language. This event is intended for children birth to 18 months and their caregivers. View the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh calendar to see alternate locations, dates, and times. More Information For questions, call the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Homewood Branch at 412.731.3080.
January 3, 2020 Little Learners Children birth to 5 years old and their caregivers are invited to join the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – West End for “Little Learners” to laugh, discover, and explore with their child during this special playtime. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their caregivers will make friends and use toys to learn about their world. Grown-ups will have a chance to chat with child development specialists and ask questions about caring for their little ones. View the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh calendar to see alternate locations, dates, and times. More Information For questions or more information, email westend@carnegielibrary.org or call 412.921.1717.