Not Just for Kids

A Gnat Lib

To play this game, you need at least 2 players. Player 1 can see the story, while player 2 cannot, at least until the game's over! Player 1 asks player 2 to choose a word to fill in each blank. If a blank needs an adjective (which is listed after each blank), player 2 can give any word he/she wants- as long as it's an adjective. Fill in all the blanks, then player 1 reads it out loud to see what crazy story you've created!

Remember: a noun is a person, place or thing (example: kitchen or dog); a verb is an action word

(example: jump or run); an adjective is a word that describes a noun (example: furry or beautiful)

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Gnat. Gnat was named after - you guessed it - a gnat, but he didn't mind. He liked gnats. He liked them so much that he imitated their every move. He _________ (verb: past tense) and _________ (verb: past tense). He nibbled on rotten fruit he found in the _________ (noun: a container) and put them back half-eaten. In other words, he - like his namesake - was a pest.

His parents tried teaching him better habits, even showing him _________ (adjective) videos like, "Our Friend the _________ (noun: an insect)" in hopes that Gnat might learn some other insects' manners. But it didn't work. Gnat was ill-prepared for school.

He didn't like _________ (noun: a subject in school); he hated art class, although he liked eating paste. Gnat, however, loved phonics because that's when sounds like "_________" (a sound a bug makes) became quite useful. When the teacher called on him, he ran around his desk _____ (a number) times, around the classroom _________ (a number) times and finally out the door, which little Susie opened while returning from _________ (noun: a place).

And then one day, everything changed. A girl named _________ (a girl's name) moved in, and she was much more annoying than he. You see, she thought she was a _________ (noun). With such a ruckus of _________ (-ing verb) the _________ (-ing verb), the _________ (-ing verb), and _________ (-ing verb), the teacher had no choice. She grabbed the girl by the _________ (noun: body part), and Gnat she caught in a _________ (noun: a container), and she dragged them to _________ (noun: a place), where they live today.

Up Close Need a Hint? The first one slithers and the second one flits and floats!

Kids' Calendar

Preschoolers no Longer Thru April 9-Time to sign up for Anne Arundel kindergarten and pre-k in time for next year. To sign up, bring the original birth certificate, a copy of immunization record & proof of residency to the nearest of the county's 19 elementary schools: 410/222-5441.

Chugga Chugga Fri. April 9 (10am)-Read about railroads for storytime w/Neitzel's I'm Taking a Trip on My Train. Barnes & Noble, Annapolis Harbour Ctr.: 410/573-1115.

Wild Weather Fri. April 9 (7-8pm)- Kids ages 10+ explore how weather affects the natural world. Learn what acid rain is and how you can stop it. Patuxent Research Refuge-North Tract, Rt. 198 btwn. BW Pkwy. and Rt. 32. rsvp: 410/674-3304.

Seek Out Slime Sat. April 10 (11-noon)-Kids ages 3-5 stalk slimy slugs in the woods, discovering dark, damp places where slugs like to hang out. Includes story, snack and craft. Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Port Republic. $3 w/member discount; rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Fling Yo-Yos April 10 & 11 (2pm)-Show off all your best yo-yo tricks in a weekend of friendly competition. Stick around a little longer on Saturday for yo-yo tips from experts (3pm). Zany Brainy, Annapolis Harbour Center: 410/266-1447.

Salvage Trash for Crafts Sun. April 11 (2-3pm)-Rescue refuse to reuse as beads for jewelry, pencil holders & other neat stuff. Bring an empty soup can & an old catalog. Expect sticky fingers from glue. Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Port Republic. rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Play that Funky Music Mon. April 12 (4:30pm)-Kids ages 10-13 make music with Abu the Flutemaker from Baltimore. Learn how to recycle ordinary materials into some of the most unusual musical instruments you've ever seen or heard. Make flutes using an Afrocentric method, get a lesson on how to play it and take home playing instructions. Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St., Annapolis. Free; rsvp limit 30: 410/974-2893.

Great Griot Wed. April 14 (9:30am)-Preschoolers connect with African American heritage and have fun with griot storyteller Tunki Baku. Hear African & African American tales woven plus play games, sing & dance. Banneker-Douglass Museum, 84 Franklin St., Annapolis. Free: 410/974-2893.

Pen Papers for Peace & Profit Submit by April 15-Maryland kids in grades 7 & 8 can compete to win prizes of $300, $200 or $100 dollars in the 3rd annual essay contest co-sponsored by Anne Arundel Peace Action and Maryland Peace Education Fund. To enter, write up to 1,200 words on this topic: "All public high school students in Maryland are required to complete community service hours to graduate. What are ways in which students can fulfill this requirement by working for peace, justice and tolerance in their community?" Call for more info: 410/263-7409.

Build a Nest and Eat it Thurs. April 15 (10:30-noon)-Kids ages 3-5 discover how birds and other creatures build nests by exploring a few examples and later building one you can, yes, eat. Bring bag lunch and a grown-up. Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown. $3 w/member discount; rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Kites in the Sky Sat. April 17 (11-3)-Bring your kite and let it fly at the Optimist Club of Calvert's annual Kite Flying Contest. Kids of all ages can win prizes for the most original kite, highest flying kite and more. Refreshments served. Jefferson Patterson Park, St. Leonard: 410/535-0568.

The Great Kite Fly Sat. April 17 (noon-3:30)-Picnic and loft kites high into the sky at St. John's College's Great Kite Fly. Fun includes cool kite displays, kite ballet, Asian fighter kites, kite acrobatics, 3-D figure kites, a sport kite show, The Capital's newspaper kite contest and more. Come early and make your own kite in a free kite building workshop at McDowell Hall (10-noon; rsvp by April 14). Back campus, St. John's College, 60 College Ave., Annapolis. Free: 410/626-2530.

Romp through a Garden Sat. April 17 (12:30-3:30pm)-Dig into hands-on fun in the 2-acre pleasure garden of William Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Learn how the garden was made and follow precious seeds from the hold of a British sailing ship to a garden bed. Dress for dirty knees. William Paca Garden, Annapolis. $5/kid w/one adult free; rsvp limit 30: 410/263-5553.

Bubble Over with Glee April 17 & 18 (2pm)-Are you a good enough bubbler to be the best? Let Zany Brainy be the judge in their Bubble Relay race. Also test out neat new bubble toys. Annapolis Harbour Center: 410/266-1447.

Experience the Poland of Old April 18 & May 2 (1-4pm)-Check out a huge display of Polish art and artifacts in Walters Art Gallery's new exhibit, Land of the Winged Horsemen: Art in Poland, 1572-1764. Kids get to explore heraldry and tapestry design in special activities on the Renaissance Court. More fun is listed in Good Bay Times. At the Walters, 600 North Charles St., Baltimore. $4 ages 6-17; $10 adults; kids under age 6 free; group discounts: 410/547-9000.

Drawing Contest! Send us your dolphin drawings!

You can be eligible to win free tickets, compliments of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, to see its new
dolphin show called Coastal Connections: Dolphins at Our Shores! Read our weekly fact about your coastal neighbors, the dolphins, and draw a dolphin at work or play. Fill out the form below, attach
it to your drawing and mail it to NBT Dolphins, P.O. Box 358, Deale MD 20751. We will choose the winner on May 27.

Did You Know that dolphins' cone-shaped teeth catch and hold prey like squid, shrimp, octopus and skates?

Name___________________________________________________________________ Age _______   Address __________________________________________________________________________   City/State/Zip _________________________________________ Telephone ( ___)_______________

| Issue 14 |

Volume VII Number 14
April 8-14, 1999
New Bay Times

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