Horticulturalist Peter Warren leads a walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area and talks about insects we encounter in the fall. Collectors can bring their specimens for identification and learn more than you want to know about the role insects play in daily life. Meet in the Education Building. Earlysville Rd. 973-7772.

During World War II, raw materials were scarce, so many children made their own toys. Local historian and author Evelyn Edson helps kids ages 5 and up make some toys that their grandparents might have played with when they were kids at Gordon Avenue Library. Registration required. 1500 Gordon Ave. 296-5544.

Writing.
PHOTO BY Caitlinator - Flickr

Teens ages 13-18 interested in creative writing can join the club and get inspired at Crozet Library. This writing group is a chance to practice your skills, learn new techniques, read what other teen writers are working on, and hear helpful comments about your own writing. 6:30pm. Free. Registration is ongoing. In the old train station on Three Notch’d Rd. 832-4050.

Teenage fans of Japanese animation can get a sneak preview of the latest releases and meet other enthusiasts at Northside Library’s Anime Club. There’s food, flicks, and lots of fun for kids in grades 6-12. Registration is recommended but not required. Albemarle Square. 973-7893.

Ash Lawn-Highland hosts a series of hands-on archaeology digs, open to the public. Budding anthropologists ages 8 to adult can learn the basics of archaeology as they excavate, screen and wash artifacts, and report their findings. Tools are supplied, and the workshops will proceed rain or shine. Adults must accompany children. Reservations are required.  Workshop fee includes a guided tour of the Monroe home. 1000 James Monroe Parkway, 2.5 miles past Monticello. 293-9539.

Children, Youth, and Family Services invites parents who are seeing double to a workshop on Parenting Twins at Gordon Avenue Library. Free childcare. Registration required. 1500 Gordon Ave. 296-4118, ext. 0.

American history comes alive at the 12th Annual Great American History Weekend featuring everything from a black smith to an organ grinder and his monkey. See military working dogs perform, antique fire trucks, and a variety of military history displays. Albemarle County Office Building at 401 McIntire Rd. 296-5874.

Celebrate Virginia’s farming heritage on the banks of the Rivanna at Old Farm Day at Pleasant Grove. Enjoy arts, crafts, batteaux, demonstrations, entertainment, and exhibits. Rain date: Sunday, October 5. Pleasant Grove, Rt. 54, Palmyra 589-9405.

Don’t be sheepish
PHOTO BY Duchamp - Flickr

Montpelier hosts the annual Fall Fiber Festival and Sheep Dog Trials, an early autumn celebration of rural life in the Virginia Piedmont. The event includes weavers and spinners, sheep shearing (kids can get up close and really see what is happening), border collie demonstrations, workshops on the various aspects of using natural fibers, and many different breeds of sheep and goats. Food booths, Scottish music and bagpipes, and vendors selling natural fiber clothing, yarns, blankets, and socks. Festival-goers get a discount on tours of Montpelier, too. Rt. 20 in Orange County. 296-8533.

Frontier Culture Museum hosts a traditional German Oktoberfest with music, dancing, foods, beverages, children’s activities, and fun contests. Rt. 250 west in Staunton. 540-332-7850.

Playing cards.
PHOTO BY David Hudson Floyd - Flickr

Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to hang out at Crozet Library’s game space with video games, board and card games, and snacks. Learn a new game or bring an old favorite to play. Drop in and bring a friend. 2-4pm. Free. Registration is requested. In the old train station on Three Notch’d Rd. 823-4050.

Charlottesville Table Tennis Club invites players to get out of their basement and show their skills at their Open Table Tennis Championship. It’s a great opportunity to meet and play against people from all over the area with seven tables, a table tennis practice robot, and loads of room for players and fans. Players get plenty of matches and witness some top caliber play. Included with entry fee: snacks, drinks, prizes. Open to all Central Virginia residents, of all levels of skill. Brackets to be determined based on number of participants.  Reservations are required.  Covenant Church Gymnasium: 1025 East Rio Rd. 973-7552.

The Frontier Culture Museum offers families the chance to visit for free with First Fridays. Folks are invited to picnic on the grounds, then wander through the museum’s four historic farms for a living history presentation. 6-8pm. Free. Rt. 250 west in Staunton. 540-332-7850.

McCormick Observatory.
File photo

The view is out of this world at Public Night at McCormick Observatory (weather permitting). UVA’s research telescopes on O-Hill will be pointed heavenward, and Astronomy Department staff and students will be on hand with a slide show and answers to starry questions. McCormick Rd. 243-1885.

Get it write
PHOTO BY Caitlinator - Flickr

Young writers entering grades 4-6 can work together with the ideas of Gail Carson Levine’s Writing Magic and share ideas about their own writing at a Young Writer’s Workshop at Crozet Library. Snack provided. Registration ongoing. Drop-ins welcome. In the old train station on Three Notch’d Rd. in Crozet. 823-4050.

Twenty artists, including Lee Alter, Bill Finn, Vee Oswalds, and John Trilby, contribute works to a one-night art show to benefit Children, Youth & Family Services, Inc. The event features music by 6 Day Bender. Montessori Community School, Pantops Mountain, 305 Rolkin Road. 979-0096.

The Piedmont Council of the Arts and the University of Virginia Art Museum invite all parent volunteers in regional public and private schools to attend this workshop that explores how to look at and discuss art with children. Emphasis is placed on learning the “Inquiry Method,” which helps develop children’s visual literacy and problem-solving skills. The University of Virginia Art Museum (and Fayerweather Hall, next door), 155 Rugby Road. Please register in advance by calling the Piedmont Council of the Arts, 971-2787.

The September quilting celebration continues with “Creating an Art Quilt Square,” a workshop for children ages 10-12, sponsored by the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education. Participants will use various techniques and textiles to create a quilt square of their own design. 152 P. Buckley Moss Dr., Waynesboro. To register or for more information, call 540-932-1728 or write [email protected].