This column includes events that are of interest to families. Material must be received at least two weeks before the event.

Address suggested material to Hubbub Calendar, P.O. Box 81689, Lincoln, NE 68501 or e-mail to eandersen@journalstar.com.

* Friday

Creation Station, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Lincoln Children’s Museum. Carts of recycled/salvaged materials for making art. Regular admission.

Barnes & Noble children’s storytime, 10:30 a.m., SouthPointe Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 2910 Pine Lake Road. Story reading and activities. 421-7979.

Roller Derby Thunderdome, 7:30 p.m., Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South. Collecting Toys for Tots tonight; bring unused toys. 475-1212.

* Saturday

Pete Penguin’s Picnic, all-you-can-eat pancakes, 8:30 a.m.-noon, Downtown ActivAge Center, 1005 O St. Also, kids activities and Santa. $5 per person; $3 ages over 60 and under 6.

Holiday Paradefest, 10 a.m.2- p.m., craft show, hot lunch available, bake sale, kids activities and face painting; free family photos taken, songfest and restrooms, First Christian Church, 430 S. 16th St.

Brain Teasers & Brain Benders, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Lincoln Children’s Museum. Regular admission.

Star City Parade, “Making Spirits Bright,” 11 a.m.; pre-parade entertainment, 9:30 a.m., 10th and O streets.

Winter Weekends at the Zoo, noon-4 p.m., also Sunday, Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Greet Hudson and Yukon (two of Santa’s reindeer); reindeer demonstration, 2 p.m.; games, Santa, and more. $6 adult, $5 child/senior citizen and free for Zoo members.

Free guided hike, 2 p.m., Pioneers Park Nature Center, Chet Ager Building. Topic: Raptors of the Nature Center.

“Christmas Past and Present,” 6-9 p.m., also Dec. 8-10, Stuhr Museum. Enjoy a step back in time for an old-fashioned Christmas. $5 adults, $3 ages 7-12, ages 6 and under free. For information call (308) 385-5316 or www.stuhrmuseum.org.

Contra Dance, 7:30 p.m. doors open, 7:45 p.m. lessons, 8 p.m. dance, Auld Recreation Center, Antelope Park, 3130 Sumner St. $6 adults, $3 students with ID, supervised children under 12 free.

* Sunday

Hispanic Winter Traditions, 1, 3 p.m., Homestead National Monument. For all ages. Free.

The String Beans Christmas show, 2 p.m., Lee Booksellers, Edgewood Center, 5500 S. 56th St. Free.

Free guided hike, 2 p.m., Pioneers Park Nature Center, Chet Ager Building. Topic: Raptors of the Nature Center.

*  Tuesday

MOMS (Meeting Other Mothers) Group, 9:30-11 a.m., Grace Lutheran Church, 22nd and Washington streets. Call Rhonda, 489-7900.

Creation Station, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Lincoln Children’s Museum. Carts of recycled/salvaged materials for making art. Regular admission.

Help for Attention Deficit Disorders (HADD), 6-7:30 p.m., 5903 Walker Ave. 471-3700. Creative and challenging activities for children, support/education for parents. Family meal provided.

* Wednesday

Mothers Group, 10-11:30 a.m., Northeast Family Center, 5903 Walker Ave. 471-3700. Child care provided.

Grandparent Group, 1 p.m., Northeast Family Center, 5903 Walker Ave. 471-3700.

* Thursday

Parent and child playgroup, for children ages 9 months-5 years, 9:30-11 a.m., Northeast Family Center, 5903 Walker Ave. 471-3700.

M.O.M.S. the word, 10 a.m. brunch, Good Neighbor Center, 2617 Y St. Topic: Homemade for the Holidays. For information call Angel, 423-6117 or 477-4173.

Brain Teasers & Brain Benders, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Lincoln Children’s Museum. Regular admission.

Charlie Brown’s Kids, “Good Grief,” helping kids cope with the death of a parent, 6-8 p.m., Sheridan Lutheran Church, 6955 Old Cheney Road. 483-1845.

Autism Support Group meeting, 7 p.m., daVincis, 66th and O streets. For information, 474-1246, option 3.

* Shows

“Alice in Wonderland,” Youth Performance Group, 7 p.m. Friday; 2, 7 p.m. Saturday, Haymarket Theatre, 803 Q St. 477-2600.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Youth Performance Group, 7 p.m. Dec. 8; 2, 7 p.m. Dec. 9, Haymarket Theatre, 803 Q St.

“The Nutcracker,” Lincoln Midwest Ballet, 2, 7 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St. 472-4747.

Planetarium Astronomy shows:  “What the Heck Is Happening with the Planets?” 2, 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday,  Ralph Mueller Planetarium.  Admission: Adults $6, children and students with student ID $4 (includes museum admission). 472-2641.

Hyde Observatory shows: “The Star of Bethlehem,” and “Winter Constellations,” 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Hyde Memorial Observatory. Free. Suitable for all ages.

* Register now

Introduction to infant massage and yoga for mom, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Mondays beginning Dec.4-18, Milkworks, 5930 S. 48th St., Suite W (Trade Center). Free. Reservations, 423-6402.

Grandma’s Pocket, 9:30-11 a.m., meets twice a week (Mondays and Fridays or Tuesdays and Thursdays) for three weeks, beginning Dec. 4 or Dec. 5, Irving Recreation Center. For toddlers 20 months old through age 4. Activities designed to help children learn to interact with their peers. Fee: $27. To register, call 441-7954.

Candy House Funshop, Thursday-Dec. 10, Lincoln Children’s Museum. Cost, $15 includes all materials. Regular admission applies. For reservations: 477-0128.

YMCA Camp Kitaki New Year’s Live Campout, for ages 7-12, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 29 to 11 a.m. Jan. 1, Camp Kitaki. Cost: $147 per child, includes activities, meals, and heated lodging. To register, (402) 434-9222 or www.ymcalincoln.org/kitaki.

* Workshops/classes

Breast-feeding Cafe, for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, mother-to-mother support from La Leche League, 10:30 a.m.-noon every Friday, Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St.

Breast-feeding Support Group for Moms, 1:30-2:30 p.m. every Wednesday, BryanLGH College of Health Sciences, Room 200, 5035 Everett St. 481-3328.

Mom Talk, educational and social gathering for breast-feeding mothers and their babies, Mondays 7-8 p.m.; Fridays 10-11:30 a.m.; Parent Talk, educational and social gathering for breast-feeding mothers, dads and their babies, Wednesdays 10-11:30 a.m., MilkWorks, 5930 S. 58th St., Suite W (Trade Center). 423-6402.

* Coming up Douglas Theatre Company’s Free Christmas Show, 9 a.m. movie; 8:15 doors open, Dec. 9, The Grand Theatre, 11th and P streets. Free, with choice of 14 family movies, pop, popcorn and candy.

 

Family Day Out — Dads Matter Fun Day, 9:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 9, Lincoln Children’s Museum. Regular admission.

Holiday Air Affair, have photo taken with Santa in an FB-111, educational and craft activities, meet members of the 501 Legion, hear NASA Scientist Gary Kitmacher and refreshments, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Meet the Hummer, 1-2 p.m., Dec. 9, Strategic Air and Space Museum.

Family Night at the Library, “Winter is Coming,” 6-8:30 p.m.; 7 p.m. storytime, Dec. 12, Walt Branch Library, 6701 S. 14th St. For information, 441-8566.

Family Festival, 1-5 p.m. Dec. 17, various locations in downtown Omaha. For more information visit, www.holidaylightsfestival.org. Free.

* Family viewing Current G or PG movies. All movies currently in the theater and running through next Thursday unless otherwise noted. Movies are rated up to ****

 

OPEN TODAY

THE NATIVITY STORY. This version of the story of the birth of Jesus is well done, with period sets and costumes and strong performances, especially by Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary. PG. (Grand, Edgewood, SouthPointe) ***

IN THEATERS

BARNYARD. Kevin James provides the voice of a young bull who has to learn to take responsibility in this entertaining computer-animated picture for the kids. PG. (Star Ship) ***

DECK THE HALLS. Danny DeVito wants to put up a Christmas display that can be seen from space. His neighbor, Matthew Broderick, isn’t wild about the idea in this holiday comedy that doesn’t have the courage to be mean and ends up bland. PG. (Grand, East Park) *

FLUSHED AWAY. This entertaining British computer-animated movie finds an upper-class mouse, voiced by Hugh Jackman, flushed into an underground city, where he has to depend on a lower-class rat, voiced by Kate Winslet, and her boat to get home. PG. (East Park, SouthPointe) ***

HAPPY FEET. Elijah Wood provides the voice of a tap-dancing penguin who is exiled from his colony and goes on a quest to find out what is happening to its food supply in this entertaining, action- and music-filled, computer-animated film. PG. (Grand, East Park, SouthPointe) ***½

THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE. This tired sequel never sparks as Jack Frost, played by Martin Short, tries to take over the North Pole from Tim Allen’s Santa, who is having family problems. G. (Grand, East Park, Edgewood) *

VIDEO RELEASES

The Ant Bully (PG), available now.

Hot Wheels AcceleRacers: The Ultimate Race (NR), available now.

How to Eat Fried Worms (PG), available Tuesday.

* Places to go

In Lincoln:

Ager Play Center, 1300 S. 27th St.; 441-6788.

Lincoln Children’s Zoo, 1222 S. 27th St.; 475-6741; www.lincolnzoo.org.

Hyde Memorial Observatory, Holmes Park, 70th Street and South Shore Boulevard, south side of Holmes Lake.

Lincoln Children’s Museum, 1420 P St.; 477-0128; www.lincolnchildrensmuseum.org.

Morrill Hall, University of Nebraska State Museum and Ralph Mueller Planetarium, 14th and U streets; 472-2642.

Museum of Nebraska History, 15th and P streets; 471-4754; www.nebraskahistory.org.

Pioneers Park Nature Center, 3201 S. Coddington Ave.; 441-7895.

Elsewhere:

Homestead National Monument of America, four miles west of Beatrice on Nebraska 4; (402) 223-3514.

Strategic Air and Space Museum, located 25 miles east of Lincoln, off I-80 at exit 426; (800) 358-5029 or www.strategicairandspace.com.

Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer, 3133 W. Highway 34, Grand Island. (308) 385-5316.