FRC April Newsletter
Monthly Newsletter
April 2026
Director’s Thoughts
Happy Spring! I am so happy to see all of those crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths cautiously popping up out of the ground after such a long, cold winter!
This spring in Bristol as a whole, including our three Bristol FRC locations, is absolutely LOADED with fantastic entertainment and educational opportunities for children and families! Take a look at the list below in our All Around the Town section. This month it was hard to even choose what to highlight, so many great things are happening all throughout our community. For even more information, we encourage you to take a look at some of the best pages for community information: Bristol All Heart, with its community-wide calendar; email parksandrecreation@bristolct.gov to sign up for their monthly newsletter and calendar; check out the events page at Environmental Learning Centers of CT (covering both Indian Rock Nature Preserve and Barnes Nature Center), and hop over to The Bristol Public Library’s calendar, which includes free or low cost fun for all ages, all month long at both their Main and Manross locations, on High Street and Central Street.
Looking for other things to do with your kids during April break? I’ll let you in on the site that was my personal favorite way to get a parent’s honest perspective on the affordability, accessibility, and type of fun to be had at Every. Single. Museum (defined very loosely, and now also including walking/hiking trails and more), in our entire state. This dad is incredibly thorough, and my own kids loved every place we picked based on his reviews. You see all of the results of his work right here, at the Connecticut Museum Quest website, searchable by both location and type of activity. It’s a fantastic resource for parents, grandparents, and caregivers.
Here in the FRCs, April brings the closing celebrations for many of our programs, which we will be sharing more about with you over the next three months. Our Girls groups will be visiting Shepard Meadows and the Capitol, our UCONN PEP participants will be completing their projects and graduating from their program, all of our sites have family engagement activities in the works, our Play & Learn groups will be visiting Indian Rock, and we’re developing even more community partnerships with other local gems. Stay tuned!
Program Spotlight!
Thank you, local and state grant partners! Your support allows us to staff Bristol’s 3 full-time FRCs, and purchase the supplies needed for so many of our programs.
This month, we highlight two programs: The Barnes Family Foundation, the sponsors of our FRC Traveling Storytime, and The United Way of Central and Northeastern CT, who sponsor our Wiggles & Wellness program. The Traveling Storytime launched in 2023, and allows our FRC staff to visit every single Kindergarten and pre-K class at Greene-Hills, South Side, West Bristol, and Edgewood Pre-K Academy.
Wiggles & Wellness follows a similar structure, funding outreach visits to all of the pre-K students at ImagineNation: A Museum Early Learning Center, and both the Burlington Avenue and West Street locations of the Bristol Child Development Centers. Along with Edgewood, these 3 programs enroll the largest overall percentage of future Bristol Public School learners, as well as most of Bristol’s state-subsidized pre-K enrollments. Beloved by teachers and students alike, Traveling Storytime and Wiggles & Wellness feature a group story, music/movement, a health theme with parent outreach, and a new book for each child to take home.
Donation Requests
We are accepting gift cards to local grocery/department stores and transportation services (e.g. Stop & Shop, Aldi, ShopRite, Walmart, Uber/Lyft, Cumberland Farms/ gas stations). Several BPS families have experienced major losses this year (house fires, serious illness/injuries, etc). In addition, the rising costs of food and other basic living expenses has hit many members of our community extra hard. Having cards on hand allows us to provide direct assistance quickly, when needed. Please contact your FRC for more information.
We are also ALWAYS in need of children's socks, underwear, and sweatpants/leggings, in sizes 5-18! (Gently used is absolutely fine for clothing; socks/underwear must be new only, please). Each FRC has several children come to us every day, due to various mishaps occurring before or during school. It can be a hardship for parents to bring in a clothing change during the day, especially those who travel longer distances for work.
Parenting and Family Support
Do you want to learn more about how to support your child with special needs?
Join the Bristol Early Childhood Collaborative (BECC) for an informative and empowering session, designed to help parents and caregivers better understand the supports available for young children.
Thursday, April 2, 2026 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Bristol Public Library (Meeting Room 2, downstairs)
This is a great opportunity to gain knowledge, ask questions, and feel more confident navigating your child’s educational journey.Scan the QR code on the flyer or click this link to register. We hope to see you there! 💙
All Around the Town
Cartooning Class
Manross Library, 260 Central Street, Forestville
Wednesdays, 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Every Wednesday at 6:30pm, ages 5 and up will learn to draw a new popular cartoon character together. Click here to register.
Easter Egg Hunt 2026
Indian Rock Nature Preserve, 501 Wolcott Road, Bristol
Friday April 3, 10am-2pm
The Easter Bunny is coming back to Indian Rock Nature Preserve!
Eggs will be hidden throughout the duration of the event, which children can collect to trade in for a small prize! Please remember to bring your own basket. The Easter Bunny will be here to visit with your children, (Bring your own camera) Food, Games, Crafts and More! This is a candy-free event.
$10/ per child. $5/ per adult. Children 12 months and under are free. To register, click here.
April Vacation Camp, Week 2 (4/13-4/17/2026)
Indian Rock Nature Preserve, 501 Wolcott Road, Bristol
Looking for an unforgettable school break or summer adventure? Join us at Indian Rock Summer Camp! Our April Vacation Camp is offered for a second week this year to align with the Bristol school district’s schedule: The dates will be April 13th-17th, from 8:30AM – 4:15PM, for students currently in kindergarten through 5th grade. Campers will spend the week exploring the 280-acre Indian Rock Nature Preserve hiking the trails and exploring the preserve, meeting animal ambassadors, creating crafts, and playing nature-based games.
Registration is open. REGISTER HERE.
Candy Sushi-Making for Tweens
Manross Library, 1 Courtland Place, Forestville.
April 4, 2026 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Tweens (ages 8+) will roll their own "sushi" creations from a selection of candies. What will you create? Registration required. Click here to register.
Playful Learners with Miss Emma!
Imagine Nation A Museum Early Learning Center, ages 3 and under
10:30-123 PM | $12.51 per session
4/10 - Tortoise Encounter
4/17 - Create your own Butterfly Puppet
4/24 - Spring Sensory Play
This is an ongoing program for children under 3 years old! Each week, children and their parents will explore play-based learning in our museum studios. The hour-long program includes gross motor fun in the kinetic studio, an educator-led activity or experience, and time to explore the museum together. Registration required – imaginenationct@gmail.com
Downtown Live at the Rockwell Theater
M*PACT: Earth Wind & Fire Medley, 30th Anniversary Tour
B.A.I.M.S., 70 Memorial Boulevard, Bristol, CT 06010
Sat Apr 25, 2026 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Imagine the smooth soul of Stevie Wonder, the percussive power of Stomp, the funk and groove of Earth, Wind & Fire, the rich harmonies of Take 6, and the brassy swagger of the Michael Bublé Big Band — all created using only the human voice.
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the best pop/jazz vocal groups in the world,” M•PACT has carved out a global reputation as a trailblazer in vocal music. Based in Los Angeles, this award-winning ensemble has captivated audiences with a sound that is both raw and refined, and always refreshingly human. To purchase tickets, click here.
Meals for Neighbors - Easter Dinner
The Ministry of Faith Lutheran Church will be delivering holiday meals to Bristol residents on Sunday, April 5, between 11:00 - 1:00 PM.
Bristol residents can sign up in person or via phone by calling 860-589-7744. Orders must be placed by March 31st.
CT Foodshare Community Feedback Forum
Bristol Public Library, 5 High Street, Bristol, CT 06010
Wednesday, April 8, 11:00 - 12:30 PM
Bristol Parks & Recreation, Youth & Community Services - Kid’s Night Out
Rockwell Park, Mrs. Rockwell’s Pavillion, 238 Jacobs St, Bristol
Friday, April 24, 6:00-9:00 PM
Game Night! From classic board games to team challenges, it’s a night full of friendly competition and laughs. Pizza will be provided for all participants. Click here to register.
Crafts and Fun!
Paperplate Flowers
Materials Needed
Base: Paper plates
Coloring: Paint, markers, or crayons
Stem/Leaves: Green craft sticks (popsicle sticks), green paper, drinking straw, or construction paper
Decoration: Tissue paper, streamers, foil, pom-poms, or stickers
Tools: Scissors, glue (white glue, glue stick, or hot glue), tape, and pencil
Instructions
Paint and Decorate: Have kids paint the paper plates with bright colors. Let them dry completely.
Add a Center: Glue pom-poms, a smaller circle of colored paper, or buttons in the center of the plate.
Attach the Stem: Glue or tape a green craft stick or a folded strip of green construction paper to the back of the plate to serve as the stem.
Optional:
Create Petals: Cut notches, zig-zags, or scallop shapes around the rim of the plate to create petals.
Add Leaves: Cut leaf shapes from green paper and attach them to the stem.
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Bristol Family Resource Centers
South Side School Greene-Hills School West Bristol School
21 Tuttle Road 781 Pine Street 500 Clark Avenue