Resolutions are all the rage this time of year.
Eat healthier and exercise more. Quit [insert bad habit here]. Save more money. The list goes on and on.
How about this suggestion for a good -- and manageable -- resolution in 2017? Learn something new every day.
Resolutions such as exercising more are certainly commendable, but the brain needs to be exercised as well.
One of the great joys of life is the pursuit of knowledge. After all, what is life besides a learning experience?
And what better way to learn and exercise the mind than as a family?
With that in mind, here are some places where Arkansas families can learn together in the coming months:
ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER CHILDREN'S THEATRE
The Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre in Little Rock continues its 2016-2017 season with Stone Soup on Jan. 20-22. The production is a studio show -- an interactive play, with children and parents watching and listening as the play unfolds around them. The theater's next studio show is Frankenstein on May 10-14.
Main Stage shows remaining for this season include The Laughable Legend of Fancybeard the Bully Pirate (Feb. 3-19), Fancy Nancy the Musical (March 10-April 2) and Rapunzel (April 28-May 14).
For more information about the season or to order tickets, visit arkansasartscenter.org/childrenstheatre.
ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM
Situated in the Arkansas River at North Little Rock, the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum is the only spot in Arkansas where families can experience a World War II submarine inside and out -- the USS Razorback.
Of note, tours of the submarine are recommended for children 5 years of age and older. Younger children can visit the museum but are not allowed on the submarine.
Activity booklets and worksheets can be downloaded at aimmuseum.org for children to use during their visit.
ARKANSAS STATE PARKS
There are 52 Arkansas State Parks, each offering a wealth of family learning experiences, and on New Year's Day 33 state parks will offer free, guided hikes as part of First Day Hikes, an initiative in state parks across the United States. Think of these hikes as a healthy way for families to start 2017 while also learning about nature.
Here are some of the First Day Hikes on Jan. 1 around the state:
• Pinnacle Mountain State Park just outside Little Rock offers a couple of First Day Hikes, including a jaunt along the Rocky Valley and East Quarry trails, and a trek 700 feet up the West Summit Trail to the top of Pinnacle Mountain. The hikes start at 10 a.m., and hot chocolate will be provided at the pavilion in the West Summit Picnic Area afterward.
• Mississippi River State Park southeast of Marianna features a one-mile First Day Hike through the ups and downs of Crowley's Ridge. The hike starts at 11 a.m. at the Bear Creek Lake Swim Beach parking lot.
• Mount Magazine State Park in Logan County wants Arkansans and visitors to start off 2017 with a 10 a.m. hike to the summit of the park's namesake. This First Day Highpoint Hike meets at Lodge Lobby.
• Village Creek State Park outside Wynne offers a 1.5-miler that starts at 9 a.m. at its Lake Austell trailhead.
• Delta Heritage Trail State Park west of Helena-West Helena offers a different take on the First Day Hike events with a Lick Creek Bike Tour, a 3-mile guided cycling tour exploring the connection between the trail and the Civil War. Bicycles are available, but people are encouraged to supply their own. The tour starts at 2 p.m. at the park's visitor center.
Contact individual Arkansas State Parks or visit arkansasstateparks.com for the complete schedule of First Day Hikes.
CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville is free. That's right, free, minus an occasional ticket fee to view special exhibitions. So that's great for families. Even better? There are plenty of activities for children at the museum.
Drop-in Family Tours are offered every Saturday at 1 p.m., and there are free family guides for interactive touring of the museum's temporary exhibitions.
Beyond that, though, Crystal Bridges offers Experience Art Studios for art-making activities, puppet play, games and more; and a calendar filled with family days, preschool play dates and classes or workshops for children, teenagers and families.
The last of the museum's Drop-In Artmaking: Winter Break Wonders is 1-4 p.m. Sunday, but the museum's fifth annual I Art Family Sunday is Feb. 12. The free, noon to 5 p.m. event features music and hands-on fun.
Visit crystalbridges.org for more information.
FORT SMITH TROLLEY MUSEUM
The Polar Express might have pulled out of this downtown Fort Smith museum dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of electric-powered streetcars, but there's plenty happening for children, including riding vintage streetcars and touring the museum's collection of locomotives and cabooses.
Times and ticket prices are available at fstm.org.
HEIFER VILLAGE
Heifer Village in downtown Little Rock is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday for families wanting to visit its galleries and hands-on exhibits and experience its videos and activities. Every second Saturday of the month, the village presents Heifer Hour, an activity geared for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Intended to inspire children and parents to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth, the first Heifer Hour of 2017 is Jan. 14. Children can discover Arkansas vegetables and make a bookmark. The Heifer Hour on Feb. 11 will be about fish, and children can make their own paper-plate fish.
Find out more about Heifer Village at bit.ly/2gC6lhl.
HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM
Mother's Day is May 14, and while that may seem months away (OK, it is more than four months away, but start planning now), go ahead and schedule for the Historic Arkansas Museum's annual Territorial Fair, which is the Saturday before Mother's Day. The family event includes living-history performances, hands-on activities, frontier demonstrations, pioneer games and more.
Of course, the museum center and historic grounds are open seven days a week for families to tour.
Information about exhibits and guided and self-guided tours is at historicarkansas.org.
MID-AMERICA SCIENCE MUSEUM
Just west of downtown Hot Springs, the Mid-America Science Museum is Arkansas' first Smithsonian affiliate and a hands-on science center with more than 100 exhibits about energy and matter, including the Marvelous Motion Gallery, the Light Bridge, Tinkering Studio and more.
Plus, Imaginate, a traveling exhibit of multi-activity, interactive fun, is at the museum through the beginning of March.
Find hours and ticket prices at midamericamuseum.org.
MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER
Downtown Little Rock's Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is a learning experience for families each day it's open with its story of the black experience in Arkansas. But beyond its exhibits and self-guided tours, several times a year the museum hosts Family Fun Saturdays -- an afternoon of learning and engaging in history through a variety of activities.
Visit mosaictemplarscenter.com to learn more.
MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY
With exhibits on science and technology, there's a lot of family learning to be had at the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock.
Besides the day-to-day educational opportunities, there are monthly Saturday Discoveries days -- half-day workshops for ages 8-14 that explore science, technology, engineering and math -- held on the first Saturday of the month.
Registration is required. Visit museumofdiscovery.org for more information.
The Jan. 7 Saturday Discoveries day is titled "Minecraft Chain Reactions and Redstone Contraptions."
SCOTT FAMILY AMAZEUM
Opened in July 2015 in Bentonville, this 50,000-square-foot, interactive family museum is designed to "engage the imagination of children and their families through activities and interactive exhibits."
Besides exhibits, such as the Hershey's Lab and the 3M Tinkering Hub, the museum features a climbable tree canopy, indoor cave, an art studio and more.
Visit amazeum.org to see what events the museum has going on.
WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER
It might be cold outside, but inside Little Rock's Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center there's still plenty of learning going on about the great outdoors. The center features weekly story times about animals and nature, along with alligator and fish feedings.
The second Saturday of every month, the center hosts its Lil' Wild Ones at 2 p.m. for free, nature-related activities for kids 4-8 years old. Registration is not required.
The Jan. 14 program includes a hands-on look at real antler sheds and an opportunity for children to create antlers to wear.
Visit centralarkansasnaturecenter.com to learn more about coming Lil' Wild Ones programs.
Family on 12/28/2016