Red Sox incorporate baseball and math with Wally's Math Academy

As the Red Sox are continuing their franchise-record-setting run of 107 games won in a season, our friends at Fenway have created a way for kids to improve their math skills and educators to incorporate real-time statistics into the classroom with Wally's Math Academy.

The new program, “Wally’s Math Academy” replaces generic word problems with actual game data, incorporating video recaps of Red Sox games and photos of players. The program is free to educators and available by visiting redsox.com/wallysmathacademy.

With the goal of enriching and empowering young students with tools that keep them engaged, “Wally’s Math Academy” makes it easy for teachers and students to generate math exercises that use statistics from actual Red Sox games.

Currently serving students from 2nd to 4th grade, the program will soon expand to additional grades. Part of the team’s Calling All Kids initiative designed to enhance kids experiences at Fenway Park, “Wally’s Math Academy” is designed to reach elementary and middle school-aged audiences across the country.

We've been fortunate enough to get a sample worksheet to share with our readers so you can get a sense of what Wally's Math Academy is all about! A few of you reading this are educators, so you can sign up for free at redsox.com/wallysmathacademy

Please Note: The “Single Digit Multiplication” worksheet is provided solely as an example of the “Wally’s Math Academy” program and is to be used by educators with students within the 2nd to 4th grade phase.

Program Overview PDF

Sample Worksheet PDF

NOTE: We are proud members of the Red Sox Parents. We are provided with tickets to Sox games and events in exchange for sharing this great information with you. All opinions, as always, are our own.

Upcoming August activites with the Red Sox - Don't miss them!

Join the Red Sox as they host quite a few family friendly activities this August:

Sunday, August 12: Out of the Park | Boston Common
Highland Street Foundation, the City of Boston, L.L.Bean and the Boston Red Sox will host the fifth annual “Out of the Park” on August 12 on the Boston Common. “Out of the Park” is a free, family-oriented event that brings the Fenway Park experience to the community. “Out of the Park” will feature a live viewing of the 1:05 p.m. Red Sox-Orioles game, complementary food and kids and family activities.
www.highlandstreet.org/programs/community-events/out-park

Tuesday, August 14: Movie Night | Fenway Park
Fenway Park will screen the original Jurassic Park in celebration of the movie's 25th anniversary on Tuesday, August 14. Tickets for "Movie Night at Fenway Park," presented by Fandango, are available now. Movie Night attendees will be invited to walk the warning track from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., weather and field permitting. Concessions will be available.
redsox.com/movienight

Saturday, August 18-Sunday, August 19:Fenway Rooftop Sessions | Fenway Park
The Fenway Rooftop Sessions, presented by vineyard vines is a new and unique way to enjoy the game. With dates throughout the season, tickets include a pregame performance from a local Boston band, and a ticket to the game. Saturday, August 18, will include a performance by City Rivals. Dalton & The Sheriffs will perform on Sunday, August 19.
www.mlb.com/redsox/tickets/events/fenway-rooftop-sessions

Monday, August 20: Peanuts Night | Fenway Park
The Red Sox will celebrate one of the most popular comic strips of all-time, "Peanuts," with the annual Peanuts Night on August 20. Peanuts Night tickets include a limited edition bobblehead of Snoopy in a Red Sox uniform! Be sure to add this to your collection. redsox.com/peanuts

Tuesday, August 21: Game of Thrones Night | Fenway Park
The Red Sox will celebrate the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning series, Game of Thrones® on August 21. Game of Thrones Night tickets include a Red Sox 'K' Slayer Chris Sale bobblehead, a chance to sit on the Dragonstone Throne, and the opportunity to see the Map Table of Westeros. redsox.com/got

Wednesday, August 23#SoxPromo: Kids Run the Bases and Wally & Tessie Headphones | Fenway Park
Kids in attendance 14 and under will receive a pair of Wally & Tessie Headphones, and after the game, kids will have the opportunity to run the bases at Fenway Park! redsox.com/promos


Wednesday, August 29: #SoxPromo: Puzzle Cube | Fenway Park
The first 10,000 fans at Fenway Park will receive a Red Sox Puzzle Cube. redsox.com/promos

We celebrate the 40th birthday of the Lego Minifigure at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston

A few weeks ago, we had the chance to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Lego Minifigure at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston at Assembly Row Square in Somerville, MA. I was pretty excited to go with the family because I used to play with Legos all of the time as a kid and still enjoy playing with them alongside my kids and watching their reactions as well.

We arrived in time to find parking nearby and then the parade of characters started along with LEGOLAND Creative Crew members and employees. The Creative Crew are local kids who are selected to help the Master Builder throughout the year.

After the parade everyone assembled at the front of the store to sing happy birthday to the mini figures in attendance and then some fun confetti filled the air. We picked up our tickets and activity books and started the tour. We got in the elevator and proceeded to a waiting area where we were welcomed and saw a short video about what we could expect.

Our first stop was a ride where we would pretend to save the minifigures from the bad guys and spiders using special guns that shoot laser beams on the targets. If you get a bad guy you earn points. The goal is to try and beat your teammates and score more points!

What you don't realize is right before the end of the ride, it takes a photo of you and your teammates playing the game! Afterwards you have the option to purchase a print of the photo along with a neat Lego frame. If you're so inclined you can also order a copy of the photo broken up into lego bricks that can be assembled together and broken apart as a puzzle. So much fun!

We then had the chance to explore Miniland, where the local Lego master builder has created a landscape of region specific local attractions in great detail. There was Logan airport, some downtown Boston office buildings, the Boston Harbor Hotel, South Station and others. I was pretty excited because they were all buildings near my office and I was familiar with all of them. They even had more tourist-friendly options like Faneuil Hall, the Old South Meeting House, Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and the Charles River. You could even interact with some of the exhibits like a boat race for Head of the Charles regatta and even playing baseball at Fenway that was built like a pinball game. That was by far my favorite attraction along with peering into the office of the master builder - pretty neat.

The kids enjoyed an activity scavenger hunt where you have to visit all of the various rooms and rides and get a stamp in your activity booklet. Our daughter really liked that one.

There is a Lego 4D movie that is included with admission and a ride where you pedal a bike to go higher and higher in a ride. It was a lot of fun going with the kids. There was a special exhibit for Star Wars where the master builder made Star Wars specific models that were pretty neat.

If you are looking for something new to do and you've been to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston before, they just opened up a virtual reality (VR) ride where you can put on a headset and race alongside other minifigures on a racecourse and see if you can get the best time. It was fun for all ages... the kids enjoyed it along with my dad! So much fun to be had.

When you get hungry, there's a Lego cafe where you can get food (even in a Lego lunch box container)and get drinks and pastries provided by Starbucks. They even made the Starbucks logo out of Legos. One thing to note is that while they serve Starbucks coffee, they do not accept Starbucks gift cards.

We ended the day exiting into the store where you could purchase all things Lego and even a brick separator. I wish they had one of those when I was a kid, it would have saved my fingernails a lot of agony.

NOTE: We were provided with passes in order to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided. All opinions are our own.

Catch the Free Blue Man Boston Fan Drum-Off tomorrow 7/7

Finalist Victoria Venegas-Rizk.
Photo provided by Blue Man Group Boston.
Used with permission.

Blue Man Group Boston is hosting their fifth annual Drum-Off competition tomorrow, July 7th at 5:00 pm at the free Summer Block Party at The Lawn on D in Boston. After the competition, the winner will perform with Blue Man Group so you'll even enjoy a mini-performance, too!

This competition showcases the best drumming talent in New England and beyond with selected finalists each performing a 3-minute solo jam session in front of the festive Summer Block Party crowd and judges. The winner will receive over $6,000 in prizes from Blue Man Group, DW, Sabian and Vic Firth and have the chance to perform with Blue Man Group at the end of the competition.

The finalists are:
Vlade Guigni, 33, lives in Boston, from the Dominican Republic.
Xavier Martin, 32, lives and from Sanford, North Carolina
Cameron Petros, 19, lives and from Ellsworth, Maine
Tyler Pedersen, 24, lives and from Marblehead, MA
Victoria Venegas-Rizk, 20, lives in Boston and from Miami, Florida

Vlade and Tyler are returning finalists having competed in the 2016 and 2017 Drum-Offs respectively.  Victoria becomes the third female finalist in the five-year history of the Blue Man Group Boston Drum-Off and first female finalist since 2015.

“When we started this event five years ago, our goal was to highlight the area’s drumming talent and we’ve seen such amazing and proficient drummers perform at this event over the years,” said Jonathan Screnci, Resident General Manager, Blue Man Group Boston. “These five individuals all have such distinct drumming styles and I think the audience at The Summer Block Party is really going to enjoy watching them compete and perform.”

This year’s competition will be hosted by Danny Balel of ImprovBoston. ImprovBoston has been New England’s leading theater and school dedicated to the art of comedy in all forms. The judges will include members of the Blue Man Group band that will also perform during the encore.

NOTE: I'm providing this information for my readers since I think you all will enjoy it! No compensation was provided and all opinions are my own.

Bringing back my childhood for the fourth of july!

Today I had the opportunity to join some friends and play in an adult kickball game. Nevermind the fact that we're in the middle of a heat wave here in New England and the temperature was 94 degrees Fahrenheit with a feel-like temperature of over 100, I drank a bunch of water and had a bunch of fun. I haven't played the game in 25+ years but it came right back to me just like in my childhood. Can't wait for the next game... whenever that is!

Red Sox Weekend at the Museum of Science Tomorrow and Sunday!

Photo from mos.org

This weekend (tomorrow AND Sunday) is Red Sox Weekend at the Museum of Science in Boston!

Last year, the Museum of Science started a multi-year partnership with the Red Sox to host a fun-filled roster of activities combining the spirit of baseball with the learning opportunities of STEM. This second annual celebration will be quite a catch!

A stellar lineup of baseball-inspired science and engineering activities is on deck. Try a Sox-themed Design Challenge where you can build and test prototypes to solve a problem. Enter Fenway Park from afar via the Red Sox Showcase, find mascots Wally and Tessie, and more. Join Museum educators for exciting baseball-themed live presentations, enjoy Fenway-themed photo opportunities, a unique rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and other opportunities!

The partnership looks to produce baseball-inspired STEM material for the 70,000+ members of Red Sox Kid Nation and collaborate on family-friendly programs, activities, and events throughout the year — both at the ballpark and at the Museum. On your next Fenway visit, remember to grab a copy of Wally & Tessie's STEM Workbook at the Kid Nation booth or Wally's Clubhouse).  Learn more about the partnership between the Museum and the Red Sox here.

The schedule, provided by the Museum, is as follows:

Saturday, June 2
Red Sox Showcase
• 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Blue Wing, Lower Level
Experience Fenway at the Museum and test your baseball skills with a Red Sox pitching station, virtual reality headsets, and a life-size game of Jenga!
Face painting will be available from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm!

Baseballs in Flight
• 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
• 1:30 - 3:30 pm
• Investigation Station, Blue Wing, Level 2
Keep your eyes on the ball! Launch miniature baseballs to investigate how the variables of projectile motion affect the way a ball flies.

Baseball by the Numbers
• 11:30 am
• Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
Numbers are an important part of baseball. Using statistics allows us to compare players, measure their performance and predict their success. Take a closer look at how stats help us to understand America's favorite pastime.

Lightning!
• 12:00 pm
• 2:00 pm
• 4:00 pm
• Theater of Electricity, Blue Wing, Level 1 and 2
Indoor bolts produced by the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator spark exciting explorations of lightning, conductors, insulators, electricity, magnetism, and storm safety. Featuring the solid-state tesla coils playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Think Fast!
• 1:00 pm
• 3:00 pm
• Hall of Human Life, Green Wing, Level 2
Reaction time is important in baseball, from catching a ball to hitting. Come by the Hall of Human Life to measure your reaction time and see if it measures up to hitting a 90 mph fastball.

Predicting Performance
• 12:30 pm
• Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
Do you want to take statistics to the next level? Join us to learn more about sabermetrics with video game developer and baseball enthusiast Ian Davis as he talks about the computer programs he has created and used for his own teams.

Home Run Science
• 1:00 pm
• 3:00 pm
• Cahners Theater, Blue Wing, Level 2
Join educators to explore home run science as we use large-scale demonstrations to illustrate the forces at work while the ball is speeding to the plate, colliding with the moving bat and rocketing out of the park.

How to Pitch in the Big Leagues
• 2:30 pm
• Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
How does a major league pitcher hurl a ball at such high speeds? How do they get their arms to extend and move like they do? Former Red Sox pitcher and World Series champion Lenny DiNardo describes and demonstrates some of the biomechanics of pitching.

Sunday, June 3
Red Sox Showcase
• 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Blue Wing, Lower Level
Experience Fenway at the Museum and test your baseball skills with a Red Sox pitching station, virtual reality headsets, and a life-size game of Jenga!
Face painting will be available from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm!

Baseballs in Flight
• 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
• 1:30 - 3:30 pm
• Investigation Station, Blue Wing, Level 2
Keep your eyes on the ball! Launch miniature baseballs to investigate how the variables of projectile motion affect the way a ball flies.

Baseball by the Numbers
• 11:30 am
• Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1
Numbers are an important part of baseball. Using statistics allows us to compare players, measure their performance and predict their success. Take a closer look at how stats help us to understand America's favorite pastime.

Lightning!
• 12:00 pm
• 2:00 pm
• 4:00 pm
• Theater of Electricity, Blue Wing, Level 1 and 2
Indoor bolts produced by the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator spark exciting explorations of lightning, conductors, insulators, electricity, magnetism, and storm safety. Featuring the solid-state tesla coils playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Think Fast!
• 1:00 pm
• 3:00 pm
• Hall of Human Life, Green Wing, Level 2
Reaction time is important in baseball, from catching a ball to hitting. Come by the Hall of Human Life to measure your reaction time and see if it measures up to hitting a 90 mph fastball.

Home Run Science
• 1:00 pm
• 3:00 pm
• Cahners Theater, Blue Wing, Level 2
Join educators to explore home run science as we use large-scale demonstrations to illustrate the forces at work while the ball is speeding to the plate, colliding with the moving bat and rocketing out of the park.

NOTE: We're pleased to partner once again with the Red Sox as Red Sox Parents this season to provide our readers with family friendly events from the Red Sox! All opinions, as always, are our own.

Visit Fenway today for Mother's Day

The Red Sox will be hosting a “Walk in the Park” for Mother’s Day Today, Sunday, May 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, moms can enjoy free tours of Fenway Park on Mother’s Day, which take place every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The annual celebration of Mother’s Day at Fenway Park gives fans the opportunity to walk around the warning track, sit inside the home and visitor’s dugout, take photos with a Red Sox alumnus, and participate in other family-friendly activities. The event is free.

Fans can enter the ballpark through Gate B/K, located near the corner of Van Ness and Ipswich Streets. Games will be activated in the Kids Concourse, including speed pitch, the virtual reality dugout, and homerun challenge experience. Red Sox alumnus Sam Horn will take photos and meet fans outside of the Red Sox dugout, and the 2004 and 2013 World Series Trophies will be placed behind home plate for photos.

Wally the Green Monster and his sister, Tessie, will be on hand, accompanied by a balloon artist, face painter, caricature artist, juggler, stilt walker, and magician.

Ballpark concessions will be available at a discounted price. The event will take place rain or shine.

NOTE: We're pleased to partner once again with the Red Sox as Red Sox Parents this season to provide our readers with family friendly events at Fenway! All opinions, as always, are our own.