.Little Wonders

Classical kids in concert

SAT-SUN 4/26-27

Child prodigies often provoke a complex mixture of emotions. They’re cute, they dazzle us, they embody extraordinary human potential. They also remind us of our own limitations, and then there’s the whole trained-seal aspect of it.Whatever you feel towards child prodigies, it will all have a chance to bubble to the surface when the Pro Art Symphony Orchestra presents “Kids Play the Darndest Things,” a showcase of pint-sized virtuosos from the Bay Area and beyond. Hosting the Saturday concert — 3 p.m. at the Dean Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek — will be KPIX Channel 5 News anchor Bill Schechter. The overly sunny Dianne Nicolini of KDFC fame will preside over Sunday’s show, 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Berkeley. Just remember not to poke your kid too hard while insisting: “See what you could’ve been if you hadn’t quit piano lessons?” Info: 925-943-7469.— Sarah Cahill

FRI 4/25

Kin Sing

Gobble and warble at the Y

Did you grow up in one of those households that gathered ’round the piany after supper, pop and li’l sis playing side-by-side while mom and you sang family favorites in perfect-enough harmony? Yeah, we didn’t either. But you can treat your own brood to a little melodious magic at the downtown Berkeley YMCA’s Family Night, where this week’s focuses are karaoke and ice cream — two great tastes that go great together. Well, perhaps they’d go together better if the ice cream were green tea-flavored and deep-fried, but building your own sundae is nothing to sneer at. In addition to dairy products, backing tracks, and a microphone, the Y offers its usual Family Night accoutrements, such as family swimming, arts and crafts, Kindergym, sports, games, and more. Admission is free. The Y is located at 2001 Allston Way. Call 510-848-9622 for information.— Stefanie Kalem

FRI-SAT 4/25-26

Earth First

Utilizing the ecological double-punch of Arbor Day and Earth Day, Chabot Space & Science Center (10000 Skyline Blvd, Oakland) will celebrate many things green and earthly. Like a planting of seven flowering crabapple trees by Joaquin Miller Elementary School’s Ecology Club to memorialize the seven astronauts of the space shuttle Columbia, with speakers from the US Forest Service, NASA, and the Israeli Consulate; “Particulates Matter,” a study of the Bay Area’s air; and hands-on activities including cooking with solar energy, building projects from recycled materials, creating and racing your own solar car, examining creatures in pond samples, and viewing images of Earth from space. Call 510-336-7300 or visit www.chabotspace.org — Stefanie Kalem

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