So what is the deal with the Easy Bake Oven?

 

Santa brought one to my 8-year-old this Christmas. She has wanted one for three years, but the box says "8 and up," so I told her she had to wait until she was 8 to ask for one. She asked this year, Santa obliged, and now we have a big black hunk of junk on our kitchen counter.

 

Our first attempt to make the cookies that came with the box was trial and error, but eventually we got some very small treats that tasted OK. However, the second attempt to make pretzel sticks failed miserably. An hour after we first turned the thing on, the pretzels came out still completely raw. The oven appeared to be on, as it felt warm to the touch, but the pan came out cold.

 

Who knew this silly toy would be such a pain to use?

 

If you are like me and already sick of the trials and tribulations of new Christmas toys, it's time to get out of the house! On Friday, Dec. 27, you have a few neat options.

 

If you find yourself in North County, head to the Milne Library on Main Street in Williamstown from 2 to 4:30 p.m. for an afternoon of games and crafts that someone else will provide and teach you to use (though you can bring your own, if you want). Games will include chess, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders and others; bring a friend and enjoy an afternoon of games in the library. For more information, call 413-458-5369 or email krose@cwmars.org.

 

If you are in central or southern Berkshire county, head to the beautiful Ventfort Hall on Walker Street in Lenox. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., master puppeteer Carl Sprague, whose holiday performances have enchanted Ventfort Hall audiences for years, will return to perform the classic fairy tale "Cinderella." A Victorian holiday tea will follow and the children can meet the antique puppets and the backstage wizard. Shows also run Dec. 28 and 30; the cost is $16 for adults, $7 for children to 5 to 17 and free for children 4 and under. For reservations (which will save you $2 off the adult price), call 413-637-3206.

 

If you really enjoy those puppets and want some to see a different kind of puppet show, mark your calendar for Tuesday, Dec. 31. That's when Crabgrass Puppet Theater will perform "The Pirate, the Princess, and the Pea" at 11 a.m. at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. Billed as "a swashbuckling pirate and princess adventure not to be missed," the show is followed at noon by refreshments in the Crane Room. The cost is $15 for adults and $8 for children, and it includes museum admission to catch the last days of the Festival of Trees. For information, visit berkshiremuseum.org.

 

Here's one more event to consider to get you out of the house over the weekend: On Saturday, Dec. 28, David Grover & Grover's Gang will join the BTG PLAYS! Children's Chorus for a concert at 11 a.m. at Berkshire Theatre Group's Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge. Tickets range from $10 to $20; click here for details.

 

Or you can just stay in and actually learn to use the new toys the kids received for Christmas. After two hours of trying to bake with the Easy Bake Oven, we ended up with very doughy, very salty, very tiny little pretzel sticks to be dipped in very orange, very disgusting cheese sauce. My daughter loved them. Score one for Santa!

 

Berkshire County native Rebecca Dravis of Williamstown is a former journalist who now works for the Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. She can be reached at rdravis@verizon.net.