Friday, February 27, 2009

Marshmallow Towers

I hope everyone enjoyed the February Vacation week, I know I did! We’re still been pretty busy down here in the Fetch Lab even with the big kids back to school. This week we’ve been building marshmallow towers. Kids have built towers that were really tall, funny shaped and leaning, but overall they were VERY creative. I made a few as well, including a pyramid, a hexagon and an octagonal shaped tower that was 5 layers tall, but it fell over. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to go back and redesign it! I know a lot of the kids were planning on going home and using the toothpicks and marshmallows in their houses to keep creating unique designs. You should try it at home too! I think it would be cool to try using the big marshmallows, or maybe the colored ones for a fun twist. Let me know how your towers come out at home!

When I haven’t been polishing my skills as a marshmallow architect, Danielle, one of the other interns, and I have been taking a close look at the For Kids page too see how we can make it even better than it already is. We have been tossing around a few ideas on how to change the available activities, and I think within a few weeks you should be seeing a lot of fun changes on the page. Any suggestions? Leave me a comment, I’d love to know what your new ideas for the For Kids page would be.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Come and Drop by Before Vacation Week is Over!!!

Whew, what a week! We’ve been having a terrific time here during February Vacation and boy has it been busy. Operation Espionage has been wicked fun. Our detectives have done an excellent job deciding who the culprit was by carefully following the clues that were left around the museum! We’re still investigating the crime for a couple more days so stop by and help us solve the crime of the Ice Cream Cone Caper! We're also having some fun other activities going on throughout the museum like our spy viewers and a fingerprinting activity, not to mention our regular exhibits.

Today, we had a visit from a real FBI agent! He stopped by this afternoon and told us all about his exciting job. Special Agent Josh brought in TWO bullet-proof vests for everyone to try on as well as some plastic handcuffs he uses while catching bad guys. He was full of neat facts about the FBI that many of us never knew about. For instance, did you know that since 1940 the FBI has been in charge of catching spies that sneak into the United States? Pretty cool huh?! Special Agent Josh even helped some of our detectives with the clues from case of the Ice Cream Cone Caper. If you'd like to learn even more about the FBI drop by the FBI Kids Page. Everyone at the museum is very thankful to both Special Agent Josh as well as the FBI for stopping by.

It’s a bird, It’s a plane, No its SUPERNANNY! That’s right, everyone, Jo Frost, the star of ABC Television’s Supernanny was filming in the area and just made a stop right here at the The Children's Museum in Easton. It was so neat seeing how a real television show is filmed. Everywhere we looked there seemed to be T.V. people all working together to film just one part of an episode! It's definitely a hard job, but it looks like it must be really exciting. I'm excited to watch the show when it airs and see our museum on national television. I'll be sure to post the airing date of the episode once the television people let us know so you guys can watch it too.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What to do During February Vacation Week


WOW! We're half way through February Vacation week already! The week is really flying by here at the museum. I know a lot of you folks are vacationing at home this year, and sometimes it gets a little tough sitting around the house. So instead of sitting around and watching television all vacation, why not try finding something fun to do at the house or some great local activities?

The museum is still running Operation Espionage throughout February Vacation, along with our regular exhibits throughout the museum. Our admission is only $6 a person, which is way less than that trip to the movies that you've been planning! If you’re looking to do more fun things around the house, we have a great Kids Only page that offers numerous activities you can do right in your own home, especially since we have more snow on the way. Have fun guys!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Operation Espionage

Hey guys! I hope you had a chance to drop by earlier today and join us for our Valentine's Day celebration. We had a great time making candy holders, valentine cards as well as some scrumptious chocolate lollipops! I can't wait for next year to make those yummy treats again. Thanks again to the Mix 98.5 Snowbreak Tour for dropping in and giving away some great stuff!

OH NO! Ruff Ruffman's favorite ice cream cone squeaky toy has gone missing! Who could have taken it!?! Looks like you'll have to join us for Operation Espionage during February Vacation Week here at the museum to help us solve the great Ice Cream Cone Caper! Investigate the evidence left behind at the crime scene to determine the culprit. Along the way we'll be making some neat spy gadgets to help us on our spy themed week.

Even though you'll be awfully busy helping Ruff find the thief, take some time to listen to our special visitors who'll be stopping by the museum all throughout vacation week. We'll get to spend some time learning about fingerprinting with the Easton Police, meet a member of the Beagle Brigade who'll be demonstrating how Apache, one of the USDA's best workers, sniffs out food at the airport and see how dogs are used by the State Police to investigate fires. I personally can't wait to meet Apache and here all about her exciting job!

See you next week!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

February School Vacation

The Museum has got YOUR plans for February School Vacation week!

Be sure to check out all the activities going on all with Ruff Ruffman from PBS kids sensation Fetch and make Chocolate candies and holiday Card's on Valentine's day!

"In a perfect world, every town and city would have such cultural, educational and social treasures for kids. "

We here at the Museum are great supporters of all the fun, educational, cultural and culinary things to do all across the state of Massachusetts and New England! That's why we absolutely love the "Visit New England" website! They've got great reviews of all kinds of fun and affordable things to do across the region! A must visit for anyone planning a trip to our Museum or just looking for great things to do with the kids!


Be sure to read their recent review of the Museum - "The Little Engine that Could"

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Come Visit Us for Valentine's Day!


We've been awfully busy down in the FETCH! Lab this week. The FETCHers have returned from a dangerous space mission and their space capsules have fallen into the bottom of the ocean! Our visiting inventors have come downstairs and designed some creative devices to help retrieve the fallen capsules. It has been a little tricky to come up with the best hook, but everyone has done a terrific job. We've had some great minds here showing me their best designs for a rescue device. Shaila, Eliza and I will have to keep working at it for the rest of the week to make sure there are no abandoned capsules! Come stop by and help us out!

I know next week Ruff Ruffman will have us investigating something new, but you'll have to drop in and find out what we're experimenting with!


Cupid has been flying around the Museum getting us ready for his favorite holiday! On Friday, February 13 from 11- 4pm the Children's Museum in Easton will be having our annual Valentine's Day Celebration . I'll be on hand down in the Fetch! Lab as usual, but we'll have a fantastic heart-filled day throughout the Museum. We'll be making chocolate lollipops for a sweet treat to take home to your Valentine, as well as some fancy heart-shaped arts and crafts to make upstairs!

In addition to all of our great activities, I'm really excited for the visit from the Mix 98.5 Snowbreak Tour during our Valentine's Day celebration! The station will be raffling off lift tickets for different ski mountains as well as a bunch of other goodies! Free gifts and chocolate lollipops all in one day? Sounds like a great Valentine's Day to me!

Books With Bill


Poor Bill, couldn't make it to the Museum's story time today, he was so busy shoveling! Well, we sure missed you Bill! So since you were busy moving snow we read books about snow. We found a clue in one book which revealed a snowplow at the end of the story - we wish it had driven to your driveway Bill. We also read a story which shared fourteen Names For Snow. We'll catch up with you next week....wonder which hat Bill will wear?
Jane