The Luck of the Irish

Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrated internationally on the 17^th of March. It commemorates Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The day is traditionally characterized by the attendance of church services, wearing green attire (especially shamrocks), and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on food and drink consumption.

We decided to celebrate this festive holiday by inviting some traditional Irish Step Dancers to perform for us! The Children’s Museum welcomed dancers from The Haley School of Irish Dance. The girls were lead by teacher, Erin Blake Connolly who began taken lessons at age four with Maureen Haley, and quickly became an accomplished dancer. In her competitive career, she attained six New England regional titles and many more national and international rankings. In 2002, she won 4th in the North American Irish Dance Championships, being the highest ranked American dancer in her division. With Maureen's help, Erin passed her TCRG exam in 2005, and opened the Canton branch of the Haley School. The promising young dancers in Erin’s class include: Brenna, age 7 Haley, age 9 Maeve, age 7 Sophie, age 11 Marissa, age 12

The girls had the whole audience tapping their feet and clapping their hands to traditional Irish songs while they put on a beautiful show. To learn more about The Haley School of Irish Dance check out their website!

-Kerri, PR Intern

Hallo Freunde!

The Children’s Museum was stamping passports on Friday as families entered our German exhibit where they explored the enticing sights, sounds, and tastes of this beautiful European country. Our travel guide, Kati Matz, may have been in the United States for the past three years, but Trier (Germany’s oldest city) is the place she actually calls home.

Lucky for us, Kati was willing to teach us everything about her native land, starting with sweets! She says that the candies in the United States taste much different than what she’s used to. Germany is home to many famous candy companies such as:
Haribo – Gummie Bears
August Storck – Reisen & Werthers
Ritter Sport and Milka – Chocolates


When asking for candy, always remember to be polite!
Please – “Bitte” (bit-tuh)
Thank You – “Danke” (dahn-kuh)

Did you know that there’s no AM and PM in Germany? The German’s use what we call “military time,” which may very likely be displayed on their ever-so-popular Cuckoo Clock. The Black Forest Region of Germany is famous for making this type of clock. The children had a chance to make their own Cuckoo Clock with forest motifs such as branches, leaves, and forest animals.


Let’s count to 12 in German!
1 – eins
2 – zwei
3 – drei
4 – vier
5 – fünf
6 – sechs
7 – sieben
8 – acht
9 – neun
10 – zehn
11 – elf
12 - zwölf

Did you know that Germany is famous for its many castles spread throughout the country? The kids were challenged to build their very own castle, using paper cups. We also challenged them to build a tower to resemble Fernsehturm, the television tower in Berlin that is the second tallest structure in Europe. It has two elevators a viewing platform and a café. You can spot it by its giant television antenna, which helps it stand at 1,197 ft. tall!



Did you know that Albert Einstein is a native of Germany? He was born in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. This famous scientist enjoyed building structures and towers using blocks and playing cards, just like we did! He once constructed a 14-story tower of cards! It’s no wonder he was known for being patient and taking his time.




Remember to bring your special passport on our next adventure at the Children's Museum. We'll be exploring a new country every month and we want YOU to be a part of it! Visit our website for more information on traveling Around the World.

-Kerri, PR Intern

February Vacation Wrap Up

With February vacation week coming to at end, Ruff Ruffman wanted to thank all of his Junior Detectives for working so hard to solve the Case of the Roaming Gnome. By analyzing handwriting, comparing evidence, unscrambling numbers, winding through mazes, and using careful identification skills, the children caught the culprit and Ruff was able to safely return his gnome back to his garden!



On behalf of Ruff and the entire Children’s Museum, special thanks go out to Steve Bennett of the State Police, Officer Tara Kennedy and her dog, Apache of the Beagle Brigade,the FBI, and New York Life, who provided free child ID kits for over 250 children! Together, these very important organizations gave us lessons on how to solve clues like a real professional.




The Children’s Museum was hopping on Sunday! We welcomed a special furry guest who took pictures with the children, while introducing her new movie, “Hop!”

“Blending state of the art animation with live action, Hop is a comedy about E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand), the teenage son of the Easter Bunny. On the eve of taking over the family business, E.B. leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream of becoming a drummer. He encounters Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals, who accidentally hits E.B. with his car. Feigning injury, E.B. manipulates Fred into providing him shelter, and Fred finds himself with the world’s worst houseguest."

The film is helmed by Tim Hill, director of the blockbuster Alvin and the Chipmunks and produced by Chris Meledandri’s Illumination Entertainment (Despicable Me).”



Watch the trailer and play games here!



-Kerri, PR Intern