Scarecrow Stomp

Summer is finally over, and this past weekend we celebrated the transition into Fall in a big way! On Sunday September 19th, we had a lot of Fall-themed activities and projects to kick off the season. The biggest attraction was the Scarecrow Stomp, where families brought in their old and used clothing and turned them into some very creative scarecrows! There was plenty of hay to use (which created a miniature playground for the kids), as well as other arts and crafts materials to bring the scarecrows to life. At the end of the day, there was a whole collection of artistic scarecrows, and every family got to bring theirs home.

Next to the scarecrows was an all-time Fall classic: apple cider. No, not the kind you get at the store… apple cider made from freshly squeezed apples! While some of our volunteers cut up a whole bunch of apples, kids got to put the sliced remains into an antique pressing machine, then watch as the apples were crushed into a pulp, and the juices flowed into a container below. It was a delightful insight into how apple cider was made in the old days, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it! Nothing better than a history lesson that you can drink afterwards!

The other food-related blast to the past was Johnny Cakes, a Colonial delicacy. These cakes were made from corn and corn meal (ground corn kernels.) The Native Americans taught the early settlers how to make these corn-bread pancakes. These were very easy to make (because corn was easy to grow and grind) and the pilgrims used them at almost every meal.
The recipe is also very easy. The ingredients are:
-1 cup cornmeal
-½ teaspoon salt
-1 cup boiling water
-½ cup milk.

Mix the cornmeal and salt. Add the boiling water, stirring until smooth. Add the milk. Stir well. Grease a heavy, 12-inch frying pan. Set over the medium-low heat. Drop teaspoons of the batter onto the pan. Cook until golden, about five minutes. Turn the cakes carefully with a metal spatula. Cook the other side five minutes. Serve the first cakes hot with butter and maple syrup.

The third history lesson came from the Wringer Washer, an antique device used to do the laundry. The kids couldn’t stop playing with the device as they rolled socks in the dirt and mud, washed them in the basin, scrubbed them against the washboard, rolled them through the squeezer, then hung them up to dry… only to repeat the process again and again!

The last history lesson came from Annawon Weedon, who brought his fascinating Native American arts and crafts projects and games. Among the arts and crafts projects were corn dolls, easy-to-make dolls made from strands of corn stalk. There was also an old Native American game, a game that originated the common phrase, “What’s all the hubbub?” This game consisted of a giant bowl with colored seashells in it, and the idea was to shake and slam it on the table, and you’d get points based on which sides of the shells are facing up or down. The most interesting part of the game is that you played with an opponent, whose job is to distract you by shouting while you’re slamming the bowl.

What’s more frustrating than eating a messy, powdery donut? How about eating a messy, powdery donut hanging on a string- without using your hands? Kids delighted in this appetizing challenge as they attempted to devour a donut, hands-free. It’s not as easy as it sounds! Needless to say, there was many a satisfied, yet powder-faced kid walking away from that activity!

Hay is fun. Not many kids see it on a day-to-day basis, but it’s fluffy and interesting and makes you want to jump into it. That’s exactly what some kids did, as in between activities they could make a mad dash, jump through a hula hoop, and make a crash landing on a safety pile made of hay. It was a great way for many of the kids to let out some of their pent up energy, and always amusing to see some kids make very elaborate dives in the air.

The last of the activities was an interesting arts and crafts project. In order to prepare for the season, kids got the chance to design and make their own leaf-hanging decorations. Clear fabric pieces in the shape and colors of leaves were stuck together, and they could be brought home and hung in windows and elsewhere in the house.

The Scarecrow Stomp is only the beginning of the Fall events. Keep coming in on the drop-in days to see Trucks on Tuesdays, Exploring Music and Simple Science, Animal Happenings on Thursdays, and Friday Frolics. Mark your calendars for the Halloween Romp on Saturday, October 16th. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance!

-Josh Nyer

Public Relations Intern

A "FETCHing" Friday!!

Friday was a very special day at the Museum- from FETCH! we had Ruff Ruffman and Season 3 "FETCHer" Harsha came to visit! It was one fun-filled day here!

There were all kinds of things going on including a Q&A with Harsha. She told us a lot of interesting things like how it was to audition for the show. Harsha said that the key to auditioning is to be yourself and to not worry about the camera, advice she gave to anyone out in the audience who may be thinking of auditioning for an upcoming season. She also told us what her favorite challenge was: scavenger hunt in Boston!

A lot of those in the audience agreed that scavenger hunts were fun, and when asked if they would join a scavenger hunt club a lot of hands were raised! Looks like a lot of kids want to have their own scavenger hunting adventures like Harsha does too!

While Harsha was not the grand champ of the season it was ok since she had such an awesome experience and made friends with the rest of her cast of "FETCHers!"

After the Q&A kids got to meet Harsha and Ruff himself as they signed autographs and took pictures! Not to mention we got to have cake, before lunch too! Talk about a cool day! Meeting a tv star and cake! What could be better!?

There were also other fun activities going on in the Wild Place! There was coloring activities where kids got to color and decorate pictures of Ruff, which he then signed! Other fun activities included making a kaleidoscope! It was a great day!

Be sure to check out FETCH! when Season 4 premieres with a very special, almost all animated, episode on the 11th of September on your local PBS station.

Also this was our last Summer Drop-In-Day, we hope you have enjoyed them as much as we have! Be sure to look for some fun fall activities coming your way, like the Scarecrow Stomp or the Halloween Romp!

Scarecrows and Sunshine!

Can you believe that September (and school) is just around the corner! Before you know it, it will be time for our Scarecrow Stomp! Mark September 20 in your calendars that is sure to be a fun-filled fall day of old fashioned games, apple cider and of course some scarecrow making! Check out our website for more information.

But the summer isn't over yet! There are still a few great weeks left to enjoy the season, and hopefully with less rain! Some great activities to do with kids of course is going to the beach, where you can enjoy a day of sea and sand! Another fun activity for the beach is flying a kite! The wind off the water can make for some great height for kites; also you can find kites at a variety of locations for very affordable prices in the $10-15 range. But kites aren't just for the beach; local parks, fields and even your backyard are all great places for a kite to take flight.

Also be sure to stop by on Thursday and Friday, August 13th and 14th, for our Drop-In-Days! On Thurday we have the Dog Days of Summer II and Friday we get to meet Aexeous Robot! It is sure to be a great time and we hope to see you there!

The Circus comes to the Museum!!

We had a beautiful summer day for our latest Drop-in-Day, Under the Big Top! Yes, the circus came to visit the Museum! Clowns, jugglers and all kinds of performers came and entertained us! Gonzo the Clown gave a fun talk about what it takes to turn himself from Robb into Gonzo! There sure is a lot to learn about being a clown, from picking the right outfit to face painting and learning to juggle! Gonzo also dazzled us with his magic tricks! He did all kinds of cool things including making an umbrella disappear and making a bunny appear out of a box!

There were also other circus performers who came to visit and they taught us lots of cool stuff about being part of a circus. We got to try our hand at being part of the circus too! There were all kinds of things to juggle including clubs and balls, we got to try spinning plates on sticks and other balancing activities that the performers gladly helped us with! Also there was a balance beam (only a few inches off the ground!) that gave us the feel of what it would be like to walk the high-wire high above an audience!

We also got to try hula-hooping! And there were a lot of hula-hoops and so many sizes! There were smaller hoops and very, very larges ones! One of the performers told us that actually the bigger (and heavier!) ones are the easiest to use!

To hula-hoop with the best of them there are a few steps you should know:

1. Stand with one foot in front of the other.

2. Hold the hoop straight out and touching your back.

3. Give it a big twirl in whatever direction you like.

4. Then just rock back and forth, using your footing as balance.

5. Have fun!!

And if you have trouble at first keep practicing! One circus performer said, “Circus tricks are about going for it and practicing a lot!” So keep at it, and one day you too could hula hoop like a pro!

Make sure you check back for next week's Drop-In-Days! On Thursday August 13th we have the Dog Days of Summer II and on Friday the 14th meet Aexeous Robot! For more information please check out the museum's website.

Another summer draws to its close, and we gear up for the fall!

As the summer winds down and we here at the Children's museum gear up for our "back to school" fall schedule we pause for our annual Fall Spruce Up! Over the course of these two weeks the Museum itself has enjoyed being worked on during the first week by staffers as well as by wonderfully generous and enthusiastic incoming freshmen student volunteers from Bridgewater State, Stonehill and Wheaton College!!! During the second week we are getting even more help and support from adult volunteers from all across the area! As always be sure to let us know if you have some spare time that you could devote to helping out the south coast's number #1 family experience!

(Right: Sarah and Melissa from Wheaton College Pitching in!)

My earliest memories of the Children's Museum as you and I now know it are not of drop-in days and birthday parties, fetch labs and field trips but.... of scrubbing huge oil stains off the floor of what is now the main exhibit hall. Those slicks left from years and years of fire engine maintenance and repair left a pretty strong sting in the back of my nostrils. Almost as vivid in my brain as the smell of that oil was the semi-panicked thought of "what has my mother gotten herself into!" Well all these years later it makes me truly proud to see what has become of our beloved Museum! The natural beauty of the building has been accentuated by the dedication, effort and spirit of each and every person who has worked so hard for so long, and been so loyal to us! You are the ones who make this all possible, and I hope you take away as much pride and enjoyment from this wonderful place as I do!

The museum and all it's staff are excitedly anticipating re-opening on Tuesday September 16th (Shameless plug: and our Scarecrow Stomp on September 21st!) We hope to see you get a chance to enjoy all the new improvements and work that we've done.... hope to see you soon!

-Andrew Peterson, an original Museum kid!