Nature Journals record the signs of Spring

By Hannah | Published: March 8, 2010
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One thing I love about the Museum is there are plenty of little treasures to discover, like the catfish hiding in dark spaces in the turtle tank, or the mailboxes and wooden post cards tucked in corners throughout Our Town.  Of course, there are hidden surprises at home, too, and I think the best way to find one is to go outdoors and take a couple minutes to explore.

March is a wonderful time to begin making records of the outdoor adventures you and your child go on together by starting a nature journal.  Even in one minute outdoors, you can uncover hidden treasures: clues that spring is on its way.  The clue could be an early tulip or a squishy mud puddle, or a certain smell in the air, or it might be a surprise! Invite your child to draw what you found together, and then tell you his or her observations to record.  Paste all these pictures and notes into a blank book to keep a record of spring’s arrival.

Below are some notes from my neighborhood:

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Thanking the foundations that helped us put on “New Clothes!”

By Cathy | Published: March 5, 2010
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By now, we hope you’ve heard all about our ongoing shows in the Dress Up Theatre, Cinderella and The Emperor’s New Clothes. But have you heard of the New Clothes Collaboration?

Cast members of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” participate in a peer critique, while "Cinderella" musician Jeffrey Sheerer looks on.

When these two shows were selected many months ago, we thought of so many ways all kinds of artists in our community could make valuable contributions. Having professional musicians, costume designers and playwrights contribute their expertise would not only yield great shows on our stage, but would provide our young actors with a unique opportunity to explore their talents under the mentorship of working artists. We developed a proposal for the New Clothes Collaboration: pairing young actors with guest artists from Portland’s thriving theatre community to design, direct, score, rehearse and perform Cinderella and The Emperor’s New Clothes.

The "Cinderella" royals. Sebastian Grimm as Andre, Gabe Walker as Prince Louis and Elias Grimm as the King.

Thanks to the support of the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust, the Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust and the Simmons Foundation, we were able to make this dream a reality! Our casts (all under fifteen years old!) have worked closely with director Claire Guyer, choreographer Gretchen Berg, costume designer Christina Klein, lighting designer Nicole Sirois and musicians Jeffrey Sheerer, Gregory Reed and Shawn Cole to bring scripts by Michele Livermore Wigton to life on our stage.

We’re so grateful for the generosity of the Burnham, Morton-Kelly and Simmons foundations for making this project possible. We’d also like to tip our hats to our show sponsors: the Neudek family (Debby, Tom and Alexandra); Andrucki & Mitchell Family Law of Lewiston; and Sudzie Autowash of Scarborough.

As anyone who has caught the shows can tell you, the New Clothes Collaboration yielded magical results!

Be sure to catch both shows, playing alternating weekends through March 21st. Shows are selling out, so click here to get your tickets in advance!

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Snacks + healthy = Yum!

By Lucia | Published: March 4, 2010
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I am a bit over-excited about the NEW Good on the Go vending machine in our lower level café. Have you ever tried chocolate cookies with green tea cream filling? I have, and let me tell you they are delicious with organic milk! I’ve never been much of a soda fan, and so the healthy options in this new vending machine really strike my fancy.

From tasty chips and Starbucks Frappacinos to cheddar bunnies and juice boxes, the new Good on the Go vending machine provides affordable snack options for all ages, so visitors can have more energy to stay and play longer (and staff can too!)

I am a big fan of food, and so I’m really excited to have an easy snack option in addition to the great selection of local eateries in the neighborhood – and this one doesn’t even require crossing the street.

Oh, and did I mention the machine takes credit cards?! Salt and malt vinegar chips…here I come!

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Auction 2010 Preview: Live Auction

By Alicia | Published: March 3, 2010
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Looking for the perfect family getaway? Look no further!


Disney Family Vacation for 4:

Give your family the magic of Disney! Enjoy 3 nights at Buena Vista Palace, right in the heart of Downtown Disney, and 4 1-day park hopper passes valid at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Donated by: Walt Disney World, Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa and Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution

Boston Red Sox Family Getaway for 4:

Arrive at Fenway Park early for a special 50 minute guided walking tour of the ballpark and then see a Boston Red Sox game from the right field box. Celebrate or sleep off the game in Cambridge with 1 night’s accommodations and breakfast for 4 in a Hyatt Regency suite.

Donated by: Hyatt Regency Cambridge, Anonymous Donor and Fenway Park Tours

Join us on Friday, March 26 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay for Auction 2010: Make Dreams Come True. Silent Auction begins at 6:30 and Live Auction will begin at 7:30. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. FMI contact Alicia at 828-1234 x242 or alicia@kitetails.org. Reserve your tickets online now!

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Update: Cinderella & The Emperor’s New Clothes

By Reba | Published: March 1, 2010
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Cinderella opened this weekend to sold out crowds! It was great to see so many girls coming to the shows dressed as Cinderella.

Cinderella (Christian Rowe), Stepmother Calvina (Alexandra Neudek) and Stepsisters Clio & Claudette (Julia Swett & Lilly Walker)

I think there might be some confusion about our Cinderella and The Emperor’s New Clothes show dates! Sunday was not the final performance of Cinderella, there is still a chance to catch it again March 11-14. The Emperor’s New Clothes opens this week and again March 18-21. Below are all the performance dates:

The Emperor’s New Clothes

  • Thursday, March 4 at 4pm
  • Friday, March 5 at 4pm
  • Saturday, March 6 at 1pm & 4pm
  • Sunday, March 7 at 1pm & 4pm
  • Thursday, March 18 at 4pm
  • Friday, March 19 at 4pm
  • Saturday, March 20 at 1pm & 4pm
  • Sunday, March 21 at 1pm & 4pm

Cinderella

  • Thursday, March 11 at 4pm
  • Friday, March 12 at 4pm
  • Saturday, March 13 at 1pm & 4pm
  • Sunday, March 14 at 1pm & 4pm

Click here to buy tickets  to both shows!

Read More »

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Say Cheese: No Ends Blocks Creation

By Lucy | Published: February 26, 2010
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Remember Gabby, our visitor services intern? She’s been a big help since she arrived, gathering input from visitors, and making observations that will help us improve. But she’s also having fun! When she saw this amazing block tower that Blaine built in the Explore Some More room, she ran up to my office to grab the camera – she didn’t want anyone to miss it! (I believe her exact words were: “Do you want to see the coolest thing EVER?”)

Our visitors never cease to amaze us!

Blaine and his mom stand behind their No Ends Blocks creation.

Thanks, Blaine and Trisha for sharing your tower with us, and thanks Gabby for capturing the moment!

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Courtney and Lauren’s Olympic Journal: Grouse Mountain & Live City

By Suzanne | Published: February 25, 2010
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Courtney and Lauren explore Grouse Mountain and Live City for this next journal entry. I also have some exciting news! Tomorrow, Friday, February 26, from 10:30-11:30am we are celebrating the Winter Olympics at the Museum & Theatre. Join us for some imaginative figure skating, silly racing, a long jump and an awards ceremony. Lauren and her mother will be attending the event, so you can ask them more questions about their Olympic adventure! We hope to see you tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy this entry:

Skyride going up Grouse Mountain

Grouse Mountain

On Friday we went to Grouse Mountain and we went on a cable car called the Skyride.  It was fun and creepy at the same time.  It went very high all the way up to the top of Grouse Mountain.  It was fun exploring there.  We saw skiers, snowboarders and hockey players.  We saw the place where the Today Show is filming while in Vancouver for the Olympics.  We took a picture of ourselves by the fireplace that we have seen on the Today Show.  We saw an ice carver too.  We watched a movie called Born to Fly and another one about the bears on Grouse Mountain called Bear Paws.

Lauren and Courtney in front of the Today Show fireplace

It was a very interesting story about bears that live on the mountain. I learned about  bears hibernation and about how they rehabilitate bears in British Columbia.  Lauren couldn’t say British Columbia so she called it Bridgets Clumbia. We thought that was very funny.  We also saw Timberwolves that live on the mountain.  The view from the top was very pretty.  Mom said it was breathtaking.  It was the highest place I had ever been to except flying on a plane.

Live City

On Saturday we went to the Live City in downtown Vancouver.

Courtney and Lauren with the Coca-Cola bear

The highlight was the Coca Cola Pavilion which had a bar that looked like ice that served Coca Colas, a Polar Bear swim game, pictures with the torch and Coke Bear and lots of lights and sounds.  They had all the torches from other Olympics to look at as well as all the old Cola bottles.  They had a recycling station to teach kids about recycling too.  My favorite part of that pavilion was getting my picture with the real Coke bear.

Courtney and Lauren with sled dogs

We also saw real sled dogs outside the Samsung  pavilion.  One was named Opal and I got to pet her and also get my picture taken with the pretend sled with the mascots on it. We also played computers in the Acer Pavilion and took our picture with Quatchi Miga and Muk Muk in the Panasonic Pavilion.  We listened to music and we watched some of the skiing on the big screen outside.  It was a beautiful day.  The weather has been very warm…not like winter at all, more like spring.



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Courtney and Lauren’s Olympic Journal: Victory Ceremony and Hockey!

By Suzanne | Published: February 23, 2010
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Courtney and Lauren get into the Olympic spirit for this journal entry! We can’t wait to see what they do next:

Mounties before Victory Ceremony

Wednesday was a very exciting day for us…we went  to a Victory Ceremony for the winners of the Olympics.  It was in a stadium called BC place.  That is the same place where the Opening Ceremonies took place.  Before the ceremony started the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raised the Olympic flag.  At the ceremony we saw Maelle Ricker from Canada get a gold medal in person and we also saw Lindsay Vonn of the United States get her gold medal live on the jumbotron.  It was very exciting to see our flag get raised and I put my hand over my heart and stood for all the national anthems that were played for the winners.  We heard the Canadian and US anthems and also the Russian and Korean one.  It was interesting to hear them and very cool to be there to see them get their medals.  After each gold medal there was a shower of gold confetti that popped out.

Maelle Ricker from Canada with her gold medal as the flags are raised

The ceremony also included a concert and it was our first one ever.  The singer was from Alberta and his name was Paul Brandt.  It was awesome and I liked the music.  Lauren got very tired and fell asleep in her seat.  We were out very late!

My favorite part of the night was when the confetti shot up into the air after they got their medals.  Laurens favorite part was the big countdown we did at the start of the concert.

Lauren and Courtney at the US- Finland game with their cowbells

On Thursday we went to UBC Thunderbird Arena to watch the US Women’s Hockey team play against Finland.  It was magnificent to see our team win.  USA got six points and Finland got zero.  The best part of the game for me was making noise for my team with the new cowbell that my parents bought me.  I thought that was very cool.

Lauren gets on the Jumbotron during the game

Every time that our team scored we rang our bells.  We even got on the jumbotron.  The camera man took a movie of the crowd and played it on the screen.  Mom even got a picture of Lauren on the TV.  The hockey game was very cool.  The teams changed sides each period and we sat behind the goal so we had a really good view.  At the beginning of the game the US team gathered around the goal to say a prayer or have a pep talk.  At the end of the game both teams got in a got in a circle at the center of the ice and swung their sticks from inside to outside to salute the fans.

Laurens favorite part of the game was seeing herself on TV.  My favorite part was the noise and making some noise with our cowbells.  Everyone was very excited.

At the end of the game both teams got in a circle and raised their sticks to salute the fans

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Sneak peek at Cinderella and The Emperor’s New Clothes: Sets!

By Lucy | Published: February 22, 2010
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If you’ve visited the Dress Up Theatre in the past few weeks, you’ve probably noticed that the familiar square stage has been replaced by some new sets and platforms of all shapes and sizes.  Chris Fitze, Exhibits and Operations Associate, and Shawn Cole, Exhibits and Operations Intern, have created these pieces for the upcoming productions of Cinderella and The Emperor’s New Clothes, running in February and March. (Get your tickets here!)

In addition to working on Exhibits and Operations at the Museum & Theatre, Chris Fitze has done behind-the-scenes work for local theatres. He’s been involved in the design, construction or installation of the sets for every onsite production since the Children’s Theatre merged with the Children’s Museum. I asked him a few questions about how these versatile sets are created, and he gave me some very enlightening answers!

Who comes up with the idea for the set?  Is it the playwright?  The director?  The people who build it?

Friday, 2/5: Chris and Reba (Theatre Artistic Director) try out the turntable that supports the rotating throne.

It’s a little of all three. Every playwright that writes a play has a setting in mind. Even if it’s a general as “the woods” or “in a house,” the playwright needs to know where the characters are, so she can know how they will interact in with their environment. Some playwrights will be very specific and even include a detailed drawing of the set!

The director, having read the play, will also come up with ideas for the set. Some directors may want to pick a different era that the play takes place in. Or they may want to use a particular style. At the Children’s Museum & Theatre, we meet early on with the director (usually before the play is even cast!) to talk about set design.

The people who build the set here at the Children’s Museum & Theatre have much more say in the overall design than at other theaters. Partly because the set needs to be built in such a way that it will hold up to the rigors of day-to-day activity at the Museum & Theatre, and partly because the people building the set probably helped to design it! Read More »

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Courtney and Lauren’s Olympic Journal: February 14 & 15

By Suzanne | Published: February 19, 2010
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Here is the second journal entry from our young Olympic reporters, Courtney and Lauren:

February 14: Valentine’s Day & Chinese New Year

Courtney and Lauren in Chinatown

Today is the Year of the Tiger and we went to Chinatown to celebrate it.  Before going there we went to see the Olympic cauldron which had been lit on Friday night.  We walked through Gastown and saw the Steam Clock which whistles and shoots steam.  We walked to Chinatown and when we got there a parade of dragons was happening.  They weren’t real though, just a lot of people in a costume.  We saw the Tiger and got our picture taken with him because it is the Year of the Tiger.  We saw a lot of interesting things in Chinatown.  The streetlights were Chinese Lanterns.  There was a very pretty Chinese garden and we explored it.  In one of the buildings we got our faces painted like a tiger and even hearts too for Valentines Day.  We got balloon animals made to look like Tigers and we saw many people dressed in pretty silk dresses.

Later in the day we went to Stanley Park and looked at  the Olympic rings which are in the water.  They are lit up at night but it wasn’t dark enough to see that yet.  We saw the totem poles which were kind of cool  and nearby a statue of a runner had torchbearer mittens tied onto it’s hands…that was kind of funny.

Going to Chinatown was my favorite part of the day.  It had a very cool gate entrance and the garden was very neat.  It was very exciting to celebrate Chinese New Year in Chinatown.   I really liked it.

February 15

Rainforest room at the Vancouver Aquarium

Today we went to the Vancouver Aquarium.  We saw sharks, a big sea turtle and lots of other marine animals.  There was a dolphin show and a beluga whale show.  I learned that dolphins skin feels like a hard boiled egg and that beluga skin feels more squishy than a dolphin’s skin.  I asked the trainers what they eat and they told me that dolphins eat fish and belugas eat whatever they can get their mouths on.  There was a rainforest room with tropical birds and butterflies and there were turtles and a lizard.  There was a frog area and a kids zone.   There was a whole area of fish that live in the Pacific Ocean.  There was also a tropical area.  We even saw a 4D movie Planet Earth.  It was kind of scary because it felt real and it even sprayed us and touched us so we really felt like we were in the Ocean.  The people who worked there were really nice to us.  They answered all our questions and did a really great job making sure we understood the animals.  We had a really good time there.

Inukshuk: The symbol of the 2010 Winter Olympics!

We played in the playground at Stanley Park and then we went to see the Inukshuk that is the symbol of the Olympics.  Inukshuk is actually pronounced Inuksuk….the h is silent.  They told us that at the aquarium.  It was very big and it is right next to the Pacific Ocean.  I wonder how the Native Americans who built it were able to stack the rocks that high.  Another thing I wonder is how they stay together without falling over.  It was super tall.

My favorite part of today was when I got to see the beluga whales because I thought that the trainers did a really good job getting the whales to listen to what they said and the babies were really cute.

Lauren liked the dolphin show best because it was very exciting to see them leap and mom said she liked the dolphins best because kids could take a lesson from them about cleaning up their toys.  They picked up all their toys and brought them to their trainer.

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