Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine Blog » Learning through play

Dancing With Books

Cathy — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:02:37 +0000

Dancing With Books is a series of innovative early childhood reading programs at the Museum & Theatre that uses theatre, movement and music to help develop young children’s enthusiasm for performing arts and reading while enriching their language skills in a fun and engaging way. Our most recent series was funded by a generous grant from the Sprague Foundation and concluded on May 3 with children from St. Elizabeth’s Child Development Center performing what they had learned for their teachers and families.

Hope Hoffman and students dance their way through Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa

Organized and facilitated by Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine’s Theatre Artistic Director Reba Short, this Dancing with Books series featured musician Jim Hall, dancer Hope Hoffman and three stories, Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter, A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. St. Elizabeth’s students and teachers explored the featured stories through song and dance in sessions throughout April. And every day St. Elizabeth’s had a session, the artists would offer an additional one to Museum visitors! During the sessions, children read the books and learned to dance like a seed or tree and sang songs using vocabulary from the stories.

Teachers at St. Elizabeth’s have also benefited from this program. From attending the sessions with their students, they learned new ways to teach literacy through the arts, such as creating rhythms, singing vocabulary words, using body movement to make shapes of letters and words and telling interactive stories with props and puppets.

We hope that Dancing with Books will continue to inspire children to see the connection between the performing arts and literature and develop a life-long interest in not just reading, but music and movement as well.

Singing songs and dancing with Jim Hall!

Coming up in June will be Dancing with Books: Alphabet Dance! Children will use the letters of the alphabet to make fun shapes with their bodies. They will learn movements for each letter and create dances by spelling things out! Click here for dates and times. Dancing with Books will continue in the fall with a grant from the Beim Foundation and support from People’s United Community Foundation.

Taking it Home: Star Gazing!

Jamie — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:55:48 +0000

For our regular visitors, everyone knows we offer some pretty unparalleled views of the night sky from the inside of our space shuttle. While a few toddlers are still afraid of the dark, most members of the audience emit some serious “oohs” and “aahs” when the “sun” goes down and the stars go up. The great thing about the stars is that you don’t need a planetarium to observe them – just a comfy place to sit and a clear night! Mainers are lucky because even in Portland there is very little light pollution to keep us from seeing those constellations. And since the temperatures are getting warmer, why not instate monthly stargazing night with your family?

Inside "Star Lab," our traveling star show!

Collect some blankets or sleeping bags and a pillow or two. You’ll all be happier if you’re comfy and cozy – particularly on chilly nights. If you can, plan on a night with a new moon (the next one is coming up on May 14th). When the moon is full and bright, it can make it harder to see the stars around it. You can bring a thermos of hot chocolate if you like – binoculars also can be fun to get a closer look at different star clusters.

Some cool things to look for:

The Big Dipper: also known as Ursa Major or “Big Bear,” this is a well-known constellation that’s easy to spot. Once you find the Big Dipper, connect the two stars in the front of the scoop with a straight line: the first star you hit is Polaris, or the North Star. That’s the only star in the night sky that never changes its position!

Orion: another one that’s easier to find because of the trademark three-star “belt.” Orion is easiest to see from October through March, but we can still spot him right now. Once you find the belt, locate the two stars in his shoulders and two stars in his feet. His right shoulder (your left, his right!) is a red star, called “Beteljeuse.” The one in his left foot is called “Rigel” and is blue. Ask your child which one is hotter. The answer is Rigel – even though we think of red as being a “hot” color, the blue star is younger and therefore has more gas to burn. A four-year-old visitor once asked me if “that was like a little kid being younger and having a lot more energy to burn than a grownup?” Yeah, it is kinda like that!

Sirius: to the left of Orion’s feet you’ll see a really bright star. This is part of Canis Major, or the Dog constellation. It’s the brightest star that we can see in the whole night sky!

There are hundreds upon hundreds of constellations you can find with your little one. Recommended reading? Stars of the First People, by Dorcas S. Miller, for some riveting Native American myths and constellations. Happy star searching!

Introducing… New Camps!

Jamie — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:38:45 +0000

Jamie's campers show off their freshly planted seeds at last year's Garden Camp. (We'd show you a picture of Magical Myths or Ready, Set, Play camp... but they haven't happened yet!)

Spring in Maine can be tough. As my umbrella turned inside-out on my walk to work the other day, I wistfully remembered the flip-flop weather bestowed upon us just a week ago. But April showers bring May flowers, and here at the Museum & Theatre, May flowers bring… Summer Camps!

Our Education team is so excited about all the programs we do that we can’t help but plan things months and months in advance. In fact, that’s what gets us through the icy winter months: thoughts of camp — exploring new ideas, projects and activities during the most energetic time of year. Every one of us has some pretty thrilling projects up our sleeves, but I’m just going to talk about mine.

Magical Myths: Fairies, Gnomes and Creatures is a morning camp just for 4 and 5 year olds. Knowing that this is a group with limitless imagination, I decided to create a week-long camp catering to storytelling, costume creation, and lots of time to pretend. I remember spending countless hours as a six-year-old living in a “fox den” with my best buddy, Alex – or maybe building fairy houses in the woods, knowing that when I left, there would be a veritable fairy fiesta in my absence. We’re going to learn about mythological creatures from all over the world – from imagining the perspective of the world from the Zulu abatwa (tiny people who ride on the backs of ants) to watching an ancient Chinese star show featuring the Azure Dragon of the East. We’ll explore our imaginations with masks, wings, wands and just about anything in-between – and even have a chance to try dancing with the Blue Fairy from our summer Theatre production, Pinocchio! I’m so excited, I can hardly stand it.

For preschoolers who can’t keep from wiggling, I’ve created Ready, Set, Play: Rock and Romp! In my time working at the Museum & Theatre, I’ve noticed something about preschoolers: they like to move around. (Have you noticed this?) We’ll learn all kinds of games kids play in other countries – from Japanese Tag to Hide-and-Seek from Saudi Arabia. We’ll also experiment with music making in relation to play – and play in relation to music making! Anyone who has taken up an instrument knows that the fun lies in seeing where the music takes you – and in playing with others. We’ll do all of this and more as we hear from guest musicians, learn songs, and play games all week long.

So, um, is it summer yet?

One more thing! Did you know that we have a special “BOGO” special on camps through May 1st? You can buy one camp at regular price, and get a second (for the same child or a sibling) for half price. You can click here to get all the details, or get in touch with Shana (828-1234 x232 or shana@kitetails.org), who can help you find the best camps for your kids: www.kitetails.org/camps

Cultural Cuisine: How does it teach?

Jamie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:25:05 +0000

My parents have a video (quite a few videos, actually) of me “helping” my dad make bread on Christmas Eve. The year is 1989 and I am three years old, kneading the bread by lying on top of it and occasionally sticking my chin into the dough. We make this bread every year in our house – Russian egg bread flecked with golden raisins. The smell of it baking and the taste of it, toasted and buttered, will always remind me of Christmas.

Food is one of those things that everyone has in common. In my “Cultural Cuisine” program, I share a simple drink or snack common to another country with museum visitors. Recently this was Moroccan mint tea, with a little added brown sugar. In Morocco, tea is a part of life. It is an offering to houseguests, a cause for an afternoon break, and something that has been consumed there for centuries. I tell our littlest visitors that it’s OK not to like it – it’s just great to give something new and different a try! I can usually get even the most hesitant kids to take a sniff, and eventually a shy little sip. Their eyes widen: “This is good!”

Of course, there are children who don’t always like everything I offer, but this is to be expected. The goal is about exposing them to food (and, therefore, a piece of a culture) that is outside their realm of familiarity. The more comfortable children are with the idea of different cultures’ foods, the more comfortable they become with each others’ cultural differences – and more aware of what we all have in common.

Make a kid-friendly version of Moroccan mint tea at home!

Ingredients:

4 cups boiling water
1-2 handfuls fresh mint
2 Green Teabags
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Pour the boiling water over the mint, green tea, and brown sugar in a heat-proof container (large Pyrex measuring cups or a teapot both work great). Stir until combined. Pour and enjoy!

Nature Journals record the signs of Spring

Hannah — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:24:58 +0000

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:

Updated February Vacation Schedule

Kathryn — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:22:23 +0000

February vacation starts at the end of today! If you’re using the Kitetails Newsletter we sent in January to plan your February vacation week visits to the Museum & Theatre, there is a slight change in our schedule. We’ve added more programs throughout the week so you and your family can have the best experience possible. Here is our full planned schedule for February 13-21.

Custard the Dragon and his friends Blink, Ink and Mustard!

Saturday, February 13
11am: Valentine’s Day Card Making ♥
11:30am: Smart Shopping
1pm: Sowing Seeds: Planning and Plotting
2pm: Chinese New Year: Ribbon Dancing!
3pm: The Story of Istar
3:30pm: Pine Cone Bird Feeders

—-

Sunday, February 14
12:30pm: The Story of Istar
2pm: Big Messy Art: Valentine’s Day Cards ♥

—-

Monday, February 15
Open to Members: 9-10am Open to Public: 10am-5pm
10am: Soapy Snowmen
11:30am: Custard the Dragon Puppet Show ($5/members, $13/non-members*)
1:30pm: Tip-top hats!
3:30pm: This Little Piggy Saves

—

Tuesday, February 16
11am: Chinese New Year: Ribbon Dancing!
1pm: We Are Maine: Cinderella Around the World
2pm: Custard the Dragon Puppet Show ($5/members, $13/non-members*)
3:30pm: Paper Doll Play

—

Kids on the Block- Mark and Melody

Wednesday, February 17
10am: Pets & More
10:30am: Little Kids’ Morning Out: Learning Letters
11:30am: Custard the Dragon Puppet Show ($5/members, $13/non-members*)
2pm: Cultural Creations: Cretan Maze
3pm: Kids on the Block Puppet Show

—
Thursday, February 18
10:30am: Little Kids’ Morning Out: Learning Letters
11:30am: Animal Fun
1pm: Camo Critters: White as Snow
2pm: Custard the Dragon Puppet Show ($5/members, $13/non-members*)
3pm: This Little Piggy Saves
3:30pm: Paper Doll Play
4pm: Cool Science: How Heavy is a Humpback?

—

Friday, February 19
10:30am: Fire Fighter Friday
11am: Chinese New Year: Ribbon Dancing!
11:30am: Cultural Creations: Cretan Maze
1pm: Tricky Toys
2pm: Sparks’ Ark Special Show ($2/members, $11/non-members*)
3:30pm: Cool Science: How Heavy is a Humpback?
4pm: Paper Doll Play

—

Saturday, February 20
10am: Pets & More
11:30am & 3pm: Cool Science: How Heavy is a Humpback?
12:30pm: Where Science Meets Art: Paint Lab
12:30pm: The Story of Istar
2pm: Kids on the Block Puppet Show
3:30pm: The Story of Istar

—

Sunday, February 21
12:30pm: Tip-top hats!
12:30pm: Where Science Meets Art: Paint Lab
2pm: Tricky Toys

*Non-member price includes one $8 admission.

Taking it home: Painting to Music

Louisa — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:58:07 +0000

This is an activity we love doing here at the Museum & Theatre. Painting to Music teaches kids about lines, painting and tempos. It’s great to see how the paintings change when we switch from a fast song to a slow song. Try it at home with different kinds of music, paints and brushes.

Materials:

Paint
Paper
Brushes, big and small
CD player or radio

Look around you, there are lines everywhere! Not all lines are the same. Some lines are fast and others slow, some feel quiet and some feel loud. Some are big and bold, others small and delicate. Like people, lines can have feeling or mood!

Today you can explore this by painting lines. To get you into this mode, you’ll be painting to music! The types of lines you make should depend on the type of sounds you’re hearing. The music is the boss right now, so listen carefully and paint what the music feels like. Maybe it’s fast and loud music so the lines will be bold and plentiful. What if it’s soft and quiet music, will your lines be the same? Think about how fast you move your hand. Think about color. Bright and happy or gray and sad? Try listening to different types of songs or radio stations. What kind of lines can you create?

Vocabulary:

Line directions- Horizontal, Vertical, Diagonal
Line “families”- Straight, Curved, Angled
Line width- Thick, Thin
Line Length- Short, Long, Dashed, Dotted

Brain Power: Studying Young Minds and How to Teach Them

Suzanne — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:25:01 +0000

The Museum & Theatre is always filled with children under five learning and discovering through our exhibits and activities. It is exciting to see the power of play grow stronger as research progresses! In this New York Times article, Benedict Carey explores new research in the development of children before the age of 5. For the better part of the last century, educators believed,

that children could not learn math at all before the age of five, that their brains simply were not ready.

However, researchers and educators are finding that young children are able to learn simple math through play and math based activities. Click here to read the full article.

Search “Key Bank” in our Calendar of Events to find programs like Smart Shopping and This Little Piggy Saves, which offer math based play with practical applications.