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| Dec 28th, 2010 |
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF HOUSTON 2011
For Immediate Release:
OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL EVENTS:
Rock the Block – Spring Break Block Party
March 12, 2011 – March 20, 2011
Get moving at the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Rock the Block Spring Break block party! You will learn fun new ways to get physically active while having tons of fun. Try your hand at the Fitness Fair where you can learn Zumba or Hula Hoop dancing. Keep the beat doing double-dutch jump roping. Experience board games like you’ve never seen before with life-size gameboards. Get hopping in the inflatables. And meet former NFL players who know what it takes to stay physically fit.
23rd Annual Young Inventors’ Showcase
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH) is ready once again to host an exciting competition in which wits, engineering and creativity come into play. It’s the 23rd Annual Young Inventors Showcase of Houston—a competition in which one kid may possibly get the chance of a lifetime to patent an idea for free!
Local kids in kindergarten through eighth grade will participate in the competition. The challenge is to devise a totally original creation or develop an invention based on an existing product. They may use household materials to create their designs and follow the common rule of invention: “How can I make something better?”
A panel of judges will base their decisions on how practical the inventions are, the possibility of the inventions being patented, as well as creativity and human need. Winners in each age category will be recognized and the Grand Prize winner will receive a free patent opportunity.
MindFest™
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A mind is a terrible thing to waste! So, put on your thinking hat and prepare to tap into the outer limits of your intellect during MindFest™ at the Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH). Created by the masterminds at MIT Media Laboratory, MindFest™ is a celebration of the creativity unleashed by new technologies, integrating art and science. It is the art of invention facilitated by CMH educators to bridge the gap between technology and creativity. MindFest™ is a preview of the future of family learning through utilization of the CMH’s exhibits and programming—A Playground for Your Mind™. Think of it as a day of endless possibilities where mind power is the only thing that matters!
Happy Halloween Mansion
Oct. 18—Oct. 31, 2011
Magic and mystery take over the Children's Museum of Houston as we put on our Halloween costumes for two spine-tingling weeks! You will have a ghastly good time trick-or-treating, experimenting with Martin goo, or making monster mosaics, among other thrilling activities. Go on a spooky journey as you wander through the Museum’s howlific hallways in search of goodies and trinkets. The exhibits will be converted into their own Halloween theme complete with ooey gooey experiments and hair raising activities. Come and discover what lurks in the dark! There’s trick-or-treating every day!
Seasons of Sharing
Nov. 12, 2011–Jan. 8, 2012
Seasons of Sharing, Houston’s only multicultural holiday exhibit for children spotlighting seven cultural celebrations, will represent Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the Lunar New Year. Kids will take delight in a block-long neighborhood of houses where dipa lamps, menorahs, luminarias, Christmas lights, kinaras and the glimmer of the crescent moon will shimmer brightly, lighting the way of the holiday season!
Thanksgiving with Santa
Nov. 25, 2011
‘Tis that wonderful time of the year again! The time to reflect on your accomplishments and failures, the time to be thankful for what you have, and the time to share joyful moments with your family and friends! Warm up to this invigorating Thanksgiving celebration and energize your holiday spirit at the Children's Museum of Houston, where we’ll have exhilarating activities that’ll engage you in terrific Thanksgiving traditions! Join in the Thanksgiving parade and bring in your wish list to Santa as he makes an early Christmas stop.
New Year’s Noon
Dec. 31, 2011
Ring in the New Year at the stroke of noon! This CMH end-of-year bash is our city’s longest-running New Year’s celebration just for kids! Come be a part of the celebration that will include a countdown to noon. The countdown culminates in a sparkling ball drop just like the celebration in New York City. As the ball drops, confetti will pop out down the hall and trigger the raising of the 2011 sign. Complete with live music! Countdown begins at 11:45 a.m.
OVERVIEW OF LIMITED-TIME ENGAGEMENT EXHIBITS:
Yalálag—A Mountain Village in México!
Oct. 30, 2010 – Feb. 12, 2012
Explore Yalálag—A Mountain Village in México! Experience the day-to-day life of people who live in Villa Hidalgo Yalálag—a Zapotec village located in the Sierra Juárez Mountains of Oaxaca, México. Role-play as shop keepers, consumers, craftsmen, artists and children in authentically-recreated buildings iconic of the village of Yalálag. Participate in hands-on informances and celebrations that relate to traditions and holidays in Oaxaca. Experience the importance of craftwork and art in Oaxaca by creating arts and crafts of your own. Explore the sites of Yalálag, including the Central Plaza, La Miscelánea, La Casa, El Restaurante, Huarachería Aquino, Schoolhouse, Municipal Building and Church. And take a ride on a VW Bus and a Bajaj Motortaxi!
Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action
Jan. 15, 2011 – May 8, 2011
Run! Jump! Fly! into action to find a kid-friendly environment featuring the theme of action adventures popular in children’s books, movies and television. You can step into scenes right out of action-adventure stories and jump into action star training – playful activities that you can do in and around home to build strength, coordination, balance and endurance. As you move through the exhibit having fun with physical activity, you gain ideas for how you can become more active in everyday life. Learn about cultures and real-life examples of young people who are passionate about the activities and get motivated to get into action. Run! Jump! Fly! creates an immersive environment in which you can merge your imagination with real, fun physical activity!
Five Friends from Japan
Jan. 29, 2011 –May 1, 2011
Visit the new Five Friends from Japan exhibition—an interactive display of the culture and lifestyle of Japanese people. Through the exhibit you will see many similarities and differences between your own culture and of the Japanese culture. You will experience a first hand look into the lives of Japanese children as each of the five children relates stories and shares real objects straight from Japan. Through video messages, each of the five children will touch on various aspects of life such as family values, food, performing arts, school and most importantly traditions. You can dress up in traditional Japanese attire, check out and create real manga (comics), try your hand at Japanese calligraphy, learn about traditional Japanese foods and festivals, experiment with aikido and listen to and create different types of Japanese music.
Faces of Houston
Feb. 5, 2011 – June 2011
This immensely unique art exhibit will be a representation of a place where all minds come to play. It will celebrate kids, the city’s diversity, and will encourage everyone to appreciate the value of the many cultures that make up our community. Through its imagery, Faces of Houston will be an artistic expression of beauty; of everyone coming together and expanding the walls of a common playground. The entire length of Kid’s Hall will welcome you with larger-than-life photographic mosaics of children who embody Houston’s diversity. Each image will be eight feet tall, made up of a combination of thousands of photos collected from CMH’s website. They will stretch the length of an entire block, from CMH’s main entrance to the end of the hallway. This visually immersive experience will encourage you to stand back from the murals to make out kids’ faces or move closer to take an intimate look at the individual images that make up the mosaic.
My Home Planet Earth
May 7, 2011 – May, 31 2011
Riff and Rosie invite you to hang out in the beautiful town of Brightwater Corners of My Home, Planet Earth. This interactive, bilingual and hands-on exhibit is designed to help you learn how the choices you make regarding food, water and air impact your health. Alongside two adorable squirrels, Riff and Rosie, and their beaver-scientist friend, Castor Slaptail, you will discover, investigate and solve environmental health problems in the town of Brightwater Corners. Conduct experiments, solve mysteries and talk with real scientists in several interactive areas including Rosie’s Treehouse, Marigold Marsh and Mr. Slaptail’s House. Figure out how science can be used as a tool for investigating the world around us. Use microscopes to reveal water and air pollutants, dust mites and mold spores. Through inquiry, investigation and problem-solving activities, experience the process of science and expand your understanding of environmental health issues.
Out On a Limb
June 4, 2011 – September 18, 2011
Access the beauty of the natural world with a sense of curiosity and a spirit of adventure. Out on a Limb, Adventures in Nature and Art immerses you in a fanciful atmosphere, where your learn about ways to explore nature by climbing in a tree house, tossing leaves in the wind, or tuning in to the honeyed sounds of bird calls and rainstorms. This interactive exhibit encourages you to explore, climb, build, and create in an artistic woodland setting that both nurtures a love of nature and inspires imagination and ingenuity. It elicits beloved memories from grownups of the hours they spent in the outdoors during their own childhoods. Gather fallen leaves, frolic under sculptural trees to the cadence of the wild’s sounds, construct a home for a gnome, and build forts to play in. Discover the great outdoors, indoors and experience the dramatic interplay of light and shadow, the complex patterns of leaves and the enchanting music of a forest.
Attack of the Bloodsuckers
September 24, 2011 – January 22, 2011
What’s biting you? Explore the science of the skin-crawling bugs we love to hate in this exhibition! You’re invited to get close and personal to examine the what, why, when and how of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, leeches and other parasites. See live mosquitoes in their home environment. Learn why bloodsuckers are important to the ecosystem, and how to keep them out and away from your system! This engaging exhibit blends art and science together with super magnified photos of blood suckers by award-winning photomicrographer Dennis Kunkel.
Rock the Block – Spring Break Block Party
March 12, 2011 – March 20, 2011
Get moving at the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Rock the Block Spring Break block party! You will learn fun new ways to get physically active while having tons of fun. Try your hand at the Fitness Fair where you can learn Zumba or Hula Hoop dancing. Keep the beat doing double-dutch jump roping. Experience board games like you’ve never seen before with life-size gameboards. Get hopping in the inflatables. And meet former NFL players who know what it takes to stay physically fit.
23rd Annual Young Inventors’ Showcase
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH) is ready once again to host an exciting competition in which wits, engineering and creativity come into play. It’s the 23rd Annual Young Inventors Showcase of Houston—a competition in which one kid may possibly get the chance of a lifetime to patent an idea for free!
Local kids in kindergarten through eighth grade will participate in the competition. The challenge is to devise a totally original creation or develop an invention based on an existing product. They may use household materials to create their designs and follow the common rule of invention: “How can I make something better?”
A panel of judges will base their decisions on how practical the inventions are, the possibility of the inventions being patented, as well as creativity and human need. Winners in each age category will be recognized and the Grand Prize winner will receive a free patent opportunity.
MindFest™
Saturday, May 21, 2011
A mind is a terrible thing to waste! So, put on your thinking hat and prepare to tap into the outer limits of your intellect during MindFest™ at the Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH). Created by the masterminds at MIT Media Laboratory, MindFest™ is a celebration of the creativity unleashed by new technologies, integrating art and science. It is the art of invention facilitated by CMH educators to bridge the gap between technology and creativity. MindFest™ is a preview of the future of family learning through utilization of the CMH’s exhibits and programming—A Playground for Your Mind™. Think of it as a day of endless possibilities where mind power is the only thing that matters!
Happy Halloween Mansion
Oct. 18—Oct. 31, 2011
Magic and mystery take over the Children's Museum of Houston as we put on our Halloween costumes for two spine-tingling weeks! You will have a ghastly good time trick-or-treating, experimenting with Martin goo, or making monster mosaics, among other thrilling activities. Go on a spooky journey as you wander through the Museum’s howlific hallways in search of goodies and trinkets. The exhibits will be converted into their own Halloween theme complete with ooey gooey experiments and hair raising activities. Come and discover what lurks in the dark! There’s trick-or-treating every day!
Seasons of Sharing
Nov. 12, 2011–Jan. 8, 2012
Seasons of Sharing, Houston’s only multicultural holiday exhibit for children spotlighting seven cultural celebrations, will represent Diwali, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the Lunar New Year. Kids will take delight in a block-long neighborhood of houses where dipa lamps, menorahs, luminarias, Christmas lights, kinaras and the glimmer of the crescent moon will shimmer brightly, lighting the way of the holiday season!
Thanksgiving with Santa
Nov. 25, 2011
‘Tis that wonderful time of the year again! The time to reflect on your accomplishments and failures, the time to be thankful for what you have, and the time to share joyful moments with your family and friends! Warm up to this invigorating Thanksgiving celebration and energize your holiday spirit at the Children's Museum of Houston, where we’ll have exhilarating activities that’ll engage you in terrific Thanksgiving traditions! Join in the Thanksgiving parade and bring in your wish list to Santa as he makes an early Christmas stop.
New Year’s Noon
Dec. 31, 2011
Ring in the New Year at the stroke of noon! This CMH end-of-year bash is our city’s longest-running New Year’s celebration just for kids! Come be a part of the celebration that will include a countdown to noon. The countdown culminates in a sparkling ball drop just like the celebration in New York City. As the ball drops, confetti will pop out down the hall and trigger the raising of the 2011 sign. Complete with live music! Countdown begins at 11:45 a.m.
OVERVIEW OF LIMITED-TIME ENGAGEMENT EXHIBITS:
Yalálag—A Mountain Village in México!
Oct. 30, 2010 – Feb. 12, 2012
Explore Yalálag—A Mountain Village in México! Experience the day-to-day life of people who live in Villa Hidalgo Yalálag—a Zapotec village located in the Sierra Juárez Mountains of Oaxaca, México. Role-play as shop keepers, consumers, craftsmen, artists and children in authentically-recreated buildings iconic of the village of Yalálag. Participate in hands-on informances and celebrations that relate to traditions and holidays in Oaxaca. Experience the importance of craftwork and art in Oaxaca by creating arts and crafts of your own. Explore the sites of Yalálag, including the Central Plaza, La Miscelánea, La Casa, El Restaurante, Huarachería Aquino, Schoolhouse, Municipal Building and Church. And take a ride on a VW Bus and a Bajaj Motortaxi!
Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action
Jan. 15, 2011 – May 8, 2011
Run! Jump! Fly! into action to find a kid-friendly environment featuring the theme of action adventures popular in children’s books, movies and television. You can step into scenes right out of action-adventure stories and jump into action star training – playful activities that you can do in and around home to build strength, coordination, balance and endurance. As you move through the exhibit having fun with physical activity, you gain ideas for how you can become more active in everyday life. Learn about cultures and real-life examples of young people who are passionate about the activities and get motivated to get into action. Run! Jump! Fly! creates an immersive environment in which you can merge your imagination with real, fun physical activity!
Five Friends from Japan
Jan. 29, 2011 –May 1, 2011
Visit the new Five Friends from Japan exhibition—an interactive display of the culture and lifestyle of Japanese people. Through the exhibit you will see many similarities and differences between your own culture and of the Japanese culture. You will experience a first hand look into the lives of Japanese children as each of the five children relates stories and shares real objects straight from Japan. Through video messages, each of the five children will touch on various aspects of life such as family values, food, performing arts, school and most importantly traditions. You can dress up in traditional Japanese attire, check out and create real manga (comics), try your hand at Japanese calligraphy, learn about traditional Japanese foods and festivals, experiment with aikido and listen to and create different types of Japanese music.
Faces of Houston
Feb. 5, 2011 – June 2011
This immensely unique art exhibit will be a representation of a place where all minds come to play. It will celebrate kids, the city’s diversity, and will encourage everyone to appreciate the value of the many cultures that make up our community. Through its imagery, Faces of Houston will be an artistic expression of beauty; of everyone coming together and expanding the walls of a common playground. The entire length of Kid’s Hall will welcome you with larger-than-life photographic mosaics of children who embody Houston’s diversity. Each image will be eight feet tall, made up of a combination of thousands of photos collected from CMH’s website. They will stretch the length of an entire block, from CMH’s main entrance to the end of the hallway. This visually immersive experience will encourage you to stand back from the murals to make out kids’ faces or move closer to take an intimate look at the individual images that make up the mosaic.
My Home Planet Earth
May 7, 2011 – May, 31 2011
Riff and Rosie invite you to hang out in the beautiful town of Brightwater Corners of My Home, Planet Earth. This interactive, bilingual and hands-on exhibit is designed to help you learn how the choices you make regarding food, water and air impact your health. Alongside two adorable squirrels, Riff and Rosie, and their beaver-scientist friend, Castor Slaptail, you will discover, investigate and solve environmental health problems in the town of Brightwater Corners. Conduct experiments, solve mysteries and talk with real scientists in several interactive areas including Rosie’s Treehouse, Marigold Marsh and Mr. Slaptail’s House. Figure out how science can be used as a tool for investigating the world around us. Use microscopes to reveal water and air pollutants, dust mites and mold spores. Through inquiry, investigation and problem-solving activities, experience the process of science and expand your understanding of environmental health issues.
Out On a Limb
June 4, 2011 – September 18, 2011
Access the beauty of the natural world with a sense of curiosity and a spirit of adventure. Out on a Limb, Adventures in Nature and Art immerses you in a fanciful atmosphere, where your learn about ways to explore nature by climbing in a tree house, tossing leaves in the wind, or tuning in to the honeyed sounds of bird calls and rainstorms. This interactive exhibit encourages you to explore, climb, build, and create in an artistic woodland setting that both nurtures a love of nature and inspires imagination and ingenuity. It elicits beloved memories from grownups of the hours they spent in the outdoors during their own childhoods. Gather fallen leaves, frolic under sculptural trees to the cadence of the wild’s sounds, construct a home for a gnome, and build forts to play in. Discover the great outdoors, indoors and experience the dramatic interplay of light and shadow, the complex patterns of leaves and the enchanting music of a forest.
Attack of the Bloodsuckers
September 24, 2011 – January 22, 2011
What’s biting you? Explore the science of the skin-crawling bugs we love to hate in this exhibition! You’re invited to get close and personal to examine the what, why, when and how of mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, leeches and other parasites. See live mosquitoes in their home environment. Learn why bloodsuckers are important to the ecosystem, and how to keep them out and away from your system! This engaging exhibit blends art and science together with super magnified photos of blood suckers by award-winning photomicrographer Dennis Kunkel.
About the Company:
Winner of Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks “Best Museum in Houston 2009 & 2010,” Click2Houston’s Best “Best Museum 2010, the Children’s Museum of Houston is a Citysearch.com’s nationwide 5-star children’s museum and one of the top two Children's Museums in the country by Child magazine. Serving more than 850,000 people annually, the Children's Museum of Houston is the highest-attended youth museum in the country for its size. The Museum is dedicated to transforming communities through innovative, child-centered learning and offers 14 galleries of hands-on exhibits and innovative bilingual learning programs for kids ages birth to 12 years. The Children’s Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) under the direction of a Board of Directors and is located at 1500 Binz in Houston’s Museum District. Admission is $8 per person and $7 for seniors 65 years and older and for members of the military. Children under one and Museum Members receive free admission.
Free Family Nights are offered Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. courtesy of The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and Kathrine McGovern and the late John P. McGovern, M.D. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m. The Museum is open at 9 a.m. on the Second Saturday of every month for Museum Members. The Museum is closed Mondays but open on Federal Holidays, during Houston Independent School District’s Spring Break and during the summer months from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138.
Free Family Nights are offered Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. courtesy of The Wortham Foundation, Inc. and Kathrine McGovern and the late John P. McGovern, M.D. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m. The Museum is open at 9 a.m. on the Second Saturday of every month for Museum Members. The Museum is closed Mondays but open on Federal Holidays, during Houston Independent School District’s Spring Break and during the summer months from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit www.cmhouston.org or call (713) 522-1138.