Season's Sweetness

Posted by Matt Berman


Check out our Holiday Houses display in the Virginia Discovery Museum lobby,
complete with gummy bear Santa, marshmallow snowman, and sugar cone
evergreens. Kudos to Kaitlin Clear, VDM education manager, for the sweet design.

I don't recall any particular memory growing up of decorating a gingerbread house, which is odd to me because decorating a gingerbread house seems like such a quintessential Christmas-y activity. In fact, it's a holiday tradition that can be traced back for centuries.

I can only imagine my childhood lack of confectionary construction experience stemmed from my parents' unfounded fear that I'd turn into some kind of sugar-obsessed Hansel and Gretel clone if presented with a candy-coated winter wonderland. Well, maybe that fear wasn't completely unfounded; just this past Tuesday, I was banned from the kitchen during prep for the Virginia Discovery Museum's upcoming Holiday Houses event because I kept snacking on all the building materials. And I'm currently 27.

What can I say? My resolve is no match for M&M's and gummy bears.

With the first two of the museum's four Holiday Houses sessions set to start next week, there's still time to reserve your spot for this event, so come celebrate the sweetness of the season with us! Each child who registers with an accompanying adult gets their own pre-assembled graham-cracker house to decorate with a variety of goodies, including peppermints, Skittles, Life Savers Gummies, marshmallows, Dots, Hershey's Kisses, and more.

This event is for children 4 and older, with an adult.

• Sessions:
• Saturday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 14 at 10:30 a.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.
• Cost:
• Members: $8 per person, children and adults
• Non-members: $10 per person, children and adults

Space is limited, so register in person at the museum or call (434) 977-1025. If you have any questions, call or email Kaitlin Clear, VDM education manager, at education@vadm.org.

Matt Berman is the Exhibits and Marketing Manager at the Virginia Discovery Museum. Reach him at exhibits@vadm.org or marketing@vadm.org.