Holiday Happenings: The Giving Tree

Posted by Matt Berman

The holiday season is in full swing at the Virginia Discovery Museum, and there's so much going on! To help you keep track of it all, we're rolling out a five-part blog series called Holiday Happenings, which will detail some of the major things taking place at the museum through January 1.

The Virginia Discovery Museum Giving Tree is located in the museum lobby, near the
entrance. Partner with the museum in giving the gift of creativity and imagination this
holiday season by taking an ornament and committing to donating the supplies listed on it.

The giving season kicked off this past Tuesday as part of the second annual #GivingTuesday, a growing movement to create a national day of giving following the Black Friday to Cyber Monday shopping weekend. Consider giving back to your community this year by investing in Charlottesville's only nonprofit children's museum and help us continue our mission to provide a fun, safe environment for children to explore, create, and grow!

Now that all of the museum's angels through the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program have been claimed, we've adorned the Christmas tree in our lobby with a new giving campaign: the Virginia Discovery Museum Giving Tree. Each ornament on the tree lists supplies the museum needs for its exhibits, educational programs, and special events.

Giving Tree Ornaments

• Dollhouse and/or Dolls (any kind): One of our oldest exhibits -- and a visitor favorite -- needs a makeover! Help us with a major remodeling of our dollhouse.
• Trains: Our Back Gallery train tables, one of our most popular exhibits, could always use new parts and accessories.
• Stuffed Animals (all kinds): We encourage imaginative play, and what better way to facilitate that than keeping various stuffed critters around the museum for our young visitors to befriend?
• Craft Supplies: We try to keep our Open Studio, weekly drop-in programs, and special events stocked full of fun goodies so that our young visitors can make whatever their imaginations allow. Here are the supplies we need:
• Washable Paint
• Washable Ink Pads
• Stamps
• Glue
• Markers
• Face Paints
• Construction Paper
• Ribbon and Lace
• Buttons, Beads, and Sequins
• Glitter
• Children's Books (all kinds): We strive to make the museum an educational and fun place for children and parents alike. A lot of our visitors enjoy reading with their young ones in our Tree House room, and we use books in several of our weekly and monthly programs.

If you, or someone you know, has something they'd like to donate, please take the corresponding ornament from our Giving Tree to hang on your own tree at home as a reminder of your gift. Please return all donations to the museum by January 1. Giving Tree donations are tax-deductible, so be sure to ask for a receipt after dropping off your gift.

Thank you for partnering with us in giving the gift of creativity and imagination this holiday season! Happy holidays!

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

A Little Holiday Cheer from Groupon

Posted by Matt Berman

A young visitor takes a break from her craft in our Open Studio, which has all the materials
your little one needs to create an adorable holiday greeting card for friends and family.

Have you heard? No, not the jingling of silver bells, the roasting of chestnuts on an open fire, or the "Ho! Ho! Ho!" of some jolly old elf; I'm talking about the Virginia Discovery Museum offer on Groupon!

That's right: Now you can travel back to the past in our 18th-century log cabin, observe the encased cutaway hive of a real bee colony, serve up tasty treats in our pint-sized Panera restaurant, and more ... all for an incredible value!

There are two money-saving admission packages to choose from: 

• Buy four individual one-day passes for $12 (a $24 value)
  This is the perfect option for a family day outing! Come early, take a break to enjoy lunch and shopping on the Downtown Mall, then stop back by the museum for some more play time to wrap things up -- admission is good all day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! 

• Buy 10 individual one-day passes for $30 (a $60 value)
  The more, the merrier! Plan a play-date and bring your friends with you, or just take advantage of an extra visit or two for you and your family.

Already have a membership with the museum? Pass along the holiday cheer! This is a wonderful opportunity for first-time visitors to learn about the museum, and both deals make great holiday gift ideas for the friends and family members in your life with young children.

The offers will only be around for a limited time, so don't miss out! Follow this link to learn more or to purchase: gr.pn/1jc87TN

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

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Where's the Planner? For those who might be wondering about the new weekly Planner feature, it will return tomorrow morning with everything you need to know about what's happening at the museum this week.

Planner: Holiday Happenings

I'd like to introduce you to a new weekly feature we're trying out here at Destination: Discovery called the "Planner." Starting today and continuing on Sundays after that, the Planner will provide a detailed rundown of what's happening at the museum each week and offer a quick preview of any special events taking place that month. If you forget to check the blog on Sunday, though, don't worry -- I'll also provide a link to the Planner from our Facebook page and our Twitter account that morning.

 

Closed Wednesday and Thursday

With the holiday season about to get into full swing, this particular edition of the Planner isn't going to be nearly as stuffed as your Thanksgiving turkey. The museum will be closed all day Wednesday and Thursday, so that means no Toddler Time, Tidal Wave Thursdays, or Science Club this week.

Open Friday and Saturday

We'll be open again Friday at 10 a.m., so after you're finished bagging all those Black Friday deals, stop by the museum for a chance to play and unwind from the shopping shenanigans.

Our 50 Nifty United States drop-in program will be back from its two-week hiatus and will hit the road for Massachusetts, where Dr. James Naismith created the game of basketball in 1891. Visitors will get a chance to show off their shooting skills on our miniature court as they learn how points are scored. The drop-in, which is geared toward children 4 and older, meets at 4 p.m. in the program room and is free with admission.

Can't make it Friday? After a week of friends, family, and holiday cheer, it's understandable you need a break, so get out of the house on Saturday, come to the downtown mall, and use the afternoon to relax and recover at the museum. And the best part is that you don't have to worry about cleaning up another mess; that's on us!

Looking Ahead

As we get ready to turn the corner into December, here are a couple upcoming events to keep in mind:

Holiday Houses
With a little over a week left until the first session, registration is in full-swing for this annual event. Come celebrate the sweetness of the season by decorating your very own graham-cracker house with an assortment of goodies to create a candy-coated winter wonderland! The event is for children 4 and older, with an adult.

• When: Saturday, Dec. 7 & 14
• Time: 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day
• Cost: $8 per person (members); $10 per person (non-members)

Space is limited, so register today by calling (434) 977-1025. If you have any questions, call or email education@vadm.org.

Santa Pancake Breakfast
You'll flip for these delicious pancakes, which will be catered by a special guest chef! Plus, Santa is making a special trip from the North Pole with Rudolph in order to attend the event as he works on checking his list ahead of the holidays. Each family will enjoy their own table, as well as a private meeting with the jolly old elf!

• When: Sunday, Dec. 15
• Time: 10 a.m. seating
• Cost: $10 per person (members); $12 per person (non-members)

Space is limited, so register today by calling (434) 977-1025. If you have any questions, call or email 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.

Boo Bash

Come one, come all, to our little museum of spooks for our annual Halloween party! This year, the Boo Bash will be Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26, from 6:00-7:30.

From the mad scientists in their lab to a tour of the wicked witch's cabin, there will be plenty of fun for kids ages 2-8 and their adults. Wear your most creative costume and see the museum transformed into a not-so-haunted house for the little ones. If you are feeling brave, venture into the glow room. Then, decorate a cookie, try your hand at boo bowling and the spiderweb game to win cool prizes, and enjoy family time with a night of crafts, games, and more! It's the perfect way to get into the Halloween spirit.

Don't miss out on the best night of the year at the museum. Space is limited, so register today for this spooktacular good time!  The cost is $6 per person for members and $8 per person for non-members.

Autumn Experiments

Monday, Oct. 28, is a Teacher Work Day, so school is out! Instead, come play and learn at the museum. We will be exploring science of the season, starting with learning why leaves change color. We'll do a chromatography experiment and check out some demonstrations to see just how that works.

Later, we'll dive into biology, looking at fall fruit. We will investigate pumpkins and apples. What is inside each of these fruits? What makes them different, and what is the same?

This full day program will run from 9:00-3:00 and is best for ages 4-8. We will provide a snack and kids should bring a packed lunch with them. Registration is required and the deadline will be Wednesday, Oct. 23. The cost is $60 for members and $70 for non-members. Call (434) 977-1025 to register today!

Meet a Police Officer

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a police officer? At 10:30 this Saturday, Officer D.E. Williams from the City of Charlottesville Police Department will answer your question! Stop by the museum for a short class on safety for kids. See his badge and uniform and learn about how police officers work to keep us all safe. Officer Williams may be looking for a few new Junior Officers! This program, which is part of our Meet Me on Main Street series, is free with admission to the museum and is open to all ages with an adult.

Glaciers, Volcanoes, and Tornadoes... Oh My!

Did you know that school is out next Monday? That's right! Charlottesville and Albemarle County Public Schools are not in session on September 30. Why not drop your kids off at the museum for the day instead? We have a full school day program for kids ages 4 to 8, packed with exciting activities, crafts, and learning, all about Glaciers, Volcanoes, and Tornadoes, Oh My!

Come discover the world of polar bears and penguins as we journey to the North and South Pole and unlock the mystery behind the formation of glaciers. Then away we will go to learn all about volcanoes and tornadoes. From the top of Mt. Rainier to the planes of Oklahoma, we will study what makes lava flow and twisters blow.
 
Snacks are provided, but kids should bring a packed lunch. The program will run from 9 to 3 and costs $60 for members and $70 for non-members. Pre-registration is required, so call Diana at (434) 977-1025 x9 today!

Discoveroo is coming!

This Sunday is the Virginia Discovery Museum's annual family music festival, Discoveroo! Do you have your tickets yet for this exciting event? Join us at the Charlottesville Pavilion on the Downtown Mall for an exciting event featuring live music, fun dances, and games for kids of all ages. Discoveroo will feature thrilling acts such as the The Diggity Dudes, Bill Wellington, and Hope Harris. Here's Hope at last year's event!

Over 20 educational, interactive exhibitors are coming to share all about arts and culture! Come learn stage effects from the American Shakespeare Center, the art of colors from the local Girl Scouts, try some hip-hop with Charlottesville Performing Arts School, and dance the flamenco with Speak! Language Center. As always, the museum beekeepers will be there to answer any questions you have about their art, apiology.  Check out Ken hanging out with the Charlottesville Family Magazine mascot!

 We will also have fun festival activities happening all day, like face painting, bubbles, and best of all, dancing to the music! Tickets are available at the museum, at the event, or online. Member tickets are $10 and non-member tickets are $12 per person. A Family Four-Pack is only $25! Military families can pick up free tickets at the museum or on the day of the event.
The gates will open at 12:30 and the concert kicks off at 1:00. See you there!

Summer Camps

The VDM staff has been hard at work creating our best camp line up yet and we just can’t wait for summer to start! Don’t miss out on your chance to share in the good times… call to register today. This summer, the Virginia Discovery Museum will host seven interactive and educational summer camps. All camps are for children ages 4-7 and run Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 12:00pm. These fun-filled camps are $150 for members and $190 for non-members. To register, call 434-977-1025 and ask for Diana or email vdmprograms@vadm.org. Sign up today!

June 24-28: We’re Going on a Trip in our Favorite Rocket Ship -Not quite old enough for NASA’s camp? Come learn about the final frontier while building your own rocket and practicing to be an astronaut. We’ll make a model of our solar system and blast off on a trip of our own!

July 8-12: Underwater Explorations - Let’s take a dive in our very own bathysphere and investigate the mysteries of the deep! We will explore the oceans and marine life through thrilling science experiments and make our own versions of oceanic creatures.

July 15-19: Myths and Legends - From Hercules and Medusa to Bigfoot, join us to learn about the myths and legends of yesterday and today. We will be diving into the lake of the Loch Ness Monster and flying high into the sky with Pegasus. Learn all about a world of magic and mystery!

July 22-26: Art Detectives - Put on your detective hats and get out your magnifying glasses! Let’s discover why the Mona Lisa smiles and which artist painted a masterpiece on his back. We will solve clues and investigate popular artists and styles, creating our very own masterpieces along the way.

July 29-August 2: European Adventures - Let’s travel to a different country each day! Trekking across the continent, we will look at art, taste food, and discover what makes each country unique.

August 5-9: Welcome to Broadway- Do you love to dress up and put on plays? Let’s put on a show! Come be in the spotlight as we build a set, design costumes, and act out our own script.

August 12-16: Sailing the Seven Seas - Ahoy matey! Let’s look through the spyglass to learn about Blackbeard and his crew. We are going to swab the deck and batten down the hatches as we go in search of buried treasure. 

New Floors

You may remember back in January when we announced our plans to renovate the floors in the Back Gallery. Well, we're doing it next week! 

VDM will be closing the Back Gallery for the week of May 6-11 to install brand new floors! These floors, which have not been updated in 12 years, will consist of eco-friendly and child-safe materials. We are excited to see how these new floors will highlight the fantastic exhibits of Little C'ville. These floors are thanks to generous donors and Home Depot. The Front Gallery will remain open to the public for the duration. Thank you for your patience and we hope you are as excited as we are about this new renovation!

Meet Me on Main Street

This Saturday is a big day for our Meet Me on Main Street program. We have not one, but two special community partners coming to the museum! First, at 10:30, come meet the bee keeper. You've seen the bees in the back gallery. Now, here's your chance to meet the bee keeper who takes care of them! Karen and Ken Hall have been keeping the VDM bees healthy and happy for years. Join them to learn about apiology, the study of bees!



Later, at 1:00. stop by to meet the Cookie Mouse. We all love the classic children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Join us to meet the main character and enjoy story time in Little C'ville. Sponsored by Barnes & Noble, this family friendly event will introduce you to one of the most beloved children's series.



As usual, these Meet Me on Main Street programs are open to all ages with an adult and are free with admission. Next, keep an eye out for an Instrument Petting Zoo on May 4 and a chance to Meet the Nurse on May 11 before our drop in programs go on hiatus for the summer!

What a Weekend!

It's a busy weekend downtown!

 First of all, right here at the museum, we're going Wild About Reading! This annual program is a part of the Virginia Festival of the Book's StoryFest.  Learn about Virginia's wildlife through an enlightening program which includes up-close experiences with live animals and story reading. The first 100 children will receive a wildlife-themed book. This program is especially suitable for families with children from preschool to 2nd grade and is free with admission to the museum.  Hosted by WHTJ PBS Charlottesville, Virginia Discovery Museum, and the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

For more information about Virginia Festival of the Book children's programs and all the StoryFest! events, see the VFB website. 


Also on the mall, the Downtown Business Association and the City of Charlottesville are hosting an historic carousel  at Central Place. That's right! There's a big carousel coming to play with our little one! The visiting carousel will be here today, Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24. Rides will run from 12 to 6 each day and are free to the public.

If you are downtown for any of these events today or tomorrow, don't forget to stop into the museum! 

Discovery DASH!

23rd Annual Discovery Dash
Saturday, May 18, 2013

at Monticello High School

Virginia’s oldest kids’ track race!
Races for kids ages 3-12

Register online here!

It’s time to start thinking about the Virginia Discovery Museum’s Annual Discovery Dash. This will be our 23rd  year hosting this event and we hope to have our largest turn-out ever. Taking place at Monticello High School on May 18, this event will feature over a dozen fun-filled races including a scramble for the little ones and exciting parent-child relays. Schools throughout the area are welcome to enter teams of runners for the school relay. There will be trophies, raffle prizes, yummy food, and great exercise.

The Discovery Dash has long been one of the most fun events hosted by VDM. It is always a joy to see the kids run their hearts out as they are supported by their friends and family. What a great way to bond through healthy exercise and competition! VDM is also pleased to be a part of the Let’s Move! campaign, a comprehensive initiative started by Michelle Obama to promote a healthier, more physical lifestyle for kids. We hope that this event encourages kids to engage in more physical activities that challenge their bodies and enrich their lives.

The Discovery Dash is also part of the Kids’ Triple Crown Series, a series of four Charlottesville area not-for-profit races sponsored by Ragged Mountain Running. To qualify for the Triple Crown medal, runners need to finish at least three of the four races: the Charlottesville Ten Miler – Kid’s Track Races, the Run for Autism, the Family Fitness Fair, and the Discovery Dash. We are excited to continue participating in this fun, community-wide opportunity. 

If you’ve participated in previous Dashes, we are looking forward to seeing you again. If you have never participated, make this the year to start. So mark your calendars for May 18 and check out vadm.org/eventsDash.html for more information and to register. We hope to see you there!

Journey to Camelot

It will be spring break before we know it, so we're getting ready for our Spring Break Camp! This is your chance to get a taste of our summer camps the first week in April. Our camps are for ages 4-7 and run from 9:00 to 12:00, Monday to Friday.


This year, the theme will be Journey to Camelot! Come and create your very own kingdom. What was it like to live in the times of knights and princesses? What did they eat? What did they wear? What games did kids play? Journey with us to explore the medieval world of Camelot and castles and dragons. From jousting tournaments to running the gauntlet, help us rediscover this long lost world.

Camps require pre-registration and cost $150 for members and $190 for non-members. Call us today at 977-1025 to sign up!

Meet Spike the Porcupine

This Saturday, March 9th, is the next installment of our popular program, Meet Me On Main Street. This program brings guests from our community into Little C'ville, where kids and families can learn more about what they do.
 
This week, we will get the chance to meet Kristin from the Blue Ridge Poison Center and her poison safety puppet, Spike! Spike is a porcupine and the main character in a short poison safety video that will be shown at 10:30 in the Back Gallery. Kristin and Spike will then share a game, a craft, and lots of important information about staying safe around potential poisons. Young children are at greatest risk for unintentional poisonings, so join us for this fun and important program. This program is free with admission.

Kid*Vention

 Kid*Vention was so much fun! We had about 1200 visitors learning from 32 community and university organizations about all different types of science. Thank you to all of our exhibitors and visitors, as well as Panera, who provided lunch for our exhibitors, the City of Charlottesville for their help with using the Key Recreation Center, Les Sinclair from Lite Rock Z95.1 for publicity and music at the event, Barnes & Noble, who donated our raffle prizes, and all of our wonderful volunteers from the Junior League of Charlottesville, Alpha Phi Omega and VDM's own Bob and Cynthia. We also want to thank our sponsors, Blue Ridge Internet Works and Kiddie Academy. Last but not least, thank you to Susan Parmar, the photographer who captured these wonderful images. These are just a few of my favorites- check out our Facebook album for a larger selection!

Picking her brain at the Neuroscience table.

Checking Roxy's heartbeat with Monticello Animal Hospital.

We love the bees!

Everyone's learning about science.

Everyone got to take home a magnifying glass from WHTJ.

Can you outrun a robot built by AHS's MESA program?

Balloon rockets!

The American Society for Engineering Education introduced us to electromagnets. These ones play music!

He has just finished extracting the DNA from a strawberry with LEAD!

Check out that skull that ICF brought to share.

KID*VENTION!!

We're getting so excited! It's almost time for Kid*Vention, VDM's free family science festival!

Join us for Kid*Vention, our annual celebration of everything science, on February 23 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Once again, the event will be at the Key Recreation Center near the Pavilion on the East end of the Downtown Mall. Kid*Vention is a free community event at which children and their families can learn and play at a variety of stations run by VDM’s friends in the Charlottesville community. Over thirty community groups will be there to share their expertise about everything from astronomy to zoology. Come see their favorite parts of science made accessible to you through demonstrations, craft activities, and interactive games. Perfect for kids up to the age of 10, but all ages are welcome. Kid*Vention will feature stations on meteorology, the human body, the environment, chemistry, and more!

Come on out for a day of free science fun!

Sundays?

As you probably know, at the beginning of October, we changed our hours. You may have seen our new signs, which say Monday-Saturday, 10-5, Sundays available for rental. Have you ever wondered what that means?

On Sundays, the museum is closed to the public. However, you can rent the space and have the whole museum to yourself to enjoy with your friends and family! The museum is a great space for a kid's birthday party and has also made for a fun graduation party, but the options are endless. A party at the Discovery Museum could bring out the kid in the honoree at retirement party or offer entertainment for all ages at a family reunion. Where else do you get to see teenage brothers playing trains together?

For Sunday rental, the rates are $100 per hour, with a minimum of 2 hours. There is a non-member fee of $25, and we are happy to do one of our party themes, with crafts, decorations, and activities, for an additional fee of $50. Depending on staff availability, a party can be scheduled at anytime on a Sunday.

For more information or to book a rental, call Diana at (434) 977-1025 x 9 or email her at vdmprograms@vadm.org.

We're Open!

 We have been open for a whole week already! Have you had a chance to come try...

...drawing water from the well?

...relaxing in the Treehouse?

...selling tickets and snacks for a show at the Paramount?

... mailing a letter at the post office?

 ...finding the queen in her new home?

...conducting the railroad?

...selling treats to your friends at Panera?

...practicing the alphabet down the hallway?

 If you haven't yet, now's your chance! We are open Monday-Saturday, 10-5, and we would love to see you here. We can't wait to hear what you think about all our new exhibits!

We’re busy as bees here at the Virginia Discovery Museum! We are so excited to show you all of our
changes when we reopen on Friday.

Thanks to the hard work of our staff and volunteers, we’re adding fun new educational elements to our
Virginia Heritage area. We know that our young visitors have enjoyed the animals in our stable, and now
they will have a chance to learn more about them. What does a pig, donkey, or chicken feel like? You’ll
soon find out.

An apple orchard is sprouting in our back gallery! Staff and dedicated volunteers are readying our
orchard just in time for this perfect fall weather. One thing unique about these apples – you can pick
them again and again.

We can’t wait to unveil our new “Little Charlottesville!” If you’ve loved dress-ups at the museum in the
past, we’ve got some wonderful surprises in store for you.

Our staff members have been working tirelessly to make these changes happen. Covered in paint
smudges from nose to toes, they have so much to keep in mind – all of these renovations must be fun,
educational, and safe for little ones. The most important project occurs near the end of renovations:
making sure that all those little nails and screws have found their way back to the tool boxes! Wood is
sanded and rough edges are smoothed before opening day.

Our open studio, normally filled with craft materials and art projects, is home to our supplies for all of
these renovations. It is here that staff members keep tools and paint organized. Need a pencil, tape
measure, drill, or paintbrush? The Open Studio is like a mini hardware store this week.

With all of the fabulous murals going up on our walls, the museum has never been more fun and
colorful. These murals will be wonderful inspiration for all of budding artist visitors we love so much.

Closing to the public also gives us a chance to do some really deep cleaning. Our hallway is being
powerwashed and sealed.

Thanks for your patience as we undergo our most extensive renovations in recent memory. We hope to
see all of our museum friends on opening day!