Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

November Programming

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Daily Programming Schedule

November 2012

We have a lot of wonderful activities planned that you and your children can enjoy during your visit to Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station!  Simply click the link below to see what we have in store!  We invite you to print a copy and put it on your fridge… you don’t want to miss all the fun ahead!  We will also have copies available at the gift shop that you can take home with you 🙂

Our online calendar of programming will be ready within the next week, so for more detailed information on our programming, please visit www.savannahchildrensmuseum.org 

Hours of Operation

Our Fall Hours of Operation are:

Sunday: 12-5

Monday: 9-5

Tuesday: closed

Wednesday: by appointment

Thursday: 9-5

Friday: 9-5

Saturday: 9-5

*We will be CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday the 22nd)*

Savannah Santa Train

Savannah Santa Train is scheduled for December 8th, 2012!  Registration will begin on November 9th.  Be on the look out for an email with the link for information and registration for this incredibly magical family event!

See you soon!

We can’t wait to celebrate the whole month of November with you!
If you have any questions, please email info@savannahchildrensmuseum.org
Thank you,

Liz Comparetto

Director of Children’s Education
Coastal Heritage Society

Read Full Post »

Outstanding October!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Daily Programming Schedule

October 2012

October really is going to be OUTSTANDING!  We have a lot of wonderful activities planned that you and your children can enjoy during your visit to Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station!  Simply click the link below to see what we have in store!  We invite you to print a copy and put it on your fridge… you don’t want to miss all the fun ahead!  We will also have copies available at the gift shop that you can take home with you 🙂

What makes our programming special?

You have heard from me as to why the programming at Exploration Station is so fantastic.  This time I asked one of our dedicated and passionate staff members, Debra Anding, to explain it in her own words.  She really hit the nail on the head as to WHY we do what we do!  I hope you’ll click on the link below and enjoy her thoughts!

Be Inspired at Exploration Station!

Hours of Operation

Our Fall Hours of Operation are:

Sunday: 12-5

Monday: 9-5

Tuesday: closed

Wednesday: by appointment

Thursday: 9-5

Friday: 9-5

Saturday: 9-5

See you soon!

We can’t wait to celebrate the whole month of October with you!
If you have any questions, please email info@savannahchildrensmuseum.org
Thank you,

Liz Comparetto

Director of Children’s Education
Coastal Heritage Society

Read Full Post »

SUPER September!

Posted in Uncategorized on August 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Daily Programming Schedule

September 2012

September really is going to be SUPER!  We are starting daily programming on September 2nd!  We have a lot of wonderful activities planned that you and your children can enjoy during your visit to Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station!  We invite you to print a copy and put it on your fridge… you don’t want to miss all the fun ahead!  We will also have copies available at the gift shop that you can take home with you 🙂

Fall Hours of Operation

As you may also know, our hours of operation will also change as of September 2nd.  Click HERE to see what the new hours will be!

FROGwarts!

We are also hosting a fabulously MAGICAL event on September 8th from 5-7pm called FROGwarts!   It’s our very own twist on a familiar book/movie series that you surely don’t want to miss!  The cost is only $5 for a member family ($5 covers up to 5 people!) and $7.50 per person for non-members.
To get more information and to pre-register for FROGwarts, click HERE!

See you soon!

We can’t wait to celebrate the whole month of September with you!
If you have any questions, please email info@savannahchildrensmuseum.org
Thank you,

Liz Comparetto

Director of Children’s Education
Coastal Heritage Society

Read Full Post »

Fall hours will bring BIG surprises!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2012| 4 Comments »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

It’s hard to believe that September is only a few short days away!  We have had such a marvelous time sharing Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station with thousands of visitors this summer.  It has been a pleasure to watch all of you enjoy the space!  We have finalized the fall hours schedule, considering thoughtful and valuable feedback from our guests.

Drum roll please!

Beginning on September 2nd our new FALL HOURS are:

Sunday: 12-5

Monday: 9-5

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: By appointment

Thursday: 9-5

Friday: 9-5

Saturday: 9-5

We are so excited to be offering daily programming Thursday-Monday starting on Sunday, September 2nd as well!  See below for more information on our exciting programming plans!

FAMILY FUN

As the Director of Children’s Education, I have had a marvelous time learning about how visitors use Exploration Station.  Every day brings new ideas, new challenges and successes, and new possibilities.  It has been my plan since before opening to develop a monthly calendar of daily programming.  There was a lot of observing and learning that I had to do before I felt we were ready to offer this type of programming.

I am incredibly pleased to let everyone know that the fantastic staff of Savannah Children’s Museum and I have been working hard on developing an amazing month of programming at Exploration Station!  Starting September 2nd, we will offer daily arts programming and 3 daily story-times including 2 for our ‘Little Explorers’ (ages 1-5) and one for our ‘Big Explorers’ (ages 5-10).  We will also have backyard science, fitness, and exhibit-based programming during the week.  All daily programming will be included in your admission price or membership unless otherwise noted on the calendar.

Speaking of the calendar- I’m sure you want to see it!  It has been finalized for the month of September and is currently being reviewed by our Marketing Department before being made public.  As soon as it is ready to be posted on your refrigerator, I will make it available to you!!

Thank you again for all of your support!

~Liz Comparetto

BUBBLING BONUSES

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on Exploration Station!

Read Full Post »

Birthday Bash!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on August 15, 2012| 2 Comments »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

If you’re anything like me, about a month before your child’s birthday you suddenly go into panic mode.  Where will we have the party?  What day and time?  Who should be invited?  Goody bags?  No goody bags?  Cake and ice cream?  Cupcakes?  And the biggest question of all… Theme?!

Savannah Children’s Museum offers fantastic, customizable birthday parties that are competitively priced and a unique alternative to the ‘big-box venues’.  CHS also has 2 other sites that offer birthday parties; Georgia State Railroad Museum and Old Fort Jackson!  The possibilities are endless and our team will work with you to make your child’s birthday party dreams come true!

If you’re interested in any of our birthday packages, you can simply email our events coordinator, Brittany Crawford, at bcrawford@chsgeorgia.org for all the information!

~Liz Comparetto

BOOKSHELF ESSENTIALS

On the Day You Were Born

By: Debra Frasier

ISBN-10: 0152055673

This book hits the trifecta of great children’s books; it’s beautifully written, it has an easy rhythm to its words, and it teaches readers something new.  For parents, the immediate draw to this book is the timelessness of the story as well as the sweet nostalgia of the day your child was born.  For children, it shows the interconnectedness of life on this planet and how important THEY are to the world (with a science lesson built right in!)  This is a fantastic book to give as a gift- to new parents, to a young child, to a teenager, or even an adult.  I highly recommend that this story make its way to a bookshelf near you!


FAMILY FUN

I’m going to share a true story with you… the story of the 3 Woody’s.  Woody is the beloved cowboy in the Toy Story movie series, as many of you know.  When my son, Vinnie, turned 3, we had a Toy Story themed birthday party.  Many of his guests brought Toy Story gifts for the big boy.  He was thrilled!  As he continued to open the generous gifts from loved ones, we realized that not only did he get 1 Woody blanket, not 2 Woody blankets, but THREE Woody blankets!  All identical and all very lovable.  It was in the moment of stunned laughter when he unwrapped the third and final Woody blanket that I realized something: From now on, I’m making a point to buy something unexpected and unique to give as birthday presents.

The big name stores all seem to carry the same stuff- Target, Walmart, and even Toys R Us- all have basically the same selection of toys as the others.  I started to look towards local gift shops.  Not only do I completely support local businesses, I also find that their selection is different in a very good way!  I know it’s fast and easy to swing by Target on the way to a birthday party to pick up something last minute, but it’s also just as easy to swing by a small, local business.  The gift shop at Georgia State Railroad Museum/Savannah Children’s Museum is a perfect example… they’re open 7 days a week and offer something that the big name stores don’t…unique gifts and the opportunity to support a local business.  Talk about a great buy!  

BUBBLING BONUSES

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on Exploration Station!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

The Sock Puppet Circus is Coming!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on July 18, 2012| 2 Comments »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

I have been living with the assumption that we have two goblins living at our house.  One, ‘The Paci-Goblin’, moved out a few years ago when he successfully rid our home of pacifiers.  The other, ‘The Sock Goblin’, still lives with us and is hoarding individual socks in some mysterious place.  I actually dressed up as The Sock Goblin last year for Halloween!  I covered a hoodie jacket with the sad socks that had lost their partners.  Moms and Dads who saw me instantly ‘got it’ and burst into knowing laughter.  Every household understands the plight of The Sock Goblin!

What I never considered is that the socks are running away to join the circus!  Well, duh!  What sock wouldn’t want to be a part of a grand Sock Puppet Circus?  If I were a sock, I would have to be the lion-tamer… that is my chosen Sock Puppet Circus profession.

So, I’m guessing everyone reading this is questioning my sanity at this point.  I don’t blame you!  I’m completely serious, though.  Local Children’s Author, Nelson Elliot Gassman, has written a fantastically imaginative book entitled The Day the Sock Circus Came to Town and I just can’t get enough of it!  Make sure to keep reading to find out more about this book, get a link to the author’s bio, and find out how you and your family can be a part of Savannah Children’s Museum’s very own Sock Puppet Circus!  Hope to see you there!

~Liz Comparetto

BOOKSHELF ESSENTIALS

The Day The Sock Circus Came to Town!

By: Nelson Elliot Gassman

This is a sweet and enjoyable book that children of all ages will enjoy.    Everyone wonders what happens to those missing socks that seemingly vanish before they can find their partner… and this creative story gives a fun answer to that question.  Of course!  They join the Sock Circus!  Make sure to head over to the book’s webpage to find out all kinds of information about the book, read author/illustrator bios, and order a copy for your bookshelf!  You can find the webpage by clicking here.

FAMILY FUN

Are you ready for this?!  Savannah Children’s Museum is hosting its very own Sock Puppet Circus on July 21st from 4-7 pm as we celebrate the very first Hot Saturday Night at Exploration Station!  Children and their adults will get to create their very own sock puppets and enjoy circus-themed activities with their new-found sock friends at this after-hours event.  The price is only $5 for each member FAMILY (yep- a family of 5 is only $5!!!) and regular admission price of $7.50 per person for non members.

Click on this link to find out more information and to pre-register for this fun family event!

If you aren’t already a member of Savannah Children’s Museum, this is the perfect opportunity to join in the excitement!  Click here to join now!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Bubbling Bonuses

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on Exploration Station!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

Family Fun on the Fourth!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on July 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

Can you believe that it’s already July!?  Not only that… but next Monday (July 9th) marks the 1 month birthday of Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station!  WOW!  Time sure flies when you’re having fun 🙂

The 4th of July is a wonderful celebration of our independence.  Fireworks and cook-outs with friends and family have become a staple tradition in many people’s lives.  This year, why  not start a new tradition and head over to Exploration Station to enjoy some day-time family fun?  At 10:30am and 1:30pm we will be hosting our own kid’s parade complete with noisemakers, bubbles, and American flags!  I hope you will join us for our very first 4th!

~Liz Comparetto

BOOKSHELF ESSENTIALS


The Story of America’s Birthday

By: Patricia A. Pingry

ISBN-10: 0824941705

I don’t know about you, but I had a really hard time explaining what all the 4th of July fuss was about to my 4 year old son.  I found this board book and it has really helped him understand what the holiday is all about and gave me the ‘right words’ to better explain it to him.  It’s only a 26 page board book (which means it’s pages are made of very thick cardboard), so it’s really not intimidating at all.  The pictures and child-friendly language help children understand why the 4th is so very special.  I think it’s important that children learn that there is significance for all the partying and celebration of the day, and this book certainly helped me accomplish that with my young child!

FAMILY FUN

The 4th of July is a perfect holiday to involve your children.  It’s a fun celebration that they can enjoy just as much as the grown-ups!  The hot summer nights, later bed-times, fireflies, and sparklers make for a magical event they’ll look forward to every year.  Why not put them to work making ‘firework’ paper placemats for your cook-out?!   Check out this Disney Family Fun link to find out how!

I also pinned a bunch of fun family-friendly 4th crafts on our Pinterest… go check it out by clicking here!

Bubbling Bonuses

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on Exploration Station!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

Jump into June!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on June 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

I can’t believe May is almost over!  I have missed a couple of blog posts, but I promise it has been for a VERY good reason!  I have been EXTREMELY busy getting ready to Jump into June!  June is an exciting month for us at Coastal Heritage Society.  We have a LOT going on, and just two of our exciting adventures are the grand opening of Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station on June 9th at 9 a.m., and Savannah Summer Camps beginning on June 11th!  Instead of a typical blog post this week, I want to make sure all of you have the fantastic details on these events 🙂

Savannah Children’s Museum’s

Exploration Station

People in Savannah have been asking about a local Children’s Museum for years, and it’s about to happen!  Savannah Children’s Museum’s Exploration Station is a 1-acre, 2-level outdoor exhibit space that encompasses all domains of learning, with a focus on imaginative play and exploration.

Every detail of this exhibit space has been designed to encourage meaningful learning through play. Educational standards and developmental growth have been the keystones for the design, construction, and finishing touches in every exhibit area.  Your family will have an opportunity to engage in all sorts of challenging and educational activities. Our team has been dreaming of this day, working long after the sun sets each night, making it a reality!

 

OPERATING HOURS

Tuesday-Sunday from 9 a.m. -2 p.m.,

Closed on Mondays for  resetting and maintenance of exhibits.

ADMISSION COST

$7.50 per person ages 1 and older.

PARKING & ADDRESS

The parking lot will be shared with  Georgia State Railroad Museum, which has the same physical address of

655 Louisville Rd, Savannah, GA 31401

Located just off  Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd where Liberty becomes Louisville Rd.

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

Join us along with various special guests on June 9th, at 9am, for the GRAND OPENING ribbon cutting ceremony. The parking lot  will open at 8am.I hope you can come celebrate this wonderful addition to Savannah with us!

SPECIAL NOTE: Exploration Station is an outdoor venue. Casual dress encouraged, along with water bottles, sunscreen and good old Savanna bug spray. Your kids WILL get dirty, they WILL get wet, and above all, they WILL have fun!!

Look for our ad full of sneak preview pictures, in this Sunday’s Savannah Morning News!

I hope you can come!

EXPLORATION STATION

is made possible with support from

Girl Scout Grand Slam!

Do you have a Daisy, Brownie, Junior or older Girl Scout? Maybe you recently bought cookies from one! Help us spread the word about Savannah History Museum’s new exhibit, opening this weekend! Women of Merit featuring Juliette Gordon Low & The Girl Scouts is an exhibit the whole family will enjoy.

Leopold’s Ice Cream will be on-hand helping us celebrate Saturday June 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Show up between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday and have your picture take with “Daisy”!

Savannah History Museum is powered by Coastal Heritage Society

Savannah Summer Camps

This year, Coastal Heritage Society is offering 3 fantastic Summer Camps for kids!

The first, Get on Board camp, is for our youngest campers and will be held at Georgia State Railroad Museum.

The second, The Great Train Exploration, is much like the first- but for older campers that are ready for a more in-depth railroading experience.

The third, Travel Through Time in Savannah camp, is also for our older campers and will have children traveling through time in our great city- from the Native Americans who once lived here, through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, to modern day Savannah.

And since I know all of you are wondering, each camp will get an opportunity to enjoy SCM’s Exploration Station one afternoon during the week 🙂

Take a moment to click on the link below for more information on each camp, dates, and registration links!

Summer Camps!

 

Bubbling Bonuses

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on what we’re doing to get Exploration Station ready for opening day!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

M is for Mom! (and Maurice)

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on May 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

Mother’s Day is in just a few days!  While we should show our love and appreciation for the mothers in our lives EVERY day, this is a special day to place her in the spotlight.  I like to think of Mother’s Day as a day to celebrate the important women in our lives; the ones that inspire us, nurture us, support us, and challenge us.  This may be a mom, neighbor, a friend, an aunt, cousin, niece, or sister… but whoever it is for you, please take a moment to say ‘thanks’ for all that they do.

~Liz Comparetto

BOOKSHELF ESSENTIALS

Where the Wild Things Are

By: Maurice Sendak

ISBN-10: 0060254920

The world lost a true visionary author/illustrator this week.  Maurice Sendak, who is best known for his Caldecott Medal book, Where the Wild Things Are, passed away on Tuesday May 8th.  I want to honor him by highlighting this extraordinary book that I, undoubtedly, consider a bookshelf essential.  Where the Wild Things Are is a modern children’s classic that follows a little boy named Max into a magical nightmare.  Yes, it is a nightmare… but it is truly a magical place in which Max finds strength, acceptance, and conquers his fears.  Children love to act out the wild rumpus, portraying their favorite ‘Wild Thing’.  Taking on the role of something previously considered scary, is very empowering to children (and adults, honestly!)  If you don’t have this book in your collection, I HIGHLY recommend it!

FAMILY FUN

Since Mother’s Day is just a couple days away, I pinned a bunch of fabulous Mother’s Day ideas on one of our Pinterest boards.  Go check it out!

Ask Liz

Liz,

I am a first grade teacher and I have a female student in my class who’s mother died last year.  What are your thoughts on celebrating Mother’s Day in my classroom?

-Sarah (SC)

Sarah,

What a tragic loss to experience at such a young age!   From my education and experience with death and grieving, children need to feel free to communicate these very tough emotions.  Some children (and adults) do this in a private way, in which they wouldn’t feel comfortable with a group Mother’s Day activity.  Other children are very vocal about their emotions and want to share these feelings and memories with those around them.  I have had experience with both types of reactions to significant loss.  I would recommend taking the girl aside, privately, and having an informal chat about her feelings regarding Mother’s Day.  At 6 or 7 years old, she should be able to tell you how she feels about the celebration and activities.  Follow her lead.  If she appears uncomfortable at all, that is your answer.  Another direction you could go is to make the activity more about celebrating important women in our lives, not necessarily mothers.  I’m guessing (or hoping, rather) that a female family member has stepped up and has become the nurturing influence in her life.  This could be an opportunity to celebrate significant women in general, which could be less intimidating and emotional for the girl.  I hope my advice was the slightest bit helpful.  Good luck with this tough situation!

-Liz

Bubbling Bonuses

Make sure to head over to our Summer Camp post to find out more about all of the fun camps that CHS is offering this year!

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on what we’re doing to get Exploration Station ready for opening day!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

Awesome Authors!

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged on April 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

HOP RIGHT IN!  

Hi everyone!  First, let me say thank you for the comments on my posts!  It really makes my day to read your thoughts and interact with you this way.

I have a serious addiction to children’s books.  I’ll be blatantly honest.  It’s a bit problematic when our living room bookshelves have more children’s books than big people books.  Well it might be problematic for some, but I am perfectly content!  This week, I’m going to share 2 fabulous authors with you, and a great activity for having fun with language.  I hope you enjoy!

~Liz Comparetto

BOOKSHELF ESSENTIALS

Instead of highlighting one book this week, I want to highlight one of my all-time favorite children’s author/illustrators, David Shannon.  He has written and illustrated more than a dozen of what I would consider ‘bookshelf essentials.’  I’m sure you’ll recognize some of the titles from the ‘David’ series; No, David!, David Gets in Trouble, and David Goes to School.  The recurring character, David, is actually modeled after the author as a child.  My favorite *secret* about Shannon’s books is that his dog, Fergus, makes an appearance in almost every one.  In fact, I have yet to find one that doesn’t have Fergus hiding somewhere in its pages!  That’s his picture on the side in case anyone wants to go searching!  One of his lesser known books, A Bad Case of Stripes, is a wonderful way to reinforce to your children that being just like everyone else is no fun.  Duck on a Bike is a hilarious tale of a bunch of farm animals who borrow bikes from the neighborhood kids and go cruising… nothing beats a horse riding a bike!  The last book I’ll mention (though I could go on all night!) is Alice the Fairy.  It’s a tale of a little girl, who happens to be modeled after Shannon’s daughter, that finds pure magic in everything around her.  She even imagines her bathwater as Jell-o!

FAMILY FUN

One thing I have learned through my years teaching in the classroom, and also as a parent, is that having fun with language is the ALL-TIME BEST way to foster a love of literacy in children.  I could very well go all ‘teacher-ish’ on you and give you all the formal research, but that would be really boring to the average reader!  What I will tell you is to play.  Play with sounds, letters, intonation, meanings, and metaphors.  One of the current favorite language games we play at our house is with first sounds.  Vinnie (our 4 year old) is learning all of his sounds and letters and he’s starting to put together words with their beginning sounds.  We take an ordinary word or name and change the first letter/sound in order to make it as silly as we can.  For instance, if we take his name, he can tell us it starts with a V.  He’ll tell me another letter and I’ll change the first sound of his name accordingly… Vinnie becomes Finnie, which becomes Binnie, and then Zinnie.  He ends up rolling on the floor with laughter and coming up with plenty of his own in the meantime.

Another great game to play is with voices and intonation.  Instead of just saying, ‘Put away your toys, please’, I might say it in a laughing voice, a scary voice, or a singsongy voice.  I’ll put emphasis on words that don’t necessarily need emphasis in a sentence, such as ‘away’ in ‘put AWAY your toys, please’.  It makes it fun.  It makes the mundane enjoyable.  And above all, it makes kids eager to play along.  The more experience they have playing with language, the more they’ll appreciate it and enjoy it!

The book pictured above is The Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg… an amazing book for older children that makes the alphabet really fun and interesting, even if they’ve known their ABC’s for years!

 Ask Liz

As you may have noticed, I really like language.  I deeply enjoy teaching language and I love playing with language.  I promise this section won’t be as long as the last two… I do tend to be a little long-winded, especially when I’m really passionate about something 🙂  I am using this week’s Ask Liz to highlight another author/illustrator that has me as a devoted fan… Shel Silverstein.  His silly poems have been delighting children (and adults) for more than 30 years now.  He has a knack for making language fun, which you obviously have guessed by now, I am a big fan of!  I just have to share my absolute favorite Silverstein poem, My Beard from his compilation of poems, Where the Sidewalk Ends.

-Liz

Bubbling Bonuses

Make sure to head over to our Summer Camp post to find out more about all of the fun camps that CHS is offering this year!

Our sister-blog, Diary of a Museum: The Story of Savannah Children’s Museum is a great behind-the-scenes scoop on what we’re doing to get Exploration Station ready for opening day!

Thank you! Until next week,

~Liz

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »