Please come visit our booth at the California Parenting Institute's FAMILY EXPO and see the vision for the museum and a sampling of hands-on discovery exhibits that will "blow" you and your family away!

• March 10 - 11, FAMILY EXPO: Santa Rosa Fairgrounds

It takes a lot of people to help bring the dream of a children's museum to life. Please contact Theresa Giacomino , Volunteer Coordinator, if you're interested in volunteering at any of our upcoming events. And if there's a position you'd like to fill or a committee you'd like to serve on, won't you please contact us? We'd love to hear from you!
theresa@childrensmuseumnb.org

• SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MARCH 10 & 11, FAMILY EXPO,
  10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Santa Rosa Fairgrounds



• SATURDAY, March 31, EASTER EGG HUNT, 10:00 AM - NOON, Lucchesi Park in Petaluma



• SUNDAY, APRIL 29, The Great Petaluma Chili Cook-off, Salsa, and Beer Tasting, 1 - 5 PM, Behren's Park, Herzog Hall, Sonoma- Marin Fairgrounds, Petaluma



• SATURDAY, MAY 19, LUTHER BURBANK ROSE PARADE AND FESTIVAL,11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Julliard Park, Santa Rosa



• SUNDAY, MAY 13, HUMAN RACE,8:00 AM run starts, Herbert Slater Middle School, Santa Rosa
  
  
• SATURDAY, MAY 26, PETALUMA FARMER'S MARKET, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Walnut Park, Petaluma



We also need help with the following:
• Fundraising
• Events Planning
• Grant Writing
• Accounting

Kids in US worse off than in other rich nations
SF Chronicle, Feb. 14, 2007

Recently, an article appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle that got us all fired up about the importance of play and how the CMNB will help fill the need for unstructured playtime, science literacy, and arts learning for our children in Sonoma County.

"Kids in U.S. worse off than in other rich nations, re: UNICEF ranks 19 wealthy countries better for children"

Many children do not have visible disabilities, but make no mistake, they are in trouble. Increased pressure in schools, hurried lifestyles, and over abundance of scheduled time can be a source of stress and anxiety and may even contribute to depression. As a community we need to create safe and secure places that foster unstructured and self-initiated play time for children and their families.

A children's museum is a wonderful solution with proven results for inspiring and lighting a creative spark across all ages, but especially at the early ages where engendering a love of learning is so crucial to later life success.

The CMNB in conjunction with the SEBASTOPOL CENTER FOR THE ARTS presents: The Art of Science

A series of explorations of color, line, shape, area and volume presented by the Children's Museum of the North Bay. Attend one, two or all 4 classes and investigate the science behind how things look and what we see through hands-on activities and come home with a completed project every time.

One Sunday a month starting in April 2007.

10:00?11:30 AM : Grades K-2 (6 ? 8 year olds)
1:00-2:30 PM: Grades 3-6 (9 ? 12 year olds)

For class dates and fees, please contact the Sebastopol Center for the Arts for more information, (707) 829-4797, or check out their website.

The CMNB would like to wish Sara Woodbury and Julia Anderson a very Happy Birthday! They are the first honorary members of our new Birthday Club.

I would also like to thank the Woodbury Family and the Anderson Family for offering to donate to the CMNB in lieu of gifts for her daughter's birthday.

In return for their generosity, two volunteers from the CMNB, Theresa Giacomino and myself, attended the birthday party and conducted a couple of science experiments. In addition, each child received an art apron with the CMNB logo embroidered on it.

The kids had a blast conducting experiments and we even managed to "blow" some parents away too. It was so much fun that we are considering offering a birthday party package to our museum supporters. If this is something you'd like to see happen, please drop us an email at info@childrensmuseumnb.org and let us know.

We want your feedback! You probably have some great ideas for science experiments you'd like to see offered.

Bright as a Penny

Soap and water won't clean metals very easily. That takes a special cleaner - or you can try lemon juice!

Materials: Lemon juice and pennies

What to do: Squeeze the lemon juice into a glass. Soak the coin in lemon juice for 5 minutes.

What Happens: You fish out a shiny coin!

Why? Oxygen in the air combined with the copper to form the dull copper oxide coating. The acid of the lemon acts chemically to remove the oxide -- and the result? A bight copper penny. Vinegar will work the same way.

And remember...every penny counts! If you're looking for something to do with all those bright, shiny pennies - send them to the CMNB and they'll help pay for a new exhibit in our permanent museum!

How Children Learn: Part II

By Bernice Callahan, Founder of the California Parenting Institute and Vice-President of the CMNB.

In our last newsletter, we examined the period of development called Toddlerhood. We stopped at the point of the child saying ?Me! Mine! and NO!? to everything. Before I begin our section on Preschoolers, I want to share my own daughter?s observation recently. She was describing her 20 month old daughter.

?She?s become such a tyrant. The only place she is her cute self now is at the Museum.? They have a family membership in the new Children?s Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. All three of my grandchildren are going to that museum three days a week. There are so many choices of activities at the Children?s Museum that the seven year old, the five year old and the 20 month old Toddler each find plenty to keep them occupied and happy for hours. My daughter meets other mothers and all in all they each have a wonderful relief from the pressures of their regular duties at home and school.

The Preschooler
By age 3 years, the brain has reached two thirds of its adult size. Maturation of the central nervous system contributes to the child?s increasing cognitive abilities. The preschool years are a period of rapid learning.

CMNB thanks the following individuals and sponsors for their generous support this past year. The CMNB was able to serve over 3000 children and families at more than 14 community events throughout Sonoma County. The Board and volunteer supporters are working hard to find a permanent location to bring our vision for a hands-on discovery learning place to life. None of this would be possible without the generosity of those who share our commitment to children and learning.

Sponsor Level Member

• GPM Printing and Mailing
• Rapid Refill Ink
• NorthBay Bohemian Magazine