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celebrating the childlike wonder
in all of us
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Great Lakes Children Museum
13240 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
P.O. Box 2326
Traverse City, MI 49685
(231) 932-4526
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Featuring December Programs...
Gala Save the Date, Countdown to Noon, Holiday Happenings, Toddler Time, StoryTime, and More! |
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Walk on the Wild Side! - Gala Save the Date
Saturday, February 25 - 6 pm - City Opera House
Planning for the upcoming 2012 Great Lakes Children's Museum's Annual Gala is underway. Save this date for a glamorous evening of friends, delectable food, and fantastic entertainment for a good cause.
Gala Co-Chairs, Lauren Jefferies and Katie Lowran, would welcome your help with this upcoming event. In addition to attending in February, maybe you or your employer would like to consider:
- Becoming a corporate sponsor or supporter, or purchase a table
- Donating an item for the live or silent auctions
- Advertising in our program or on the bid paddles
All proceeds from the event support hands-on learning activities at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Contact the Museum at 932-4526 if you'd like to help out. We hope to see you the night of this fabulous event. |
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Museum Movie at the State - Elf
Saturday December 17, 10 am
 On Saturday, December 17, we begin a new partnership with our friends at the State Theatre of Traverse City. On a periodic basis, we'll offer a short entertaining and informative video before the 25 ¢ Saturday Kids Matinee. On the 17th at 10 am, we'll open for the popular holiday film, Elf, with a special video about snow.
This will be made possible through two other partners, the NPR radio program Science Friday and Interlochen Public Radio. Join us for an interesting and fun video followed by spending some time with the earnest and charming Buddy the Elf on the big screen.
Movie goers who bring a ticket stub to the Great Lakes Children's Museum on December 17 will get half off the price of admission. (This discount is available only on the same day as the movie.) |
Holiday Happenings
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Making 2011 New Year's Eve Hats |
11 am to 3 pm
Over the Christmas break we will be offering all kinds of special programs for school-age and preschool children alike. Unique activities will be offered from 11 am to 3 pm each weekday.
A perennial favorite is our Countdown to Noon on December 31 (more details below). To give everyone time to finish their projects, this activity starts right at 10 am, when we open. We spend two hours decorating the ball, filling the time capsule, and making hats and noisemakers. At noon we drop the freshly decorated ball and balloons from the ceiling to great fanfare and cacophony. Join us for the family-friendly celebration of the New Year.
Feed The Birds, Monday, December 26
Bring the birds up close to your window by making them treats to eat. We will be using oranges, seed, ice cream cones, cereal, peanut butter, dried fruit, and more. Yum tweet yum!
Snow Fun, Tuesday, December 27
Have some fun experimenting with and learning about snow and ice. Make and take a snow-"flakey" craft or two.
Tell Me A Story, Wednesday, December 28
A story will be read every hour on the hour, followed by an activity to go with it. Special showing and telling of Katy and The Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton at 11 am and 2 pm.
Michigan Mitten Day, Thursday, December 29
M is for mitten! Come and learn about our great state with a mitten scavenger hunt in the museum and "mitts"-on activities in the Great Lakes Room. Bring a pair of new mittens or gloves and we will donate them to Boots for Kids.
Snow Fun, Friday, December 30
Have some fun experimenting with and learning about snow and ice. Make and take a snow-"'flakey" craft or two.
Countdown To Noon, Saturday, December 31
It's midnight somewhere! Ring in 2012 at the Great Lakes Children's Museum! Come anytime after 10 am to decorate the big ball and make noise makers and party hats. The countdown and ball drop will be at noon. That's a whole 12 hrs before Time Square! Craft activities and time capsule making continue until 3 pm.
Get Crafty! Monday, January 2
Are you just itching to make something? We will set out an extravaganza of craft supplies for you to experiment with. Everything from craft sticks to pipe cleaners! We will provide a creative assortment of scraps and really cool stuff for you to use to express your creativity. |
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New Exhibit Coming!
We are in the process of installing a new exhibit on the wall alongside the Great Lakes freighter. This exhibit will include magnetic activities for all ages. The central focus will be a magnetic wall with balls, tubes and other activities to challenge older children and their grownups. There will also be a section for our youngest visitors to have fun with a variety of open-ended play. We will roll this exhibit out in stages so that we can develop it to ensure the best possible visitor experience.
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December Toddler Time Schedule
Fridays, 10 am to noon
Toddler Time is offered Fridays from 10 am to 12 pm. It is an opportunity for toddlers to interact with each other and learn through a variety of activities and experiences. Toddler Time encourages toddlers' natural curiosity, enhances fine and gross motor skills, guides appropriate social behaviors, and facilitates essential cognitive growth. Most importantly, it's fun! Toddler Time is included with the price of admission or the cost of your annual membership.
Make a Present, December 9
Kids will create a hand-print holiday wreath. This project will make a great keepsake to give to a loved one for the holidays.
Holiday Cookie Decorating, December 16
What's more fun than frosting, sprinkles, and toddlers? Come and decorate a cookie to eat and one to take home.
Snowballs and Snowmen, December 23
Make a snowball out of foam strips to take home. Play some snowball games with pre-made foam snowballs. Stack colorful boxes to make a snowman and more!
No Toddler Time - December 30
Toddler Time is funded by a grant from the Oleson Foundation. |
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December InterActive StoryTime Selections
Stories with a Twist! Wednesdays, 11:00 am
InterActive StoryTime features great works of children's literature and activities and crafts led by Museum staff and volunteers, which enhances the experience for children and deepens their understanding of the selected book.
Bear Snores On, by Karma Wilson, December 7
In a cave in the woods, in his deep, dark lair, through the long, cold winter sleeps a great brown bear.Some animals stop by to warm up and begin to have a party while bear is sleeping.
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, December 14
One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. Peter is about to have a snow adventure.
The Gingerbread Man by Eric Kimmel, December 21
Run, Run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!
No Story Time - December 28  InterActive StoryTime is underwritten through a generous Early Childhood Reading Grant from the Target Foundation. |
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20% Holiday Discount Continues
 The 20% discount that we offered over the Thanksgiving weekend continues through December 24. The Museum Store brings you quality products that will inform as well as entertain the young people in your life. We understand that you don't want your kids running into the store when you visit, so plan to stop by the Museum Store without your children to shop for their birthdays and their playmates' birthdays, as well as holiday gifts. Revenue generated in the Store goes directly to support our daily operations. |
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December Schedule Changes
The Great Lakes Children's Museum will be open on Mondays, December 26 and January 3, because the schools are scheduled to be closed.
We'll close early (noon) on Saturday, December 24 for Christmas Eve and be closed on December 25 and January 1. Following Christmas, there will be no Story Time on December 28 and no Toddler Time on Friday, December 30. However there will be special "Holiday Happenings" programming through the holiday break. |
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Holiday Giving at the Museum
 For the next few weeks we will be collecting new and gently-used sweaters for neighbors in need. This collection continues through December 9, so hurry with your donations. This collection is through the efforts of our neighbors at WCMU Public Broadcasting.
The Toys for Tots campaign is also in full swing. We are a collection site for new, unwrapped toys to be distributed as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community through Friday, December 16. Shop in the Museum Store and save 20% when you mention this email. |
The software and service that delivers our newsletter is made possible, without cost, through Constant Contact's Care4Kids program (see below) and the sponsorship of Hanna Bistro in downtown Traverse City. |
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I must take issue with the term "a mere child,"
for it has been my invariable experience
that the company of a mere child is infinitely preferable to that of a mere adult.
~ Fran Lebowitz
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