Staff Pick: Earth Day Toys

Earth Day is right around the corner and here at the Museum we love to encourage healthy planet habits that take care of Earth! We will be celebrating Earth Day this weekend with Novelis on Saturday and Sunday. This will be the 45th anniversary of the Earth Day movement, meaning 45 years of “broadening the base of support for environmental programs, rekindling public commitment and building community activism around the world through a broad range of events and activities”. All the environmental activities and lessons are very important to pass down to our children.

We currently have some awesome items in our Museum Store that are definitely Earth Day appropriate. Our staff picked out their 3 favorite Earth Day items from the store and shared a little bit about why they liked the particular items.

Kareen Dames, manager of museum sales, recommends:

The Busy Bug Gardens is my favorite thing in the Museum Store because I love butterflies! This awesome little kit allows children to learn about gardening and enjoying the site of Monarch butterflies and hummingbirds, both of which are attracted to the Purple Coneflower that will sprout from the seeds in the kit. I also like that this is an activity that can be done inside or outside.

Debbie Palay. director of development, recommends:

I would recommend spending time with the Solar Print Kit. These kits are an excellent way to teach kids about the power of the sun and the chemical process behind the imaging that takes place on the special paper. This is an activity that is suitable and appealing to both boys and girls and can be a fun way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Cayce Dunn, digital marketing manager, recommends:

I love the Recycled Paper Beads kit! I love doing crafts and the fact that this craft also recycles was definitely a two-for-one plus! Making paper beads always seemed tedious and a little tiring by hand, but this gadget that fits perfectly on a recycled water bottle looks like a super simple and efficient way to make beads. Not to mention, the added bonus of the recycled water bottle being used as a container for the finished beads. I love the idea of showing children how old magazine pages can be used to create fun jewelry and awesome one-of-a-kind handmade gifts. Recycling is definitely a planet-friendly way of using your imagination to figure out how to use the most out of the stuff you have!

If you plan on visiting us to celebrate Earth Day, drop by the Museum store to check out these items. They would make awesome gifts or just a fun activity to take a part of the Museum and the message home with you. Earth Day celebrations at the Museum begin Saturday, April 18th at 12 PM. The fun will continue Sunday, April 19th at 3:00 PM. Check our Programming Schedule for more info of the days happenings!

Source: EarthDay.org

 

The Wonderful World of the Wizard of Oz

“I’m melting! I’m melting!”
“We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!”
“I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!”
And of course, “There’s no place like home.”

These quotes have become a part of American culture over the past 75 years since the world was introduced to the musical The Wizard of Oz. The most expensive production for MGM at the time, the movie is noted for its use of Technicolor, as well as its musical score, elaborate make up, and special effects. Surprising to most, the movie was not a box office success, leaving the studio with an initial loss. It was still nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two: Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

We did a little research and found that the production of the movie and its lasting legacy are almost as fun as watching the movie itself. For example, did you know that 20th Century Fox wanted to make the movie with Shirley Temple as Dorothy? The role was eventually taken by Judy Garland, who was only 16 at the time, made $500 per month, and had to attend school on set everyday.

One of the original proposals for the movie’s production was to have Toto played by a human actor when the story moved to Oz! Terry, the dog who (happily) ended up playing Toto, earned 2.5 times more money per week than each Munchkin.

The Tin Man’s oil was actually chocolate syrup, because it showed up on the Technicolor film better than actual oil! Similarly, gelatin powder was used to color the horses, which they enjoyed licking off. The snow in the poppy field was made from industrial grade asbestos. On the other hand, the cowardly lion’s costume was made from real lion skin, and wasn’t an imitation. We can’t imagine either of those last two production decisions being employed by a contemporary Hollywood film!

Some of the Wicked Witch of the West’s scenes were cut after the producers deemed them too scary for children. She’s actually in only twelve minutes of the movie! Margaret Hamilton reprised the role of the Wicked Witch in personal appearances and cameos for the rest of her career. Proving that the decades did nothing to blunt the Witch’s impact, her 1976 appearance on Sesame Street has only aired once, after parents complained to PBS and the producers that she’d frightened their children.

L. Frank Baum published seventeen sequels to his original novel. The movie suggests that Dorothy’s experiences were all a dream, but Baum created Oz as a real place that Dorothy and other characters would revisit in the sequels.

The most amazing thing that we learned, however, was that “Over the Rainbow” was very nearly cut from the film due to time constraints. Can you imagine a Wizard of Oz without this iconic song?

Are your children familiar with the movie? Gather your family, make some popcorn, and watch it together! Because your children will be obsessed afterwards, check out familycrafts.about.com for some super fun Wizard of Oz craft and activity ideas! Make your own character puppets, learn about the science behind tornadoes, and check out a map of Kansas to find Dorothy’s home. Hop over to www.care.com for some DIY costume instructions, because your little ones will love to act out the movie or just go everywhere dressed as their favorite character.

This Saturday, January 24 the Museum will be celebrating The Wizard of Oz with a full day of fun! Click here for more info!

Many thanks to Awesome Ariel Capellupo for all her help with research into the movie!

Sources: parade.com | www.moviemistakes.com | muppet.wikia.com

A Bird of a Different Feather

Our Maker’s Space has everyone at the Museum thinking about crafts and do-it-yourself projects. Thanksgiving, historically, has been a great time to do fun family projects with your children. From turkeys and pilgrims to feathers and leaves, there aren’t many limits to what you can craft with your kids this time of year. We pulled up three different ideas for classic Thanksgiving turkey crafts to get you started.

Source: http://blogs.babycenter.com/life_and_home/leaf-feather-turkeys-for-thanksgiving/

Source: http://www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/crafts/turkey-day-crafts-for-kids/#page=5

Source: http://frugalfun4boys.com/2012/11/10/pine-cone-turkeys/

 

First up is the adorable leafy turkey (on the left). While on a walk with the kids, have them collect leaves in various shapes, sizes and colors. Once back at home, cut out two circles. A larger circle for the body (3-4 inches in diameter) and a smaller circle for the turkey’s head (1-2 inches in diameter). Glue the turkey head right in the middle of the larger circle, the turkey’s body. Then, glue the leaves to the back of the turkey’s body to create his feathers. Now this little turkey sure does look ready for the holidays.

The turkeys in the middle take on a different shape with the use of pom-poms as the body of the turkey. The feathers, beak, and feet can either be made from felt or from construction paper. This craft most likely requires the use of a hot glue gun, but the kids can have fun cutting out the feathers, beak and feet. Once assembled, place them around the house for a fun game of I Spy with visiting relatives!

Well, you don’t get much more classic than a pine cone turkey! Children love making all kinds of crafts from pine cones, and these are perennial favorites. A little glue and construction paper, a pen to draw the eyes and scissors to cut the tail feathers, and you’re good to go!

You can find more ideas for Thanksgiving crafts by visiting our Pinterest page, and we would love to hear from you. What are some of your favorite kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts? Leave us a comment or drop us a line on Facebook!

Box Masters

Visitors to the Museum this month will learn about three masters of art while creating their own masterpieces, all the while becoming Box Masters. The works of Josef Albers, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Louise Nevelson will be used to teach color, structure, and sculpture, inspiring the creation of crafts, science, and architecture, with boxes!

“Homage to the Square: Apparition”, 1959. Josef Albers

Falling Water; built in 1964; designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

“Untitled” 1964. Louise Nevelson

German-born artist Josef “The Square Man” Albers created over 1,000 paintings, drawings, and prints of squares between the 1950’s and 1970’s. While some may look at these works of art and just see squares, there is both mathematics and color theory (such as the effects that colors have on one another) behind each piece. The series Homage to the Square explores what happens when different sizes and colors of squares are placed upon one another and how they create optical illusions. His experimentation inspired artists and movements, such as Geometric Abstraction, Color Field, and Op Art. In the Craft Maker Space, your little artists will channel Albers by doing a sugar cube project.

Frank Lloyd Wright, named the greatest American architect by the American Institute of Architects, started out as a draftsman in the 1880’s. Inspired by the flatness of the prairie, he created an American style of architecture which became known as the Prairie Style. This style is known for its one-floor horizontals, with rows of windows that strengthen the horizontal theme. Wright is another prolific artist who in seventy years drew over 1000 designs, half of which were actually constructed. He became a major influence on the architects that have come after him. In the Craft Maker Space, a model making project will be done to show the principles of Wright’s Prairie Style.

Russian sculptor Louise Nevelson came to America as a child in 1905. She considered herself the first recycler because she used discarded wooden objects to create her works of art. Her use of individual pieces to create one monumental sculpture is known as assemblage or “a work of art made by grouping found or unrelated objects”. Nevelson paved the way for female artists, who were not previously known to make large, sculptural pieces of art. In the Box Lab, your little sculptors and architects will be led by the Imaginators in constructing structures inspired by Wright’s buildings and sculptures encouraged by the works of Nevelson.

Don’t think we forgot about your little scientists! In the Science Maker Space, arches and triangles will be explored to see how they can strengthen bridges and buildings. Binoculars will be made using colorful gels that will show what happens when colors mix. The Lab Coat Kids Science Show will focus on light and color, by teaching your curious kids about prisms, while also learning how primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) become secondary colors (green, purple, and orange).

Who knew that boxes could inspire so many artists and works of art? We hope that everyone gets creative this month and uses what they’ve learned about boxes to make some masterpieces!

 Sources:
FrankLloydWright.org
TheArtStory.org
MetMuseum.org