CMNH to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer

The Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover announced it will again join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2024 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America. The Children's Museum of New Hampshire's free military summer is sponsored exclusively by Service Credit Union.

“We are proud to once again partner with the Children’s Museum to sponsor free admission for active military families this summer,” said Jaime Yates, Service Credit Union Community Relations Manager. “At Service Credit Union, we have a longstanding history of supporting our military members, veterans and their families, and this program is one of the ways we can give back to those who have given so much to us."

"We are grateful to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire for participating in this summer's Blue Star Museums program, and we hope military families will take this opportunity to create meaningful, lifelong memories," said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. "Whether you are traveling this summer, getting know a new duty location, or exploring what your community has to offer, Blue Star Museums is a wonderful opportunity to create connection and find inspiration."

"Military families love Blue Star Museums, and we couldn't run this program without the National Endowment for the Arts and the museums across the nation who show they care by participating," said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. "Access to museums enriches military families, creates wonderful family memories, and helps us feel connected to our communities so that we can thrive and do the hard job we have to do for the country. I am delighted for us to launch the 14th year of this very special program."

In addition to The Children's Museum of New Hampshire, the Blue Star Museums program includes children's museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The current list of participating museums will continue to grow over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

While veterans are not included in the free admission Blue Star Museums program, CMNH does offer veterans and their immediate family members half-off admission, with ID, year-round.

Did you know April 22nd is Earth Day? In 1970,  people organized a national demonstration to raise awareness for environmental issues. Rallies were held across the country, before the end of that year the government had formed the Environmental Protection Agency to help make sure our planet was taken care of as best that we could for years to come. By 1990, Earth Day was being celebrated by over 140 countries around the world.

You might have heard the phrase, REduce, REuse, REcycle, as a way to help explain ways we can help the Earth and keep the environment clean. This is something we can even do when creating artwork! In our Muse Art Studio we are creating Recycled Art, but it’s also something you can do at home!

To start all you need are:

• Some recyclable or reusable items, like bottle caps, cardboard, paper cups, pipe cleaners, or cupcake liners

• You can add markers, scissors, glue, or staplers to help decorate your art

You can make something to use later, like an airplane to play with or a bird feeder. Or you can make something abstract with these items. The great thing about recycled art is that it can be anything you want. Making art in an open ended way like this is called process art. It’s a great way for kids to explore self-expression and help with fine motor skills. 

Making recycled art during April is a great way to teach kids about recycling and reusing everyday items that might otherwise end up in the trash, and opens conversation with your child to talk more about Earth Day and why it is important!

Did you know that there is a reason we celebrate Black History Month in February? It was decided in 1976 by President Gerald Ford to coincide with Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas’ birthdays. Both have long been aligned with and celebrated in Black communities for their efforts as abolitionists. Black History Month is a great time to use play based learning activities to discuss prominent people in history.

In the Muse Art Studio at The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, crafts inspired by black artists are available to make, but they are always easy and fun to replicate at home!

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist who lived from 1960-1988. He is known as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century! He was known for his very expressive and colorful paintings that were representative of his start in the art world painting graffiti in New York.

Crowns were a very prominent feature in a lot of Basquiat’s art. The crowns acknowledged his great ambitions in the art world and the brilliance of other artists and people in his life.

You can make your own version of a Basquiat crown at home with a few craft supplies:

1. Cardboard (cut into crown shape)

2. Ribbon

3. Hole punch

4. Scissors

5. Paint sticks (or something to color with. Markers, paint, crayons, etc)

6. Glitter (optional)

Using the cardboard cutout of the crown, color it however you like! This is your chance to make something bold and colorful like Jean-Michel, so go wild!

Use the hole punch to make holes on each side of the crown and tie the ribbon through each side so it fits around your head. 

When you're done you’ll have your own crown to wear and display like the artist you are!

If you want to read more about Jean-Michel Basquiat:

http://tinyurl.com/ysde5mu2 The Life of / La Vida de Basquiat

Alma Thomas was a teacher for thirty-five years and the first black American woman to receive a fine arts degree.  During her teaching career she created art but is most well known for the colorful expressionist paintings she did after retiring. Her creativity was inspired by science and nature! She would ask her students to look closely at nature to find the patterns to help them make art that made them happy. 

The type of art she is most famous for is called a color field. Color Field is a type of artwork in which painters use large shapes of colors to express themselves.

You can make Alma Thomas inspired color fields at home with some easy to find craft supplies.

1. Dot markers (If you don’t have dot markers paint and cotton swabs will work)

2. Paper

Using the dots make large shapes like a circle or square and then pick a different color to make the same shape again. Repeat the process until you've filled your paper!

If you want to read more about Alma Thomas:

http://tinyurl.com/yckejvby  Ablaze with Color: The Story of Painter Alma Thomas

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (CMNH) is excited to share that they have been awarded a two-year grant totaling $80,000 from the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation to support a facility expansion project. This expansion will add two new exhibit spaces to the Museum’s second floor, allowing CMNH to meet the changing needs of children, families, and the community.  The Museum will launch this project in 2024, with the goal of opening the additional 1,000 square feet of engaging activities in late 2025. 

“We have been impressed with the work that the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire has done for children and families in New Hampshire and are pleased to continue supporting their mission,” said Peter Barrett, Executive Director and Trustee at the Barrett Foundation.

The Barrett Foundation previously provided CMNH with support for their “Bolstering a Childcare System in Crisis” project through which large activity kits filled with play-based manipulatives were provided to 83 childcare centers, family resource centers, and libraries in New Hampshire. The project also supplied educators with resources such as activity guides, instructional workshops and informational videos, and ultimately impacted over 9,900 children in the state. 

“We’re thrilled to have this funding from the Barrett Foundation for our second floor expansion,” said Museum President Jane Bard. “The two new exhibits we have in the works include a New Hampshire farm exhibit designed for our youngest visitors, ages 0-5, similar to our popular Primary Place, and another designed to be a creative open space for changing exhibits and active play.”

The Museum is embracing new opportunities to grow and present new experiences to adapt to community needs. Current lack of childcare and preschool openings are bringing to light a demand for socialization and learning opportunities for children ages 0-5, as well as for their caregivers, hence the addition of a second area catering to this age. The new flexible space will allow CMNH to be responsive, not just through changing exhibits that will provide new and fresh experiences, but also as a space to expand our current drop-in programs and playgroups, community events, and school field trips.  Recent statewide data and feedback from Museum visitors also indicates an urgent need for resources to support child and family emotional wellbeing. Educational activities related to social/emotional learning will be integrated into the new exhibits and CMNH will evaluate existing exhibits in the Museum to determine additional changes that can support children and family emotional health in an approachable and age-appropriate way.

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (CMNH) is pleased to announce that Service Credit Union is once again sponsoring year-round admission discounts for military families in 2024.

During the school year, military personnel, including veterans, and their families receive a 50% discount on admission. In the summer months, Armed Forces Day through Labor Day, current and retired military personnel and their immediate family members receive free admission to the Museum, thanks to Service Credit Union as exclusive sponsor of the Blue Star Museum program.

“We are proud to once again partner with the Children’s Museum to sponsor discounts for military families,” said Jaime Yates, Service Credit Union Community Relations Manager. “At Service Credit Union, we have a longstanding history of supporting our military members, veterans and their families, and this program is one of the ways we can give back to those who have given so much to us.”

These discounts are frequently used by families to access the Museum. In 2023, CMNH admitted 633 military visitors to the Museum at the 50% off rate, and the Blue Star Museum/free admission program admitted 1,430 military visitors.  “Utilization of both our military discount programs last year increased more than 20% from the prior year,” said Jane Bard, Museum president.  “This adds up to over $22,000 in savings for military families, and we are grateful to Service Credit Union’s continued support that enables us to continue to offer these programs.”

In addition to being open six days a week for play, CMNH is introducing “Play Late” evening hours on the first Friday of every month (through May 2024) from 4-7pm. CMNH hopes that these extended hours once a month will allow working families, including military families, with more flexibility of times that they are able to access the Museum. Military and all other discounts can be used to access these special play sessions.

These military discounts are available to active duty and retired U.S. military - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force as well as members of the National Guard and Reserve, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps - and their families.

About Service Credit Union:

Service Credit Union is dedicated to providing a banking experience that improves our members’ lives and the communities in which they live. Established in 1957 to provide affordable credit to the Pease Air Force Base community, and now the largest credit union in New Hampshire, with over $5 billion in assets and 50 branch locations in the New England Region and Germany, we continue to provide a better future to our members all over the world. To learn more about Service Credit Union, please visit www.servicecu.org. 

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (CMNH) is excited to announce plans for an expansion of the second floor, which will add two new exhibits and better prepare the Museum to serve children and families in the future. Fundraising for the $420,000 expansion launched this spring, when the Museum was awarded $175,000 in Tax Credits from the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA). 

Multiple businesses from the community have stepped forward in recent months to support this expansion through purchasing tax credits, including the JGroup (The Sailmaker’s House, Vida Cantina, 106 Grill, White Heron Tea, Bibimbap, Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, GC Fine Foods, Cemita, The Franklin, Dos Amigos Burritos, Liars Bench and Railpenny Tavern), ReVision Energy, Chinburg Builders, Inc., Leone, McDonnell & Roberts P.A., Meredith Village Savings Bank, Grappone Automotive Group, First Seacoast Bank, Piscataqua Savings Bank, Nathan Wechsler & Company, P.A., Newburyport Bank, Eastern Propane & Oil and Stinson Associates, CPA.

“We deeply appreciate the support from each and every business that has purchased Tax Credits this year to support the facility expansion,” said Jane Bard, Museum President. “This project is in response to feedback from our visitors and will provide more of what families are saying they need from the Museum today. These companies understand that and are making a direct investment in our local community.”

The additional 1,000 sq ft will include a farm-themed exhibit designed for visitors ages birth through five, plus a second, flexible exhibit that changes multiple times a year providing new experiences and offering opportunities for active play and creative movement. The ongoing shortage of childcare and preschool openings continues to challenge families with young children who are seeking in-person socialization and learning experiences. This additional space will enable the Museum to expand our current drop-in programs, playgroups, community events and more.

Businesses paying New Hampshire state taxes that are interested in purchasing tax credits to support this expansion project are encouraged to contact Monique Deforge, Director of Development & Community Engagement, monique@childrens-museum.org.  Individuals who would like to learn more or make a donation to the project can visit www.childrens-museum.org. The Museum anticipates opening the new space in late 2025.