Why “Dog’s Colorful Day”?

As the Literacy Coordinator here at The Children’s Museum I had the exciting task of picking the book we would be giving away to visitors as part of our Family Literacy Month celebration.

This might sound like a simple task. I adore picture books and use them as much as possible in all the programs I do here at the museum. I go to the library to pick out a few books for a specific class and always come back with about 12 more than originally planned. I can’t help myself!

However, this book buying was different. I wanted to choose a book that had great illustrations and a fun story--- I wanted the book to be entertaining for adults as well as children, I wanted it to prompt fun conversations among families and become a favorite to be enjoyed over and over again. I wanted it to be a book that could be appreciated by a grandparent, a teenage babysitter, an 18 month old or a nine year old—or even better—all of those people together!

Needless to say, it took me a very (very) long time to select a book.

The book I ended up picking is “Dog’s Colorful Day” by Emma Dodd.

This is a story of a busy little dog that goes on a colorful adventure and ends up getting into all kinds of messy trouble—teaching colors and numbers along the way. School Library Journal calls it “A multifaceted concept book and a charming story to boot!” I couldn’t agree more.

Here’s why I think “Dog’s Colorful Day” is a perfect fit for Family Literacy Month—and how you might like to use it with your family:

For reading with Babies:

• The book has clear illustrations that are easy for baby’s eyes to see and understand—there are many familiar shapes that appear in the book (shoe, ball, table, clouds). These are great to point out to baby--it will help them understand the world around them. Point these items out in the book while you read and then find real life examples.
• There are wonderful onomatopoeic words (Splat! Splish! Squash!) These playful words will resonate in baby’s ears and help them learn the sounds of our language.
• It’s a lovely and fun introduction to colors and numbers.

For reading with Toddlers & Preschoolers:

• This book is perfect for reading with the toddler & preschool age group—be sure to ask lots and lots of questions while you read—“What do you see on this page that Dog might get into? What color spot do you think he will get? Can you help me count Dog’s colorful spots?”
• As you read the book—point out the different colors of spots that Dog has—ask your toddler or preschooler if they can remember how Dog got each of his colorful spots. This activity will reinforce narrative skills—one of the most important pre-reading skills!

Reading with Older Children:

• This book has many familiar words that children starting to read will recognize. The pictures also lend themselves well as clues to help figure out what the words on the page say.
• Use it as a math activity! Ask your older child “If I wiped off Dog’s pink spot and blue spot—how many spots would he have left?”
• Do an art activity when you finish reading the book—have your child draw a picture of dog and then add all of his colorful spots.

I hope you enjoy “Dog’s Colorful Day” as much as I do. It’s a splendid book to read together as a family and has lots and lots of potential for literacy activities at home.

If you do enjoy “Dog’s Colorful Day”---Emma Dodd has written two more books about the adventures of Dog—“Dog’s ABC’s” and “Dog’s Noisy Day”. What kind of trouble will Dog get into next? Sounds to me like a good reason to pile into the car and head to the library!

We would like to give an extra special "Thank You!" to our Family Literacy Month sponsors for making these book giveaways possible:

Happy Reading!

-Meredith

meredith@childrens-museum.org

Halloween is celebrated at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire with science experiments with the resident “Wacky Scientist,” Fairy Bubbles, fairy wand-making, scavenger hunts, a costume contest, pumpkin clay and bat hat creations. During the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular on Saturday, October 29, parents and children will be offered lots of spook-free activities, crafts and fun, all free with museum admission.

This annual family-oriented event mixes costumes with hands-on learning, trades in candy for crafts, and offers little ghosts and goblins a chance to discover something new with interactive science experiments. “And as a bonus,” adds Jane Bard, CMNH President, “No one will jump out and scare you!”

This year’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular is set for Saturday, October 29 from 10am–5pm inside the museum at 6 Washington Street in Dover.

The day’s activities for kids and families include:

• Touring our exhibits in your costumes
• Experiencing amazing science experiments with the museum's own Wacky Scientist at 11:30 am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:30pm
• Visiting ‘FairyLand’ where the fairies will guide you in making your own fairy wands
• Trying your hand at a Fairy bubble experiment
• Enjoying a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt around the museum and collecting stamps to receive an extra special prize
• Competing in a costume contest at 3:15pm with your fellow ghouls
• Creating crafts with pumpkin clay and crafting funky bat hats

All Not-So-Spooky Spectacular festivities are included in regular paid admission ($10 for adults and children, no charge for children under 12 months old) and free for Children's Museum of NH Members.

Families with children on the autism spectrum are invited to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire for a free visit on the first Sunday of every month. Exploring Our Way provides opportunities for guests to enjoy family time at the museum in a safe, understanding environment, allows parents to network with one another and helps families discover new resources.

“Sunday mornings are very quiet,” said Paula Rais, CMNH Vice President of Development and Community Engagement. “The museum doesn’t open to the public until noon, so we invite these families in to experience the museum for a stress-free morning from 10am-noon. Siblings are always welcome, and the families can stay after we open the museum to the public if they feel comfortable. We hope their visit during Exploring Our Way will give them the confidence to come back and explore during regular hours.”

Often, a children’s museum can be a loud and overwhelming place, especially for children with sensory issues. “The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s mission is to actively engage families in hands-on discovery,” said CMNH President Jane Bard. “And that means, ALL families. We take that very seriously here and do everything we can to accommodate families facing these unique challenges.”

Exploring Our Way Autism Partnership Program takes place next on Sunday, October 2, 10am-noon and is sponsored by H.O.P.E. Behavioral Consulting. This program is free.

by Meredith Lamothe, Early Childhood and Literacy Coordinator

We were making shaky eggs the entire first week of our Toddlerfest celebration. Shaky eggs or egg maracas are a great first percussion instrument for little ones and a fun way for them to feel included in making music as well as get a good introduction to rhythm, which is an important early literacy skill!

There are lots of songs that can be used with shaky eggs—actually, you can shake along to most any song you like or listen to---but there are a handful of songs that I use regularly in Baby Storytime here at the museum that highlight shaky eggs and are a lot of fun.

Here’s a few you can try at home!

Counting Shakes: (Tune: "If You’re Happy and You Know It")

If you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—one time!

If you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—two times!

If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it shake your egg—three times!

(Keep going for however long the focus lasts!)

Shake, Clap, Tap! (Tune: "If You’re Happy and You Know It")

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake! (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a clap!

If you’re happy and you know it give a clap (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a tap (tap your egg on a surface or part of your body)

If you’re happy and you know it give a tap (etc)

If you’re happy and you know it give a shake! And a clap! And a tap!

Shake Your Shaker! (Tune: "London Bridges")

Shake your shaker way up high, way up high, way up high

Shake your shaker way up high

Shake your Shaker

Shake your shaker…

Way down low

To the left

To the right

On your foot!

On your head

Really fast

Really slow

Etc!

That’s just a sampling of the egg shaker songs we do during Baby Storytime—stop by on Wednesdays at 9:30am in Primary Place to see the other ways we use them.

Shakers can also be used as an early reading and literacy tool. Bump them along the pages of a book to point out the different words, sound out familiar words and names using the eggs to accentuate the different syllables, or read a book that lends itself to music (Pet the Cat anyone?) and have your shaky eggs ready for the grooviest parts of the book!

How will you use your egg shaker at home?! Let us know!

Thanks to D.F. Richard, one of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s busiest spaces, the MUSE Studio, is getting a makeover. For the past eight years, museum visitors of all ages have engaged in creative activities and challenges in the MUSE Studio. “Activities change every month here in the MUSE Studio,” shared Meredith Lamothe, CMNH Early Childhood and Literacy Coordinator, “the equipment and furniture needs to be versatile so we can use it in many different ways.”

The Studio now features a newly designed magnet table, inspiring artwork by local artist Sam Paolini, new technology for storytelling with a computer kiosk and an Elmo projector, a burlap-covered sewing table for collaborative art-making, and a pegboard table that can be taken on the road for the museum’s outreach programs. Renovations also include new tables and chairs, and of course, new art supplies.

Some other new features might not be as noticeable, but are equally important. The MUSE Studio also has a host of new picture books, open shelving for displaying artwork, and a curtain wall that will be utilized during special events like the popular Books Alive character appearance.

All MUSE Studio activities are free with museum admission. Muse Studio revitalization is supported through the generosity of D.F. Richard.

When I was growing up I loved going to the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire. To this day I can still remember playing in the submarine, brushing the giant teeth, and of course hanging out with "Witchypoo," the giant witch puppet, outside the museum during October. When looking for places to do my 10-week internship this summer I wanted to make sure I chose a place that I wanted to be and somewhere I could contribute. Early on in the search I was having a tough time finding places that interested me. When I stumbled upon the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire I immediately had a good feeling about it. I thought back to all the times I went to the Portsmouth location as a kid and how much fun it was to play in all the exhibits, and thought it would be really cool to help make that experience possible for other kids.

I was lucky to be a part of some really cool projects this summer. One of my first big assignments was to go around to various food vendors who were going to be at our Dover Mini Maker Faire and write blog posts about each organization and the food they would be serving. Through this process I got to meet a lot of really cool hard-working people that have built amazing local businesses. I also got the chance to sample some great food and share my thoughts with the public through the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s blog. Writing the food blog was something I didn’t expect to do at all this summer, but something I am so glad I got to do.

I also had the opportunity to try out some new guerilla marketing techniques for the museum using Rain Works spray which allows you to spray messages on the ground that only appear when it rains. This was a lot of fun because I had the freedom to really do whatever I wanted with it and create a blueprint for future Rain Works campaigns.

The best part about this whole summer though was the atmosphere of the Museum. The entire staff from the people working up in the office to the people on the floor everyday were so nice and just made it a really comfortable place to be. This whole summer really was a great experience for me, and I definitely improved my writing through the blog posts and other assignments I did.

It's funny how life comes full circle sometimes. Who would have thought when I was a sugar-crazed 10 year old running around having the time of my life in the museum that I would have found my way back to the new location in Dover, 13 years later to help the marketing team promote the museum brand. I certainly couldn’t have predicted it, but I’m so glad it happened, its brought back some awesome memories and made me more confident in my abilities as I journey into the real world. I cannot thank everyone at the museum enough for helping me through these last two months and just being awesome people to be around everyday.

Thank you CMNH! I will miss you!

With the end of summer comes New Hampshire’s only one-day Maker Faire. On Saturday, August 27, from 10am-4pm the Dover Mini Maker Faire will take over the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, and indeed, most of Dover.

“The ‘Mini’ only refers to the fact that it’s a one day event,” shared Jane Bard, President of CMNH. “There’s really nothing small about this Faire.” With 63 Maker presenters and 8 food vendors, this fourth annual Faire will be the largest one yet.

The Dover Mini Maker Faire is a hands-on festival that celebrates the creativity and innovation of NH’s creative “Makers.” “NH is well known for it’s artisan community, and that, combined with our booming tech industries and ‘Live free or die’ attitude results in some really amazing inventions,” shared Bard. Visitors of the Faire can not only expect to learn something new but to also try their hand at “Making.”

“People come to the Dover Mini Maker Faire to learn new things and to get inspired. I can’t think of any other Faire where you can see a short film, play with clay, and legos and circuits and electricity and then top it off with challenging a stormtrooper to a game of giant jenga!”

The Faire, which takes place from 10am-4pm at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, Henry Law Park and One Washington Mill in Dover, is always scheduled the last weekend of the summer. “We think it’s a great way to send kids back to school inspired,” shared Jane. Although, kids are not the only ones who will enjoy this Faire. “Over half the people who visit the Faire come without kids, which tells us there’s a lot of interest in the local maker movement from adults.”

Small sampling of some of the 2016 Makers:

Cider Hill Homestead Honey, York, ME

Ever wanted to learn about keeping bees? Heather Razin a beekeeper from York, Maine will be on hand at this year’s Faire, and while she’ll leave the bees at home, she’ll bring along her bee suits for Faire guests to try on, learn about the equipment and taste honey!

Form Lab, Hopkinton, NH

Form lab is an art studio run by Joe and Rachel Montroy. They use a variety of materials, primarily metal and clay to make sculptural and functional objects. Stop by their booth to play with some clay and watch them demonstrate a variety of techniques, such as throwing on the potter's wheel and bronze casting.

NAO Humanoid Robot, Portsmouth, NH

NAO Humanoid Robot is a robot that helps and inspires kids to learn in the classroom. NAO interacts with touch, voice or vision and is designed for educational interactions with children ages 5 and up. See NAO, the world's leading humanoid robot, perform live at this year’s Dover Mini Maker Faire!

The Cupcake Queen, Manchester, NH

12 year old Katie McQuaid has known since a young age what she wanted to do. She started mixing and making her own cupcakes about a year ago and has perfected 3 cupcakes that she now promotes and sells. Stop by to try a cupcake and learn more about an amazing young entrepreneur who is following her dreams.

Fishertechnik Robot, Newmarket, NH

Madison Kelly and Marie Hoehner, students at the Seacoast School of Technology will have a Fisherntechnik robot for guests to play and interact with. Fisherntechnik has robot kits that offer a variety of robotic products that can be combined however you want. These young Makers, in collaboration with their teacher Vaso Partinoudi, will have a computer running a program that controls their one-of-a-kind robot.

Sensor-bilitY, Northwood, NH

Sensor-bilitY, from Northwood, NH, makes affordable multi-sensory toys and tools for kids. They’ll have their products for sale as well as fun tables set up with all sorts of hands on play. The interactive sensory tables are designed by a 12 year old "creative director" who is on the autism spectrum.

The Northeast Bucaneers, Cape Neddick, ME

The Dover Mini Maker Faire will be taken over by these pirates, entertainers and merrimakers this year! Don’t be surprised if they challenge you to a sword fight, try to educate you on proper pirate etiquette or demand to take a selfie with you! Don’t worry, they’re friendlier than they look.

Delicious Science with Sub Zero Ice Cream, Nashua, NH

Sub Zero will show you how "cool" science can be! We provide a look at the states of matter, the relationship between volume, pressure and temperature and even the Leidenfrost effect. With visual experiments performed before your eyes YOU get to interactively participate by providing your hypotheses as to what the outcome of the experiments will be! Science is delicious!

Segway, Inc., Bedford, NH

Segway is making their first appearance at the Dover Mini Maker Faire! Discover their innovative and energy conscious products. Whether you’re developing a robotics app, taking on a new adventure, exploring the sights or focusing on improving employee productivity, it’s more fun to do so with style. Simplify your world and enjoy work and play that much more with Segway!

NEMO Equipment, Dover, NH

Dover based company NEMO Equipment returns to exhibit some of its cutting edge outdoor industry designs. Stop by and learn about the creative process, how the gear is made, the technologies used, and how NEMO equipment can help fuel your next adventure!

Maine State Library SLA Printer, Augusta, ME

The Maine State Library will be joining us at this year’s Faire and will be bringing some fun equipment! The Kudo 3D is an SLA (stereolithographic) 3D printer. It essentially works by projecting UV light to harden a special resin, layer by layer, to create a 3D object. It’s just one of the awesome tech devices available in their Makerspace.

Lights, camera, ACTION!, Chester, NH

The Narrow Street Films stunt team has been creating stage and film action pieces for close to ten years. Members have some impressive training including military training, weapons handling, guns, knives, swords and bo staff handling and much more. Members of the NSF Stunt team will be hosting a workshop on the ins and outs of making a cool, dynamic, and dangerous (looking) action scene!

Google Cardboard Virtual Tour Demonstration, Barrington, NH

Have you always wanted to see a tour of the statue of Liberty, but never had the chance? Want to visit the Children's Museum of New Hampshire when it's closed, in the comfort of your own home? Now is your chance! Make it Active, LLC, a Google Trusted Photography Street View Partner, will be at this year’s Faire with a Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Demonstration, along with simple instructions on how to build your own Google Cardboard at home!

Boogalow’s Island BBQ, Seabrook, NH

Check out Seabrook NH’s own Boogalow Island BBQ! Boogalow’s serves up delicious Jamaican BBQ including jerk spiced chicken, curry, short rib sandwiches and more. This food truck is a must for any BBQ lover and brings a slice of Jamaica right here to New Hampshire!

Tickets to the Dover Mini Maker Faire are on sale now for $10. Tickets will cost $12 at the door and kids ages 5 and under are free. Purchase tickets, learn more or sign up to volunteer at www.makerfairedover.com.

The Dover Mini Maker Faire is sponsored by the Unique College Savings Plan by Fidelity, VELCRO® Brand, Alexander Technology Group, Prime Buchholz, Beswick Engineering, The Rowley Agency, Construction Services of New Hampshire, Albany Engineered Composites, Chinburg Properties, Holy Rosary Credit Union, Garrison Women’s Health, Coed Sportswear, Inc. and Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, PA. Media sponsorships have been provided by iHeart Media, 95.3 The Bull, Z107, NH1 News on WBIN TV and New Hampshire Public Television.

On Saturday, August 27, 2016, “Makers” and fans of the “Do-It-Yourself” movement will descend upon Dover for the Dover Mini Maker Faire. The Faire is NH’s only licensed Maker Faire and will feature 63 Makers and 8 food vendors representing 37 different towns around New England!

This hands-on festival offers people who make things, whether its fly fishing ties, or 3D printed robots, a chance to show off what they are making and share what they are learning. “The Makers are the stars of this festival,” says Jane Bard, President of the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, organizers of the Faire. “People come to the Dover Mini Maker Faire to learn new things and to get inspired. I can’t think of any other Faire where you can see a short film, play with clay, and legos and circuits and electricity and then top it off with challenging a stormtrooper to a game of giant jenga!”

The Faire, which takes place from 10am-4pm at the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, Henry Law Park and One Washington Mill in Dover, is always scheduled the last weekend of the summer. “We think it’s a great way to send kids back to school inspired,” shared Jane. Although, kids are not the only ones who will enjoy this Faire. “Over half the people who visit the Faire come without kids, which tells us there’s a lot of interest in the local maker movement from adults.”

New this year will be the Faire’s first short “Short Film Festival” featuring two short films and an excerpt of a longer film, all created by local filmmakers.

Father-and-daughter filmmakers Alfred Thomas Catalfo and Gina Catalfo Nelson of Dover will present two of their award-winning short films.

"Signing" is an 11-minute film written, directed and edited by Gina Catalfo Nelson. It is a heartwarming, teenage love story about trust and accepting others for exactly who they are. "Rocketship" is a 15-minute film written and directed by Alfred Thomas Catalfo in which an unlikely bond is forged between a lonely boy and an elderly man claiming to be a former astronaut. Together, they transform a vintage vacuum cleaner into a rocketship for a surprising journey. The film is inspired by the rocketship sculptures of local artist David Random. This will be the first time Alfred and Gina have shown their films together.

The other film is an excerpt from “The Man Who Wasn’t Tex Magru” a 1940’s gangster comedy by Manchester-based filmmakers Narrow Street Films. Narrow Street Films’ stunt team will also be on hand at the Faire for a film stunt workshop. The films’ Directors will be on hand for a Q&A session after the viewing.

Volunteers are still needed to help with this year’s Dover Mini Maker Faire. Volunteers who sign up for at least one 3-hour shift will receive free admission to the Faire. All volunteers must be 16 years or older.

Tickets to the Dover Mini Maker Faire are on sale now for $10. Tickets will cost $12 at the door and kids ages 5 and under are free. Purchase tickets, learn more or sign up to volunteer at www.makerfairedover.com.

The Dover Mini Maker Faire is sponsored by the Unique College Savings Plan by Fidelity, VELCRO® Brand, Alexander Technology Group, Prime Buchholz, Beswick Engineering, The Rowley Agency, Construction Services of New Hampshire, Albany Engineered Composites, Chinburg Properties, Holy Rosary Credit Union, Garrison Women’s Health, Coed Sportswear, Inc. and Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, PA. Media sponsorships have been provided by iHeart Media, 95.3 The Bull, Z107, NH1 News on WBIN TV and New Hampshire Public Television.