Children’s Museum hosts Young Child Celebration on April 16

 

Jim and the Woodenstars will present a ventriloquist’s show for children when the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge hosts a Celebration of the Young Child from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

The comedy ventriloquist’s act, at 11:45 a.m., will headline a host of children’s activities, including creative movement, storytelling, crafts for kids to make and take, and LEGO building. The Oak Ridge Fire Department will lead a fire safety program, and the Oak Ridge Police Department will present a stranger danger program.

Jim Bryson has taken his Woodenstars’ family entertainment to festivals and events nationally and internationally, and they have appeared on cruise ships. The act has opened for Alabama and for Grammy award winner Michael W. Smith, among others. A former police officer, Bryson also presents safety and fire prevention shows with his Woodenstars.

Author Kathleen Fearing will join in the celebration, entertaining children with her stories. She writes books for children of various ages, among them “Adisa’s Basket,” “Voyage of Dreams—An Irish Memory,” and “My Friend the Werewolf—What Would You Do.” She also has had several stories published at www.storiesforchildrenmagazine.org. Fearing has won awards from Writer’s Digest and the Tennessee Mountain Writer’s Conference. She retired in Norris after teaching education and children’s literature at the college level.

As part of the Week of the Young Child celebrated April 10-16 across the country, the Children’s Museum, at 461 West Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, is honoring young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives with its celebration. The Week of the Young Child is sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

At the museum, children may make and take crafts that include a ladybug, a crown, and a turtle puppet, with the help of the Florence Crittenton Agency. They will explore building different designs such as Egyptian pyramids, Greek columns, and Roman arches in small scale with LEGO building bricks. And they may join in creative movement with National Fitness Center.

Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee will invite the museum’s young gardeners to “plant” a garden of pinwheels for prevention, a symbol of child abuse prevention, in the Environmental Learning Center and Gardens.  The Anderson County Health Department will offer healthy living advice in “Balance and Nutrition.” Exhibits will be open throughout the museum.

Joining in the celebration will be Maggie the Mayfield Cow, the Knoxville Smokies mascot, the Chick-Fil-A mascot, and Books-A-Million. Royal Magic Events will provide face painting and balloon animals for a small fee. Razzleberry’s will be at the event with ice cream cones for sale.

Here’s the schedule for the Celebration of the Young Child:

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Build a Brick with LEGOs.
• 10-11 a.m. – Creative Movement with National Fitness Center.
• 11:15-11:45 a.m. – Stories with Kathleen Fearing.
• 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. – Jim and the Woodenstars.
• 1-1:30 p.m. – Fire Safety with Oak Ridge Fire Department.
• 1:30-2 p.m. – Stranger Danger with Oak Ridge Police Department.
• 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Children’s Museum exhibits open.

The Celebration of the Young Child is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 Admission is the museum’s regular admission fee, $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children 3 and older, and free for children under 3 and museum members. For more information, call the Children’s Museum, (865) 482-1074. Also, see the Children’s Museum website, www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.

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