Children’s Museum to host Celebration of the Young Child on Friday

Doug Berky—a physical theater performer using comedy, mime, masks, juggling, and storytelling—will be the featured entertainer for the Celebration of the Young Child at 10 a.m. Friday at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge.

Young children and their families are invited to join in the celebration from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. A puppet show on safety, make-and-take crafts, a kids’ movement class, a Scholastic book fair, and health and nutrition activities will also be part of the celebration. Adele Roberts will lead storytelling and puppet fun, with stories based on her series of children’s books, which includes “The Adventures of Sammy the Skunk.” Children will make dinosaurs, sunflowers, and noodle necklaces to take home.

The Children’s Museum exhibits will be open to visitors during the celebration. Admission to the museum and celebration is $5, with scholarships available upon request.

Berky has been described as a rare performer with the ability to capture the attention of an audience immediately. He has appeared in the award-winning NBC children’s television series, “See-Saw,” in Portland, Maine, and in four television specials for Swedish National Television.  He creates handmade masks that he incorporates into his performances. He has performed and taught throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe in schools, colleges, and festivals.

As part of a special Week of the Young Child celebrated in April across the country, the Children’s Museum is honoring young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives with its special celebration. The Week of the Young Child, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is April 14-20.

The Celebration of the Young Child is funded under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information call Carroll Welch at the Children’s Museum, (865) 482-1074, extension 105. Also, see the Children’s Museum web site at www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org.