Terre Haute Children's Museum Blog

The Terre Haute Children's Museum has a new blog. Read more about current news and upcoming events online at http://terrehautechildrensmuseum.wordpress.com/.

Children’s Museum brings Space Camp to Paris Crestwood Community School

During the week of July 12, Young Jedi knights that hail from the planet Paris are to meet at Paris Crestwood Community School to train to be Jedi Masters as part of a traveling “Space Camp” from the Terre Haute Children’s Museum.

This special “Space Camp” week will give young Padwan the knowledge it takes to be a Jedi Master. They will learn about the solar system and what makes planets different. Explore the night sky with us and learn all about stars and constellations. Where would a Jedi be without his light saber or droid? Learn about these items and learn how to make your own!

The traveling “Space Camp” will be held at Paris Crestwood School, 15601 U.S. Highway 150, in Paris, Ill., and students entering the second through fifth grades are encouraged to attend.  Campers may not be dropped off before 12:30 p.m., and must be picked up promptly at 3:30 p.m. each day. The Museum will provide one snack to campers each afternoon, but the Museum will not provide lunch. Registration fees for each week of camps are $45 per child for members of the Terre Haute Children’s Museum and $50 for non-members.

To register for "Space Camp" week at Paris Crestwood School or to learn more about other summer camp programs at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum, contact Rachael Nickel, director of education and exhibits, at rnickel@terrehautechildrensmuseum.com or 812-235-5548. The “Space Camp” registration form can be downloaded at http://www.terrehautechildrensmuseum.com/documents/SpaceCampParis.pdf.

Since it opened its doors in 1988, the Terre Haute Children’s Museum has been a fun and exciting destination for children and families, and the Museum’s mission is to “enrich our children’s lives through the exploration of science and technology.” The Museum is currently in a capital campaign for a new 26,000-square-foot facility, which will include a wide range of hands-on science and technology exhibits. To date, the Museum has received donations of $5.1 million toward a goal of $5.5 million. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, including naming area rights and exhibit sponsorships. Individuals, families, groups, organizations and businesses can also put their names on the Children’s Museum by sponsoring a brick or limestone.

To make a donation, or to learn how your group or organization can help raise funds for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum, visit www.terrehautechildrensmuseum.com or contact Lynn Hughes at 812-235-5548 or lhughes@terrehautechildrensmuseum.com.

Registration now open for the Terre Haute Children’s Museum Summer Camps!

2010 Summer Camp Registration Form

The Terre Haute Children’s Museum has announced an exciting schedule of summer camp programs designed to inspire children and awaken their curiosity in the exploration and interaction with science and technology.

Camps will be held Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon during the weeks of June 14, June 21, June 28, July 12, July 19 and July 26, and each of the week-long camps will include a variety of hands-on, educational activities designed according to the camp’s unique theme.

Students entering the second through fifth grades are encouraged to attend any of the THCM’s summer camps, which will all take place at our current location at 523 Wabash Avenue.  If the camp staff plans to take campers on an “expedition” to another site, parents will be asked to sign a release form ahead of time.

The Museum will provide one snack to campers each morning, but the Museum will not provide breakfast or lunch. Registration fees for each week of camps are $45 per child for members of the Terre Haute Children’s Museum and $50 for non-members.

Students can choose from the following camp weeks and themes:

GREEN WEEK: June 14-18

Kids will “Go green” this week as they learn to design everyday items with a green twist.  Campers will discover that everything from tote bags to jewelry to the clothes they wear can be created in an eco-friendly fashion.  Join us as we do our part to save the Earth, and learn some neat tricks at the same time!

SCIENCE OF SPORTS: June 21-25

Athletes of all kinds will gain insight into their favorite sports this week.  Have you ever wondered about the science behind a home run?  Why do curveballs curve?  If you’re into extreme sports, come find out how skateboarding is governed by the principals of momentum, gravity, friction and centripetal force.   These and many more sports will be featured this week, so don’t miss it!

MYTHBUSTERS CAMP: June 28-July 2

You’ve seen the popular Discovery Channel show “MythBusters” as Adam and Jamie seek to prove or bust popular myths.  Can a Ninja really catch an arrow in midair?  Will a bullet really cause a gas tank to blow up?  The Terre Haute Children’s Museum won’t blow up gas tanks or shoot arrows at campers, but I wonder if a boat made out of duct tape will really float?  Is it true that an object can move just as fast in syrup as it can in water?  You can even come up with your own myths to bust!

SPACE – STAR WARS: July 12-16

A meeting of the Jedi Council will be conducted at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. during the week of July 12.  All Stars Wars fans should report to the Museum, where they will participate in educational space-themed activities with fellow Star Wars enthusiasts!

SURVIVOR CAMP: July 19-23

Can you outwit, outlast and outplay the other campers?   This is an exciting program designed to teach survival skills like: Finding your way in the wilderness, staying warm and safe and finding food and water.  Campers will be engaged in individual and group challenges for Survivor rewards, but don’t worry, no one is ever voted off the Island!

CONSTRUCTION ZONE – BUILDING BRIDGES, ROLLER COASTERS AND MORE: July 26-30

Have you ever wondered how bridges hold so much weight?  Would you like to design your own roller coaster?  Enter the Museum’s Construction Zone camp and learn the science behind building sturdy bridges, roller coasters, skyscrapers and much more!

Click here to download a copy of the Terre Haute Children’s Museum Summer Camp registration form. Questions about summer camps at the Museum can be obtained by contacting Rachael Nickel, director of education and exhibits, at rnickel@terrehautechildrensmuseum.com or 812-235-5548.

Terre Haute Children’s Museum announces September 2010 opening

John Thompson, president of the Terre Haute Children’s Museum Board of Directors, has announced that the grand opening for the new children’s museum will take place in September 2010, and the board is looking for support from the community to help complete the final phase of the capital campaign.

“Today, we are renaming our campaign from ‘Build it Now – For the Kids’ to ‘Finish it Now – For the Kids!’ because we need the community’s help in raising the final $650,000 so we can open the doors in September,” Thompson said. “The community has shown its support from the beginning of our campaign, and we have made significant progress toward our $5.5 million goal. Now, we’re ready to sprint to the finish, but we need their help now more than ever. If you are excited about this project, if you realize the impact that this museum will have on our children, our families and our community, if you want to see us open the doors of this museum, now is the time to step forward and do what you can to help us reach our goal.”

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Join us the first Tuesday of every month from
10:00 am-11:00 am for Toddler Tuesday.

In cooperation wth:

CASY and the Terre Haute Children's Museum are collaborating to create a new program, Toddler Tuesday. We are inviting local preschool and child care programs to bring their preschool children to this age appropriate program. Toddler Tuesday includes stories, hands on learning and an opportunity to explore the interactive exhibits at the Terre Haute Children's Museum. This one hour program will not only be fun for the kids, but loaded with an educational message! Each month will offer story time, hands-on learning activities and an opportunity to explore the interactive exhibits.