Ozapalooza!

Come to CMOM tomorrow for Ozapalooza! We will have crafts and activities based on the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" exhibit. The exhibit will be at CMOM until June 2.

What are you doing this Saturday!?

Well, why don't you come to the Children's Museum this Saturday!? We will be having a special event, Jamming to the Music: Spring Fest 2011. We will feature local bands so bring your lawn chairs, blankets and picnic lunches to chill out and enjoy continuous stage performances! Which will including the Luv Clowns and The Doorknobs. There will also be face painting, Pony rides, animal balloons, crafts, bouncy houses, races and concessions! There will be fun for all ages and everyone in attendance. All of the activities are included with regular museum admission of $10 per person ages 1-100, and free for our members!We cant wait to see you this Saturday! Its going to be a blast! In case of rain, the event will be cancelled.

CMOM Love!

This lovely image was spotted in the Art Smart Studio. Thanks for the kind words, Marah! We appreciate it.

Finger Painting!!!

Today at The Children's Museum of Memphis, we finger painted for Tot Art! Initially, we were going to finger paint magnetic picture frames. It didn’t take long until we were painting the frames, table, hands and each other! We always use washable finger paints so parents need not worry!

It’s so much fun to watch our tots discover finger paints. Their faces lit up as the squished the paint between their fingers. And while it’s super fun(and also super messy), there are also many benefits to finger painting! Check out this article by Alison Panik about Finger Painting with a Purpose!

Still too scared to try this at home? Come on over to The Children’s Museum of Memphis! Tot Art is every Thursday at 10am. The program is available to all children 4 and under, and it’s FREE with admission. And if you’re a member, its super free!

Recycled Crayons 2: Electric Boogaloo

The programs office at The Children's Museum of Memphis has become a crayon recycle factory! We have 2 buckets of crayon nubs, and we've been pumping out brand spankin' new chubby crayons! In a previous post here, we showed you an easy way to repurpose old crayons using a muffin pan. We quickly grew tired of the circles and found relatively inexpensive silicone muffin pans in all types of shapes. We bought a pan with six star shaped molds. The design makes it especially easy for tiny hands to hold!

We're looking for a summer intern!!!

Are you looking for a fun and rewarding internship this summer? We are currently searching for our next summer intern! Outgoing and energetic individuals are needed for this position. Develop and implement fun, educational and interactive programs for our museum audience. Assist the Education Director in scheduled outreach programs on or off museum property. Encourage positive interaction between children and adults. We are looking for the best and brightest to deliver dynamite programs to kids of all ages. You’ll receive hands-on experience in the Educational Programs department. This is an unpaid internship. Must be a team player and a great sense of humor is a plus. Prior experience teaching or working with children in an informal setting is encouraged. Must currently be enrolled in College or University.

Sound awesome? Download the intern application here: http://bit.ly/i0tQzY and email it along with a resume to Loni.Wellman@cmom.com

here's a little more info!

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Educational Program Duties and Responsibilities

• Facilitates scheduled learning labs on or off museum property

• Assists Education Manager in developing and implementing new educational programs

• Participates as directed in implementation of programs developed by the Program Manager

• Creates fun, educational, and interactive programs and executes them effectively

• Key figure in Preparation of program materials, activity set up, clean up, and re-organization and inventory of supplies

• Encourages positive interaction between children and adults

• Attends staff meetings as assigned

• Stays informed and current about museum activities and events Other

• Exhibits a willingness to perform whatever duties are necessary, even if not specifically stated in job description • Supports the mission, core values and philosophy of The Children’s Museum of Memphis and adheres to all work rules, policies and procedures.

• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills and Experience

• Currently enrolled in College or University

• Prior experience teaching or working with children in a program setting • Excellent verbal and interpersonal communications skills

• High Energy, stamina and enthusiasm for informal education

• Ability to manage multiple tasks

Recycled Crayons!

We go through a lot of things here at The Children’s Museum of Memphis. In our Art Smart Studio we had a tub of crayon nubs. They were still useful so we didn’t want to throw them away, but…they were nubs. So we did the next best thing! We recycled them! It’s super easy to do. All you need is a cupcake tin, an oven (we used a toaster oven) and old stubby nubby crayons.

First, remove all the paper from the crayons. While you are removing the paper, it’s a good time to pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. Most of the paper from ours was already missing. After the paper wrapper is removed, sort the crayons into different colors. Unless you want rainbow crayons, then just toss them in the cupcake tin. Once sorted fill the cupcake tin about ¾ of the way.

Place the crayons into the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they look melted. It doesn’t take long. When they are finished take them out and let them cool for about 15-20 minutes.

We used cupcake liners for most of them. It’s easier to pop them out. If you don’t have cupcake liners, I’d suggest greasing the pan just a bit. We’ve found that these recycled crayons fit better with younger hands, and they’re perfect for our tots who are developing their motor skills!