Wonder of Learning: Portland Children’s Museum and Red Tricycle Portland

February 4, 2012

Tomorrow, Feb 5, 2012 at 10 AM, the Portland Children’s Museum‘s newest traveling exhibit, The Wonder of Learning: The Hundred Languages of Children Exhibit from Reggio Emilia, Italy, will be open to the public. Those of you who know me well also know that I’m big on education and languages. This exhibit captured my interest immediately! Do click on the link to explore the thought behind the new, more museum-traditional (hands-off) type of exhibit, along with concepts, questions and answers.

“Exploring education through multi-media galleries that speak to how young children imagine, invent and create, this exhibit expands the potential to support creative thinking and collaboration in our schools and communities.”

Viewing The Wonder of Learning exhibit is included in your Museum admission price as well as all membership levels. Guests who ONLY wish to view The Wonder of Learning exhibit may do so free of charge by checking in with Guest Services. Guests who wish to visit The Wonder of Learning exhibit AND the rest of the Museum must purchase admission.

The Portland Children’s Museum newsletter also mentioned that they have partnered with Red Tricycle Portland to feature local giveaways, news, and family fun! Red Tricycle Portland is a great resource for those of you in the Portland, Oregon, area for fun activities to do with your children or grandchildren! Red Tricycle provides Portland parents with five fresh picks a week for fun things to see, eat, and do with your kids in your neighborhood. On the website you can sign up for a free email newsletter.

Red Tricycle also has pages for Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Check out my other blogs about things to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
🙂

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Palomar Observatory

June 27, 2010

Grandpa Ron and I just got back from a weekend in San Diego where we visited friends and the Palomar Observatory.

We drove up the mountain to the observatory yesterday but got there at 4:05 – and it closes at 4 pm!! So we walked around a bit and took some pictures, but we decided to try again today. The San Diego Train Museum was going to have to wait for another time! We got up to the observatory today just in time for the 2:30 tour. The tour was fantastic. We really enjoyed it. The guide was great. Grandpa Ron had been there as a boy in 1954. A lot has changed since then! Check out the links if you are interested in astronomy. Tony Flanders blogged about it on May 23, 2010 for Sky and Telescope. The observatory currently consists of three large telescopes. The biggest one is the 200 in (5.1 m) Hale telescope> Then there is the 48 in (1.2 m) Samuel Oschin telescope, and a 60 in (1.5 m) reflecting telescope. The gift shop has lots of books and star/galaxy related objects for kids as well as grown-ups!

Check out ideas and activities to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com
by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
🙂

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San Diego Polar Bear Plunge Set to Reopen

March 1, 2010

The new Polar Bear Plunge is due to reopen with new features on March 26, 2010, at the San Diego Zoo! Until it opens, you can learn a little about polar bears right at this San Diego Zoo link. I have other links at my 11/11/09 blog here – just in case you missed it! 😉

The San Diego Zoo is very excited to have the exhibit with new activities for people to explore a day in the life of a polar bear.

Check out other blogs for ideas and activities to do with kids on https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com by the author of the award-winning children’s book Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!

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Polar Bears at the San Diego Zoo

November 11, 2009

The San Diego Zoo polar bears are having fun. The polar bear trio, whose names are Kalluk (The Athlete), Tatqiq (The Princess), and Chinook (The Stalker), take turns in the Polar Bear Plunge. Here is the video cam. Learn some Polar Bear facts here. Here’s the Polar Bear Blogsite.

More info on the San Diego Zoo is here.

See more of my website at https://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com

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San Diego Zoo Panda Cub at 8 Weeks

September 28, 2009

The San Diego Zoo’s now 8-week-old panda cub is starting to open his eyes. From the zoo website: “Meg Sutherland-Smith, D.V.M. said the cub’s left eye is beginning to open, and he squinted when she used a small flashlight to test his vision. The 4th veterinary exam also revealed that the cub’s right ear is opening, although Dr. Sutherland-Smith says the 5.7-pound (2.73-kilogram) cub is likely not hearing sounds yet, only feeling vibrations.”

baby panda video of his fourth exam at San Diego Zoo. His other visits are available on the same site below the video. Here is the live video cam from the panda enclosure. Fun posts and pictures are on the Panda Blog!

October 1-31 is Free Kids Days at the zoo! During the month of October, children (ages 3–11) enjoy FREE admission to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park!

San Diego Zoo
Current Hours (through October 4):
9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Fall Hours (October 5–December 10):
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Book Fair – October 9–12; Huge selection of books and new titles during the Fall Book Fair at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.
All About Enrichment Weekend – October 10 and 11; Keeper talks and fun activities for our animal residents will be held throughout each day.

Wild Animal Park
Current Hours (through November 20):
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Book Fair – October 9–12 Huge selection of books and new titles during the Fall Book Fair at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.
Pumpkins at the Park – October 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31; November 1 The Park is transformed into a safe, family friendly Halloween adventure!

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Free Art Venues Sponsored By Target

September 2, 2009

The Target Community Webpage gives you the opportunity to enter the city closest to you to list museums and art venues you can visit for free or with discounts thanks to sponsoring from Target. Target gives 5% of its income to communities. Their newspaper ad says that is over $3 million every week.

In the LA area:
Levitt Pavilion at McArthur Park -Target Children’s Night every Sunday through Sept 6 6:30-7:30 pm
LACMA: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles – Target Free Holiday Mondays 9/7/09, 10/12/09
Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles – Target Free Family Saturdays Days – Second Saturday of the month
CAAM: California African American Museum, Los Angeles – Target Sundays at CAAM – First Sunday of the month
Plaza de la Raza, Los Angeles – Target Feria de la Familia 9/9/09
Bowers Museum – Target Free First Sundays Every first Sunday through December 10 am-4 pm

Orange County Museum of Art – Target Free Second Sundays Every second Sunday through December 11 am – 4 pm

The Children’s Museum at La Habra Target Free First Saturdays Every first Saturday through November and December 12 10 am – 5 pm

And several places in major American cities: Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Dallas/Ft Worth, Denver, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Seattle, St. Louis, San Diego, Portland, Phoenix, Orange County, Detroit, Long Beach, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, New York, Miami, Salt Lake City, etc. Check it out!

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Quail Botanical Gardens – Chocolate Festival

May 2, 2009

The Quail Botanical Gardens is located in Encinitas, CA, just twenty minutes north of San Diego. There is a special Children’s Garden (The Seeds of Wonder) that opened to the public in April, 2003, as the West Coast’s first interactive children’s garden. Other gardens, covering over 35 acres of exhibits, include rare bamboo groves, desert gardens, a tropical rainforest, California native plants, Mediterranean climate landscapes, the Undersea Succulent Garden, the new Mexican Garden, Landscaping for Fire Safety, a subtropical fruit garden and a Miniature Railroad with a 1920-1930 local Southern California layout.

On Saturday, May 9, there is a Chocolate Festival with children’s activities, chocolate tastings, cooking demonstrations and Mother’s Day gifts.

On Saturday, June 13, from Noon to 4 PM the Public Grand Opening of the Hamilton Children’s Garden will take place. There is no admission fee.

Ongoing Programs from the website:

Ongoing programs complimenting the new children’s garden are rotated periodically. Most are geared toward children ages 18 months through 6 years old, although all ages are welcome. Ongoing programs are free with regular garden admission and pre-registration is not required unless otherwise noted.

Programs for Preschoolers:

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Tuesday: Tales and Tunes 10:30am – 12 noon
Children and their caregivers participate in stories and songs at 10:30 – 11:00. Play in the garden and pot plants to take home 10am – Noon.

Every Wednesday: Garden Arts and Crafts 10 AM – Noon
Children may participate in a variety of arts and crafts at 10:00 – 11:30. There will also be plant potting and other fun activities.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Thursdays: Plants, Wings, and Crawly Things 10 AM – Noon
Children will discover the plants and bugs that live in our garden. Preschoolers will participate in special science activities from 10:00 – 11am.

2nd Friday of each Month: Friday Fun! 10 AM – Noon.
Children may pot a plant and play in the garden… Presented in cooperation with the San Diego County Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures.

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