Candyland Children’s Museum (CCM) is the area’s premier stop for hands-on learning for children, with an emphasis on science and the arts. Each month, the award-winning non-profit organizes a detailed lesson plan of events that stimulate the brain and encourages learning through play. This time of year, with popular holidays back-to-back, the museum stays busy and December is no exception.

“Candyland Children’s Museum continues to be such an important part of this community, because it allows children to have a space where they can make lasting memories and grow in their love of learning, alongside their families,” Candyland Children’s Museum Executive Director Megan Baum said. “Whether it is through a one-time visit, participation in an after-hours class, a field trip, or one of our monthly family events, the museum offers children the opportunity to create, collaborate, explore, and discover! In a world that is so technologically driven, Candyland is a refuge where kids learn the way that they do best—through play! And, as they do, these children remind us adults of the joy that comes from unplugging and being present to the moment and the people around us.”

This is the third straight month of holiday event planning for the organization and Baum says that it is going well.

“Seasonal events have been such a joyful experience at the museum!” Baum exclaimed. “Our museum educator, Rhonda, has done such an incredible job crafting unique learning experiences featuring classic holiday films, colors, sights, and sounds. Children and their parents have left each class with big smiles, festive creations, and more knowledge in their head!”

The December events begin with “Colors of December” for ages two and a half through six, on Thursday, December 8, from 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

“Preschool students will have a chance to learn about all the colors we associate with winter and the holiday seasons,” the museum explained. “Color mixing, art vocabulary, and plenty of glitter will result in beautiful process-based collages.”

Polar Express will be held for ages five through nine on Tuesday, December 13, between 4:30 and 5:50 p.m.

With this event, children will be invited to paint a wooden train, enjoy a hot cocoa and make a pastel drawing of one too, solve a train ticket puzzle, and create a unique bell with tinker type items that will beg the question, “Can you hear it ring?”

Elf Extravaganza, for ages eight through 13 will be held Tuesday, December 13, between 6 and 7:30 p.m.

“Is Elf your child’s favorite holiday movie? This class is for them,” the museum wrote in an event synopsis. “We will have a very fun hour together filled with Lego tower building competitions, plenty of snowflake cutting, sampling maple syrup and spaghetti, and creating a New York skyline landscape artwork.”

Super Snow Globes will be for ages six to ten on Wednesday, December 14, between 4:30 and 5:50 p.m.

Here, students will create a snowy winter scene starring themselves to place inside a waterless snow globe and a snow globe topped jar of hot cocoa mix.

Snowman at Work will be for ages two and a half to five on Thursday, December 15, between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

“We will read Snowman at Work and discuss occupations,” a description read. “Students will create a snowman with a job and discuss the unlimited possible answers to the question, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ We will also take a visit to our Let’s Dream exhibit for inspiration.”

O Christmas Tree will be for ages two and a half to five on Thursday, December 22, between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

“How many ways can we make a Christmas Tree?” a release asked. “Well, at least three. In this class, students will create a colorful tree ornament for your tree, a three-dimensional edible tree, and a handprint tree. We will also paint with pine tree branches.”

Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer Needs an Engineer will be held for ages seven to 11 on Thursday, December 15, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

“You know Dasher and Dancer, but did you know that we will be teaching students about circuits and density this December?” the museum asked in a release. “Join us as students will learn how to light up Rudolph’s nose and fly a Reindeer.”

The events come to a December close with “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like A Christmas Movie,” for ages seven-11, on Thursday, December 22, between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.

“Create a Motion Holiday Short using your cell phone,” a breakdown explains. “Students will receive plenty of instruction on how to create a stop motion film and learn the process of storyboards. We will supply a variety of backdrops, modeling clay, Lego and other supplies for students to create a setting, characters and props. You supply the cell phone or tablet.”

Baum believes the events are important to childhood development.

“STEAM/STEM can be such a buzzword term in today’s educational climate, but there is a reason for that,” Baum said. “STEAM extracurricular activities have the potential to help children develop skills that will benefit them for their entire life—critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and more. To the kid who thinks classes like this would be boring, I’d encourage them to come see how much fun we have dreaming, creating, and discovering.”

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2022 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved