Free with Museum Admission!

Get Ready for 5 Days of Wonder!

September 30th is Working Wonders’ 5th birthday, and you are invited to our birthday party! The week of September 30th through October 4th we will be offering a discount admission of $5 per person, party activities in our party room, balloon science in Mindstein’s Lab, and some of our favorite creations from exhibits past in the Kaleidoscope Corner! All activities are free with discounted admission, thanks to a sponsorship by DA Davidson & Co.

Here is a list of Wonderful activities each day:

Wednesday, September 30, we kick of the party with “Wiggly Wednesday” at 11:00 with Shanna Werner! In Kaleidoscope corner, we remember the “Africa” exhibit, the first village featured in our “Passports to the World”  when Working Wonders opened in 2004, by making African drums and paper weaving! You can create funky party hats in the Party Room, zoom balloon jets in Mindstein’s Lab, and hear silly stories at the Make Believe Amphitheater!

Thursday, October 1, don’t miss the Deschutes Public Library’s “Preschool Story Time” at 11:00 for some spectacular stories around October’s theme: “Nighttime Stories!” In Kaleidoscope Corner, we remember the “Japan” exhibit from “Passports of the Wold” with Gyotaku Fish Prints! Learn to create your own balloon animal creations in the Party Room, and use super science skills to make Backwards Balloons in Mindstein’s Lab!

On Friday, October 2 we will learn to make balloons hum using friction in Mindstein’s Lab, practice body painting in the Party Room, make Japanese Origami creations in Kaleidoscope Corner, and at 11:00 Amy James from DevelopMusic will get the party in motion with music and dance at our Make Believe Amphitheater! Did we mention that it’s also Free Coffee Friday for the grown-ups?

Saturday, October 3 is our big Kids’ Gala Costume Party! Dress-up in your favorite look for Static Science in Mindstein’s Lab, Papel Picado and Tissue Paper Flowers in Kaleidoscope Corner from our Mexico exhibit in “Passports to the World”, a Percussion Parade at the Make Believe Amphitheater, and Mini Pinatas in the Party Room! We’ll even blow out the candles and have cake, and don’t forget the goody bags (available 10:00am to 3:00pm)!!

Sponsored By:

For a printable version of WW’s 5th Birthday Party Flyer…click here!

As a parent and an educator, I love that Working Wonders is set up to encourage parents to explore alongside their child, rather than “having a break” while their child/ren play independently. Activities are interesting to learners of all ages, and you can watch some of the bonding that happens during play. The sample questions are a great way to deepen parent-child discussions during play.

I love that Working Wonders models ways to be a better community, such as recycled art, and gentle reminders to leave each place just as you found it in consideration for the next person. Working Wonders also gives a tremendous amount to the community – I teach parenting classes, and they have donated 10-punch cards to each of my families. How wonderful for me to be able to help parents with their parent-child interactions, and then give them free passes to the best play to try out their new skills!

~Wendy Holly, parent

Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Bend has always dedicated their philanthropic focus on children and the betterment of our community. The importance of children here in Central Oregon is vital because they are the future of this community and others.

Working Wonders Children’s Museum is the very type of organization that should be supported by our business community. The immense growth that a child experiences by spending time in the museum, discovering and learning, is irreplaceable. Let’s strive in continuing to support this organization that nurtures and teaches our youth of today. They are the future of our tomorrow.

~Betsy Skovborg, Vice President, Pepsi-Cola Company of Bend

Happy Birthday, Working Wonders!
October 1st – 3rd
You are invited to our 5th Birthday Party! Where: Working Wonders Museum! When: September 30-October 4th. Museum admission will be $5.00 each day, and we will feature some of your favorite Working Wonders activities, creations, and even some fun party games!

Kids’ Gala Costume Party!
October 3rd     11:00 am – 3:00 pm
You are invited to the Kids’ Gala Birthday Blowout! Where: The Old Mill Center Plaza and Working Wonders Children’s Museum! When: October 3rd. Wear your favorite costume, if you like! We will feature some favorite Working Wonders activities, creations, live music, and even some fun party games!

Free Coffee Fridays! Sorry kids, this one is for adults only! Free Coffee Friday is your chance to enjoy a cup of Bellatazza coffee on us! Free with museum admission!

Pre-School Story Time
Each Thursday in September at 11:00, Free with museum admission!
October theme: Nighttime Stories!

Workshops

Fancy Tea Party!
Saturday, October 3rd
Workshop for kids ages:    3-5 (10:30-11:30am)
6-10 (1:30 – 2:30pm)
It’s Tea Time! Join friends from historic Bend (courtesy of the Deschutes County Historical Society) to make fancy hats, decorate tea cookies and other treats, and learn how to serve a proper cup of tea. Cheerio!
Instructor: Deschutes County Historical Society and Working Wonders Staff
$15 per child/grown-up pair
Please pre-register by 10/1/09
Min 3 Max 8

Saturday Creations & Super Science Sundays!
The weekend just wouldn’t be complete without a little art and science! Join us each Saturday and Sunday for special activities in Kaleidoscope Corner and Mindstein’s Lab! Activities are all day & free with museum admission!

Saturday Creations:
Saturday, October 3 – Art Works: Color Fields of Rothko!

Special Activities

Parents’ Night Out!
September 4th  6:00 to 9:00 pm
Hey Grown-ups! Here’s a chance to go shopping in the Old Mill District, view fabulous art, catch a movie, go to dinner and have a great night out while your children play and learn in the safe and fun environment of Working Wonders Children’s Museum! Fee: $18/ child (includes snack and beverage).
Pre-register by September 2nd, 389-4500 ext.10.
Minimum Registration: 12 Children, Maximum Registration: 30 Children.

“It’s Great to be a Grandparent” Day!
September 17th
Hey Kids! Bring your grandma or grandpa (or if you’re super lucky, BOTH) in for a day of play- They’ll get in for FREE!

Happy 5th Birthday, Working Wonders!
September 30th – October 4th
You are invited to our 5th Birthday Party! Where: Working Wonders Museum! When: September 30-October 4th. Museum admission will be $5.00 each day, and we will feature some of your favorite Working Wonders activities, creations, and even some fun party games!

Free Coffee Fridays!
Sorry kids, this one is for adults only! Free Coffee Friday is your chance to enjoy a cup of Bellatazza coffee on us!

Pre-School Story Time
Each Thursday in September at 11:00, Free with museum admission!
September theme: Harvest Time!

Busy Bodies “Let’s Hear it for Health” Series

Wiggly Wednesdays
11:00am
Fun children’s fitness activities and take home ideas with local fitness expert
Shannah Werner.

Healthy, Active Appetites
September 19th, 11:00am
Come and get it! We’re cooking up a healthy and hearty meal samples at Working Wonders! Join us as we explore healthy, family friendly recipes that are easy to make and tasty to eat. Featuring a new recipe each month!

Pet Hospital “Pet Stories” Series
Sponsored by Banfield Charitable Trust

Bend Equine Medical Center- Healthy Horses
Friday, September 11th, 11:00-12:00
Dr. Jessica Evans from Bend Equine Clinic talks about how to keep horses healthy. Learn what it takes to care for these large and loveable animals!

High Desert Museum – Creepy Crawlies
September 17th, 11:00-12:00
Discover the amazing world of insects and arachnids! Learn what makes a bug different from other creatures and observe live creepy crawlies up close with educators from the High Desert Museum!

Workshops

Pizza Dough & Throw! Children’s Workshop (for kids ages 6-10)
Saturday, September 12th, 2:00-3:00
Mix, Rise, Kneed & Toss! Join Flatbread Community Oven’s, Cody Chance as he shares the tricks of the Pizza trade. Learn the science behind the dough, and the skill behind the throw. It’s science, It’s fun and it’s tasty! Includes museum admission.
Instructor: Cody Chance, Kitchen Manager at Flatbread Community Oven
Fee: $20 per child/grown-up pair; register by calling Working Wonders at 389-4500.

Fun Family Traditions!
Saturday, September 19th
Workshop for kids ages 6-10
2:00 – 3:30pm
From growth charts to holiday pictures, families have different ways of remembering special times. Learn some new, creative ways to keep memory of the special time you share with your family, and see how families from historic Bend shared fun memories too!
Instructor: Deschutes Historical Society and Working Wonders Staff
$15 per child/grown-up pair
Please pre-register by 9/16/09
Min 3  Max 8

Blaze New Trails to School!
Tuesday, September 22nd
Workshops for Adults
6:00-7:00pm
Many of us are curious about alternative options for getting our kids to school and keeping them healthy and active at the same time. Kim Curley with Commute Options and Healthy Active Central Oregon leads will share information on how kids can make the trek to school on foot and by bike. Learn about “Safe Routes to School” programs and how YOU can get involved in making yours a clean and livable neighborhood! Pedestrian and bike safety gear included in price.
Instructor: Kim Curley
$10 per person
Please pre-register by 9/18/09
Minimum 6 maximum 25

Leaf Art!
Friday, September 25th
Workshop for kids ages 3-5
10:30-11:30am
Get creative with the many shapes and colors of the season! You can bring some beautiful leaves of your own, or use some of ours! Using paint, collage, and a lot of imagination, we will create new leafy creatures and colorful decorations to make the warmth of autumn last!
Instructor: Working Wonders Staff
$15 per child/grown-up pair
Please pre-register by
Min 3 Max 8

Saturday Creations & Super Science Sundays!
The weekend just wouldn’t be complete without a little art and science! Join us each Saturday and Sunday for special activities in Kaleidoscope Corner and Mindstein’s Lab! Activities are all day & free with museum admission!

Saturday Creations:
Saturday, September 5 – Art Works: Seurat!
Saturday, September 12 – “About Me” Books!
Saturday, September 19 – Paper Quilts!
Saturday, September 26 – Fall Foliage Collage!

Super Science Sundays:
Sunday, September 6 – Harvest Corn!
Sunday, September 13 – Butter Basics!
Sunday, September 20 – Leaf Rubbings!
Sunday, September 27 – Sink, Then Float!

Bring PLAY Home
by Anna Higgins

As parents of young children, we juggle everything from clocking in to cooking dinner, from being on time to bath time. As hard as we try to be present and playful with our children, as working parents, we often drag the stress of our jobs home with us; our hurried lives often distract us from potential playtime that exists between work’s end and day’s end.

What if instead of work, you brought PLAY home to your family? …Read full article.

The Power of Play
By Lura Reed PhD
Oregon State University, Cascades Campus

In the last decade, brain research has profoundly contributed to the field of child development. We now know that neural pathways are strengthened when young children receive love, attention, and stimulation. We have also learned that play is a powerful tool that encourages interaction, and stimulates growth and development in a myriad of ways. These early experiences shape the initial wiring of the brain, and have decisive, long-lasting effects on how kids develop and learn, how they cope with stress, and how they regulate their emotions.

As a dedicated mother, parent educator and psychologist, my life revolves around parenting issues. …Read full article.

]]> http://www.workingwonders.org/2009/05/28/educational-articles/feed/ 0 http://www.workingwonders.org/2009/05/28/staff/ http://www.workingwonders.org/2009/05/28/staff/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 18:16:34 +0000 admin http://www.workingwonders.org/?p=718 Who’s Involved – The People Behind the Wonder

   DeeDee Erhard
Executive Director (541-389-4500 ext. 12)
My nicknames growing up were Deed, Deeds, and Spaz (when I was younger). I grew up in North Bend , Oregon and moved to Eugene for school and then to Bend in 1991. My favorite toys as a child were my baton that I used as a “guitar” (my dad played all sorts of instruments growing up). I really liked riding bikes and I even had a really cool banana seat bike. I loved art and colors so the fun toys like Spryo Gyro and Lite Bright were extra cool. I played a lot of neighborhood tag games, climbed trees, and did a lot of camping with my family. Every time I found a quarter I ran to the store to buy candy like bottlecaps, lemonheads, and chicosticks. I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from University of Oregon . I have worked as a residential counselor in a group home, a career counselor for high school students, a program manager for home schooling resource centers, and as a development director and administrator for a private school. I also teach group exercise classes and have two young boys who keep life playful and fun.

 Tracy Alexander
Programming and Events Manager (541-389-4500 ext. 13)
My childhood nickname was coined by my younger cousin who, when learning to talk, turned ‘Tracy’ into Tooshie. Yes, I grew up being called Tush by my family… and hear it occasionally today! I grew up in Hawaii and spent many vacations on Molokai where there was no TV, video games, parks, stores, or other kids. My cousins and brother and I got very creative playing in the guava patches and long grass pasture around our house. We also had a swing that would soar over a hill that seemed to drop out beneath us (it’s really only about 20 feet down), and spent much time playing rescue helicopter, retrieving dropped dolls and toys. I loved grape Hubba Bubba bubble gum, and a Hawaiian favorite: Crack Seed (dried fruits that have been marinated in a strange concoction of salt and sugar and other mysterious spices). A favorite childhood memory is watching my brother do a puzzle of the United States, and wondering how they got all the states to fit together…. I thought all the states were islands like Hawaii! After graduating from Punahou school, I attended the Univ. of CO at Boulder, majoring in Biology. I’ve developed kids’ programs for state parks, an oceanarium, another museum in central Oregon, and I now get to release my inner child professionally at Working Wonders!

Jenny McKenzie
Education & Outreach Manager (541-389-4500 ext. 15)

 

Jack Nicklaw
Administrative Assistant (541-389-4500 ext. 14)
With the nickname Jackie, I just wanted to be big. I got taller (but no heavier) so Stick Figure & Skeletor came about. Let’s talk about TOYS. Three words: Legos, Legos, & Legos. When not building, we climbed trees, played “ditch” (team hide-n-seek), baseball, and rode our bikes all over town “until the street lights came on” (and “ten minutes more, pleeeease?”) Indoors was board games and puzzles. Here’s my favorite subject: CANDY. I haven’t met a chocolate I didn’t like, but Reese’s was always #1. Besides candy, my fondest memory is the year we won the local Little League Baseball championship—the final game was undecided ‘til the last inning! I entered adulthood long enough to earn a B.A. at Cal State University, Northridge, School of Communication and Professional Studies (a fancy name for Speech Communication), emphasis in Sales/Marketing. Self-employed ever since, I’m now paid to play at Working Wonders!

 

Discovery Guides

Anne Egan
My Dad was in the Navy so I lived in a variety of places on the West Coast, Japan and 3 years in Washington DC. I claim San Diego as home.  My favorite childhood toy was a striped tiger my Dad brought me from the War, named “Tigger”. One of my fondest childhood memories was playing with younger Brother at WindNSea Beach during our Summer visits to the Grandparents.  I attended California State University at Long Beach and majored in Speech Communication (Public Speaking). My career was in Transportation/International Freight Sales, and later I owned an Internet Letter of Credit Business. I have always volunteered to work with children of all ages.  My two children (son and daughter) are grown. They are thrilled to know their MOM is still working with little kids. I reside in the Country with a wonderful man and a dog. I enjoy art and have a studio in a 100 year old barn.

 

 

Aubrey Scarborough

 

Kaitlin Humphreys
Weird enough, I don’t have a nickname. My mom and some close friends call me Kait sometimes, and when I was little my dad called me “pumpkin,” but that was the extent of it. I was a complete Barbie fan and could not get enough of them. But I’d also say I had one of the most vivid imaginations of any other kid I knew. I could make a stump into a dining room table, my living room into a college classroom and my bedroom into a tower in a palace. And I still believe that my imagination is the only toy I really need. I have a giant sweet tooth and I like ALL candy. There really is no favorite, it changes with the wind! I was lucky enough to have parents who were travelers so most of my fond memories as a kid come from adventures with my parents. One set of grandparents lived in Washington and the others in Maryland so I was definitely bi-coastal at a young age. And at 9 I got to visit more family, that time in Germany! I am currently working on getting my BA from Southern Oregon University in Theater Arts with an emphasis in Performance.

Matt Charlesworth

• Museum admission and unlimited playtime for up to 20 guests
• 90 minutes in your private festive party room
• Working Wonders’ Discovery Guide to lend a hand
• A 4″x 6″ framed digital color birthday photo to take home
• A FREE admission pass for each child attending your party

• All paper products in Working Wonders’ colors
• A delicious ice cream cake from Ben & Jerry’s (cake serves 12-15 kids)
• Juice for all party guests

Working Wonders is a great place for your next group outing!

Party After Hours at Working Wonders!

TWO OPTIONS:

1. Private Facility Rental

• Corporate Event $350 (up to 40 guests)
  • Adults, children, co-workers—everyone having fun together!
  • Additional $2 per person for more than 40 people
  • Up to 3 hours
  • Food and beverage can be brought in
  • Ask about special non-profit rates
    
• After Hours Birthday Party $350
  • You’ve got the museum all to yourself for that special day!
  • Birthday parties can also be scheduled during regular museum hours for $175-$250
  • This “All Geared Up” Party includes A delicious ice cream cake from Ben & Jerry’s (cake serves 12-15 kids), juice for all party guests, and paper products in red, blue, or green
  • See other party options and details at www.workingwonders.org
    

2. “Parents Night Out” Party

Want to have dinner or attend a special adult event while your kids are learning and playing at the museum? This is the option for you.

• $18 per child for up to 3 hours, includes snacks, materials and specialty art or science workshop
• 10 child minimum/30 child maximum
  

Availability:

• Wednesday – Sunday* Subject to Availability
• 6-9pm (includes 1/2 hour of set-up and 1/2 hour of clean up)
  

Call (541)389-4500 to schedule your EXCLUSIVE party today!