Handwashing Awareness at CMWW!
CMWW will celebrate National Handwashing Week, December 7-13, 2008! We have renovated our bathroom and begun a handwashing campaign to educate children and parents about the importance of handwashing to prevent the spread of illness. Our "new" bathroom now includes Henry the Hand .
Henry teaches us the 4 Principles of Hand Awareness:
1) Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.
2) Do not cough into your hands.
3) Do not sneeze into your hands.
4) Above all, do not put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth!
When you visit the Children's Museum, make a point to check out Henry the Hand in our renovated bathroom, and if your child does an extra good job with handwashing, tell the staff - we'll have special stickers to reward our Champion Handwashers!
The Salmon Are Back!
We have Spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) eggs in the aquarium again! The eggs were born on September 10, 2008 at the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation – South Fork Walla Walla River hatchery. The salmon lifecycle progresses from Egg to Alevin to Fry to Smolt to Adult. Come get to know each phase of the lifecycle! The adult salmon will be released into the South Fork of the Walla Walla River. Mike Dedman, Education Specialist of the Whitman Mission National Historic Site is shown with the eggs in the picture below. Mike will be holding workshops to teach us all about our fishy friends!
Children's Museum Artisan Series
Reininger Winery and Walla Walla artist,
Diana Schmidt
team up to help our Children’s Museum of Walla Walla
The Children’s Museum of Walla Walla is presenting the second offering
in their “Children’s Museum Artisan Series”. The first
offering came in 2004, before the Children’s Museum was open for
business, with art by Jeffrey Hill and wine from Three Rivers Winery.
For a small contribution of only $200, you will receive a gift of a
limited edition reproduction of local artist, Diana Schmidt’s painting
“There and Back Again, Walla Walla” and a 1.5 liter Magnum
of Reininger Wineries’ 2005 Helix Pomatia with the “There
and Back Again” image on its label. Helix Pomatia is a blend of
Columbia Valley vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
This is a limited edition of only 200 offerings.
A varied career of many years of painting all manner of images both
for gallery events and special client needs has given Diana a broad
range of experience in her field. Diana draws her images from the activities
around the Walla Walla area. Diana says that she chose to support this
project because she believes children will greatly benefit from being
able to untap their creativity through interactive experiences while
playing and learning. Providing these opportunities, the Children’s
Museum has proven to be an excellent investment in the future.
Reininger Winery has built a solid reputation for high end premium wines
and has won accolades from many of the industries top wine reviewers.
The Children’s Museum is very pleased to be able to offer their
wine for our 2nd offering in our Artisan series. In 1997, Chuck and
Tracy Reininger began their winery in a building at the Walla Walla
airport originally used as a WW II Army Air Corp “crash house”
and “base theater” -- where old time crooners and classic
films entertained our troops. In 2003, they expanded their operations
to a “renewed” building (it had been two potato storage sheds)
6 miles west of Walla Walla. To help manage the new growth, they added
partners, Kelly & Anne Tucker and Jay & Cyndi Tucker who brought
experience in wine accounting and marketing. Reininger’s reputation
has developed through the crafting of premium, red wines from fruit
grown in the Walla Walla Valley Appellation. With the advent of the
new building, came the addition of a second label-- Helix--which showcases
wines made from Columbia Valley fruit.
Children’s Museum Board President, Josh Allington said, “We
feel folks will be very pleased with this offering. Diana’s art
embodies the spirit of Walla Walla through her colorful, artistic expression
and Reininger Winery has a strong reputation for making high-end premium
wines. We are both honored and pleased that our local artists and wineries
recognize the value of our communities’ Children’s Museum
and are willingly support it.” Josh added “A large portion
of the funds generated will be set aside to start a building fund for
future expansions as we are quickly outgrowing our current building
at 77 Wainwright Drive on the Veteran’s Administration campus.
Additionally, a portion will be used to start an endowment to ensure
sustainability for our future.”
Funds will also help with new exhibit installation such as the “Palouse
Falls Exhibit”--featuring a real tugboat and horizontal climbing
wall slated for late fall or early spring 2009. Recent donations have
helped to refurbish the Indian Activity Center--featuring a new tipi,
arrowhead dig and Indian legend stories as told by a “Wily”
coyote inside the tipi--slated for a Saturday, May 17 unveiling.
This fundraiser, which begins in late April, ends when all 200 prints
are given out.
The community of Walla Walla can show support for this offering by contacting
the museum at 526-7529 to place a donation or contact any board members—Josh
Allington (Baker Boyer Bank), Cathy Mebes (CMWW Founding Director),
Henry Savalesky and Tara Crain (Copier Service), Maxine Narum (Narum
Concrete Construction), Maisie Stiller (Community Volunteer), Ginger
Kessel (Smith Barney), Tom Osborn (Bonneville Power Administration),
Don Riley (Walla Walla College) and Kirsten Nicolaysen (Whitman College).
This Artisan Offering will also be available at Reininger Winery during
Spring Release weekend on May 3.
Grant Helps Your Children's Museum Continue to Reach for the Stars!
April 20, 2008
The Children’s Museum of Walla Walla would like to announce the
receipt of a $19,750 grant by the Washington State Department of Early
Learning (DEL).
The grant will provide nine days of free admission to the Walla Walla
Valley community and surrounding areas. In particular we hope that
low-income families take advantage of an opportunity for their children
to participate in creative play and educational exhibits at no charge.
This program, made possible by DEL, will help the Children’s
Museum of Walla Walla be more accessible to young children and their
families, caregivers and/or pre-kindergarten early childhood educators
who are representative of diverse segments of the community. During
these free days the CMWW will share information regarding our Stars
Scholarship program that allows families to have a free family membership
for one year.
One of the free days will be Saturday, April 26. Your CMWW will be
unveiling a new exhibit that day, the Wee Walla Walla Veterinarian
Clinic. This exhibit is co-sponsored by John C. Ladderud, DVM of Animal
Clinic of Walla Walla and Animal Clinic East and Kenneth Norris, VMD
with Animal Acupuncture of Walla Walla.
Saturday, May 17, which is the Grand Opening for the First Nations
Activity Area exhibit, will be the next free day at the CMWW. With
the participation of the Tamasklit Museum and the Whitman Mission
Museum, the exhibit will highlight the importance of the local Indian
tribes with an authentic tipi, coyote that tells Indian stories in
the tipi, dress up, feel boxes with furs, a dug out canoe, a sandpit
where the children can hunt for arrowheads, art projects, salmon stories.
The stories tie-in with the Children’s Museum’s Salmon project
where museum visitors help raise salmon to release into the South
Fork of the Walla Walla River. Also visiting the CMWW on May 17 @
2:00 pm will be the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla child dancers,
drummers, and singers. Roger McGee, an Indian flute player will also
be onsite. There will be activity stations where children and families
can play Indian games, hear salmon stories, make salmon egg necklaces,
and more. This exhibit is also made possible by Nelson Irrigation
and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The First Nations Activity Area
exhibit-unveiling event will take place from one to four p.m. on Saturday,
May 17.
Without the support of local grants, businesses and families the Children’s
Museum would not be here to benefit children and strengthen family
bonds. It is our mission to touch the lives of every family in the
Walla Walla Valley; with your continued support…we will keep
reaching for the stars. If you would like to support the CMWW but
you are not sure how you can help, they ask that you donate towards
the Stars Scholarship Program to allow a low-income family the opportunity
to create lasting memories at the CMWW for one entire year. The cost
of a family membership is $75 but the benefit is priceless.
Inokey Goes Home
200 children have had the special opportunity of having their photo taken with Inokey, a special stuffed animal on loan from our Sister City in Japan, Sasayma. The Sasayma exhibit, designed by Lindell McWhorter, Maxine Narum, and Robert Keatts, and funded by the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, has brought joy to many children at the Children’s Museum of Walla Walla. The children learn about Japanese writing, listen to Japanese songs, put together a Japanese face, and have an opportunity to see the traditional Japanese clothing and use chopsticks. The most exciting part of the exhibit is going on a scavenger hunt to find Inokey and then get their picture taken and posted on the Inokey wall.
Inokey will go home on March 30 between 3-4 pm, when children from Japan will come and pick him up in person. They will also take home a memory book of the photos of the 200 children that have enjoyed the scavenger hunt. Tobatan is here permanently to replace Inokey when he goes. All are invited to come and meet Hobatan. We have loved having Inokey at the Children’s Museum of Walla Walla and thank our Sister City for sharing him with us this past year.
For more information or to support CMWW with your time, talents or monetarily contact 509-526-PLAY(75292) or cmww@charter.net.
