Monday, October 25, 2004
This will be the museum's first holiday event since it opened in September.
By GARRY L. CLARK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Children's Museum of the Valley, 139 E. Boardman St., will hold a Halloween bash from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the museum.
Children and accompanying adults are welcome to attend in costume and enjoy a variety of nonfrightening holiday activities, according to Elizabeth Nohra, executive director of the museum. Each child also will receive a treat bag.
Nohra said the museum staff is excited about the event and activities planned will be of interest to children and adults.
"The adults are always interested here," she said, "because there are activities that are for both. It encourages interaction between the children and their parents."
Nearly a dozen televisions throughout the museum will be playing various Halloween DVDs, and there will be music singalongs and fingerplays as well, Nohra said.
The museum recently received a giant cat balloon that will be on display, and the news studio will have Halloween costumes and props for those attending to act out stories in addition to the regular exhibits and activities.
Those attending also are invited to take along a decorated or carved pumpkin for a contest. The winner will receive a family membership to the museum good for two adults and three children.
Focus on science
Nohra said that the science area will be a main focus, as there will be several "gross and disgusting experiments" for making "flubber, goop and oobleckh," all of which are used to teach about science, especially about molecules.
Nohra explained that flubber is "a science experiment that creates a chemical reaction between glue and borax. They create a polymer. Under pressure, flubber will change shape but then will return to its original form."
Admission to the party is included in the museum's admission price of $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and $3 for those age 3 to 18.
For information or directions, call the museum at (330) 744-5914 or e-mail to info@valleykids.org.
Nohra also provided The Vindicator with the following recipe for Flubber so that parents and children can try it at home:
FLUBBERBorate solution:
2/3 cup warm water
11/2 teaspoons powdered borax
3 drops of food coloring (for a disgusting Halloween color, try one drop each of orange, yellow and green)
Cover workspace with newspaper. Mix those three ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon and set aside.
Glue solution:
3/4 cup warm water
1 cup white school glue
Mix in separate bowl with a wooden spoon.
Take borate solution and pour it into the bowl with the glue solution. Mix together with your hands until it seems like only a little bit of liquid (about one tablespoon) is left.
The flubber will be sticky for a couple minutes. Once excess liquid has dripped off, the flubber is ready. It should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Note: Do not let it touch fabric as it may stain. If it does stain, a cloth soaked in vinegar may help remove the stain from clothing. When finished playing with flubber, do not dispose of it down a sink; throw it in the trash.