CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF THE VALLEY Upcoming exhibits and programs

The Children's Museum of the Valley, 139 E. Boardman St., is planning four new exhibitions and collaborating with educational service providers and nonprofit agencies to make them possible. CMV also is developing new programs. New exhibits and programs are:
Geology exhibit: CMV is in a partnership with Youngstown State University's geology department, the Afterschool Alliance and TRUMACHOL (Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana Association for the Education of Young Children) to develop and install a new exhibit on rocks and minerals. It also will include a "dig area."
First Energy Electricity Exhibit: The exhibit, set to open in 2006, will introduce young children to the principals of electricity Hands-on activities will include creating simple circuits and reading a meter.
Over the River and Through the Woods: The exhibit, designed for children 4 and younger, will provide a quiet space for interaction with caregivers. The exhibit will start with a wooded path populated by soft animal puppets and feature animal sounds and books about nature, puzzles and costumes. The path will arrive at "Grandmother's House," where children can explore the kitchen area, visit grandfather's workbench and play with musical instruments.
Cultural center: A new and updated exhibit will highlight the story of an ethnic group in the Mahoning Valley and the first to be featured will be Italian. The area, which will change annually, will include the history of the group, information about children in that country and samples of toys and books from that part of the world.
Wacky Wednesday: This afterschool enrichment program, set to begin next year, will provide children with hands-on opportunities and engage them in learning activities aligned with Ohio's Academic Content Stands. Wacky Wednesdays will be scheduled every week, except the first Wednesday of each month, which will remain the museum's free community night. On the free night, Youngstown Reads Early Americorps provide story time and related arts and crafts. Extended hours will provide students with activities in science, language arts, mathematics, the arts, social studies and technology that will be led by staff, volunteers, university students, teachers and other professionals.
Lecture series: This series, to begin in the spring of 2006, will allow parents to engage in hands-on programs about parenting and learn how to draw children into creative play, arts and crafts, music, nutrition and developmental psychology.
Sunday Fundays: Beginning in late spring or early summer 2006, CMV will invite the public to activities geared to families spending time together in such activities as games, puzzles and arts and crafts. This will be once a month.
Admissions scholarships: CMV is seeking funding to allow a needy group of up to 60 children to enjoy a field trip to the museum once a month.
Spring and summer camps: CMV will hold a drop-off camp for children during spring break. During July, CMV will offer day-long drop-off camp.
Ongoing: CMV offers an art center, book nook, toddler area, cultural center, wordsmithing area, science center, WFMJ weather studio and grocery store for children to explore. The museum also offers special holiday events including story time, arts and crafts, musical entertainment, science experiments and games as part of the daily admission. The museum also hosts a birthday open house for itself and offers Wee Time at CMV at 10 a.m. Tuesdays for children 18 months to 4 years old who engage in musical, art and sensory experiences.
General information: The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays and closed Mondays. There are extended hours from 5 to 8 p.m. the first Wednesday. General admission is $5 for adults, $4 seniors, $3 for children 3 and older and free for those 3 and younger. Museum services include facility rental, birthday parties, field trip coordination and museum classes. Call (330) 744-5914 for more information.