Museum for kids hosts Turkey Bash

By KATIE SEMINARA

The museum encourages hands-on learning.

YOUNGSTOWN — With a magnifying glass held to his eye, Isaiah Spencer hunted for clues in the cracks and corners of the Children’s Museum of the Valley.

“It’s like looking for treasure,” said Isaiah, 8, of Youngstown, while participating in the museum’s third annual Turkey Bash on Friday.

For most, the day after Thanksgiving consists of shopping, putting up Christmas decorations and eating leftovers, but the museum provided kids and adults with a holiday-related activity as another reason to give thanks.

The Amazing Turkey Race was the theme of this year’s bash and included a treasure hunt, two crafts and story time.

Isaiah and his stepsister, Aza Booth, 2, were among more than 25 kids and adults who invoked imagination around every corner of the museum.

When all the pieces from the treasure hunt were collected, the kids had the necessary materials to create a turkey clad with feathers, googly eyes and a balloon gobbler.

“It’s the silly turkey,” Isaiah said as he displayed his one-eyed turkey.

Aza was getting a little help from her dad, Corey Booth, but didn’t have a problem clumping on the glue to help her turkey stay together.

After sticky fingers were washed and the creative turkeys set aside, Booth attempted to read “The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving” to Isaiah and Aza, but Isaiah was more interested in looking at the pictures.

Since Booth had time off and the kids were off school, he thought it would be a gratifying experience to bring them to the museum.

“I brought [Aza and Isaiah] down because the museum is a good learning tool for the children, especially in Youngstown,” Booth said. “Every time we come it’s a little exploring and a little learning.”

Visits to the museum allow Booth to teach the kids — and sometimes the kids teach him a thing or two, he said.

“It’s just about having a good time with the kids,” Booth said.

The museum tries to encourage hands-on learning, and the treasure hunt was a way to make kids use every part of the museum, said Dristie Quinn, education programming manager.

“It’s a great way for families to come out and explore,” she said.

Zack Eckert, 7, of Youngstown, was another explorer, and while tracing his hands to use for feathers he said his favorite part of Thanksgiving is eating the leftover turkey.

Zack was enjoying the Turkey Bash with his grandmother, Sheryl Eckert. The two have been visiting the museum for about a year, said Eckert.

“We come every Wednesday night for after-school programs,” she said, noting that Zack also goes to summer events and special events such as the Turkey Bash.

Zack couldn’t think of anything particular about the museum that he likes, simply because “it’s all fun,” he said.

Every Wednesday night from 5 to 7 p.m., the museum hosts Family Discovery Time. It is a free event that focuses on activities about science, technology, engineering and math, said Quinn.

The next Family Discovery Time is Dec. 3 and will concentrate on shapes with a 3-D-shaped craft.

The museum also has free story time at 10:45 on Friday mornings with special-guest readers, said Quinn.