One of the cornerstones of the Discovery Museum has always been the Creation Station. With more than 20 feet of creation space, and bins and bins of recycled scrap materials waiting to be made into a child’s masterpiece, the Creation Station offers kids the opportunity to think with their hands. There is fabric, Styrofoam, cardboard, low-temperature glue guns, glue sticks, markers, scissors, and tape—for starters. From all of this, we have seen some incredible one-of-a-kind creations, from ships and building designs to sweet love letters or a new outfit for a favorite doll.
We have had a wonderful influx of field trips over the last two months, with hundreds of students coming through our doors, and kids sometimes spend more time at the Creation Station than any other exhibit. That means we are now running low on art supplies. Check your cabinets for old reams of construction paper, ribbon, yarn, felt, popsicle sticks, wood scraps, coffee filters, tissue paper and even bubble wrap and packaging peanuts. And what about that junk drawer full of nuts and bolts and screws and things? Hardware odds and ends make cool robots and geometric designs. Let your own imagination run wild! Art from scrap comes in all shapes and sizes. We always welcome craft and scrap donations to keep our Creation Station tubs full, and we appreciate the community’s help to keep this popular exhibit going strong!
And while you are thinking art, we are still accepting submissions for new banner artwork for the entrance to the Discovery Museum in celebration of our 10th anniversary on McClelland Street. Have your child create a colorful drawing or painting that shows his or her own interpretation of one of our mission themes: ourselves, our valley, our world and beyond. Come to the museum for some inspiration and submit your artwork by June 15 for a chance to be on our new banners. The four winners also win a family membership!
The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum is at 705 South McClelland St. in Santa Maria. We are open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Like us on Facebook at smvdiscoverymuseum to find out about our weekly programs and exhibits, and get daily tips on fun things to do with your kids.
This article appears in Jun 12-19, 2014.