Bringing the Outdoors In
children’s museum unveils two new exhibits
Ross Lindquist, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Kids love new. Whether it is new toys, new adventures, or (gasp!), new things to learn. To a kid whatever “it” is, it always has that “just unwrapped Christmas present” feel. The Water Works, Body Smarts, and Bitty City exhibits have been around for many years at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire. Now CMEC has decided to try something new. This month the museum unveiled its most recent additions, two exhibits focused on the outdoors.
Darcy Way, executive director of CMEC, says today’s kids aren’t exposed to the outdoors as much as past generations were. “Many kids don’t get a chance to visit farms or go camping anymore, so we wanted to show parts of that experience here,” he said.
When people walk out of the elevator onto the museum’s second floor, home to the new exhibits, the beauty of this room is immediately evident. A gorgeous mural of trees and fauna stretches out across the wall, and the colored carpet gives the spacious room an inviting feel.
With help from the local Boy Scouts and Scheel’s, the camping exhibit has a number of very interesting features. A large model Jeep waits for kids to climb and play in. (For the sake of parents’ nerves, however, it cannot be driven.) There is also a wooden shack where visitors can grab camping equipment to carry around while experiencing life outside the comforts of home.
Two of the most interactive parts of the exhibit involve setting up a tent and fishing. Kids can learn how to put up a tent by working together to drape canvas over metal poles. There is also a boat on a lake where kids can go fishing. The lake is actually blue carpet; the real water all stays in the basement in the Water Works exhibit. But in this lake visitors can hook fish with their rods. After catching fish, kids can bring them up to a board and find out which species they are.
Fish aren’t the only fake animal on the museum’s second floor. In the farm section, there is a miniature barn that contains a cow. While this cow is about as real as the stuffed-animal fish, it does have some realistic properties. For instance, it can be milked! And in hopes of getting a great idea, the museum will be holding a contest allowing elementary students to submit potential names for the cow.
This exhibit goes beyond life in the barn, though. The real gem is the beautiful photograph of a cornfield and barn that has been blown up to fit on a wall. This and a tractor (from Tractor Central) paired with footage of someone actually picking corn can really help put children in the farming state of mind.
Both of these exhibits feature great interactive experiences, but they also have some valuable information to offer as well. In the first exhibit, visitors can learn where the nearest campsites and state parks are in relation to Eau Claire. And in the farm display, people can see what milk has to go through in order to finally turn into cheese (information every Wisconsinite should know).
These experiences with the outdoors are very interactive and exciting. Many kids will be thrilled because these exhibits are new, and while exploring them they will be thrilled again because of the fun there is to be had. And who knows: They may even learn something. These exhibits are significant in another way as well, because of their focus on community and teamwork. Many people helped make them possible, including Chippewa Valley Technical College students who brainstormed ideas for the exhibits. So if you are looking for who to thank for the cool add-ons, thank CMEC and then thank everyone around. Eau Claire has come together as a team to help add to an already great part of the community.
Children’s Museum of Eau Claire • 220 S. Barstow St. • 9am-5pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 9am-7pm Thursday; noon-5pm Sunday; closed Mondays • $5 per person; children under 1 free • (715) 832-5437 • www.cmec.cc
