Catherine is thrilled to join the team at Explore & More and share her love of play with the children of Buffalo. Just ask her family and friends how often she bugs them to play a game at gatherings. Her past experience at the Buffalo Museum of Science, as well as Engineering for Kids, allowed her to find her true passion as an informal educator. She loves all things Buffalo and is so happy to be working in the fun Canalside area. You can usually find her at a Sabres game with her husband, Taylor or snuggling on the couch with her Velcro-dog, Talulla and her cat, Milo.
Did you know that camps at Explore & More aren’t just for the summer break?
We have an exciting camp opportunity for school-aged children during the upcoming winter break from December 27th through the 31st where we will learn about Holidays Around the World! We’re going to shake off the winter blues and learn more about various holiday celebrations such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Saint Lucia Day, Kwanzaa, and Saint Nicholas Day while having great fun doing so! Fun, hands-on experiences will spark creativity, imagination, and exploration as we venture throughout the museum to play and learn in the exhibits.
Another chance to join us will be over the February break (February 21st through the 25th) at our World Traveler’s Camp, where children will travel the world and encounter a different country every day of the week through maker projects, artistic masterpieces, traditional games, and authentic foods, as they gain math, science, and cooking skills.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so take time to PLAY! Research shows that play helps relieve stress for both kids and adults, which is why making time to play together as a family is so important. In addition to spending quality time together, family play helps to strengthen relationships and encourage creativity and imagination.
If you’re not sure how to get started, here are some easy ways that you can incorporate play into the time your family spends together and eliminate your kids using that dreaded ‘b’ word – I’m bored!
1. Have some winter fun – Put on your favorite pair of snow pants and warmest winter boots and head outside for an activity like sledding or ice skating at Canalside. Take a trip to your local park and play on the equipment in the frigid weather. Blow bubbles – yes! – Bring your bubble mixture outside and let the fun begin! Let the bubble sit on the wand after you blow it to see it slowly freeze and transform into a crystal ball up close.
2. Make some art – Gather supplies and do a group art project. Give each family member a blank canvas and create some new wall art or take turns drawing portraits of each other.
3. Host a game night – Are you the all-time Monopoly champion? Challenge your family to a game night. Be sure to rotate who gets to choose the games played each time. I suggest that you play the latest and greatest, Monopoly City of Buffalo. Who will be lucky enough to own Explore & More?
4. Take a nature walk – Play can be calm and low-key. Explore the outdoors as a family while walking around your neighborhood or strolling the Boardwalk at Canalside.
5. Make chores fun – Turn everyday tasks, like cooking or cleaning, into a bonding moment by doing them together. Find opportunities to make tasks fun and silly to get everyone laughing.
6. Build a fort – Grab the couch cushions, some cardboard or even a stack of pillows and blankets and build the hideout of your dreams. Don’t forget the flashlights!
7. Dance – Put on your favorite tunes and let loose with the family. Bring back some of your favorite dance moves, like the robot or the moonwalk.
8. Have a family photoshoot – Grab some props and costume pieces and let kids direct a family photoshoot.
9. Sing-Share your love of music with a karaoke sing-along. Everyone can pick their own tune or have a theme for the night, like 80’s music or songs about summer (Oh, how we miss you!)
10. Support imaginative role-play – Let kids take the lead by letting them plan the fun. Have them choose what characters everyone will be, then play along as a superhero, doctor, or whatever else they’ve dreamed up. I personally, will choose Wonder Woman every time!
It doesn’t matter how your family chooses to play, as long as you’re spending quality time together and having fun. Play has important benefits for people of all ages, so take the time now to make it a priority and see how your family benefits. If you need more convincing that play isn’t just for kids, experience all the fun that we have in store for you at Explore & More throughout the month of December as we celebrate Winter Holidays Around the World.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Lisa Chrapowicz Senior Manager of Community & Strategic Initiatives
Robin is excited to join the Explore & More team after 15 years in outreach education at the Buffalo Zoo, where she taught audiences all over WNY about wildlife and conservation. Joining Explore & More is a return to her earliest studies in infant and child development, which she followed up by studying primate evolution and animal behavior for her Masters at UB. She also currently works as an educator at Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve in Hamburg. In her spare time, Robin enjoys cooking, reading, running, and spending time at home with her husband Craig, cats, and axolotls!
While many people celebrate Thanksgiving in the month of November, did you know that many others around the world celebrate Diwali? Diwali is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. The festival gets its name from the row of clay lamps that people light outside their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. We celebrate cultural holidays like Diwali here at Explore & More by featuring various hands-on crafts and activities in the Art Studio and Tinkering Tank. We feature different activities in these spaces each week, which are included in your regular museum admission. We’d love to have you visit this holiday season!
