Press Release

Thursday, July 2, 2020
For Immediate Release

Shane Rhinewald, 585-410-6365, srhinewald@museumofplay.org

Noelle McElrath-Hart, 585-410-6325, nmcelrath@museumofplay.org

Enjoy your favorite books during The Strong’s Storybook Summer virtual event happening weekdays from July 6 through September 4. Each day at 10:30 a.m., head to the museum’s Facebook page for unique crafts, active play ideas, and videos from special guests—all themed around a different children’s book each week. Plus, visit The Strong in person or on Facebook Live for interactive readings of the featured books on Mondays at 10:30 a.m.

• July 6­–10: There’s a Monster in Your Book. Kick the summer off with a story about a friendly monster. Learn how to craft a monster bookmark and discover how to make a sidewalk obstacle course at home. Try your hand at mixing up a refreshing monster drink and create your own blue monster goo.
• July 13–17: I Got the Rhythm. Show off your moves and follow along as a young girl hears her world come to life through music. Create your own castanet, dance ribbons, and drum. Assemble a xylophone using fruit and learn a new dance with Dr. Ashley Campbell, cofounder and Africologist of Ballet Afrikana: Dance Prep Academy.
• July 20–24: Little Blue Truck. Learn about the importance of teamwork as a truck gets help from his animal friends. Create a tire track painting and recreate the Little Blue Truck story in your backyard. Find out how to make your own chocolate mud dessert dip and make your own sensory-friendly experience getting stuck in mud.
• July 27–31: The Most Magnificent Thing. Discover how a girl with out-of-this-world ideas tries to make them into reality. Learn how to cope with frustration and create your own dog robot using items around the house. Join Maker Faire Rochester co-chair Dan Schneiderman to find out how to make your own tinker station. Play a game of “Maker Says”—inspired by the classic “Simon Says” game—and put together a special treat.
• August 3–7: The Pout-Pout Fish. Swim along and learn how to turn a frown upside-down. Make a fish using a paper plate and join in on a kid-friendly session of yoga. Stir up snacks inspired by the sea and squish together your own bubbly, sensory sea foam.
• August 10–14: A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Get ready for the Perseids meteor shower with an imaginative story. Create light-up crafts using cardboard tubes, glowsticks, and plastic eggs. Make your own moon craters at home using shaving cream and a Wiffle Ball and create a starry sensory bin. Discover the importance of mooncakes, a staple of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China.
• August 17–21: Strictly No Elephants. Enjoy a tale about pets and friends coming in all shapes and sizes. Enjoy a reading of the story and learn how to make an elephant with a moving trunk. Play a game of charades using animal drawings and learn how to make a colorful dip for animal crackers filled with sprinkles.
• August 24–28: Little Owl’s Night. Learn about all the creatures that come out to play when the sun goes away. Craft fireflies from glowsticks, find out how to create a nighttime fort, and put together owl-themed snacks. Join staff from Wild Wings to learn about real life owls and their natural habitats.
• August 31–September 4: Dragons Love Tacos. Finish the last week of Storybook Summer and find out what happens when dragons come face-to-face with their nemesis—spicy salsa! Create a fire-breathing dragon using a paper cup and learn how to have your own taco relay race. Get a recipe for dragon-safe fruit salsa and take part in a virtual I Spy activity through The Strong’s The Lost World of Dragons exhibit, open now through September 7.

Storybook Summer in-peson story readings on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. are included with general museum admission fees. Programs underwritten by Delta Air Lines, the official airline of The Strong.

 

================================================================================

Museum Hours: Reserved sessions are available now through July 10 for members. Non-members may purchase reserved tickets beginning July 11. Sessions are available Sunday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–noon & 1–4 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.–noon,1–4 p.m. & 5–8 p.m. All guests, including members, must have a timed ticket to enter the museum. Learn more at museumofplay.org/play-safe.

General Admission Fees: Age 2 and older $16, under age 2 free, members free. Non-members may visit the museum beginning July 11. Fees subject to change.

Admission to Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden: General Admission fee plus $4 for members, $5 for non-members, under age 2 free. The butterfly garden will reopen on July 11. Fees subject to change.

Parking: Parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the museum’s parking garage for free now through the end of July. Starting August 1, parking is $5 for non-members. Members can use one of their six annual parking validations during their visit beginning August 1. Once all validations are used, members may park in the garage for $5. More details at museumofplay.org/visit/directions-and-parking.