Today in Michael's Museum

Today Michael was at Michael's Museum from 10:30 - 12:30. He visited with over 93 children and 43 adults. He will be taking off during the month of July but will be back at CCM on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00 as part of August's "Maker's Month" helping visitors learn how to make a mini-book.

During today's visit:

1) English not spoken here:
Michael met a grandmother from China whose only English word was, "China." No English was spoken or needed for the Grandmother and her 2 year old granddaughter to enjoy the collections. They spent quite a bit of time in the exhibit.

2) Seen for the first time: 
Several young visitors were measuring their face parts with the rulers provided at the Curator's Desk. Nose 1", Ear 1.5", Smiling mouth 3".

3) Seen for the first time:
In the past we have seen visitors "baking" puff ball cupcakes. Today for the first time, wooden spool cup cakes were being baked and verbally tasted. Blue=Blueberry. Pink=Strawberry. Brown=Chocolate. Purple=Blackberry. Turquoise=Raspberry. Yellow=Lemon.

4) Compliment to Michael:
"Seeing all this art from Mexico makes me feel at home and brings back many memories of my childhood."

5) Gift to Michael:
Jenny Schrider (Michael's Museum/CCM Exhibit Designer and Principal Partner of Design Play Studio) and Michael had lunch today to catch up on the wonderful things that continue to take place in Michael's Museum. Jenny brought Michael a tiny treasure of a gift. Notice the size of the vase and flowers compared to the shiny new penny. The glass vase was 1.5" wide x 4" high. The flowers added another 3" to the height.

Pride

Michael's Museum supports Chicago Gay Pride Fest (June 22-23) and the annual Gay Pride Parade. At Chicago Children's Museum ALL FAMILIES MATTER!

Today in Michael's Museum...

1) Today for the first time a visitor was seen balancing colorful wooden spools on a six inch ruler.

2) A father told us that his daughter loves Michael's Museum SOOOOO much that when they first brought her to CCM, Michael's Museum was the only place in which she wanted to spend time. (She has since been able to visit MM and then go to the other exhibits!)

3) Visitors from Quebec Canada visited Michael's Museum today.

4) Approximately two dozen visitors helped Michael and Laura prototype the "Make-A-Mini-Book" program which is scheduled to take place, among many other fabulous activities, during Maker's Month, every Wednesday from 2:00-4:00 during August.

5) Michael's sister, Libbe and brother-in-law, George visited MM for the first time and loved it. You can see a picture above the sofa of Libbe with Michael with their parents.

Happy Father's Day

Louis Horvich

Today in Michael's Museum

1) Met a woman who is becoming more involved with the Children's Museum in Minnesota and is on the Board of "An Ounce of Prevention," an organization geared to providing opportunities for underserved, one to three year olds.

2) Worked with a small number of visitors as we prototyped a folded paper, corrugated cover, cotton cord bound book. "Make-A-Mini-Book" will showcase Michael as the featured "Maker of the Month" on Wednesdays during the month of August.

3) Was told by a mother that MM@CCM is her ten year old son's favorite place to visit.

4) Talked with a two year old girl about the Museum Mouse and his friend the Collection Cat.

5) Explained to a small group of visitors about the made in England, limited edition, hand bound, hand colored, mini books that are located in the "Tiniest Collections Cabinet."

Make-A-Book

If you drop by Michael's Museum on Wednesday, June 13 between 11:30 and 12:30, you can join us for "Make-A-Book." Michael will give instructions on how to make a corrugated cover, string bound, blank book for you to decorate.

This will be a prototyping session for the program that will take place in August on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00 as part of "Makers Month" at Chicago Children's Museum.

Drop by and join us!

Today in Michael's Museum

OVERHEARD DURING THE "CURATOR IS IN" PROGRAM:

     • Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
     • Two year old making animal noises to correspond with the wooden animals on an open shelf.
     • Screams, giggles, cries of amazement when discovering the Museum Mouse (who continues to surprise visitors even after 13 months!)
     • Can we go now?
     • We come to CCM at least twice a week and he always wants to come to MM (we stay for half an hour sometimes!)

SEEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MICHAEL'S MUSEUM:

     • Without any instruction, one child went from plexiglass fronted storage drawer to the next, all around the room, finding the loose things to manipulate in the open Visitor Display Cabinets.
     • Using Visitor Display Shelves #2 & #6, a child made a block tower that started on the floor, met the first shelf, continued up to the second shelf, and went up even further.
     • Without any instruction, a 16 month old began sorting buttons by color. The caregiver was surprised and pleased.
     • Mom was more excited about being in Michael's Museum than her four year old. "Honey, if you let mommy stay a little longer we can go play next wherever you want!"
     • Google Eyes!

Alex's Attic

 

Alex's Attic

Alex's Attic, a collection of objects that Alex played with when she was 5 through 9 years old, was found some twenty years later in her dad's attic and is now on display in Michael's Museum's Changing Collection Cabinet through July, 2012. Alex was born in 1985. Here is a photo of Alex when she was 8 and now at 27. Thanks Alex for sharing your collection with Chicago Children's Museum Visitors!

A World in Wood

Last Tuesday Susan Engle joined Michael as they took down her Changing Collection Cabinet Exhibit "A World in Wood ... and more!"

As a thank you gift, Susan presented Michael with a miniature hand crafted German scene (in wood) of a family run, Christmas tree ornament studio and tiny iPad!

As a thank you back, Michael gave Susan a copy of "The Story of Michael's Museum," a photograph of her exhibit, a tiny wooden kitchen spoon, and dinner on Navy Pier. A good time was had by all!