At CuriOdyssey: Colossal Structures 'Canstructed' to Benefit Nonprofits

By Alethea O’Dell:

CuriOdyssey is known for being the home of active, native California animals – like bounding bobcats and slip-sliding otters – but this spring it will feature animals in forms decidedly more inanimate. Picture a larger-than-life critter constructed from hundreds of cans of food, along with other towering creatures at CuriOdyssey.

These colossal structures built from cans of food are part of a Canstruction Jr. Engineering program at CuriOdyssey and will allow children to experiment with designing and building. All of the giant structures will be designed by the building pros at Skanska and built by children from the Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Club.

The structures will be on display in CuriOdyssey’s Redwood Hall. All cans used in the event will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties to benefit the hungry in our area.

Bay Area families are invited to be a part of the action during the Canstruction Jr. Engineering program by observing the build today -- Saturday, March 21 -- and by bringing their own canned goods for donation to the exhibition.

Twelve innovative, animal-themed structures built from cans will be on display through March 28 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11am-2pm; Tuesday and Thursday from 2pm-5pm) at CuriOdyssey.

This fun, family-friendly event is free with the cost of admission to CuriOdyssey. CuriOdyssey is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm.

It is located in Coyote Point Recreation Area in San Mateo, California. For more information, visit www.CuriOdyssey.org.

Photos: a practice session with a smaller size structure; and a kick-off meeting with the kids.