Children's Museum of New Hampshire Celebrates Twenty-Nine Years In A Big Way

Even at twenty-nine years old, the Children's Museum of New Hampshire in Dover is still acting young. But the celebration that's taking place at the Museum on September 23^rd will be attracting all kinds of people, old and young. It's their annual birthday-bash.

The Children's Museum throws an event every year to commemorate their birthday. The parties have always been open to the public, and the Museum warmly extends their invitations out to any family that wants to come and celebrate with them.

“Even though it's our birthday, we want the kids to feel like it's their party,” says Heidi Duncanson, the Director of Marketing at the Children's Museum, “We enjoy throwing fun parties for our whole community.”

The way that the Museum sets up their parties is not unlike a birthday party that a parent would throw for their child. Every year, local neighbors donate cake and ice cream to the event for all those in attendance to enjoy. This year, local Dover businesses like Riverbend Pizza and Subs, and Duston's Bakery are just a couple of the suppliers of birthday treats.

In addition to the great food, the Museum is offering a variety of entertainment, staying true to the larger-than-life standards of a birthday-bash. Party games will be stationed around the Museum, and participants will have the opportunity to win prizes. The kids can also personalize their own glittering birthday crowns with stickers and other decorations.

The Museum has always had a range of live entertainment for their parties, from acts like jugglers and puppeteers to musical groups. This year, the Museum is bringing local magician B.J. Hickman to perform his thrilling live magic show at both 12:30pm and 2:00pm.

“And the best part,” says Duncanson, “is that all the festivities are included in the entry fee, and members of the Museum can get in for free!”

In addition to their dedication towards the local community, the Children's Museum has been exercising sustainable business practices since its inception. In 2008, they moved into a building in Dover that had been originally constructed as an armory on the Cochecho River.

ARQ Architects, the design firm that led the building renovation, suggested that they make it a green building and go for Silver LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. This idea generated unanimous enthusiasm from the Museum’s staff. They installed thermal pane windows, energy efficient HVAC systems, and even low-flow water systems in their restrooms.

“We got a lot of green points from the U.S. Green Building Council when we were renovating the museum,” says Duncanson, “We even got points for reusing an existing structure rather than building something new.”

Some of the Museum's sustainable features have been noted on green signs throughout the museum. As they explore both floors of the Museum, families can learn about these sustainable practices and why they are good for both the community and for the Earth.

With the success of their eco-friendly building and their sustainable appliances installed, the museum caught the attention of the Green Alliance. The Green Alliance is a local green business union that specializes in promoting local businesses who are environmentally conscious, and also offers a wide variety of discounted green products and services to their card-carrying members.

The birthday celebration is just one of a number of annual events that the Museum throws every year. These include the Not-So-Spooky Spectacular in October, Family New Year’s Eve Celebration in December, a Valentine’s Day Dance and they even have their own annual road race. But for Museum staff and members, the birthday celebration has special significance. It marks the birth of a wonderful and dedicated green business.

“We've had several hundred people in attendance in past years,” says Heidi Duncanson, “We hope at least that many people will join us this year as we celebrate nearly three decades of fun and learning.”

For more information on the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, visit www.childrens-museum.org

For more information on the Green Alliance, visit www.greenalliance.biz