When the Teacher's Away, The Kids Will Play

Children of all ages are invited to the Community Children’s Museum, 77 E Blackwell St., Dover, on Nov. 10 - 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Teacher Convention Days.

Three activities will be featured, a Children’s Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament, an amazing new musical program called Tuneables, and a craft session for an admission of $5. 

A pizza lunch will be offered each day between 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for only $1 per person one year and older. The lunch will include one slice of pizza, juice and a special desert and is optional. No admission coupons will be accepted for either day.

How do you decide what to do when all the choices are good? Rock, paper, scissors – shoot, that’s how. 

On Thurs. Nov. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., the first ever Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament for children, co-sponsored by the Jaycees of Morris County, will take place.

There are rock, paper, scissors tournaments all over the world and now children in New Jersey can join in the fun.

The museum program will teach the rules of the game and how to play your best match. Children will enter the tournament and work their way up the ladder to the final match. 

Patti, the swift and sometimes very funny referee, will keep the tournament rolling with a keen eye out for false starts and fake-outs.

All participants will receive a small prize for playing.

Rock, paper and scissor crafts like rock painting, scissors figure sculptures and origami paper folding  will be offered throughout the day for children as well. 

The Jaycees of Morris County is sharing its expertise and providing the technical assistance to run the tournament.

Their organization's mission is to provide young adults the opportunity to develop personal and leadership skills through local community action and organizational involvement while expanding the Junior Chamber movement.

For more information, visit the Web site at: http://morriscountyjaycees.com/  or contact morriscountyjaycees@gmail.com

On Friday, Nov. 11, The Tuneables creator, Jill Todd, will be at the museum from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. to engage children in fun songs and musical games.

They will learn about music with the very charming Tuneables characters like Clara—the Clarinet, Pete—the trumpet, and Mo—the violin, who invite the children to sing, play, and interact through appealing story-lines and catchy, original music.

This program is suited for ages 3-8 but all children will enjoy it. Children will be able to make a musical instrument to take home which is included in the price of admission.

The Tuneables is an award-winning, animated DVD/CD series, sponsored by the Music Intelligence Project. 

It uses a carefully sequenced curriculum based on years of research and practical experience designed to develop rhythm, tonal skills, the singing voice, and foster appreciation for the sounds and melodies of classical music.

Though just launched this summer, The Tuneables has already been awarded with The 2011 Parent’s Choice Gold Award, recognized by Dr. Toy as one of the 100 Best Children’s Products for 2011 and Top 10 Best Audio/Visual Products, and awarded “DVD Of The Year” by Creative Child. 

The Music Intelligence Project was created to promote the best approaches to music education for children.  For more information visit www.thetuneables.com and www.musicintelligenceproject.com

The Community Children’s Museum is a non-profit organization where children explore and learn through hands-on fun in art, science and world cultures.

The Museum’s regular hours are Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $5 for children ages 6 months and older, $5 for adults and $4 for seniors.

Funding for the museum has been made possible in part by the Arts Council of the Morris Area through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information call (973) 366-9060 or visit www.communitychildrensmuseum.org.