Spring is here, the rains have come (and hopefully gone for awhile!) and flowers are beginning to appear once again outside picture books. With Spring come changes and we are excited about the changes at our Museum! We have many new 'faces" to introduce, and new happenings to announce.

Please welcome our new Ready to Grow preschool teacher, Miss Beth, who will guide our littlest explorers on a journey through April showers into May flowers. Our Friday morning program for children ages 0-5 and their favorite grownup begins at 9:30 with a story, followed by special crafts and a snack. Special price is $6 per family (no field trips), members free. Regular admission prices apply for arrivals after the program begins.

April 2: The Rain Came Down, by David Shannon is a fun loving book about the chaos caused all over town by falling rain. (craft: make a rainstick!)

April 9: I Love Bugs by Philemon Sturges follows a boy as he finds and takes pictures of all kinds of bugs. (craft: create your own bug!)

April 16: The Earth and I by Frank Asch is a beautifully illustrated book about the beauty of earth and the importance of keeping it clean. (special "earthy" craft)

April 23: The Rainbow by Felicia Law is a lighthearted story where three furry friends discover rainbows and the weather that causes them. (craft: design a rainbow mobile)

April 30: To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson shows the journey of a seed as seen through the eyes of a little girl as she watches it grow and bloom. (plant your own seed to take home)

The Museum will be CLOSED on Sunday, April 4 for the Easter holiday, but please visit our neighbor, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, for their annual visit with one very familiar bunny.

COMING UP SOON:

April 19-23 10 a.m. - 1 p.m: Junior Explorers Club, Register your child for 1 day, 2, 3 , 4, or all 5! $25 per day or $100 for all 5 days. Discounts for siblings or members.

May 2: the Future Begins Here 2010! Silent and Live auction at Holyoke Mall, benefitting the Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke Rows, The Equestrian Center, and the Children's Museum at Holyoke.