Move Your Feet for the Planet at the National Children’s Museum this April

Programming will celebrate both a healthy Earth and healthy bodies

Photo credit, Micaela Williamson

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD (March 21, 2013) – Honoring two of its core content areas, the National Children’s Museum will celebrate health and well-being and the environment through programs dedicated to movement, dance, reusing resources and helping others . All programs will take place at the National Children’s Museum at 151 St. George Blvd. at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md.

TOMS Sole Party: One Day Without Shoes

Saturday, April 13-Sunday, April 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

By partnering with TOMS to host One Day Without Shoes, the Museum will increase awareness of the health issues facing children who do not have access to shoes around the world. Museum visitors will have an opportunity to experience what it feels like to walk without shoes on various terrains and contribute their thoughts on how to make a difference to our NCM/TOMS pledge wall.

Free Family Night sponsored by GEICO

Friday, April 19, 5-8 p.m.

Enjoy free admission to the museum as well as hands-on activities and interactive play in the NCM theatre and exhibit areas. April’s Free Family Night will include programs that celebrate Earth Day. Please visit www.ncm.museum for more information on the free tickets and special programs.

Earth Day Artwork

Friday, April 19-Tuesday, April 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Visitors can celebrate Earth Day and the Earth’s resources by creating one-of-a-kind artwork from recyclable materials. All activities will take place in the Center for Learning and Innovation. Additional programs and activities may be announced at a later date.

Guest performer: Princess Mhoon Dance Institute

Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m.

Families can get their groove on with a special performance and dance class as part of the Princess Mhoon Dance Institute’s youth outreach program. Princess Mhoon’s dance programs help children discover how to use dance to better understand themselves and the world in which they live. This performance will take place in the NCM theatre and is included in the cost of admission.

Guest performer: Ballet Petite

Sunday, April 21, 1 p.m.

Experience the magic of ballet with a performance from Ballet Petite’s youth dancers. The event will take place in the NCM theatre and is included in the cost of admission.

Global Youth Service Day with Maddie’s Blankets

Saturday, April 27, noon-4 p.m.

The National Children’s Museum will celebrate Global Youth Service Day through a partnership with Maddie’s Blankets, an organization dedicated to improving conditions for rescue animals. Families will have an opportunity to design and decorate small quilts, which Maddie’s Blankets will donate to shelters and other organizations serving animals in temporary homes. Available as supplies last.

Activities in the Center for Learning and Innovation

Nature serves as the inspiration behind April’s activities in the Center for Learning and Innovation. Visitors ages 3 and under will enjoy a sensory garden and nature table; explorations of the wonders of the ocean; and storytimes featuring Lois Elhert’s Planting a Rainbow, Todd Parr’s The Peace Book, and Jan Peck’s Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea.

Photo Credit, Micaela Williamson

Visitors can purchase online tickets to the Museum for every day of the week. If tickets sell out online, tickets for that day and time slot may still be available for purchase in-person at the NCM box office. For more information, visitors may go towww.ncm.museum, email info@ncm.museum or call the museum’s main number at 301.392.2400.

The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Labor Day and Memorial Day. During the summer months, the museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Standard admission is $10 per child or adult and $8 for seniors ages 65 and up. There is no cost of admission for infants 12 months or younger.

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About National Children’s Museum

The National Children’s Museum (NCM) is a world-class cultural and educational center (www.ncm.museum) that inspires children to care about and improve the world. NCM opened in Dec. 2012 at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Md. After operating as a “museum without walls” for several years, the Museum is now Greater Washington’s premier family attraction and the only national museum dedicated especially to children and their families and caregivers. NCM was designated by Congress in 2003 and was founded in 1974 as the Capital Children’s Museum.