Registration Opens Today

Registration opens today for the museum's workshops and classes as well as the fall session of The Preschool at A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village.

Highlighted class: Baby Boogie
Wednesdays, April 8 - May 13
Songs, games, and playful props introduce easy-to-use sign language to promote communication between you and your little one. This class is best suited for children six months to two years old. $18 members / $30 nonmembers.

More classes and workshops can be found here. Don't delay! Classes and workshops fill quickly. Call 503-371-3631 to register your child.

Q&A today with Director Pam

You are invited to a live chat with Pam Vorachek, Executive Director of A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village, today at noon at StatesmanJournal.com. Now in her tenth year at the museum, Pam will be answering your questions about what it means to reach this important career milestone and what the future holds for the children’s museum.

Live Chat with Pam Vorachek
Hosted by StatesmanJournal.com
noon – 1 pm PST

To participate, go to StatesmanJournal.com today at noon, and click on the picture of Pam or the link to the Chat. If you can’t make it, the transcript of the conversation will be archived at StatesmanJournal.com (just click on the Multimedia tab and go to Chat).

So, log on over lunch and ask away!

Dive for discovery!

The new submarine exhibit at A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village invites you to take a dive for discovery on the USS Gilbert. Here, recent visitors Cayden (2), Wyatt and Austin (both 5) test out the control room. Future submarine captains will love to fiddle with all the knobs, levers, and dials beneath the submarine's red light.

Included in this mini-exhibit is a porthole that peers into the Undersea Cave of Frozen Shadows. It's a perfect opportunity for little ones who are afraid of the dark to see what older siblings are up to in the Frozen Shadow room.

Set your coordinates for fun and come see what's new at the Gilbert House!

Bubble Room Upgrades: Part 2

As the Bubble Room makeover nears completion (with new sinks, flooring, and wires for the gigantic bubble machine), we're stocking up on the key ingredient in the Gilbert recipe for bubbles: liquid Dawn soap.

Come visit the museum this weekend to test out the renovated Bubble Room. And try making some Bubble Room magic happen at home! Below is our special Gilbert recipe for bubbles.

THE RECIPE:

10 cups water
1 cup liquid soap (such as Dawn)
4 tablespoons glycerin (available at drug stores)

Mix it all together, and try this:

BUBBLE SCULPTURE:

Make amazing bubble sculptures using pipe cleaners and straight drinking straws. Cut the pipe cleaners into 1 inch segments and use them for joints between the straws. Poke two pipe cleaners into the end of one straw to make corners. Try making shapes such as pyramids, cubes, and tetrahedrons. Dip the shapes in bubble solution and observe the interesting sculptures the bubble film creates.

Bubble Room Upgrades

The Bubble Room has been receiving a makeover this week, and the finishing touches will be completed by Friday. Stop in this weekend to see our ...











1) NEW big & small matching sinks (perfect for bubble makers of all sizes)














2) NEW non-skid rubber flooring (perfect for making sure Bubble Girl doesn't slip-slide away!)












3) NEW wires for the giant bubble machine (perfect for creating a bubbles that stretch from head to toe--each and every time!)

Check back tomorrow for the secret Bubble recipe so that you can make magic Gilbert House bubbles at home!

Intern for a Day: Jessica Love

Jessica Love, our "intern for a day", poses in front of a mural in the museum's newest Brazilian Rainforest Theater exhibit. Here is a blog entry she wrote as part of her internship:

My name is Jessica Love and I am a student at Western Oregon University. I am a Business major with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I am wanting to go into event planning and someday open my own bridal shop.

I was at A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village for a intern for a day. I got to follow Stephanie the Promotions Director around for the day. I got a tour of the museum and it looked like lots of fun. I really enjoyed the bubble room. I could have fun in there for hours.

The museum is a great place for kids and their families. There is so much you can do there. When kids are there, they are not just having fun playing but learning as well. It is more than just a museum, they have tons of events and classes going on all the time.

I plan on taking my cousin there because I believe he would have so much FUN. Everyone that works there is very nice and is willing to help all that they can. They are dedicated to helping kids learn in a FUN way.

I would like to thank them for everything and hope to see them soon. I would recommend A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village to families.