There are kid’s summer camps, games days and even night events that are a good way for families (or just the adults) to take part in.
Meredith King is the SCM Events Programmer and believes this will be the best summer the museum has seen and is confident you won’t regret visiting.
“Our crowds are looking good already and I expect them to grow as the summer continues and word gets out,” said King. “We have so many cool things to see and do here lately that if you haven’t been in a while, you’ll want to get in here and check us out.”
Summer camps are one of the many activities fun for the kids. For children ages 6-12, the Summer Day Camps are a great place to interact with their peers and not only have fun but learn about the area they live in.
In the theme of keeping it local, the museum teamed up with Nicholyn Farms and Sheldon Creek Dairy to add healthy meals and milk to the experience.
The weekly day camp includes the Building Simcoe County program where kids dress up in pioneer garb, play traditional Huron games and compete in the Lumberjack Olympics. Weird and Wacky Science has the kids investigate the fun side of science, dress like a mad scientist and perform fun (and safe) experiments as well as launch a rocket.
“This has been a very popular part of what we do,” said King. “The kids love it and we have found that they’re having a lot of fun learning and keeping that info in. Our very popular Discovery Days has been a hit with the camp too as the kids can play detective and solve clues, dress like a rock star and win Museum Music Awards. We also will be going to Discovery Harbour to get really into what this area has to offer.”
For families, there’s a really cool event called Gargantuan Games Day. In the backdrop of the historical area, you can enjoy your favourite board games but in a much bigger way. “This one is so much fun and a lot of laughs,” said King. “Picture Ker-Plunk, Tic-Tac-Toe, Snakes and Ladders but all life size. It adds a new element to games we grew up with and does add a bit of keeping physical with it.”
From past experience, King and her SCM counterparts kept hearing that the regular 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Saturday and Sunday 1pm to 4:30pm didn’t always work as parents sometimes didn’t get off work til after 5pm.
That message was heard loud and clear and the museum made some changes to better the experience for everyone.
On July 26 and August 16 from 7:30 PM until 9:30 PM, Family Game Night has families competing against each other in classic games while snacking on popcorn and homemade bread oven pizza. July 19 and August 23 from 7:30 PM until 9:30 PM is the After Dark nights where you bring your own flashlights and explore a 'dimmed' guided tour of the museum.
“A really cool night is our Spirit Tours where we like to tell the many creepier stories of Simcoe County,” said King. “It’s more for our older teens and adults as it can be a little on the Goosebumps side, but it is very interesting and should be checked out.”
The first Spirit Tour of the year was recently held, but there is another scheduled on Tuesday, August 9.
King wants folks to mark down on their calendar the date of August 30 when the museum will have their movie night. The Jungle Book will be shown under the stars on the side of the barn. Attendees should bring their own chairs and blankets.
Michael Robinson was there on the very hot Wednesday and taking in the outdoor buildings and sights with his two sons. Heading out to the museum is a regular occurrence for the family as Robinson finds something fun every time.
“We love it here and it’s a nice way for a family to get out at an affordable price and be together,” said Robinson. “The old buildings and history is nice, but it’s also great to hear about how many new events they have planned here to keep people coming out.”Dates and times, as well as summer camp registration is available on their website.
