What kid doesn’t like a pizza party on a Friday night? That’s just the question asked by the staff at the Fairbanks Children’s Museum. The answer? On July 7, Fairbanks kids will be able to take part in a special pizza party and learning experience called ‘Kid’s Night In.’
“Kid’s Night In is a special evening playtime just for kids led by museum educators,” said Donald Crocker, the marketing and communications manager at the museum. “The evening will let kids play, explore and learn, while having a pizza party,” he said.
The evening is designed for parents to have a night out on the town without having to worry about leaving their kids with a sitter or taking them to a gallery showing. The event is open to all families and kids within the Fairbanks area.
“We love being a part of the downtown community and we love all the First Friday options available downtown,” said Brenda Riley, executive director of the museum. “We wanted to help boost our neighbors’ First Friday events by offering a special kids only First Friday.”
During Kid’s Night In, children are engaged and involved in a wide-range of activities including one of the museum’s newest acquisitions: a Rigamajig building kit!
The kit is a collection of wooden planks, wheels, pulleys, nuts, bolts and rope that allow children to follow their curiosity through play while learning. There are no right or wrong answers and the act of playing and building is the goal, not the finished product. According to Crocker, the Rigamajig is like a giant Tinkertoy. The museum was able to acquire the Rigamajig thanks to GVEA’s Good Cents Program.
Inside the Imagineering Lab, kids can make their own fireweed fingerprint painting, as well as Playdough S’mores. That last one sounds like exactly what you think it is. “It’s S’mores out of playdough,” Crocker said. “They look cool and you pretend like you’re having a campfire!”
Classic museum exhibits like the water table, air maze and pin board will also be available for use.
Drop-offs begin at 5:30 pm and pickups are no later than 8pm. Families must register their attending children in advance of July 7. Fees are $25 per child with a $5 discount for museum members and additional siblings. Children must be at least 4 years old and able to use the bathroom by themselves.
“Your kid gets to come here and create art while you go downtown and experience art,” Riley said.