Familes can celebrate while practicing “social distancing”
The Reading Public Museum, in keeping with its annual tradition of hosting Earth Day activities for guests, has cancelled all on-site programming but is offering an educational and fun kit for at-home use to area families on Friday, April 17 at 11am.
Supplies will be limited and will be distributed until they are exhausted, and last week’s Easter kits sold out by 11:30 with dozens of cars still waiting in line. Although the Earth Day activities scheduled for April 22 have been cancelled due to the mandated shut-down, The Museum is continuing its efforts to provide quality, hands-on learning experiences for children with activites that parents can help direct at home. This week’s kits gives families the opportunity to “own a piece of the Arboretum” as the purple and yellow pansies, originally grown for planting at The Museum’s entrance, will be distributed along with planting and care instructions, giving children the opportunity to continue their learning throughout the spring. The at-home science kits distributed each Friday in April have
all sold out quickly, as parents and caregivers continue to seek innovative and interesting ways to engage children in learning while schools are closed.
While The Museum is discouraging visitors to its grounds this spring to promote social distancing, families who plant the flowers are encouraged to share photos of their garden on social media, in the hopes of spreading awareness about Earth Day and connecting the community participating in the Museum’s distance learning programs. Kits for at-home educational birthday parties are also being sold for families who had parties cancelled due to the mandated shut-down.
Because previous kits were so popular and sold-out before many families were able to take advantage of them, The Museum is asking for a $5 suggested donation for each kit which will help support the development of future educational efforts during this difficult time. Each kit is appropriate for children aged 4 and older, and will include four individual pansies (2 purple and 2 yellow) grown from seeds in The Museum’s own greenhouse. Due to the mandated closure, the Reading Public Museum is experiencing a complete loss of revenues during its busiest
season, and contributions via mail or online are always accepted. Visitors picking up the kits are asked to enter through the Museum Road entrance and remain in their vehicles as kits are distributed and donations are collected.
John Graydon Smith, Director and CEO, stated “While it is disappointing for our hundreds of volunteers and Master Gardeners to not be planting flowers that have been nurtured all winter in our greenhouse, at least we can share this experience with the children of Berks County, and perhaps inspire the next generation of scientists and nature lovers who will enjoy The Museum and its Arboretum in the future.”
