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Plenty of Hands-on, Mind-Tickling Fun Offered at The Playhouse BuildFest on Saturday, April 12

April 1, 2014. The Children’s Playhouse presents Playhouse BuildFest from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 12 at Parkway School. This free event is part of the 2014 North Carolina Science Festival. 

A free event for kids aged 2-12, Build Fest will be a day long celebration of creativity and problem solving, offering more than 25 hands-on STEM and art activities and engaging demonstrations. There will be all ages activities as well as activities specifically designed for preschool, grades K-3 and grades 4-6. 

imgres-1“STEM is a hot buzzword which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math,” explains Playhouse Executive Director Kathy Parham. “But really this fest will have a head of STEAM because we will incorporate theater and visual Art as well.”

And all that translates into a lot of fun and learning for the inventors of the future. 

Parham explains that activities will be provided by Appalachian State University, Watauga High School Robotics Club and Mountain Alliance, the Children’s Playhouse, High Country Girl Scouts – Peaks to Piedmont, Boy Scouts, Watauga County 4-H, Mary’s Montessori School and other community groups. 

“There will be things everyone can enjoy such as the Lego Robots and the Pinewood Derby Track, along with activities specifically designed for preschoolers, grades K-3, and grades 4-6. I think every kid is going to find something to entrance them whether it’s using catapults or building forts or learning about solar energy from the ASU Solar Decathlon Team.”

Admission will be free at the event but families making a day of it will want to purchase lunch at the festival. Pizza, fruit and water will be available. 

The presenting sponsor is the orthodontists and pediatric dentists Drs. Mayhew, Scheffler, Conn and Hardaway. Major Sponors are Appalachian Regional Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, the Children’s Council of Watauga County and Earth Fare Boone. Contributing sponsors are Bluebird Exchange and Boone Drug with additional support from Sarah B. Long Real Estate of Keller Williams Realty and the Blue Mountain Center for Integrative Health. The event supports the Children’s Playhouse, the High Country’s only nonprofit Children’s Museum. 

For more information about Playhouse Build Fest, see www.GoPlayhouse.org or call 828-263-0011.

Buildfest is featured in 2014 North Carolina Science Festival (NCSF) promotions. NCSF spans two weeks, March 28-April 13 and features science events across the state. 

“The North Carolina Science Festival is about communities coming together to celebrate the wonders of science,” said Jonathan Frederick, NCSF director. “Thanks to the talents of our event hosts across the state, there’s something for everyone.”

The North Carolina Science Festival is a two-week statewide series of events showcasing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It includes hands-on activities, science talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits, performances and other events for all ages. The 2014 Festival Champion is Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds initiative. The Festival is proudly produced by UNC-Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. Learn more at www.ncsciencefestival.org.

About The Children’s Playhouse

A nonprofit children’s museum founded in 2002, The Children’s Playhouse provides an enriching play environment for children from birth to age eight while at the same time offering parents and caregivers friendly support in the important job of raising children.          It is located at 400 Tracy Circle near downtown Boone.  Daily admission is $5 per person. A one year Playhouse Passport Membership for $125 includes admission to The Playhouse and half-price admission to more than 150 children’s museums nationwide. Scholarship memberships are available for families that meet income guidelines. The Children’s Playhouse is supported in part by grants from the Barnickel Foundation, the Janes Foundation, Watauga County, the High Country Women’s Fund, the Watauga Legacy Fund, the High Country United Way, Boone Service League, and donations from individuals.  For more information, call 828-263-0011, like it on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Childrens.Playhouse), or visit the website, www.goplayhouse.org.