| Contact:
Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3858
(DES
MOINES) –The State Historical Museum will shine
a light (bulb) on a 43-year-old American tradition
this month during an Easy-Bake Oven party.
The public is invited to prepare and cook Easy-Bake
Oven recipes during the party, 5:30-6:30 p.m. November
17, 2006 at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust
Street in Des Moines. The party is being held as part
of the museum’s “Kid Stuff: Great Toys
from our Childhood” exhibit and in conjunction
with the Historic East Village’s Holiday Promenade.
Admission to the party is free.
“Moms and dads and grandparents are invited
to bring their children and grandchildren to the Historical
Museum to try all the Easy-Bake Oven favorites –
yellow cake, chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies
and more,” Department of Cultural Affairs Director
Anita Walker said.
Easy-Bake Oven recipes crafted by world renowned
chefs also will be available to party-goers to take
home, and frosted brownies and cookies prepared in
advance will be available for purchase.
“Kid Stuff” explores the games and gadgets
that have inspired childhood play and imagination
for decades. It has all the classics – from
Tonkas and Tinkertoys to Colorforms and Cooties; from
Raggedy Anns to Radio Flyers. With more than 200 vintage
toys to see, visitors have numerous things to do,
including throwing Nerf balls at “priceless”
crystal, have their pictures taken with a life-sized
Barbie or G.I. Joe, dress Mr. Potato Head –
and Carrot and Eggplant Head – and more.
“Kids are having a great time with this exhibit,
playing with toys their parents grew up with, and
parents and grandparents are revisiting their past
and sharing childhood memories with their own children,”
Walker said. “The intergenerational appeal of
this exhibit is its strongest feature.”
The exhibit, created by the Berkshire Museum and
now on a National Tour, has traveled to the Capitol
Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C., Liberty
Science Center in Jersey City, NJ, the Museum of Science
and Industry in Chicago and other children’s
museums and science centers through the country.
Based on the book Kid Stuff: Great Toys From
Our Childhood, by David Hoffman, the 4,500-square-foot
exhibition displays more than 40 classic toys and
games – the most popular toys of the past 50
years – illustrated by hundreds of classic illustrations,
period advertisements and vintage reels. Many of the
toys featured in the exhibit will be available for
purchase in the Iowa Museum Store located in the Historical
Building, including the modern version of the Easy-Bake
Oven.
Additional events scheduled to be held in conjunction
with “Kid Stuff” include:
November 18, 25 and December 2, 9 & 16
“Breakfast with Santa”
9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
$10, on sale at www.iowatix.com
Join Santa in Cafe Baratta's for breakfast! This traditional
favorite event will serve a hearty feast for children
and adults alike. Local blues musician Frank Strong
will play seasonal songs on guitar and harmonica.
Stick around to hear Santa read traditional holiday
tales from around the globe and sit on his lap for
a picture. Activities include Gift Wrapping for Kids,
toy collectors on display, make-and-take holiday crafts.
November 21 to December 17, 2006
“Toys for Tots”
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday
Noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday
The State Historical Museum will be a Toys for Tots
drop-off site. Toys for Tots collects toys for boys
and girls, newborn to 17 years old. They ask for new,
unwrapped toys for children in these age groups. Due
to health regulations, Toys for Tots is allowed to
distribute only new toys. Thank you for your support.
November 24, 2006
“Toy Stories Festival”
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free
Storytellers, magicians and jugglers from across Iowa
will present “Toy Stories Festival” at
the State Historical Museum. Visitors can play games,
enter contests and watch in awe as cardstacker Bryan
Berg, the Guinness World Record for the World’s
Tallest House of Cards and World’s Largest House
of Cards, builds a structure inside the museum’s
atrium. Touring regularly, Berg has appeared on “CBS
This Morning,” “Good Morning America,”
“The Today Show,” “Ellen DeGeneres,”
“Martha Stewart Unsifted,” “Guinness
Prime Time,” “Ripley’s Believe It
Or Not,” “The Discovery Channel,”
CNN and various foreign shows. His work has been featured
in nearly every major newspaper nationwide in addition
to publications such as Wired, Reader’s
Digest, Men’s Health, Games Magazine, Maxim,
National Geographic For Kids, Time Magazine for Kids
and 321 Contact. In 2004, Berg earned
his Master of Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate
School of Design. He previously served as design faculty
for three years in the Department of Architecture
at Iowa State University, where he received his Professional
Degree in Architecture in 1997.
December 2, 2006
“Doll Collectors”
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free
Visitors to the museum will learn about collecting
and how to place value of fine antiques, cloth dolls
and one-of-a-kind Barbie and fashion dolls.
December 9, 2006
“Trains and Railroads”
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free
Train and railroad collectors will give a presentation
on the hobby of model railroading and scale model
railroad from Des MoiNTRAK.
The State Historical Society of Iowa is a trustee
of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate
for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies,
records, collects, preserves, manages and provides
access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual
mission of preservation and education serves Iowans
of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates
information, and encourages and supports historical
preservation and education efforts of others throughout
the state. Visit www.iowahistory.org
or call 515-281-5111 for more information.
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