What does Interactive Literacy look like? Circus Ship Day!

At the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, we create environments which foster learning through play. Our focus is on hands-on, interactive learning, even when it comes to literacy.

So what does hands-on, interactive literacy look like?

Literacy education at the Museum and Theatre looks a little different than what you’ve seen before. It’s an interactive experience involving movement, theater, storytelling, invention, curiosity, and no small amount of fun!

On June 24th, children and families can see what interactive literacy is all about on Circus Ship Day! 

What is Circus Ship Day?

Museum staff will bring Chris Van Dusen’s story to life through fun, engaging programming and a visit from the author/illustrator himself! There will be activities for all types of learning styles, such as:

• Listening to an interactive reading by local author & illustrator Chis Van Dusen.
• Getting into character with circus animal face-painting, so kids can pretend to be hopping right out of the book!
• Watching a performance by two characters in the book, Little Emma Rose and Henry the Tiger. This will help children develop critical reading skills like understanding and empathy.
• Practicing circus skills, because movement and literacy go hand in hand! How? Spatial reasoning helps children better learn how letters come together to form words on a page.

Any day this summer, visitors can also experience the Down to the Sea: An Outdoor Adventure exhibit. Modeled after another of Chris’s most beloved books, children experience the story through gross motor play from whale fountain splashing to shipwreck climbing. Children can act out the story or make up their own plot line, sharpening their understanding of story arcs, cause-and-effect, and rhyming.

Giving children of all ages opportunities to experience literature, like reading a picture book, going to see a play, or participating in Circus Ship Day, will go far in helping develop their literacy and critical thinking skills for years to come.

All are welcome to join us on June 24^th for Circus Ship Day! The event is sponsored by Raising Readers and developed in collaboration with the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. This event is included with general admission to the Museum & Theatre. For more information, visit www.kitetails.org.

Happy reading!
Lucia Stancioff

Lucia is the Deputy Director at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine exists to inspire discovery and imagination through specially designed interactive exhibits which allow families to play together. On top of exhibits, the museum layers programmed activities to further inspire curiosity. Additionally, the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine has a focus on theatre in the museum environment, which uses storytelling, puppetry, and dramatic play to increase the opportunities for families to learn through play.

 The Museum & Theatre serves as an indispensable resource for families and educators, helping to create a broad community devoted to our children’s development and learning.