Over 200 children of various ages were able to laugh, play, and enjoy different activities by mid-afternoon on Saturday at the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum in Buccaneer Mall on St. Thomas in celebration of Nickelodeon’s “Worldwide Day of Play,” providing the youth with a chance to have a day filled with fun and learning!
According to the VI Children’s Museum, the Worldwide Day of Play is an annual event that encourages children and families to engage in science, music, cultural demonstrations, and traditional gameplay.
Chantel Hoheb, executive director of operations and development of the VI Children’s Museum, said that this is the second time they have hosted this event at their current location.
“Up until last year, we hadn’t done a day of play since the old location,” said Hoheb.
The VI Children’s Museum is part of a network of more than 300 member children’s museums. Hoheb said that to align with other members and Nickelodeon, the VI Children’s Museum changed its celebration day for the event.
“When we used to do it, it was in May. But what happened is the Association of Children’s Museum and Nickelodeon started celebrating the Worldwide Day of Play in September. So we also moved our thing to September,” said Hoheb.
There were many games, toys, and activities for children to engage in at the event. Face painting, toy fishing, henna art, slime-making, steel pan, glow-in-the-dark toys, and geography games were just some of the offerings. The Shen Dragon Karate Dojo and VI Movement Labs did demonstrations and offerings for attendees. Hoheb said that each year the activities change.
“We tend to try to find partners that we can work with again and again, but we don’t usually have the same people all the time. Because if the kids come, maybe you want to learn something new,” said Hoheb.
Funny enough, Hoheb said that though they change games and activities not only for the Worldwide Day of Play but for the museum itself, it is not because of the children. More so, it is because adults have an interest in the activities at the museum.
“Well, funnily, the parents always get bored much faster! They’re always like, ‘You don’t have any new exhibits,’ we’re like, ‘What does your child have to say,”‘ laughed Hoheb.
Hoheb said that children can look at the same exhibit at different ages and have different questions. This year the free event had double the amount of participants than the previous year.
“I will say, I feel like it’s even twice the amount of people that showed up this year. We’ve had to tell people we’re at capacity and have them wait outside,” said Hoheb.
She mentioned that since the museum is located across the entrance from the West Indian Company dock, where the cruise ships are, many people think the museum caters to tourists. However, she is glad that activities like the Worldwide Day of Play allow locals a chance to see that the museum is available for everyone.
“It’s important for us to have a day that’s free because a lot of people could maybe think that the $10 admission is too high. This is a day they can come and see, ‘Oh, this is what be going on in the museum,”’ said Hoheb. “I’ve seen somebody come with seven kids today. That would have cost like $90 on a regular day.”
Hoheb said that the Worldwide Day of Play is special because the museum invites other community organizations to participate.
“Children’s museums aren’t just the space, we’re a community resource. So everyone should be using communities like children’s museums to connect,” said Hoheb. “It’s the community that’s the biggest thing for me here.”
Hoheb thanked their sponsors Island Designs LLC, Keswick Insurance, RapierMed, Tutu Park Mall, Universal Concrete LLC, Raffle Prize, Gallows Point Resort, and Crucian Gold for their contributions that helped to make the event free for all who attended, as well as the community organizations who made the event a success.
For more information, contact the VI Children’s Museum at 340-643-0366 or email them at vichildrensmuseum@gmail.com.
