Thanksgiving Point Gazette - Summer 2019 by Thanksgiving Point

Gazette THANKSGIVING POINT

W H E R E FA M I L I E S C O M E T O G E T H E R | S U M M E R 2 019 VO L U M E 7, I S S U E 2

CULTURAL

IN THIS ISSUE: School’s Out, Learning’s In!

First Ever Garden of Quilts

Your Child’s Process of Learning p 14-15 Now Serving: Fairy Tale Tea Party p 16

ADVENTURE MYTHS

TALL FOLKLORELEGENDS TALES HUMOROUSFAMILY

FAIRY TALES

GHOST TIMPANOGOS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL The long-running, world-class storytelling festival returns to Thanksgiving Point p11-13

FABLES

Gazette THANKSGIVING POINT

TO MAKE A DONATION ThanksgivingPoint.org/give

TO SCHEDULE AN EVENT

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO

801.768.4947

Dear friends,

TICKET SALES 801.768.4900 Toll Free 888.672.6040

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION 801.768.7478 membership@thanksgivingpoint.org ThanksgivingPoint.org/membership

EDUCATION 801.768.4971

GENERAL INQUIRIES 801.768.2300

VOLUNTEER INQUIRIES 801.768.7426

PUBLISHER Erica Brown Thanksgiving Point 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, Utah 84043 801.768.2300

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Josh Berndt

ASSISTANT EDITORS Emily Duffy Jodie Fisher Rachel Olsen

ART DIRECTOR Jeremy Andrus

CONTRIBUTORS Josh Berndt Lisa Brahms Hannah Browne Ashley Clouse Cindy Cloward Axel Estable Morgan Hansen

Amanda Lundberg Kelly Morris Kari Nelson Debbi Richan Dawn Robles Laura Stricker Matt Valdez

You may know Utah’s state nickname: The Beehive State. Beehive symbols appear on Utah’s state flag, seal, and coat of arms. Beehives were chosen early on to represent Utah’s values of loyalty, hard work, and industry. While you’ve probably seen bees and beehives, you’ve never seen bees quite like this. Butterfly Biosphere’s new Honey Pot beehive in the Bee Classroom offers an up-close look at the fascinating life of bumblebees. Starting June 1, visit large, fuzzy bumblebees working and living in their new Honey Pot habitat. The exhibit features Bombus impatiens, or common Eastern bumblebees. These bees are great pollinators, and farmers put them to work pollinating tomatoes, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables in commercial greenhouses. Utah’s state insect Apis mellifera or the European honey bee, is another species living and working in the wild and on farms. While this bee is not native to Utah, Utah does have more than 1,000 species of native bees you’ll learn about when you visit. In the Bee Classroom, you will watch daily pollen feedings in the Honey Pot, dress-up for pictures in a pretend beehive, and learn more about these amazing animals. We hope you’ll BEE so inspired you’ll join us to help them in your own yards and homes. Get started at thanksgivingpoint.org/bees. We have more exciting experiences to share. This summer take the Minotaur Maze challenge with the “Dinosaur Revolution” at the Museum of Ancient Life and follow the growth of America through a maze of migration at the Museum of Natural Curiosity’s “American Adventure”. Also, this year, Timpanogos Storytelling Festival celebrates its 30th year September 5-7 at Ashton Gardens. Now the largest storytelling festival in the West, this annual event features award-winning performers from around the world. The following weekend, Garden of Quilts makes its debut with over 1,000 quilts displayed throughout Ashton Gardens. Designers like Lori Holt and quilting sensations like Jenny Doan will host trunk shows and teach classes. Both events are sure to be family favorites. Get tickets early as events will sell out. These expansions are just the latest in the growing and improved experiences Thanksgiving Point strives to offer the community. As a member, your support helps experiences like the Honey Pot and Garden of Quilts become a reality. Thank you. We hope you enjoy a summer full of memories and wonderful adventures. Join us on this journey of transformative learning at Thanksgiving Point and stay tuned for more exciting announcements coming later this year.

SOCIAL MEDIA @thankspoint / Thanksgiving Point

Sincerely,

WEBSITE ThanksgivingPoint.org

Mike L Washburn

Thanksgiving Point Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit farm, garden, and museum complex that draws upon the natural world to cultivate transformative family learning.

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Docent program at

THE BUTTERFLY BIOSPHERE ASHLEY CLOUSE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR When you visit the Butterfly Biosphere you will have the opportunity to interact with a variety of Thanksgiving Point staff and volunteers, and if you are lucky you may even get a chance to explore with a Butterfly Biosphere Docent. Sporting dark blue shirts, you may spot them in the conservatory huddled over a brightly colored butterfly with a group of guests, inviting them to look closer. You may also catch them at a Critter Encounter show, sharing interesting facts about Giant African Millipedes (did you know they have four legs per body segment?) or a variety of other critters. Docents at the Butterfly Biosphere play an important role in meeting our mission at Thanksgiving Point: through inquiry-based facilitation and interpretation of the awe-inspiring animals at the venue, they provide transformative family learning experiences for our guests.

Butterflies and

Bees!

It’s a summer of the Butterflies and the Bees at Thanksgiving Point! Opening June 1, see the brand-new Bee Classroom at Butterfly Biosphere and learn about bees and pollinators across Thanksgiving Point.

In order to prepare them for this mission-critical task, Thanksgiving Point provides continuing-education opportunities covering a variety of topics related to facilitation and entomology. Some of the many trainings provided include: inquiry facilitation, museum visitor types, animal handling, USDA regulations, butterfly identification, and more. Docents also have the opportunity to work closely with Thanksgiving Point’s team of entomologists as well as learn from other experts in the field through guest lectures.

– Visit the Bee Classroom’s Honey Pot and meet Bombus impatiens, or common eastern bumblebees, for daily pollen feedings and dress-up play area.

– Come to the Butterfly Biosphere on Tuesdays with guests ages 5 and under for hands-on exploration of insects and the natural world.

– Join pollinator-themed Tales for Tots Friday June 21 and July 26 at Ashton Gardens.

– Sign-up for Baby & Me Bumblebee/Honey Bee & Me classes for ages 12-23 months and 24-36 months.

– Meet the native bees and insects at the new Insect Hotel at Farm Country.

When asked why they were interested in the Butterfly Biosphere Docent program and what they enjoy most about it, this is what some of our docents had to say:

– Register for a hands-on class on Beneficial Insects at Ashton Gardens (June 13).

LARRY “I wanted to use some of my initial background as a Zoology major in college which indirectly led me to my profession as a dentist. I was always fascinated by the area of Invertebrate Zoology and its intriguing study of our complex system of lifeforms, especially arthropods. Volunteering at the new Butterfly Biosphere was a perfect setting for this.

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION WEEK

I thoroughly enjoy my opportunity to volunteer as a docent and thrill at the chance to meet new people and share new insight into the amazing world of bugs and butterflies. The single greatest joy is the feedback and excitement I witness in the faces of young children as they discover the important role of these amazing creatures we showcase here at the Butterfly Biosphere.”

Thanksgiving Point will be celebrating Volunteer Recognition Week July 15-20. We are so grateful for all that volunteers do. They are involved in everything from events and education to taking care of the garden. Thank you to all of our volunteers! We couldn’t do what we do without them.

KEVIN “My very first thought was, ’I get to hang with butterflies!’ I still feel that way every. single. time. Then I learned that helping others discover and learn about those beautiful creatures was even more fun than just hanging in the conservatory. I love to see the faces, both children and adults, when I witness them learn something cool about butterflies. A side benefit is that I get to learn something new almost every single time I am there. I hope that never stops.”

For more information about Thanksgiving Point’s Docent programs or other volunteer opportunities, please visit: ThanksgivingPoint.org/volunteer.

THANKSGIVING POINT | SUMMER GAZET TE

ISMENIUS LONGWING [Heliconius ismenius] PHOTO COURTESY OF MATT VALDEZ PHOTOGRAPHY

Butterfly Spotlight:

TIGER COMPLEX MORGAN HANSEN INVERTEBRATE KEEPER

The Butterfly Biosphere is proud to house nearly 60 different butterfly species at a time! Many of these species look wildly different, demonstrating a stunning array of colors – blues and yellows, greens and browns, blacks and whites. However, some species thrive not by looking different from others but copying the patterns of other butterfly species. This defense strategy is called mimicry, and we have several great examples of mimicry in the Butterfly Biosphere! This season’s butterfly highlight is on the butterflies that are part of the ‘tiger complex’. These butterflies are similar in size and share distinct features of black, orange, and yellow stripes and spots on their wings-it’s no surprise they are referred to as tigers! What could these unrelated species gain from mimicking other species? The answer is evolutionary genius! Many species of butterflies are poisonous to eat, so if a predator like a bird eats one, they will feel sick and not want to eat that kind of butterfly anymore. Other birds can even learn to avoid the yucky butterflies by watching the reactions of other birds! Two such unpalatable species we have

here at the Biosphere are the Creamspotted Tigerwing (Tithorea tarricina) and Ismenius Longwing (Heliconius ismenius) which benefit by sharing the distinct tiger features. If a bird previously got sick from eating the Cream-spotted Tigerwing, they would avoid them in the future, as well as avoid the Ismenius Longwings. Other species of butterflies that aren’t poisonous can mimic unpalatable butterflies. For example, Viceroy butterflies mimic Monarchs, which are well known by predators to be unpleasant prey items. They protect themselves by looking like the yucky butterflies, and the birds and other predators leave them alone! This defensive tactic works well only when the poisonous varieties outnumber the nonpoisonous species in an environment. For a bird, its better to be safe than sorry, and leave all orange and black butterflies off the menu! Come and visit these and all our amazing butterfly species at the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point’s Water Tower Plaza. The Biosphere is open Monday-Saturdays 10 am – 8 pm and is free for Thanksgiving Point members. m

TIGERWING BUTTERFLY [Tithorea tarricina] NESTS INSIDE THE BUTTERFLY BIOSPHERE

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It’s Summer

SCHOOL’S OUT, LEARNING’S IN! AXEL ESTABLE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, CURATOR OF CURIOSITY

Did you know that the average American only spends about five percent of his or her lifetime in a formal education setting, i.e. school or college (Falk, J. H. and Dierking, L.D., 2010. The 95 percent solution. American Scientist, 98:486-493)? The remaining 95 percent are spent involved in informal learning experiences and are great opportunities to acquire essential skills through gathering information, asking questions, making mistakes, solving problems, and most importantly, playing. Baking a cake? Ask your little one to count the cups of flour as your pour them, or your school-age child to double or halve the recipe. Gardening? Calculate how many plants it takes to cover an area and discuss what plants need to grow. A camping trip or a hike is a great opportunity to explore the environment, talk about natural history, and be curious. Why are some trees pointy, and some trees round? Why are some rocks black, and others red? Why do some animals have two legs, others four, six, or more? All these questions don’t require a right or wrong answer – going through the cognitive process of discussing them promotes the executive function of the brain (i.e., the learning and decisionmaking function, as opposed to the content storage function). And after your trip, you can bring back critters to put in a terrarium and observe at home and compare to the animal habitats at the Butterfly Biosphere.

While play with a parent, which involves unique social and emotional interactions, is particularly valuable to a child, playing with peers has its benefits too. Exchanging, observing, evaluating, and modeling experiences challenges children to open up their minds to different perspectives and develop social skills such as tolerance and empathy. Summer camps offer a singular opportunity for peer play; at Thanksgiving Point, summer camps offer the additional benefit of having developmentally adequate learning outcomes. Preschoolers can learn basic cooking skills in the Little Chefs camp, or the life of farm animals with Farm Friends. Second and third graders discover the world of arthropods in and around the Butterfly Biosphere in our Junior Entomologist camp, while fourth and fifth graders explore our state’s geology, ecology, history, and mythology in the Wonders of Utah camp. Sixth graders investigate chemistry in Fizz!, and high school students have a chance to build and explore virtual worlds in the AR/VR camp. There are plenty of learning themes and opportunities for all ages! This year, for the first time Thanksgiving Point will also be offering three weeks of golf camps, in which children can perfect their swing but also learn about the aerodynamics of a golf ball or the science of turf. And for parents busy working – or golfing – during the day, we offer after care until 5:30 pm, so you don’t feel rushed to pick up your child mid-afternoon. We want kids of all ages and abilities to get out and play this summer. No matter the interest

and ability level of your child(ren) you can find things that are fun and help create curiosity in them. Finally, thanks to generous grants from the Utah Stem Action Center, WalMart, Wells Fargo and doTERRA, Thanksgiving Point offers scholarships to low-income families. For information about those scholarships or any of our camps, visit Thanksgivingpoint.org/daycamps or call 801.768.4971.

Summer is a particularly good time for learning through playing, inside and outside the home. With long days, fewer school hours, more sleep, and plenty of energy, there is plenty of time to be creative, explore, start projects, try new things, and have fun doing it all. Almost every activity can be a learning moment for any age, with a little bit of investigative mindset and a few developmentally appropriate questions.

THANKSGIVING POINT | SUMMER GAZET TE

First ever

GARDEN OF QUILTS in Ashton Gardens

Presented in partnership with

CINDY CLOWARD & KELLY MORRIS RILEY BLAKE DESIGNS Expansive green lawns, fragrant flowers in full bloom, fresh plantings in the shape of quilt blocks and stunning quilts hung throughout the extensive themed gardens. These are some of the visions Cindy Cloward had of a one-of-a-kind quilt event to be held in Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point on September 12-14. Cindy Cloward owns Riley Blake Designs along with her husband Bret. Together with their amazing team and talented designers, they create beautifully designed, highquality fabrics for the quilting and home sewing industry. For years Cindy has enjoyed, and admired Ashton Gardens filled with color, inspiration and tranquility. Last year little seeds of an idea to create an outdoor quilt show became an overwhelming desire to bring the idea to fruition during RBD’s 10th anniversary celebration.

Cindy and Karen Ashton, founder of Ashton Gardens, had a chance meeting at a Jenny Doan event last year. An introduction was made, and Cindy presented her idea. Karen, an avid quilter and quilt collector, saw the vision and the seed of an idea was planted. Karen cautioned, “Well, I don’t do anything small”. Cindy replied nervously, “Neither do I”, and then added “Wouldn’t it be amazing to see quilts in Ashton Gardens with flowers in full bloom?” Fast forward a few months and the Garden of Quilts is now taking registrations for this unforgettable event. Attendees will have the opportunity to stroll through 55 acres of beautifully themed gardens hung with complementary quilts from all over the United States and beyond. An all-star roster of quilting and sewing experts will be converging on Utah to teach classes, present trunk shows, and to mix and mingle with

attendees. If you are a beginner quilter, advanced, or even if you’ve never quilted before, there is a class for you. If you want to just roam Ashton Gardens and soak it all in, there will be open lectures, trunk shows, a charity tent, food vendors, and a boutique vendor tent to be enjoyed. Garden of Quilts will also offer a proper English Tea Party in the Trellis Café on Friday and Saturday afternoon. It’s going to be a visual delight you don’t want to miss! Consider yourself invited. Come and see this seed of an idea reach full bloom this September and enjoy a truly unique experience. Get your tickets and register for classes by visiting ThanksgivingPoint.org/quilts.

SEPTEMBER 12-14 at ASHTON GARDENS

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Thanksgiving Point’s

IMAGINE THAT! GALA HANNAH BROWNE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE

Mark your calendars for our 13th annual benefit, “Imagine That! Gala” presented by the Barbara Barrington Jones Foundation on Thursday, August 8, 2019 in the Thanksgiving Point Show Barn. Imagine That! Gala is a spectacular evening of culinary delights and exclusive auction items. Proceeds from this charity event will raise money for Thanksgiving Point’s scholarship fund and educational programs at our venues to support underserved youth and schools. If you can’t come, please support us by going online to participate in our silent auction by using the link http://bidpal.net/imagine19, available August 1 or by donating an item for our auction. The Discovery Cup Golf Challenge, presented by Skipio, follows on Friday, August 9 at the Thanksgiving Point Golf Course. This event is full of food and prizes and is one of the premier golfing events in Utah. These events celebrate the empowerment of transformative family learning through nationally recognized STEM-based education programs.

Individual tickets are available for purchase. The Gala will be a night to remember with plenty of exclusive experiences and items available for purchase at our silent and live auctions! Some items include: a mermaid Secret Garden birthday party, glamping under the stars in Ashton Gardens, a sleepover in the Costa Roca Climber, a Light of the World Tour with Sister Julie B. Beck, and many more. If you or your company is interested in purchasing a table for the Gala, being a hole sponsor, or entering a foursome or twosome in the golf challenge, please contact Laura St. Onge, Director of Corporate Relations, at lstonge@thanksgivingpoint.org or 801.768.7433. Also visit ThanksgivingPoint.org/Gala to purchase tickets. Thank you for your continued support of our mission.

AUGUST 8

at THE SHOW BARN

If you would like to donate any of the following items, we would appreciate it! • Fabric

• Lined notebooks

• Sandpaper

• Chubby crayons

• Glue

• Pencils

• Pom poms

• Dot markers

• Erasers

• Laptops

• Non-Toxic washable paint

• Stickers

• Pipe cleaners

• iPads

• White poster board

• Colored paper

• Masking tape

• Terrariums

• Washable markers

• Kid scissors

• Coffee filters

• Fish tanks

Contact Hannah Browne at hbrowne@thanksgivingpoint.org for more details or drop off donations at the front desk of the Museum of Ancient Life.

TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS! 97th Floor Adobe Best Buy Chick-fil-A Coca-Cola doTERRA ENIUM Kahlert Foundation Little Giant Ladder Mountain Star Hospitals NuSkin Oakdell Eggs Outlets at Traverse Mountain Podium Skipio Troon Golf UCCU US Synthetic Utah Broadband Utah Valley Magazine Walmart Zions Bank

June 22

June 26

Experience the Utah Symphony at the iconic Waterfall Amphitheatre at Thanksgiving Point. The orchestra under the direction of Conner Gray Covington will perform selections from composer John Williams’ movie scores—including Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Superman—and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with live cannon fire by Cannoneers of the Wasatch. Bring a picnic, grab concessions, or pre-order a picnic. Following the performance enjoy a firework show.

ASHTON GARDENS

UTAH SYMPHONY AT THE WATERFALL

This Saturday around Midsummer’s Eve, join us to celebrate magic, fairies, and the rich characters of fairy tales! Everyone will enjoy as we bring these folk tales to life discussing the science and history behind these stories and what we can learn from them. It’s magical fun for the whole family! In addition to this magical day, all aspiring princesses and knights are summoned to the Fairy Tale Festival Boutique at the Brick Canvas AVEDA Salon.

ASHTON GARDENS

FAIRY TALE FESTIVAL & FAIRY TALE TEA PARTY

Celebrate all things dairy at Farm Country! Discover the wonders of dairy by making homemade butter, riding the cow train, and playing a variety of activities! Activities include butter making, cow trains, and bus tours to a working farm.

FARM COUNTRY June 8

DAIRY DAY

2019

JUN

TALES FOR TOTS

MON

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

TUE

UTAH SYMPHONY

TALES FOR TOTS

WED

MELODY MAKERS

THU

TALES FOR TOTS

FRI

FAIRY TALE TEA PARTY

FAIRY TALE FESTIVAL

DAIRY DAY

MATH IN MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

SAT

July 5, 12, 19, 26 & August 2, 9

July 13

July 20

July 31

Attention “Potterheads” this day at the Museum of Natural Curiosity is just for you! Come and cast your best spell and enjoy all the birthday fun at our first Wizardly Birthday party.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL CURIOSITY

WIZARDLY BIRTHDAY

It’s everyone’s favorite dessert and activity! Come and throw some Jell-O at your best friends and family at the only encouraged food fight in Utah! Celebrate Pioneer Day in Jell-O style this year. In conjunction with our state’s holiday be sure to get your best recipes prepared for the judges in the Utah Foods Cook-off. Dutch Over, funeral potatoes, fry sauce, and naturally, Jell-O will be on display.

ELECTRIC PARK

JIGGLEFEST / UTAH FOODS COOK-OFF

Attention dinosaur lovers! Mark your calendar for Dino Day at the Museum of Ancient Life. Come learn about the amazing profession of paleontology and get up close and personal with actual fossils.

MUSEUM OF ANCIENT LIFE

DINO DAY

The Outdoor Movie Series is back for another summer of fun at the Ashton Gardens! Bring a blanket, grab popcorn and treats from the concession stand, and enjoy unforgettable family films under the stars. Friday evenings in the Gardens.

ASHTON GARDENS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES

2019

JUL

TALES FOR TOTS

MON

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

TUE

MELODY MAKERS

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT ELECTRIC PARK

MELODY MAKERS

THU

31 WIZARDLY BIRTHDAY

TALES FOR TOTS

TULIP FESTIVAL APRIL 12–MAY 4 [Closed Sundays]

TALES FOR TOTS

WED 5

26 OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Napoleon Dynamite

TALES FOR TOTS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Emperor’s New Groove

TALES FOR TOTS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Lego Movie 2

TALES FOR TOTS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

TALES FOR TOTS

FRI

UTAH FOODS COOK-OFF

JIGGLEFEST

DINO DAY

MATH IN MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

SAT

August 8

August 9

August 16

August 17

Jaws might be the most feared shark of all-time, but come and learn why sharks are such amazing and important animals in the ocean. Sharktastic Saturday has something for all kids, young and old, to learn about our friends in the deep blue sea.

MUSEUM OF ANCIENT LIFE

SHARKTASTIC SATURDAY

All good things come to end, including summer vacation. While summer is ending the party at the Museum of Natural Curiosity will make you forget all about the school-year blues at the end of summer bash! Comedy group Random Tangent to perform. Weâ€™ll have games, food, and of course fun on hand for all.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL CURIOSITY

END OF SUMMER BASH

As part of the Imagine That! Gala is the Discovery Cup Golf Tournament. Get your favorite foursome prepped and ready for an amazing round of golf for a great cause. Tournament is played at the Thanksgiving Point Golf Club.

THANKSGIVING POINT GOLF COURSE

DISCOVERY CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT

Each year Thanksgiving Point hosts our annual Gala to help raise funds for the educational needs of the property. Thanks to generous donations and bidders this event is key to helping Thanksgiving Point become what has become today.

SHOW BARN

IMAGINE THAT! GALA

2019

AUG

TALES FOR TOTS

MON

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

ITSY-BITSY SCIENCE

MELODY MAKERS

TUE

TALES FOR TOTS

WED

MELODY MAKERS

IMAGINE THAT! GALA

MELODY MAKERS

THU 2

TALES FOR TOTS

END OF SUMMER BASH

TALES FOR TOTS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

DISCOVERY CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT

TALES FOR TOTS

OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Incredibles 2

TALES FOR TOTS

FRI

SHARKTASTIC SATURDAY

MATH IN MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

SAT

THANKSGIVING POINT | SUMMER GAZET TE

Thirty years of stories

DEBI RICHAN TIMPANOGOS STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

30 years ago, the Berlin Wall had fallen and Germany was reunified, the Hubble Telescope sent its first pictures back from space, “Ghost” was in theaters, and the World Wide Web was about to debut. One more important thing: the first Timpanogos Storytelling Festival was held in Karen Ashton’s yard. In those 30 amazing years Karen Ashton’s tremendous vision of creating a world-class storytelling festival has become a reality and with the help of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of listeners, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is now one of the premier festivals in the country. Three years ago, the Festival moved to the Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point—the ideal setting. And, during the Festival, guests are able to enjoy incredible stories as well as the breathtaking Ashton Gardens! Just before the Festival takes place on September 5-7 this year, five huge tents, each with 600-1,100 seats, will be raised in order to spread shade over listeners who come from all over the United States and several countries. Earlier that week, diverse tellers will arrive from near and far preparing to teach, model, and share the oldest art form—storytelling. With the Gardens in full, luxuriant bloom, hundreds of friends will gather, settle into their seats, and create a community from a group of strangers by laughing together, remembering, listening, and sharing stories. It’s a miraculous thing!

The tales we share tell us who we are. When we listen to the stories of others, we learn about them—and about ourselves. Our opinions may change, shift, or adjust to a different idea. We may more clearly understand our own perspective, or someone else’s point of view. “I think storytelling is close to the heart of all human beings,” Karen Ashton says. “It’s the way we put life together, it’s the way we daydream, it’s the way we hope and wish.” New to the Festival in 2019 is a “Family Tent.” While all of our tellers share stories suitable for all audiences, some performances require longer attention spans. The Family Tent will host puppetry, mime, magic, music, and storytelling with younger listeners in mind. And, for our young guests who would love some creative fun between stories, the Pottery Tent will be close by to enjoy. Under the rays of the Indian summer sun, you will work up an appetite and a thirst for more than just stories. Some of Utah’s finest food vendors will be ready with delectable drinks, dinners, and desserts throughout the Festival. Between the hour-long story sets, you will have time to explore the spectacular gardens, enjoy the Light of the World Garden, feed the fish, or find a treasure at Fanfare.

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I think storytelling is close to the heart of all human beings. It’s the way we put life together, it’s the way we daydream, it’s the way we hope and wish. This summer at

Fanfare is our Festival store, where you can’t take the storytellers home, but you can take home recordings of their stories or their award-winning books as a pretty great replacement souvenir. You’ll also find a huge variety of storytelling resources, along with a selection of the most unique and entertaining puppets around. We are particularly delighted to welcome Ancestry.com to the Festival, with computers and researchers to help you find the stories that have made you who you are. Stop by for a visit. You are likely to learn stories you never imagined, inhabited by members of your own family!

• Fairy Tale Festival: June 22

Ticket prices will never be able to cover the expense of this event, so we gratefully acknowledge the generous donations of our kind sponsors. In order to bring this outstanding celebration of life to our community, many individuals and groups have offered their monetary support. Each donation, regardless of the amount, is gratefully accepted and helps build this community. If finances do not permit, the Festival also relies on an army of volunteers, and we are thrilled to enlist you.

• Utah Symphony at the Waterfall: June 26 • Outdoor Movie Series: July 5,12,19,27 & August 2,9

The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival is magical. It is uplifting, funny, poignant, inspiring, energizing, and exciting. But all the adjectives in the world will not help you understand the Festival as well as one day of attending. If you have always meant to come but never quite made it, let this be the year! If you have been before, no more need be said. We’ll see you there!

• Labor Day Luau: September 2 • Storytelling Festival: September 5-7 • Garden of Quilts: September 12-14 (see pg. 6) • Garden of Quilts Tea Party: September 13 & 14

THANKSGIVING POINT | SUMMER GAZET TE

Your Child’s

PROCESS OF LEARNING “How does my child learn?” As parents or caregivers, we often think about how to best support our children as they develop into healthy, thriving human beings. Providing a range of learning opportunities is an important part of that support. These opportunities can come in many forms, including the rich child-centered experiences found at children’s museums. There are more than 300 children’s museums across the country that excel at creating a setting where, as children play, they develop strong cognitive, social, emotional, and physical foundations. Specifically, these museums aim to highlight the process of children’s learning.

The museums at Thanksgiving Point, in partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums’ Children’s Museums Research Network (CMRN), recently participated in a national study about how parents1 see and understand their children’s learning in the context of children’s museums. The study found that during their museum visit, parents observed instances of their child’s learning. Parents also noticed the process of learning taking place and expressed value in that process.

LISA BRAHMS CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH

KARI ROSS NELSON THANKSGIVING POINT

DAWN ROBLES CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF SONOMA COUNTY

LAURA STRICKER PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Knowledge is a process, not a product. Jerome Bruner, Toward a Theory of Instruction (1966)

In this article the term “parent/s” includes “caregivers”.

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What is process learning? Process learning focuses on the process of how someone learns, rather than the outcome of their learning. Children’s museums consider the process of how someone learns—that is, their experiences, feelings, and agency—just as important as the knowledge they gain as an outcome of their learning.

Process learning is: EXPLORATORY + HANDS-ON Children are able to experience objects, tools, and materials freely through hands-on exploration.

CHILD-DRIVEN

TRAVELLING EXHIBITS

! w o N Open

Children’s experiences, actions, and thoughts are led by child’s own motivations and interests.

OPEN-ENDED Children’s experiences, actions, and thoughts are unbounded; possibilities are limitless; there are no wrong answers, single solutions, or final products.

NOVEL 2 Children’s experiences, actions, and thoughts are unique to the child; there are no step-by-step instructions, samples to follow, or wrong ways of doing.

Research + Findings CMRN conducted this study to gain a better understanding of what parents learn about their children during a trip to a children’s museum. Through online questionnaires and a series of follow-up interviews3, CMRN found:

In a children’s museum setting... ...parents discovered things about their children related to the process of learning. ...observing their children in the process of learning gave caregivers a context to discover something about how their children learn.

A role-play adventure where you learn what it was like to be one of the original European colonists in America fighting for survival during the winter of 1607. Upon entering the exhibit, you choose a character and then proceed through a maze where you make choices and face challenges including a rock wall and zip line. Do you have what it takes to survive? Located in the Museum of Ancient Life.

...parents identified processes encouraged or brought out in the museum environment that allowed them to observe how their children learn. ...parents felt that children’s museums offer a unique opportunity for them to observe how their children learn, unlike any other place or experience.

On Your Next Visit Next time you visit our museums, take time to observe the process of your children’s learning. Observations can provide insight into their interests, motivations, and the way they gather information about the world. You can use what you see to help foster your children’s learning outside of the museum.

Keep an eye out for: • How they experiment with new materials, tools, or objects. • The steps they take to figure out how something works. • Their interactions with other children in the space. • Their feelings or emotions as they make new discoveries.

• Where they go and how long they stay. • Expressions of exclamation or frustration. • How they approach and use new materials. • Ways they talk about what they are doing.

Uncover the facts and fossils about dinosaurs in Dinosaur Revolution as you LIVE LARGE in reptilian role-play activities, undertake three Mesozoic Missions spanning 150 million years and mimic dinosaur behavior. Become a junior paleontologist and find evidence of your dinosaur doings; learn why dinosaurs are one of the most successful survivors in earth’s history; and unearth a shocking discovery: dinosaurs may not be extinct! Located in the Museum of Natural Curiosity.

How Process-Focused Art Experiences Support Preschoolers.” By Laurel Bongiorno. Retrieved 11/10/18. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/ feb2014/process-art-experiences 3 Eight CMRN members distributed. Total surveys completed = 223. Total follow-up phone interviews = 20. 2

THANKSGIVING POINT | SUMMER GAZET TE

Coming to Thanksgiving Point:

FAIRY TALE TEA PARTY AMANDA LUNDBERG SIGNATURE EXPERIENCES MANAGER

Growing up, I hosted many tea parties with my stuffed animals. In classic younger-sibling style, I “borrowed” my older sister’s tea set, filled the tea cups with water (because six-year-olds have limited resources), and threw a marvelous pretend feast for my guests. I was not alone! Many of my friends did this same thing, and as an adult I get to watch my nieces and nephews follow suit. I’ve even been to “grown-up” tea parties, and it’s just as much fun as it was as a kid. Turns out real food is much better!

and having another light meal of small sandwiches or cakes. Then she started inviting her friends.

Although tea itself has been around for thousands of years, the British-style tea parties one might envision are actually fairly recent, beginning in the 1800s. Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, is attributed with creating what is now known as ‘Afternoon Tea’. For centuries, English culture primarily had only two meals in the day: breakfast and dinner. Throughout the years the time for dinner was getting moved later and later in the day, going as late as 8:00 pm! Luckily, luncheon (lunch) was set up to fill in the gap, but was a very light meal and, seeing as it was served at midday, was certainly not enough to tide one over for eight hours until dinner. At least, it wasn’t enough for Anna Russell. Anna started a late-afternoon tradition of drinking tea

This timing is retrospectively crucial, because it was only a couple decades later in 1865 that Lewis Carroll published his classic, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Of course, this novel included a scene with the Mad Hatter hosting a tea party – because tea parties were all the rage at this time!

It’s worth mentioning that royal British women have a knack for starting social trends. Think Queen Victoria with mourning etiquette and practices, or more recently Kate Middleton’s wedding dress. Similarly, Anna Russell invited some friends to tea and before you could say “pinkies up,” the Afternoon Tea trend was born.

Fast forward to 1951, and the Disney film Alice in Wonderland is released, with one of the most iconic tea party scenes in cinematic history. It suddenly turned an adult tea experience into something that became recognizable and relatable to children. While I didn’t watch Alice in Wonderland all that much as a child, it was that scene that I envisioned when I had tea parties.

So, without further ado, Thanksgiving Point is excited to bring the fun of childhood tea parties to its first ever Fairy Tale Tea Party! Suitable for children and adults, this party will be equipped with all the essentials: fairy tale characters, garden views, and some delicious tea party eats including lemonades and herbal tea! After the tea party, enjoy a walk through the gorgeous Ashton Gardens to participate in the Fairy Tale Festival. Another tea party experience to keep your eyes out for is one that will be happening with the Garden of Quilts in September. Trellis Café will host an Afternoon Tea that Anna Russell would be proud of. For more information on these magical parties, visit ThanksgivingPoint.org.

ld Out Sofor 2019 but check out the

Fairy Tale Boutique at Brick Canvas, June 22

VOLUME SEVEN | ISSUE T WO

Once upon a time... Whether it’s Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Rapunzel, or Little Red Riding Hood we all have memorable stories in our minds. Now is your chance to create your own story title and beginning. After you’ve created an amazing story be sure to illustrate your cover as well. We all have a story, what’s yours? Show us on our social media pages.

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WANT TO LEARN MORE? Visit the Thanksgiving Point YouTube channel to see amazing videos about bugs, dinosaurs, gardening, and more! Check out hits like “Buggin’ Out” with Zak Gezon from the Butterfly Biosphere, “Bones with Rick”, Thanksgiving Point’s head paleontologist, “Room to Grow” with Sarah Allred from the Ashton Gardens and “Curiosity Central” with Axel Estable from the Education Department. Make sure to hit the subscribe button to get the first look at all new videos.