The Hoard Historical Museum has announced that its free preschool program, titled: “Morning at the Museum” will be held Friday, Oct. 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The program will feature officers from the Fort Atkinson Police Department who will be on hand to meet with preschoolers and read books during “storytime,” which will be held between 9 and 9:45 a.m.
The program will be held in monthly installments, with activities planned for preschoolers and their families on the first Friday of each month.
Upcoming programming will include a visit from the Fort Atkinson Fire Department. Plans call for firemen and a firetruck to arrive at the Museum on Friday, Nov. 4. Additionally, crafts are planned for those attending the program on Friday, Dec. 2, according to a recent news release.
According to Dana Bertelsen, assistant director of the museum, during the school year, the museum opens one hour early each first Friday to allow time for young families to participate in the programming.
While the program is geared toward preschool-aged children, toddlers also are welcome, she said.
Bertelsen noted that the program provides an opportunity for young members in the community to find their way around the museum and develop a comfort level.
“The Hoard Museum is a community museum. We want all members of our community to think of the museum as theirs. We hope that this monthly program will allow our youngest patrons to feel that they belong,” Bertelsen was quoted as saying in the release.
The program was begun in 2016, after a museum volunteer suggested the concept of monthly programming for preschoolers, the release stated, adding that Fridays were chosen because 4K students within the School District of Fort Atkinson do not attend classes on Fridays.
Enrollment is not required and the program is open to preschool-aged children from across the area, including those learning at home or attending daycares or private preschools.
Each month will feature a different theme and will include a theme-related coloring activity which children can complete in the museum or at home, the release noted.
Participants are welcome to arrive at anytime within the allotted programming period. While at the museum, families are invited to enjoy the facility at their own pace.
The Hoard Historical Museum, 401 Whitewater Ave., Fort Atkinson, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
For more information, call the museum at 920-397-9914 or visit its website: www.hoardmuseum.org.
Members of the Fort Atkinson Fire Department introduce preschool-aged children to the equipment on a firetruck. The activity was conducted as part of the “Morning at the Museum” program held during a previous year. Contributed photo.
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