Activity pack provides a link to the past
The Muskoka Lakes Museum is known for having something for everyone. But the recent introduction of their family activity backpack makes the experience a little more kid friendly.
The backpack explores First Nations history and contains items that are linked with certain exhibits in the museum and adjoining log cabin.
Heleana Brunton, the museum’s educational programming assistant said the activity packs helps fill a void in First Nations’ history at the museum.
“We wanted to emphasize that more because that’s one of the spots in the museum that hasn’t had a lot of activities and representation,” she said.
Visitors pick up the backpack upon arrival at the museum. It’s filled with interactive activities designed to engage the whole family.
They include an artifact silhouette matching game, a herb identification game, and colouring.
“It’s trying to make the artifacts and exhibits more accessible to children,” Brunton said.
As a family travels through the museum, items in the backpack relate to certain artifacts, which parents can explain to their kids.
“It gets the whole family involved. The parent kind of leads the way, and they have an instruction booklet,” Brunton said. “It’s kind of linking how the relations were between pioneers and First Nations.”
The pack is returned upon exiting the museum.
Brunton noted that the notion of an activity pack has proved successful in the past.
“The idea came from previous backpacks that were done at other museums,” she said.
The family backpack builds on a number of activities at the museum designed to cater to children, but provide fun for the whole family. Other activities include a working antique telephone exhibit, a pioneer dress-up trunk, and various scavenger hunts.
The museum is located at 100 Joseph Street in the heart of Port Carling. It’s open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Admission is $2.50 per adult, $8 for the family, and children five and under are free.