Share A Story And Win A Prize!

We know that magical moments of discovery happen every day at CMoR. While visiting the museum, if your child experiences a new level of understanding, asks a profound question, or creates a unique masterpiece, we’d like to hear about it.

Each week we will select an entry to publish on our Web site. If selected, you will receive a $50 gift certificate to our museum shop! Scroll down to see the latest winning entry!

Here’s what you need to do:

Download and complete our officlal entry form & release form.
Submissions are limited to a maximum of 500 words.
The Children’s Museum reserves the right to edit and/or abbreviate content for publication.
Release forms must accompany each entry.
Computer processed entries are acceptable IF accompanied by all required information AND a release form.
A photo may be requested.
One winning entry will be selected each Thursday.
Winners will be notified by phone and entries may be posted on our web site.
Winning entries will receive a $50 gift certificate good for purchases in our Museum Shop.
The gift certificate is only redeemable for merchandise in the Children’s Museum of Richmond shop, and cannot be redeemed for cash or any other Children’s Museum products or services.
Please submit your entry:

By mail: Share A Story Contest 2626 West Broad Street Richmond, VA 23220

By fax: 804-474-7099 ATTN: Share A Story Contest

By e-mail: ajonesnassar@c-mor.org

April 10, 2008: Congratulations to CMoR member Jessica Belk, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

As a single mom, I search for fun, flexible, and affordable activities for my family. We purchased the family membership annually and with the price of everything increasing, I was glad and actually surprised to see the fee for membership remain steady, which to me really proves the commitment that CMoR has for meeting the exploratory and educational needs of children.

CMoR is an awesome place for families of all types, shapes, colors, and sizes! It has been a great place for family bonding and spending educationally filled quality time with my children. We spend hours of quality time in the theater, where Candace spends hours dressing up, attempting to dress her brother up and performing for me and parents in the “audience.” I have to share the latest time when she and three other girls, who Candace did not know put on an entire performance!!! It was fantastic to see her confidence and social skills develop right before my eyes. I was so worried about her self-confidence and self esteem due to some recent stressful events I our family, however she came right out of her shell! It’s a wonderful place for her to express herself, develop talents, and enhance her self-esteem.

It’s a safe place for us to just hang out as a family, have fun, be creative and just plain goofy! I mean that literally sometimes, when we hang from the James River site or crawl under the cave there. That’s actually the fun part, having an excuse to be a kid again and enjoy all the hands-on activities.

Joshua, my active three-year-old, enjoys the outdoors so the Backyard is an ideal place for him with opportunities to be expressive in music, creative in his sand projects and with the recent addition of the playhouse an opportunity for his imagination to continue to grow. When the outdoor playhouse opened I was surprised to see Josh run straight to it and pretend that he and his friends (whom he didn’t know) were having a birthday party at his house. I was just shocked at how he used the playhouse to imagine things. After several years of being a member, Joshua was able to venture into the cave for a cave tour. This was a great experience as the tour guide was very animated and shared a lot of valuable educational information.

We also recently did some traveling during spring break and used our membership to visit another museum for free under our CMoR membership, which really made me feel that I was underpaying for my membership. However, as a single mother, I am truly grateful for the family membership. I am thankful for all the volunteers and all that CMoR offers. I am looking forward to a great summer with CMoR. CMoR rocks!!!!

January 17, 2008: Congratulations to Dianne White, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

I recently brought my youngest son, 4-year-old Michael, to CMoR and what a surprise since I had been there with my older children. The new dinosaur and school area exhibits are great and the old favorites are still there. We spent the entire day exploring every nook and cranny of the museum, with my son insisting he was not hungry at lunchtime and leaving reluctantly in order for us to be home to get his siblings off the bus. We climbed, picked apples, spent over an hour creating works of art and, though I thought we owned every style of block possible, found new blocks to build with. While we were playing at the chalkboard, my son began writing his name. He had recently added the “h” to “Mic” and that had been sufficient until now. He asked how to make an “e” and then proceeded to write his entire name. I was thrilled! The next day Michael was writing and when I offered to help him with his name, he adamantly told me no. “I can do it myself, mom. I learned at the museum yesterday.” Thank you, CMoR, for a fun-filled day, the giant blackboard, and the opportunity for new accomplishments!

December 27, 2007: Congratulations to Amanda Kromer, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

I work at a Child Development Center and my class and I have just come back from seeing Legendary Santa. I have a class of 21 children who visited today. Seeing all their little faces when it was time for us to walk through the doors of Santa Land was amazing. Being a 28-year-old adult at Christmas time means running around trying to find the best deals and trying to get everything done and wrapped at the last minute. Today it was different…when I saw the faces of my 21 preschoolers seeing Legendary Santa and the Snow Queen, I realized that Christmas is so much more than just rushing around buying presents – it’s about children and believing! It made me cry and gave me a serious case of the goose bumps when they all walked up to him and he called each of them by name. My class is asleep right now after a long day of not only visiting Legendary Santa but also being able to run around and play in your wonderful and fun museum, and I can only imagine what little dreams are running through their heads after such a magical day. Thanks, Children’s Museum, for making my class and myself BELIEVE!!!

December 20, 2007: Congratulations to CMoR volunteer Catherine Mayfield, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

I am 35 and a native of Virginia Beach and my mother is a native of Martinsville, VA. My mother and her family began coming to see Legendary Santa at Miller & Rhoads in the late 1950’s. They came for many years and ate in the Tea Room and she and her sister had their picture taken with Legendary Santa. My mother brought my brother and I in the late 1970’s back to Miller & Rhoads to relive a happy childhood memory. I believe that was my only encounter with Legendary Santa as a child. I currently have the picture of my brother and I and Legendary Santa hanging on my tree. Last year I heard an ad on the radio asking for volunteers at the Children’s Museum for Legendary Santa. I told my husband and soon found out that he and his brothers had their picture with Legendary Santa in the 1970’s also. I knew then I had to institute a new tradition for my own family. I was married in 2000 and became a stepmother to two wonderful children. Coming into their lives late it was more difficult to start traditions, but after having a child in 2006 it was time to start some new traditions. I was pleased to find out that volunteers received a private session with Legendary Santa, so we all decided that we needed a picture with him. I very much enjoyed working last year and still talk fondly of the experience. I suppose my new tradition is twofold – I will volunteer every year and in exchange my children to get their picture taken with Legendary Santa. It has truly been a pleasure working with the Children’s Museum and I would encourage anyone to volunteer. In fact, I am bringing my 17-year-old stepdaughter to work a shift and experience the joys of the season on all the little faces. As you see, I hope to continue as a volunteer and I will encourage all my children to follow suit. The experience brings out the child in everyone and keeps the dream alive.

November 1, 2007: Congratulations to Cristal Lake-Sanders, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

My very first trip to the Children’s Museum took place approximately ten years ago at the original location (I forget the name of the road). I recall taking my very young nephews at that time and enjoying their exuberance and energy as they flitted from one exhibit to another. Nowadays, you will find me with our two daughters – Jarelyn, age 4 and Elena, age 3 – at CMoR on a regular basis being served “sushi” in the café, playing the grocery store cashier, applauding the amazing stage show, sitting outside while my girls try everything in the Backyard – and that’s all within the first hour of our visit! The second hour is filled with creating enough art projects to fill at least three or four bags, going on another cave tour, a jaunt in the tree house, (a couple trips to the potty of course), then back to play dress-up again. We have had a ball at a few Kids’ Carniball events, danced to the live music of Animal Playground artist Asheba, and most recently were mesmerized with a performance by the Latin Ballet during Hispanic Heritage Day. Our annual family membership is more than worth every penny. We also love the new dinosaur exhibit and additions to the Backyard. With two very busy, very curious children who are close in age, it’s wonderful to have a safe and fun place to go so they can explore, learn, and interact with other kids. The activities never get old for our girls and your staff are always helpful, courteous, and friendly. Keep doing what you’re doing and we will probably see you next week!!!

October 18, 2007: Congratulations to Rebecca Smith, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

CMOR is first-rate! We love experiencing all the exhibits. Our sons three-year-old Tre and ten-month-old Jaidon especially enjoy the new outdoor waterplay area. My husband John and I, both public school educators, are equally impressed with programming at CMOR. We’re so thankful for CMOR and the effort, thought, and planning that goes into special events and special guests. Our three-year-old son Tre looks forward to visits from his PBS buddies like Barney and Clifford each year. The visit with the Legendary Santa is always fun. John and I indulge in Tre’s dynamic smile and dazzled look as Santa calls his name. We greatly appreciate that CMOR holds diverse cultural events like those for Hispanic Heritage Month as well. Kudos CMOR! You’re doing a great job! Mil gracias-a thousand thanks!

October 11, 2007: Congratulations to Donna Sullivan, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

I just recently moved to the Richmond area and the first thing on my agenda was to come to the Children’s Museum. I had brought my children to the museum before (twins age 6 and son age 3) while visiting my sister who lives in the area. I really wanted a place where I could spend quality time with my children but keep all three of them entertained for long jaunts, so they wouldn’t miss their friends and the home we just left. The first time we came this summer they were excited to play with the apparatus but missed their old friends. We were so excited when our friends from our old home could come visit and play at CmoR too thanks to the generous reciprocity program that CmoR participates in. Thanks for helping make our new city our home!

September 20, 2007: Congratulations to Kate Wershbale, this week’s winner of a $50 gift card to our museum shop!

The Children’s Museum of Richmond provides an amazing place for children to have an “aha!” moment. My daughter experienced such a moment on one of our many visits when she was four years old. She had recently watched an animated movie that had peaked her curiosity in, none other than, the sewage system. She was particularly interested in what happened to water when it went down the drain. She had endless questions and anxiety. We gave her countless explanations; however, the drain occupied her thoughts. On a visit to the Children’s Museum, we noticed an exhibit that she had previously not been interested in before. The display had a bathtub built up high on a frame, like you were looking up into the bathroom from under the floor. The bathtub had a translucent bottom and you could see the pipe system providing water to the faucet and from the drain. There was pump that you could push to move the water up through the pipe and watch it drain back down. My daughter pumped and watched that water drain for 45 minutes that day! She could finally see how the water system worked. She felt less anxious and had fewer questions about where water went after that visit. What a good visual and hands-on learning experience for her! Thank you CMoR!