Is there any more hopeful season than Spring? 

Here at WOW! we have been cheering on the tiny volunteer plants poking out of the soil in our Discovery Garden, so determined to emerge even as a late April snow looms in the forecast. Of course the plants aren’t the only ones growing at WOW!. We’ve added two staff positions recently as we continue to grow to meet our community’s needs. If you’ve been to WOW! lately, you have likely met Netzy, our bilingual Play Ambassador Coordinator, and seen her encourage even the shyest of children to try out an activity on the Museum floor. We know that sometimes grown-ups have a hard time playing alongside their children, so Netzy and her team are there to help all ages discover the power of play! And don’t be surprised to find Matty, our brand-new Social Media Coordinator, photographing memorable WOW! experiences with her infant baby tucked cozily in his sling.

Our programs and events are growing too, thanks to our wonderful members and guests. Perhaps you joined us at last month’s Girls in Science Night -- our biggest ever! Or helped us crush our budget goal at last week’s Family Fundraiser. WOW! has surged back to pre-pandemic membership numbers, and our daily attendance continues to grow. There’s certainly nothing like a building full of happy little explorers to help shake off any of my lingering winter doldrums. I have loved watching young children navigate one of this year’s most popular exhibit enhancements: our new blast-from-the-past telephones, which empower children to make phone calls between exhibits (once they figure out the rotary dials!).

I hope we’ll see you at our Día Del Niño celebration later this month, with free admission for the whole family, and then at our Literacy Festival in May. We have a new partnership with the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and can’t wait to fill the building with published authors sharing their beautiful work. Our friends at the Read Queen Bookstore will handle sales that day, in case you want to leave with a cherished book or two! In May we’re also hosting our first-ever Sensory-Friendly event for adolescents and teens, to complement our regular Sensory Friendly Playtimes. And the month ends with our annual Family Pride Night as we celebrate the diverse families of our community. Of course, we offer education programs and special events year-round, but there’s something about springtime at WOW! that feels extra special and joyful. Enjoy, and Happy Spring! 

- Joanna Cagan, Executive Director