The UM Museum is hosting Let’s Move! Family Activity Day this weekend.
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi Museum and Baptist Memorial Hospital- North Mississippi are teaming up to bring art alive in nature during this weekend’s Family Activity Day.
Fun for the entire family awaits with activities exploring art and nature along the Bailey’s Woods Trail during the Let’s Move! Family Activity Day, set for Saturday (April 18). The drop-in event runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
The fun begins in the museum parking lot and continues down the trail all the way to Rowan Oak. It is free to the public, and transportation is provided back to the museum. Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi is sponsoring the Let’s Move! Family Activity Day.
“Let’s Move! Family Activity Day is one of our most anticipated events of the year,” said Emily McCauley, the museum’s curator of education. “We take the museum outdoors as we create art and explore museum themes all along the Bailey’s Woods Trail. The trail is an important asset to the museum and Rowan Oak, and we are so thrilled to have the support of Baptist Memorial Hospital- North Mississippi to make this unique event possible.”
In 2011, the University Museum joined the Let’s Move! Museums and Gardens initiative, overseen by the National Institute of Museum and Library Services. Let’s Move! was launched in 2010 by first lady Michelle Obama to help combat childhood obesity. Institutions participating in Let’s Move! encourage their communities to fight childhood obesity using interactive exhibits and outdoor spaces.
The museum is trying to keep Family Activity Days free for all children by launching a fundraising campaign this month on the crowdfunding platform Ignite Ole Miss. The goal is $6,000 to keep Family Activity Days free for three years.
“We want to make sure Family Activity Days are accessible for all families,” said Rebecca Phillips, the museum’s communications coordinator. “In the month of April, we hope families and businesses will donate and support to help us reach our goal and give children in the community a constant creative outlet for years to come.”
The museum has raised $2,500 of its $6,000 goal, but is looking for more support. Anyone interested in making a contribution can donate online at https://ignite.olemiss.edu/ or make their contribution directly to the museum. To keep up with museum events, follow it on Facebook or Twitter, or visit the museum website.
For more information about Let’s Move! Family Activity Day, contact Emily McCauley at esdean@olemiss.edu or 662-915-7073. In case of inclement weather, the event will be canceled.