April Promises Big Family Fun at Port Discover

April Promises Big Family Fun at Port Discover

Have you discovered Port Discover yet? It’s the family destination for exciting events aimed at educating kids and adults alike, while having fun, and this April there are big happenings at the downtown Elizabeth City center.

On Friday, April 7, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the staff of educators at Port Discover will help celebrate Deaf Awareness Week with two events! That Friday is downtown Elizabeth City’s First Friday Art Walk so while you’re strolling on a spring evening, enjoying the work of local artists, the kids can hang out and learn about the Science of Sign Language.

For the younger kids, 5-12 years old, you can drop them off for pizza while you stroll and know they’ll be in good hands with guest educator Stephanie Scott and the staff at Port Discover. Scott, a Deaf Services Specialist with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, will teach the kids about American Sign Language hand shapes. The kids will also be able to take home their own unique sign language craft.

For your middle schoolers, 11-years old and up, Tech Café will be open and Scott will take her program upstairs, giving the kids a chance to learn about sign language while exploring the state-of-the-art technology, including a robotics lab and 3-D printing.

Cost for the First Friday Art Walk program is $5, membership is not required. For those parents looking for a later night out, you can extend your evening to 9:30 p.m. for an additional $5. That includes a movie and popcorn for the kids. Tech Café is $5 for members and $8 for potential members.

For more family fun, join the staff at Port Discover the following day, Saturday, April 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Family STEM Day. Parents and their children will explore hands-on activities together.

From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. discover 3-D printing. See how an object created on a computer screen can come to life before your eyes with the cutting-edge technology.

Then, from 11 a.m. to noon, kids and parents can explore the evolving world of robotics. Learn about the technology that was once the stuff of science fiction, but is rapidly becoming a part of everyday life.

From noon until 5 p.m., the STEM Lab will be open to families. Come and explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics with hands-on activities.

And for those of you who would like to get outdoors, there will be Birding 101 along the Pasquotank River at 8 a.m. and family friendly music on the deck of Groupers at 6pm.

The cost is $5 per person for each individual event, and $50 per family for an all day family pass. You can purchase tickets online at www.portdiscover.org from now until April 7th.