The Museum Mates program, starting Jan. 26, will use hands-on crafts and other activities to teach young children about the maritime world. Submitted photo

Starting Jan. 26, Monday mornings will be a special time for parents or grandparents with young children as the Columbia River Maritime Museum presents Museum Mates, an activity-based program designed especially for ages 4 and 5. The museum invites families with young children to spend an hour from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. every Monday exploring the maritime world through stories, songs, exhibit hunts and hand-made crafts. As this program is designed to include both the adult and child, preschoolers must be accompanied by an adult. The program is free for museum members and free for nonmembers with paid museum admission.

Each week, museum staff will focus on a different theme that leads children and their family member on a voyage of discovery through the museum. The day will begin with rich and colorful stories about all things maritime, from birds to boats and barges. Participants will actively explore various exhibits to “spy” items that they read and sang about, and then end the hour with hands-on activities that include creative crafts and games.

Betsey Ellerbroek is the education director at the Columbia River Maritime Museum and the lead instructor for this new program. Through her exhaustive efforts, the Museum in the Schools outreach program reaches more than 4,000 students each year and the in-house Family Programs are enjoyed by nearly 5,000 people. Such efforts assure the museum’s dedication to the education of young people regarding the past and present maritime life of the community.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum is located at 1792 Marine Drive. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for children ages 6 to 17 and children younger than 6 are admitted free. For more information, call (503) 325-2323 or visit www.crmm.org