Montreal offers a wealth of educational activities

Photo: morguefile.com/matthewbridges

Here is a round-up of just a few ideas for field trips and special projects for the next few weeks in Montreal.

Plays

The Players' Theatre is presenting Shakespeare's Henry VI: The Rise of York at McGill this Wednesday through Saturday, at 7:30 pm. Performances are in the theatre on the third floor of the Student Services Building (3480 McTavish.) Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors. Email foh.players@gmail.com or call 514-398-6813 for information and reservations. Box office opens an hour before each performance; complimentary wine and cheese after the performances on February 17 and 20. Also watch for the McGill Drama Festival, upcoming in mid-March.

Museums

Butterflies Go Free at the Botanical Gardens, beginning February 18. This is an exciting experience for young and old! Visit the Insectarium web site for list of species for the butterflies you will see. They also have a plethora of educational activities to do before, during or after your visit. The Botanical Gardens are at 4101 Sherbrooke St. East. Call 514 872-1400 for hours and admission information.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has several exhibitions ongoing at the moment. Exodus is a look at the Old Testament figure of Moses, featuring works by Marc Chagall and Pnina Cohen Gagnon. Students and their families can also see Global Warning: Scenes from a Planet under Pressure and Napoleon, all at the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion free of charge. The pavilion is located at 1380 Sherbrooke St. West. The museum also offers a number of family oriented activities on Sunday afternoons.

Discover Egyptian Mummies at the Redpath Museum. Participate in a family workshop on Sunday, March 7. Learn all about the secrets of mummies, see a real mummy in the museum and best of all, make your own mummy. Workshops are one hour in length and begin at 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30. The cost is $6 per child; parents attend free of charge. Please reserve one week in advance by calling 514-398-4092. If you and your kids are comfortable in French, there's a volcano workshop on February 28 as well. Learn about volcanic eruptions and make your own volcano! For all ages.

The museum is located at 859 Sherbrooke St. West, on the McGill campus. Check for great teacher resources on the museum web site, including info on dinosaurs and preschool or primary scavenger hunt sheets, to print out before visiting. These resources are suitable for home or classroom use.

Competitions

Environment Canada is sponsoring the Nature Matters! competition in honour of International Biodiversity Year. Anyone aged 9-35 can submit a written or video essay on why nature is important to them. Entries will be accepted until midnight EST on February 28.