Press Release
Mount Jackson, VA – March 31, 2026: Wild Child: Museum & Menagerie is thrilled to share the exciting news that we have been selected as one of the 2026 grant recipients of the Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Fund by the Shenandoah Community Foundation. We are honored to be among so many other worthy recipients across our county, from arts-focused organizations like VECCA and Community Art Collaborative to Shenandoah County Public Schools, SEARCH, and Seniors First. The $1,000 award will help seed our Creative Critters Craft Supply Fund which provides the key resources needed to unleash the creativity of children ages 12 & under enrolled in Wild Child’s programming.
As you can see from the gallery below of recent creative creature creations, we get creative with the resources we use whenever possible, and always draw our inspiration from nature… from Alpaca headbands to practice the letter “A” in Pre-K (featuring real-life alpaca wool!) or burrowing bandicoots that POP out of the ground on a popsicle stick, to watercolor painting when studying “Marine Mammals,” foraged pinecone & pine-needle porcupines, stain glass-like portrayals of horses, and leaf-print insect stamp art, to adorable “opossum” magnets that cling to your fridge forever, much like baby joeys cling to their mama’s back.
These are just a FEW of the scores of special creative activities we’ve led children in over the Fall & Winter semesters. We have already introduced a ton of new ideas in the past month of Toddler Fodder & Fun, as well as Pre-K: Learn & Play, and our latest addition to the Schedule: Habitat Chats (offered Tuesdays & Fridays during our weekday Animal Kingdom Afternoon programming).
Popular amongst homeschoolers and working parents alike, these classes play an important role for Shenandoah County families looking for more good old fashioned fun for their little ones, make new friends, or have a safe place to play while they need to get something done! A recent article by Lori D’Angelo in the Daily New Record featuring our space included the following quote from Becky Stickley, the Executive Director of the Shenandoah Community Foundation where Wild Child is now a two-time grant recipient:
“[Wild Child is] really filling a niche of that part-time, as-needed childcare in a really unique and fun way. We’ve heard great feedback from people who are using their services. They really love it.”
Even with the addition of these funds, our staff and volunteers often source much of the supplies they need for daily crafts through their own materials at-home, or via donations. The grant represents 1/4 of the estimated program budget for our Spring & Summer Semesters, especially considering that Craft Time needs will only grow as we get into Summer Camp Season!
Pictured Above: Rosie Lynch, Wild Child's Executive Director, leads a hands-on activity with 2025 Summer Camp participants creating lion masks out of repurposed fabric swatches donated by Karen Estep Interior Design in Mount Jackson, VA.
“I’m astounded by how much thought and generosity our Wild Child team puts into each and every craft we offer. Rarely do we buy a pre-fabricated craft kit like you may find for sale online or at your typical free children’s activity table at a local event. Instead, our instructors research, experiment, and innovate on their own time to pull together truly unique opportunities for creative expression that are appropriate for a range of ages. I’m so proud of what we can pull off with our wild little artists!’
Rosie Lynch, Executive Director, Wild Child: Museum & Menagerie
Many thanks to the Shenandoah Community Foundation for entrusting us with these funds to help encourage our wild little ones to learn about nature and explore more about themselves through creative expression! We can’t wait to show off all the awesome new Creative Critter Craft creations that this next season will bring!
If you are interested in contributing to the Creative Critter Craft Supply Fund through a monetary gift or in-kind donation (either of which can be tax-deductible), please visit our Donate page or reach out to us at admin@wildchildmuseum.org or (540) 403-8714.