Ships and the Sea opens up with entertaining event for the families

by The Australian National Maritime Museum on 23 Nov 2012 The Australian National Maritime Museum will be holding an entertaining family affair to comemorate the launch of its newest attraction – Ships and the Sea – on Saturday, 8 December 2012. During the event, children will have the chance to play with a very special friend from Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob Squarepants.

To celebrate the opening of its new Ships and the Sea exhibition the Australian National Maritime Museum is holding a special family fun event featuring SpongeBob Squarepants on Saturday 8 December 2012.

Children will have the opportunity to meet SpongeBob as he makes appearances in the exhibition at 12-12.30pm and 1-1.30pm – have cameras at the ready! Plus they can have their faces painted and take home a balloon creation.
Ships and the Sea is the museum’s latest summer attraction - a family friendly interactive exhibition that allows children to become ‘sea-farers’ through a range of hands on activities.

Kids can discover what it’s really like to be a sea captain, how to navigate and start a ship’s engine, operate a forklift to pick up shipping containers, steer remote-controlled ships and rescue someone who’s fallen overboard.

Games and displays about environment protection, shipping safety and marine rescue are also on offer in the Ahoy AMSA room by principal partner the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

With over 90 percent of all world trade still carried by ships, Ships and the Sea emphasises the importance of ships and shipping industries to world and Australian trade.

Produced by Heureka the Finnish Science Centre, Ships and the Sea is part of the museum’s family summer program, with project partner Toshiba. The ‘summer sea adventures’ program also features the already popular Pirates! Adventure land, where children can transform themselves from landlubbers to fearless buccaneers and Wetworld – the museum’s family water play area –opening 28 December.

The museum’s family fun event celebrating the opening of Ships and the Sea is suitable for all ages, with the exhibition recommended for children aged 8 – 12.

Entry to Ships and the Sea, Pirates! and Wetworld (opening 28 December) is included in the Kids.

Adventure Ticket - $15 children, $7 adults, $3.50 concessions. Call 02 9298 3777 or log onto Australian National Maritime Museum for more information.