The V.I. Children's Museum on St. Thomas drew hundreds of children over the weekend for the Worldwide Day of Play, a Nickelodeon-sponsored event offering free admission and screen-free activities.
The celebration included a low-light, low-sound sensory hour designed for children with special needs, followed by a full day of programming. Activities ranged from slime-making and 3-D art to yoga, acrobatics, and dance performances. The museum also featured the CERCA room, a NOAA-funded educational space that uses sand and coral rubble to demonstrate how mangroves and coastal reefs protect against flooding and inundation.
Amber McCammon, the museum's chief executive officer, said the event reflected the institution's core mission. "It's just this super energetic, get kids off the screen, get them active and moving day," she said on Saturday. She also used the occasion to mark the museum's ten-year history, noting its survival through multiple relocations and crises.
The museum opened in 2016 at the Grand Galleria downtown but was forced to move after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 damaged the space. It later operated from Buccaneer Mall before moving to a larger permanent location in the same plaza. The Covid-19 pandemic forced a six-month closure in 2020, though federal support allowed the museum to retain staff.
Parents and children interviewed at the event emphasized the importance of unstructured play. One father said the museum provides "an exit" for children's energy. Another parent noted that play supports learning, social skills, and physical fitness, especially as a counterweight to screen time.
McCammon said the museum remains open to new exhibit ideas and program activities, and is committed to providing a space for play-based learning for years to come.
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