If it’s Tuesday it must be toys and tours

Brown Teddy Bear" by Lydia Jacobs

In today's edition of "Toys and Tours" we'll share information on a very special program that provides free admission to museums nationwide for members of the military and their families, and we'll also check in with the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission for their most recent toy and sports products related recalls and news.

In May of 2010, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Blue Star Families began an extraordinary partnership with fine arts museums, children’s museums, history and science museums as well as nature centers around the country, with the expressed goal of providing members of the military and their family members with free admission from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The project has been so successful it now covers 1,500 facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa, and those participating cultural facilities are designated as “Blue Star Museums.”

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, “The free admission program is available to any bearer of a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card, or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card, including those stamped URW and DB. These include active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members and up to five family members.” 

The five family members of active duty personnel are defined as “a spouse or child, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.” And even if a spouse is presently deployed, other members of the family may still take advantage of this wonderful opportunity states NEA: “Just bring your DD Form 1173 ID Card, or DD Form 1173-1 ID Card, for active duty military family members.”

Follow this link to a map of all the participating Blue Star Museums, and once you and your family have visited any of the participating museums, encourage your child or children to enter the sponsored art contest as either a way of expressing what they've seen on their visit, or just to say “thank you.” Children ages six to 17 are eligible to enter the contest utilizing any art medium including video, and the prizes are awesome. For further information about the contest and prizes, simply follow this link.

The video below shows local military families from the San Diego area enjoying outings to Timken Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Man and the Japanese Friendship Garden.

Please spread the word about this worthwhile and enriching project.

PRODUCT SAFETY RECALLS AND NEWS

The following is a compilation of notices from the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC).

Below you will find the most recent recalls and product news updates from the CPSC for the last seven days.

In case you happened to have missed any of the announcements, just click on the following links for complete information on each of the items and breaking news.

TOYS

No New Toy Product recalls in the last seven days.

SPORTS AND RECREATION RELATED

No new sports and recreation related recalls in the last seven days.

CPSC NEWS

CPSC Announces New, Lower Limit for Lead Content in Children’s Products

If you are searching for other consumer product items such as household, outdoor products, utensils, furniture and clothing that may relate to all family members, please review additional listings at the CPSC’s search page.