It was a hot summer day Aug. 11, perfect for a Children’s Day celebration with a giant waterslide, at Boothbay Railway Village Museum, where 452 kids and parents spent the better part of the day entertained.

Said Lori Reynolds, marketing director at BRVM, “The museum’s 60th birthday party for the children was a huge success! We are looking forward to the adult version of our 60th anniversary year on Sept. 14!”

Kids zeroed in on the Stone Age-themed water slide with a pool of cool water at the end. Parents had their phone cameras at the ready. A Slip and Slide with its own pool of water was set up next to the waterslide for the wee ones.

Craft tables were provided by Boothbay Region YMCA and Midcoast Childcare. The swings at the one-room schoolhouse were in constant motion, and children’s songs and nursery rhymes filled the air, as did the aroma of popcorn at the welcome tent. And a large marble birthday cake was served; a bouncy house in the shape of a birthday cake with candles was in constant motion from the jumping. 

About 100 kids had participated in a scavenger hunt by the end of the day. Each child had to find the BRVM logos hidden in 10 of the Village buildings and record those locations on tally sheets. The children finding all 10 returned to the welcome tent to choose their toy prize. 

Children lined up to have their faces painted by Gigi de Lisle who created flowers and, on one girl’s face, a purple butterfly – wings on the cheeks, head and antennae on her forehead, tail under her mouth. 

“The birthday hunt was about having fun, but also about the kids and their families visiting the exhibit buildings to see what we have here,” Reynolds said. 

The barrel and steam trains were in constant motion, much like the kids – human and goat! The brother and sister goats of BRVM could be seen running to the fence near the treat machine when they spied people nearby.

And, as always, wee eastern screech owl Willow L Moon was cooed at and spoken to by those stopping by Pollination Station. Monarch butterflies were in a netted box/carrier house. For more information, check out www.PollinationStation.org

On his way home, Benny Young called out, “Best day ever!”