Ten years ago, Canstruction first opened in Raleigh featuring  giant sculptures made entirely out of canned and packaged foods.

The competition first took place on the floor of Exploris and now Marbles Kids Museum, which took over the building in downtown Raleigh in 2007.

And since 1999, the event has donated more than 230,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.

Canstruction also is held in other cities across North America.

Marbles hopes to add to that number with this year’s Canstruction, featuring giant versions of items found in the garden or on the farm that might be entirely made out of cereal boxes or cans of peas, for instance.

They’re calling it the Garden of Eatin’. The exhibit and events around it focus on healthy activities and nutrition for kids and families.

Marbles will feature a handful of events in the next week to mark the exhibit:

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 10, visitors can watch as about eight local design teams assemble their masterpieces — from a tractor to fruits and vegetables. The exhibit opens to the public on Jan. 13.

And Marbles will celebrate the opening from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 17, with a day of special activities. At the so-called Can Opener, kids can get dressed up in “fruity fashions” and join a parade, there’s a game to learn about the food groups and a tin can garden where kids can plant edible plants in a tin can and take them home. There will be food-themed storytimes. And from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can  get their faces painted.

Donations of canned goods will be accepted through the run of the exhibit, which ends Feb. 22. And bonus this year: Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, visitors can bring in five canned food items and receive one free admission to the museum.

Also coming up ...

The second annual Birdapalooza! is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jan. 10, at the Museum of Life and Science, 433 Murray Ave., Durham. The event features Birdman Dave, who will talk about the birds of the Amazon Rainforest. Other events include Hawk Talk, where visitors can meet Misha, the museum’s Red-Tailed Hawk. Reserve your space for one of the programs with Birdman Dave. The event is free with admission, though a fee is required for Birdman Dave programs. 

Don't miss all the MLK Day events coming up. They start this week. See my full list. 

And the N.C. Inaugural Parade is Saturday starting at 12:30. The public is welcome and it might be a fun way to introduce your kids to government.

Every Friday, TriangleMom2Mom highlights some family-friendly activities. As always, there's lots more on our calendar.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!
WEEKEND: Relax!