WHEN YOU PLAN A TRIP TO A
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM:
TEXT JAN PIERCE
M useums are awesome places to
visit in general, but children’s
museums come with the
smiles and laughter abound.

4. The exhibits, experiments and
added bonus of actually inviting children
activities designed for children’s
to touch and feel, interact and make
museums are refl ective of diverse
noise as they do. Children’s museums
cultures. You and your children
are heaven to children, who are naturally
may engage in authentic festivals
curious, learn by touching and are excited
from around the world or create
about new and interesting things.

a piece of folk art. Museums are
Children’s museums invite children to
enter into creative play—the work of
childhood. Kenneth Ginsburg wrote
in Pediatrics, the Journal of the American
Pediatrics Association, “Play is so important
to child development that it has been
recognized as a right of every child.” He
places to encounter things never
before seen or experienced.

5. Open-ended experiments allow
children to grasp basic principles
using unique interactive methods.

The hands-on activities prompt
was referring to a decision reached by
questions and answers leading to
the United States Commission on Human
a free and natural style of learning.

Rights. He goes on to say, “Play allows
children to use their creativity while
developing their imagination, dexterity
6. Activities invite parents and
other adults to engage with their
and physical, cognitive and emotional
children during the playtimes.

strength.” And because we live in the D.C.

Adults are free to ask leading
metro area, we have several local options.

questions that engage children in
Here are seven reasons to take the entire
family to a children’s museum:
1. They welcome people of all ages.

Many have exhibits and spaces
especially for babies and toddlers.

They also plan experiences for
learning in many areas of study—
math, science, art, literature and
more. 7. The interactive style of a hands-
on museum encourages creative
play. Whether the child is pretend
older children and the grown-ups
shopping in a grocery store,
who accompany them. No one
visiting a play dentist’s offi ce or
leaves without having fun.

building a tower with blocks,
2. Children’s museums are designed
for all manner of learning styles
and encourage the kinesthetic
learner who needs to touch and
feel. Visuals abound providing
information or directions for
trying a certain experiment. There
he is imagining as he goes and
she is acting out a storyline. This
• DO YOUR RESEARCH. Hop
onto the website for your local
children’s museum. Check out
the exhibits that are permanent,
those that change from time to
time and what the upcoming
highlights might be. Note the
times for presentations such as
story times, dramatic presenta-
tions, art projects, music-making
experiences and the like.

• IT’S CHILD-DIRECTED. In gen-
eral, allow your children to play
where they’re having a great
time. Take them to the story
hour, but allow free-range play
in the other exhibits. They may
choose quality over quantity. It’s
not about seeing everything.

• IT’S OPEN-ENDED. Remember
that play in a children’s museum
is open-ended. You might ask
questions as your child plays,
such as “What do you expect to
see when…?” or “Why do you
think…?” • AFTER THE VISIT. Take time for
refl ection on your experiences
after visiting the museum. “What
was your favorite exhibit?” or “I
wonder if we could do that mar-
ble experiment at home?” Extend
the learning where possible.

• EXTENSIONS. Take their cues for
future play experiences and even
the gifts you might purchase for
your child based on their favorite
experiences at the museum.

What captured their imagination
and how could you encourage
further learning in that area? Did
they love the interactive rhythm
instruments? Why not purchase
a set, or work as a family to make
some rhythm instruments for use
at home?
dramatic play is essential to social,
emotional and cognitive growth
and can be lacking today in our
increasingly technological world.

Just as your children never tire of playing
CHILDREN’S MUSEUMS
IN THE DMV
• Explore! Children’s Museum
of Washington, D.C.

outdoors, they won’t be satisfi ed with just
• Chesapeake Children’s Museum,
Annapolis, MD
one trip to the magic that is a children’s
• KID Museum, Bethesda, MD
museum. Why not plan a visit soon?
• Port Discovery Children’s
Museum, Baltimore, MD
prone to rigid rules. Basic safety
Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is a retired teacher
guidelines are set in place and
and the author of Homegrown Readers and
• Children’s Science Center Lab,
Fairfax, VA
then children are free to “have a
Homegrown Family Fun. Find Jan at
go.” Noise levels may climb, but
janpierce.net. are ample opportunities to listen
to stories, poems or to watch and
listen to dramatic presentations.

3. Children’s museums are not
• Discovery Junction Children’s
Museum, Bristow, VA
washingtonFAMILY.com March 2017
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