The Children’s Museum at the Museum of Nature & Science!

Why is the sky blue?

Our children are so curious.  Everything the world has to offer is of interest to them whether natural or man-made.  Why is the sky blue?  Why does daddy’ face feel the way it does?  Why does a cat make that purring sound?  Why does this trash can smell so yucky?  Why does this cupcake taste so good?   It goes on and on - always exploring, always learning. Why? Why? Why?

Our children have great imaginations.  One day they may be a cowboy.  The next a ballerina.  The following a dramatic actor.  After that a star athlete.  They can build cities, cook a four-course meal, have the queen over for tea, travel through time and save the world from the bad guys…all in one day.  There is no limit to what they can do.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that…

With the goal of serving the unique needs of children from infancy to seven years old, MNS has created a space to stimulate a child’s curiosity through a variety of hands-on, sensory experiences that foster a thirst for discovery and knowledge.

In the new Children’s Museum, MNS has created the perfect atmosphere where families may learn and explore together - safe, spontaneous, individualized, self-paced, non-linear and exploratory spaces to help children understand themselves and trust in their own choices as they are free to touch, explore and dream. 

So…combine your child’s constant quest for answers with his/her vivid imagination…add in the amazing scientific resources at MNS, blend them together with themed play areas overflowing with stimulating adventures and you have “ Come and Explore Your World”

“Come and Explore Your World”

Made up of five galleries, it is a place where children will learn about the world in which we all live.

Little Urban Farm
Water Room
Explore Your Town
Explore My House
Explore Your Backyard

Little Urban Farm

In Little Urban Farm children can be a “farmer for the day” and explore the nature and science of farming.  They can milk a cow, gather eggs, drive a tractor, and plant, harvest and sort crops.

Water Room

In the Water Room Children will be introduced to the properties of water and can experiment with movement, measurement and volume using a variety of water tools.

Explore Your Town

Explore Your Town introduces children to the man-made world. Made up of six play sets in which they can explore “helpers” in their community as they experience the work of grown-ups.

In the Fire Department, children can practice being an EMT, or take on the role of a firefighter while dressing up in child size bunker gear.  Their gross motor skills are enhanced while climbing on the pretend Fire Truck. 

In the Building Supply and the Utility Company, children can be an engineer or put on a hard hat, grab a tool belt, and explore balance while building a structure with a variety of building materials.  These experiences enable young children to gain the fine motor control they need to accomplish tasks important to their growth and development.  An understanding of math begins by manipulating real materials through patterning, sequencing, size and measurement.

In the Performing Arts Theatre and Dressing Room, children can be creative, spontaneous and use imagination to create characters, actions or events while practicing listening and oral language skills on stage. Trying on a variety of costumes enables them to act out familiar situations, solve problems and experiment with different solutions. The adjoining concave and convex fun mirrors will give children the opportunity to observe how the distorted reflected images change the appearance of body image.

In the Conservatory Center, children will practice auditory, visual, comprehension and math skills and experiment with creating and performing music using a variety of musical instruments including instruments from other cultures. 

In the Fine Art Museum, children can explore the works of a featured artist, past or present.  This opportunity provides knowledge about different art and artists through a variety of interchangeable materials.  While manipulating these materials, children will make many self–discoveries that are important elements in art, such as texture, line, balance, value, color, space and form.  These experiences also enforce spatial concepts along with early math and reading skills. On display will be featured original art work created by children modeling the work of the featured artist.

The Science Museum features an exploration into physics while trying the different hands on materials.  They can explore minerals and other materials using their senses while at the science discovery table.

Explore My House

In Explore My House children can learn more about their neighbors and their cultural backgrounds. Programming in the House changes to reflect different cultures – on one visit you and your child may experience a house decorated for Easter, on another, for Chinese New Year and on yet another, a house decorated for Kwanzaa.  Children can explore the house and prepare meals in the kitchen with pretend food and appliances, all the while learning about cultural holidays that are celebrated by people that live in our community.

Explore Your Backyard

Explore Your Backyard invites children to explore the environment and the creatures that may live in their own backyard.  The Live Animal Display Wall allows children to observe live snakes, spiders, turtles, insects, lizards and more. In the four imaginary play experiences children can crawl through a large ant hill to see the world of an ant, balance on a beam like a squirrel running along a fence, cling to a wall to try life as a gecko, or weave their way through a spider web to experience the life of a spider. Children can also learn about renewable energy with the museum’s first solar-powered display, create by a partnership with Green Mountain Energy. Designed to educate about energy production, its use, and conservation, the interactive exhibit is comprised of a kiosk powered by a 36” x 60” photovoltaic solar paneled 640 watt “solar array” that harnesses the power of the sun.

Within Your Backyard is the Backyard Patio, a soft play area reserved for our youngest patrons ages birth to two years old. Toddlers and babies have the opportunity to engage in gross and fine motor skills while exploring their world through active sensory materials.

This exhibition made possible by the generous support of the M.R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation, Hillcrest Foundation, Barbara and Stan Rabin, Harold Simmons Foundation, PB Americas, Green Mountain Energy Company, and Hawn Foundation, Inc.

Children's Museum School-Year Programs

Your and your child’s experience of the Children’s Museum at MNS can be enhanced by participating in some of our wonderful, guided programming.

Nurture your young child’s constant quest for answers and stimulate his or her vivid imagination through Little Explorers.  This 8-week program is created especially for you and your child ages 6 months – 4 years to enjoy and explore together.

Click here for more information and to sign-up for our spring sessions!

 

Wednesday 10-11:30am
Hand-in-Hand is a literacy based drop-in program for adults and their preschoolers to imagine, explore, and discover together. Each week hear a story, get your wiggles out to music, create theme-related crafts and enjoy fun activities!

Offered each Wednesday morning on the following dates

10 – 10:30 - Gathering time
10:30 Prompt – Opening music/motion, Finger play and story time
10:45 - 11:30 – Crafts and activities

 

January:
Shape of the month: Hexagon
Color: Grey, white
Alphabet Hand sign: S-Snow

Due to Winter Break Hand in Hand resumes January 14 2009

January 14 “Snow Days, Fun Days”
Find out what happens when a little boy wakes up to find a winter wonderland of snow as you listen to a story “The Snowy Day” by Erza Jack Keats.  Enjoy a morning of winter crafts and “cool” activities!     

January 21 “Warm and Fuzzy”
Chant along with “We’re Going on A Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen.  Dress up and bring along your favorite stuffed Teddy Bear Friend to our special Winter Teddy Bear Tea Party.  Snacks will be served!  We’ll have Tons of Teddy Bear Fun!

January 28 “Suit Yourself”  
How do you keep warm in winter?  Join in on the repetition and rhyme as you hear the story, “The Jacket I wear in the snow” by Shirley Neitzel.

February:
Shape of the Month:  Heart
Color of the Month: Red & Pink
Alphabet Hand sign: H – Heart

February 4 “Little Buckaroos” 
Put on your favorite cowboy boots to hit the dusty trail for our Texas Rodeo Round-up story time!  Come dressed in your favorite cowboy/cowgirl attire.  Create a printed bandana and a Texas painted pony craft!

February 11 “Have a Heart”
Enjoy a heart warming morning creating valentine crafts for your special loved one.  Hear how to keep your heart healthy and create your own Dr. Kit to take home!  
Stay for your special valentine cookie treat!

February 18 “Wags to Whiskers”
Celebrate “love your pet.”  Meet our Friends from Operation Kindness to hear a special pet story and meet their very special “pet friend.”   Learn all about pets, and pet safety.  Bring along your favorite stuffed pet for us to meet.

February 25 “Dinosaur Rumpus”
Stomp along as you listen to the story, “Dinosaur Rumpus”   by Tony Mitton.  Create fossils and dinosaur crafts for a morning of DINO-mite fun!

March:
Welcome to “Seussville” all this month! Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday at Hand in Hand on the following Wednesday’s through March

Shape of the Month:  Diamond
Color of the Month:  Green
Alphabet Hand Sign:  G-Green

March  4 “Hilarious Hat Day”
Wear your most hilarious hat to story time!  Hear the story The Cat in the Hat by and create your own very special Dr. Seuss hat to wear home! 

March 11 “It’s Easy Being Green”
Hear the story “Green Eggs and Ham”   Create plenty of Seussical” crafts and explore the color GREEN!

March 18 NO HAND IN HAND due to Spring Break

March 25 “Rhyme Time”
Can you hop? Can you hop on pop?  Hear the wonderful nonsense rhymes of “Hop on Pop” and hop along with the story. 

April: Celebrate children’s literature around the world with “International Book Day” each Wednesday through the month of April.
Shape of the Month:  Oval
Color of the Month: Yellow
Alphabet Hand Sign:  E – Egg

April 1 “Silly Day”
Wear your silliest outfit to the museum for April Fools Day!  Laugh along with our story about a very silly girl named “Silly Sally” by Audrey Wood.  Stay for silly crafts and silly fun!

April 8 “Egg-ceptional Eggs”
Explore primary colors and the mysteries of what color can do while coloring eggs.  Hear a folktale about a special character called, “The Little Red Hen.”

April 15 “The Zoo Crew”
Meet children’s author Jan Peck.  She will invite you to interact along with her story, “Way Far Away on a Wild Safari.”  Enjoy a morning of wild fun!

April 22 “Space Shapes”
How Much Space is in Outer Space?   Hear a funny story about a fantasy place called “Here in Space by David Milgrim. Create out of this world crafts and explore shapes in outer space!

April 29 “Barnyard Bonanza”
Put on your best overalls to explore farm life.  Hear the story, “Farmer Duck” by Martin Waddell.  We’ll make butter to eat on crackers & create barnyard crafts!

May:
Shape of the Month:  Square
Color of the Month:  Blue
Alphabet Handsign:  F – Friend

May 6 “Muffins with Mommy"
Hear the story “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” by Laura Numeroff.  Have a muffin treat in honor of Mothers Day and create a handprint treasure!

May 13 “Do Bugs Bug You?”
Explore the world of insects that live in your own backyard.  What makes an insect an insect?  Hear a special story about a beautiful insect “Waiting for Wings” by Lois Ehlert.

May 20 “Counting on You”
Explore early math concepts as you count along with the familiar rhyme  “Over in the Meadow”   in a book illustrated by David A Carter. 

May 27th “Hand in Hand Hoopla” 
Join us for our end of school year party to in honor of all our Hand in Hand participants!  Create wiggle crafts and get your wiggles out one more time as you listen to the story “Wiggle” by Dorine Cronin

 

My House Cultural Discovery

On-going
Interactive, monthly, seasonally relevant activities and literature teaches your child more about his or her neighbors and their cultural backgrounds. Discover how people in your community celebrate traditional holidays while exploring decoration, dress, play foods, and literature. 

December: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas

Through December, stop by the studio room to create a cultural craft related to your holiday celebration for our Tree display in “My House”.
Dates: Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16

January is Celebrate Chinese New Year!
Monday January 26
10:00 –12:00 am

Many Chinese Americans consider the Chinese New Year an important tie to their cultural heritage. Each year the Chinese New Year falls on the date of the first new moon of the Chinese lunar calendar. The twelve year cycle in the Chinese calendar recognizes each of a dozen animals in the Chinese zodiac. January 26, 2009 begins this year’s festival celebrating The Year of the Ox.

10:30 am - Chin Woo Lion Dance Team Performance!
Immediately following the performance, the dance team will invite audience participation. Stay for Chinese New Year craft making and a Chinese New Year Treat!

February
African-American History Month

March
St. Patrick's Day Celebration

April
Passover/Easter

May is Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo or the fifth of May is a time when many people of Mexican heritage celebrate their Latino culture, Mexican unity and patriotism!

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 10:00 am – 12:00

10:30 – “Wonders of Mexico” with a performance by the Anita Martinez Ballet Folklorico dancers!
An interactive educational experience into the folklore of Mexico will be provided through traditional dance. The dances portray the essence and diversity of Mexico’s regions depicting their unique history, costumes, art and music.

Leonardo’s Workshop has been discontinued for fall 2008.

Children's Museum Summer Programs

Discovery Camp, Jr.
Like the full-day, drop-off Discovery Camp at MNS, the topics/themes of Discovery Camp, Jr. also feature activities to delight the strongest of curiosities but have been especially created for your 3-4 year old child to experience through age-appropriate teachings in a half-day, drop-off setting!

Click here for information on all of our Spring Break and Summer Camp Programs.