The New 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.

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.

Children's Museum Programs

Your and your child’s experience of the Children’s Museum at MNS can be enhanced by participating in some of the wonderful, guided programming.  These programs are free to members and included in the general admission costs for non-members. (Not a member?  Join now!)

Leonardo’s Workshop
Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4pm
Each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 2-4 pm, a museum educator will be on hand to assist you in the Children’s Museum galleries. You can explore your creativeness or build science readiness through fun innovative activities.

Hand-in-Hand 
Wednesday 10-11:30am (during the school year)
A children’s program that takes place each Wednesday morning from 10-11:30 am during the school year. Preschoolers and their adult companions can explore, imagine and discover together – hear a story, get your wiggles out to music, create theme-related crafts and enjoy fun activities.

My House Cultural Discovery
On-going
Interactive monthly-themed, seasonally relevant activities and literature that teach your child more about his/her neighbors and their cultural backgrounds. 

Children's Museum Program Schedule

May

Leonardo's Workshop

May 1 - Art Explorers: Art Museum
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo - Create tissue paper flowers and a piñata for your Cinco de Mayo Celebration..

May 6 - Science Explorers: Science Museum
Jr. Geologist -  Rocks are everywhere!  Do all rocks look the same?  Use the magnifying glass to explore colorful rocks and minerals.

May 8 and 13 - Science Explorers: Science Museum
Diggin' Dinosaurs -  Explore a variety of large plastic dinosaurs and create dinosaur foot prints.

May 15 and 20 - Art Explorers: Art Museum
Painting in the Gallery - Be a French Impressionist Painter!  Paint like the masters at the easel.

May 22 and 27 - Science Explorers: Your Backyard
Explore small creatures in your backyard and hear facts about the creatures at the live collection wall.

Cultural Discoveries in “My House”

Cinco de Mayo - May 5

Hand in Hand

Shape of the month: Square
Color of the month: Blue
Alphabet sign: F - Friend

Goin' Buggy - May 7 
Have a morning of creepy crawly fun!  Explore the world of insects that live in your own backyard!  Create a special bug collector to take along on your next nature walk!  Listen to the fun story, “Oh My, a Fly” by Jan Pienkowski.

Flower Power - May 14
Listen to the story “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert.  Explore different seeds from smallest to largest and plant your own colorful flower garden to take home.

Oceans of Fun - May 21
Explore life under the sea.  Create fishy art and explore different kinds of sea shells.  Join in on the story, “Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea” by Jan Peck.

Hand-in-Hand Hoopla - May 28
Join us for our end of school year Hand-in-Hand celebration.

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.