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Inspiring minds through nature and science. Come and explore. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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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. 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.
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 the wonderful, guided programming. Some programs are free to members and included in the general admission costs for non-members. (Not a member? Join now!)
Hand-in-Hand
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
September theme: Growth & Development, Home & Family, Transportation
Shape: Square
Color: Blue
Hand sign letter: M - Me
Sept. 3 – “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
Wiggle fast, wiggle slow! Come and get your wiggles out and explore what makes you special and unique! Hear the story “I like Me” by Nancy Carlson.
Sept. 10 – “Home Sweet Home!”
Find out what happens when everyone living in one house piles into bed for a good night’s sleep as you listen to the story “The Napping House” by Audrey and Don Wood.
Sept. 17 – “Ready, Set, Let’s Go!”
How do you get from here to there? Explore the world of transportation and let’s get going! Hear a silly story called “I Stink” about a special truck and what he does each day.
October theme: Community helpers, Halloween
Shape of the Month: Circle
Color of the month: Red
Hand sign letter: F – Fire safety
Oct. 22 - “Simply SPOOK-tacular!”
Wear your Halloween costumes for a non-scary morning of Halloween fun. Listen to the story “Go Away Big Green Monster” by Jacqueline Kilmer. Make Gooey Goblins and Creepy Crafts, get your face painted, and don’t leave without your special Halloween treat!
Oct. 29 - “Hot Topic!”
Explore helpers that live in your community to celebrate Fire Prevention Month. See authentic fire fighter bunker gear, create themed crafts, and so much more. Check out our website for possible guest, Sparky the Firefighter dog puppet show and his firefighter helpers to tell you all about fire safety!
November theme: Seasonal changes, seeds, Thanksgiving
Shape of the Month: Rectangle
Color of the month: Brown
Hand sign letter: P - Pumpkin
Nov. 5 “Fall Follies”
Explore primary colors to create fall leaves and fall crafts. Hear “Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf” by Lois Ehlert for fantastic fall follies fun!
Nov. 12 – “Plenty of Pumpkins”
Explore all about pumpkins, see what’s inside a real pumpkin, plant pumpkin seeds, create pumpkin crafts and have plenty of pumpkin fun!
Nov. 19 - “Let’s Talk Turkey”
Join the Gobbler Gala for Thanksgiving crafts, story time and tons of turkey fun! Create a special Thanksgiving card for your family.
Nov. 26, Thanksgiving Break - No Hand-in-Hand
December Theme: Seasonal celebrations
Shape: Star
Color: Yellow
Hand sign letter: C – Celebration
Dec. 3 - “Frosty Shapes”
Shapes are all around us. Create your own frosty shapes and find out what happens to a farmer and his animals on a cold winter’s night as you count along with the delightful story “Dream Snow” by Eric Carle.
Dec. 10 - “Destination: North Pole”
Hop on board and join us for a special reading of the Caldecott award winning story “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg. Create a special bell bracelet to wear for participation in the story reading. Explore more holiday crafts and seasonal activities on an imaginary trip to the North Pole!
Dec. 17 - “Festival of Lights”
Discover how people in your community celebrate the holiday season. Create crafts from around the world while discovering the celebrations of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Hear the story “We All Sing in the Same Voice” by J. Philip Miller.
Dec. 24 and 31, Winter Break - No Hand-in-Hand
Hand-in-Hand resumes January 7th.
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.
September: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
October & November: Halloween and the Mexican Celebration of Día de los Muertos
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
Children's Museum Summer Programs
Little Explorers
To assist you in nurturing your young child’s constant quest for answers and stimulating his or her vivid imagination, the Children’s Museum at MNS is happy to introduce Little Explorers, programs created especially for your child and you.
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!
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.