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 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 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 baby's or young child's constant quest for answers and stimulate his or her vivid imagination through Little Explorers. This program is created especially for you and your child, age 6 months - 4 years, to enjoy and explore together.

Click here for details.

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! Craft making session will follow story time.

10am: Gathering time
10:30am: Opening music/motion, finger play and story time
10:45am: Crafts and activities

This event is FREE to members and included with the cost of general admission.
Offered Wednesday morning on the following dates:

Monthly Themes

January
Shape: Hexagon
Colors: Grey, white
Alphabet hand sign: S for “snow”

 

January 11
“Frosty Shapes”  
Explore shapes you see in winter & find out what happens when a little boy wakes up to find a winter wonderland.  Listen along with The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and create a really “cool” wintery craft.

 

January 18
“Little Buckaroos” 
Put on your favorite cowboy boots & dress in western attire to hit the dusty trail for our rodeo round-up story time. Hear a new twist on a favorite folktale, The Gingerbread Cowboy,by Janet Squires and make a western pony craft.

January 25
“Suit Yourself” 
How do you keep warm in winter?  Hear how as you listen along with the repetition and rhyme of The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel.

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February
Shape: Heart
Colors: Red, pink
Alphabet hand sign: L for “love”

 

February 1
“Warm and Fuzzy”
Get ready for a whole new story experience! Listen and chant along with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. This story will inspire you to join in on the interactive fun. Hear how bears and some other animals keep warm in winter weather and make a fun bear craft.

February 8
“Have a Heart”
Celebrate Valentine’s Day. Create your own Valentine’s Day card for your special loved one and hear how you can keep a healthy heart. Listen along with a story about a Mothers special love for her child in I Love You Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt.

February 15
“Love your Pet”  
Celebrate Love Your Pet Day which takes place on Feb 20th! Come for a reading of everyone’s favorite stuffed pet, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems and bring along your favorite stuffed pet for us to meet and compare!

 February 22
“I Dig Dinosaurs”
Explore dinosaurs and fossils and laugh along with the story Dinosaurs  Love Underpants by Claire Freedman.  Learn about scientists that discover fossils and hear other interesting dinosaur facts. Join us in the craft room to make your very own fossil to take home.

February 29
“Rumble in the Jungle” 
Explore animals wild and tame! Listen and dance along with the story Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrea, then create a jungle craft.

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March
Shape: Diamond
Color: Green
Alphabet hand sign: S for “Seuss”
Welcome to “Seussville.”  Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday all this month with a reading of some of our children’s favorite Dr. Seuss books.  

 

March 7
“Hilarious Hat Day”  
Wear your most hilarious hat to story time and laugh along with the tongue twister story lines of The Cat in the Hat.
March 14
No Hand-in-Hand (Spring Break)

March 21 
“It’s Easy Being Green”
Listen along with the nonsense rhymes of  Green Eggs and Ham. Explore ways to practice being “green” in your neighborhood and visit the craft room to use recyclable materials to make a wonderful work of art.

March 28
“Many Colors” -  
Hear the story My Many Colored Day and find out how colors can express feelings.

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April
Shape: Oval
Color: Yellow
Alphabet hand sign: B for “book”
Celebrate children’s books all this month through fun stories, authors, and a special puppet show!

April 4 
“Wild About Books”
Meet Safari Cinde Safari and her animal puppet friends as they invite audience interaction to get you wild about books too. After the show, enjoy craft making in the craft room!

 

April 11 
 “Beautiful Butterflies” 
Explore a world of insects that live in your own backyard. What makes an insect an insect? Hear the story Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert and make a beautiful butterfly craft.

April 18
“Deep River Dark”
Meet Children’s Author and Illustrator Dan Gremminger for a reading of his poetic story of a childhood fishing adventure. Stay for a book signing following with crafts in the craft room.

April 25
“Rhyme Time”   
Count along with the familiar rhyme Over in the Meadow in a book illustrated by David A. Carter.

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May
Shape: Square
Color: Purple
Alphabet hand sign: M for “mother”

May 2
“Transportation Station”
Hop on board to hear the story, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems. 

May 9
“Muffins with Mommy” 
Listen along with If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff.  Enjoy a muffin treat in honor of Mother’s Day and create a very special Mother’s Day craft.

May 16
“Space Shapes”
Did you ever wonder how much space is in outer space or if men really live on mars?  Let your imaginations soar as you listen along with the story Here in Space by David Milgrim. Explore shapes to make a space ship collage.

 

May 23
“Hand-in -Hand Hoopla”
Shake your wiggles out one more time and create one more craft! Hear a story that will get you up and moving: 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: Winter celebrations Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas

Children's Museum Guests and Activities

Chin Woo, Inc. Lion Dance Performance and Dragon Mask Craft
January 20
Join us at 11:30am for a “Lion Dance” performance, then stick around for a fun craft session until 1pm.

African American Folk Tales and Legends
February 24
Help us celebrate Black History Month by coming at 11:30am to hear story-teller Toni Simmons and remaining afterward for craft time until 1pm.

 

Wild About Books
April 4
At 10:30am, Safari Cinde and her puppet friends share some reading fun. Craft session follows until 11:30am.

Deep River Dark
April 18
At 10:30am, hear author/illustrator Dan Gremminger read from his book Deep River Dark, then stay for a book-signing and craft time until 11:30am.

Cindo de Mayo
May 4
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico will perform at 10:30am. Craft time will follow, until 11:30am.