Association of Children's Museums

Read Examples of How Children's Museums are Making an Impact

Port Discovery Children's Museum (Baltimore, MD) partners with an affiliate of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs. All program evaluation families indicated that their children are more social and are better able to explore restaurants, stores and playgrounds independently. Additionally, the museum is creating a new dialogue with a Healthy Families/Healthy Communities initiative with input from a Healthy Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from the city health department, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, University of Maryland and local pediatricians, resulting in a new exhibit about Healthy Choices in a Convenient World.

Please Touch Museum (Philadelphia, PA) provides access to low-income families through its Family Play Pass Program at local neighborhood libraries and our First Wednesday $2.00 admission program.

Kohl Children's Museum of Greater Chicago (Glenview, IL) developed an Early Childhood Connections outreach program, in which the museum provides elementary school teachers with innovative curriculum and best practices for teaching using a project approach. At the museum, programs and exhibits nurtures a love of learning in young children through play and providing an environment where families can explore and learn together.

Through a comprehensive strategy incorporating exhibits, programs, events and governance, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (CA) has increased its attendance from the top 10 Latino zip codes in our area by 20 percent. Additionally, as part of a National Science Foundation grant, Children's Discovery Museum with Randi Korn & Associates, Inc., is conducting a State of the Profession Survey about children's museums and science engagement.

Miami Children's Museum (FL) provides a fun, safe, environment for families filled with informal and formal learning.

The Louisiana Children's Museum (New Orleans) is leading a few significant collaboration efforts that will/are heightening the awareness of early childhood development and its huge impact in our community-growing and moving the potential gain to the long term sustainable health of the community.

National Children's Museum (Washington, DC) is inspiring young people to care about and improve the world by connecting kids with each other and by creating opportunities for engagement.

Young at Art Children's Museum launched an online ArtREACH toolkit that includes information and suggested strategies that children's museums can use to mobilize parents, homeless shelters, school districts and other key community organizations to develop a programs and programming for homeless children.

Children's Museum of Manhattan (NY) developed the "PlayWorks" exhibition, a child-sized, whimsical environment in which children can feed alphabet letters to a talking baby dragon, roll balls on a ball run, play peek-a-boo or make music with a laser harp. The museum also developed a bilingual, online Guide for Families of Children with Disabilities.

The Hawaii Children's Discovery Center (Honolulu) has made an impact on the way parents, teachers and children view learning and the importance of early learning.

Boston Children's Museum (MA) created the KIDS @fterschool program. KIDS @fterschool presents a full year of interdisciplinary activities within a pedagogical framework that teaches educators effective presentation skills, question-asking strategies and other techniques by implementing the activities with their students. KIDS @fterschool is used in all 50 U.S. states and in eight countries around the world. Additionally, the museum is taking a leadership role in the city's school readiness initiative with a new exhibit on school readiness with parents are the target audience.

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh (PA) provides innovative museum experiences that inspire curiosity, creativity and joy.

Long Island Children's Museum (Garden City, NY) is currently developing the online Our Backyard toolkit, which will include information on outdoor exhibit design and materials, educational themes, activity and component suggestions, potential sources of materials, horticulture and climate zone information, resources for gardening and other support, and ideas and lesson plans for educational programs.

Strong National Museum of Play (Rochester, NY) established a National Center for the History of Electronic Games at the museum.

Northwoods Children's Museum (Eagle River, WI) developed a Fun with Fathers monthly program at the museum that to promotes interaction between fathers, grandfathers, and father-figures and their children, as well as a chance to network with other fathers.

Duluth Children's Museum (MN) membership has exploded! Up from 575 households a year ago to more than 1,200 serving 5,300 children and adults, 38 percent from financially stressed households!

Being a green museum, The Children's Museum of the Treasure Coast (Stuart, FL), focuses on outreach programs that are centered around how to be a friend to the environment. The museum is also striving to match a dollar for dollar match of $5000,000 given to it by the Langford Foundation, which will complete the Explorer Wing and Spanish Galleon Exhibit for the museum.

Eureka! The National Children's Museum (Halifax, United Kingdom) is the only large scale children's museum in the United Kingdom and has been taking a key role of spreading the word locally, nationally and regionally of how play and learning make a lasting difference to children's lives.

Portland Children's Museum (OR) created a Center for Children's Learning, which provides original research on how children respond to play environments, sensory experiences and cognitive challenges. Additionally, the museum inspiring educators and families in our community to rethink public school education by focusing on playful inquiry and creativity at the heart of learning

Children's Museum in Oak Lawn's (IL) learning through play experiences are growing and anticipates its new facility will be opening this summer! The museum provide educational experiences based on the Illinois Learning Standards making us a true extension of differentiated classroom learning.

Children's Discovery Museum (Normal, IL) runs a Farmers' Market Foods Infusion Project, which addresses two overarching needs - to support children's emergent literacy with books and to connect families to plentiful, healthy foods at the local farmers' markets.

Chicago Children's Museum (IL) actively works with the Marriott Bridges Program, The Chicago Center for Health and Rehabilitation and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities to recruit volunteers for its Play for All program. People with disabilities are involved with every facet of Play for All planning, from serving as reviewers on its Position Paper, to providing feedback on exhibit design elements, to conducting staff training and presenting programs.

Garden State Discovery Museum (Cherry Hill, NJ) provides an Open Arms Program for families with children on the autism spectrum and encourages other groups with disabilities to visit the museum by hosting special days and field trips throughout the year. During the school year the museum sees up to 200 children a day through these field trips.

Creative Discovery Museum (Chattanooga, TN) partners with Oak Ridge National Lab and the Department of Energy to teach children about alternative energy sources.

Scientifically accurate dinosaur puppets bring paleontology to life at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles (CA). Its Education & Arts Roundtable has created a Community of school, museum and arts educators.

Children's Museum at La Habra (CA) has grown from an exhibit-oriented space to a people-oriented place. With new evaluation techniques, interactivity beyond-the-gallery family programming, community-based free days and a sense of duty to its members, visitors and supporters, the museum has become a dynamic and engaging haven. The museum received recent national recognition with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the EPA, which helps confirm it's programs and exhibits are at national standard.

With the opening of EdVenture Children's Museum's (Columbia, SC) new outdoor (enclosed) nature exhibit, "Blooming Butterflies" and its participation in "C3" (Communicating Climate Change), the museum is reinforcing the importance of understanding and preserving our environment. EdVenture's goal is to provide children with the opportunity to imagine, discover and understand their world.

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