We’re so glad you asked!
Children’s museums are community resources that invest in the wellbeing of kids and families. They are open-ended environments that inspire the next generation of designers, problem-solvers, and collaborators through play and hands-on learning.
These joy-filled gathering spaces are designed especially for children and offer a range of foundational experiences where children think, explore, socialize, and figure out the world. They are environments that brings kids and families together from across the community to learn not just from the museum, but also from each other. Children’s museums have exhibit spaces for imaginative and hands-on play, maker’s spaces and art studios for kids to flex their creative muscles, as well as spaces for field trips and celebrations and gathering.
These museums have a positive impact in a community, creating enrichment that is wide and deep and lasts for generations. When a community invests in a children’s museum, they invest in:
- the joyful learning and development of their children,
- the support of parents and caregivers,
- enriched, connected learning experiences for school field trips,
- the wellbeing of volunteers, and
- the attractiveness and vitality of the community as a whole.
Some of our favorite children’s museums are:
- The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
- The Chicago Children’s Museum at Navy Pier
- Sandcastles Children’s Museum in Ludington
- The Great Lakes Children’s Museum in Traverse City
- The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Interested in learning even more about children’s museums? The Association of Children’s Museums (we’re members) does a really nice job of describing them even better than we can. Check out their “About Children’s Museums” page to learn more.