Children’s Discovery “Museum Without Walls”

Press release 9/2/14--- The future of the Children’s Discovery Museum looks bright. A new building has been purchased, the Capital Campaign is in full swing, and the exhibit designers are hard at work. There is no doubt that the vision for the new space is so big it transcends any physical boundaries one might place on it. Yet, a reinvented space takes time, money, effort, and a whole lot of worker bees. And while the new space is being prepared, the Children’s Discovery Museum will operate as a “MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS.” Starting SEPTEMBER 2nd, 2014, the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Golden Crescent will travel to festivals, schools, community centers, homes, and businesses to offer hands-on, interactive, educational programs to the children of the Golden Crescent. The programs will range from early childhood music and movement programs such as "Musikgarten" to elementary school offerings like "Engineering is Elementary" and "Lego WeDo Robotics".

Because the Children Discovery Museum’s "MUSEUM WITHOUT WALLS" has no limits, these outreach programs will be offered in a variety of ways, from in-school field trips, to themed birthday parties that entertain and educate at a location of your choice, to corporate events that provide stimulation for the whole family. If it is fun, interactive learning you desire, the museum plans to bring it to you.

Executive Director Melissa Dixon said, “Existing as a museum without walls during this time of transition gives us a unique opportunity to reach out to all of the counties we serve while providing experiential, educational programs for children and families.” She hopes that we can reach every school in the Golden Crescent.

For the tiny tots (ages birth to 5 years old), instructors will visit preschools, homes, and businesses to provide MUSIC IN MOTION, a program designed to stimulate physical, cognitive, and social development in children while engaging them in musical play. The museum will be available to book music birthday parties, play dates, and preschool visits throughout the year. “Museum without Walls” visitors ages birth to 3 years old can also sign up for a semester of mommy and me music classes to be held Thursdays at 10:30a.m. at Pidder Patter, beginning on September 4th. Pricing for MUSIC IN MOTION varies depending on the type of service offered.

For Elementary School students (grades Kinder through 5th), the museum will offer two STEM-focused programs: Engineering is Elementary (designed to enhance the Kindergarten through 2nd grade curricula) and Lego WeDo Robotics (designed to enhance 2nd through 5th grade curricula). Engineering is Elementary is a research based, teacher-tested program which integrates engineering with the science already taught in the schools to provide hands-on learning for children. The museum will offer weekly after-school classes for $50/month or one-time in-school visits for $5/student.

The Lego WeDo Robotics programs gives children the opportunity to create computer programs that interact with machines that they build out of Legos. The children “play” with their robots while a museum representative provides a lesson in literacy, math, science, or social studies (schools can choose their focus). The first 1,000 children to participate in the in-school program are free, thanks to a grant from KinderMorgan. Children Discovery Museum’s Education Coordinator Tanya Wilkinson urges schools to call the museum to sign up for a 2-hour in-school workshop this fall. “The Lego WeDo Robotics program provides kids with hands-on stimulation that fully engages them in learning and fits directly into curriculum areas for their level,” Wilkinson said. Once 1,000 children have been reached, one-time in-school visits will cost $5/child. Weekly after-school programs are available as well.

For more information on birthday parties, playdates, classes at Pidder Patter, school visits, and community events, you may check CDM’s website at www.cdmgoldencrescent.com or call 361-485-9140. You can also find the Children’s Discovery Museum on Facebook to stay up-to-date on the museum’s happenings.