The Blog of Boston Children's Museum
You don’t have to be inside the Museum to take part in the joy of playful exploration. Get fun, easy ideas for play that can be experienced anywhere you are.
At Boston Children’s Museum, we define Working Flexibly as incorporating and revising ideas based on new information, employing objectivity and acknowledging subjectivity. Learn how Working Flexibly comes into play throughout the Museum in Program Fellow Sydney’s latest blog.
Next up in the Habits of Mind blog series is Thinking Creatively and Imaginatively. Habits of Mind are ways of thinking and being that help children (and adults!) stay curious, creative, and confident. Envisioning possibilities, solutions, and forms of expression; having ideas; thinking outside the box; problem finding and solving are all aspects of Creative and Imaginative Thinking. Let’s dive in.
Play and exploration aren’t just fun — they’re essential. Play helps kids grow, learn, and understand the world around them in ways that are just as important as what they learn in school, at home, or during after-school programs. In this new blog series, Museum staff will highlight how Habits of Mind come to life in and outside the Museum. First up: Taking Risks.
While ingredients and shapes may change, one thing cultures around the world have in common is a love of dumplings. In September 2024, Mei Mei, a local dumpling business, hosted a Dumpling Folding activity at Boston Children’s Museum, offering Museum visitors the opportunity to learn dumpling folding techniques. Learn about Ziyi Cheng’s experience at the Dumpling Folding Activity and its connection to the power of play.
Mud pie masterpieces, crushed flower cupcakes, watermelon pie, what might you cook up using natural materials, kitchenware, and your imagination? Boston Children’s Museum recently celebrated our Summer of Curiosity, encouraging visitors to think, wonder, and ask questions about the world around them. Learn about Museum Program Fellow Kate and team’s experiences in the latest blog post!
While seemingly disparate in their missions, Boston Children’s Museum and the Commonwealth Seminar, a privately funded program with the mission of “opening the doors of government to everyone,” are more closely aligned in their goals and missions than one would initially surmise. Read more in Leverett Wing’s guest blog.
The ongoing pandemic has prevented many children from learning and playing face-to-face with their peers, leading to a big increase in screen time. Most classes and activities have transitioned to an online format—no avoiding screens there—but there are still SO many screen-free ways kids can play and learn at home. In celebration of #NationalUnpluggingDay, here are some fun, screen-free activities to help engage your child in in-person playtime!
2020 was…a lot. Thankfully, some good did come out of all the chaos. Our staff shifted gears to help kids and families stay engaged, playing, and learning at home, creating dozens of video activities (all accessible on our YouTube channel!) Here is a countdown of the TOP 10 activities of 2020—we hope you’ll give them a try! There is much more to come in 2021.
The Power of Play 