The Blog of Boston Children's Museum
All objects have stories: of their origin, where they have been, and what they mean to people. Objects can remind us of happier times. They can bring back memories of vacations, loved ones, and home.
Boston Children’s Museum has a collection of late-nineteenth century scrapbooks that range in size, shape, and genre. The scrapbooks have brittle paper, many small parts, and many parts glued in. This can make them difficult to use in the Museum in programs or exhibits, so we worked with professionals at Digital Commonwealth and Simmons University to digitize them so they can be shared and experienced online.
Guest blog by Sonya Kurzweil, Ph.D | sonya@skdc.org
Today’s parents recognize that childhood is an emotionally sensitive time. And they are very stressed by how to explain to kids what is going on now and what needs to be done. Here are some ideas on how to explain to kids what is going on and what they need to know about social distancing, as well as how to keep your family healthy and connected.
By Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff. Originally published by the Brookings Institute. Remote work might have its advantages for some, but when the kids are out of school and libraries and…
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is trying to work through uncertainties. We know that parents and caregivers are trying hard to fill their children’s learning needs while balancing their own work and the needs of their families. Here are some tips to help support all children in developing a sense of routine, control, and normalcy during this difficult time.
With all this sudden change heavy on my mind, this weekend I tried to figure out how I will actually work from home with the kids at home. This is unchartered territory, but I work at a children’s museum, I have expert resources a text/phone call/email away — it can’t be too hard, right? (Insert my new favorite emoji here.) There are tons of resources for activities to do with kids – Pinterest, Instagram, the Museum’s website (hint, hint!) and while all that is great, how do I get my work done while entertaining the kids and mining these resources for fresh activities? Here’s my plan so far:
Given the public health crisis we are facing as a country right now due to the spread of COVID-19, we understand that many families are choosing to stay in and play at home. We want to help make your experience fun and memorable, so we’re sharing 100 of our favorite ideas on fun play activities you can easily do from the comfort of home. See how many of our 100 Ways to Play you can try, and share your experience with us on Twitter using #BostonChildrensMuseum!
I was so pleased to sit down with Sherry Turkle’s thought-provoking new book, “Reclaiming Conversation.” Through her research, Turkle, an author, professor, and member of Boston Children’s Museum’s advisory board, explores in the book how quick “sips” of conversation— texts, emails, Tweets, posts, etc.—are replacing meaningful conversations, and the negative effects of this shift are becoming more and more evident. I was particularly struck by the consequences the decline in conversation is having on children.
The Power of Play 