Museum of Science, Boston

Recently I visited the Museum of Science in Boston.  There are a tremendous number of exhibits, covering a range of topics that includes: animals, the natural world, forces, the five senses, engineering, math, and dinosaurs (http://www.mos.org/exhibits_shows/current_exhibits).  I had fun exploring, and I know that young children will enjoy a lot of what the museum has to offer.  A few areas stood out for me because of how they lend themselves to learning for younger kids.  Below you’ll find a description of these exhibits, my thoughts about the learning that takes place, and some ideas for how parents can extend this learning to the home.

·        Discovery Center is a two-floor area designed for children from birth to age eight.  It contains many hands-on activities, some staffed by facilitators and others where kids can play independently, with their parents, or with peers.  You’ll find live animals, fun manipulatives, and “discovery boxes” of real objects like rocks, fossils, and animal bones.  In several sections, the museum has included signs aimed at parents to give them information about what learning is occurring or suggestions for questions they could ask to get insight into their children’s thinking.  While it certainly can be tempting to sit back and let your youngsters explore the Discovery Center on their own, I think there are some great opportunities to play with them, observe what interests them, and integrate higher level thinking.  For example, upstairs is a pneumatic tube that kids can use to send different-colored letters from one side of the room to the other.  Depending on your child’s age and abilities, you can ask him/her to send only specific colored letters, uppercase or lowercase letters, or the letters of known words.  Does your child show an interest in examining the rocks downstairs?  Encourage him/her to sort the rocks by color, shape, or size.  Perhaps it’s time to start a rock collection, buy tools like a magnifying glass or rock polisher, or get books from the library about rocks once you get home.  And this is really just the beginning of all the active exploration and learning at this exhibit, so be sure to check it out!

o       The Museum of Science also has created a website just for the Discovery Center:  http://www.mos.org/discoverycenter/.  It contains tips for visiting with young children, research about child development, and a guide to other exhibits at the museum that may have particular appeal for kids 8 and younger.

·        A Bird’s World has some neat activities that children can do, but adult guidance can mean the difference between simply doing them and learning from them.  “Bird Voices” teaches visitors to distinguish between different bird calls and identify their meanings.  Getting your child to pay attention to the sounds in this way can develop his/her listening skills, which is an important part of the ability to distinguish sounds in words – a necessary skill when it comes to reading and writing development.  The "Sneaking Corridor" tests how quietly a person can walk through an area to avoid alarming birds.  It’s a good idea to talk with children so that they understand the purpose of this activity and don’t simply run through the corridor.  

"Sneaking Corridor" in A Bird's World

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25729481@N03/2611573250/sizes/m/in/photostream/

     

      Also the museum has included a shadow puppet activity where a person holds a bird puppet up to a screen while someone on the other side tries to identify it based on the silhouette.  This activity may inspire kids to make shadow animals with their hands, create shadow-related artwork, or learn about the science of shadows.  Here is a link to a website with neat ideas for arts and crafts with shadows: http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/shadows/art.htm.  And below are some interesting books about shadows:

o       Bear Shadow by Frank Asch – one of a popular picture book series

o       What Makes a Shadow? by Clyde Robert Bulla – part of the “Let’s Read and Find out” nonfiction series

o       Shadows and Reflections by Tana Hoban – this author creates great wordless books that use photographs to teach concepts

·        Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff presents one of only four nearly complete Triceratops on public display in the world, while Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic uses fossils, models, and interactives to inform visitors about dinosaurs and encourage them to think about how paleontologists use evidence to draw conclusions.  I could write about the many dinosaur activities and books that are out there, but instead I have some questions – prompted by the presence of only a handful of children at these two exhibits on the day I was at the museum – that you might be able to answer.   

I remember how my cousin loved to play with dinosaurs when we were little, and he knew the names and details of dozens of them.  But do dinosaurs still hold the same fascination for your children – or have they been replaced by superheroes, robots, and cartoon characters?  Is it even that important for kids under eight years old to learn about dinosaurs?  Frequently, early childhood educators talk about the importance of learning things rooted in children’s worlds, the familiar, the personal.  As a result, a lot of science at school in the early years focuses on observable phenomena like the five senses, plants, animals, water, and the seasons.  Even though children may be interested in or be able to learn information about a topic like dinosaurs, is it possible that they really can’t fully grasp it all since the topic is so far removed from their everyday lives?  I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

If your children do like dinosaurs, here are some games from The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Scholastic websites that they may enjoy:

o       http://www.childrensmuseum.org/themuseum/dinosphere/kids/kids_about.html (scroll down and go to the links for Activities and Games)

o       http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp (look in the Science category and be sure to click on the tab that corresponds with your child’s grade level)

You know what… I have way too much that I want to say about the Museum of Science to fit it into one entry!  Next time I’ll look at a few more exhibits.