Early experiences are incredibly valuable for a child! As a matter of fact, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child at Harvard University tells us that early experiences can have a profound influence on a child’s brain architecture. Further, repeating experiences or doing the same activities over and over can build a foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. This rings true whether a child plays at the park or is involved in the same art project, science experiment, or math activity time and time again.
Repeated play, learning and exploration experiences can support the growing brain by:
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Building confidence on familiar knowledge by allowing children to constantly reexamine understandings about their world.
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Engaging children in a learning process that includes making plans and carrying them out, reasoning and problem-solving, as well as interacting with others.
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Challenging children to construct new understandings based on new information.
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Providing a place where children can demonstrate understanding of skills and concepts.
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Offering opportunity to observe and participate in the perspective of others.
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Helping to stimulate flexibility, imagination and inventiveness.
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Supporting intrinsic motivation to learn through a hands-on and interactive environment.
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At DuPage Children’s Museum, coming back means you engage with our exhibits in a different way—learning something new with each visit!
There are also new learning opportunities! Our newest exhibit, Monumental, is now open and draws young children into the architecture and culture of Greek and Maya civilizations. Experiences include DCM’s standard art, math, science, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking and much more!
(Resources: http://www.acei.org/ and http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu)
