Curiosity, persistence, and the thirst to ask questions and learn why, are the most important tools with which we can send a child into the world. When my little guy, Theo, was a baby he was captivated by the light radiating from the Museum’s large light table. He would crawl over, pull to a stand and bang on the table. Something about the light table sparked enough curiosity in him to employ his newly developing physical skills to seek an answer to his questions.
So while on the surface one might see a baby hitting a table, the amount of learning happening here was significant. Exhibits and experiences in the Museum are intentionally designed for children of all ages and abilities to engage with them time and time again as they grow and develop.
This year, as my own family changes and grows, I find myself experiencing the world of child development and the Museum very differently than before. As I share stories of food battles and items being flushed down toilets with my colleagues, we find much humor in what happens to the Early Learning Specialist when she has a little one in her life.
Theo, is literally growing up in this Museum. Learning to crawl, taking his first steps, to being off and running: all have happened while engaging in this space. As Theo’s brain makes new connections, the natural born scientist inside of him is awakened and so is his ability to learn new, more advanced things.
Watching his development is amazing and brings me so much joy, but it is how his curiosity and desire to learn continue to grow that fills my heart. And now, when I see him in the exhibit space, and I see that spark, I know that his repeated experiences at the Museum are laying the foundation for a lifetime of curiosity and engaged learning. Children and play grow together. Creating environments and experiences that support this growth is what we do best here at DuPage Children’s Museum.
