Learning

Many of the moms I know, myself included, have listened to the Tiger Mom perspective with a raised eyebrow. In my role at the Children’s Museum, I’ve seen studies that suggest extreme emphasis on educational content mastery, especially at the preschool level and often to the exclusion of free play, can actually have a negative impact on future educational attainment.

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Field trip season has officially begun here at the Children’s Museum of Richmond! I’m looking forward to meeting many of the groups scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year. One of my favorite programs is Simple Machines Made Tasty! I like this program because students create chocolate pudding using simple machines found in the kitchen – it is a fun and creative way of learning a new concept!

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When you see a child building a tower of blocks, chasing a friend around the yard, or two little girls playing “teacher” what comes to your mind? Is it that they are learning lifelong skills that will help them form into productive adults? Of course not, but that is what is happening. Through each adventure in play children are discovering new ideas and concepts. They are learning to listen to their friends and to compromise on activities. They are learning to exercise authority while learning at the same time what behaviors will not go over well.

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EEEK!! There are MICE in the TREE HOUSE!!
That’s right, and tree frogs and turtles, too! In fact, the Children’s Museum of Richmond’s Living Tree House now gives kids the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of nature’s cutest critters.