What are We Learning
Boston Children’s Museum seeks to spark the inherent curiosity, creativity, and imagination in children and to propel them toward reaching their full potential. The Museum uses play and active learning to open young minds, develop important skills, and foster a life-long love of learning. The Museum provides a perfect physical environment for exposing children to experiences that enhance their developing minds and bodies. The Museum’s exhibits and programs are designed to help the child be in charge of his or her own learning, employing play as a gateway to discovery and initiative. Here are the kinds of skills our exhibits and programs are created to enhance:
Communication Skills: Communication skills include listening, talking, reading and writing.
Creativity: Creativity includes using your imagination, exploring the unknown, following your curiosity, pretend play, making connections, trial and error, and expressing yourself.
Cultural Understanding: Developing cultural understanding includes experiencing traditions and rituals from many cultures and beliefs, hearing different languages, and seeing objects from around the world.
Mathematical Skills: Math skills develop when children play with shapes, create patterns, count, and measure.
Musical Skills: Musical skills include tapping out rhythms, singing songs, playing instruments, and listening to music and other sounds.
Observation: Observation is the skill of careful looking and concentration.
Physical Skills: Physical skills include developing large muscles to move, walk, climb and dance; and small muscles to use tools like pencils, scissors, paintbrushes, and kitchen utensils.
Problem Solving Skills: Problem solving skills include making decisions, considering different ways to do things and applying other skills to come up with solutions to difficult situations.
Social and Emotional Skills: Social and emotional skills include sharing, taking turns, having a conversation, recognizing feelings, and learning to get along with others.
Tool Use: Tool use is the skill of identifying the correct tool for the task at hand, and then properly using that tool.
Visual-Spatial Thinking Skills: Visual thinking means being aware of your physical space and environment. Solving jig-saw puzzles, following maps, and drawing are all examples of visual thinking skills.