http://www.playtacoma.org/blog/museum/ en-us Fri, 18 May 2012 19:54:00 PDT Fri, 18 May 2012 19:54:00 PDT SiteCrafting.com GearBox 1.0.10 http://playtacoma.org/blog/call-raven/ Looking for Promotion Ideas I've been trying out different angles to pitch the story about the Museum's new exhibit Soar Into Story: The Adventures of Raven and Coyote. One thought was to get Gerald McDermott reading his tales on the radio. Harder said than done. But, my searching did lead me to a cool article, Raven and the Sun: A Myth, from the Bird Note program on KPLU.I'm sure there are more aticles like this to prep little ones for their Soar experience. Have you found any others? Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:23:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/summer-camp-memories/ Wishing I were five again...The summer camp registrations have been pouring in and we are excitedly preparing for a summer full of silly science, messy art, language explorations, and of course, cooking! Made me think back to my summers as a kid taking sewing lessons (my mom made me take them), swimming, picnics, and playing with friends at the park. What are some of your favorite summer memories?To sign up your child for one of our awesome summer camps, call 253.627.6031 or click here for camp descriptions. Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:22:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/follow-museum/ Did you know there are awesome activations happening in the Museum weekly? Or that we run promotions and deals in the Museum store and on Museum memberships, birthday parties and group visits?Make sure you're up to date with everything going on at the Museum by becoming a fan on Facebook or following us on Twitter! Tue, 12 May 2009 12:25:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/name-metal-man/ The Museum's Metal Urge Inspired Contest Our visitors have created metal sculptures, used metallic fibers and danced the robot! Now will you help us with our final Metal Urge inspired project?We'd love the Metal Man standing guard over Becka's Studio to have a name! Name that Metal Man Rules Submit your child's Metal Man name along with your contact information by Friday, September 15 at 5:00 pm. Submissions can be made at the Museum, via email or in the comment section below. The top 10 entries will be voted upon. The winning entry will be announced on Monday, September 28. The namer will win bragging rights (of course), a Children's Museum Membership and a CMT VIP pack.Thanks to Ben Brown for constructing and loaning the Metal Man to the Children's Museum of Tacoma! Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:34:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/kids-we-ate/ A Shorter Perspective This potentially worrisome message was found in the Museum's farmer's market exhibit after hours; I can now fully appreciate the power of a pronoun. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:02:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/smiley-coyote/ A Shorter Perspective One of our members decided to donate their artwork to the Museum's growing collection. The detailed facial expression in this piece always ignites a smile within my own artistic self.  Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:12:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/thieves-in-museum/ A Shorter Perspective This ransom note was found next to an empty toy cash register in the Museum's New Digs exhibit. The note reads, "We stole your money, you're doomed." Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:04:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/change-please/ A Shorter Perspective Although we appreciate the artistic depiction of Abraham Lincoln, the Museum store cannot accept counterfeit money. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:07:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/chem-chem-tortoise/ A Shorter Perspective One of our visitors left this detailed story in our Soar Into Story exhibit. While this short story is indeed a very short story, it is great to see the understanding the author had of story sequencing. Being a good writer means you must first be a good reader; help your child get the most out of reading with Reading Rockets Reading Tips for Parents. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:59:00 PST http://playtacoma.org/blog/woah/ a shorter perspective As a vegetarian, I was thinking the same thing. Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:41:00 PST http://playtacoma.org/blog/fire-safety/ a shorter perspective These safety directions were found in the Museum after hours, good thing we've never had to use them!Note reads: 1. Close doors 2. Go to the wind 3. Yell "fire" Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:17:00 PST http://playtacoma.org/blog/diva/ A Shorter Perspective One of many found creations in Becka's Studio. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:28:00 PST http://playtacoma.org/blog/dreaming-designs/ Stepping into the world of Design, Build, Play!Buildings and structures of every size and shape can be seen all around us.  In our newest exhibit, Design, Build, Play! children assume the role of architect to create structures of their very own. A recent visitor shared this floor plan of his / her dream house, complete with a: comfy couch, television, light, fan, toilet, and bathroom door.  I especially enjoy the labels as bathroom privacy is especially important when designing a home.  :)   Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:40:00 PST http://playtacoma.org/blog/child-picasso/ It's a ....!Just days ago, this painting was found in Becka's Studio.  Immediately we were drawn to the artist's rich color choices and fluid brushstrokes and yet we all had different interpretations of the painting.  One person saw a cow.  Another saw a boy on a skateboard.  Now it's your turn to enjoy the painting.  What do you see?   Wed, 26 May 2010 15:57:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/triangle-love/ A Shorter Perspective Adorable artwork left behind in Becka's Studio. Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:13:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/cmt-water-rockets/ Summer Camp 2010 Summer Camps at the CMT! Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:32:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/sauls-sandwiches/ and the power of playAs the Museum winds down in its last week of summer camp, I took a moment to sit down and observe the kids and their endless ability to imagine. I was a customer at the world famous, �??Saul�??s Sandwiches�?� which offers menu items such as �??peanut butter and lettuce sandwiches�?� and the �??tallest sandwich in the world.�?� Not to mention the dishes always come in your "favorite" color. Passersby of Saul�??s would have simply seen children �??playing,�?? which wouldn�??t be an incorrect observation but is too often a misunderstood one. When I first sat down at the deli a young girl was dramatically complaining that this was the worst day of her life because her boss was making her work �??too many hours and not giving [her] any breaks and [she] has to do everything she says and [she] doesn�??t even make any money!�?� Another young girl added �??she needs a raise!�?� The kids at Saul�??s were imitating adult situations and circumstances. They had divided workloads and tasks, assigned a hierarchy of employee and employer, and jumped right into the business of sandwich making. The cashier answered the phone �??Thank you for calling�?� hey, what�??s the name of this place?�?� Another girl answered proudly �??Saul�??s Sandwiches.�?� Until then, the restaurant didn�??t need a name, it was operating without one just fine. And like the adult world, the children dealt with inconsistencies and conflicts in policy as the particular issues arose. The playacting was so imitative of adult life that when I summarize the 20 minutes of play I observed, one could easily believe this to be the account of an actual workday at a restaurant: The day started off on the wrong foot as Erin was upset because she�??s overworked and needs a raise. The lunch rush swamped Kate as the phone rang nonstop and the orders became outrageously complicated with no time for breaks. Things got worse when John dropped a whole order and everyone had to quit what they were doing to help clean it up. In The Power of Play, David Elkind writes of the social benefits of playacting. �??Playacting is largely imitative and helps the child appreciate that one thing can be two things at the same time�?�When children play cops and robbers, or humans and aliens, they have to take the perspective of someone else. Because this type of play often has moral overtones-the bad guys and the good guys-this means that the child must be able to take the perspective of both hero and villain.�?� By imitating adult life, the kids at Saul�??s stepped into the perspective of actual employees and managers at a restaurant and gained an understanding of the complexity of working in groups for a common goal. The social benefits of negotiating and working as a team go much further than what some would simply call a �??game.�?� As I left Saul�??s Sandwiches with enough peanut butter and lettuce to start my own small deli, there was no doubt in my mind why they are considered �??world famous.�?� Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:19:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/zing-power-play-1/ How mail delivering robot time machines will save the worldWhile stopping by Zing, the Museum's newest exhibit, I was lucky enough to overhear a snippet of dialogue between a young boy and his father. The exchange went something like this: Dad: "What are you making over there buddy?" Son: "Oh, just a robot" "Actually, it's a machine" "Well, actually it's a time machine" "And it delivers mail." Besides inventing the perfect office assistant, a mail delivering robot time machine, this brief conversation is a valuable peek of developmental insight that we adults often ignore.The blocks which make up this robot were actually rigorously designed and tested to provide the maximum potential for unstructured, creative, child-led play. New York City's Imagination Playground calls them a "breakthrough playspace concept�?� that offers a changing array of elements that allow children to constantly reconfigure their environment and to design their own course of play."After the robot had been abandoned, a new group of children entered the exhibit and one declared "Look! A castle!" Instantly and without physical reconfiguration, a mail delivering robot time machine had been turned into a castle using only the tool of imagination. Throughout the day the blocks continue to turn into rivers, junkyards, treehouses, roller coasters, etc. and along the way provide children with opportunities to work together, create their own rules, problem solve, fantasize and assign their own roles and responsibilities within a greater framework of the creative process. It's in these moments of creation that children develop independence, emotional stability and social skills. We often think of school readiness efforts as structured activities including flashcards or written arithmetic but we forget the powerful role play has in a child's readiness for school. In an article titled "Some Misunderstanding of School Readiness," David Elkind goes further by stating that "research suggests that for young children play may provide better preparation for later academic learning than an academic curriculum�?� there is little evidence to support the view that school readiness is a product of an early introduction into academics. In fact the evidence points in the other direction and suggests that play may provide the most solid grounding for the later attainment of literacy and numerical skills."However, I think both early academic and play advocates can agree that a mail delivering robot time machine is definitely a benefit to society. Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:54:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/off-to-houston-week-learning/ Staff members take part in the 2011 conference of children's museums. Did you know that there are nearly 300 open U.S. children�??s museums and nearly another 100 outside of the United States? Children�??s Museum of Tacoma, founded in 1986, is proud to be part of this growing field. Reflecting their diverse communities, children�??s museums create playful, interactive learning experiences. No two children�??s museums are alike. But there is much we have in common. Four members of the Museum�??s staff, including myself, are traveling to Houston this week to join more than 720 children�??s museum participants for InterActivity 2011. The theme for the conference is �??Innovation is Child�??s Play�?� and it will feature more than 60 professional development sessions. This is a particularly important year for the Children�??s Museum of Tacoma, as we prepare to open a new museum, develop the exhibitions that your children will play in, and explore new operating models that will benefit the youngest people in our community. There are many questions left to be answered, and we hope to use this opportunity as a way to connect with other children�??s museum professionals to gain as much insight from them as possible. I am the communications and operations director for CMT. That means that some of my duties for the new museum include developing safety and security policies, operating norms, and the new membership program. We are also exploring multiple scenarios for the operations of the Museum�??s new café and our parking lot, and trying to anticipate how the Pay As You Will model of admission will work. Other children�??s museums have tackled similar work and I hope to learn from those colleagues while in Houston this week. We want our community to know that our staff regularly invests in its professional development and networks on state, regional, national, even international levels to keep abreast of trends and opportunities in the informal education world of children�??s museums. Stay tuned for insights we gain that we think you will find of interest as we travel down south to Texas. Brenda Mon, 16 May 2011 08:55:00 PDT http://playtacoma.org/blog/day-interactivity-2011/ Today is the first official day of the conference, Interactivity 2011, and I am excited to get started.    We (CMT staff) presented at a pre-conference for emerging museums yesterday, talking about program development for small museums, how to market those programs, and the assessment of them. We hope our experience will be helpful to attendees who are working to bring a new children�??s museum to their communities.   While I have worked in museums for about 13 years, I consider myself relatively new to the children�??s museum field.  I worked for CMT from 1997-2001 and just returned to staff in September 2010.  Under the guidance our executive director, Tanya Andrews, the Children�??s Museum of Tacoma has grown in leaps and bounds over the 10 years I was absent.  The Museum�??s level of professionalism, and innovation, has made CMT groundbreaking in our field.  Programs like Play to Learn, and exhibit development exemplified by Zing!, make the Museum stand out from other similar organizations.   Since I am a relative newbie to the field, I look forward to the conference and hope to learn more about this field. It really is a privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to be here in Houston, participating in Interactivity 2011. Thu, 19 May 2011 05:55:00 PDT