ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I know this is old, but I'm cleaning out e-mail I "meant to answer."
Our museum has be around for more than 75 years. We are a science museum
for kids and will be changing our name and our mission in the next few
months to focus on kids under 10. In the next three years, we are moving
and building a new facility. The staff is busy researching exhibits right
now.
We just refinished a room in our current building that has always been for
kids under seven (although our frozen shadow wall is popular with everyone).
Kristie M. Mazzoni
Assistant Planetarium Director
Science Center of Connecticut
950 Trout Brook Drive
West Hartford CT 06119
(860) 231-2830 x24
-----Original Message-----
From: Becky Matthews [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 12:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Preschool areas?
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*
I'm posting this for a colleague:
1. Does your Science Center have an exhibit area specifically targeted at 2
to 6 year olds?
Yes
2. What types of activities does it include?
There is a "frozen shadow" wall, a 3'x4' light bright with acrylic pegs, and
a box with three colored lights that kids can manipulate to mix the colors
on a wall. There is a hand-cranked music box where kids can change the pegs
that hit the keys and change the songs. Two new pieces are a PVC pipe organ
where the kids whack the open tubes with flip-flops and a wooden sound box.
We also have a series of percussion instruments to play with.
On the other side of the room are two bubble windows and we are building a
kid-in-a-bubble area. There are small bits like a hydraulic bending mirror
and a track that races two balls. There are two air blower exhibits. One
floats a beach ball on a column of air and the other has PVC pipes that blow
air and float ping-pong balls.
There is a section within the room that is walled off for tots. There is a
stack of soft mats with a mirror for crawlers, a 3'x3'x3' wooden cube with
activities on five sides, and different sets of blocks.
3. Why did your institution decide to devote space and funds to such a
project?
The room has been a "kids' area" for at least ten years. We redid the room
because we are getting more and more younger kids over the years, and we
will soon be a true children's museum. Also, the room itself was looking
shabby - carpet, paint, etc. - and the exhibits were from different eras and
had no connections.
4. Is there a real market for such an area? How do you market this
area/experience?
There is in our area. For some parents of young children we have become the
"mommy and me" meeting place. The room is fairly small and is accessed down
a short ramp from the admissions desk. It is one of the few areas where it
is easy to bring a stroller, and it is close to the bathrooms and animal
sanctuary (another hot area for tots).
We haven't really done any marketing for the area except to send out the
standard press releases to our local papers. I think one might have
mentioned it in the "things to do section." It has been mentioned in all
our communications to members. When I send our a bulk mailing to
pre-schools next week about a pre-K planetarium program, I will be
mentioning the new room.
5. What do you call this special area for young visitors?
It used to be called Kids Factory (it had more electrical exhibits before).
Now it is called Kids' Corner - we could live with the two K's.
Any and all input would be much appreciated.
Kris McCall, Director
Sudekum Planetarium
Adventure Science Center
Nashville, TN
615-401-5077
[log in to unmask]
www.adventuresci.com
Becky Fox Matthews
Educator/Special Projects
Adventure Science Center
***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at
http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message
SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]
***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]
|
