At Kodo, we believe the best learning happens through exploration and investigation. We also understand and value the importance of STEM in early childhood curriculum in order to build a future where today's children become tomorrow's leaders and problem-solvers. These fifteen museums (with a bonus #16!) embrace both of these concepts by promoting playful, investigation-based learning and STEM for preschool. It's time to start planning your field trips!
Photo from Childrens Museum of Pittsburgh
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
With a serious emphasis on the Maker Movement and Makerspaces, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is an incredibly educational, unique, and fun experience for learners of all ages. The museum boasts an extensive list of exhibits that also encompass art, outdoor play, measurement, motorcycles, and more, ensuring each individual in your group will find an exhibit that speaks to their interests and passions. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, San Diego, CA
If you visit the Exhibits webpage for San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, you will find one of our favorite Fred Rogers quotes: “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Exhibit themes include Discover, Experiment, Imagine, and Explore - a wonderful approach to STEM for preschoolers. Visit website
Photo by Fabrice Florin from Mill Valley, USA - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA
Exploratorium: The museum of science, art and human perception! With galleries around tinkering, living systems, seeing and listening, and more, there’s something to learn for visitors of all ages. Not in San Francisco to make the trip? You can still experience the joys of learning through Exploratorium’s online activity database - full of at-home science experiments and STEM exploration! Visit website
Photo by ZoeO at en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO
The Children’s Museum of Denver believes in kid-powered learning! This establishment serves children from 0 to 8 years old, and focuses on hands-on exploration and discovery. With four major exhibits (Explore, Imagine, Investigate, and Create), children discover each STEM focus area as well as art and social/emotional wellbeing. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of DuPage Children's Museum
DuPage Children’s Museum, Naperville, IL
DuPage’s regular exhibits and programs are already rich in STEM, but did you know that they also offer STEM themed Spring Break and Summer Camps for preschool and elementary school aged children? On top of that, they can come directly to your school with their Learning Lab, or you can combine a museum field trip with a Learning Lab experience! Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, MA
Founded in 1913, the Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest children’s museum in the world, and since its beginning has encouraged learning through discovery and play as a “tool to spark creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children.” Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Discovery Place Kids
Discovery Place Kids, Rockingham and Huntsville, NC
With locations in both Rockingham and Huntsville, North Carolinians have twice as much opportunity for exploration and investigation at Discovery Place Kids! Here, children learn through play and hands-on experiences and discover what they CAN do, from building a castle, fixing a car, to inventing and experimenting. Visit website
Photo by Carlos Burnside - Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Liberty Science Center serves children from infants to 10+, and segments many of their stations towards different age groups. For ages 2-5, young learners can discover the world around them in the I Explore gallery, which includes free programs and self guided tours. There are also group classes and workshops for your preschooler located in the Young Learner Lab on the first floor. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Mid Hudson Children's Museum
Mid Hudson Children’s Museum, Poughkeepsie, NY
Catering to children aged 0-6, the Mid Hudson Children’s Museum focuses on getting kids moving, exploring, building, pretending, creating, and discovering. New to the museum is the Science Center, which is dedicated exclusively to early STEM education! Visit website
Photo By Dave Buchhofer - Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Please touch museum creates learning opportunities through play and hands-on exhibits, and incites thoughtful, open-ended questioning to encourage investigations. For children ages 7 and younger, opportunities for learning and discovery abound at Please Touch Museum. Visit website
Photo property of Play Street Museum
Play Street Museum, Frisco, Plano, and McKinney, TX
Founded by a mother and former early childhood educator looking for answers to some of parenting’s most persistent questions, Play Street Museum was established on the principle that “one of the most important things we must provide for our children to help them develop is the opportunity to use their imaginations and play creatively.” Play Street has expanded to three locations throughout Texas, all of which inspire imagination and exploration! Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Sarah Ruiz
Galveston Children’s Museum, Galveston TX
The Galveston Children's Museum mission is to provide a unique, hands-on environment where children explore, investigate, create, and discover. Serving ages 2-10, Galveston supports all areas of education, including STEM, art, and social and emotional wellness. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston
Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, TX
Serving children from birth to age 12, the Children’s Museum of Houston boasts offering a “playground for your mind”. With colorful, exciting, hands-on exhibits that tackle tech, the environment, culture, physics, and more, children are bound to get knee deep in STEM play and learning. Visit website
Lisa Monet Photography, courtesy of Children’s Museum of Tacoma
Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma believes so strongly in ensuring that everyone has access to quality learning opportunities that their admission structure is a “Pay As You Will” donation of any amount! Offering programs like Tuesday Play Days, Wee Ones Weekly, and Play to Learn, opportunities abound for all of the museum’s youngest visitors! Visit website
Photo provided by Above & Beyond Children's Museum
Above & Beyond Children’s Museum, Sheboygan, WI
Above & Beyond’s mission is to provide “A special place for children and their families, where education and fun connect through exploration & discovery”. With over 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, Above & Beyond offers an exciting learning experience for all ages. Visit website
Photo provided by Wonderfeet Kids' Museum
Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, Rutland, VT
As a bonus, our 16th museum supporting STEM for Preschoolers is Wonderfeet Kids' Museum in Rutland, Vermont. At Wonderfeet, Children are encouraged to “appreciate their role in local and global communities [in an environment that] fosters curiosity, inspires exploration, and engages the imagination through play.” With a Motion Commotion program for preschoolers that investigates the science of force and motion, young learners can get hands-on with STEM play that meets Next Generation Science Standards. Visit website
Kodo Kids claims no credit for any images of museums in this article unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. All images have been posted with permission of respectful owners or have otherwise been labeled for reuse in accordance with relevant copyright laws.
Photo from Childrens Museum of Pittsburgh
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
With a serious emphasis on the Maker Movement and Makerspaces, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is an incredibly educational, unique, and fun experience for learners of all ages. The museum boasts an extensive list of exhibits that also encompass art, outdoor play, measurement, motorcycles, and more, ensuring each individual in your group will find an exhibit that speaks to their interests and passions. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum
San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, San Diego, CA
If you visit the Exhibits webpage for San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum, you will find one of our favorite Fred Rogers quotes: “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Exhibit themes include Discover, Experiment, Imagine, and Explore - a wonderful approach to STEM for preschoolers. Visit website
Photo by Fabrice Florin from Mill Valley, USA - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA
Exploratorium: The museum of science, art and human perception! With galleries around tinkering, living systems, seeing and listening, and more, there’s something to learn for visitors of all ages. Not in San Francisco to make the trip? You can still experience the joys of learning through Exploratorium’s online activity database - full of at-home science experiments and STEM exploration! Visit website
Photo by ZoeO at en.wikipedia [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Children’s Museum of Denver, Denver, CO
The Children’s Museum of Denver believes in kid-powered learning! This establishment serves children from 0 to 8 years old, and focuses on hands-on exploration and discovery. With four major exhibits (Explore, Imagine, Investigate, and Create), children discover each STEM focus area as well as art and social/emotional wellbeing. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of DuPage Children's Museum
DuPage Children’s Museum, Naperville, IL
DuPage’s regular exhibits and programs are already rich in STEM, but did you know that they also offer STEM themed Spring Break and Summer Camps for preschool and elementary school aged children? On top of that, they can come directly to your school with their Learning Lab, or you can combine a museum field trip with a Learning Lab experience! Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, MA
Founded in 1913, the Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest children’s museum in the world, and since its beginning has encouraged learning through discovery and play as a “tool to spark creativity, curiosity, and imagination of children.” Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Discovery Place Kids
Discovery Place Kids, Rockingham and Huntsville, NC
With locations in both Rockingham and Huntsville, North Carolinians have twice as much opportunity for exploration and investigation at Discovery Place Kids! Here, children learn through play and hands-on experiences and discover what they CAN do, from building a castle, fixing a car, to inventing and experimenting. Visit website
Photo by Carlos Burnside - Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ
Liberty Science Center serves children from infants to 10+, and segments many of their stations towards different age groups. For ages 2-5, young learners can discover the world around them in the I Explore gallery, which includes free programs and self guided tours. There are also group classes and workshops for your preschooler located in the Young Learner Lab on the first floor. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Mid Hudson Children's Museum
Mid Hudson Children’s Museum, Poughkeepsie, NY
Catering to children aged 0-6, the Mid Hudson Children’s Museum focuses on getting kids moving, exploring, building, pretending, creating, and discovering. New to the museum is the Science Center, which is dedicated exclusively to early STEM education! Visit website
Photo By Dave Buchhofer - Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0
Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Please touch museum creates learning opportunities through play and hands-on exhibits, and incites thoughtful, open-ended questioning to encourage investigations. For children ages 7 and younger, opportunities for learning and discovery abound at Please Touch Museum. Visit website
Photo property of Play Street Museum
Play Street Museum, Frisco, Plano, and McKinney, TX
Founded by a mother and former early childhood educator looking for answers to some of parenting’s most persistent questions, Play Street Museum was established on the principle that “one of the most important things we must provide for our children to help them develop is the opportunity to use their imaginations and play creatively.” Play Street has expanded to three locations throughout Texas, all of which inspire imagination and exploration! Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Sarah Ruiz
Galveston Children’s Museum, Galveston TX
The Galveston Children's Museum mission is to provide a unique, hands-on environment where children explore, investigate, create, and discover. Serving ages 2-10, Galveston supports all areas of education, including STEM, art, and social and emotional wellness. Visit website
Photo provided courtesy of Children's Museum of Houston
Children’s Museum of Houston, Houston, TX
Serving children from birth to age 12, the Children’s Museum of Houston boasts offering a “playground for your mind”. With colorful, exciting, hands-on exhibits that tackle tech, the environment, culture, physics, and more, children are bound to get knee deep in STEM play and learning. Visit website
Lisa Monet Photography, courtesy of Children’s Museum of Tacoma
Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Tacoma, WA
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma believes so strongly in ensuring that everyone has access to quality learning opportunities that their admission structure is a “Pay As You Will” donation of any amount! Offering programs like Tuesday Play Days, Wee Ones Weekly, and Play to Learn, opportunities abound for all of the museum’s youngest visitors! Visit website
Photo provided by Above & Beyond Children's Museum
Above & Beyond Children’s Museum, Sheboygan, WI
Above & Beyond’s mission is to provide “A special place for children and their families, where education and fun connect through exploration & discovery”. With over 10,000 square feet of exhibit space, Above & Beyond offers an exciting learning experience for all ages. Visit website
Photo provided by Wonderfeet Kids' Museum
Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, Rutland, VT
As a bonus, our 16th museum supporting STEM for Preschoolers is Wonderfeet Kids' Museum in Rutland, Vermont. At Wonderfeet, Children are encouraged to “appreciate their role in local and global communities [in an environment that] fosters curiosity, inspires exploration, and engages the imagination through play.” With a Motion Commotion program for preschoolers that investigates the science of force and motion, young learners can get hands-on with STEM play that meets Next Generation Science Standards. Visit website
Kodo Kids claims no credit for any images of museums in this article unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. All images have been posted with permission of respectful owners or have otherwise been labeled for reuse in accordance with relevant copyright laws.
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