The Chicago Children’s Museum – Early Math Counts https://earlymathcounts.org Laying the foundation for a lifetime of achievement Tue, 11 Jul 2017 15:47:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 183791774 Museums For All https://earlymathcounts.org/museums-for-all/ https://earlymathcounts.org/museums-for-all/#comments Fri, 20 May 2016 11:14:54 +0000 http://www.mathathome.org/blog1/?p=3689 This past winter I was asked to be on the Advisory Board of the Chicago Children’s Museum, located downtown at Navy Pier.  I had been serving on the Tinkering Board of the museum for the three years previous, so this was new to me.  Yesterday, we had our board meeting and lo and behold, I learned about a whole new opportunity for children, families, and child care providers

Did you know that any Illinois family receiving either WIC or the Link Card qualifies for admission to the museum for up to 6 people for three dollars?  That’s right.  You read me correctly.  That is three dollars for the group, not per person.  All you have to do is show your card, have a child under 15 years old with you and pay three dollars to spend the day at the museum.  You can’t beat that.

For more information about the Museums for All program and commonly asked questions, click here.

]]> https://earlymathcounts.org/museums-for-all/feed/ 1 3689 The World is a Puzzle and the Child is Just Trying to Figure it Out https://earlymathcounts.org/the-world-is-a-puzzle-and-the-child-is-just-trying-to-figure-it-out/ https://earlymathcounts.org/the-world-is-a-puzzle-and-the-child-is-just-trying-to-figure-it-out/#respond Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:05:41 +0000 http://www.mathathome.org/blog1/?p=3501 puzzles

Sometimes I dread meetings.  Honestly, I dread most meetings but this past week I attended the annual Board Meeting for the Chicago Children’s Museum (since I am on the Advisory Board of the Tinkering Lab and we were invited to the BIG meeting) and it was exceptionally fun and entertaining.

Once the voting was over and introductions had concluded, a puzzle maker by the name of Sandor Weisz took over the meeting, broke us into groups and together we worked out an interactive and engaging puzzle.  His business, The Mystery League, is all about creating puzzle hunts for groups of people (meetings, parties, etc.).  We worked in teams, hunted for clues, uncovered the hidden meanings and solved the puzzle.

When Jennifer Farrington, the President and CEO of the museum introduced the activity, she reminded us that young children unravel the mysteries of the world much like we approach puzzles.  They examine the pieces and consider how they fit.  They twist and turn them until they make sense. The pieces are complicated and seemingly disconnected yet they try and err and try again. This is the beginning of the lifelong process of assembling understandings and making meaning of their lives, the people around them, and the world they live in.

I love this analogy.  It is accurate and uncomplicated.

PS. In each area of the museum, staff members were there to answer questions and to ask provocative questions in order to scaffold our understandings.  Brilliant.

 

]]> https://earlymathcounts.org/the-world-is-a-puzzle-and-the-child-is-just-trying-to-figure-it-out/feed/ 0 3501 The Tinkering Lab at the Chicago Children’s Museum https://earlymathcounts.org/the-tinkering-lab-at-the-chicago-childrens-museum/ https://earlymathcounts.org/the-tinkering-lab-at-the-chicago-childrens-museum/#respond Thu, 02 May 2013 17:56:32 +0000 http://www.mathathome.org/blog1/?p=1646 photo[1]I took this picture at the Chicago Children’s Museum in the new Tinkering Lab.  It is an incredible space filled with all sorts of materials that will stimulate children’s curiosity and creativity.

Take a look at their website and a description of this magnificent new area of the museum.  

You should consider a field trip specifically to the Tinkering Lab.  Your kids will love it.

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