The Amazing Benefits of Visiting a Children’s Museum

Visit a children’s museum this summer. Scratch that. Visit a children’s museum right now. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean your kids should stop learning, nor should you stop teaching them. This is what I call a teachable moment. Keeping your kids minds engaged during the summer months is of paramount importance and there are amazing benefits of visiting a children’s museum.

Why visiting a children’s museum is important

It keeps them thinking critically. It provides new experiences to spark imagination and introduces them to unknown topics and subject matter from around the world and your local community. It creates better opportunities for your kids to expand their thought portfolios which greatly helps in the school admission process. The best way to teach your kids is to do it when they don’t even realize it.

Children’s museums are special

Children’s museums offer your kids a unique experience that they won’t get anywhere else. When was the last time you took your child to a museum and said to them “Have at it!”? All children’s museums offer hands-on exhibits for children to discover, explore and learn. In fact the rule is “please touch”!

Benefits of visiting a children’s museum

Full sensory interaction is what makes it the perfect learning environment for your kids. And there is a ton of research showing that visiting museums has amazing benefits for children. Sara Choi, the Education Program Manager of Zimmer Children’s Museum sums it up quite nicely.

Museums offer a dynamic opportunity to expose children to experiences and explore new things in a rich and educational environment. Through interactive exhibits and hands-on play, children have the ability to take ownership of their own learning and develop and explore their own curiosities. This unique exposure provides the foundation for creativity, critical thinking, and connection to the world around them.

Engage and interact with your kids

Your job as a parent doesn’t stop after you walk through the door. You must experience the museum with your child. Ask them questions. Challenge them. Push them to think harder and understand what they’re doing and why.

After you leave

After leaving the museum the learning and exploring is not over. Don’t be lazy about this because this will have a very big payoff for your child one day. Talk about what they saw at the museum. Ask what was their favorite thing that they did today? Would they like to learn more about a particular topic?

Go to your local library. You remember. The library. It was that place where people went before they invented Wikipedia. Your local library is still an amazing resource. Explore and learn together. And the best part is it will be a cherished memory for you both.

Check out our list of the top children’s museums around the country and our top tips for making it a fun and comfortable experience.

Have you taken your kids to a children’s museum? What benefits do you think they received?