- Half of all parents say they end most days feeling that they spent less time than they wanted to with their young child (Zero to Three-Survey by Peter Hart Research Associates.)

- Parents want to do what is best for your child. You hustle them from one activity to the next hoping to keep them safe, stimulated and busy.

- You hope that your child will be successful academically so you expect them to learn more and at an earlier age.

- Your job continues to demand more and more of your time. It’s hard to balance between home life and your career.

- You feel disconnected from your community. There seems to be no time to know your neighbors or be involved with organizations in your community.

How can you meet these challenges?

Children’s museums are... Keep reading.

According to a study completed by the Association of Children’s Museums, children’s museums positively impact children, families and communities.

- Children’s museums help children develop essential foundational skills.
- Children’s museums respect childhood.
- Children’s museums light a creative spark for discovery and lifelong learning.
- Children’s museums are environments where families connect in meaningful ways.
- Children’s museums serve as town squares and build social capital.
- Children’s museums are uniquely positioned to help reverse stigma and discrimination.
- Children’s museums strengthen community resources that educate and care for children.
- Children’s museums contribute to local economies and reduce... Keep reading.

“Some people talk about play as if it were a relief from serious learning or even worse: a waste of time. But for children, play is exceedingly serious . . . and important! In fact, play is a way for children to learn who they are, how the world works, how to solve problems and to express feelings. Yes, play is the real work of childhood, and for young people today, many children’s museums offer play experiences that other settings are not able to give them.” Fred Rogers

Children’s museums use play to encourage children to think for themselves, expand their problem-solving repertoire through creative exploration and exercise their bodies and their minds. Exhibits, programs and workshop provided by the museum are designed to engage children in simple and... Keep reading.

What current research is telling us about the time that children spend playing outdoors:
- Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. 82% of mothers with children between the ages of 3 and 12 cited crime and safety concerns. (Clements, 2004)
- Today’s children have a more restricted range in which they can play freely, have fewer playmates who are less diverse, and are more home-centered than any previous generation. (Karsten, 2005)
- Children’s free play and discretionary time declined more than seven hours a week from 1981 to 1997 and an additional two hours from 1997 to 2003. (Hofferth and Sandberg, 2001)
- Obesity in children has increased from about 4% in the 1960s to close to 20% in 2004. (CDC), 2006)
- 62% of children do not... Keep reading.

What current researchers are saying:

- Contact with the natural world can significantly reduce symptoms of attention deficit disorder in children as young as five years old. (Kuo and Taylor, 2004)
- Access to green spaces for play, and even a view of green settings, enhances peace, self-control and self-discipline within inner city youth, and particularly in girls. (Taylor, Kuo and Sullivan, 2001).
- Nature is important to children’s development in every major way–intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually and physically. (Kellert, 2005)
- Play in nature is especially important for developing capacities for creativity, problem-solving, and intellectual development. (Kellert, 2005)
- Proximity to, views of, and daily exposure to natural settings increases... Keep reading.