Creativity Connections Young Explorers at DuPage Children's Museum

DuPage Children's Museum (DCM) is full of exhibits that attract all ages--even parents and caregivers! We specifically focus efforts on engaging learning and play experiences for children 0-10 years of age. We are keen on keeping our youngest guests in mind with three areas designed specifically for infants and toddlers. These areas are located in the Creativity Connections, Make it Move, and Math Neighborhoods. In the blog this week, we draw your attention to the Creativity Connections Neighborhood.

Located right next to the Creativity Studio, Creativity Connections Young Explorers offers experiences that engage creativity! Sensory tubes attract the young eye; colorful texture blocks engage tactile awareness; small instruments and sound exploration provide auditory stimulation and discernment. 

Sensory tubes are colorful tubes that encourage infants and toddlers to watch closely--observing the interaction of water, oil, beads, and more. Turn the tube over and the oil slowly moves to the top, creating bubbles that move slowly through as well. Tip it over and back again to watch the colors and materials move in an engaging way. Fine motor skills, coordination, and concentration all come into play! 

Sensory discovery can also join a playful learning experience when young children explore color and texture. As they compare and contrast with their hands, they build vocabulary with words like rough, smooth, bumpy, bright, dull, shiny, and more! 

In addition, building vocabulary can combine with sound exploration to engage young children in the learning that accompanies play. Identifying instruments and discovering the noisy or soft sound a drum makes can be a lot of fun for young ones. Not only are these fun experiences enjoyable to watch, they can also lead to further     self-directed investigation!

Look for more on DCM's Young Explorers Neighborhoods in the coming weeks! We will take a journey inside Make it Move and Math Young Explorers.