PlayWatch: The Things Kids Say…

When you work at a children’s museum, you get to have a lot of wonderful conversations with kids! Here are some great child comments shared by our staff.

There were a few kids playing on Estrella (the Museum’s Super Chairwoman) and one of them was sitting up high saying, "I'm a king! I'm a king!"  He was very excited and seemed to be having a great time playing with his friends.  On my way into Discovery Studio, I smiled at him and asked him if he was having fun.  He smiled back at me, wiped his brow and said, "I always have fun when I sweat."  I knew just what he meant.

– Valerie, Graphic Designer

We were in Fefa's market one afternoon examining a component that needed a little fixing.  We were so focused on the component that we hardly noticed the visitors playing all around us.  One little girl at the cafe counter looked right at us and exclaimed, "Hey, are you going to order something or what?"  We immediately snapped to and ordered something off the menu.  She made us some delicious papaya shakes.

– Robin, Exhibits Director

A 9-year-old was in Coming to Rhode Island with a heap of plastic apples, clams, onions, etc. in her arms, heading toward the Colonial gallery.  "Those French people took the Pilgrims' food!," she said.

– Janice, Executive Director

A 4-year-old boy named Caleb and I were playing in Water Ways, making a road for a dragon from sand bags and the maze tubes. Towards the end of our building adventure, Caleb's mom wanted him to try making a boat move through the maze. Caleb looked up and said, "Kids are smarter than grown-ups because kids know how to play better." His mother and I shared a big laugh and she looked at him and said, "You're right!"

– Megan B., Experience Coordinator

Click here for more clever kid conversations.

PlayWatch: A Climber Tale

This story was shared by AmeriCorps Museum Educator Leah Taradash. 

As I was sitting out in the garden with my back turned to The Climber, I heard a child yelling, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair!” Then I heard a high-pitched voice yell back, “I can’t, it’s stuck in the beanstalk! You have to come up to get me!”

I turned around to see who was playing the part of Rapunzel, only to discover that the players were twin boys, about 7 or 8 years old. They continued in their roles for the next 20 minutes, fully engrossed in their pretend play. Rapunzel was eventually rescued by her prince, who used pretend suction cup shoes to climb the “beanstalk.” When the boys' mother noticed me watching them play and smiling, she turned to me and said that the son playing Rapunzel always talked about wanting to be an actor in movies.

Talking Back: Playtime

Recently, on the Talk Back board in Play Power, we asked visitors "How do your kids play before or after school?"  Here are some of their responses, in words and pictures:

Fan Mail

Every so often, the Museum gets letters, drawings and thank you notes from children who have visited – we love this kind of mail!

Just today we received some great artwork from a group of 14 preschoolers who visited recently from the Jewish Community Center. The children shared their favorite Museum play spaces and their interpretations are wonderful. Here's a selection – click to enlarge:

Thanks for sharing, JCC!

Scenes from Vacation Week

Last week was an extra-eventful school vacation week! Museum staff and volunteers shared some great moments seen and heard as families played, explored and discovered together:

As I was walking to the Admissions Desk, I spied a fabulous threesome walking through the parking lot. One princess, one superhero and one adult starlet entered the Museum for a day of decked-out fun. Turns out the princess and her entourage were visiting for her birthday. It was so wonderful to see ALL of the family celebrating in a fun and special way!

–Liz Leahey, Experience Coordinator

A woman told me how much she loved one of the engineering programs, and that it was a wonderful way to introduce her young daughters to opportunities in science. She really appreciated that the program captured their interest and that it gave them ideas for what they might do when they grew up.

–Bonnie Platzer, AmeriCorps Museum Educator

A girl wanted to play in Water Ways but all of the aprons were being used. She took her dad by the hand and led him to the coatroom. She came back wearing her raincoat! She said, “Wasn’t that a smart idea?” Yes it was!

–Cynthia Calabro, Experience Coordinator

In Iway, three boys and one girl were playing with the big purple and yellow blocks. I showed them how to build an arch bridge and then the young boy asked, “Can I show you how I build my bridge?” The older boy then pointed to the collage of bridge pictures from around the world and proclaimed, “Yeah, there are all kinds of different bridges!” A few other kids joined in too, showing me so proudly all of their innovative ways – each one completely different – to build a bridge!

–Cassandra Kane, AmeriCorps Museum Educator

I saw two boys wearing the construction vest and hardhats from Iway, so I asked them how the construction was going. It took them a moment to catch on but then they said it was going very well and that the bridge would be done in a few weeks. I told them that I was very relieved and let them know that there was some construction that needed to happen immediately on the ship because I was setting sail that evening. They quickly went "back to work" on the ship – especially after I told them that I would pay them $100/hour!

–Rachel Schwartz, AmeriCorps Museum Educator

While greeting visitors at the Admissions Desk, I watched a little girl and her grandma get ready to leave. I bent down and asked her, “Did you have fun?” She looked at me and said,“YES!,” then put her hand close to her mouth as if she was going to tell me a secret. She whispered, “Next time I’m bringing my grandpa, too. He’s going to have a blast!”

–Carolina Roberts, AmeriCorps Museum Educator

When Grown-Ups Climb

This weekend, Museum director Janice O’Donnell was navigating upward through The Climber, hoping to surprise her grandchildren. She passed a little girl…

Girl: You’re not allowed up here.
Janice: Yes I am!
Girl: (earnestly) No, grown-ups aren’t allowed.
Janice: (feigning indignation) Yes, grown-ups can! I’m allowed!

They worked it out and, as Janice continued her climb, a boy sliding down from another platform stepped on her head.

Janice: Ow!

The boy turned, repositioned himself, and gently patted her head.
The moral of the story: Grown-ups are always welcome to stretch, slither and wind their way through The Climber. But remember – it’s kid space!

Editor's note: Janice insists that we know, "I DID make it all the way to the top, despite the children I encountered along the way." Her grandchildren were not surprised. Granddaughter Liv said, "It took you that long?!?"