The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors.
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The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn provides "play while learning" experiences for children ages 1-12. From science to math to careers to the arts, children will role play and try new things. No two visits are usually ever the same as children's interests change as they grow and develop.
Mission: The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn’s mission is to positively impact a child's potential in life through play-based education.
Want to start a butterfly garden? You'll need a few things to support the entire life cycle of the butterfly. Host plants, nectar plants, shelter, water and sun.
Already have a butterfly or pollinator garden? We'd love to see it. Show us a photo in the comments.
Miss the museum fish? Ian Chafee, one of our fabulous board members, filmed a fish feeding so your little ones can enjoy a bit of the museum while we are closed.
Play-based learning tip: Story Stones. Paint a few images on stones that could make good pieces of a story. Take turns picking out a few and telling a story with the images.
Plan in a bonus activity by making them ABC story rocks. Paint each rock with something that starts with each letter. Let your little one pair the rocks with the letters.
You do not need to be a skilled artist for this activity. It is about having fun together not about a Pinterest perfect craft.
Let your little one help in the painting. They’ll have a ton of fun. @ Children's Museum in Oak Lawn
Play-based learning tip. Let your little ones learn early chemistry concepts while working on ratio. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water💧. Add food coloring 🌈. Freeze and play. It might be messy but sensory play is great for motor development. #playbasedlearning #oobleck #messyfun #cmoaklawn
Don’t throw those packing peanuts away! Play with them instead. #playbasedlearning #packingpeanuts #cmoaklawn
During this time there is a lot of pressure to make sure our children are learning EVERYTHING they need to know to KEEP UP. But for kids under 7, reading is enough. If you are reading everyday, you are doing enough. If you are able to do more…great. But know if you are only able to do one thing…READ! It is enough. It teaches our little ones vocabulary, speech and affect and comprehension. It gives them a bigger world view, a love of learning and bonding time with YOU!
There are so many opportunities for fun learning with one set of cards.
Preschoolers can practice comparing numbers by learning the game of war. Divide the cards between players (you can remove face cards if you like). Each player slams a card down at the same time and the one with the highest number wins them all. In the end, the player with all the cards wins (for a shorter game, remove more of the cards).
Older kids can practice addition or subtraction by playing Add up. In this game the dealer places 10 cards face up in a row in the middle. Make Ace the 1 card. The first player collects cards from the row that add up to 20 or 10 or whichever number you want to work on. The player with the most cards at the end wins, so players should try to make their number sentences as long as possible. Once a combination of cards has been removed, the dealer fills the spots with cards from the deck and the next player takes a turn. Play keeps going until no more combinations can be made for the chosen number. The player with the most cards wins.
There are so many number games with cards for all different levels of math. Let us know what fun games you play with cards.
Share and help us spread the word that we now have pickup from our online gift shop. Got a little one you need to shop for or looking for something new to play with? You can now shop online and pick it up at the museum. Shop local.
https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/ODQ3MzA=
Check out Online Gift Shop by Children's Museum in Oak Lawn!
SUPPORT the museum and SHOP LOCAL. We have a great collection of toys that are available for pick up! Order through our online gift shop. We are adding products regularly. #shoplocal #shopoaklawn #supportyourmuseum
Kit got to see the Blue Angels flyover today! Share your video or pictures if you have them. They went right over the museum!
U.S. Navy Blue Angels #americastrong
Thank you so much, Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitors Bureau for sharing our story!
Check out my latest interview with Adam, the Executive Director over at the Children's Museum in Oak Lawn. Although their doors are temporarily closed during this time, there are still ways you can support them. To find out more information, check out the rest of this video...
#SupportLocally #OakLawnIL
Should be able to see them from the area. Starts at 11:45.
The 15-minute flyover is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers, mother figures and caregivers. Thank you for all the love and beauty you bring into the world.
Collections are play-based learning in action. Taking care of a collection teaches us personal responsibility. It gives us a chance to practice organization, sorting and counting. It even gives us a change to practice social skills because who doesn’t love talking about their collection. For kids it also gives them a feeling of control over something. They can decide what goes into the collection, how to organize it and who gets to see it.
Many kids have a collection but they may not even know. Does your child collect rocks, cars, stuffed animals, Paw Patrol characters, beautiful leaves they find on walks? Get them thinking about it by asking them to count their collection. Ask how they want to display their collection. We are sure they will have an opinion.
Tell us what you collected as a kid and what you collect now.
#playbasedlearning #collectors
We would love to see some of the children from our community contribute! How fun to see your artwork and words sung by Jim Gill!
Jim Gill explains how children can create pages for a new read-along and sing-along VIDEO book based on his book, MAY THERE ALWAYS BE SUNSHINE. Create a page...
This Saturday would have been our annual Gardening with Grandpa Andy program where we turn our art room into a gardening center. Since that program can't happen this year, Grandpa Andy and his wife Rosemary have reached out to some area healthcare facilities and will be giving the potted flowers to our front line healthcare workers.
Grandpa Andy has potted nearly 200 flowers for this project. Thank you Andy and Rosemary Koning and thank you Woldhuis Farms Sunrise Greenhouse for donating to this effort.
As adults, when we look back on this time, we will each have our own perspective about what this time in our lives looked like. But what about our children? What stories might they tell their own grandchildren about this time in their lives?
This blog post is how that story might play out.
Today our Board President, Darlene Blanz, forwarded us a short story about a conversation between a child and her grandfather. The setting of the story is 70-some years into the future after...
May the Fourth Be With You. A fun reading from Anthony Daniels (voice of C-3PO) to celebrate.
This is the story you’re looking for. Join C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels, as he reads from “Star Wars: Galactic Adventures Storybook Collection.” #DisneyMagicMoments
Play based learning tip: Natural dye. Harness the power of all those dandelions and make some dandelion play dough. Teach them how they can find dye in nature and have some fun too.
It is easy too. Just one extra step added on to the typical play dough recipe.
*take safety precautions during the boiling water stage of the recipe
#playbasedlearning #natureplay
Kit is getting a little bored. We are going to send out a few flat Kit the Kites. If your little ones would like to receive mail from Kit, send us a DM with their name and address. #kitthekite
Looking for some rainy day movement for your family? Catch up with the Do Good Movement for some kid friendly yoga moves.
Let’s move our bodies today through our Sun Salutations. With three different ways to modify your sun salutation, there is something for everyone!
Play-based learning tip: Have a Camp In! Get creative and make an indoor play fire. Invite some stuffed animal friends and maybe dust off some of those old fort building skills. Show us your forts and fires in the comments. #campinginside #playbasedlearning #rainyday #quarantinelife
A great article. It is nice to know what a big difference a thing as easy as reading a story can have.
"Parents can use a story to introduce new emotional vocabulary words, like “brave,” “nervous” or “disappointed.” Then, follow-up activities and discussions can help them “see” the new word in action."
Storytime with your child can help deepen your bond while building their resilience, confidence, and problem-solving skills along the way.
If you haven't signed up for our e-newsletter, it's a great way to make sure you don't miss anything on Social Media just in case we don't show up in your feed.
Play-based learning tip: Let your little one make a map for your next walk. It can be a realistic map or a make believe map. Let them lead the way and get ready to stretch your imagination. I had to keep a sharp eye out for a lot of trolls, fairies and werewolves along the way. #fairytalewalk #treasuremap #adventureawaits #playbasedlearning
Did you know that the Galapagos Penguin is endangered? Learn more about endangered species for Earth Week. https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/galapagos-penguin
The Galápagos penguin is the only species found north of the equator and in the Galápagos. Learn about the penguins, as well as the threats they face, what WWF is doing to protect their future, and how you can help.
Happy World Penguin Day! Celebrate by reading a penguin book, if you have one or watching a documentary on penguins. You can practice motor skills and cooperation by playing the Penguin Egg Pass Game.
Penguin Egg Pass Game
Penguin parents take turns caring for their eggs. They transfer the eggs from one set of feet to the other. Place a ball or small stuff penguin (or something similar) on your little one's feet. See if they can transfer it on to your feet.
#worldpenguinday
We just learned about this and thought we would share.
Elmo, meet Dr. Sanjay Gupta. CNN and Sesame Street are teaming up for The ABC’s of Covid-19: A #CNNSesameStreet Town Hall for Kids and Parents, Saturday morning at 9 a.m. ET
Submit your questions here: https://cnn.it/3bCmqRt
Celebrate honeybees for Earth Week. Check out the fun activity at the end. #honeybees #earthweek
Look what we caught on the chicken cam last night! We called this morning and the chickens (Boba, Popcorn and Freda) were safely delivered to the farm in Homer Glen! Thanks, Santa! #santa #chickens #santatotherescue
Happy Earth Day! Looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day? Small, simple steps lead the way for children to make a big difference. Knowledge leads to innovation. #earthday #nature
If you get outside for a walk today, ask your little one to collect items from nature to spell their name. #naturewalk #cmoaklawn #playbasedlearning
To celebrate Earth Week, here is our Nature Scavenger Hunt. With this scavenger hunt take the time to ask open ended questions to your little one. How do you know the two flowers are different? How are they similar? What differences do you notice in the two insects you found? How are the two types of shelter made? Do the two types of rock feel different? The questions are endless and help develop language skills and an appreciation for the world around us.
Click the link to print the scavenger hunt,https://www.cmoaklawn.org/uploads/5/1/7/4/51746495/nature_scavenger_hunt.pdf
As we move into Earth week take a few minutes to check out the amazing documentaries from the One Earth virtual mini film fest. There are great documentaries for kids as well. Don't miss the One Earth Young Filmmakers films. Inspiring stuff! Which one will you be watching? #powerofwe #oeff2020
https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/earth-day-virtual-mini-film-fest
The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn extends our gratitude to everyone in the fight against COVID-19. Thank you helpers! #allinillinois
5100 Museum Dr
Oak Lawn, IL
60453
There is free parking on the 5th floor of the parking tower or you can arrive by train as we are on the Southwest Service Metra line.
Every program and every exhibit at the Children's Museum is created with the Illinois Learning Standards at their core. These standards are the same standards that the Illinois Board of Education requires local school districts to use when developing local curriculum. This enables the Children's Museum to be a true extension of hands on learning.
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Want to start a butterfly garden? You'll need a few things to support the entire life cycle of the butterfly. Host plants, nectar plants, shelter, water and sun. Already have a butterfly or pollinator garden? We'd love to see it. Show us a photo in the comments.
Miss the museum fish? Ian Chafee, one of our fabulous board members, filmed a fish feeding so your little ones can enjoy a bit of the museum while we are closed.
Play-based learning tip. Let your little ones learn early chemistry concepts while working on ratio. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water💧. Add food coloring 🌈. Freeze and play. It might be messy but sensory play is great for motor development. #playbasedlearning #oobleck #messyfun #cmoaklawn
Don’t throw those packing peanuts away! Play with them instead. #playbasedlearning #packingpeanuts #cmoaklawn
Kit got to see the Blue Angels flyover today! Share your video or pictures if you have them. They went right over the museum! U.S. Navy Blue Angels #americastrong
Play based learning tip: Natural dye. Harness the power of all those dandelions and make some dandelion play dough. Teach them how they can find dye in nature and have some fun too. It is easy too. Just one extra step added on to the typical play dough recipe. *take safety precautions during the boiling water stage of the recipe #playbasedlearning #natureplay
Celebrate honeybees for Earth Week. Check out the fun activity at the end. #honeybees #earthweek
Look what we caught on the chicken cam last night! We called this morning and the chickens (Boba, Popcorn and Freda) were safely delivered to the farm in Homer Glen! Thanks, Santa! #santa #chickens #santatotherescue
Happy Earth Day! Looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day? Small, simple steps lead the way for children to make a big difference. Knowledge leads to innovation. #earthday #nature
A story of Kit the Kite from our wonderful Board President, Darlene Blanz! Donate to Darlene's fundraiser for the museum, https://www.flipcause.com/secure/fundraiser/NzgzNTg=/44169?fbclid=IwAR3IqEtiwEIF4B3POMhkX96ldfJX9RyclR_XmbQIrkEwpGO0oBBdRy1vglg
Today is Eraser Day! A day to celebrate mistakes. Pencils have erasers because mistakes should be expected. Learning from those mistakes is inevitable. Being ready to learn from those mistakes takes a growth mindset. Next time your little one makes a mistake, remind them that is how we learn. Let them see you learn from mistakes as well. Remember, if it wasn't for mistakes we wouldn't have the slinky, silly putty or chocolate chip cookies. #growthmindset #eraserday
A bedtime story for the chicks. Getting them ready for the farm. #chickenstorytime
Kit has been egg hunting at the museum this morning! Happy Hunting!
Here are some fun activities submitted by one of our member families. Thank you Nathan and Katie Chamberlain for sharing this with the museum! Show us how you've been playing together.
Kit the Kite is participating in Oak Lawn's Easter Bunny Dance Party! Put on your dancing shoes and join in with Mayor Bury! https://www.facebook.com/events/205811840715007/
Play-based learning tip: Sensory bins are an easy way to promote sensory play. Sensory play is great for brain development and language skills. They can also be very calming and allow for independent play. They don't have to be Pinterest perfect. You can throw one together in minutes that will impress your little one. Show us some of your favorite sensory bins or activities. #sensoryplay #playbasedlearning
Play-based learning idea! Painting is educational. It allows children to explore color, process and outcome. And...it is fun for the whole family.
Sammy is at the museum today with Alyssa Woodworth, her owner/handler, doing some of her tricks. We thought we’d share with you. Does your dog do any tricks? What is your favorite trick that Sammy does? Tell us below! FYI - we know the audio cuts towards the end.
Play based learning tip: Use movement to help learn. You can use these activities to work on anything that is interesting your little at this stage...colors, numbers, reading, the difference between skipping and jumping and hopping. Older kids have fun making obstacle courses themselves. You can even incorporate homemade fairytales of escaping dragons and trolls.
Thumbs up if you've been there.
Take a moment to write a letter to Kit the Kite and keep practicing those writing and reading skills while school is closed. CMOL Attn: Kit the Kite 5100 Museum Drive Oak Lawn, IL 60453
Thank you to Museum Board Member Ian Chafee and his daughter for feeding the fish and checking the incubator humidity today. You both are greatly appreciated!
Penguins have the run of the Shedd Aquarium. Kit the Kite has the Children's Museum in Oak Lawn. Feeling a bit lonely? Send Kit a letter to 5100 Museum Dr. Oak Lawn, IL 60453. You might even get a letter back.
It’s time to announce the winners of our Strike it Rich raffle! Winners will be contacted via phone on Monday. Here we go...
Noon Year’s Eve member event! Everyone have a happy and safe night tonight!
Apparently Santa was in the area tonight and stopped by the Children’s Museum to pick up his mail! He read a couple of the letters on video! Santa will be visiting us on 12/22 around noon!
The Children's Museum in Oak Lawn provides "play while learning" experiences for children ages 1-12. From science to math, to careers to the arts, children will role play and try new things. No two visits are the same as children's interests change as they grow and develop.
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