The new Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum will have the longest water table in Illinois. The exhibit will also include an aquarium with native fish and replicas of native trees.
Why Wondering Matters
What if there were a place for children to discover the world around them unlike anything they have seen before? What if kids could use real tools to build something? What if children could play and learn at the same time?
On June 12 the answers to those questions will begin to be answered for the children of Central Illinois. That’s when the doors open to the Park District’s Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum.
“At the PlayHouse, kids will have the opportunity to explore exhibitions that are created with our community in mind, exhibitions that grow out of the Peoria soil,” Rebecca Shulman Herz, director of the PlayHouse, said.
Among the exhibits kids can explore are the science, agriculture, and theater communities that are so vibrant in Peoria. They can interact with the longest water table in Illinois. The water table is designed to give kids the chance to experiment. As they splash and play in the water, they are going to start wondering, can I stop the flow of water? Can I make the boat go the other way? How many blocks can I put on the barge before it tips over?
The goal is to get kids to ask questions and be guided by their curiosity to discover the answers. Those important “Why” and “What if” questions are key to creative thinking and problem solving.
“Curiosity is an essential tool that children need in order to engage in their world in a meaningful way. Once curiosity is engaged, kids start to think about why things are the way they are and what should be different. They start to wonder about nature and about the built environment. That’s really how one becomes an actor as opposed to an observer in the world.” Herz said.
Throughout history curiosity has led scientists and artists to world-changing discoveries and inventions. Albert Einstein said of himself, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” Curiosity is the real mother of invention.
And at the PlayHouse Children’s Museum, kids will have a chance to put their curiosity into action in Maker’s Space workshops. Maker’s Spaces are about invention and creation, and the PlayHouse will have a variety of tools and art supplies.
“Maker’s Spaces are cross disciplinary–they involve the arts and engineering. Too often art gets siloed. We put kids in a class and tell them to paint or write or sculpt. In the process, we separate the physical act of making from the ideas behind it and from the internal process of figuring out how to best express those ideas. I want to offer a space in which we help kids think about what it is they want to say and then choose their own creative outlet,” Herz said.
“One of the core values of the museum is about being a catalyst. What’s important is not only what happens in the PlayHouse, but in what ways the museum inspires visitors after they leave,” said Herz.
That’s because once the fire of curiosity is ignited, it can remain a driving force with encouragement. That holds true for adults, too. If you have misplaced your curiosity, plan a visit to the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum and rekindle your sense of wonder. June 12th and beyond is going to be a wonderful time to be a kid of any age in Central Illinois.
Want to get involved with the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum?
- Become a member.
- Help raise funds so that all kids have a chance to use their imagination and change their world.
- Attend the Gala on June 5. Tickets are now available.
- Donate clean, nontoxic, safe scraps to the Playhouse for use in the maker’s space.
- Contact the Playhouse at 309-323-6900 or playhouse@peoriaparks.org for more information.