National Children's Museum’s Post

Channel your inner child while empowering the next generation of Dreamers!✨ On December 7, join us for our 21+ Dreamers Gala, a wondrous evening of fine dining, dancing, and community in support of the Museum’s critical work. From its elegant dinner to its playful afterparty, the Dreamers Gala celebrates our 50th anniversary and all who made this momentous milestone possible. Learn more and purchase your tickets at https://lnkd.in/e7eBmkxk

We are excited to announce the launch of our Stories Project! An initiative dedicated to collecting fond recounts of the Museum since its founding in 1974, the Stories Project invites you—our supporters, our friends, our employees past and present, our community—to share your memories with the Museum. As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations, we’ll compile these stories into an archive to both remember our past and look forward to our future. Follow the link below to learn how you can share your memories and be a part of celebrating 50 years of play. https://lnkd.in/erDeMZ7c

To celebrate our 50th anniversary since founding, we have been gearing up to explore Mexico in our new exhibit Placita Mágica, opening on June 29! Found at the intersection of past and present, this bustling market installation commemorates our history as Capital Children’s Museum, reimagining the beloved 1979 Mexico village exhibit with fresh features and interactive activities. At Placita Mágica, today’s young learners can celebrate cultural traditions and broaden their sense of community through the lens of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Placita Mágica is produced by National Children’s Museum sponsored by ABUELITA™, with cultural support provided by the Mexican Cultural Institute of Washington, DC, and is partially supported through the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor - Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Learn more about Placita Mágica and how you can be a part of celebrating 50 years of play at https://lnkd.in/e3r7VMr3.

Yesterday we unveiled our partnership with the Washington Commanders Foundation for the reimagining of our Little Movers exhibit. Little Movers is a free-movement space for our youngest dreamers to build gross and fine motor skills. With support from the Washington Commanders Foundation, the space now has a new look and will be updated this summer with new play structures creating an immersive experience for young fans and their caregivers to move, jump, crawl, and play.

We are grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside colleagues from across the country this week at the Association of Children's Museums InterActivity conference in Madison, WI, as well as the American Alliance of Museums 2024 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo in Baltimore, MD. If you're heading to Madison, join our amazing team members, Director of Exhibits and Education, Erik Smith, and Senior Manager of Exhibits, Langley Lease as they help lead discussions on exhibits at ACM. You can find them at the "Interactivity Incubators: Temporary Exhibits for Your Empty Spaces" and "Flash Talks: Flourishing, Belonging, and Risks" sessions. See you there!

Thanks to the generosity of our partnership with Nickelodeon Our World, our Climate Action Heroes exhibit is on the move! In an effort to strengthen climate education across the country, we are beginning to distribute the experience to museums around the U.S. Stay tuned for more announcements to come! Read more about the backstory of our Climate Action Heroes exhibit and its exciting next chapter in an article published by the American Alliance of Museums back in January. https://lnkd.in/eSV2r7Hk

Today, we announced the departure of our President + CEO, Crystal Bowyer. Crystal has overseen a pivotal chapter of our history, which included the development and opening of our new location. Under her leadership, we have been honored to receive many accolades—both from our community and the international museum field. Reaching nearly a quarter million visitors each year, we are poised to continue the important work of inspiring the next generation of innovators through play-based learning experiences. As our Board of Trustees moves forward with a nationwide search for our next leader, our Vice President of External Affairs, Meredith Hamme, will assume the interim CEO role, bringing institutional knowledge and strategic perspective. We are grateful for Crystal’s dynamic leadership and wish her all the best as she departs for Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Read more: https://bit.ly/437jubg

Today, we hosted Downtown Family Fun Day alongside Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Albert, where we were announced as one of the inaugural recipients of their new Family Fun Destination Grant program. The grant will support the new access programs and hands-on experiences we have planned for the coming year. We are grateful to Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for their continued support and latest investment in our littlest citizens. Thank you to everyone who joined us today to celebrate! Learn more about the Family Fun Destination Grant program: https://lnkd.in/ezERE99g

Opening this Saturday in our Visiting Exhibit Hall, Shaun the Sheep™: Flock This Way! is an interactive exhibit that encourages problem-solving and social-emotional skills. Young learners ages 3 to 9 and their families will explore playful scenarios inspired by the popular television series and films. Learn more about the exhibit, which will run from January 20 to May 12, 2024: https://bit.ly/48Cb5yg