Child's Play by Santa Fe Children's Museum Background "Play is the way the child learns what no one can teach him.  It is the way he explores and orients himself to the actual world of space and time, of things, animals, structures, and people ... Play is a child's work."                                                 - L.K. Frank Children play all over the world.  Play activities are a universal part of childhood, and adults need to view play as an integral part of the young child's development. Children's play contributes to their social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development. Specifics In the museum's toddler area children interact with the climbing structure in various ways.  Some quickly climb through the spaces while others sit in one area and examine every detail. When moving through different units youngsters can explore the various textures and qualities of the materials.  Groups of children engage in dramatic activity while playing at the water feature. The entire toddler area is designed to stimulate the senses and invite discovery. Did you Know? Children aren't born knowing how to play.  Adults must help them in their play development by providing models.  Adults also must provide play materials and/or experiences for children.  The play of a young child becomes intellectually more beneficial when an adult questions the child and continually reinforces his or her new language.  Play is vital to all children's learning.  In play, children gradually develop concepts of casual relationships and the power to discriminate, make judgments, analyze and synthesize, and imagine and formulate. Play is essentially a research activity.  It is motivated by the child's curiosity and desire to find out how to live.  Many play activities provide the child with an opportunity to understand and master his or her environment through trial and error.  The repetition in play is a very important way for children to acquire both mental and physical skills.  Climbing the same structure, pouring water from one container to another, or sifting sand over and over may appear meaningless to an adult.   However, these activities help a child feel control over his or her environment. Informal Learning by Santa Fe Children's Museum Background Children are always learning. Learning in the museum, though, is fundamentally different from learning in a classroom. There are no stated "learning goals." Rather, museum learning has been characterized as spontaneous, individualized, self-paced, voluntary, nonlinear, and exploratory. At the Children’s Museum we believe that children learn best when they can be self-motivated, have fun, and experience the satisfaction of searching for answers to questions they formulate for themselves. Though young visitors do learn specific facts, our primary goal is to help them understand themselves as learners and trust their own choices. Specifics Children, like adults, have different learning styles; museum experiences validate all approaches to learning. A visit to the Santa Fe Children’s Museum offers a unique opportunity to observe your children in a relaxed, informal setting. Watch them play and learn. They will tell you what inspires and interests them through their actions and reactions.  Are your children guessing, discussing ideas, seeking alternatives, bringing order out of chaos, problem solving, being inquisitive and wondering, stretching and expanding upon ideas, testing, examining, or tinkering? The museum experience also enables you to discover what fascinates your child: * When approaching an exhibit, does your child jump right into activities or first observe and /or ask questions? * Does he or she find natural patterns in exhibits? * Does your child like to stay with one activity for a long time or try out all activities one by one? * Does he or she work individually or prefer working with others? * How does your child communicate in the museum? through words or actions? * Is your child especially interested in the rabbits and snakes? Try These Build upon the interests reflected by your child’s actions at the museum. Share your observations with teachers and apply them to your child’s play and learning at home. Investigate museum exhibits further by reading accompanying handouts. We Believe That … your child is always learning. … your child is always making meaningful choices. … your child is always excited about learning.