Art Centers at the Children’s Museum

We took a trip this week to our local children’s museum in Madison.  I was busy chasing around my daughter, but I managed to snap a few pictures of the awesomeness in this place.  The museum is amazing.  The lower level has a lot of things geared for dramatic play, such as a pretend garden, a water room, dress-up, puppets, etc.  There is also an amazing “bone” bridge to climb.  The upper level has building materials, like Tinker toys, Legos, blocks.  This level also has a giant hamster wheel you can walk in, dollhouses, a climbing structure, a pretend pizza making section, and an amazing art studio.  The rooftop has a garden and chickens!   I know I am forgetting some things, because there is so much to do in this place.

The art studio centers gave me some great ideas for ways I could incorporate more choice in my classroom.  I am interested in learning more about TAB classrooms, although I do not think I would transition to an entirely TAB room.  I am enjoying reading other blogs about choice based art.

Here is a “nature based construction” center in the children’s museum.

Create art from nature at the Children’s Museum

This is a recycled art construction center.

Recycled art materials

Here is a free standing cardboard (I think) sculpture, with origami hanging.

These are bottle caps mosaic-ed onto structural poles in the art studio.

This is a view of the art studio.

Here is the Lego table.  I LOVE this table and I’m thinking of finding a way to make or purchase something like this.  The metal tubs come out of the table and you could exchange it with different materials.

Here is Daria and her friend building with large construction materials.

I love this picture, because you can see in the background that even the adults are having as much fun as the kids!

Here is the large bone bridge I was telling you about.

Here is a lovely mural outside the bathrooms.

Encouraging dramatic play..

Playing in the pretend garden

An interesting wooden construction hanging from the ceiling…

This is the pizza and pie making station!

Did this post give you any ideas for your classroom or home?