28 | July | 2014 | Literacy Teaching and Teacher Education

This summer my family traveled to Madison, Wisconsin USA. I (yiola) found Madison to be a beautiful city filled with parks and bike paths, small shops and galleries. Among the many sites, we toured the capital building and the large farmer’s market on a sunny Saturday morning. We also visited a most amazing place: The Children’s Museum. A three level building on Hamilton St, just across from the capital building, the Children’s Museum is a “hands on” facility where children can muck about and explore.

Included here is photojournalism to share our experience at the museum:

"Play" as and for learning is the philosophy that guides the program at the Children's museum. — “Play” as and for learning is the philosophy that guides the program at the Children’s museum.

My children Gallaway (age 3) and Sylvia Clare (age 4) gearing up to explore the museum.

Materials for exploring, creating, building and open, un-supervised spaces are provided for children of all ages.

An enormous, creative indoor playground that includes climbers and slides.

Open the door, touch the bark, see the leaves, read about the tree.

A large room focused on the Arts with several hands on activities (painting, weaving, exploring light, collaging).

A roof top patio with animals, eco friendly systems and gardens.

We learned about training pigeons to fly away and return and how they were used as messengers — Training pigeons to fly away and return and how they were used as messengers.

Sylvia Clare drumming in one of two historical huts

From toddlers to adults there was so much to see and do at the Children’s Museum. I was inspired by the way the learning philosophy was placed in action. The Children’s Museum is a wonderful model for learning, literacy teaching and so much more.

http://madisonchildrensmuseum.org

PS. For those who know Madison, WI you may agree that a stop at Ella’s Deli after the Museum was the icing on the cake that day!

http://www.ellasdeli.com