CMSM Blog

Engineering is the act of creating Technology.  Engineering is yet another field for which it seems that children today have little understanding. A study conducted by the Science Museum of Boston asked children what came to mind when they thought of engineering. Instead of recognizing engineering as a process, children most often saw it as

Technology is the use of any object designed by humans to make a task more manageable.  Museum Educators like to ask children what technology means to them. Inevitably, the answers we receive usually have to do with electricity. “Technology is my iPad.” or “Technology are things that have power” are typical responses. A study by

Science is a way of observing the world and making predictions.  When it comes to STEAM programming, science can typically be classified as a means of thinking and making predictions. According to the Boston Children’s Museum, students are “doing science” when they are “observing and experimenting, making predictions, sharing discoveries, asking questions, and wondering how

Greetings from Chris, your friendly Education and Program Manager at the Children’s Museum! In a series of six posts, we will explore what STEAM learning looks like at the Museum and how we try to encourage it. This is the overview of the whole idea, and each subsequent post will focus on one of the

Has your child ever watered plants in the gardens or talked to animals in the Farmyard? Perhaps they have visited the Ag and Nature Lab to care for cows in the dairy barn, release a monarch, or build like a beaver? Experiences like these help cultivate empathy, an important skill that requires children to imagine

If you’ve played at the Museum, you’ve experienced how special the awe-inspiring environment is. The giggles and shouts of “Oh, cool! Look at this!” soon lead to curiosity; where do all the exhibits come from? Nearing completion of the Energy: Powered by Play exhibit installation The EV gets a new paint job! Early sketches of

The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (CMSM) has become a favorite destination for families from across our region. From the very beginning, the founding Board and community stakeholders envisioned a beautiful gathering place that would be welcoming and accessible for all. This group made a commitment that holds true through today: to ensure all children

At the very time when children need a release from their unfortunate circumstances, our Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota needs to keep its distance.  During this extraordinary time, kids are experiencing stress from all sides. The Covid-19 pandemic alone resulted in children being pulled from their classrooms virtually overnight and forced to stay inside. They

The Museum has always identified safety as a core value, leading in the design of its building, exhibits, and play experiences. Our staff keep a close eye on the exhibits as they conduct routine maintenance checks, while our safety committee reviews visitor accidents on a regular basis. These practices lead to continuous improvements. Since the

“May you live in interesting times!” keeps coming to mind during this coronavirus pandemic. This certainly is an interesting time for museums and other cultural jewels. To help ensure the safety of staff and its visitors, the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota (CMSM) made a hard—but necessary—decision to temporarily close its doors before the direction came

By now, most parents and caregivers have likely exhausted a long list of ideas to keep children–young and old–occupied and content. Here is something that may help with that! Besides CMSMatHome, a daily prompt for play and hands-on learning, the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota now has one more exciting project to offer: Prairie’s Edge

  These are hard times. Yet, life’s hardest moments seem to be what draw us closer to the people we love. We have missed you greatly during this global pandemic. The Museum thrives on being a community space, but our community’s wellbeing depends on our doors being closed, with our galleries empty and our ears