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Emily Heinis

Posts and articles written by author Emily Heinis, blog contributor for the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota.

CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Summer Bucket List For Any Weather!

Summer is a time of adventure, exploration, and making lasting memories with your children. With the days longer and the weather warmer, it’s the perfect season to engage in fun-filled activities that cater to every age group and adapt to different weather conditions. In Southern Minnesota, we have all sorts of amazing things to see

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Child by raised garden bed at the Childrens Museum in Mankato
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Gardening with Kids

Common wisdom passed down generations says to wait until after the fishing opener here in Southern Minnesota to put your plants in the ground. We’re not completely out of the woods, necessarily–we have had snow in May–but it’s a fair assumption. The tulips and daffodils and other perennials have pushed through and brought color to

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Caregiver Appreciation at the Children's Museum Southern Minnesota
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Appreciation for Caregivers All Year Long

The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is for children, right? Of course! But the work we do in our building and in the community extends to all members of a child’s family, no matter what that family looks like. As we approach the season of Mother’s and Father’s Day, it is important to acknowledge the

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Gateway to Play Access for All Program at the Childrens Museum in Mankato
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Access for All: Gateway to Play Year in Review 2022

The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota continues to make a positive impact on children’s lives through its Gateway to Play program, which aims to provide access to play for children facing various barriers, such as income, language, cultural factors, ability, special needs, or other special situations.  In 2022, the program had 608 families as members,

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Creating art at the Childrens Museum Art Explorers
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Art and the Young Brain: Engaging Children in the Arts

This week the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is excited to be part of the very first Mankato Art Crawl! As we gear up for the creative activities we have planned for the day, we also wanted to take this opportunity to share the many benefits that the arts have on young minds. Keep reading

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Week of the young child
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Week of the Young Child

At the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, we make it our goal to “ignite the curiosity of every child.” Truly, all ages can enjoy the programs, exhibits, and activities we offer. But the first week of April is designated as “The Week of the Young Child,” and we are here for it.  Since 1971, the

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North Mankato Taylor Library Bookmobile
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Bookmobile Promotes Literacy at CMSM

One of the weekly features at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is the visit from the Bookmobile. Every Wednesday at 2pm, the big bus decorated like a warm summer’s day pulls up to the Museum. The blue sky and green grass on the bus welcome children of all ages. The North Mankato Library has

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Cognitive Benefits of Play-Childrens Museum of Southern Minnesota
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

The Benefits of Play, Part 3: Cognitive

Spring has sprung on the calendar, even if the Dotson Back 40 is still covered in snow. The warmer weather has us itching to move our bodies and start playing hard again. In doing so, we will use all parts of our bodies and minds.   In this third and final installment of our series on all

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Read it Again - Why Repetition Matters
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Read it Again! Why Repetition Matters

National Reading Month is a good time to read about reading.  National Reading Month is a good time to read about reading. National Reading Month is a good time to read about reading.  Does the repetition annoy you? Might it be exhausting to read the same sentence over and over and over again? Maybe for

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National Reading Monthh at the Childrens Museum
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

Celebrating “National Reading Month” at CMSM

March is “National Reading Month”. We love to read at the Museum all year long, but we’re excited to give it some attention this month. One of the ways we encourage our guests to read while they are here is through the descriptions within some of the exhibits. Reading them aloud to children or encouraging

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physical health benefits of play childrens museum of southern minnesota
CMSM Blog
Emily Heinis

The Benefits of Play, Part 2: Physical

Play is an essential part of human life, and our most important goal at the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota Play is not just about having fun or enjoying oneself–though that’s probably our favorite part–it also has a range of benefits. We often talk about those benefits loosely, so we decided to dive deep into

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