Minnesota Children's Museum

Minnesota children's Museum will develop and test messages and delivery mechanisms intended to help parents and caregivers understand, embrace, and practice playful learning with their children. Research shows that play is critical to development, building skills necessary to thrive in school, work, and throughout life. However, children play an average of eight hours a week less than they did 20 years ago. The museum will test tools that convey the importance of play along with practical ways that parents can incorporate more play into their children's lives. A variety of delivery techniques - web, social media, texting, and other vehicles - will also be tested. The information, tactics, and best practices resulting from this project will be shared at a national community of practice gathering with peer children's museums across the nation.