Greensboro Children's Museum
Mission Statement
What is your institution's mission?
The mission of The Greensboro Children's Museum is to provide children with an interactive, educational learning experience that will enhance their daily lives and open their hearts and minds to an understanding of the world in which they live.
Collections
What are some of the collections offered and how were they obtained? What are some of the most prized/rare artifacts in the collection? Are there visitor favorites?
The museum offers realistic exhibits placed along the Main Street that gives children the chance to learn through "make believe" play with their parents and caregivers. Here, children can become a sales clerk or a grocery shopper in our Market, they can set the table for Sunday dinner at Nonie's House, be a dentist and check patient's teeth for cavities in our Health Center, pilot a real DC-9 jet, be a fireman driving a real fire truck or take a spin in Kyle Petty's old race car.
Programs
What are some the programs created/administered at the museum?
- Busy Bees: GCM's educational play program offers lots of fun things parents can do together with their children including music and movement, sensory story time, and awesome arts. This program is offered for members only and includes different themes each week. It is best suited for pre-school aged children (ages 1-5) and their caregivers.
- Kids on the Ball and Wee Kids on the Ball: These programs get kids moving in a fun way using kid-sized exercise balls! Our activities and games focus on a variety of fitness disciplines including balance, coordination, strength, cardio, and flexibility. Kids are able to have fun on top of, around, along side of, and even hopping on balls!
Exhibitions
Are there any upcoming exhibitions you would like to highlight?
The Greensboro Children's Museum is expanding its outdoor play and learning area to include the first “Edible Schoolyard” at a museum in the country. Scheduled to open in the spring of 2010, the Edible Schoolyard will reconnect children to the natural world and promote healthy food choices through family education. In the Edible Schoolyard, children will learn about the cycle of food and life through planting, tending, harvesting, preparing and cooking organic fruits, vegetables and herbs simply and nutritiously. On-going programs, field trips and camps will provide children opportunities to experience the “Seed to Table” experience, an important philosophy that is helping to transform the way children feel about healthy food choices and their environment.
GCM's Edible Schoolyard will be located on a half-acre of the museum's outdoor play area and will include organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, trees and shrubs with winding natural walkways and seating areas. Other components include a teaching kitchen, indoor and outdoor classrooms, a Mud Café, a chicken coop, armadas and arbors, a green house, composting and recycling stations.
