The Woodlands Children’s Museum is a cooperative learning environment that provides children with multiethnic and multicultural experiences. We expect our visitors and partners to honor this global environment, free from discrimination in regard to race, age, gender, physical ability, sexual orientation, family structure, citizenship or social economic background. To encourage acceptance and understanding of individual differences, we pledge: to present opportunities for all to play and engage in discovery within a safe and nurturing environment; to celebrate cultural and global differences through educational programs, calendar festivities and exhibits; and to reach out to the community to ensure that all people feel welcome wherever the museum is represented.
By embracing communication and encouraging interaction among diverse families, The Woodlands Children’s Museum shares in strengthening the bond that begins with our common goal of empowering our next generation.
Outreach
Bring The Woodlands Children’s Museum to you! Experience a dynamic program designed for grades K4-5. Discover and see up close: masks from around the world, play different musical instruments from Africa, touch adornments from different cultures and learn how different types of containers are used on the other side of globe.
Our programs are designed to complement Texas academic standards. Through the programs that are offered through the Outreach Department, we support 21st century skills of self-direction, critical thinking, invention, collaboration and cultural influence. Additionally, all programs include a “make and take” process-oriented project that extends the learning experience.
Initiativesn7
Museums for All: a signature access program to encourage families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. The program will enable low-income families to visit The Woodlands Children’s Museum for a minimal fee of $3 per person with the presentation of a Lonestar (EBT) card. The Museums for All initiative represent a long stride toward the goal of reaching more children and parents, especially those living in poverty, with the valuable learning resources of museums. Children’s museums, with their unique focus on bringing children, families, and communities together, are committed to providing access to all.
Play is one of the primary ways that children learn and grow, and through the creative process can develop abilities such as physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play also fosters imagination and can be a critical part of balancing stress in our lives and promoting health and wellness. At The Woodlands Children’s Museum, we offer hands-on interactive exhibits uniquely designed for young learners. Our mission is to create opportunities that educate, empower, and excite children and families through play while inspiring a lifelong sense of wonder and discovery.
Little Ocean Wonders
Our largest gallery in the museum, Little Ocean Wonders is designed specifically for our youngest visitors under age two. Within the exhibit, little ones can practice new movement skills such as crawling, climbing, and standing in a soft play ocean-themed environment. A reading nook allows families to share a story together in the calming presence of our large fish tank.
Pretend Playhouse
The Playhouse encourages children to use their imaginations while practicing life skills. Through pretend play such as sweeping the floor or having a tea party, these activities build both fine and gross motor skills in an environment where children can also work together and make new friends.
Market and Play Café
Imitate the role of a shopper, stocker, chef, waiter, customer, cashier and more in this child-size grocery store and café. Children will find a wide assortment of realistic play food in a market place setting, complete with a cash register, grill, food prep station, bar stools and counter, fruit and veggie sorter, and even child-sized shopping carts! Children can engage in creative play while developing fine and gross motor skills, exploring new foods, sorting and counting, and learning cooperation and social skills.
Splish Splash Water Play
Splash around in your rain jacket and boots, and try to find the catch of the day! The Water Play exhibit introduces the physical properties of water and allows your child to make new discoveries about movement, velocity, and force. Which objects will sink or float? How does a fishing pole work? Learn to manipulate water in different ways, apply practical applications, all while having some wet and wild fun!
Dream + Build
Build anything you dream with our big, blue foam blocks! These “loose parts” encourage unstructured, child-directed play where children are the architects, designers, and constructors. One of the largest exhibits at the museum, children can create towers, bridges, caves, castles, and more as they learn to work together. Perfect for a variety ages, the Big Blue Blocks encourage open-ended play while fostering intellectual, social, physical, and emotional development.
Storybook Stage
Books, costumes, and puppets make this a magical area to pretend and play! Imagination is king and you’re the star on our performance stage. Watch for special events that create first-time experiences with character visits, magicians, marionettes, cultural performances, musicians, critter encounters, shadow puppets and more! Weekly Storybook Theater and other activities inspire children to dream big and reach for the stars!
The Muse Art Bar
Create a new project each day with museum staff! Specially curated and culturally diverse art projects are designed to allow children to explore a wide variety of mediums and processes. While engaging in artistic expression and abstract thinking, children can practice fine motor skills such as painting, gluing, stamping, rubbing, folding, weaving, and more. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Scoop and Shovel Dig Pit
Can you find it? Children will delight in this tactile experience by using shovels, scoops, and diggers to explore what’s hidden in the soft foam dig pit. Watch out for dinos and other surprises!
Discovery Tunnel
With lookout windows and pop-up portholes, the Discovery Tunnel offers children a playful path for entering the museum’s exhibits. Located near the entrance, the tunnel engages a child’s natural curiosity by inviting them to see what’s inside, what’s beyond, and what can I discover?
Magnificent Magnets Gear Wall
On our large magnetic wall, children can explore force and motion by linking together colorful gears on one side, and ball chutes on the other side. Each piece has a different job depending on what you need it to do. Does it slow things down or speed things up? Are the gears harder to turn or easier? Why did the ball drop slowly or quickly? Problem-solving, gravitational pull, and cause and effect will engage curious learners.
Light Bright Wall
This interactive light-up wall features vividly colored pegs that can be patterned and positioned into your own artistic masterpiece! Accessible for all ages, this colorful display invites children to explore light and color in a calming sensory experience and improve abstract thinking skills.
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are a hands-on opportunity for children to explore their world through a variety of textures and senses. Sensory play may calm, focus, and engage children of all ages and abilities. Children can also improve fine motor skills through scooping, grasping, stirring, and pouring with a variety of tools.
All Aboard! Train Tables
The All Aboard! Train Tables are sure to excite your little engineer. Imagine rolling the train cars around town, up and over bridges, through the trees, and around the curves and bends. Children will be able to work together, as well as develop skills such as vocabulary building, imitating noises, prediction, sequencing, counting, & color identification.