573-886-PLAY (7529)
8700 I-70 Drive SE
Columbia, MO 65201
EXIT 133 off I-70
We are in the
farmhouse, on the corner, before you get to
Slumberland Furniture
MOCM in the News
January 8, 2010
Missouri Children's Museum Inspires Learning and Play
Columbia Business Times December 30, 2009
Children and adults explore Columbia's new children's museum
Columbia Missourian December 14, 2009
Museum Hopes to Fill Niche
Columbia Tribune December 11, 2009
Kid Friendly Museum Ready to Open
KOMU |
About Us
We live in Columbia and we love it!
Raising our kids here is no problem.
Well…almost no problem.
It can be a slight problem in the dead of winter.
It can also be a problem on a rainy day.
Come to think of it, it can be a problem on a hot, humid one as
well. Two days in a row confined to the house and we all go a little
stir crazy. Heck, even when the weather is
great, we thought it would be nice to know a place is nearby to take
the kids to play, a place where they could learn through play -
traditional play with lots and lots of things to do!
Basically, we wanted a place to go with our children with space that
offers unstructured classic play, fun classes and even a wish list
item, outdoor space to run around having fun with others. And yes,
we also wanted a place where we can see some friendly adult faces
too! The real biggie - we wanted it to be
local so we don't have to pack up the kids and drive for a couple of
hours just to get to where we were going.
So we opened the Missouri Children's Museum. Here. In
mid-Missouri!
The MOCM is located just off exit 133 of I-70 - sitting on a
two-acre spread, in an old farmhouse, that we've transformed into a
space where children can use their imagination to learn through
play.
With both indoor and outdoor exhibits,
we've created a unique play space in Columbia for children age 1 to
12. It was inspired from our visits to and experience at more than
two dozen children's museums, all over the United States. From
art to music, pretend play to physics, we provide a variety of
learning opportunities without specifically teaching anything; after
all, learning isn't just academic!
Our mission is to get families to "play-pretend"
together, make stuff up, play at "working" and see and interact with
each other in different settings.
We place the highest priority on PLAY - with the child's curiosity
leading the interaction with other children or adults; their
imagination taking them on a learning journey that's filled with fun
and laughter along the way. Our motto has quickly become, the
Missouri Children's Museum is a place where kids play to learn, and
adults learn to play again!
At the end of the day, it's the richness of those interactions -
between children and adults at play - the modeling, the dialogue,
the cooperation and hands-on exploration that empower a child to
grow-up to be a problem-solver and critical-thinker.
To put it simply, we're not focused on teaching
any specific skills, nor do we have any particular curriculum that
we are trying to impart - we work hard to provide the environment
to learn through play - with the fun starting from the moment
you arrive!
Hope to see you at the Missouri Children's Museum soon!
The Wilshire & White families |
