Children's Museums

Families play traditional African instruments at The Children's Museum, Seattle

Museums are a great place for children to learn through fun! The Department of Early Learning (DEL) values the relationships we've built with the many children’s museums in Washington. In this partnership, DEL and museums have:

Shared resources on child development
Celebrated events around young children

In March 2008, DEL offered an opportunity for children’s museums in Washington to apply for funding that would do at least one of the following:

Decrease barriers to access for young children and their families, caregivers or pre-kindergarten educators who may not otherwise be able to visit youth museums
Increase engagement, connection, and collaboration with other early learning entities
Increase cultural compassion and proficiency in children, families, caregivers and pre-kindergarten early childhood educators
Engage in planning efforts for future programming
Enhance outreach efforts to young children and families, caregivers and pre-kindergarten educators through development and distribution of print and/or online marketing materials.

Thirteen museums around the state received funding through this partnership. Museum proposals included offering free and reduced admission and memberships, updating existing and installing new exhibits, improving community awareness, expanding outreach and partnerships, and surveying museum guests about usability, design, fun and learning gained while visiting. Overall funding totaled $273,015.

Click to read the press release about this project.

Click to view the TVW video of our partnership kick-off event in April 2008.

Through this partnership with DEL, the 13 museums were able to offer more than 10,000 free admissions to children and families from around the community. New visitors included children from our state-funded preschool program, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), Head Start, preschools, child care centers and family homes, the military, and Tribal schools.

Museums awarded an additional 8,597 free and reduced memberships and day passes via direct visits to the museums or through new and enhanced partnerships with local social service agencies, libraries, preschools, child care providers and schools.

Museum Web Sites: Children’s Museum of Tacoma; Children’s Museum of Walla Walla; Hands On Children’s Museum (Olympia); Imagine Children's Museum (Everett); Kids Discovery Museum (Bainbridge Island); KidsQuest Children’s Museum (Bellevue); Mobius Kids (Spokane); The Children’s Museum Seattle; The Orcas Island Funhouse; Three Rivers Children’s Museum (Pasco); Whatcom Children’s Museum (Bellingham); Yakima Valley Museum