It's only June, but I have been incredibly busy mapping out our upcoming school year. Yes-- the time has finally come for us to officially begin homeschooling. Raileigh won't be five until September, but we'll begin our school year at the end of July.
I've given Raileigh a lot of input as to what we'll study because I really want her to be engaged in what we're learning. One of the topics she has chosen to study is Geography.
To be honest-- that really excites me! I remember learning all the states and capitols when I was in school, and have always enjoyed knowing random things about the other states in our country.
I'm trying to get her learning early as well. We purchased an amazing Atlas that is incredibly kid-friendly. It has tons of colorful pictures and lots of information about each of the fifty states.
We also took her to the opening of the newest exhibit at The Children's Museum of Atlanta-- WEEBLES Coast to Coast.
The newest exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Atlanta will whisk guests away on a 50-state adventure across the country, all without ever leaving the Museum! WEEBLES Coast to Coast, an educational traveling exhibit
developed by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc.
“This summer, when families visit the Museum, they can experience an educational trip cross-country in the new feature exhibit WEEBLES Coast to Coast,” said Jane Turner, executive director of The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. “This highly interactive exhibit aligns with our mission to engage children’s imagination through the power of play. It’s a fun ‘staycation’ alternative for families to experience the entire United States while staying in town over summer break.”
In the exhibit, visitors will travel to each of the 50 states to explore U.S. geography, history and culture. The exhibit's activities feature American travel, sports and leisure pastimes, music from across the nation, and fun and important information about the well-known people, places and historical events. Children can pretend to power a riverboat down the Mississippi, hit a home run at Fenway Park, build the Saint Louis Gateway Arch, ride a mule into the Grand Canyon, snorkel in Hawaii, enjoy peach picking in Georgia and so much more.
Visitors can plan their “trip” with a giant U.S. map and a touch-screen kiosk featuring the country’s geographic regions, important state facts, national landmarks and popular tourist destinations. Murals of beautiful American landscapes provide a backdrop for engaging play areas that represent U.S regions: Western, Mountain, Southwest, Midwest, Southwest and Northeast, and create memorable stops at the seaside, mountains, forest and desert. A special reading area is dedicated to U.S. geography, history, travel, and the ideas that “a book can take you anywhere!”
The 2,500 sq. ft. exhibit is designed for children ages 4 – 10. Hands-on activities present opportunities for children to build cognitive and social skills, be physically active, curious and imaginative, and express themselves through music, movement and art. Educational content in the exhibit reflects developmental milestones for early learners set by National Association for the Education of Young Children, and national academic standards for school-age children.
Hands down, this just might be my favorite children's museum exhibit that we have ever experienced. Each and every part was incredibly interactive and Raileigh spent hours {literally} exploring the states.
She had such an amazing time, yet really learned a lot as well. In fact, in the weeks since our visit, she has rattled off numerous facts and things she learned while we were at the exhibit. To me, that retention of knowledge is a true testament to just how wonderful the exhibit is.
WEEBLES Coast to Coast will only be here through September 8, so make sure to head out and enjoy it while you can. Raileigh has already requested that we return to the museum, and I am certain that we will before this exhibit leaves town.
The great news is that one of you is going to be checking it out really soon! One lucky Wee Share reader is going to win 4 tickets to The Children's Museum of Atlanta to enjoy the all-new WEEBLES Coast to Coast exhibit!
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