The Children’s Museum of Rochester, MN

Get fully immersed in SPARK

Engaging people of all ages in the joy of play, the power of learning, and a sense of community.

About us

Play, Learn, and Discover 

Play is at the core of what we do. SPARK invites you to interact with the exhibits – not just watch. It’s an immersive experience aimed at opening the minds of young learners to greater possibilities and learning by doing.

SPARKS FLY

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Wow, my child sure is creative when he’s building that Lego car,” or “She is so happy when she’s creating that tornado in the water table?” Watching your children or grandchildren develop and grow is enjoyable for so many of us. When your child is at SPARK, they are learning a lot. This video captures a look closer at our young ones as they learn.

CLICK HERE to watch!

Special thanks to Donny Rowles at Hey! Original Storytelling for creating this piece for us! 

Play

Play takes many forms, imaginative or dramatic play; rough-and-tumble play; object play; building play; and games. A strategy for learning, play intersects with creativity, well-being, and exploring materials. Spark makes room for play by encouraging young learners to use their imaginations, set challenges, act out stories, make gizmos, and transform spaces.

Materials Exploration

Materials exploration encourages investigation of the material world — its tools, natural objects, raw materials, and building materials—using all their senses. Manipulating materials sparks children’s curiosity, prompts questions about their properties and uses, and engages their natural inventiveness. Spark provides visitors with a wide range of open-ended materials in abundant quantities and interesting contexts.

Inquiry & Experimenting

Inquiry and experimenting starts with question-powered exploration of spaces, ideas, materials, objects leading to doing and action. Testing hunches, exploring cause-and-effect, solving problems, and trying out fresh ideas. Even small experiments inspire new questions. We create open-ended experiences, offer a variety of materials, and prepare staff and volunteers to ask open-ended questions.

Conversation

Conversation is the back-and-forth between people as they speak, listen, and gesture, sharing ideas, knowledge, and memories. Spark encourages conversation about the objects in the exhibits, the ideas discussed and the stories told.

More than just a place to play

We are here to enrich the lives of young learners by creating shared, interactive experiences that engage people of all ages in the joy of play, the power of learning, and a sense of community.

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