H2H Power of Play 2023 - 34

E ME RG I N G M U S E U M S
EMERGING MUSEUMS SHOULD
(FOCUS ON) PLAY TOO
by Bethany Bell, President of the Board, Children's Museum of the Magic Valley
T
his summer I had the opportunity to take my kids to the Southern Minnesota Children's
Museum-a benchmark museum for CMMV. As they were playing in the climber, I didn't just
see them playing. I saw them developing gross motor skills through climbing and crawling, spatial
awareness as they navigated their way through the various rope tunnels, and risk literacy, as they
each had to make decisions on what they were comfortable doing. My work with CMMV has
given me new eyes. Play is everything to a child and we get to provide that. The final destination
will be worth the challenging terrain. Someday I won't have to drive hours before reaching a
children's museum, the children in the Magic Valley will have one in their own backyard where
we will continue the work of play.
During ACM's InterActivity Emerging Museum Pre-Conference, Victoria Garvin has attendees
create a timeline of their journey in opening a children's museum in their community. I know this
because I have experienced it several times. I've moved from one side of the line-without a 501c3
status, a museum name, or having incorporated with my state-to somewhere in the upper middle
32 | Association of Children's Museums | Hand to Hand
https://cmmv.org/
H2H Power of Play 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of H2H Power of Play 2023
