It is with heavy hearts that we share a decision made on March 25, 2021 by the Board of Directors to permanently close Portland Children’s Museum and Opal School, effective June 30, 2021.
Due to the coronavirus, the Museum has been closed to the public for health and safety since March of 2020. The campus is closed to the public—with the exception of areas used for Opal Beginning School in-person learning and Opal Charter School hybrid learning through the end of the 2020-21 school year.
@Home experiences are designed to shine the light of playful learning in an otherwise stressful world. Make yourself @Home for an open-ended explorations of materials!
"Museum @ Home is thought-provoking & incorporates current issues. Wish I had received communications like this when we were raising our children. I am forwarding this to our son & our niece."
—Julie, Grandparent
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Email Issues
II. @Home Experiences
III. Reading Collections
Play, Learn & Grow Together: Parenting resources help to empower families and amplify children’s insightful voices. Embrace the challenges of distance learning and the "new normal" head-on and hands-on in the following areas:
- Social & Emotional Learning
- Language & Storytelling
- Nature & Environment
- Health & Wellness
- Inventiveness & Problem-Solving
If you've already signed up for the Museum e-newsletter, you will automatically receive our new email series!
MISS AN @HOME ISSUE?
Catch-up, revisit, share with a friend!
Issue #1: Colors of the Rainbow Hunt
Issue #2: Earth Day Nature Journals
Issue #3: Exhale FUN with Free-Floating Orb Machines
Issue #4: The Art of Shaving Cream
Issue #5: Celebrating with PRIDE
Issue #6: How to Build a Nest
Issue #7: Explorations of Freedom
Issue #8: National Recreation Month
Issue #9: Mandela Day + World Listening Day
Issue #10: Make Waves with Water Play!
Issue #11: The ABCs of Loose Parts
Issue #12: Hope & Resilience @Home
Issue #13: Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Issue #14: The Colors of Collaboration
Issue #15: Fostering Independence
Issue #16: Listening to Children
Issue #17: Setting the Table for Gratitude
Issue #18: Care in The Time of Corona
Issue #19: Light & Shadow
Issue #20: Courage in Uncertainty
Issue #21: Forging Ahead with Fortitude
Issue #22: Practicing Empathy
@HOME EXPERIENCES:
Combine basic art supplies with repurposed everyday materials found in your home, yard, or imagination! Suggested activities for children and their adults are guided by our Reggio Emilia-inspired learning approach called Playful Inquiry.
Colors of the Rainbow: Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Downloadable Nature Journal: Artist Hannah Viano
Make a Floating Orb Machine: The Physics of Fun!
The Art of Shaving (Cream): Shaving Cream Painting
Make a Peaceful Protest Poster: Share Your Voice
Venture on a Sound Walk: Let Your Ears be Your Guide
Spray Bottles & Arctic Sensory Bins: Make a Splash
An Alphabet of Loose Parts: Gather, Tinker & Tell Stories
Artful Affirmations: Hope & Resilience for Home
What Else Could it Be? Embrace an Open Mindset
Culture of Collaboration: Home Collaboration Zones
Opportunities for Independence: Autonomy @Home
Community Camera Walk: A Child's Lens
Collecting & Reflecting: Sharing Appreciation
Games & Rituals: Stay Grounded in GratitudePracticing Self-Care: Explore Ways to Care for Yourself
Light & Shadow Land: Engage in Light & Shadow Play
Courageous Collages: Create, Collaborate & Collage
READING COLLECTIONS:
While nesting @Home, explore these recommended reads for early learners:
PRIDE Month: A Reading Rainbow
Books on Nesting: Stories to Cozy Up With
Explorations of Freedom: Tales of Independence
Ride the Reading Rapids: Books on Water
Stories on Stories: Nurture the Narrative
Resilience Reads: Stories for Stressful TimesRead to Reimagine: Perspective-Changing Page Turners
Picture Books on Partnerships: Titles about Teamwork
"Be Heard" Booklist: Books that Bind UsSupportive & Resilient Reads: Inspiring Caregivers
Stories Inspired by Light & Shadow: Surprising Reads
Books on Bravery: Courageous Tales
