About the Nonprofit
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The mission: To spark curiosity and creativity among all children through positive, play-based learning experiences.
Our history: The Children's Museum of Oak Park began in 1991 as an educational outreach organization, offering pop-up library visits out of its small Oak Park, IL storefront. We purchased our current 6,400 sq foot building in 2001 and reopened as Wonder Works Children's Museum in 2003. We are guided by our mission to spark curiosity and creativity in ALL young children through positive, play-based, creative learning experiences. We achieve this mission by welcoming children ages 0-8 and their families into our seven interactive exhibits to engage in play-based learning experiences in the arts, math, music, science, and literacy that are aligned with Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. Our goal is to offer experiences that schools and individual families often do not have the luxury to provide; we supplement a child’s learning with our museum-quality exhibits, plentiful materials, and innovative play-based curriculum. At Wonder Works, we champion the well-studied principle that learning is tactile, creative, and interactive. Learning is play, play is learning. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advocates for the power of play: “developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Our kind and knowledgeable Play Specialists build on a child’s self-directed play, connecting their exploration to developmentally appropriate STEAM concepts. In this way, kids play and learn simultaneously. Children leave Wonder Works with delightful memories and friendships. Without realizing it, they have also gained a better understanding of the world and an educational foundation that will one day help them in school and their career.
The need: More than ever, children need a joyful non-traditional learning center, a safe haven where they can focus on being a kid. The impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating for young children. Aside from missing critical in-person hands-on instruction, children ages 0-4 do not even remember a time where they could freely socialize with their peers. This has an intensely negative impact on children’s social emotional development. The Association for Childhood Mental Health found that “physical exercise, access to entertainment, positive familial relationships, and social support were associated with better mental health outcomes” for children during the pandemic. Wonder Works provides all these things, positioning us to help children recoup some of this interrupted development. Another hallmark of the COVID era is an unusually high amount of screen use which, though a critical tool during the pandemic, has detrimental effects as well. No screens or battery powered toys are present at Wonder Works, giving children a chance to activate the neglected parts of their minds. At our museum, children are encouraged to use their imaginations, play, learn, and socialize without the constraints of school or home where screens are sometimes the only option.
