For a few years now, a small but growing coalition of parents, artists, educators and other local professionals have been working to create an interactive and engaging environment for play and exploration in Oneonta--what professionals in the field would call a children's museum, although you might be more familiar with words like discovery center.
Potential exhibits are endless and include Susquehanna Splash, for ecologically themed water play, and Creativity Junction, for fantasy play based within Oneonta's railroad history. Preliminary studies now in progress will estimate budget and facility requirements, but similar venues in comparable cities range in size from 2,000 to 20,000 square feet. We hope to open as early as 2011.
The research is clear: children develop creativity and problem solving skills best through guided play, which simply means that a minimum of inspiration, ideas, or parameters are provided to engage children's interest in an activity. Yet playtime has taken a back seat at home and in school for many children.
The children's museum, which has not yet been named, will help build generations of creative, confident and caring members of society. Local educational programs will benefit from programs that complement as well as provide alternatives to their curriculum, and small businesses will grow as visitors and residents find new reasons to rediscover the wonderful community we call home.
To learn more, email Amy.
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