Imagine That. . .  imagine that these children we cherish and care for are grown – what world will they inherit and what challenges will they have to tackle? How will we prepare them to take charge, approach problems with creativity and grit, participate actively in their communities, and make good decisions? How can we ensure that they are successful throughout their lives, what foundation do we need to give them and how do we all work together to make that possible?

Imagine That . . . can you imagine that children’s first relationships can impact their lifelong health, including their risks for chronic disease? Or that the sing-song ways we talk to infants actually helps them acquire language and is a universal phenomenon across time and culture? Or that children as young as 18 months understand cause and effect and have the power of imagination? The fields of neuro-science, early childhood, and informal learning are exploding with new understandings and insights that affect how we think about our work, and what we do in the Museum.

Imagine That . . . we are humbled and thrilled by the creativity, ingenuity and curiosity of our audience.  We too experience a WOW moment as we witness a child making a connection for the first time, or taking a risk, collaborating with a stranger, solving a problem.  These moments often surprise, delight, and teach us something important. They fuel our own excitement and commitment to our work.

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire serves over 93,000 visitors a year and we are dedicated to continuing to be relevant and meaningful to our users.  At the same time we are more than a destination.  In fact, we have a commitment to serving as a critical resource for all New Hampshire families on site, or off.  This blog is a place for us to bridge between the Museum and day-to-day life, and to actively involve you beyond a Museum visit.

We will use this space to ask questions, invite participation, and share ideas.  We imagine that the recipe exchange in the Cafe will take on another life on-line, that book suggestions made on our Books We Love column may become part of our early literacy exhibit, that our soon to launch Science Portfolio project will inspire young inventors to participate in an open engineering design competition, and more.

We will use the blog to explore all of these opportunities to learn from, and with one another. Our goal is to enhance our ability to meet the needs of the families and children, and to hone our own efforts so that they represent the best we can do and maximize our contribution.

We cannot succeed without you: our users, stakeholders, and supporters.  Together we celebrate children’s achievements and honor their growth. With you, we will continue to build the relationships and develop the insights that enable us to support children’s wonder and engagement with their world.

Imagine that . . .