These Museums Offer Play Based Learning To Set Your Child Up For Success

By: Alex Harmon, ellaslist

Play-based learning might seem like something you'd find in an early childhood education setting but it's a context for learning that you will increasingly find in a primary and even high school classroom. The benefits are huge. Research proves that play-based learning can boost children’s academic and developmental learning outcomes and teaches them 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration and higher order thinking. 

These three museums are offering workshops throughout the July school holidays that offer hands-on programs so your child can learn, discover and develop their complex thinking skills - and most importantly, have fun!

Museums Discovery Centre

This museum in Castle Hill is offering two programs, a free drop-in activity where kids can design and make using the museums' collections as inspiration. Inventive kids can draw inspiration from anything from bicycles to beetle wings and historic ceiling roses. Work with clay, sewing machines and millinery magic based on the people, places and technology within the Museums Discovery Centre stores.  

The museum is also offering 2 hour Holiday Workshops where kids can experiment by making moving creations or build their cream plane. Plus, full day workshops exploring Minecraft, Scratch, song writing and littleBits.

Find out more about the programs here.

Powerhouse Museum

Little creative types will love the free KID COUTURE drop-in activities these school holidays in celebration of the Powerhouse Museum’s newest exhibition, Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear 1715 – 2015, from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. With over 130 outfits, spanning 300 years of fashion history there is plenty of inspiration to draw from in designing your own wearable art. From sketching to pattern making and working with figure mannequins, visitors to the Tinkering Hall will have a hands-on experience of the fashion industry. 

There are also some full day Holiday Workshops for kids aged 6+. From Minecraft, electronics and game design, to songwriting, movie making for YouTube plus workshops for families to get creative together. The play-based learning even gets messy with science, where kids can make their own props, become a creative inventor and discover the secret science of photography. 

Find out more about the programs here.

Sydney Observatory

Is there anything more exhilarating than learning about space? While some space museums will have rope cordoning off the exciting equipment, Sydney Observatory wants your kids to get hands-on and become space explorers for the day! With free activities allowing kids to create their own woven star constellation, make a sun dial, explore how to record weather and learn about the cosmos, these school holiday programs will make learning fun.

To really enhance the learning, book a full day workshop where kids can become a space scientists or explore Minecraft, electronics, game design, song writing, movie making and more. 

There are also day and night tours for the whole family. During the day, look through the safe solar telescope, you might see the Sun, bright stars, the Moon or Venus! Evening tours operate each night, and include stargazing through the amazing telescope domes.

Find out more about the programs here.

Play based learning will stimulate your child’s drive for exploration and discovery - you don't even have to tell them they're getting an education these holidays - they will be having that much fun!

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