Where preschoolers and Kindergarteners explore history!
This program was designed to introduce Preschoolers and Kindergarteners to history and social studies for the first time.
Led by Miss Allison, the Museum Curator, Little Explorers lessons always incorporate a variety of activities to help kids learn.
Content
In a melding of U.S. and U.K. curriculum, the Little Explorers program teaches social studies-themed lessons through various mediums, such as stories, puppetry, hands-on exploration, crafts and dramatic play. The classes complement the preschool curriculum children are already learning. The Kent Historical Museum’s hope is to expand preschoolers’ world beyond the school and home environments for the very first time, fostering a love of history and sense of heritage and enhancing their educational experience in preparation for Kindergarten and beyond.
Little Explorers get the chance to learn about the local and global community and other social science topics, such as transportation, geography, history, and the concept of self. The sequenced sessions are designed to gradually expand children’s perception of the world around them. The session themes are:
- “All About Me,” which focuses on an aspect of self (senses, body parts, emotions, etc.)
- “My Community,” which introduces concepts of local geography, sociology and history (transportation, community helpers, city and country, etc.)
- “Time, Change and the Past,” the capstone session which explores our place in the “big picture” of time and space (pioneers, explorers, America, seasons, day and night, etc.)
Henry the Museum Puppet helps introduce the day's topic and gives hugs before you go home!
Kids also learn complementary skills in every lesson, including science, math, literacy and fine and gross motor skills. Lessons always include Museum Rules, as well, teaching children how to function in a cultural preservation setting for the first time.
Schedule
The program is on a quarterly schedule, with three sessions in each quarter (except for Summer) designed to be attended in sequence.
The admission-free public sessions are held on the second Wednesday of each month. There are two times available: 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
- Winter Quarter: January, February and March
- Spring Quarter: April, May and June
- Summer Quarter: varied schedule; possible Special Event
- Fall Quarter: September, October and November
*There is no Little Explorers in the month of December.
Registration
Registration for each quarter is due by the Friday before the quarter starts. Information fliers with attached registration/permission forms are available at local public libraries (Kent Regional, Covington and Fairwood) up to four weeks before registration is due. Registration forms are also available online.
*There is no charge or tuition fee for Little Explorers, but donations to the museum are gladly accepted. A donation of $6 per child will cover the material costs of the program for an entire quarter and help support the museum’s work preserving our local heritage for future generations.
Age Requirement
The Kent Historical Museum’s Executive Board made the distinction as of January 14, 2011 that the safety of the children participating in any museum program is our top priority. We often do activities (such as cutting with scissors, working with old and delicate artifacts, etc.) in the program that could be a safety hazard for children under age three (3). As such, having a child under the age of three registered in the Little Explorers program is a safety liability—children must be three years of age by the start date of the quarter, regardless of individual ability or development.
It is our hope to have older siblings continue to participate in the program and we are happy to provide alternative activities (coloring pages, puzzles, cars, etc.) for siblings under the age of three, but children under the age of three cannot be registered participants in the program.
*Parents/caregivers are also required to stay with their children during sessions.
