Shelton Couple to Open Children's Museum

Press release:

The Kidnetic Clubhouse is a non-profit organization whose goal is to create a fun and exciting children’s museum in the lower Valley area that will literally be powered by play. Work is now underway to build community support, raise funds and bring the museum to life.

The basic concept of The Kidnetic Clubhouse is simple; provide a fun, safe and sustainable environment for kids
0 through 10 that promotes the benefits of self-directed play, and that will literally harness their seemingly-
boundless energy. Many of the interactive playspaces that are being planned will be designed to capture the kinetic energy of kids while they play with features like hand cranks, levers, pedals and even energy-generating flooring. That energy can then be used to power lights, sounds and other fun things around the museum.

The efforts to create the new children’s museum are being spearheaded by Shelton residents Mark and Sheri
Hatfield. After the birth of their son, they discovered how truly wonderful children’s museums can be. However, the nearest children’s museums to the Shelton area are 45 minutes to over an hour away. For parents with young kids, trying to fit in nap and feeding schedules around a long-distance drive can be quite challenging. Another issue the Hatfields identified was the time that was once reserved for recess and self-directed free-play is being dramatically reduced in favor of time behind video screens, or devoted to structured learning and activities. The Hatfields found that research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Temple University, Columbia University, MIT and many others indicate that the loss of simple, self-directed play can have a negative impact in the cognitive, educational and physical development of children. After discussing these issues with several other local parents, it was agreed that this area desperately needs a children’s museum that can provide an outlet for creative free-play. So, in the summer of 2012 the Hatfields began the process of creating The Kidnetic Clubhouse.

To date, the Hatfields have conducted many hours of research in order to build a solid concept and business model. They have incorporated the organization in the state of CT, formed a board of directors, registered with
the state as a charitable organization, joined the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), attended multiple ACM conferences, and on July 22nd they received their 501(c)(3) non-profit status from the IRS. Next steps
include building community support and awareness, setting up info booths at local events, creating a mobile
exhibit that will serve as a “proof-of-concept”, and scouting potential locations for the museum.

Building a children’s museum is a huge undertaking, and requires the efforts of a committed group of individuals, as well as a great deal of community support. The Kidnetic Clubhouse will be hosting two public presentations at the Huntington Branch Public Library (41 Church Street, Shelton, CT) from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on Monday, September 15th and Wednesday, September 17th to discuss their plans for the children’s museum, ask for feedback and enlist the help of anyone who would like to make a positive difference in the lives of young children, as well a make a positive impact in the community. For more

information, please contact the Kidnetic Clubhouse through their website:
www.thekidneticclubhouse.org., or via their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheKidneticClubhouse.