DuPage Children’s Museum Helps Adults Learn How to Play-to-Learn

Learning opportunities are everywhere, if you know where to look. New Family PlayShops at DuPage Children’s Museum (DCM) are a unique combination of a playgroup and workshop. Children ages birth - 35 months and their grown-ups will have fun while bonding, meeting new friends, and receiving learning tips and insights from the Museum’s team of specialists.

Family PlayShops are a 4-week series, each week offering age-appropriate activities prepared by a different Museum Specialist who can answer questions about child development and learning related to their specialty. While the focus will be ways to enrich play at the Museum and get the most out of each visit, the toys and materials featured in the PlayShops are things that can be utilized at home to extend the experience and activate learning wherever one may be.

“The child-adult learning partnership is at the core of the Museum’s mission,” said Alix Tonsgard, Early Learning Specialist, DuPage Children’s Museum. “Interaction with adults, especially when children are from birth to 3 years, helps them to build confidence in themselves as learners as well as stimulates growth and development in ways that wouldn’t happen on their own. Children can take their learning only so far through free exploration and experimentation by themselves. They need that extra push from an adult in their lives to take their learning to the next level.”

“PlayShops are an amazing opportunity to help the important adults in a child’s life understand how to Play-to-Learn. We want adults to see the Museum not only as a space to make friends and set playdates but as an important resource for playful learning,” said Thomas Sullivan, Director of Education and Programs, DuPage Children’s Museum. He went on to say, “Family PlayShops are also an opportunity to make the Museum’s Specialists even more accessible to the community. We are constantly involved in research around how children learn through play, and our specialists are eager to share their knowledge in this fun, informal setting.”

DCM’s Specialist team includes an Early Learning Specialist, Arts Specialist, STEM Specialist, and Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist. This team will help participants immerse themselves in the process of learning through experiences.

Alix Tonsgard, DCM’s Early Learning Specialist, holds an MS in Child Development from the Erikson Institute. Acting as the Museum’s advocate for early childhood development and learning, she ensures that the latest research in Early Childhood Education is represented in all Museum exhibits, professional development initiatives, and public programs.

Theresa Suchy-McGraw, Arts Specialist, has a BFA in Art with an emphasis on Graphic Design and Photography. As the Art Specialist, Theresa participates in many facets of the Museum’s public programs, exhibits, and community outreach. She creates multi-disciplinary experiences that integrate art, math, and science while designing a Studio environment that reinforces the importance of open-ended and multiple-outcome, hands-on explorations.

Chris Barry is the STEM Specialist, having a BA in Biology from Lake Forest College. She spent many years working in clinical genetics labs in Cleveland and Pittsburgh. After moving to Naperville, she started working at the Museum as a Learning Lab Facilitator, and is now the STEM Specialist and School Programs Manager. She has been with the Museum for 20 years.

Jill Samonte, Accessibility & Inclusion Specialist, has an MS in Counseling Psychology and an MPA in Emergency & Disaster Management. As the Accessibility & Inclusion Specialist, she ensures that all visitors have the opportunity to enjoy our Museum and interact with floor exhibits. Jill also goes into the community with programming and portable Museum exhibits.

Family PlayShops are currently scheduled for the summer with a series taking place in June, in July, and in August. To learn more, visit dupagechildrens.org/FamilyPlayShop.

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About DuPage Children’s Museum

The Museum helps develop curiosity, creativity, thinking, and problem solving in young children through its mission: “DuPage Children’s Museum ignites the potential of all children to learn through hands-on exploration by integrating art, math, and science.” Interactive exhibits and programs make learning fun for children and adults playing together. DCM serves over 300,000 visitors annually representing all 50 states and 575 zip codes in Illinois. DCM’s reach and support represent well beyond the Chicagoland area. The Museum’s impact extends across cultural, financial, and educational boundaries. It touches the lives of children from all regions, providing the building blocks for success in school and life. The Museum is located at 301 N. Washington Street in Naperville, www.dupagechildrens.org or call (630) 637-8000.