Welcome to the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Parents Page, where you can find find information about at-home science projects, articles featuring the Museum’s own child development and education specialists, and links to other parent resource sites.

Parent Resource Links

• Tell a Cloud Story. Take time on a walk or after a picnic lunch to lie on your backs and look up at the clouds racing by. Take turns identifying shapes in the clouds and make it even more special by making up a story about the shapes. When you get home see if you can retell the story, it will get better and better over time.

• Get Wet. Children love to play with water and most adults have vivid memories of early experiences playing in and with water. Whether you co-design a water play area with your children at home using a hose, some buckets and tubs or you visit a local stream or beach, water is fascinating and has a strong educational properties. Water can be splashed or poured, used to sink or float objects; it can be routed into fast-moving streams or dammed to form ponds.

• Go Outside. Go on a nature hike. It can be as simple as a walk around the block or more complex like taking a trip to Golden Gate Park, Muir Woods, or any of our other local natural resources. Let your child lead the way. Do not have a planned destination. Stop as often as your child would like to examine the local flora and fauna. Immerse yourself in the experience by letting them get dirty and wet. Bring along a set of binoculars, a magnifying glass or bug box, and a natural history guide. Share your knowledge if they are interested or share the joy of discovering together. If your child creates a story narrative to describe their experience, play along, being certain to let them guide the direction and content of the story.

• Build a Fort. Cover an old card table with a blanket, use an old box from a refrigerator, or find a natural spot. Children relish the opportunity to create a space of their own where they are in charge. Let them set the standards for admission and participation in their fort. Sometimes children crave a private space where they can be alone and still within eyesight of an adult. The job of the adult in this case is to facilitate the experience and participate as an observer. Only join the game if you are invited. You can learn a great deal about your child by stepping aside to watch the choices they make without your input. 
  

For more winter play ideas, click here (PDF)

For autumn play ideas, click here (PDF)

For summer play ideas, click here (PDF)