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The Wonder Cabinet
The Wonder Cabinet: A FIRST 5 Early Learning Laboratory is a 3,100 square foot exhibition dedicated to children ages 4 and under and the adults who accompany them.
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The exhibit invites hands-on exploration upon walking through the doors and into a remarkable environment rich in materials and textures to inspire curiosity and imagination. Snuggle with a puppet and a good book, experiment in the Sand Laboratory, touch natural wonders, and step inside a child-sized kaleidoscope. Be sure to climb the stairs to relax in a carousel of light and music.
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Just what is a "Wonder Cabinet"?
Since opening to the public in the spring of 2005, The Wonder Cabinet has supported thousands of children as they tap into their innate curiosity and desire to explore. But where did the name Wonder Cabinet come from? The exhibit got its name from the 16th century Cabinets of Curiosity, which ranged in size from cupboards to entire rooms, and housed collections of natural objects, works of art, and other unusual artifacts.
The Wonder Cabinet takes this tradition one step further, creatively pairing authentic objects with rich, interactive experiences that are designed to awe, inspire, and educate our youngest visitors.
The Wonder Cabinet was specifically designed to honor children’s inherent curiosity and sense of beauty by creating a warm environment, rich in natural materials. The oak cabinets and secondary color tones throughout the space are calming, in contrast to the bright, primary colors often seen in many early childhood spaces. Exhibit developers created settings where children can use real objects, such as scientific tools in the “Sand Laboratory,” fabrics in the “Dress-Up Area,” and authentic art materials in the “Art Studio.” Great care was taken to create experiences that would not only grow with a child, but also encourage parents to engage actively with their child, and to observe them as they make new discoveries, visit after visit.
Wonder Cabinet sponsor FIRST 5 offers a free kit for new parents, as well as information on Kindergarten readiness and a variety of valuable parenting resources at www.first5kids.org.
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The Wonder Cabinet was designed in partnership with local teachers, cultural groups, and children’s organizations. In the Travel Exhibit, dioramas highlight the diverse cultures of Silicon Valley. The boxes present an opportunity to identify both the similarities among people and their differences, fostering pride in self and respect for others.
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Currently, the exhibit features dioramas designed in partnership with Vietnamese teachers from the Santa Clara Country Office of Education Head Start program.
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The Wonder Cabinet was created as a learning environment – where children learn about their world, parents learn about their children, and the community learns how to best serve the needs of families and children.
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“Wonder Wisdom” sheets located around the exhibit provide parents with hints to get the most out of the exhibit, and the “Wonder File” near the front of the exhibit houses many First 5 Resources and Wonder Cabinet handouts for parents, teachers and caregivers.
In the Wonder Cabinet, young children expand their imaginations as they use all of their senses to explore the environment. Rich, fine, high-quality sand in the sand laboratory provides a pleasurable, highly tactile learning experience.
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Children learn the joy of reading, singing, and playing with language as they listen to storytimes with trained staff. At the natural history hexagon, children classify and categorize various natural objects by smells, colors, and textures. And children can dance amidst colorful light and shadows.
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Schedule
Art Studio
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Open for Members only: Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Children freely explore changing sensory and art table activities with trained staff.
July: Suncatcher Collage
August: Early Weaving
Crawl Space
Developmentally-appropriate activities for babies, crawlers, and pre-walkers are offered in an enclosed environment.
Infant Activities
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Enjoy fingerplays and other open-ended activities presented by Museum staff.
The Forest
Engage in conversations or pretend-play with your children, or read a book together: important steps in language development.
Storytime, 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Museum staff use whimsical props as they read award-winning books and lead engaging activities.
Original Stories with Summer of Service
Wednesday, July 14th and 28th, and August 11th
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Middleschool youth from Children’s Discovery Museum’s Summer of Service program will share a tale they created especially for you.
Kamishibai
Saturday, July 3rd and August 7th, 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Join CDM for a Japanese storycard (Kamishibai) presentation and a musical instrument demonstration with volunteers from Okasan and Me Inc.
Okasan and Me Inc. provides bilingual education for children ages 2 – 16, including instruction in Japanese, Mandarin, Hawaiian, French, and more. For information visit www.okasanandme.com or e-mail okasanandme@msn.com, or call (408) 823-2263.
All Day Long
The Forest environment is a magical space filled with early literacy activities, including the ABC Wall, puppets, books, and space for pretend play to make thinking, reading, and learning a positive experience for young children.
The ABC Wall
Where can you Surf some waves, Orbit in space, and Camp next to a toasty fire? At the ABC Wall! Check out our action-packed alphabet and see what escapades these twenty-six adventurous letters can inspire.
Wonder Cabinet sponsor FIRST 5 offers a free kit for new parents, as well as information on kindergarten readiness and a variety of valuable parenting resources on www.first5kids.org.
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The Wonder Cabinet Wisdom -
Parent Resource Sheets
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Wonder Cabinet Tip: Process vs. Product
In the Art Studio, we offer activities that will encourage young children to focus on the process of making art, rather than the finished product. In January, for example, we will provide watercolor paints, brushes and paper so children can explore painting with watercolors. The desired outcome of this activity is not that children walk away with a watercolor masterpiece, but that they have the opportunity to experiment with different brushstrokes, investigate the ways that colors mix, and make confidence-boosting decisions. You can support your child through this process of discovery by asking open-ended questions, such as “Do you like doing this? Why?” or “Tell me about your painting.” Point out your observations, such as “I see that you mixed many colors together. What color did you make?” or “I see that you have made three green lines.” By simply allowing your child to explore the materials at hand, you can help build their confidence and encourage them to enjoy the process of making art!
Wonder Cabinet Tip: Beneath the Surface of Play
Children love to play – whether it’s pretending, making up new games, or running around the local park. However, playtime is not just a time for fun; it is also a time for learning. Beneath the surface of play lies the opportunity for children to learn how to maneuver through the world around them. As they play, children are learning how to express and work through their emotions, how to communicate, and how to cooperate with others. It gives them a chance to use their imaginations and find creative uses for the everyday things around them. It encourages children to solve problems, create their own ideas, and to be curious.
You have an opportunity to help guide your child through this process by channeling your inner child and playing with them. Follow your child’s lead. Allowing them to make decisions and to create scenarios helps your child develop a sense of control. By taking a serious (and enthusiastic) interest in their play, you will help your child develop foundations for problem-solving, self-confidence, relationship-building, and more.
Wonder Cabinet Tip: Visiting the Paint Wall
While some may view a painted wall in an “Art Studio” as “messy,” CDM sees it as a colorful communal canvas. The “Paint Wall” allows children to explore the process of making art — choosing paints, experimenting with mixing colors, and using different brushstrokes. It also encourages social interactions, such as sharing and patience.
You can support your child by allowing him to make his own choices. Try not to offer her direction in what to paint or how to paint. It may be tempting, but allowing your child to explore these areas on his own will help build his self esteem. Rather than asking about the horse she painted (which to her may have been a boat), ask her to tell you about what she is painting. Ask questions, acknowledge your child’s choices, and encourage him every step of the way!
Wonder Cabinet Tip: Playing with Nature
Based on our own childhood experiences, many of us may take nature play for granted, but studies have shown that children today are spending less and less time playing in the great outdoors. The Wonder Cabinet provides no solution to this dilemma; despite being a warm and welcoming place for our youngest visitors, The Wonder Cabinet is an indoor space, providing indoor experiences.
In April, however, we will be celebrating outdoor play by getting creative with natural materials, inside. Providing children with the opportunity to stack rocks, build miniature forts with leaves, and decorate seashells encourages them to slow down and explore natural materials in different ways, both aesthetically and creatively, and connects them to the natural world.
You can support your child in this exploration by taking a nature walk in a park (or in your own backyard!) and collecting items for your own nature design projects. These materials can be used indoors or out, over and over again. Taking a photograph of a design can help your child document his nature-inspired artworks. He can even incorporate these natural materials into other aspects of everyday play—using them in the sandbox, block-building, pretend play, etc. By taking the time to play with nature, both indoors and out, you can help your child develop a deep appreciation for the world around him.
Wonder Cabinet sponsor FIRST 5 offers a free kit for new parents, as well as information on Kindergarten readiness and a variety of valuable parenting resources, on www.first5kids.org.
Wonder Cabinet Health Procedures
Children explore by putting things in their mouths. To help to keep our children healthy, sanitation procedures are ongoing in the Wonder Cabinet (and throughout the Museum). You can assist by putting any objects that have been in your child’s mouth into the specially marked bins for immediate attention!
Chicks Born in the Wonder Cabinet!
Take a look at the video of our first chicks!
(requires Windows Media Player)
Witness the miracle of life as eggs hatch and baby birds begin to grow. Our first chicks hatched on April 6, 2007. They have moved to their permanent home, but take a look at the video clip of two of the chicks: Urkel and Tweetie. They are 5 days old in the video. Check back for updates, we will be hatching quail eggs later this Spring.
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The Wonder Cabinet was made possible through the support of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, which developed a $1 million partnership with the Museum in 2003 to impact the learning and lives of the county's youngest citizens.
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With this funding, the Museum has developed a number of innovative projects that focus on the cognitive, social and emotional development of children 0 – 5 as well as provide information and resources for the adults who live and work with them. The Wonder Cabinet is the most significant project from the partnership.
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