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The Wonder Cabinet
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For ages 4 and under and their siblings
Welcome to The Wonder Cabinet: A FIRST 5 Early Learning Laboratory. This 3,100 square foot exhibition is dedicated to children ages 4 and under, and the adults who accompany them.
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Children and their caregivers are invited to engage in hands-on exploration in a remarkable environment rich in materials and textures that inspire curiosity and imagination. Snuggle with a puppet and a good book, experiment in "The Sand Laboratory," touch natural wonders, step inside a child-sized kaleidoscope, and much, much more. Caregivers are encouraged to play with, as well as observe, their child as they make new discoveries visit, after visit.
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Daily Programs
Art Studio
For ages 4 and under and their caregivers; siblings welcome.
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p. m.
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
(Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. for Members only)
Ongoing: The Paint Wall
Small children love things “big.” The paint wall allows many little hands to color a large area together. Children are encouraged to add on to other’s creations and add to our “communal canvas.”
through May 6th: Animal Homes
Children will explore various natural materials as they use their imaginations to combine them in different ways, making animal homes and landscapes for animal figurines.
May 7th - June 3rd: Ice Painting
Chill out and paint with colored ice! Children will experiment with blending colors and creating designs as they investigate the transformation of ice into water.
June 4th - July 1st: Feely Finger Texture Trays
Finger painting helps children become aware of their sense of touch. In this sensory activity, children will use shaving cream to “paint” on various textures, such as smooth, bumpy, and soft. Texture is an important concept both in art and in life, so parents and children are encouraged to describe the different textures, make comparisons and connect them to other objects they have felt before.
Storytime in “The Forest”
12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Join CDM for a whimsical storytime, complete with engaging activities designed to capture the interest of children and to provide ideas for caregivers to try at home.
Infant Activities in “The Crawl Space”
12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Join CDM for fingerplays, songs and open-ended activities designed to delight your baby. Please note, "The Crawl Space" is an enclosed environment for babies, crawlers and pre-walkers.
Special Programs
Kamishibai Saturdays
Saturday, May 4th and June 1st
12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Join us on the first Saturday of every month for Kamishibai (kah-mee-shee-bye), a special storytime inspired by the traditional art of Japanese story-card theater.
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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.
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 The Wonder Cabinet handouts for parents, teachers and caregivers.
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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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The Wonder Cabinet Health Procedures
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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.
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The Wonder Cabinet Sponsorship
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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.
The 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. |
