The Children’s Museum of Richmond’s engaging learning environments are created for children to learn, explore and grow through play.

Play is not a waste of time for children and is a natural and spontaneous way for children to learn about the world around them. CMoR’s exhibits help children recognize and build on what is familiar and allow them to make new connections between their own experiences, the people and places that surround them, and the world beyond their community. CMoR’s exhibits are designed to foster creative, unstructured play, discovery and problem solving.

The exhibits are hands-on and incorporate learning concepts from the Virginia’s Standards of Learning, NAEYC Standards and Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning. They are designed with specific developmental ages in mind from birth to eight years old. CMoR’s Enchanted Forest allows children age 2 and under a space for free body movements and sensory activities. As children get older play becomes more organized and Main Street has many role playing opportunities. Children can pretend to be grocers, work in a bank, perform on stage and more. For active gross motor play the Under the Sea Climber allows children to balance, climb and explore. The Art Studio is a space without age limits. It provides creative art experiences for children 1-100!

Throughout the Chesterfield satellite, you’ll see Words on Walls, messages for adults about child development. These helpful tidbits provide parents and caregivers valuable information about how children’s brains develop, how and why children learn through unstructured play experiences, and what developmental milestones can be expected at different ages. Read the walls as you move from exhibit to exhibit playing with your child: you will both benefit tremendously!