Exhibits
The Children’s Museum is developmentally appropriate for children ages 0-10. Each exhibit is designed specifically to meet the learning goals of our young audience. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs to support childhood development. Learn more about the skills developed in each of the exhibits and activities you can enjoy while visiting!
Grocery Store
Welcome to the grocery store that kids run! Fill a grocery bag with colorful products from the different food groups! Take some time stocking the store to learn about weight, length and capacity or count and sort the various products by size, shape, and color. Sponsored in part by the Lions Club of Saratoga Springs.
Learning Objectives
Weights and measures
Life skills
Decision making
Ice Cream Parlor
Imaginative play is front and center at this busy kid-sized ice cream parlor! The playful, retro look inspires children to make their own ice cream creation to serve to another patron. The interactive display teaches the basic vanilla ice cream recipe, from measuring ingredients to churning up a frozen delight. Sponsored by Stewarts Dake Foundation.
Learning Objectives
Following directions
Collaborative play
Parallel play
Listening skills
The Doctor’s Office
Explore the world of healthcare by taking on one of the many professional roles to be discovered in a Doctor’s Office. After checking-in with reception and hanging out in the waiting room put on a lab coat to explore the systems of the body and determine the best possible treatment to care for your animal patients. Sponsored by MVP.
Learning Objectives
Lessen the fear of going to the Doctor’s
Foster curiosity
Encourage empathy
The Farm
The Capitol region has a rich history of farming. Explore the Museum’s Garden, plant, water and pick the root vegetables. Ride the horses and then make sure to water them and feed them carrots. Shoe the horse or explore the silo and find the finger maze inside. Sponsored by the Haworth Family.
Learning Objectives
Awareness of food sources
Importance of agriculture
Empathy
Animal Care
Life Skills
The Fire Truck, Fire House, Burning House
Let your imagination soar as you drive the firetruck. This exhibit offers the experience of being a firefighter through the power of imaginative play. Children can race to the scene in their firefighting gear to save the town. Sponsored in part by KPM and Dave and Shannon Martin.
Learning Objectives
Community service
Fosters creativity and imagination
Hand-eye coordination
The Tree House
Climb up into our tree house and take a look at nature right outside your window. Discover neighborhood animals that use a tree for their habitat, use the mounted telescope to view things that are far away and talk to your friends on the ground using the sound tube. Sponsored by Bonacio Construction.
Learning Objectives
Awareness of the natural world
Gross motor skills
Animal identification and habitat
The Bank
The bank is open for business! The hands-on activities in this space provide endless learning opportunities focused on financial literacy. Children can role-play as bank teller or customer making deposits and withdrawals. Each finance station provides an opportunity for your child to learn about counting, money recognition, and consider choices about needs versus wants and spending versus saving. Sponsored by the Adirondack Trust Company.
Learning Objectives
Life skills
Money identification
Budgeting
The Bandstand
Use music and sound to express yourself in the bandstand. Discover how sound can be found everywhere and hear the music that can be found in sound. Investigate sound and collaborate with friends by playing a xylophone made from PVC pipe or by dancing through a motion sensor interactive to create rhythms and melodies. Music is a powerful tool used for communication, and for realizing a child’s full intellectual, social, and creative potential.
Learning Objectives
Cause and effect recognition
Gross motor
The Theater
Welcome to the wondrous world of the performing arts! Comedy, fantasy, drama, colorful costumes and imaginative scenery come to life as your budding actors take the stage and shine! Learn the magic of stagecraft by raising and lowering the curtain, lights, and backdrop. Create a play or plan out a season shows. Sponsored by The Charles R. Wood Foundation.
First Floor Classroom
A space for hands-on programs, art, fostering creativity, and building with engineering materials. Also, dino toys.
The Lake
Learn to tie a knot or fish from the pier! Put on your safety vest before you head out on the lake in the motorboat. Sort the native fish by type and learn about habitats. Sponsored by River Farm America and Freedom Boat Club.
Learning Objectives
Water Safety
Fine motor skills
Fosters creativity and imagination
Ignites love of outdoors
Lite-Board
Explore color and design using a large-scale version of a childhood favorite. Sponsored by Dave and Christine Blair.
Learning Objectives
Color identification
Fine motor skills
Hand-eye coordination
Spatial awareness
The Library & The Sensory Space
A cozy series of corners designed to inspire children and their caregivers to pause and read a book. The sensory corner inside the library has lights and soft furnishings, a perfect place to relax before venturing back out on the museum floor for exploration. Sponsored by Linda and Michael Toohey.
Learning Objectives
Spark interest in reading
Prioritize self-care
Sun, Moon, Universe
From data literacy to design skills this exhibition has something to engage learners of all ages. Find the sun, build a spacecraft and explore information about the universe.
Learning Objectives
Data literacy
Design build sequence
STEAM Rooms
It is time to build, create and play! Navigate your way through the world of STEAM as you experiment with magnets, motion, and engineering. Sponsored by: The Alfred Z. Solomon Foundation, The Rotary Club of Saratoga Springs, and Envision Architects.
Track & Field
Soar like a red-tailed hawk or hop like a bunny on our indoor trail. Create a path over the creek, play a game of ring toss or explore the soft foam building blocks. Sponsored by the LaTerra Family.
Learning Objectives
Gross motor development
Parallel play