98% of Americans of all ages, locations, and races consider museums to be educational, and childrens museums can be a great place for kids to learn in a way that is both fun and interactive. If you’re curious about how a childrens museum can benefit your children, here are five things you should keep in mind.

1. Boosting Critical Thinking

Childrens museums encourage critical thinking in a way that is understandable and fun. They do this by utilizing interactive play learning that gives kids an active role where they are encouraged to think and act. In many cases, kids will be having too much fun to even realize that they are learning and gaining skills.

2. Inspiring Curiosity

The main goal of a childrens museum is to excite and inspire curiosity. All kids are naturally inquisitive, and these museums lean on that to get kids excited about learning so that when they leave they will still be actively thinking about the topics they were introduced to. This can even push them to want to learn more outside of the museum and help foster a lifelong love of learning that they can benefit from even as adults.

3. Improving Literacy

Another thing that childrens museums can enhance is reading skills, and that is especially true for museums that offer reading spaces for kids. If they are encouraged to pick up a book or sit down and read along to a story read aloud, then they can begin to improve their own reading skills. Childrens museums often have a great selection of both fiction and nonfiction books for kids to choose from, and kids are encouraged to read whatever piques their interests.

4. Building Imagination

Imagination is something that should be encouraged in children and childrens museums can help push the imagination further by fusing education with fantastical play. For instance, some may offer art studios where kids are encouraged to imagine and create using handfuls of glitter, globs of glue, and buckets of paint. In this way, art can be a gateway to introduce them to history and science in a way that is hands-on, imaginative, and most of all fun.

5. Exploring Topics Not Taught In School

While school can teach a lot about a wide range of topics, there just isn’t enough time in the school year to touch on everything. Childrens museums can rectify this by offering information about a range of eras, locations, and sciences that children may not get to explore in-depth at school.

If you’re looking for a fun and educational way to spend a day with your children, these five benefits of childrens museums are something to consider. Not only can it be a great way for children to learn and play, but it can also be a great bonding experience for the whole family. Adults can have fun at a childrens museum too!