Museums are some of the best places to take children, and many of these spaces cater directly to children. Overall museums spend more the 2 billion on education activities and more than three-quarters of its education budget is tailored towards kids in grades K-12. While traditional museums are great for educating children, specially designed children museums cater directly to stimulating young minds in a creative and entertaining way. If you’re looking for fun activities to do with your kids, here’s why you should consider a children museum near you.

1. Encouraging Critical Thinking.

Critical thinking is an important skill to instill in young minds and kids museums are some of the best places to do it. Kids are notorious for having short attention spans, but thankfully museums catering to children know to keep them entertained. Most of the time they’ll be having to much fun to even realize that they’re learning! This entertaining engagement can help instill a love of involved learning that can encourage them to want to explore more when they get home. As parents, you can help keep them engaged by asking them questions and about what they think about specific exhibits.

2. Sparking Curiosity

Children are naturally inclined to be curious and children museums cater to this. By having exhibits laid out in ways that are both visually engaging and kid-appropriate, your children can learn about things in words they can understand. By making the process of learning fun, these museums help spark curiosity in young minds and prompt them to find ways to learn more about what interests them most. For example, kids learning about science in a hands-on and fun way at the museum will be more likely to retain what they’ve learned. This type of learning also helps hold their attention better than a textbook and is an effective way to keep kids curious.

3. Children Museums Have Lessons Not Taught in School

While many schools try and offer a wide variety of lessons, it’s impossible to fit everything into a school year. Children museums can offer the ability to learn about different cultures and historical events that they otherwise wouldn’t have known about. If your little one is particularly interested in history, this is just one more reason to take them to the museum. Likewise, even if your children aren’t historically inclined, you never know what they might learn that will pique their interests!

4. Sparking Creativity

If the museum you’re heading to features an art collection, this can be a wonderful opportunity to spark creativity. Some museums may also offer hands-on activities where growing artists can try their own hand at drawing. Be sure to check your local children museum calendar for special events that you can get involved in!

Finding fun and educational things to do with kids can be tricky; however, numerous children museums exist around the nation. Some cater to history, some cater to science, and others still might emphasize art. No matter where you choose to go, these museums are adept at catering to young minds and keeping them engaged in a fun and entertaining way. If you want a creative and educational way to spend the day, a children museum could be exactly what you need. Visit the Children’s Museum of Phoenix today.