Montshire Museum of Science Opens New Early Learning Exhibition

Eagle Times Staff
NORWICH, VT — The Montshire Museum of Science recently presented a new exhibition designed for its youngest visitors, “Welcome Home: Celebrating Asian Childhood.”

The “Welcome Home” exhibition was developed as part of the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series and provides an age-appropriate, play-based introduction to Chinese, Japanese and Hmong cultures while encouraging the development of critical school readiness skills in children ages 2 to 5. The Montshire Museum is one of four museums selected from across the US to receive this exhibition.

Designed for young children and their adult caregivers, Welcome Home invites immersive exploration inside and outside of Chinese, Japanese, and Hmong “homes.”

With interactive exhibits that have a focus on food, gardening, play and storytelling across each represented culture, young children can hone gross and fine motor skills, practice early language and literacy skills and grow general content knowledge.

Storybooks celebrating Asian cultures invite discussion between children and their parents and caregivers, and encourage social and emotional learning. To make the exhibition more accessible to families, it is presented in both English and Spanish.

“This exhibition accomplishes two very important goals,” said Lara Litchfield-Kimber, Montshire executive director. “First, by encouraging school readiness skill development in young children, it helps build a solid foundation for learning in pre-K and kindergarten. Second, it enables the Montshire to stand with Asian communities and celebrate culture, diversity, and families at this critically important time.”

“Welcome Home: Celebrating Asian Childhood” was developed by the Freeman Foundation, a private foundation committed to increasing and strengthening the understanding of nations in East Asia, in partnership with the Association of Children’s Museums.