Lake Co. Discovery Museum geared for kids
The Lake County Discovery Museum always has been designed to provide a hands-on and educational space for the entire family.
The newest learning space is geared just for kids.
The Children's Learning Gallery is designed to encourage exploration and help children develop motor skills, express creativity and learn about nature.
The space is primarily used to teach programs to school groups from preschool through fourth grade, but is open to the public when not used by students.
Exhibits focus on local history, mostly cultural history and natural history, said museum educator Seleena Kuester.
For example, a mural that immerses visitors in Illinois' native tallgrass prairie provides a backdrop for those programs. Children can use plants and animals to build their own tallgrass prairie. A wigwam that kids can build adds to the lesson about Native Americans.
Children can learn about birds that lived in the prairie and build a nest on the ground or within plants as animals often do, Kuester said. Nests collected from the preserves provide examples.
The leaf-blowing log, designed for younger kids, helps teach hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. The puppet log encourages creativity and pretend play using animals children might find in the preserves.
While the log was designed to stage a puppet show, Steve Furnett, exhibitions manager, said it's OK for kids to crawl through, too. Allowing kids to use their imagination was the idea behind his first sketches created two years ago, and the reason why the space was built.
"I like to put an element up and watch a kid do it. Exploring a little bit, making up their own games and using their own imagination is great," he said.
Various items will be added as education programs change. Among additions will be a "group pull" to learn what are native plant species and what are invasive species depending on the length of their the roots. The wigwam also will see renovations, including adding a fake fire and some furnishings.
Kuester added a booklet also will be created to accompany all exhibits, so parents can use the information to teach their children.
Furnett said it's neat to always have something fun for kids at the museum depending on the temporary exhibits.
"To have something here when we have an exhibit like the American Soldier, which is more geared to adults, it is something fun for kids to do all the time especially when it is 10 degrees outside," Furnett said.
The Lake County Discovery Museum is within Lakewood Forest Preserve on Route 176 west of Fairfield Road near Wauconda. For information, call (847) 968-3400 or visit LakeCountyDiscoveryMuseum.org.
If you go
• The Children's Learning Gallery is located in the Lakewood Forest Preserve on Route 176 west of Fairfield Road.
• Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. The Learning Gallery is occasionally closed for education programs. Call (847) 968-3400 for daily hours.
• Admission to the museum is $6 for adults and $2.50 for children 4-17. Children 3 and under are free. Seniors get in for $2.50 after 2 p.m.
• Visit lcfpd.com or call (847) 968-3400 for more info.
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