Get ready to roll down the river at the Children’s Museum of Memphis!
The Great River is the newest renovated exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Memphis (CMOM), and young learners can have fun while experiencing its role in Memphis’ culture, economy and ecosystem.
The next time you and your family drive across the Hernando de Soto bridge or cruise down Riverside Drive, your children can apply what they learn at the museum to what’s in front of their eyes. Here are some discoveries that can be made at The Great River.
Harness hydroelectric power
There are many ways to create electricity, and children can explore water’s role in creating alternative energy with the hydroelectric dam. Guests can control water pathways by changing the position of gate valves and examining how the flow impacts LED lights.
As explorers increase the flow through the dam, everything from individual houses to an entire cityscape illuminates, signifying the creation of more energy. Young learners can see firsthand how the speed of water impacts electrical output.
Hit the docks and pilot barges
There is more to the docks on The Great River than barges and cargo. There are opportunities to investigate the science behind boats (like buoyancy and water currents), engage in storytelling and start conversations about cargo ships’ role in our lives and economy. It might even inspire a larger learning journey with more research on barge shipping at home.
Experience the ecosystem
From birds to rain clouds, children can experience the river’s natural ecosystem in several ways. Tippy birds represent the local wildlife in the wetlands along the Mississippi’s banks. They tip over as they’re filled with water, giving the illusion they’re drinking. It also introduces the concept of tipping points — an element of physics.
As the birds are filled, learners observe how much water it takes to change an object’s position and tip it over. The rain clouds demonstrate how storms change water. They can watch drops drip, create puddles, and flow into the stream.
Cast your reel
Chasing fish around the swirling water is a ton of fun, but there’s more to learn about this river element. Casting and navigating fishing poles improves motor skills and hand-eye coordination while introducing ecological concepts like water currents.
As the fish bob and move around, children can inspect how water flows and impacts the objects in it. Additionally, problem-solving and social skills are sharpened while working alongside peers on the river’s shores.
COME AND SEE WHAT CMOM HAS TO OFFER
CMOM’s goal is to create high-quality development-focused spaces where youth can fall in love with learning. The museum isn’t just a place to have fun — though hands-on fun is an important aspect — it models experiences people see in the world around them.
Whether you’re grocery shopping, seeing a cargo plane flying above your home or driving by the Mississippi River, children can use their experience and knowledge from the museum to learn about the world around them.
This blog was written by Dr. Stewart Burgess, CEO of the Children’s Museum of Memphis
About the Author
Dr. Burgess is the executive director of the Children’s Museum of Memphis and a developmental psychologist. His extensive career centers around early childhood learning, designing innovative educational spaces, parent education and child-development-focused community outreach.
While completing his master’s degree in Experimental Psychology, he was a member of the MacArthur-granted research team that created and named the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories, the first and foremost comprehensive standardized assessment of early language development.
He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, where his primary research focus was on early intellectual skills and the effects of emotion on memory in young children.
He is the co-author of Toddler Next Steps, which earned the National Parenting Seal of Approval and two Director’s Choice awards by Early Childhood News. He’s been published in scholarly journals including Developmental Psychology and has presented at prestigious child development and education gatherings.
