Habitot Childrens Museum

HABITOT OFFERS HANDS-ON EXHIBITS AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. ALONG WITH OUTREACH AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE, HABITOT HAS WELCOMED OVER 1.5 MILLION VISITORS SINCE 1998 AND INFLUENCED GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN RAISING CURIOUS, CREATIVE AND CONFIDENT CHILDREN.

MOBILE MUSEUM TOUR - IN 2023, HABITOT CONTINUED ITS MOBILE MUSEUM TOUR WITH 16 POP-UP EVENTS IN NINE CITIES ACROSS THE EAST BAY. THE MUSEUMS MOST POPULAR EXHIBITS ARE MOBILIZED AND PRESENTED ALONG WITH ART AND MAKER STATIONS LED BY CORE ART AND EDUCATION STAFF, IN OUTDOOR COMMUNITY PARKS, LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER VENUES FOR CHILDREN. EXHIBITS INCLUDE WATERWORKS, A WATER PLAY AND DISCOVERY EXHIBIT; IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND, LARGE FOAM BUILDING BLOCKS; A PAINTABLE WALL; A MAGNETIC BALL WALL; AND A BABY BALL PIT. ART-MAKING STATIONS ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY, AND A BOAT-BUILDING MAKER TABLE FOSTERS INVENTION AND DESIGN. A SLIDING SCALE MAKES THE EVENTS ACCESSIBLE TO A WIDE RANGE OF FAMILIES. THE TOUR PROVED SUPPORT IN POST-PANDEMIC RECOVERY, RE-ENGAGING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, WHILE ALSO STRENGTHENING PARENT-CHILD BONDING. OVER 3,700 PARENTS AND CHILDREN ATTENDED.

TEMPORARY MUSEUM INSTALLATION - WHILE CONTINUING ITS SEARCH FOR A NEW PERMANENT LOCATION, IN JUNE 2023, HABITOT OPENED A TEMPORARY SPACE IN BAY STREET EMERYVILLE WITH ITS SPACE STATION EXPERIENCE, ART STUDIO, AND IMAGINATION STATION MAKER LAB. THE SPACE STATION INCLUDES IMMERSIVE ROCKETSHIP AND MISSION CONTROL EXHIBITS WITH EMBEDDED STEM PLAY AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES, A ROCKET LAUNCHER, AND SPACE-THEMED TRAIN TABLE. OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND OFFERING PARENTS NIGHT OUT EVENTS, PRESCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, AND BIRTHDAY PARTY RENTALS, THE TEMPORARY MUSEUM WELCOMED OVER 11,000 VISITORS IN 2023. HABITOT PRESENTED COMPANION ARTS & CRAFT DAYS DURING THE FALL AT EMERYVILLES PUBLIC MARKET.

VIRTUAL AND KIT-BASED PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES - WITH FAMILIES ISOLATED AND SOCIALLY-DISTANCED, MANY OF THEM WITH FEW RESOURCESTO HELP THEIR CHILDREN LEARN, HABITOT DEVELOPED AND CONTINUES TO DISTRIBUTE STEM, ART, AND PLAY-BASED LEARNING KITS FOR AT-HOME USE. LOCAL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, HOSPITALS, AND NONPROFITS HELPED DISTRIBUTE THE KITS TO THE MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE CHILD-WELFARE SYSTEM, CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, AND HOSPITAL-BASED PROGRAMS. STAFF-LED, HOW-TO VIDEOS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND GUIDE PARENTS IN FACILITATING THE ACTIVITIES WITH THEIR CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY HOW TO FOSTER CHILDRENS LEARNING OF MATH AND SCIENCE CONCEPTS, LANGUAGE, AND PROBLEM SOLVING. AT-HOME ACTIVITIES ARE DISTRIBUTED WEEKLY TO 5,000 HOUSEHOLDS VIA EMAIL NEWSLETTERS WHICH HAVE A HIGH OPEN RATE OF 30-40%.