ABSTRACT
Science centers and museums play an essential role in the STEM education landscape, with an estimated 70 million annual visits to nearly 400 institutions across the nation. With an emphasis on highly interactive exhibits and a broad range of ongoing programming, museums seek to inspire wonder and awe for their visitors, while simultaneously informing and educating them through activities focused on inquiry, exploration, and, increasingly, design. Over the past decade, activities and experiences designed specifically for early learners and their families to engage in STEM learning within these institutions have been on the rise. From towering climbing structures made out of giant geometric shapes, to sprawling water activity areas that encourage exploration and experimentation, to toddler-friendly makerspaces where families can work together to create and design, museum professionals have been increasingly interested in developing new ways to engage families authentically with young children in meaningful and productive learning experiences. This chapter provides an overview of the types of STEM learning opportunities that early learners and their families can encounter in science centers and children’s museums, discusses how current informal learning frameworks can be extended to better align with and inform museum-based STEM learning for young children, and concludes with implications for both practice and policy.
