New Year, New Museum

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas -- Many changes at The Woodlands Children’s Museum have taken place over the past 12 months.

From basic renovations to new exhibits and programs, the museum’s leadership worked to enhance the experience of visitors of all ages.

The floor was resurfaced with a new color and texture, and additional track lighting was installed to brighten dim areas. The toddler reading nook was carpeted, and shelves were added to the gift shop to increase display area.

The toddler area gained a wall mural, and the Storybook Theatre was dressed up with stone walls and columns with additional seating currently being designed.

The museum replaced the old aquarium with a new custom-built model where toddlers stand eye to eye with colorful aquatic life.

A colorful peg light wall now entertains young and old creating new designs. Imagination Playground “Dream and Build” oversized foam blocks spur collaboration and teamwork as children design and construct forts, castles and mazes.

The Water Play Square received a new pump, and the Fun Tunnel has new peek-a-boo windows that provide opportunities for teaching shapes and colors and interacting with little ones. The tunnel also gained a periscope for exploration.

Other improvements – including those to the sound system, communication systems and fire safety – were made to ensure a pleasant experience for the growing number of guests visiting the museum.

Keeping the museum up-to-date is an essential part of the everyday effort of maintaining the nonprofit, executive director Angela Colton explained.

“Recently, we at The Woodlands Children’s Museum have been thinking about our beginnings and our path to where we are now – and we are surprised to see how far we have come in only eight years,” Colton said.

The museum was first a museum without walls. From its Woodlands Mall location, it moved in July 2010 to its current 11,000 square-foot location in the Panther Creek Shopping Center off Woodlands Parkway.

“For a while, we were the best-kept secret of The Woodlands,” Colton said. “Well, now the word has gotten out – and spread far beyond The Woodlands. We’ve come a long way since our early days as the little museum that could.”

More than 70,000 visitors come to the museum each year through family visits, field trips, classes and birthday parties. The museum also has more than 2,300 members who enjoy special discounts and privileges.

“Still, we hold steadfast to our original mission – to educate, empower and excite children through play while introducing them to many cultures around the world through art activities and special events, making a positive and enriching difference in their lives,” Colton said.

The museum, located at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive, Suite 280, has a calendar full of fun activities planned for the year ahead, as well as a number of workshops for children ages 2 through 11.

To learn more about The Woodlands Children’s Museum, its hours of operation and ways to support the nonprofit, visit www.woodlandschildrensmuseum.org or call 281-465-0955. The museum is always looking for sponsors or partners for events. Follow the museum’s Twitter handle @thewoodlandscm.

About The Woodlands Children’s Museum

The Woodlands Children’s Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, empowering and exciting children and their families in lifelong learning and discovery. The Museum also provides multi-ethnic and multicultural experiences encouraging children to celebrate and embrace cultural and global differences and strengthen common bonds. Year-round, hands-on activities – from reading and art to science and magic –are all intended to make a positive difference in the life of a child. www.woodlandschildrensmuseum.org.