With older kids back in school, September is the perfect time to focus on your littlest learners! At The Iowa Children’s Museum, families with toddlers and preschoolers can find plenty of opportunities to play, explore, and learn together, including weekly Toddler Takeovers throughout September.
Toddler Takeover: Weekly Play, Exploration, & Discovery
Designed especially for children five and younger, Toddler Takeover is more than a morning of play. It’s an opportunity for little ones to explore, experiment, and discover while caregivers learn more about how children naturally learn through play.
Every Wednesday morning in September (excluding September 2, when the museum is closed for Refresh & Reset Week), families can join us for hands-on activities designed for young children. Activities in our party room and a featured museum exhibit invite kids to move, create, experiment, and play at their own pace. These activities are made possible thanks to support from Stride Autism Centers.
Patterns of Play
Each week’s activities are inspired by a different play schema, a repeated pattern of play children naturally use to explore and make sense of their world. Maybe your child loves carrying everything from one place to another, spinning objects, lining things up, or figuring out how pieces fit together. These aren’t just random toddler habits. They’re ways children test ideas, solve problems, and learn how the world works!
By recognizing these patterns, caregivers can better understand what captures their child’s curiosity and find meaningful ways to join their exploration.
Strategies for Parents
During each event, we’ll share simple strategies for child-directed play that help caregivers build connection while supporting their child’s development. Rather than directing every activity, follow your child’s lead. If they’re fascinated by spinning, spin with them. If they’re busy filling and emptying a container, give them space to explore. Sometimes they’ll invite you into their play, and sometimes they’ll simply want you nearby, and both are valuable.
When children have opportunities to lead, they can build confidence, problem-solving skills, creativity, and social-emotional skills while enjoying meaningful time with the adults who matter most.
The fun and learning don’t have to end when you leave the museum, either! During Toddler Takeover, we’ll share simple ideas and playful invitations that families can continue exploring at home. You may leave with a new way to look at your child’s favorite activities, or a fresh idea for turning an everyday moment into an opportunity for discovery.
More Opportunities for Little Learners
Kinder Club
As children grow, their curiosity grows with them. When your little one is ready for the next stage, our Kinder Club program helps continue that journey.
Designed for children ages 3–5 who are toilet-independent, Kinder Club combines sensory exploration, art, and hands-on learning to help them build the confidence and skills they’ll use in future classroom settings.
Using Kindergarten School Readiness checklists alongside playful learning experiences, children practice important social and emotional skills like sharing, taking turns, problem-solving, and respecting others, all with the support of our dedicated educators. Kinder Club is sponsored by our friends at Purple Bloom School.
Kinder Camps
For 4- and 5-year-olds preparing for kindergarten, Kinder Camps offer another opportunity to build confidence and independence through play.
Our summer Kinder Camps combine creative play, exhibit exploration, and educator-led activities in a safe, nurturing environment designed specifically for this age group. This summer, campers explored everything from art and imaginative storytelling to science and hands-on problem-solving. Kinder Camp opportunities are also sometimes offered during school breaks, so keep an eye on our Camps page for upcoming sessions.
ImaginAcres
You don’t need to attend a special program to find age-appropriate play at the museum. ImaginAcres is designed specifically for children under age 5, offering sensory-rich, farm-inspired play for our youngest visitors.
Little ones can explore at their own pace while building motor skills, using their imaginations, and discovering how the world around them works. ImaginAcres is also home to our Family Sanctuary, a quieter space for nursing, sensory breaks, or simply taking a breather from the lively museum environment.
And did we mention that museum admission is always FREE for infants under one year old?
From babies taking in their first museum visit to preschoolers getting ready for kindergarten, The Iowa Children’s Museum offers plenty of ways for young children to learn, explore, and grow through the Power of Play.
