Talking to kids about social injustice and discrimination





Teach them empathy.




Relate larger issues to their smaller worlds.




Help them explore difference—without generalizing.




Hold yourself accountable—but not to the level of perfection.



Continue the conversation—but avoid oversharing.




Why Danger?

Exposing children to danger may seem counterintuitive, but when done right, and with the support of caring adults, it is ultimately the best preparation we can give them for becoming resilient, thoughtful and capable human beings.


Kids just don’t have enough “good danger” in their lives these days.

No, really…Hear us out!

Think back to your childhood… What are your strongest play memories? Often, when we at Chicago Children’s Museum ask adults how they played as children, the things they recall most vividly were a bit risky. They climbed trees—or rooftops—and played in alleys. They experimented with tools and took things apart.  They launched things into the air, demolished things, melted things, and (maybe, just maybe) created some minor explosions. Why? Well, because they were curious!

From these experiences, they learned. There were minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises, but, oh, were there also revelations!

Encountering risky, seemingly dangerous situations provide children some of their greatest and most important learning opportunities. From interactions with hot, sharp, breakable, fragile, high up or otherwise strange things, we develop new understandings about the ways of the world. We grasp why some things really are dangerous (to ourselves or others) and how to be safe.  We learn about our own abilities and sensibilities.

As Gever Tulley, author of Fifty Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do, says, “While there are aspects of danger in virtually everything we do, the trick is to learn how mastery actually minimizes danger.”

Yes, exploring what is dangerous presents a prime opportunity for children to learn safety and responsibility.  It is also a natural motivator for learning in general. Danger is exciting; therefore, we pay attention.  You can bet that a child who learns about chemistry by creating an explosion is going to remember it far longer than the child who reads about it in a book. The “risk” aspect makes the experience stick.

Here are a few key ways adults can support “good” danger:

Ensure that children have opportunities to take risks that are developmentally appropriate.  For an eight-year-old, using a sharp tool or experimenting with heat could present an appropriate level of risk.  For a six-year-old, swinging on a rope swing might be just the right challenge. For a toddler, exploring a new material or attempting to walk over an uneven terrain may be a healthy risk. Children naturally want to push the limits of their abilities; it’s up to us, as adults, to help them find the right opportunities.

Provide time, space and support. While some “risky” activities require adult supervision (learning to light a campfire for the first time), others are best left for children to explore on their own (taking a leap from the monkeybars). If the worst that can happen is a cut, scrape, bruise, or even a sprained ankle, give children the freedom to do it on their own. Remember, you learned some of your best “lessons” when adults weren’t even looking!

Take comfort in the knowledge that “dangerous” activities help children flourish. Exploring fire, water and other physical phenomena, and using real tools and machines acquaint children with how the world really works. Nothing beats first-hand experience for learning how objects are engineered, why heat transforms water into vapor, what it’s like to drill a hole. Such “risky” physical behaviors as climbing, swinging or jumping from high places build strength, dexterity and self-confidence. Non-physical risks—performing in front of an audience or standing up for a principle—are similarly important learning opportunities. In each situation, children are developing critical cognitive and social-emotional skills: assessing risks, grasping consequences, practicing self-control, taking responsibility.


So go ahead… Take the leap.  Make it blow.  Melt it down. Launch it. Watch it burn.  We’re learning here!

Snow Much Fun experience is now open! (video)

Where can you throw snowballs, dress up a snowman and skate in your socks?
Chicago Children’s Museum, of course! An all-new Snow Much Fun, the museum’s much-loved winter experience, is now open. This family favorite has been re-imagined as an immersive snowy cityscape that’s the perfect setting for winter fun—no mittens required!

Summer of Make: Maker Corps at Chicago Children’s Museum

Dustin Thacker – Educator, Maker, Tinkerer


Tinkering Lab at Chicago Children’s Museum is a workshop of freedom and flexibility. Families enter the space and instantly start to understand that this is a place where they will have the chance to work with real tools and materials in whatever way they see fit. After a little bit of time becoming saturated in the space, children start gathering supplies. Each person begins to formulate ideas of what they will do, what they will make. They draw inspiration from previously completed projects, materials available, and whatever else is going on the space . . . and then the work begins.

Through the Maker Education Initiative, three Maker Corps Members worked in the Tinkering Lab from mid-June to mid-August.


Heather, Andrea, and Kaity immersed themselves in the idea that when we trust children with real tools they show great competency. All three Maker Corps Members proved to be supremely adept at letting children explore a tool, while simultaneously ensuring their safety. Providing the “just in time” information that enhances a child’s exploration takes a thoughtful person, with the ability to see the whole child. The facilitator has to read the child’s body language and keenly observe while making sure the child has plenty of physical, emotional and mental space.

The initial idea for a giant fabric sculpture was sparked by our wealth of fabric scraps, a heretofore unused sewing machine and the Maker Corps Members’ previous work with fabric art. The initial challenge was how to engage guests of the Tinkering Lab in a meaningful program that sparked their creativity. The tinkering began with finding the most effective way to introduce a long-term project. We were constantly adjusting the language we used to spark interest and inspire people to spend time creating.



In the end about 100 people added a patch to the sculpture. It is now hanging in the Tinkering Lab. Each of its limbs tells a unique story. A story about how we can figure things out by fooling around. A story about how despite not knowing exactly what is going to happen, we are excited to find out. A story about how when we all work together, even with people we have never met or may not ever meet, we can make something incredible.


Read the rest of Dustin’s post at Tinkering School Chicago!

Now They’re Talking

Tsivia Cohen, AVP of Family Learning at Chicago Children’s Museum, discusses how children acquire language.

Pumpkin Painting in Pritzker

“Are you a funny bird or a crazy bird?” my cockatiel Wild Bill asks himself.  “I’m a crazy bird,” he answers, although he hasn’t a clue what he’s saying.  Wild Bill is not really communicating, only imitating, and, in that way, his amusing tricks are nothing like what children do when they acquire language.

Children’s ability to learn to talk–whether it’s with words, symbols or sign language—is nothing short of astounding.  During the first few years of life, children crack the code of language.  They don’t simply imitate what they hear, they take language apart and figure out how it works, then put words together in novel, sometimes funny, but nearly always logical ways.  How do they do this? 

While some linguists believe that young children are hard-wired to learn language, it’s clear that no matter how innate this ability, they can’t learn to talk without the input of people around them.  As remarkable as children’s abilities are, adults are also pretty clever in how we help children learn to talk. 

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Hello and Welcome!

Let’s Play is a blog for parents, educators, caregivers and all grown-ups that support & influence kids’ growth & development. Our posts are written by Chicago Children’s Museum’s expert staff on all things kids, including fun projects that you can do at home with your own family!Check back often or you can subscribe by clicking the Follow button on our homepage.

Let’s Play!

This is a photo of 2 children painting a pumpkin in the Pritzker Playspace at Chicago Children's Museum.