In the News
Providence Children’s Museum Unveils New “Big Block Party” Exhibit
PROVIDENCE, RI – Providence Children’s Museum (PCM) announces the opening of its newest exhibit, “Big Block Party,” featuring an innovative collection of big blue blocks from Providence-based Imagination Playground. The exhibit officially opens to the public on December 6, 2024, following a special preview event for museum members and supporters.
Made possible through a generous grant from Rhode Island Commerce as well as support from Armbrust Foundation, “Big Block Party” encourages children ages 1-10 to unleash their creativity through open-ended play. The exhibit features an array of oversized blocks, including bricks and cylinders, complemented by chutes, channels, and connecting pieces that inspire motion and connectivity. This installation will be the first based in Rhode Island for the Providence business.
“Big Block Party represents everything we believe in at Providence Children’s Museum – the power of imaginative play to spark creativity, problem-solving, and joy,” says Caroline Payson, Executive Director of Providence Children’s Museum. “We’re particularly proud to partner with Imagination Playground, a local Rhode Island business, to bring this innovative play experience to our community. Thanks to Rhode Island Commerce’s support, we can continue our mission of providing transformative play experiences that inspire lifelong learning for all children.”
“Our mission at Imagination Playground is to encourage children to get creative, work together and have fun. We are thrilled to partner with Providence Children’s Museum and Rhode Island Commerce to promote this mission in our hometown of Providence, RI. I encourage parents, teachers and caregivers to take advantage of the many enriching and educational opportunities that Providence Children’s Museum offers; especially the Big Block Party. When communities work together to provide safe, positive spaces for children to learn and play, we are helping the next generation to grow up healthy and happy” said Imagination Playground CEO Jim Stallman.
“We’re proud to support Providence Children Museum’s Big Block Party. This new exhibit will not only foster creativity, learning, and community growth – but will also help inspire the next generation of creative thinkers in Rhode Island,” said Secretary of Commerce Liz Tanner.
“Big Block Party” transforms traditional building block play into an immersive experience where children can design their own inventions and environments. The versatile nature of these blocks, created by Providence’s own Imagination Playground, allows young visitors to become architects, engineers, and inventors of their own unique creations.
Media Opportunities: Members and supporters preview event: December 5, 2024 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Photo and video opportunities of children exploring the new exhibit Interview opportunities with: PCM leadership Imagination Playground representative Rhode Island Commerce representative B-roll opportunities of exhibit installation and first-play experiences Media representatives are asked to RSVP to [email protected] by December 4 th. The public opening on December 6th welcomes families to experience this new addition during regular museum hours: daily from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The Providence Children’s Museum serves children and adults of all backgrounds and from all communities. Its focus is on children, ages 1 to 11, and the adults who care for them by presenting hands-on, play-based exhibits and programs that explore arts, culture and science, technology, engineering, and math. Imagination Playground is a breakthrough portable playground designed to encourage child-directed, unstructured free play. Handcrafted Providence, Rhode Island, the award-winning Blue Blocks are a low cost, easy to clean, waterproof foam play system that can be used both indoors or out on a variety of surfaces. With a focus on loose parts, the durable blocks inspire children to design their own course of play; individually or in a group. Developed in 2009, Imagination Playground’s Big Blue Blocks provide a much-needed alternative to excessive screen time, and help children develop their social, cognitive and motor skills in a fun and creative environment. Rhode Island Commerce’s economic development mission is to act as a resource to everyone invested in making Rhode Island a premier place to live and do business.
Providence Children’s Museum Receives Funding from Verizon and NYC Media Lab Museum Initiative
Providence, RI – Providence Children’s Museum (PCM) is one of nine nationwide winners of the $1M Museum Initiative, a nationwide open call for museums and cultural institutions to develop and offer new immersive educational content available to all educators on the Verizon Innovative Learning HQ portal (verizon.com/learning).
Created in partnership with Verizon and NYC Media Lab, the $1M Museum Initiative aims to build on the 5G EdTech Challenge, launched in 2018, by connecting educators nationwide with museums, science centers, aquariums, and cultural institutions that showcase innovative edtech approaches that weave together physical and digital experiences.
“As one of nine institutions selected nationwide, PCM is able to bring its accessibility to life in a truly impactful way,” says Executive Director of PCM, Caroline Payson. “We’re thrilled to bring our experience in creating play based, standards-aligned lesson plans to educators and students across the country.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges to educational and cultural institutions across the country,” said Abran Maldonado, NYC Media Lab’s Associate Director for the 5G EdTech Challenge program. “Verizon and our academic partners realized that museums are an integral part of communities and present immense potential to deliver cutting-edge STEAM education opportunities through 5G AR/VR edtech applications. These funds will provide an infusion of capital and innovation to the communities nationwide.”
In this first iteration of the project, PCM will focus on its well-loved Water Ways exhibit, partnering with experts in immersive, cutting-edge tech to bring the exhibit to children who may never have stepped into the building. “These immersive technologies will augment how children play, explore and learn about the physics of water, from anywhere, anytime,” says Associate Director of Digital Exhibits at PCM, Byron Penney. “The technologies can provide educators with the ability to experiment with vapor, explain water pressure, and test flow through interactive simulations – adding a layer of complexity to the museum’s physical exhibit as well.”
The opportunity was introduced by local Verizon Community Engagement Director, Adriana Dawson, who said “PCM is a gem in our community. We knew this was a great opportunity to share PCM’s incredible learning assets with kids and educators around the country using the 5G network.”
“This is a tremendous opportunity to explore a variety of levels of our exhibits as well as expand our reach. We couldn’t be more honored to be included as one of the winners,” says Caroline Payson.
Verizon Innovative Learning HQ is a free and publicly available online education portal that brings next-gen learning to all. The site provides access to the latest in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) education materials including innovative learning apps developed by the winners of the 5G EdTech Challenge, standards-aligned lesson plans, and credentialed professional development for educators. There are hundreds of lesson plans and resources currently available on the education portal, all designed to increase student engagement and the resources allow for an innovative approach to learning. Educators can also access extensive training and resources through the education portal, The education portal enables educators to teach students in new and engaging ways and help to provide them with the skills they need to thrive in a digital-centric world.
Providence Children’s Museum serves children and adults of all backgrounds and from all communities. Its focus is on children, ages 1 to 11, and the adults who care for them by presenting hands-on, play-based exhibits and programs that explore arts, culture and science, technology, engineering, and math.
About the Museum Initiative
In partnership with Verizon, NYC Media Lab enters the next phase of the 5G EdTech Challenge program by launching the $1M Museum Initiative — a nationwide open call for museums and cultural institutions to develop and offer new educational content to all educators on the Verizon Innovative Learning HQ portal (verizon.com/learning). The Museum Initiative will allow organizations to reach new audiences by supporting the development of virtual, immersive experiences that can be blended into hybrid physical experiences and/or exhibits in their respective spaces. Learn more about the Museum Initiative via the NYC Media Lab website.
Reed Helps Providence Children’s Museum Launch Mental Health Innovation Project Offering New Play-Based Therapy Opportunities for Children & Families
New $150,000 federal earmark secured by Sen. Reed will help PCM and community partners offer a range of free play-based therapy services to help kids explore their feelings and improve mental health
Providence, RI – In an effort to provide mental health support to children in need in a way that’s friendly and accessible, the Providence Children’s Museum (PCM) is launching a new Mental Health Innovation Project thanks to a $150,000 federal appropriation secured by U.S. Senator Jack Reed.
Inspired by PCM’s award-winning and longstanding program Families Together, PCM will partner with three local organizations to provide greater access to mental health resources for children and families, including those who are living in the foster care system, struggling with grief, or are living apart from incarcerated parents. With its longstanding expertise in therapeutic play, PCM will work with local partners who specialize in supporting children to create workshops, mental health programming, and family resources that infuse the therapeutic power of play into the acute needs of their specific populations and the wider community.
“The Providence Children’s Museum is a tremendous community asset that serves as a hub for learning, wellness, togetherness, and fun. It offers kids of all ages an engaging, healthy place to learn, explore, and create through play and interactive exhibits,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science who successfully advocated to include this Congressionally-directed spending in the fiscal year 2022 appropriations law. “A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health. This federal funding will support engaging, therapeutic programs for at-risk children. PCM will offer kids opportunities to play, learn, connect, and explore and share their feelings in a healthy way that’s good for children, parents, and the community. It will help children and their caretakers learn to communicate and problem-solve together. Ultimately, it’s about empowering each child and ensuring they are getting the care and support that’s right for them.”
“PCM is already an important resource for families. Not only are we able to support families by being accessible and familiar, but we can also provide unique solutions to difficult problems by infusing joy,” says Executive Director Caroline Payson. “We’re thrilled to bring our experience in play-based therapy to families throughout Rhode Island.”
Last October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health, stating: “As health professionals dedicated to the care of children and adolescents, we have witnessed soaring rates of mental health challenges among children, adolescents, and their families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the situation that existed prior to the pandemic.”
Play, proven to increase a child’s self-worth and self-esteem, will allow children to identify as capable and valuable, key components in developing resilience. In addition, play will help children and their adults learn to negotiate and problem-solve – building blocks of healthy relationships. PCM will leverage its learning from these collaborations broadly to the community to support all families through activities, seminars, and public programs focused on childhood mental health. This programming, available for free, will promote and foster resilience and coping skills, broaden awareness of childhood trauma symptoms and risks, and can help mitigate some of the mental health challenges that children may face later in life.
“At Friends Way, we focus on normalizing children’s experiences to death and loss. Too often, adults may think that because children are playing, that means that they are not grieving. It is exactly the opposite. Children learn through play; children’s job is to play,” says Friends Way Program Director Ryan Loiselle. “We are so fortunate to have been able to partner with Providence Children’s Museum on this venture.”
“We continue to reimagine the ways we can support children and families. From educational assets to mental health resources, PCM is more than just a place to play but a place to help kids grow into resilient grownups,” says Caroline Payson.
Two community partners for this project are Friends Way and Adoption Rhode Island. A third will be named shortly.
Providence Children’s Museum serves children and adults of all backgrounds and from all communities. Its focus is on children, ages 1 to 11, and the adults who care for them by presenting hands-on, play-based exhibits and programs that explore arts, culture and science, technology, engineering, and math.