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Our Latest Headlines
In the News: Topeka Metro bus drivers teach kids about public transportation the fun way
In the News: Topeka Metro bus drivers teach kids about public transportation the fun way
Natalie Dattilio, WIBW
December 14, 2018
"Local kids are learning important lessons about public transportation from Topeka Metro bus drivers themselves! The Children's Discovery Center Thursday invited bus drivers to read to children as part of "The Pigeon Comes to Topeka: A Mo Willems Exhibit." They read "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," written by Mo Willems, who the exhibit is inspired by.”
In the News: Comedy is comedy for kids and adults, an interview with Mo Willems
In the News: Comedy is comedy for kids and adults, an interview with Mo Willems
Gina Kaufmann, KCUR
December 13, 2018
Gina Kaufmann, KCUR: We’re talking with Mo Willems, he’s a children’s book author and illustrator, also an animator. He’s coming from a background in comedy and Sesame Street and he has an exhibit right now: The Pigeon Comes to Topeka! A Mo Willems Exhibit on display in Topeka at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center through January 4. And Mo, tell me more about that exhibit. It’s character driven, right? | Mo Willems: Yes. This is a children’s museum exhibit, so everything is physical. You can play with it there are games, you draw, there’s a hot dog tosser and there’s a lot of animation stuff, learning how to make drawings, learning how persistence of vision works. It’s something that I worked with the museum in Pittsburgh for several years on and it’s just been a joy because it is interactive. You know, I make that sure all the characters I create are designed so that they’re simple enough for a five year old to draw them reasonably. I really want my work not just to be read but to be played. And in order to get kids to draw, grown-ups have to draw as well. Because parents forget that they’re cool, but if a parent sits there and doodles, a kid will. Everything in this exhibit is really made to get both the kids and the grown-ups in the kid’s life, get them together, playing together, drawing and creating together.
In the News: Power Players: Retired physician seeks to help health of Topeka’s young people
Power Players: Retired physician seeks to help health of Topeka’s young people
Carolyn Kaberline, Topeka Capital-Journal
November 18, 2018
"She is in her second year of serving as the board chair of the Kansas Discovery Children’s Discovery Center, whose current focus is developing programs and services so all children — even the medically fragile, those who are at risk, refugee children and those whose mothers are incarcerated — can participate. One of those programs, called Puzzle Pieces, serves children on the autism spectrum.”
In the News: State of Education looks at Topeka’s cradle through career successes, challenges
State of Education looks at Topeka’s cradle through career successes, challenges
Katie Moore, Topeka Capital-Journal
November 28, 2018
"Last summer, the museum hosted Camp Kindergarten, a five-week program that simulated a kindergarten classroom. Mosier said an important component was that parents sat in on the classroom. Readiness is about more than a student knowing their letters and numbers, she said, and includes social and emotional development.
Before entering kindergarten, students from an impoverished home have a 30 million word gap, said Sarah Sharp, general director of early childhood and elementary education for Topeka Public Schools, meaning they are exposed to 30 million less words than a child from an affluent home.”
In the News: Need a weekend getaway? TripAdvisor says Topeka’s the place to go!
In the News: Need a weekend getaway? TripAdvisor says Topeka's the place to go!
WIBW
October 10, 2018
You don’t have to go far for one of the best family getaways in the country. Heck, if you live in Topeka, you barely have to leave your backyard. According to a new roundup of the 25 Best Family Weekend Getaways, TripAdvisor names the Capital City one of the top five in the Midwest. The travel site pointed out the City is filled with “educational sights and cultural attractions worth visiting.”
In the News: TripAdvisor’s 25 Best Weekend Family Getaways With Kids
In the News: TripAdvisor's 25 Best Weekend Family Getaways With Kids
TripAdvisor.com
October 1, 2018
This historic Kansas state capital is full of educational sights and cultural attractions worth visiting. Travel back in time to Ward Meade Park for a peak at what the early 1900s looked like or have some fun at the interactive exhibits of the Evel Knievel Museum. Whether you want to bring the kids for a day of learning at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center or desire a family outing to the Topeka Zoological Park, Topeka is a great destination with lots of family weekend ideas.
In the News: Building Great Cities: Topeka’s Better Block Story
In The News: Building Great Cities: Topeka’s Better Block Story
Topeka Landscape Blog
October 8, 2018
We all recognize great cities when we see them. Vibrant cultural centers like Austin, Denver, and Portland attract and retain talent, diversity, and innovation. People love working in, living in, and visiting great cities, but what specific traits make a good city a great one? Alongside thriving economies, well-functioning city government, public libraries and museums, a strong public education system, and access to health care, we believe there to be an additional factor that matters: accessible green space. Topeka Landscape recently had the honor of partnering with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, and the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center on the Better Block initiative. The partnership allowed us to create a linear pocket park that temporarily transformed the SW 200 and SW 300 blocks of 8th Street into a space for families and individuals to enjoy.
In The News: Female inmates in Topeka get day with their kids at Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
In The News: Female inmates in Topeka get day with their kids at Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
Phil Anderson
Topeka Capital-Journal
October 1, 2018
For one day Monday, Suzanne Hayden got a break from her incarceration at the Topeka Correctional Facility to enjoy being a mom to her twin 9-year-old daughters. Hayden, 42, of Olathe, was one of 14 inmates from the Topeka Correctional Facility who spent the day with their children and grandchildren during the first “Play Free” day at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center
In The News: Discovery Center welcomes inmates and their kids for day of play
In The News: Discovery Center welcomes inmates and their kids for day of play
Tiernan Shank
WIBW
October 1, 2018
A day of play for parents and their kids can seem routine, but for one group of women, family gatherings are behind gates, metal detectors, and surrounded by armed guards. On Monday, those women got a chance to play with their kids like anyone else. The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center opened its doors for a special group of guests, women from the Topeka Correctional Facility and their families.
In the News: Editorial: Community must step up for kindergarten education
In the News: Editorial: Community must step up for kindergarten education
The Editorial Advisory Board
The Topeka Capital-Journal
May 25, 2018
Each fall, thousands of Topeka children take their first important steps into a school classroom when they start kindergarten. In Kansas, children start kindergarten if they are 5 on or before Aug. 31 of their kindergarten year, but age is only a part of being ready to start school.
No single factor makes children ready for kindergarten. Readiness is a combination of physical, social and cognitive skills. Many people assume familiarity with numbers, letters and shapes is the most important part of being ready for school. However, communication skills, curiosity and enthusiasm about learning are also important for success.