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Location & Directions

Strong National Museum of Play

Strong National Museum of Play®
One Manhattan Square
Rochester, NY 14607
Phone: 585-263-2700

Special Offering for Colleges and Universities


An Educator’s Curriculum Guide to Play: Activities for Students

Strong National Museum of Play makes it easy for college-level students to learn about the power and importance of play in the lives of children. Designed specifically to complement education and psychology courses, these self-guided activities will turn college students into active researchers at Strong—the only museum in the world dedicated to the study of play. Using the museum as their lab, students may choose from (or can be assigned) different interactive experiences that engage them in observation and analysis of important play concepts. Strong’s curriculum guide includes ten activities (brief descriptions follow).

  1. The Whole Child. Observation and explanation activities to build understanding of the cognitive, physical, social, and affective domains of children.
  2. Boy-Girl. Observation, recording, and discussion activities about ways play may differ by gender.
  3. Elements of Play. Observation, charting, viewing, and writing activities around the museum’s theory of the Elements of Play.
  4. Parent-Child Interaction. Observation, recording, and writing activities about the role of parents in child play.
  5. Why Children Play. Observation and discussion activities about why children play and what they learn through play.
  6. Literacy. Investigation, hypothesizing, and discussion activities about how language deepens the complexity of play and how play enriches literacy.
  7. I Spy Multiple Intelligences (MI). Exploration, survey, and writing activities about multiple learning preferences as observed through children’s play.
  8. Let’s Pretend. Role-playing and discussion activities about make-believe or fantasy play and its relationship to learning.
  9. Numbers. Observation, play, discussion, and writing about the role of play in developing math skills and understanding.
  10. What Can I Learn? Observation, discussion, and writing activities around Piaget’s theory of intellectual development, exploring functional play, symbolic play, and games with rules.

This opportunity is available only to groups of five or more. Groups must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance of the visit. Admission fees: Unguided experience, $7 per student; Experience guided by museum staff, $10 per student; College instructor, free. Admission fee includes the curriculum guide for one of 10 activities. Each additional curriculum guide is $3 per student per visit.

To learn more, call 585-263-2700.