El Museo de Oakland de California abrirá OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace en junio de 2022

Oakland, CA, 24 de marzo de 2022-Este mes de junio, el Museo de California de Oakland (OMCA) abrirá un nuevo espacio interactivo de la galería de ciencias naturales diseñado para niños de dos a cinco años, sus familias y cuidadores. OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace es un espacio interior de 1800 pies cuadrados que ofrece una variedad de actividades prácticas para que los jóvenes visitantes aprendan sobre la naturaleza en Oakland. Desde rompecabezas y materiales de construcción relacionados con la naturaleza hasta exposiciones de animales que viven en los patios, arroyos y colinas de Oakland, Nature Playspace ofrecerá a las familias un lugar divertido y seguro para jugar y crear una comunidad con otras familias. Imágenes de prensa disponibles aquí.

Nature Playspace is the result of a multi-year research and planning process undertaken with community partners. The development focused on creating playful learning experiences to inspire children and their caregivers, foster observation and questions and making connections with others.  In addition to the space itself, the Museum has developed a family activity guide to help kids and families extend their experience throughout the OMCA galleries and campus.

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace will open to the public Sábado, Junio 4, and is located in the Gallery of Natural Sciences. Family-friendly amenities that support the new Playspace experience include adjacent stroller parking and restrooms, a nursing area, limited designated family parking spaces in the Museum garage close to the entrance and signage in English, Spanish and Chinese. OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace is supported by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace is included in general OMCA admission. For more information, visit museumca.org .

“We are excited to add OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace to the Museum’s range of family-oriented offerings, welcoming two- to five-year-old visitors and their adult companions,” says Lori Fogarty, OMCA Director and CEO. “The new exhibits and activities combine play, observation, imagination, storytelling and inquiry ——all basic skills of science, art, and history. We can’t wait for our youngest visitors to learn and play together and connect to the wonder of the natural world.”

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace has been created by a team of educators, natural scientists, exhibition designers, and OMCA staff in collaboration with community partners including BANANAS, Lotus Bloom, and Abundant Beginnings.

OMCA Kids: Nature Playspace Features

Entry Space
Families will be introduced to the unique visual vocabulary of the exhibition: playful illustrations of the natural world depicting what families might find if they explored Oakland’s hills, streams, and backyards. These illustrations will create an immersive atmosphere where children can encounter and look for different plants and animals  as they make their way through the exhibition.

The hallway that leads into the heart of the exhibition space will have a variety of activities that help children make observations and connections. A light table interactive will allow visitors to examine different natural objects. Looking at objects under light will help visitors observe features that might go otherwise unnoticed. The opposite wall offers a shadow play experience where families can use a variety of shadow puppets and their own bodies to create stories with shadows.

Oakland Hills
This area provides some space and experiences for physical play, focusing on the goals of observation and making connections. Children can crawl through a hollow log while noticing what may live on or inside it. Children can also climb a small hill to discover what’s on top and observe their surroundings from a new vantage point. A variety of simple animal costumes will inspire imaginative play, where children can make connections between the environment and the needs of animals. Additionally, a small tent invites role playing and thinking about the various ways humans can interact with nature. The Oakland Hills includes a simple interactive that allows children to explore the world of an underground ant nest, learning about this animal home and how ants live.

Nature at Home
Kids and their families can explore the idea of biodiversity and nature in and around human homes. There are opportunities to learn about how people feed themselves with plants grown in window boxes or backyard gardens. The house offers an opportunity for pretend play, while also promoting skills like sorting, categorizing, and comparing through the process of family groups making pretend meals after harvesting fruits and vegetables from the pretend garden. This area will also have a large open table that can be used for a variety of experiences and exploration of materials with loose parts, including puzzles, blocks, games, etc.

Oakland Streams
Families will discover plants and animals (including humans) that make their homes in and around streams. A booster step will bring the smallest visitors face to face with live fish in the fish tank, allowing children to better see differences and similarities between fish and notice their varied behaviors. Nearby, touchable models will let visitors use their fingers to compare the size, shape, and texture of different fish. A model table with streams, an estuary, and human developments will enable visitors to play together. Kids and their families can use figurines to create imaginary habitats and ecosystems, and to make up stories about how different plants, animals, and habitats may be connected.

A big, walk-through metal culvert provides a fun location to hop across “stepping stones” along the length of the tunnel floor. A cozy reading nook allows children and adults to read nature-themed books together, building vocabulary and literacy skills.

This area will also include amenities for our youngest visitors who may come to the Museum as part of the family unit. An enclosed area for infants and children who are not yet walking will let them explore shapes, colors, and textures in a safe space. Additionally, there will be a semi-private nursing area for families to use to nurse their children.

SOBRE EL MUSEO DE OAKLAND DE CALIFORNIA
El Museo de California de Oakland (OMCA) cuenta las muchas historias que componen California, creando el espacio y el contexto para una mayor conexión, confianza y comprensión entre las personas. A través de sus exposiciones inclusivas, programas públicos, iniciativas educativas y eventos culturales, el OMCA reúne a los californianos e inspira una mayor comprensión de lo que el arte, la historia y el entorno natural de nuestro estado nos enseñan sobre nosotros mismos y los demás. Con más de 1,9 millones de objetos, el OMCA reúne sus colecciones multidisciplinares de arte, historia y ciencias naturales con relatos en primera persona y, a menudo, con historias no contadas de California, todo ello en sus 110.000 pies cuadrados de galerías y en su campus de siete acres. El Museo es una de las principales instituciones culturales del Área de la Bahía y un recurso para la investigación y comprensión del dinámico patrimonio cultural y medioambiental de California para los visitantes de la región, del estado y de todo el mundo.

INFORMACIÓN PARA VISITANTES
El Museo de Oakland de California (OMCA) está en el 1000 de Oak Street, en la calle 10, en Oakland. El precio de la entrada al museo es de 16 $ en general; 11 $ para personas mayores y estudiantes con carné de identidad válido; 7 $ para jóvenes de 13 a 17 años; y gratis para socios y niños menores de 12 años. Hay un cargo de 5 dólares además del precio de la entrada general para las exposiciones especiales en el Great Hall. El OMCA dispone de aparcamiento subterráneo y está convenientemente situado a una manzana de la estación de BART de Lake Merritt, en la esquina de 10th Street y Oak Street. Hay una rampa de acceso en la entrada principal del museo, en el número 1000 de Oak Street. museumca.org

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