The Children’s Museum of Memphis (CMOM) unveiled a new traveling STEAM exhibition in August - “The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY!,” created by DuPage Children’s Museum.
Based on the best-selling series of books, The Questioneers, by author Andrea Beaty, and illustrator David Roberts, the imaginative world comes alive in a hands-on exhibition through characters: Ada Twist, scientist; Rosie Revere, engineer; Iggy Peck, architect; Sofia Valdez, future prez; and Aaron Slater, illustrator.
The Questioneers ingeniously combines STEAM lessons with social-emotional concepts like resilience and bravery, all from the perspective of elementary-aged protagonists,” said Dr. Stewart Burgess, executive director of CMOM. “Children of all ages, backgrounds and interests will find a character in this exhibit to connect with or an area of study they find most interesting – and they will simultaneously be encouraged to explore new concepts and ideas through the lens of characters who are different from them.”
The Questioneers poses questions, identify challenges, and encourage problem-solving and critical thinking—visitors are transported into The Questioneers’ world through Miss Lila Greer’s classroom. From there, they can fly with Rosie in her Cheese Copter, question how the world works while sitting in Ada’s thinking chair, build a bridge to save the class with Iggy, lead a movement with Sofia, or tell a story through drawings like Aaron.
Developing skills is imperative during the early years of a child, including: “language (i.e., building a rich vocabulary full of descriptive words); critical thinking skills to help compare and contrast and to assess cause and effect relationships; curiosity or interest in learning about the world around them; and emotional regulation to help manage their attention and ability to happily learn and interact with those around them,” according to Dr. Burgess.
Courtesy of DuPage Children's Museum
Ada, Iggy, Rosie, Sofia, and Aaron promote personal empowerment, curiosity, and perseverance. With different abilities, races, ethnicities, genders, and upbringings, each character is uniquely capable and committed to their creative, STEAM-based pursuits. Their passions lead them to experiment, explore, fail, and try again. Through these bold characters, young children learn that math, science, art, and civic responsibility are for everyone, and failure is part of learning.
I am thrilled knowing that The Questioneers will come to life in this exhibit and inspire kids, young and young at heart, to share their curiosity and passion with others!” says Andrea Beaty.
CMOM has made a huge contribution towards impacting learning and development of young children outside of the classroom. “Our children’s museum is designed to spark children’s imaginations—to foster exploration and discovery in ways that will build vital cognitive and emotional skills and a love of learning,” says Dr. Burgess. “Researchers are demonstrating that educational enrichments experienced outside of the classroom can leave lasting positive impacts on children’s development. In one large-scale longitudinal study controlling for economic and cultural differences, children who visited a museum while in kindergarten had significantly higher literacy, math, and science scores by the time they reached third grade.”
Photo by Craig Thompson, DisciplePhoto
We love the fact that this exhibit and the books they are based on and center on child protagonists interested in science, technology, engineering, art, and math, while also stressing the importance of passion and perseverance in the face of obstacles and doubts,” says Dr. Burgess. “This combination of giving children permission to think important and innovative thoughts now, while also showing them that failures and struggles are a natural part of the learning process is truly a gift to our children who have much to learn, many hurdles to clear, and who will seek a meaningful purpose in life.”
CMOM inspires children to explore, imagine, and create, fostering child development through interactive exhibits and programs designed to support enriched early learning. Children can learn through interactive exhibits that facilitate creativity, imagination, problem-solving skills, and build vocabulary. “All children deserve the right to develop their gifts and talents and CMOM is the place in Memphis where children go to start that journey,” says Dr. Burgess. “Every discovery they make and creation they design while at our museum helps to build and refine their brains for future learning, and paves the way toward successful learning in the future.”
“The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY!” traveling exhibition is open now through mid-November at The Children’s Museum of Memphis. Learn more by visiting CMOM.