Knock Knock Children’s Museum

Knock Knock Children’s Museum

Years in Business: 7 years

Executive Director: Christina Melton

Knock Knock Children’s Museum is a 501(c)(3), private non-profit organization committed to providing an inclusive gathering place where families and children of all backgrounds and experiences can interact and learn through play. The 26,000-square-foot facility sits atop Knock Knock Hill overlooking BREC’s City-Brooks Community Park serving communities in Louisiana’s Capital Region and beyond.

Knock Knock Children’s Museum is filled with 18 hands-on, fun-filled interactive exhibits called “Learning Zones.” Anchored in research and evidence-based practices addressing all areas of early childhood development, our Learning Zones are designed to create teachable moments that connect children’s everyday experiences to learning. Knock Knock’s focus is on the development of the whole child to increase early literacy skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) while expanding knowledge and raising interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) subjects and careers. The museum is specially designed to address the development of the whole child impacting our community by: serving children, birth through age 8, and their families; providing high-quality early learning experiences for all children, including an expanding population of children living in under-resourced environments and poverty, or with physical or cognitive disabilities; helping close the knowledge and experience gap in the early childhood years; and developing workforce and 21st-century skills exploration.

Services provided:

Learning Zones
Nationally-recognized Programs and Initiatives Camps
Outreach
Baby Rhyme Time
Messy Masterpieces
Field trips
Sensory-friendly Play 4 All
PlayFit Program
Events

How do you make it a point to put families first?

We place children at the center of our decision-making. We ground our decisions in knowledge about children’s development and learning, children as individuals, and the social/cultural context in which they live. We recognize that responsive interactions are critical for children and adults to achieve their fullest potential in the context of relationships that are built on trust and respect. We recognize constructive, purposeful play as an important vehicle for learning across all ages. Interactions with peers, supportive adults, and the environment are critical elements in children’s ability to learn through play. We strive to be inclusive by making every aspect of our museum relevant and accessible to all. We also recognize the cultural diversity of ALL children

and the grownups who come to play and learn with them. We believe that all areas of early development (social/emotional, physical, cognitive, language) and learning (literacy, science, mathematics, engineering, technology, social studies, and the arts) are important, interrelated, and grounded in play. We strive for excellence by committing our knowledge, expertise, creativity, integrity, and energy to achieving quality. We are dedicated to working with other individuals, organizations, and institutions, who recognize the importance of investing in young children for our community’s future.

What’s next for the museum?

Water is all around us and it is great for play! We look forward to new opportunities to contribute to community-wide education and increased awareness about stemming litter and protecting our watershed like the soon-to-be restored LSU Lakes in our front yard and expanding offerings in our Big Back Yard. We also look forward to opportunities to partner with organizations already doing great work in improving the health and wellness of families with young children through education about healthier living and continuing to build and strengthen our community.