Using Technology to Link the Virtual and Real Worlds of Play

The Children's Museum at Saratoga has recently increased its efforts to use the dynamic technologies available to us today. In addition to our constant contact e-mails and our Facebook page, we have this blog and you can now follow us on Twitter.

While we believe in unplugging from all your electronics and enjoying the simple pleasures of learning through play, we believe that technology can complement your experience at the Children's Museum. As you may have noticed, we recently introduced Parent Guides in most of our exhibits (look for the yellow diamond!) that give suggestions for how you can engage with your child in the exhibits, building vocabulary and important skills. The next step is to take these parents guides further--to a digital platform.

 Soon we will try out posting QR (quick response) code tags with the parent guides.  A QR code is a two-dimensional bar code that can be scanned with a smart phone, instantly linking you to websites, videos, and more through your phone, connecting real life to the digital world. We will be creating QR codes using Microsoft Tag. You can download the tag reader application for free on most smart phones by visiting http://gettag.mobi on your phone's browser. Have an app for reading QR codes? Great! Check out how we're using it by scanning this tag:

The possibilities for using these tags in the museum are endless and will be ever changing. In addition to linking to parent guides, we'll include new information, activites to try at home, scavenger hunts, video, and more! Look for the tags in exhibits soon. However, nothing can compete with the joy of learning through
play with a child in a place that's all his or her own.

Happy Chinese New Year!

With the winter weather approaching, it's a good time to remind you that the Children's Museum at Saratoga follows suit with the Saratoga Springs City School District with weather cancellations and delays. So, if you're planning a visit tomorrow, please watch our website or the school closings!

Putting together a tangram puzzle.

Chinese New Year begins this Thursday. To welcome the year of the rabbit, here's an activity we did at Tuesday for Tots that you can try at home. Tangrams, as these puzzles are called, were originally invented in China. Print the template below and cut apart the seven shapes along the lines. Then, try rearranging the shapes to form animals, buildings, or any thing your child imagines.

What kind of shapes can you put together? Making a template for your child to place the pieces might be helpful for younger children. Here are some animal ideas.