Playful Learning Landscapes

Play and learning can happen in everyday spaces not just in our museum. Working with the Chicago community, Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) developed three Playful Learning Landscapes that transformed everyday public spaces where families worked, played and lived into opportunities for learning in Little Village, Aurora, and North Lawndale.

CCM was charged with the mission to “mathematize” three Chicagoland communities through Playful Learning Illinois. Working closely with local organizations, community members and early childhood experts, CCM developed and designed unique installations that supported early math learning. Each installation reflected the hand of the community, for example murals painted by local neighborhood artist Elizabeth Reyes, resides in Little Village’s laundromat, while Aurora’s Community Garden and North Lawndale’s Douglas Boulevard were decorated with art made by children, the mini-artists of their neighborhoods. 

Playful Learning Landscapes was made possible by a collaboration between Chicago Children’s Museum, Playful Learning Landscapes, Metropolitan Family Services, and generously funded by the McCormick Foundation to connect math learning experiences to everyday spaces in Little Village, Aurora, and North Lawndale.

For any inquiries regarding Playful Learning Landscapes, please contact our Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Amy Spar, at amys@chicagochildrensmuseum.org