Last week, my mother-in-law texted me a link to a children’s toy website and asked if she could send a climbing structure for the front yard. I enthusiastically answered yes to this generous offer. A month ago, it never would have occurred to me to have such a thing. And as I thought about it for a minute, I realized why. It’s because of places like Kidspace. Since social distancing began almost six weeks ago, my husband and I have been adapting our home – inside and out – to create a space for our son to move freely and explore our modified world. Our little one is missing his grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and classmates; and asks about going to the places he loves to visit.

 

I am writing to you from my new “home office,” which is actually our dining table pushed against a wall to open the room for my toddler’s transportation hub of toy trains, trucks, a spaceship, buses, and some toy dinosaurs who need to get around. Am I the only one who feels like their home is shrinking by the day?

 

As a family, we’ve come to rely on Kidspace as an invaluable community resource for our son to indulge his curiosity, explore the natural world, and use his imagination. During this unprecedented time, Kidspace is facing significant financial challenges without operational revenue. The closure came as we were about to begin our beloved “Butterfly Season,” and I was so excited to participate as both a part of the Kidspace staff and a museum member. The programming team is working every day to deliver online content through Kidspace at Home: Virtual Learning and Play Resources as we are all missing the dozens of exhibits and hands-on learning opportunities the campus has to offer.

 

It’s so important that our kids continue to have opportunities to play during this time when our routines keep shifting and there’s a great deal of uncertainty. What’s also important is that our kids, and we as families have familiar places to return to when our community emerges from social distancing. Please consider making a donation to support Kidspace. When we are allowed to reopen, we need to be ready to play.

 

Together, we can help keep Kidspace strong.