Dear Friends,

October brings the beautiful autumn colors. It is that time of year to enjoy the cool weather and gather as a community to celebrate the good things that we enjoy. With Halloween approaching, thoughts turn toward costumes, trick-or-treating, and other holiday-related activities. For some children, however, Halloween becomes more than just an opportunity to dress up and get candy. Something deeper may be going on. Often, unbeknownst to the parent, the holiday can stir up unexpected reactions, some of which may be related to fears. You may think of fears mostly occurring with younger children, but they actually exist to some degree within children of all ages – even in adults. The ways in which children express those fears can vary just as widely.

In a recent conversation with friends, we started talking about this very issue. We found that each of our school-aged children at some point had exhibited some surprising behaviors around Halloween.

One child would not cover his face with any mask.

Another boy showed an extreme obsession with all of those gory Halloween masks, purchasing the grossest one he could find; but when Halloween night came, he refused to put it on. When asked why, he just answered, “Because I don’t want to!”

One child while in costume seemed to take on the fierce personality of the character he was depicting.

The stories go on but one thing struck us as we listened to each other: on some level our children might be dealing with fears that, because of their age, were not being expressed in ways that would typify a fearful child.

In a sense, Halloween and all of the magical, mysterious, and fanciful costumes, stories, and traditions that go along with it may provide a way for children to work on conquering some of their fears. Fear is a very real emotion for children. At any age, a child’s fears may surface and just when you think they are finally gone, they can resurface.

So, what can we, as parents and caregivers, do for our children when this happens? Knowing about your child’s fears and learning what you can do to help reassure a frightened youngster is one of the most valuable skills a parent can have. It is important to respect your child’s fears even if they appear petty or insignificant to you, because for him, they are very real. Other things you can do include empathizing with your child, reassuring him, and not paying undue attention to the fear. Try not to embarrass him by ridiculing his feelings. As your child grows, learn to empower him with knowledge of reality and constructive skills for dealing with frightening situations.

For example, while acknowledging that being in the dark can be scary, you can teach your children that monsters are not real, that they are safe, you will protect them, and that they can use a nightlight so they can be reassured even in the dark. Also, as he gets older, encourage him to discover, perhaps through brainstorming ideas together, his own solutions for managing or conquering fear.

When it comes to getting your children excited about and ready for Halloween, knowing your unique children and the possible fears they may have can help to prepare you for any surprising or unexpected behaviors. Keep in mind that not all children’s behaviors will fall neatly into any one category. Along with having possible fears, children also have their own personalities and temperaments. Learning to understand the unique make-up of your child can help you to establish more realistic expectations and possibly ease any anxieties, frustrations, or pressures you may experience during the holiday:

Like the time you spent hours making a costume only to have your (temperamentally sensitive) child not wear it because it was too itchy or didn’t feel right.

Or the time all of the other children had their costumes on for the school parade while your (temperamentally slow-to-warm) child paraded in his street clothes.

Or the time when your child didn’t want to trick-or-treat and preferred to stay home instead.

Or the time when… well, you get the picture.

Finally, one of the most important things you can do is to find a way for you and your child to enjoy the holiday in your own special way, not based on what anyone else may be doing or expecting you and your children to do, but instead based on what is comfortable for you and your family. At Explore & More-The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum, we have a Super Spooktacular Halloween planned with tons of tricks and treats so your children can have lots of not so spooky (and safe) fun! Join us from October 22 – 31 for arts/crafts, STEAM projects, as well as other Halloween-themed activities throughout the museum. You’ll even go home with a Halloween treat! Costumes are encouraged, but not required. 

Have a happy, stress-free, and un-frightening Halloween!! 

Lisa Chrapowicz

Director of Strategic & Community Initiatives

You can feel it when you walk into the museum. The building buzzes with the energy of eager children and adults playing and having fun. That buzz is an indicator that there’s a whole lot of learning going on.

When you find a museum that teems with the energy of learning, chances are there’s a whole lot of teaming going on too. The Explore & More Education Team members are dedicated to their common goals and they also care about the other members of the team. Our Goal is to provide the “best in class” experience for children and families. Our team “works” because we have diverse members who have open minds, strong work ethics, creativity, and good leadership. There’s no room for personal agendas when it comes to teaming! 

By Silvia Steele

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Explore & More recognizes the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce. This year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.” Learn more at www.dol.gov/NDEAM

Explore & More is proud to support National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Held each October, NDEAM aims to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. Throughout the month, we will highlight the advocacy agencies we partner with as well as featured employees and volunteers that contribute to our inclusive work culture. #NDEAM

Here’s to hoping that everyone’s September was a breeze and that everyone’s children have adjusted to their new routines heading back to school. As summer turns to fall, and October begins it is important to remember that October is not just a time for changing leaves and costumes, but another month that important history and lessons can be learned.

The month brings with it important days of recognition such as Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Explore & More will be doing a good deal of programming around indigenous peoples during November which is Native American History Month), National Coming Out Day and World Mental Health Day. Each day of acknowledgment gives individuals and families time to emphasize the contributions and past histories of various people and groups of diverse identities. October is also host to a plethora of months celebrating the cultures of ethnic identity. As Filipino- American Heritage Month, German American Heritage Month, Italian American Heritage Month, and Polish Heritage Month, all occur during the 31 days of October. Explore & More will be spending time dedicating different crafts, lessons, and art projects, to honor and explore all of these various cultures. In an attempt to adequately honor each culture, we will try to broadly touch each one to allow appreciation for everything. Come in and try your hand at making Filipino-inspired Trapunto art, making a simplified German cuckoo clock, making a Polish Eagle, and designing your very own Italian sports car. Celebrating all of these cultures provides us the opportunity to experience the world from a different perspective and thus, better appreciate the people we share our planet with.

As Explore & More’s STEM Educator, I am excited to have this platform to share a little more about the subject matter I am so passionate about! I thought the best way to kick off this monthly series of educational blurbs, would be starting with the STEM basics!  

What is STEM in education exactly? STEM is the new advanced way Educators are looking at “science class.” As simply put in the name, this includes more than just one subject matter, while adding technology, engineering, and mathematics to the traditional subject of science! I truly believe STEM is a wonderful breakthrough in education, and it can deepen a learner’s understanding on the subject material.  

Let’s look at an example of a difference in teaching with a STEM mindset, versus the traditional Science class mindset. In a science class in the past, you might have began your new science unit, “All About Weather” in a now-dated learning method. Here, you might read your science textbook, look over some bold- print vocabulary words, and write some notes in your composition notebook while the teacher shows a presentation on the board. Here, you are actively listening, however, you might be wishing you could do something like a hands-on experiment to liven up the lesson experience!  

With STEM integration, learners are using their minds and hands to create, engineer, and design, all while tied to the same subject framework. The goal is to combine multi-subjects, all while having a strong connection throughout the subject areas, to enhance learning and understanding. In a STEM classroom, the same lesson about weather would become more muti-subject friendly, fun, and hands-on! In this example about weather, students will build interest as they are asked to track data of their environment over a period of time, learning the weather in their own community, and then involving mathematics to gather the average temperature over the course of the unit. This brings in analyzing and tracking data with mathematics into the science lesson. In addition, this often involves a hands-on experiment displaying and informing the different types of weather in the student’s community, with other elements of different subject areas embedded inside. STEM in the classroom, when completed at its best, can be a truly rewarding experience for all learners! This becomes a much more comprehensive and enriching experience for all. 

Here at Explore and More, my goal is to have every activity carefully planned and crafted to have as many STEM elements included in the lesson as possible. This always includes a hands-on element and is backed up by the Next Generation Science Standards, which are learning standards used in public schools. Guests truly are learning through play here, even if they do not realize! I encourage you to please visit me and the rest of the wonderful staff in the Tinkering Tank at your next visit to Explore and More, and become a STEM expert!