Strategic Plan

The Children’s Museum Easton (CME) was founded in 1986 by four Easton mothers seeking hands-on education experiences for young children. CME is located on three exhibition floors in a 1904 firehouse in the Ames Historic District of North Easton. The land for the firehouse was donated by Mary S. Ames, whose family founded Ames Shovel Works and was responsible for Easton's economic prosperity for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The firehouse is a 6,700-square-foot wooden-frame building that remained in use until 1968. After closing, it served as the town’s Civil Defense Building until, in 1986, the Town of Easton conveyed the building to the Committee for the Easton Children's Museum for $1.00. CME worked off a full payment of $100,000 by contributing twenty percent of its annual admission fees over the course of several years.

In 1991, the Museum opened, and one of the founders, Paula Peterson, transitioned to Executive Director. Under her 26-year leadership, CME became a cornerstone learning institution of Easton and the surrounding communities as it was frequented and beloved by children and families from throughout the region.

Today, CME operates with an Executive Director, a Director of Visitor Services and Operations, a Director of Education and Outreach, Fundraising Manager and a Manager of Art & Design. A volunteer-based Board of fourteen (14) Directors supports the CME team.

Recently, CME has undergone a series of changes that have impacted how it serves the community and delivers its programs. The COVID-19 pandemic forced CME to close its doors and cease operations for eight months during the global shutdown. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, CME joyously reopened its doors to welcome children and families back to play and learn. However, this was a difficult and challenging transition period as visitors slowly returned, and the museum could only gradually return to full operations. The Board worked tirelessly to adjust its focus toward fundraising and development and to improve CME’s facilities and restore financial contributions and cash flow to pre-pandemic levels.

One critical project is a significant investment in redesigning The Wild Place, CME’s outdoor play space established in 2006. After eighteen years, our cherished Wild Place is undergoing a major renovation. The new play area will incorporate natural elements and innovative equipment to stimulate imaginative and thematic play. CME staff and Board members held a successful fundraising gala in 2023, secured key private donations, and are seeking grants to fund this project. We have engaged our local and state leaders to garner monetary support through tourism and economic development initiatives as well.

Another high-priority project is the repair and restoration of our historic firehouse that CME calls home. Beyond our educational mission, our mandate is to restore and preserve the architectural integrity of our 120-year-old building. In an effort to achieve these restorations, CME sought and received a matching grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which officially kicked off on December 3, 2024. This Capital Campaign seeks to raise a total of $450,000 for interior and exterior building renovations that will mean long-term sustainability for our physical infrastructure.

Beyond capital improvements, the Museum and its staff are focused on investing in the future of our CME exhibits — developing engaging and exciting exhibits, fostering communal play between children and caregivers to ensure a play space for all abilities and capabilities, and partnering with area schools and libraries for early education outreach programs and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics (STEAM/STREAM) skills learning.

The founding principle of CME is that play and hands-on learning are critically important to successful child development. Current research repeatedly demonstrates that play is directly linked to the development of physical, cognitive, and emotional strengths and, even more, to higher-level skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving, all of which are direct contributors to academic and professional achievement.

With childhood becoming increasingly digital, sedentary, and, in some cases, isolated, early and continuing access to social, hands-on play is more important than ever. As a result, we have focused efforts regarding commitment to kids and parents and play. Play is more than fun; it is a child’s job!

CME launched its outreach program in the late 1990s, bringing science and literacy activities to libraries, homeless shelters, and community events. Today, CME 360 is a traveling enrichment program designed to provide children in schools, libraries, and other community organizations the opportunity to experience hands-on STEAM experiences provided by trained museum educators. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics. At CME, we add an “R” for STREAM to include reading and a literacy component in our learning paths whenever possible.

We live in a time when the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that doctors prescribe play for children under their care. Play, an AAP report states, is not frivolous: “…it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function...which allow us to pursue goals and ignore distractions.” In essence, the business of play is a fundamental building block that helps children grow up into highly functional adults who will, in turn, contribute positively to their communities.

Additionally, research by the Center for Childhood Creativity on the roots of success through STEM education has shown that even before their first birthday, a child “…is capable of making inferences, concluding cause and effect, and reasoning about the probability of events.” These early abilities, developed through play, are one way to promote cognitive skills that help to support brain development. A child’s abstract reasoning ability is fundamental in STEAM-based education and fields.

At CME, we design our programs, exhibits, and educational series with a STEAM-based approach by encouraging children and their grown-ups to be curious, problem-solve, collaborate, be creative, and have fun.