Kohl Children's Museum

Our Mission

Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago provides engaging informal learning environments featuring interactive exhibits and programs that encourage young children ages birth to 8 to become effective learners through self-directed complex play.

Core Values

All Museum exhibits and programming are research-based to be challenging, educational, appealing and engaging to young children.
Parents, caregivers and teachers play a crucial role in guiding children toward activities that promote effective learning, while allowing them to direct their own learning experiences.

Complex play experiences involve a blend of physical, emotional, imaginative, cognitive, and social activities.
Trained staff using best practices in early childhood education enhance effective complex play experiences for children.
All Museum facilities, exhibits and programming are accessible by children in the same manner, regardless of differing levels of physical, auditory, visual, social-emotional, or cognitive ability.
All Museum facilities and programming model strong stewardship of the environment.
We embrace the opportunity for those with diverse backgrounds to interact and play together.
We create opportunities for those in the Chicago area whose geographical or economic circumstances preclude direct Museum visitation can still participate through interactive outreach programming.
Informal environments augment the more traditional, formal educational structure.
We create a setting that brings all generations of family together to share the early childhood learning experience with one another