A Social Narrative: EarlyWorks Children’s Museum, Huntsville, AL
Today I will be visiting the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum.
Outside the Museum, there are large pictures of children. They look like they are having fun!
I will see large, red doors. But I will be able to enter the museum through doors to the right.
Inside, I will see a large, colorful, pretend tree. Before I can explore, my group will check in at the Welcome Desk.
At the Welcome Desk, I will buy my ticket or show them a ticket we bought online. If there are other guests, I may have to wait patiently in line. While I’m at the museum, I might have a question or need help. I can find a person wearing a blue apron to assist me. They work at the museum and might be able to help.
There is a lot to do inside the museum. My grown up will guide me. First, we must put our food or drinks away until we leave the museum and sanitize our hands.
Inside the Gallery, there are a lot of exhibits to experience. The grown up I am with may help me choose what exhibits we want to do. I will try to always stay with my grown up while we tour the museum. Some exhibits will have signs that tell me how many people are allowed inside at a time. I may have to be patient and wait my turn.
There may be other people exploring in the exhibits and it is okay. If an exhibit is too loud, I can cover my ears with my hands or ask my grown up to go to a quieter space. I will do my best to be respectful by taking turns, waiting, having a quiet voice, and walking.
Inside the Think Big Studio, I may want to play with large blocks. I can also make a ramp on the Imagination Wall.
At the Native American Exhibit, I will be able to look at artifacts of Alabama’s earliest inhabitants, the Native Americans. I can learn about the Native Americans by reading the descriptions or asking someone to read them to me.
At Camellia’s Play Café, I can go inside a pretend restaurant and explore. I can tie on an apron, pretend to take orders, and play with the play dishes and food. If I want to play with the dishes and food, I can ask a person in a blue apron to help me get them.
At the Storytelling Courtyard, I will see a large, pretend tree with a face! The tree can tell me a story! It might be telling a story to other people and I can listen if I want. If I want the tree to start a story, I’ll press the button on the wall. If the tree is too loud, I can cover my ears with my hands or ask my grown up to go to another exhibit.
I may also see a big cow. It is pretend and might teach me face about Dairy Farms. If I want to, I can try to milk the cow by squeezing her utters with my hands. Pretend milk will come out of her utters and into a bucket.
Another exhibit to visit is the Keel Boat. The boat is in pretend water and I will do my best to stay on the boat. On the boat, I can see what the inside of a real Keel Boat looks like. I may also raise the flags on the boat or play a balancing game to see how a boat holds cargo.
At the Biscuit’s Backyard exhibit, I may explore farm and community life. I may have to share toys with other children. That is ok. There is a lot of toys to play with.
Inside the play zone, I may choose to play at the pretend fishing pond, barn, vegetable garden, grocery story or post office.
There is also a Log Cabin, Federal House and Victorian House I might want to explore. The exhibit will show me what it was like to live in Alabama a long time ago.
At the Log Cabin, I can play pretend and dress up in old fashioned clothing.
At the Federal House, I may want to play with the papers dolls or try the quilting activity.
At the Victorian House, I will see the “LIGHTS” exhibit with building blocks and the shape magnet board.
At the Kids Construction Zone, I will see many toy construction vehicles. I may want to play with the trucks and try wearing a hard hat.
If I like puppies, I may want to spend time at the Happy Pup Salon. In the Happy Pup Salon, there are stuffed animal puppies I can play with. I can pretend to give them a bath or give them a check-up.
During my visit to EarlyWorks, I may need to visit the restroom. I can ask my grown up to take me when I need to go. Only 4 people can be in the restroom at a time and I may have to wait outside until it is my turn.
When our day is over, I will see a gift shop. The gift shop has things I can buy and take home. I might be able to go inside and look around.
When we are finished, we will leave through the EXIT door.
If I follow the rules in the museum, my family will be so proud of me. I might have fun at the EarlyWorks Children’s Museum!
