South Dakota is kicking off its first state-wide Day of Giving and the Children’s Museum of South Dakota is a part of it. We believe that play is for everyone, and on Tuesday, Nov. 27, we will link arms with South Dakota Gives and more than 400 area non-profits, including 23 in Brookings, to make a difference for those who live, work, and play in this great state.
The date coincides with the National Day of Giving, a day dedicated to giving back fueled by the power of social media. Giving Tuesday is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and was first organized in 2012.
Museums for All
The focus of this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign is Museums for All. The Children’s Museum of South Dakota strives to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for our guests. The museum serves more than 105,000 guests a year with a vision to seek to transform the world by inspiring generations to love learning and to believe that life is full of possibilities.
It is a space where people connect, where families play, and where guests can learn more about the world around them.
Exhibits, both inside and outside, explore science, engineering, art, literature, culture, geography, and history. We promote learning for children of all ages and abilities. In continuing our work to be a resource for all, we introduced our Access Initiative in October 2016.
The Access Initiative offers $1 admission or $15 yearlong family memberships to those who do not have the ability to pay. A donation to the Access Fund ensures that every child and family has access to a children’s museum.
The museum also offers Sensory Friendly Play events. Sensory Friendly Play is a calm, less crowded opportunity for exploration in our museum’s exhibits that takes place twice a month. Curious what Sensory Friendly Play is all about? Read about one young guest, Dawson, on our Seize the Play blog.
The museum is committed to being an interactive place for all visitors. Do you have a friend who hasn’t visited the Children’s Museum yet? Invite them to come and play!
Giving Tree
In tandem with the Giving Tuesday campaign, Play Central Toys & Books, the museum gift shop, will host a giving tree. Ornaments will feature giving opportunities such as museum admission and membership for a family in need, STEAM camp scholarships, field trip admission for a title school, sensory toy gift baskets, and more. The tree will be available through the holiday season.
How to Give
On Tuesday, Nov. 27, we invite you to donate via our website or come to the museum and select an ornament from our giving tree. Your gift will help us promote learning through play. It will help us offer a place where friends and families can create lifelong memories. And it will help our state be the best it can be.
You can also mail in a check and designate it as a Museums for All gift. Your gift will spark imagination for ALL children and their grown-ups through play, creativity, and discovery. Thank you.
Donate online or send a check to:
Children’s Museum of South Dakota
ATTN: Donation
521 4th Street
Brookings, SD 57006
Share the Love
Be sure to follow and use the hashtags #ForSouthDakota, #BrookingsGives, and #GivingTuesday on your social media platforms to see the power of generosity in our communities. Don’t forget to follow the Children’s Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, too!