Special Needs Brochure

Field trips at the Community Children's Museum

  Field trips take place in a child-centered learning environment filled with hands on activities. Your visit will be led by a Museum Educator and include a take home art project and a visit to our museum store if desired. Our programs are aligned with the NJCCC standards for public schools and adapted for specific needs of each grade level. These are listed with the description of the themes and allow for the integration of museum programs into the classroom curriculum. A package of information about the program you choose will include classroom activities to do in preparation for your museum visit and activities to do after your visit to reinforce their experiences at the museum.

A. Open Field Trip

This option allows your group to enjoy a taste of each exhibit at the museum for 90 minutes of hands-on fun. Explore, learn and create with the help of our qualified staff. We venture to make art a part of everyday life and inspire artistic expression in children, using all their senses. (Does not include an art project)

Grades: Preschool – 4th

B. Focus Field Trips

Focus Programs are also 90 minutes and include a one hour interactive guided program based on your choice of themes and an half hour of free exploration time in the museum. A visit to the museum store is included if requested. An age appropriate art project is part of the one hour program and is relevant to each theme.

Grades: Preschool-K and K-4

Nancy 's Lake House Exhibit (Preschool through K)

#1 Family and Me

Highlighting the Family we ask questions like: “Who are the people in your family, your neighborhood, in the world's families? What do families do, where do they live, how do they celebrate?” The visit will include puppets, play-acting, games, creative art projects, stories and interactive discussions.

#2 Nature

The Lake House is a great place to learn about nature with the children. We will talk about the lake and its creatures, animals around us, plants and bugs. The visit will include puppets, play-acting, games, creative art projects, stories and interactive discussions.

#3 Senses

Children explore their world through their senses and the Lake house is no exception. They will see how they can use them their senses to learn about a Lake environment. The visit will include puppets, play-acting, games, creative art projects, stories and interactive discussions

#4 Seasons

The weather and seasons change at the Lake House and we will explore how. Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall projects will include puppets, play-acting, games, creative art projects, stories and interactive discussions.

Vincent Van Gogh's “The Bedroom” Exhibit (K-4)

# 1 Color & Texture

This module highlights Van Gogh's use of color and texture in his paintings and how that was different for artists in his day. The use of color and texture is a vital component in the creation of art. Colors are crucial in communicating through a visual medium such as painting, while textures help to add depth of meaning and feeling. They can create and influence moods and attitudes of both the painter and viewer.

  NJ CCCS Visual and Performing Arts Standards: Standards 1.1 – Aesthetics, 1.2 – Creation and Performance, 1.3 - Elements and Principles

# 2 The Bedroom

This module delves into the personal life of Van Gogh and what the meaning of his bedroom painting held for him. Bedrooms can be ones private sanctuary. People decorate them in a way that expresses their individuality. Van Gogh had been living in a city near the capital of Paris and felt he needed a change, a new place to call home. He moved to Arles where he was excited by the color of the outdoor light and the warmer climate.

NJCCCS Visual and Performing Arts Standards: Standards 1.1 – Aesthetics, 1.2 Creation and Performance, 1.4 – Critique, 1.5 History/Culture

# 3 Van Gogh in History

This module focuses on the historical perspective of Van Gogh's life and times. It is impossible to discuss an artists' work without examining their life within the context of history. By knowing some background of a person's life and experiences, we can learn how life's choices and opportunities shape each of us and inform our creativity.

NJCCCS Social Studies Standards 6.1 - Skills, 6.2 - Civics, 6.4 - US/NJ History, 6.5 – Economics, 6.6 – Geography. NJS Language Arts Literacy Standards: 3.1 – Reading, 3.2 – Writing, 3.3 – Speaking, 3.5 – Viewing and Media

PLANNING A GROUP VISIT

•  Choose the type of field trip (focus or open).

•  If you choose the focus field trip for K through grade 4, for example, elect the Van Gogh theme that you want your students to learn about: color & texture, the bedroom, or Van Gogh in history.

•  Determine the date, time and number of children visiting. Call to make a reservation 973-366-9060. You may visit www.communitychildrensmuseum.org for information and a form to mail in. Reservations are required in advance. If you call, give your complete contact information. We will return your call promptly. Leaving a message is not making a reservation.

•  Payment in full or a 50% deposit is required to receive your teacher packet. The teacher packet will be your confirmation of your reservation and serves as your entry ticket at the time of your visit. Make checks to Community Children's Museum and mail to 77 East Blackwell Street , Dover , NJ 07801 . Each child is $5.

•  One adult chaperone is required for every 5 children and will be admitted free. Extra adults will be charged $5.00. Chaperones must be 18 years or older and are required to stay and supervise the children at all times . No siblings are permitted in with the group. There are no refunds for absentee students but they will receive one museum pass for a return visit. Cancellations due to weather must be made 2hrs before your visit and can be rescheduled.

Each visit is approximately 90 minutes long and can be scheduled as early as 830am with a maximum of 50 and a minimum of 15 students. Teachers will be asked to split students into groups of 12 for their tour to ensure a quality experience for all. This size is in accordance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children's recommendation for group sizes. Food is not allowed in the Museum.

Click here for a group tour application