Recover with a “Recess”ion

Learn to Play in Everett

When you go 1502 Wall St., Everett 425.258.406 imaginecm.org Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: 12 months and under, free; general admission, $7; Thursday, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., $3.50

When you step into the Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett, the high-pitched, screeching noises coming from the playing children are almost too much to bear. Then you see their exuberant expressions, and instead of developing a headache, you smile. Oh, to be young again and experience the pure joy of play.

From the Ground Up
The Imagine Children’s Museum actually began in 1993 in Marysville. It started as a result of an informal study that determined Snohomish County needed more things for kids and families to do. Nancy Johnson, executive director of the museum, lauds the wonderful example of a highly devoted community. “It’s an interesting story. This place is a total grassroots organization. We’ve really built something from nothing.”

The museum moved from Marysville to a 4,000-square-foot storefront in Everett in 1995. Johnson, a resident of Clearview, has been with the museum since 1998. When she began her work with ICM, she made it her goal to grow the museum and establish it as contributing pillar of the local community. The museum was given money to purchase its current location by John and Ida Schack, local philanthropists who were engaged with the idea of creating a community play place. A capital campaign raised more than $4.5 million, but ICM finished its feasibility study right around the time of 9/11. “It was quite difficult, and there were plenty of hurdles, but we finished our capital campaign on time, and our projects and tasks were on budget,” Johnson says. She explains that ICM overcame its hurdles because everyone involved had a clear vision and understanding of how learning, playing and growing together are important for families.

The old ICM drew about 34,000 patrons every year, and everyone believed that with a new, larger facility, the museum could at least double the patronage. The move turned out better than anyone could have hoped — in its first year at its new location, ICM served approximately 150,000 people. Last year, the museum served more than 187,000, clearly showing where the community’s needs and values lie.
 
The Importance of Play
According to Johnson and many other experts, play is absolutely crucial to a child’s development. It’s the foundation for reading, social skills, success in schools and staying healthy emotionally and physically. “Play can help children connect with their parents. Kids don’t come with directions, and the great thing about this museum is that parents can come here and learn how to play with their kids,” says Johnson. She sees plenty of role reversal at the museum. For example, kids will act as the parents, gently reminding their mom or dad to eat their vegetables at one of the exhibits set up as a restaurant.

Johnson recalls one of the more touching stories she witnessed at the museum. “We often get plenty of military families as patrons here. I remember one family in particular. Dad was leaving the next day for military duty, and out of all the things he could have done with his family, he chose to bring them here. They played here all day, smiling and laughing up a storm. You could really tell that he wanted his children to have a happy and fun memory of that day since they wouldn’t see each other for a while,” she says.

The museum offers plenty of classes that can be attended by school groups or regular patrons. The classes depend on the day of the year, but all are extremely educational. “We have classes about science, history, and taking care of your body, to name a few. For example, we do a class on smoking. We have a set of healthy pig lungs, and a set of unhealthy pig lungs, meant to show the effects of smoking. In this class, the kids participate in a relay where one team has to carry an empty suitcase as the baton, and the other team carries a weighted suitcase. Each team can see how smoking would make your body so much more tired. The class, and many of our others, demonstrates important consequences to the decisions we make.

Johnson says the museum regularly works with Hispanic children. The museum introduces them to the community, and helps them understand how important they are to the community of Everett. “We invite Hispanic business owners and other local leaders in to demonstrate how important education is, and how everyone can be an important piece of the community,” she says.

The Future of Fun
Johnson hopes to bring in new ideas and promote even more growth at the museum, with the goal of expanding its current space. Success at the museum is dependant on grants and community support. In order for the museum to continue to thrive, admissions need to be successful, individuals need to donate and corporate entities have to develop sponsorships and partnerships with the museum.

The economy can present several challenges in partnering with funders, and a place like ICM will always have more needs than the community has money to serve. But Johnson says she’s not worried. “We get so many people from throughout the Puget Sound, beyond the boundaries of Snohomish County even. This place is so magical, and I truly believe there is something here for everyone.”

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