Exhibits are the heart of a children’s museum, and a dynamic set of inspiring and interactive exhibits will form the centerpiece of Neighborhood North. We are in the process of planning self-guided exhibits that will encourage varied types of play; offer solid content across the arts, sciences, and literacy; and invite both child and adult engagement. Our exhibits will be designed to meet important goals in child development, adult-child interaction, and community-building. Neighborhood North will support the learning of families with young children in Beaver Falls and the surrounding communities by providing an indoor/outdoor space that encourages curiosity, exploration, and innovation through play.

Why is play so important?

Aside from the fact that it’s super fun, play is one of the most engaging and powerful tools there is to help kids gain valuable academic insights and to develop the 21st Century skills essential for lifelong success. Skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, social skills, leadership, technology literacy, and more.

Play also creates quality family and friends time by bringing us together to share positive interactions and discoveries that keep us present in the moment and put smiles on our faces and hearts.

The Local Connection

At Neighborhood North, our exhibit designs are expert-informed, however, we are particularly excited to connect with and support local artisans, area STEM clubs and students in the creation of some of our exhibits.  One of our more versatile displays will be our magnet wall with a variety of interactive options, such as gears and tubes. This is a standard exhibit in many children’s museums that allows children to explore and manipulate the objects, how they work and the noise they make.  It also gives their grown-ups the opportunity to make real-world connections to clockworks, gravity, slopes, pulleys, and larger systems.   

What makes our gear system so unique is that it has been designed and created by a local small business owner and artisan, Danny Harper of Monaca, PA.  Danny not only created these fantastic gears for our space but will also host creative workshops for neighborhood kids once we are able to do so!  Once Beaver County moves to green, I recommend that you check out Harper’s Barber Shop to see the amazing craftsmanship that can be found in Beaver County! Afterwards, come visit us at Neighborhood North and PLAY!

To go along with Harper’s Gears is a tubing system that is being crafted by Gabe Reighard, local retiree and father of our very own board member, Cassie Brkich.  We are excited about this engineering system that Gabe is constructing out of PVC pipes designed to allow kids the inquiry-based play that inspires prediction, experimentation, and cooperation.  We can’t wait to see the types of systems our local kiddos create with these!