Exhibit Feature Friday

At the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM), we use the word exhibit to describe the interactive experiences, spaces, and displays spread across three floors and immediately outside the facility at 250 Thompson’s Point Road. CMTM is home to over 15 exhibits, each designed to encourage experiential learning through open-ended play.

Our team at CMTM decided to give each exhibit the spotlight it deserves and is dedicating Fridays to highlighting a new exhibit, diving a little deeper into the WHY and HOW behind each playful space and experience.

EXHIBIT: Lighthouse Cove

LOCATION: 3rd Floor

Lighthouse Cove is an enclosed exhibit on CMTM’s 2nd floor, designed with the youngest visitors in mind. This exhibit is intended for children ages 0 - 3, and individuals practicing their mobility and motor skills. Low walls and a simple gate ensure that youngsters can play and take safe risks while moving freely throughout the space.

Lighthouse Cove offers floor-to-ceiling views of the Fore River and Thompson’s Point. Curious children can watch birds soar through the open sky, cars drive around the peninsula, and planes land at the Portland International Jetport while playing in this seaside-themed area. Lighthouse Cove features a giant sandcastle and lighthouse tower (made possible by a generous gift from Joel & Joanna Pond) that children can climb around and inside. Textured panels, blocks, and cut-out puzzles built into the exhibit add additional opportunities for sensory and imaginative play.

A beloved feature of Lighthouse Cove is the air stream (made possible by a generous gift from Steve & Mimi Barber). In the middle of the exhibit sits a padded ring with an air jet that gently blows upwards from the center. Visitors delight in levitating beach balls and stuffed animals and experimenting with the cause-and-effect nature of this simple interactive.

Within the Lighthouse Cove exhibit is a second gated area designed for infants and crawlers. This padded section is outfitted with gross motor exhibits and toys to assist mental and physical development. Babies can practice wiggling, rolling, and tummy time in this safe and comfortable space.

LIGHTHOUSE COVE TIPS:

-This is a shoe free zone! Visitors of all ages are asked to take their shoes off but keep socks on.
-The pathway around the air stream is covered with accessible carpeting, and visitors who use mobility devices can navigate throughout the space.
-There is a fully padded infant zone for babies to practice tummy time and other motor skills while avoiding toddlers. This flooring is not accessible for wheelchairs.

Accessibility

While Lighthouse Cove is designed for toddlers, the space is open for any visitors practicing their mobility and motor skills, and for whom a gentle play space is developmentally appropriate.

Did You know?

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine offers a weekly science program designed especially for toddlers. Science for Tots is a gathering of families with children five and under to explore many aspects of science through an early childhood lens. Educators use play, drama, movement, and sensory investigations to explore topics from as small as microbes to as large as whales!

Learn more about upcoming Science for Tots programs here: https://www.kitetails.org/event-program-calendar

The Lighthouse was made possible by a generous gift from Joel and Joanna Pond.

The Airstream was made possible by a generous gift from Steve & Mimi Barber.

Coming Up Next:

Tune in next Friday to learn about the Go with the Flow exhibit!

Exhibit Feature Friday: Lighthouse Cove