A Museum Focused on Educating Children Through Play

The Knock Knock Children’s Museum was the dream of seven dedicated women in Baton Rouge, La. who spent 14 years making the museum a reality. The 501(c)(3), private non-profit is committed to providing an inclusive gathering place where families and children of all backgrounds and experiences can interact and learn through play. “It’s a special place that provides hands-on interactive exhibits called Learning Zones,” said Jimmy Frederick, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Knock Knock.

With over 18 Learning Zones in the museum, some of the favorites include the Story Tree and the book climber, which was designed by Spencer Luckey, a noted architect of climbing structures. The Knock Knock is busy with its six-day a week schedule which has led to more than 200,000 visitors per year. Anchored in research and evidence-based practices, addressing all areas of development, the Learning Zones are designed to create teachable moments that will connect children’s everyday experiences to learning. The holistic approach is what provides children with early literacy skills while expanding knowledge and raising interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) subjects and careers. “The Knock Knock’s vision for the future is now held by the new Executive Director, Peter Claffey, who has led children and education museums in Connecticut and Dallas,” said Frederick. Beyond the 18 Learning Zones, the Knock Knock offers field trips, home school programs, camps, artist in residence, professional development, accessibility programs, outreach, and resources for Teachers and Parents. 

Like many businesses, the Knock Knock shut down temporarily due to COVID-19 and a “stay-at-home” executive order. “It was a challenging time for parents who were essentially homeschooling their children. The Knock Knock quickly adjusted to provide a digital platform with virtual content and access to lessons that are tied to the Learning Zones,” said Frederick. The museum also created parent resource guides to help keep children’s imagination engaged while they play and learn.

The museum has announced a collaboration with California-based Conscious Kid Library, an organization that promotes multicultural literacy, anti-bias education, and empowerment through access to diverse children’s books. Each month, Conscious Kid Library curates a focused book list inspired by the museum’s programmatic themes. These books are added to Knock Knock’s Story Tree Library, with each month’s series on display and used for field trips and other special programs. The museum is also developing Big Backyard Tales, a weekly art and literacy program designed around the Conscious Kids Books. The Knock Knock and Conscious Kid Library believe passionately that all families and children should have access to cultural learning opportunities that build empathy, encourage creative thought, problem solving, and inspire global citizenship. 

Although the museum is focused on children, they recently delivered 1,000 masks and are partnering with Front Yard Bikes to deliver STEAM kits to children across our community. To learn more visit knockknockmuseum.org