Micah Noel
On the corner where Temple Avenue and College Street meet lies a place for learning and wonder. The historic building now houses the Children Connect Museum, preparing for one of its biggest events.
Like all great things, Children Connect started as an idea. In 2014, Pamela Prange, a known local, wanted to create a museum for Newnan’s younger residents. Development started that same year with the help of a supportive committee and partners.
“She and some members of the historical society had the vision to have more of an extension of the historical society but focused on just children,” says Board President of Children Connect Tori Hansen.
Upon admission, four rooms prioritize different types of play. The Connecting Room focuses on tactile play with LEGOS, fossils and the popular building system K’NEX. The Your World room imitates places in the real world, including a grocery store, costume play and a bank. For younger visitors, the Pre-K Room is the place to go, with foam mats and toddler toys. The Imagination Lab provides a more coordinated way of play, using a classroom structure where crafts are created based on a STEM curriculum. A Drop-In craft is included with admission using recycled and donated materials.
“We really try to have educational play options for them so they’re learning, but they don’t realize they’re learning,” says Torres.
Children Connect has been on a steady incline since reopening shortly after the completion of the pandemic. Before the virus, the museum provided more programs focusing on ages 8-12. Builder’s Club and Creator’s Club were among the popular programs for the age range, but due to the amount of in-person involvement was cut short. Knowing that this sector of its audience is being underserved, the museum is currently developing new programs focused on them. The recently launched program LEGO Hour takes place every Wednesday. The program is included with admission and promotes healthy competition and teamwork through special projects.
“You know how kids love something for a week or two, and they’re over it, and Mom and Dad have all this clutter in their house,” says Hansen. “You can check toys in and out as much as you want. So, you can take it home, enjoy it, play with it, bring it back and swap it out for something new.”
One of the most popular events is right around the corner, and the best part is that it’s free to the public. The Trick-or-Treat Glow Forest event is only two years old but has given the museum great exposure. Happening every year on Halloween, the historic house is turned into a glow-in-the-dark forest that families can walk through, snagging candy along the way.
“College Street, everyone does Halloween big, so we are a stop on the trick-or-treat route,” says Torres.
Preparation for the event takes roughly two workdays as volunteers decorate the building with donated tapestries and glow-in-the-dark effects. All the candy is donated but had to be quadrupled last year due to the heavy traffic.
“They almost had 2,500 people through last year,” says Hansen. “Yes, we are taking candy donations.”
The museum hopes that the attention received will transfer to more volunteers, programs, memberships and funds. The museum only has one part-time employee, Cara Torres, who heads the current agenda.
“Hopefully someday we can get there,” says Hansen. “Bring this space to the most potential it can be and get that support from the community.”
The Children Connect Museum is open Tuesday-Friday. For more information, check out their website.