Shelly Bovet – Wausau Children’s Museum
Co-Founder/Executive Director
What do you do?
I plan, organize, and implement programs and activities for children and families in the Wausau Children’s Museum and for our outdoor community events. The programs include science, art, sensory, story times, and active play for children of all ages.
What education, classes or training were helpful to you?
I have 10+ years of retail/management experience in a mall setting that guides me with the business side of running the Wausau Children’s Museum. For my education, I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a focus mostly on cognitive (learning) and childhood development. And, as a mom of five, observing how my little ones play certainly helps me develop programs and activities for the children’s museum!
Why did you choose this sort of work?
There are many reasons I chose to co-found the Wausau Children’s Museum. First, as a mom, I love being with my children. I choose to arrange most of my activities so that my children can be included in whatever I do.
Second, I have found that there are too many programs targeted to very young children that are very rigid in their approach. These type of programs leave parents in fear that their children will “fall behind” educationally if they do not enroll their child in this or that program. At Wausau Children’s Museum, we understand that children learn naturally though play and we have designed the space and programming that brings children, families, and the community together for creative, innovative, natural, and joyful learning and play.
Lastly, the Wausau area did not have very much for children to do on an everyday, drop-in basis, especially during our colder months. Creating the children’s museum gave children and families the opportunity to come to a welcoming environment full of activities to learn through play most any day of the week.
What do you like best about your work?
Play is essential for children’s mental health and well-being. I love seeing the pure joy and excitement on children’s faces as they run into the children’s museum to play! I love that we have created a fun environment that children enjoy and want to come back to again and again.
What advice would you give girls who want to get into your field?
The most important advice I can give to anyone who wants to design activities for children is to first step back and observe how children really learn though play. Leave behind any preconceived ideas or expectations of how an object should be incorporated into a child’s play or learning. Given the opportunity and freedom, children will constantly amaze you with their creativity and natural way of learning.
Anything else we should know?
I have recently been appointed as a social media ambassador to the Wausome Facebook page. This page is run by the City of Wausau and highlights all the wonderful features our city has to offer. My focus will be on our #wausome experiences particularly as they relate to children and families.