The Columbia Play Project begins planning a children's museum to host Clark College's first fundraising luncheon

The Columbia Play Project will begin the first phase of planning for a children's museum in Clark County this summer.

The nonprofit has sought to build a children's museum in Clark County since its founding in 2020, said executive director Jeanne Bennett. Starting in July, the nonprofit will begin the community engagement process to raise concerns, hopes and dreams for the space. The Columbia Play Project collects feedback through online surveys and events.

Bennett said community feedback is an essential first step in the planning process.

“We don't want to have a children's museum in 10 years where everyone says, 'Well, that thing doesn't really fit the bill,'” Bennett said. “We collect this feedback upfront and then use it from the start to create a space that is warm, inviting and accessible to a variety of people.”

Bennett said the children's museum will cost between $10 million and $30 million in a remodeled existing space. Building something from scratch would cost closer to $40 million. Bennett said her hope is to see a full-fledged museum completed sometime in 2027.

In April 2023, Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver, secured $515,000 from the state to jump-start the project. The money will be used for public engagement as well as business and strategic planning and design, Bennett said.

While planning begins for a large museum, the Columbia Play Project will continue to operate its Mobile Children's Museum, a van that travels around the county to provide educational and exploratory play experiences.

The organization also developed home play sets for children ages 3 to 7 that focus on animal habitats and ecosystems.

As an organization, the Columbian Play Project is committed to finding more ways to provide accessible play to children and families throughout Clark County, Bennett said.

Last winter, the organization partnered with Fourth Plain Forward to host free, interactive play sessions at the Fourth Plain Community Commons. Bennett said she hopes the organization can host more sessions like this in the future.

“The cognitive and emotional component is important when children play and are given the freedom to simply play with materials, either in a group or alone. Their brains actually grow the synapses that create the architecture for all their future learning,” Bennett said.

On Thursday, the Columbia Play Project will host its first fundraising luncheon at Clark College with keynote speaker Jana Mohr Lone of the University of Washington. For more information or to purchase tickets to the luncheon, visit www.columbiaplayproject.org.