Why Trapezeum?

When our founder, Kevin Wilson, was learning about shapes as a child, he was fascinated with the one referred to as a trapezoid. He always envisioned an alien from the planet Zoid trapped inside the polygon. He doodled an image every similar to our logo over and over again in his school notebook. The image has always stuck with him, so when it came time to name for our non-profit organization, this idea were already fully-formed.

While the word trapezoid is used in North America, the shape is called a trapezium in most other parts of the world. We wanted our children’s museum to be a free and welcoming environment so when designing the final logo we left the shape open near the top to reflect that.

Meet Zee!

Unique Spelling

Trapezeum is spelled in such a way to offer symmetry with the word “Museum” and to help establish our name as a unique brand.

Why a Children’s Museum

As a parent in Sarnia, our founder often finds that he has to visit other municipalities for rewarding and educational experiences for his children. He has made countless day trips to various Children’s Museums and attractions in different cities on both sides of the border. There is a definite need for a local place where children can learn, play, and explore without having to leave the city. He knew that he wanted to build such a place and that his background as a classroom teacher would prove to be an asset.

Kids Need Spaces to Play and Learn

There are very few opportunities for children to freely engage in hands-on, unsupervised play. Many of the activities children are involved in on a daily basis have an overabundance of structure and critique built into them. This is true for school, organized sports, and various other programming such as music lessons and dance classes. Children need the chance to explore without interference or interruption. A children’s museum is a special place that is welcoming and inviting.

A Brief History of Children’s Museums

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was founded in 1899 to make exhibits accessible to children in a way that had not been done so before. Display cases were lowered and children were allowed to touch and interact with museum objects. It is heralded as the very first children’s museum.

Other American museums followed suit and opened small children’s sections. The Smithsonian opened a space for children in 1901. The Boston Children’s Museum was established in 1913. By 1975, there were close to 40 children’s museums in the United States. Canada got its first children’ s museum in 1989.

The Association of Children’s Museums was founded in 1962 to support and advocate for children’s museums, the ACM has more then 470 members in 16 countries.

A Vital Community Asset

A children’s museum is a vital asset to any community. It fosters learning experiences that help children prepare for future academic and social success. The programming compliments the curriculum taught in schools and reinforces the skills needed for academic success. Children’s museums have a positive impact on the local economy by attracting visitors to the area.

It Fosters An Inclusive Community

A children’s museum brings together families from diverse backgrounds and gives children the chance to interact and play together in a natural way. The museum also strengthens the community by encouraging partnerships with public schools, colleges, youth organizations, corporate partners, and community leaders.

A Visible Commitment to Early Education

A Children’s museum shows that a community is committed to early years education. This enhances the area’s appeal to young families who might choose to settle here.

A Safe and Welcoming Space

Children’s museums give young families a place to come and spend quality time together at their convenience. It doesn’t require a weekly commitment or appointment.

A Bright Future

We are very excited about about what the future holds in store for Trapezeum: Sarnia’s Children’s Museum.

We can’t wait to make our dream a reality!