Habitot’s Mission

Curiosity, Creativity and Connection

Habitot’s mission is to help the broad community of parents and caregivers raise curious, creative and confident children. Hands-on exhibits and programs focus exclusively on early childhood.

Since opening in 1998, Habitot has welcomed over 900,000 people, filling a niche for new parents and caregivers who seek safe, appropriate and enriching experiences for young children, 0-5, as well as parenting support, connection and information for themselves.

Underlying the Museum’s mission is the knowledge that, in the earliest years of life, when brain development is advancing rapidly, intellectual stimulation and parent involvement are crucially important.

Habitot's Key Initiatives are:

• Advocating for Early Childhood Learning through Play—publicly demonstrating through exhibits and programs that young children learn best through play, and that children become socially skilled and emotionally healthy through play;
  
  
• Supporting Preschool Arts—
  cultivating children’s natural creativity and imagination from the earliest years through opportunities to create art and by presenting enriching cultural performances from musicians, dancers, storytellers and singers;
  
  
• Fostering Parenting Education—
  increasing parent/caregiver understanding of early childhood development and successful parenting to enhance parent-child bonding and family well-being so that children thrive; and
  
  
• Building Community—
  serving as a center for community engagement, parent-to-parent connection, and supportive caregiver networks, and including vulnerable populations through dedicated programs.

Habitot maintains dedicated outreach and inclusion programs to ensure that all families, including low-income as well as teen parent, homeless, LGBTQ and special needs families, are welcomed. In addition, as part of Habitot’s community outreach, exhibits travel to off-site locations in high-risk neighborhoods and staff conduct parent-child playgroups using exhibits as backdrops.

Habitot is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization that relies on tax-deductible donations for its existence. Admissions, memberships and other earned revenue cover only a portion of operational costs.

back to top