Become a Phase 2 Founder at kidSTREAM

As the world re-opens, kidSTREAM is getting ready to open our doors, but we need your help! Your gift today brings us a giant step closer to breaking ground on a space that will create a joy for learning through hands-on, minds-on play for every child who enters our doors.

We ask for your support today to move this vision forward: Opening our doors on our expanded space in 2023!

• An accessible treehouse adventure with multiple lookout peaks, linked together by rope bridges that sway over activities below.
  • Why is this important to children? Children need both "safe risk" and gross motor (large muscle) play, which are decreasing at a significant rate in today's childhood. Key development, both mentally and physically, happens when children take on risk, and a safe environment, like professionally designed and built rope bridges and treehouse lookouts provide this opportunity

• An agricultural space with a small pretend orchard and play farm, farmer's market, scales, a climbable tractor, as well as rotating carts for planting real plants.
  • Why is this important to children? Ventura County is home to a bountiful agricultural economy, and children are further removed from where their food is grown - even when it's close to their backyard. Additionally, pretend play is developmentally critical for children in that through this play important complex social and higher order thinking skills are developed and practiced.

• A Channel Islands adventure featuring a whale pod with water play, climbable Channel Islands, a rolling wave tunnel, balance surfboards and kayaks, climbable buoys, as well as a kelp obstacle course.
  • Why is this important to children? Our region's national park is mostly under water and many don't have the opportunity to visit, but we bring a fun and educational version of the Channel Islands to our children. Much of the play in this marine play space is gross motor play with scalable challenges for children of different ages and abilities.

Sand play with Pygmy Mammoth Dig and "Mud Kitchen" - This "beach" will separate the Channel Islands from the agricultural space, much like it does in Ventura County.

• Why is this important to children? Sand, like the water that will run into this area, is not only a sensory play opportunity, but helps develop fine motor skills, communication and socialization and cooperative play.

Water play with a meandering dry stream bed that children can hand pump water into to wash their fruit at the agricultural stand or bring to the "mud kitchen" for play in the sand.

• Why is this important to children? Water is a favorite sensory play tool for many children, and due to the conservative use of hand pumps which limit output and gray water collection plans, we can be mindful of this precious natural resource without denying children the opportunity for water play.

• First Responders Deck with a helicopter, ambulance, and several opportunities for children to not only step into the shoes of our local heroes, but learn about fire safety, weather, and what it might be like to take a ride with a Search and Rescue crew.
  • Why is this important to children? Our region is significantly shaped by fire and other elements like wind and drought, and kidSTREAM is uniquely positioned to teach about weather patterns, water conservation, and fire safety in ways that no other children's museum can. The donations of a Sheriff's helicopter and AMR Ambulance are central features of what will be a premier outdoor exhibit.

There are so many other exciting plans in the works for kidSTREAM's outdoor play space, from an amphitheater to an art and music space to a "secret garden" path with a labyrinth and vine covered tunnels and nooks, as well as many playful learning opportunities inside the over 16,000 square foot building.

We are so excited to bring these outdoor plans to you, but we need your help! Donate today to bring this much needed resource to the children of Ventura County!

Every gift on this giving chart goes toward "Building up STREAM," and at the level of "Accelerate" and above, designates your gift as a Phase 2 Founder with permanent naming recognition. Gifts can be made at one time or over a pledged period. Please contact kidSTREAM Executive Director, Michael Shanklin, to ask about how you can help build up STREAM!