Your Pre-visit Briefing
MoPA is founded on the belief that more play and creativity will paint a brighter future. Our Museums cater to children aged 1 to 7 and they champion unstructured, imaginative play that’s driven by the child. This approach is centred on open-ended inquiry and collaborative meaning-making. MoPA’s educational philosophy aligns seamlessly with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and the Victorian Curriculum, ensuring the strongest and most relevant learning foundations. We take immense pride in our recognition as global leaders and innovators in the fields we play.
When your little learners arrive at MoPA, they will generally require no encouragement to dive in. Everything you’ll find in the space is thoughtfully designed to allow children to safely discover and explore independently, without the need for instructions or cues. What might come as a surprise is that MoPA is not just a realm for little ones; it’s a place designed for families to explore and learn together. Every exhibit you encounter will allow for collaboration, and actually offers opportunities for both you and your child to engage in play and learning together.
Research indicates that children’s earliest development occurs through their connection to communities, especially their families, who serve as their initial and most influential educators; and so you will play a pivotal role in your child’s learning and growth during each MoPA visit.
Play may not come as naturally to some adults as it does to children, and parents often seek guidance on how to facilitate their little ones’ interaction with various exhibits. While you may spot me wandering the museum floor in my ‘expert in early learning’ t-shirt (please say hello, if you do!), ALL of our wonderful educators are capable of pointing you in the right direction in this regard. At any time during your visit, please don’t hesitate to ask us questions.
Our Museum’s are jam-packed full of exhibits and activities, but here are some of my personal favourites that will help you get your play-based experience started:
The Blue Block Room
This STEM-inspired exhibit encourages critical thinking while experimenting with engineering concepts. Collaborative building offers richer opportunities for your child to articulate observations and derive new meanings from their creation, and as a caregiver, you can prompt your child to identify shapes, angles, and patterns that provide stability to the structure. Or how about a family building challenge? Using 15 pieces, can you build a contraption that transports us across time? You’ve got 10 minutes.. GO!
Star Studio
Lights, camera, action! The Star Studio offers numerous learning opportunities, including increased confidence, creative expression, voice animation, and character development. By actively participating in this performing arts exhibit, you can help your child develop the capacity to present ideas to an audience through embodied expression and role-play. Why not encourage your child to dress up the adults in costumes, assign character names, teach dance moves, and stage a family performance? Participation from adults will deeply enrich your child’s experience here in the Star Studio – plus, it’s FUN!
Art Wall
Resembling a more traditional museum display, The Art Wall offers a range of learning moments, and is the chance to introduce your child to the world of art. Interact with the unique exhibits, mimic the displays, and discuss what you notice in each artwork. Whether identifying aesthetics like colours, textures, and shapes or forming opinions about preferences and why, these group discussions greatly benefit your child’s cognitive development and overall understanding of how broad our interpretation of the arts can and should be.
Zoom Room
Set up a family Zoom Room race! Time how long each car takes to get from start to finish. Who won? What shape was the track or car that they used? Did that help them win? How about the size and shape of the car – did that help? Try a few rounds using different tracks and sized cars to test out the differences. By actively using questions in this exhibit, you can prompt your little one to make new connections about the basics of physics. And as they compare the different race results, they consolidate new understandings about the effects of push and pull and an object’s shape and size.
Cinema Room
Need a break? Head to the Cinema Room, grab a beanbag, and read a book together. There’s nothing like finding a moment of stillness to savour the magic of MoPA. Taking time as a group to regulate energy and emotions in a low-sensory space underscores the importance of reflection, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence for your child. And if it’s ultimate peace you seek, be sure to find your way to our cocoon-like privacy rooms for time-out, silent feeding, prayer, or just some good quality quiet time together.
Remember, it’s okay for your visit to be entirely child-led. Depending on what captures the interest of your little one, you may explore some of these areas during one visit, and other areas next time. Embrace your child’s natural inclinations to unfold and enjoy the journey with them.
The learning potential in these spaces is boundless. Whether it’s socially developing through role play with new or old friends, dialogue and group games with fellow guests, cognitively developing with problem solving and critical thinking, or physically developing by increasing fine motor skills, coordination, balance and stamina – the learning opportunities at MoPA really are limitless.
If you’re interested in more ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our amazing MoPA Educators on the floor during your visit. We relish discussing all things related to play-based learning and creative exploration.
We cannot wait for you to dive in and experience all the ways your family can play together.
No matter what age, we’re always learning!
Billie Georgieff
Director | MoPA
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Wonder Club gets you $6 tix. Access ALL the Museums. ALL year. Nuff said. NOTE: Sign-up deadline extended until Sunday 4th October (last day of school hols).
DO NOT MISS THIS! x
$6 ENTRY, ALL YEAR, ALL MUSEUMS? Yes, and there is still time to join - DO NOT MISS THIS!!
Our “Wonder Club” sign up deadline has now officially been extended for school holidays (ending Sunday 4th October). 🥳🎈🕺
Starting… NOW! Make Dad (or anyone else special in your life) a gorgeous lil’ medal - just for being THEM.
“MoPA Medals” is showing this week, and right up until Father’s Day. x
ANY excuse (to dress up) will do. And what better excuse than… BOOK WEEK!!!
What do we want? BOOK WEEK!
When do we want it? BOOK WEEK!
(Starts SAT 22nd August @ MoPA)
Reading books to our children, seeing them learn to read by themselves, and then watching their passion for learning through books develop, are among the most magical moments of raising children. This week we celebrate all of this magic and more. Dress up, read with us, and MAKE YOUR VERY OWN BOOK!!! Yasssss!!!
⚠️WARNING⚠️ This is NOT a joke. Our new UBER-great-value “Wonder Club Membership” costs just $28 kids / $18 adults, and then provides you with access to ALL our Museums, ALL year long, for just $6 kids / $4 adults 🎫 ❤️ 🎨 💃
START SAVING FROM YOUR FIRST RETURN VISIT!!
At this time, sign up for Wonder Club is available until AUG 30, 2026. You do NOT wanna miss this!! xx
Groceries, rent, fuel, bills, mortgages, interest rates…
All household expenses are out. of. control.
And as a result, the family outings that were once part of weekly routines are harder to fit into the budget than they ever been.
Regardless of how tough things get, we believe Australian families should NEVER have to sacrifice the amazing cultural experiences that enrich childhood. The zoo. The gallery. The Museum. Time with friends and family, out in our community, being creative, experiencing the world together.
While MoPA can’t control the cost of fuel, or interest rates, what we can do is innovate; create new ways to make our own cultural experiences as affordable as possible…
✨ Introducing: MoPA’s Wonder Club Membership✨
For $28 per child and $18 per adult Wonder Club members can access ALL our Museums, ALL year long for just $6 for children, and $4 for adults.
This VERY affordable annual membership pays for itself on your first return to MoPA, and builds more savings with every visit. The majority of MoPA families visit 4-5 times per year - this new membership will save these families more than $220 per year. ❤️
Our team are on standby to help with any questions you have (1800 00 66 72). But also, there’s LOADS of info on our website!!
x MoPA
LOOKING FOR WORK?! ATTN: All cafe, barista, hospitality peeps, educators, ALL LEGENDS - MoPA is hiring casual and part timers. Check out our website for roles based at Nunawading, Thomastown, Sandringham, Geelong!!
