Did you know that TCM is 100% run by volunteers?? No one gets paid, not even our board members. 

Over the past year we have had some AMAZING people volunteer with us periodically and a couple that have decided to stick around for a more long term opportunity. 

I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to our Design Committee Chair - Cara Deetz and our Programs Committee Chair - Susan McCoy. Without these women TCM would be lost. They, along with our board members and committees are responsible for bringing our exhibits to life and into the community!

I asked them to share with you a little bit about themselves below - if you'd like to know how you can be more involved with TCM sign up for our newsletter here - or hop on over to our contact page for specific needs we are trying to fill!

We recently visited Temple ISD's "Excellence in Education" vendor fair and received a lot of questions about or Sensory/Magnet bottles. Our homemade bottles were a hit at our summer pop-ups as well with all ages!

Below you can find instructions on how to create your own at home.

We used this blog post as a guide to create our bottles. 

Materials needed: 

• Plastic Water bottle (we used Voss plastic water bottles. These can be found locally at CVS in the refrigerated section)
• Baby Oil (to buy in bulk check Amazon or Sam's
• Rice + Food Coloring to dye it (to dye your rice follow the instructions here)
• Colorful objects (water beads, loom rubber bands, glitter, etc.)
• Metal Pieces (paper clips, washers, etc.)
• Gorilla or Super Glue
• Magnets (we used these from Amazon)

Instructions: 

• Fill bottle with your colorful/metal objects about 1/4-1/2 of the way full
• Fill the remainder with oil or Colored Rice (plain rice works too)
• Place cap on bottle to test the look of it - add more objects or oil as needed
• When you are satisfied with bottle glue cap on using super glue of your choosing

The possibilities are endless with sensory bottles. Add Glitter to your baby oil for a fun twist and eye catching sparkle, or throw in some metal washers with the colored rice and use the magnets to seek them out. 

Some tips from our founding board member Ashley Heinrich on constructing your bottles: 
​"The baby oil is key to keeping your metal objects from not rusting, the glitter helps to mask any discoloration on the bottle that could be caused by the oil."
"I think the colored rice really works best for longevity purposes."

Temple Children's Museum began to take shape over many meetings around dining room tables starting in January 2016. With the support of the community and many volunteers TCM became a reality. Today we are a museum without walls that serves Temple residents and the surrounding communities.

Ellen Burnett - Ellen has a degree in history from Texas A&M with a minor in Sociology. She is a former High School Social Studies teacher and coach. Ellen has worked with children of all ages in an education setting, from individual care to large scale classroom teaching. She currently organizes a play group for pre-school age children and their parents.

Susan Chandler - Susan graduated from the University of North Texas with a BFA in Interior Design. She is Montessori certified for ages 6-12 and taught Montessori education for 9 years. Susan also has experience organizing summer programs and teaching art to children of all ages.

Ashley Heinrich - Ashley graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S in Nutrition and a minor in Speech Communication.  She is a former restaurant special events coordinator, summer camp assistant director, and lab manager. Ashley has worked with children and adults of all ages and backgrounds. Currently she teaches peer fitness classes and volunteers with both children and youth church programs.

Kathryn Hermans - Kathryn has a degree in Education from Texas State University. She is an established member of the community, and very involved in the arts and humanities. Kathryn is currently the director of Covenant Lutheran Pre-School.

Hannah Weekley -  Hannah and her husband Zack retired from travel nursing to start a family in Temple. Hannah currently works as a PICU nurse at McLane Children's Hospital and has a passion for helping young families connect through hands on learning.

Recently we asked each of our founding board members "What does TCM mean to you?" 

Ellen: "I see Temple Children's Museum as a place where parents and caregivers can experience childhood again with their kids. A place to put away the distractions of life for a few moments and really connect with one another. On a more personal note, TCM has brought me back to life, so to speak. While I enjoy being home with my kids and spending those precious moments together, I have always maintained a desire to serve others and be involved in my community. In the short time we have been around, Temple Children's Museum is already making a direct impact on the community and it feels good to be a part of that. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this adventure."

Susan: "Opening a children's museum has been a dream of mine for quite some time. I wanted a place to take my own children; somewhere we could play, learn, and explore together.  I hope Temple Children’s Museum will benefit our community by providing an environment which stimulates creativity and generates excitement for learning from visitors of all ages.  For me, seeing this dream turn into a reality has been very humbling and rewarding."

Ashley: "My involvement in Temple Children's Museum is based on three foundations. The first is to to be a positive impact on my children and their learning.  As with most moms, my children are my life! They are both a never ending full time job. Second is to be an active member in my community. It has been a dream of mine to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, a prominent member in his community for over 60 years.  Third is to promote a healthy and happy life for others through STEAM education.  To be able to combine my children and my small dream with a holistic educational approach is the best opportunity I could have imagined.  I believe that the extreme interest from our community members and organizations only further cements these three 'principles' and I look forward to the impact the museum will have on the people of the community for generations to come. "

Kathryn: "Raising my four children in Temple and being a pre-school director I have always been aware of the need for hands on learning opportunities in Temple. When Susan came to me with this idea I immediately said 'We can make that happen!' I am very active in the community and passionate about education, so the museum really brings both of these together for me and allows me to leave a legacy for future generations in the community I love so dearly."

Hannah: "To me, Temple Children’s Museum means a place to experience learning and joy as a family. Temple is the place my husband and I have chosen to raise our family, and we love everything that this amazing community has offered to us personally. Working with children has always been my passion, and sharing that passion with an inspiring group of people that spans across Bell County has been nothing short of extraordinary. Being a part of something that has the potential to forever change the landscape of Temple and its families through hands on learning and interactive play is such a humbling experience, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of something so impactful."

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us! We look forward to meeting each of you at one of our pop up exhibits around town. Be sure to check the events tab for more information on where we'll be and when!