Columbia Play Project

Columbia Play Project (CPP) creates exploratory play spaces and shared play experiences for the young and young-at-heart and inspires them to discover their passions. Focused on STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art and Math), CPP staff and volunteers offer events and programs that allow children to explore materials and activities that encourage discovery, problem-solving, and skill attainment. CPP takes its innovative mobile children's museum directly to neighborhoods to ensure that low income and BIPOC communities have access. Through partnerships with child-serving organizations, CPP brings the activities directly to the kids where they live, go to church or school, and through organizations with which they are already comfortable such as Boys and Girls Clubs.

Play is critical to a child's physical, emotional, social and intellectual development. When children are provided the time and materials for free play, they build the neural pathways that lay the architecture for future learning. Play supports their physical development leading to stronger and healthier bodies and allows children to work through the emotional and social challenges of childhood, increasing their ability to empathize, share, problem-solve, and plan. Further, play releases endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin in the body, which are positive hormones that counteract the negative stress hormone: cortisol. These "feel good" hormones support a child's ability to be happy, to focus and listen, thereby allowing for better behavior and more harmonious relationships.

Clark County has a variety of outdoor play spaces and some for-profit indoor play spaces. Not only is there no children's museum in Clark County, there is a 175 mile children’s museum desert from Olympia, Wa to Salem, OR. Columbia Play Project is working to change that by providing the opportunity for exploratory play in neighborhoods, specifically targeting lower income and immigrant families to provide a no-cost way to encourage play and family togetherness. 

In late 2019, a group of community members decided to build a children’s museum in Clark County, WA.  Shortly after, COVID 19 began ravaging the country and plans were put on hold…but not for long.  By mid 2020, the group developed a 3 Phase plan to provide exploratory play immediately.  Phase I is an at-home play kit called “Welcome to the Ecosystem”.  Launched in December 2021 and featuring six critter characters, the activity kit encourages children to go outside, notice and observe their surroundings, learn new words and identify land features.  The kit includes a 100 page activity book, stickers, slot-together critters, colored pencils and a canvas backpack.  Phase II is a Mobile Children’s Museum which is filled with toys and activities for exploratory play.  The MCM was generously funded by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation and is available for rental through the CPP website.   However, throughout 2021 and 2022, CPP provided Pop Up Parties in the Park, essentially an outdoor children’s museum, and served 17,000 attendees.  The MCM is already scheduled for many events in 2023 and expects a total number served in excess of 18,000 this year.  

Phase III is a full-scale children’s museum with permanent and rotating exhibit space; indoor and outdoor playground areas; Music, science, and computer labs; art space/makerspace; sensory room; and a curated children’s library created in partnership with Fort Vancouver Regional Library.  

CPP Board Members understand that children’s museums attract middle and upper income families.  In order to ensure that lower income, BIPOC and immigrant families also have access to exploratory play, CPP has created partnerships with organizations serving these communities and specifically plans events within these neighborhoods.  

Gifts made through Give Big WA will be used to provide exploratory play for people within Clark County’s low income neighborhoods.  We appreciate your generosity.