our first pop-up children’s museum!
In August of 2026, we hosted our first pop-up at the O+ Exchange Clinic in Uptown Kingston. We saw around 475 guests over 7 days - including children, their grown-ups, teachers and community members. We also hosted our first field trip - thank you to the Center for Creative Education for visiting us!
Our pop-up was an example of what a permanent museum in Kingston could look like. We heard so much great feedback about where folks want to see a permanent space, what lessons they wanted to see illustrated and what kind of exhibits kids would enjoy. If you attended the pop-up but didn’t get a chance to provide feedback, please take our survey here.
Guests had the choice to explore the space following prompts that were available in both English and Spanish, but self-led exploration was also encouraged.
The materials used in the museum were mostly reused or secondhand, reflecting the ethos of the museum. We received donations from Ulster County ReStore - thank you! Some of the fabric, felt and polyfill was sourced from Frugal Fabrics, Kingston’s creative reuse shop. We also found a lot of props and fabrication materials from Free to Thrift, ReStore and on Facebook marketplace. Other items were donated from friends, families and volunteers. Items that were purchased new were mostly art and fabrication supplies - wood, nails, staples, tools, etc. Head here if you didn’t get a chance to donate!
Trash lab
The trash lab was our space for DIY and craft projects. It consisted of a table that volunteers constructed out of thrifted materials and used milk crates. We stocked the trash lab with lots of cardboard scraps, beads, yarn, googly eyes and other materials along with kid-safe scissors, crayons, glue, etc.
Some guests chose to follow the prompts to make fish for the river in the immersive forest or to make “the most interesting thing you can out of cardboard”. Other guests made whatever they felt inspired to!
One of the most important messages My Green Museum hopes to convey is that the natural world provides us with everything we need. Materials that might end up in the landfill - cardboard, bubble-wrap, used craft supplies, crayons that have seen better days - still have a lot of use in them and can bring us joy.
“This is my most favorite place in the world!” - A field trip attendee
local market
Stepping into the space, guests were greeted with a view of a market and café. The local market included handmade props by volunteers: salt dough baked goods, paper-mache produce, clay carrots, potatoes and garlic made from nylon tights, and cardboard food boxes, cartons and cans (emptied, stuffed with paper and then sealed). Reach out to us if you’d like to join us in making props in the future!
Kids had fun packing their shopping baskets with grocery items and bringing them to the check out counter. The setting encouraged lots of role playing - sometimes one friend was a customer and another was a shop attendant. Other kids really enjoyed putting the products back on the shelves!
The market also included tools and props encouraging STEAM learning. A real produce scale was a big hit, and the market included a chicken coop with eggs that needed to be counted, collected and placed in cartons for the market shelves. Other prompts introduced concepts of sustainability and local food sources.
We loved seeing the chickens travel the museum with guests, some were even lucky enough to have stories read to them!
“This is the most fun he’s had - ever. - A mom about her son exploring the market
café
The café was located right next to the market so kids could go shopping and then come to the cafe to cook their food. The cafe included a grill, stove, sink, refrigerator, prep zone and checkout counter as well as a bistro table set for customers.
We saw so many kids cooking and serving food to their grownups - very cute!
Prompts encouraged kids to explore different roles in the kitchen - promoting social and emotional learning.
“I’ve always dreamed of coming here!” - A field trip attendee upon entering the space
Recycled forest
In the back of the space was an immersive recycled forest made mostly of cardboard and other secondhand items. The centerpiece was a hollowed out, weaved cardboard trunk with mirrors inside. Real plants could be found alongside fabricated ones. Among the the trees was a fabric river with prompts encouraging guests to remove trash from the river.
Guests who created cardboard fish at the trash lab were encouraged to help build the museum by putting them in the river. Some guests took advantage of the butterfly wings and mushroom hat to dress up in and frolic around the forest.
The tall tube trees pictured above were made of the cardboard cores of fabric bolts wrapped in a thrifted blanket. They were held up by thrifted Christmas tree stands. Bird and forest sounds helped in creating a multi-sensory experience.
"My two toddlers and their friends were enthralled from the moment we walked into the My Green Museum Pop Up event. The play kitchen, the scenes, the crafting, almost everything was made from recycled and handmade materials. The children had fun and the parents connected. My Green Museum made a real place for learning, growth, and connection. It showed me how much our community loves and needs spaces like this!"
- Suzanne Campise (happy mom of 2 toddlers)
Cozy corner
Next to the forest, there was a reading corner with books that focus on sustainability and the natural world. Our book collection includes a few books by local authors (Chris Baker, On a Mushroom Day and Weaver and the Web and Alex Testere, Please Grow) as well as a selection by Awa-Moon, proprietor of Home Home Bookshop. Headphones were supplied for when the sound got too loud. There was also a tent with a soft rug, woodland stuffies and a play campfire - so cozy!
In our permanent space the museum will have a library and sensory-friendly zone for those wishing to relax and reset.
Photos by Olivia Gloffke. You can see more of her work here!
Thank you to all our volunteers, family, friends, donors, community-clean up crew and sponsors, O+ and to all the children who visited us!
Would you like to see another pop-up children’s museum or a permanent museum in Kingston? Donate today!