Join staff from Boston Children's Museum to learn about Tools for Tiny Hands (TTH), a new school readiness resource developed as part of Linking with Libraries: Opportunities for Early Learning through Family and Community Engagement (funded though Boston Children's Collaborative for Community Health). The TTH kit and resources provide opportunities for young children to develop and practice fine motor skills by offering playful, hands-on learning experiences which support the skills children need to succeed in school and later life. In this session, we will provide an overview of fine motor skills and share ways of using the TTH resources with families.

Robin Meisner, PhD is the Senior Director of Child Development at Boston Children’s Museum, where she focuses on advancing efforts to deliver developmentally-meaningful practice within the Museum’s programs, partnerships, and exhibit experiences. She was the lead developer on the Museum’s newest version of PlaySpace, an exhibit designed specifically for children ages birth to 3 and their caregivers. She is also responsible research and evaluation across the Museum - and she believes strongly that breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, and ice cream make everything better.

Kathryn Jones is the Senior Director of Community Engagement at Boston Children’s Museum, where she focuses on reaching children and families within the city of Boston and targeted communities throughout Massachusetts to access the Museum’s resources. She leads the Building a National Network of Museum and Libraries for School Readiness Project focused on developing and sustaining cross-sector partnerships in six states to provide informal learning experiences which support school readiness skill building for underserved families. When New England winter arrives each year, she appreciates time away feeling the sun on her face and grass in her toes.

Saki Iwamoto is the Health and Wellness Educator at Boston Children’s Museum, a Certified Child Life Specialist who is trained to optimize the development of children in medical settings or other stressful environments. At Boston Children's Museum, she promotes healthy child development through play and exploration for all children regardless of their needs. She implements staff training and advocates for best practice in exhibit and program design to promote accessibility and inclusion. She likes spending her free time with her cat, together observing various animals that visit her patio.