QNA
Doha
Qatar has not only focussed on introducing authentic, inspiring, cultural, ancient, and contemporary experiences for adults in its museums, but also paid great attention to the children within its growing network of world-renowned museums.
This interest was embodied in the fact that Qatar Museums — the entity responsible for supporting and developing museums and the culture sector in Qatar, announced in June 2021 the name of the newest museum dedicated to children and families in Qatar, under the name 'Dadu: Children's Museum of Qatar'.
This museum is an oasis of stimulating, interactive, indoor, and outdoor experiences, and is the first national museum of its kind to provide children and their families with spaces dedicated to learning and growth through stimulating methodologies such as open play, exploration, and experiment.
The museum also seeks to promote the development of children, arouse their curiosity, and encourage them for fruitful cooperation and constructive dialogue, by providing the necessary tools to encourage creativity and instill a sense of social responsibility, as well as contribute effectively to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 for human, social, economic and environmental development.
As the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 approaches - the most prominent global sporting event, 'Dadu: Children's Museum of Qatar' is considered as one of the most important destinations and tourist attractions that Qatar guests from all over the world can visit with their children and enjoy the unique and meaningful activities it provides.
On its website, Qatar Museums explains that the reason behind choosing the name 'Dadu' is a standard Arabic word related to the verb play, and is associated with other words like dada, or fun, and dwady, which refers both to swings and to the footmarks left behind after swinging, and other scribbles that children scratch on stones.
This word was often used in ancient Arabic poetry and was also used in a variety of ways to depict children's instinct for play, and to describe a child's pleasure, curiosity, and desire to explore the world around them.
This word is the best evidence that playing has always been an integral part of childhood, regardless of place or time.
On the other hand, the museum adopts a constructive approach in the field of teaching and learning, where methods are developed and educational goals set in line with different learning styles and distinct stages of evolution, to encourage children to move forward in a challenging educational journey, as it is based on the foundations and concepts of child development psychology, brain science and applicable practices.
The museum provides all types of games, whether physical, representational, imaginative, sensory or social motor skills, in order to support the learning process of children, instill a love of exploration and creativity in them, in addition to inspiring them and providing them with the necessary skills to achieve their learning journey.
As for children with disabilities in Dadu, they have a special place, through the museum's endeavour to achieve the highest standards of accessibility to learning - whether for children or accompanying family members and reducing the level of segregation between people with different abilities.
Qatar Museums stresses that it pays great attention to all children and always looks forward to providing a space for them and their families through Dadu, by inspiring them to practice various forms of play, exploration, and learning, and for the museum to leave a significant impact on their lives and memories.
As part of its commitment to the concept of sustainability, Qatar Museums inaugurated, on Nov. 18, 2021, the Dadu Park for the Children's Museum in Qatar, which represents one of the museum's most important landmarks and a prominent element in Qatar's vision for a green and more sustainable future.
Dadu's Gardens represent the museum's lungs, are they resemble 'living classrooms' that use interactive nature-driven play to nurture children's physical, social, and emotional development.
Spread over an area of 14,500 square meters, these gardens will allow children and families to learn about nutrition, healthy eating, the environment, earth sciences and much more, by helping to grow the important fruits and herbs in the area.
It should be noted that the construction of 'Dadu: Children's Museum of Qatar' witnessed unprecedented cooperation between the public and private sectors in Qatar, through the donations provided by contributors from the two sectors.