Answering Your Questions: What is the Difference Between a Children's Museum and a Recreation Center

There’s a lot of buzz and excitement right now across the Wahpeton-Breckenridge community—and for good reason. With major projects like the SPARC Recreation Center, the Infinity Center, and the Children’s Discovery Center, people are energized. But along with all the excitement, we have heard these questions often:

 “What’s the difference between a rec center and a children's museum?”

 "What exactly is a children's museum?'

Let’s clear things up—and celebrate what’s unfolding in our region.

Three Projects, One Purpose: Serving the Community in Different Ways

A rec center and a children’s museum may serve families and children, but they have different purposes.

A recreation center is focused on physical activity and fitness—it’s a place for swimming, sports, exercise, and staying active at any age. In contrast, a children’s museum is an educational play space designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and learning through hands-on exhibits and experiences. While a rec center might offer gym time or skating rinks, a children’s museum provides opportunities to build, explore, imagine, and discover—whether it’s experimenting in a STEM lab, digging into agriculture, or designing a miniature city. One supports active bodies, and the other supports active minds—and our communities need both!

So What Is the Children’s Discovery Center?

Great question! At its heart, the Children’s Discovery Center will be a place where children can play purposefully and in an educational way. Every exhibit, every program, and every corner of the proposed center is intentionally designed to support early learning, developmental growth, and career exploration through fun, hands-on experiences. And although we are in the midst of our capital campaign for the development and construction of the museum, we have big plans for what this space will look like and have already started serving the region through various pop-up events.

Let’s break it down with a few examples on what the Children's Discovery Center will look like:

STEM Exploration:  The Discovery Center STEM Lab is where kids and teens can build structures, test physics concepts, and get introduced to robotics and coding. In addition, this area will be where youth can explore careers in engineering, science, math, health careers, etc.

Motor Play: Need to burn energy during the long winter months? Our Tree Climber gives little kids a safe, exciting way to engage in gross motor play while exploring the environment from new heights.

Agriculture: Curious about farming, food systems, or how things grow? Our Growing Off the Land exhibit invites children to dig into the world of agriculture—literally! From selling produce at a farmers market to exploring plant life cycles and loading grain into a rail car, kids get a hands-on look at the incredible work happening right here in the valley. It's a fun and engaging way to connect them to the land, the science behind it, and the people who feed our world.

Construction & Trades: Curious about how houses are built? In our Building Our Community exhibit, kids can explore electrical work, plumbing, and construction! There are so many trade companies in the valley, and we are excited to help kids learn about these essential careers and opportunities!

Water Play & Science: Does your kid love playing in water? The Three Rivers Water Exhibit invites kids to build dams, divert water, and explore drainage systems. It’s a nod to the confluence of the Otter Tail, Bois de Sioux, and Red Rivers right here in Wahpeton-Breckenridge.

Arts and Culture: From visual arts to imaginative storytelling, the Children’s Discovery Center nurtures creativity in all its forms. In our Art Lab, kids can dive into free-play art experiences, guided projects, and seasonal art camps—including sewing, crafting, and design.

Whether kids are painting, building, or telling stories through their creations, children gain confidence by expressing themselves in meaningful ways. We also offer birthday parties and special events centered around creativity and celebration. Most importantly, our museum will reflect the rich cultural heritage of our region, showcasing the unique art, stories, and traditions that make the Red River Valley so special.

And the possibilities don’t stop there. We will offer summer camps, after-school programs, and family learning nights throughout the year. These programs allow kids to engage in meaningful play, learn about the world around them, and imagine their future careers—all while having fun.

Community: From a local seamstress offering to lead youth sewing classes, to parents sharing their excitement about building friendships and a sense of community with other families, the response has been heartwarming. The museum is becoming more than just a place for children—it’s becoming a space where connections are made, friendships are formed, and community is strengthened.

We’ve also heard from many other professional in the community including teachers and business owners who are eager to get involved, sharing their passion for education and their years of experience with the next generation. 

Professors at NDSCS have told us, “Wow, this feels like a mini NDSCS!” They recognize how our hands-on, play-based approach introduces kids to trades, agriculture, technology, and career paths early on—long before they have to make big decisions about their future. Local businesses have echoed this sentiment, excited to see a space where children are exploring real-world careers in a fun, engaging environment. Whether it’s construction, healthcare, agriculture, or the arts, our community is helping shape exhibits that introduce kids to the possibilities ahead—and that’s powerful.

Want to Get Involved?

Have more questions about the Children’s Discovery Center? Curious about how a children’s museum works or how you can help bring it to life? We’d love to connect with you!

📧 Email us at: thechildrensdiscoverycenter@gmail.com

As we are in the planning and development phases of opening the Children's Discovery Center, we’re looking for volunteers, community partners, donors, and local champions who believe in the power of play-based learning. Whether you’re an educator, a business owner, a parent, or just someone who wants to make a difference, we welcome your ideas and your energy.

Final Thoughts

Together, we can give our kids and families more places to play, learn, grow, and be active —because every child and family deserves the chance to explore, dream, and thrive.

Let’s keep dreaming, building, and growing—because the best is yet to come.