“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning,” says Diane Ackerman, author of the New York Times bestseller, “The Zookeeper’s Wife.”
This is echoed by psychiatrist Stuart Brown, a leading expert and author of the groundbreaking book on the science of play, aptly titled, “Play.”
“Play is something done for its own sake,” Brown writes. “It’s voluntary, it’s pleasurable, it offers a sense of engagement, it takes you out of time. And the act itself is more important than the outcome.”
Children have a new opportunity to engage in creative play with the Wimberley Library’s newest acquisition. A unique, handmade dollhouse has been added to their impressive repertoire of children’s programs.
Donated by former Wimberley resident Monica Brown, the red, two-story farmhouse was made by her father for her and is a replica of her childhood home. Not only did he build the house, he also made the majority of the furniture. Inside is a fireplace mantle, bed, chairs, miniature pots and pans and even cups with their names on them. The roof lifts up to reveal the attic space.
Brown donated it to the library last Christmas following the estate sale she held in advance of a move to Austin. Although beautiful, Brown told Youth Librarian Beth Jordan that she wanted the dollhouse to be played with. “It’s not meant to be a museum piece.”
Children, accompanied by an adult, can play with the dollhouse in 30-minute sessions by contacting Beth Jordan, Youth Librarian, at 512 847-2188, extension 1.
