Member Spotlight: The Fraser Family - A Journey of Learning and Growth at the Amazeum

The Fraser family's story embodies the spirit of exploration and discovery at the Amazeum. Since 2016, when the family moved from Texas to Bentonville, Katharine Fraser and her four kids, Garrett, Ava, Bella, and Samatha have been avid participants in the museum's programs. Garrett, the eldest, has been attending summer camps, while Ava has been a regular at Little Tinkerers since she turned three. Bella and Samatha are following in their siblings' footsteps, eager to join in the fun when they are old enough.

Katharine has seen firsthand the positive impact the Amazeum has had on her children. From shaping their curiosity and creativity to helping them overcome perfectionism and fear of failure, the experiences at the Amazeum have been invaluable. The Fraser family's engagement with the Amazeum goes beyond attending programs. They have embraced the museum's philosophy of learning through tinkering and exploration in their daily lives. Whether it's building with foam boards and tacks or creating box cities from recycled materials, the Fraser kids are always experimenting and learning.

One of the most significant aspects of the Amazeum for Katharine is its impact on her children's education. The museum's unique approach to hands-on learning has helped Garrett improve his school performance by incorporating tinkering into his schoolwork.

Katharine says, “The staff here allow them to fail and praise them for failing. A mistake is something that you learn from, and that’s hard for kids who desire to do really well and learn that it’s okay to fail. You have to fail a bunch of times before you learn how to succeed at something. Tinkering has given them permission to fail and applauded them for it. I think that is what is valuable. There is no wrong. You go in and you try different things. You might hypothesize how it might turn out and it might not turn out the way you wanted, but you learn how to work with the materials. It’s okay if it’s not perfect.”

The Amazeum is so grateful to be able to support creative talent and encourage positive attitudes like curiosity and confidence in anyone who comes to visit us! Thank you for your continued support!