When you purchase a membership at the Children’s Museum of Tacoma or the Children’s Museum at JBLM, your family receives access to plenty of neat perks, including admission to special events and discounts. Did you know, however, that your membership is incredibly important when it comes to the operation of the Museums and special programming across Pierce County?

At Greentrike, we aim to advocate for and model equitable access to playful experiences for children, youth, and families — because play is essential for learning, joy, and a thriving community. When you become a member, you’re supporting more than a museum – you’re supporting an education and advocacy organization and all of our outreach programming.

Among them, here are just a few of the programs that your membership helps to fund:

Pay As You Will Admission to the Children’s Museum of Tacoma and the Children’s Museum at JBLM

The Children’s Museums of Tacoma and at JBLM are the first-ever children’s museums in the nation to operate solely based on a Pay As You Will admission model, which means that it is by donation only. This model began at the Children’s Museum of Tacoma in 2012 in order to better serve families and make play more accessible to those in the community. When the Children’s Museum at JBLM opened its doors in 2021, it also began operating using Pay As You Will Admission.

Play to Learn Pierce County

Play to Learn Pierce County is a drop in program for children ages six and under with their caregivers. At Play to Learn, it’s not uncommon to see the adults bonding over things like sleep routines and big toddler feelings, swapping tips, encouragement, and bits of wisdom! individual play, fun group activities, songs, and a whole group circle time for children and adults to enjoy together.

Thanks to support from generous donors, including Greentrike members, families attending Play to Learn can do so without the financial barrier of registration costs.

A young child and adult caregiver play with colorful blocks together on a green rug spread out on the floor.
A young child sits underneath a colorful parachute with other children, while adults sit in a circle around them and raise the parachute high above their heads.
A young child sits and plays with a tablet-like toy on a rug among other colorful toys.

The Monarch Diaper Bank

Diapers are basic necessities that all children require, as essential as food, shelter, and clothing, yet oftentimes state and safety net programs do not recognize them as such. To that end, many families rely on local and community run diaper banks to meet these needs. The Monarch Diaper Bank, launched in 2023, provides a 5-day supply of diapers to families in need and is hosted in the lobby of the Children’s Museum of Tacoma.

Beginning November 15, 2024, the Monarch Diaper Bank will launch its second location at the Children’s Museum at JBLM to bring this resource closer to home for families in our military community.

Thank You, Members!

As a member at your Greentrike museums, you’re an integral part of our mission to honor children and champion play. Your generosity helps sustain our Museums and other programs that make playful experiences accessible to families in our community.

Not a Museum member yet? Visit Greentrike.org/membership to become one today and make a difference in the lives of Pierce County children, youth, and families! Plus, throughout the month of November 2024, we’re offering $25 off the price of all memberships, including gifted ones. If purchasing online, make sure to use the code Fall25 at checkout to receive your discount!