Cayton Children's Museum is partnering with Connections for Children to bring weekly Parent Cafés and Family Math Workshops to Santa Monica — a new Wednesday evening series designed to support parents and caregivers of children ages 2–5, launching February 18.

Located in Downtown Santa Monica just blocks from the Pacific Ocean, the Cayton Childrens' Museum offers 21,000 square feet of discovery-based exhibits and immersive play. CMS Core Values Everyone Belongs Here Every child and family is welcome here—across cultures, languages, and abilities—treated with dignity, care, and respect. Play Brings Us Together Play helps children connect, cooperate, and understand one another, building relationships grounded in care and empathy. Discovering What’s Right Play gives children the space to explore right and wrong, shaping honesty, courage, and respect in how they act and relate to others. Caring For The Community We foster fairness and shared responsibility, helping children see that their actions matter beyond themselves. Exploring What’s Possible Children are invited to ask questions, imagine possibilities, and think for themselves as they make sense of the world around them. Understanding Ourselves We support emotional understanding, balance, and moments of rest & renewal that help children build resilience over time. Respecting Nature We encourage children to care for nature, understand shared responsibility, and recognize how today’s choices shape tomorrow. Learning Together Children learn best when trusted adults explore alongside them—sharing curiosity, asking questions, and discovering together. Our Vision for 2026 Hands-On Exhibits We aim to create immersive, hands-on exhibits that invite children and families to explore ideas through play, curiosity, and open-ended discovery, supporting joyful and self-directed learning. LEARN MORE Interactive Programs We intend to design interactive programs that bring children together through guided play, creative expression, and shared experiences, helping them practice communication, collaboration, and emotional growth. LEARN MORE Community Connections We aspire to foster community connections that extend play beyond the museum, strengthening relationships among families and linking shared experiences to the broader civic and cultural life around us. LEARN MORE Our History LEARN MORE A Legacy Built Through Play The Cayton’s story spans decades of imagination, learning, and community—from its early beginnings to the Zimmer Children’s Museum, and today’s Cayton. Each chapter reflects a deep belief in the power of play to shape kinder, more connected generations.

Cayton Children's Museum welcomes members of the press to visit complimentary via pre-arranged visits scheduled with the Marketing team. Los Angeles Magazine's Best of LA 2023: Where to PLAY NEWS & PRESS Members of the press are welcome to visit Cayton Children's Museum complimentary via pre-arranged visits made with our Marketing team. Please contact marketing@caytonmuseum.org for more information. News Play for All: Inside Cayton Children's Museum's Mission to Reach Every Child Apr 6 KTLA 5: Santa Monica hosts free Lunar New Year celebration event Feb 23 Voyage LA (interview with Thomas Sullivan) Voyage LA spotlights Cayton Children's Museum CEO Thomas Sullivan, tracing his path from classroom teacher to nonprofit leader, and the community-first vision driving the Cayton's growth in Los Angeles. Feb 19 Connections for Children Partnership Announcement Cayton Children's Museum is partnering with Connections for Children to bring weekly Parent Cafés and Family Math Workshops to Santa Monica — a new Wednesday evening series designed to support parents and caregivers of children ages 2–5, launching February 18. Feb 18 1 2 3 Press Releases Cayton Announces We All Play Family Celebration 2026 April 13, 2026 VIEW Worldwide Day of Play with a New Exhibit September 23, 2024 VIEW The Cayton's May 2024 Program Events May 8, 2024 VIEW Cayton Brings Free Weekly Family Programming March 23, 2026 VIEW Baby Shark Takes a Swim Break at the Cayton August 22, 2024 VIEW Cayton Children's Museum Celebrates 5th Birthday July 2, 2024 VIEW Celebrating the Magic of Play at the Playmakers Gala November 14, 2024 VIEW The Cayton's June 2024 Program Events June 6, 2024 VIEW FAQ Frequently Asked Questions Check out the FAQ page HERE

The Cayton activates the power of play to enrich the lives of children and their families, build stronger and more connected communities, and create a better world. We expect our staff, volunteers, vendors, and guests to contribute to making the Cayton a space that is safe, welcoming, and comfortable for all visitors. Visiting the Museum The Cayton activates the power of play to enrich the lives of children and their families, build stronger and more connected communities, and create a better world. We expect our staff, volunteers, vendors, and guests to contribute to making the Cayton a space that is safe, welcoming, and comfortable for all visitors. Accordingly, by visiting the Cayton, you agree to the following code of conduct: Drop-offs are not allowed. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all adults must be accompanied by children while visiting the museum. Children must always be supervised by their adults. Our museum is a community space, which means that sharing, kindness, collaboration, respect, and patience are essential. Please model positive behaviors for your children and do not touch or verbally reprimand a child from another family. Please take good care of our museum facilities and exhibits. Any intentional damage to property must be repaired or replaced at the expense of the visitor causing the damage. Strollers are not allowed in the museum exhibit areas. They must be left at the designated stroller parking area in the lobby. Guests are responsible for their belongings. Lockers are available to our guests free of charge on a first come, first served basis. The Cayton is not responsible for any lost or missing items. For the safety of all guests, no running in the museum. Except where indicated, shoes are required in the museum. Some exhibits have special rules (e.g. age restrictions or shoe-wearing policies) that must be followed by all guests. Please be mindful of the privacy of other visitors in the space when taking photos of your family. Security cameras monitor the museum space at all times. Additionally, visitors may be filmed, recorded or photographed by the Cayton for educational and promotional uses. Please inform the guest services staff if you would prefer not to be photographed. You may review our privacy policy here . We reserve the right to prohibit any guest activity that we determine may be harmful, disruptive, or inappropriate at any time. Harmful, disruptive, inappropriate, disrespectful and/or abusive behavior may result in immediate removal from the museum without refund and may be grounds for revoking membership. Our staff is here to help! Please contact a Cayton staff member immediately with any needs, questions, or concerns.