Sept. 5, 2025
When we think about kindergarten readiness, we often picture children reciting the alphabet or counting to ten. But just as important are foundational skills like problem-solving and collaboration—skills that are harder to teach.
Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen, associate professor of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Education and Human Development, studies how play can build these skills.
When the pandemic limited her access to schools, Thibodeau-Nielsen partnered with The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum, for her research. This collaboration blossomed into a symbiotic relationship where she was able to glean helpful data from museum patrons, but also give back to, and engage with the musuem in meaningful ways.
This type of research that engages and gives back to the community in tangible ways as it's taking place is commonly known as Broader Impacts, and many NSF grants require researchers to incorporate broader impacts components in their proposals.
"One of our studies at The Magic House was focused on parent perceptions of the play-learning connection," Thibodeau-Nielsen explains. "As part of this study, we wanted to better understand what skills parents are most invested in helping their child learn so we could develop resources and experiences that helped children learn those skills through play. Kindness and curiosity emerged as dominant themes. These findings have since informed The Magic House's development of a new exhibit called Hero Quest."
The Hero Quest traveling exhibit will feature a variety of small kiosks that will feature diverse historical characters with unique hands-on environments and engaging interactives to facilitate conversations and foster positive character development. Kindness and curiosity are two primary traits featured throughout the playful experiences.
These experiences with the The Magic House inspired Thibodeau-Nielsen to apply to the Center for Advancing Research in Society’s (ARIS) Research Fellowship Program, and in June she was chosen to be one of five inaugural fellows out of applicants from across the country. Based here at Mizzou, ARIS provides resources and opportunities to bring together communities and researchers for positive societal impact.
As a fellow, Thibodeau-Nielsen will be part of a team made up of the other fellows and ARIS leadership to collaborate and develop a model to help guide researchers interested in engaging with Broader Impacts. The end goal is to make implementing Broader Impacts in research more accessible with their framework, as well as show the importance of it.
Thibodeau-Nielsen credits the Division of Research for influencing her work toward this focus on Broader Impacts. Sara Vassmer, the Director of The Connector, is who first connected her with The Magic House and helped facilitate that partnership.
"The relationships I've built with the staff in the Division of Research have served as a catalyst for my work and have fundamentally changed the way I approach my research," she said. "They take the time to understand my research goals and help provide the connections I need to bring my ideas to fruition. I feel so incredibly lucky to be at the University of Missouri where I have access to these amazing programs."