The museum is a welcoming, fun and entertaining environment which helps spark learning through imagination, creativity, and discovery. Exhibits, both inside and outside, are broad-based to include subjects in science, engineering, art, literature, culture, geography, and history. The Children's Museum of South Dakota is a place that relates to its region, its community, its children, and their learning wants and needs. It is a place where children and adults learn through play. 

Above all else, the Board Members of the Children's Museum of South Dakota share a common passion and interest in giving children the best opportunities for success in life. It's this idea that steers the development of the museum's exhibits, programming, and priorities. 

 - Playing as a way to learn

 - Enhancing a love of nature

 - Building stewardship of the environment

 - Facilitating play between children and adults

 - Learning about the people, the community, and the cultures of the region and of the world

 - Fostering family relationships through enjoyment and play

 - Fostering creativity and expression

 - A devotion to children's education

 - Being open-minded, creative and curious

 - A passion for lifelong learning

 - Giving back to the community

 - Appreciation for diverse perspectives

 - Inclusion for all