Thinkery’s Health and Safety Guidelines
Thinkery’s health and safety policies utilize the most current scientific guidance from the Centers for Disease Control(CDC) and Austin Public Health(APH) to ensure our museum remains a safe, clean, and healthy place to play and learn.
We need your help to keep Thinkery a safe, fun place to play and learn!
We’re doing our part to keep our community healthy and safe from illnesses. There are additional steps that YOU can take to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses.
If someone in your group is sick, please visit us some other time
For the health and safety of all our guests, we ask that any child or adult with an elevated temperature or an illness that may be contagious (such as pink eye, a cold, or the flu) not visit Thinkery until they are fully recovered.
A good rule of thumb: if you’re too sick to go to school (or work), you should plan to visit Thinkery another time.
Be proactive! Take simple steps to protect your child.
- Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. It takes 15-20 seconds to get them clean enough.
- Avoid touching a person who is obviously sick.
- Avoid touching your own eyes and face (viruses can transmit from our hands into our bodies).
- Please cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Remember to cough and sneeze into your elbow (the “vampire sneeze“) or into a tissue, not into your hand.
- Get your flu vaccine every year.
Thinkery strongly supports the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that all children receive vaccinations. We request—but do not require—that Thinkery guests are vaccinated for MMR and other transmittable diseases, including COVID-19 (as available); proof of vaccination is not needed to gain entry.
Thinkery does all we can to prevent illness and to maintain a clean, safe learning environment. This includes an ongoing, thorough cleaning of museum and gallery components.
Museum Cleaning Procedures
Increased cleaning and sanitation protocols that meet or exceed the recommendations set out by the State of Texas and CDC.
- A professional cleaning team is on-site during Thinkery operating hours to sanitize and clean the restrooms and common areas.
- Deep cleaning takes place when the museum is closed. The floors are mopped and vacuumed, restrooms are cleaned, and surfaces are sanitized.
- The air in the building is always circulated with fresh air to maintain clean, healthy air.
- Hand sanitizer stations are located on each floor, throughout galleries and near all restrooms.
- Staff are required to consistently wash their hands.
- All surfaces that hands touch are cleaned daily to eliminate the spread of germs.
- Visitors are welcome to notify Thinkery staff if an area or object needs attention.
Gallery Cleaning Procedures
- The Museum Experience Team sanitizes all exhibits daily, including loose parts such as play foods, blocks, balls, and acrylic light pegs.
- Water exhibits utilize filtration systems and UV sterilization on a constant basis. They are treated daily with bromine, which is like chlorine, but milder. They are “shocked” weekly with a non-chlorine, potassium monopersulfate.
- It is developmentally appropriate that babies and toddlers put things in their mouths. Thinkery provides bins for these props and objects to be placed for disinfecting before being cycled back out for play. Dirty props and loose parts are constantly replaced with clean ones throughout the day.
There is no 100% effective way to prevent illnesses, but we can all take steps to minimize risk and spreading germs. If you see an area or object that requires cleaning or attention, please notify Thinkery staff.