Teacher to Know: Anna Grulich, Guest Engagement Coordinator, Glazer Children’s Museum
On any given day at Glazer Children’s Museum, you might find children building forts, climbing to the rafters, dancing to a piano melody or transforming recycled materials into imaginative creations.
For Guest Engagement Coordinator Anna Grulich, those playful moments are where the real magic happens. If you’ve visited GCM recently, you may recognize Anna as the friendly face leading hands-on activities, sparking imaginative play and encouraging grownups to jump into the fun alongside their kids.
We caught up with her to talk about the power of play, learning beyond the classroom and why summer might just be the perfect season for creativity.
What is your role at Glazer Children’s Museum, and what does it mean to you?
Anna Grulich: I’m the guest engagement coordinator, which means I create fun, engaging programs and playful learning opportunities for our guests. I started as a Playologist, facilitating programs on the museum floor, and now I get to help develop and shape those experiences. It’s really rewarding to dream up activities and then watch families make them their own through play.
How did you end up in this field?
Anna Grulich: I originally studied biology because I thought I wanted to work with animals, but my museum studies minor completely changed my perspective. It sparked my interest in informal education and helped me realize how impactful museums can be as spaces for learning and connection.
I’ve worked with both children and older adults, and I’ve seen firsthand how healing, meaningful and joyful play can be at every age. That idea has really stuck with me.
What is it like being an educator outside of a traditional classroom?
Anna Grulich: It’s very different from a classroom because there isn’t a strict curriculum or one “right” way to learn. At the museum, the exhibits become the framework, and the play is child-led. Every day is different because the families and kids are different every day.
I love that. Sometimes I’m teaching, but a lot of the time I’m learning right alongside our guests and staff. We may plan programs for the day, but every Playologist brings their own personality and creativity to the experience, and kids take it in directions we never expected.
What’s your favorite exhibit or thing to do at GCM?
Anna Grulich: It’s hard to pick a favorite, but right now I really love “Forts.” I also love dancing, so you can usually find me dancing somewhere in the museum, whether it’s with kids playing the piano in “Forts,” babies exploring the light cloud in KidsPort or honestly anywhere music is happening.
The best moments are when you see kids fully immersed in creativity and confidence. That kind of joyful play is contagious.
What’s the best part of your job?
Anna Grulich: Definitely interacting with guests and being part of special moments for families. I also love getting to be creative and trying new things to enhance our guest experience. Playologists are constantly experimenting with different ways to engage kids, and there’s a lot of freedom to make experiences playful and memorable.
At the end of the day, my job is literally about helping people play, and that’s pretty amazing.
What inspires your work?
Anna Grulich:I think a lot about the experiences I was lucky enough to have growing up: trips to the library, visits to science centers, arts and crafts at home, playing outside and adults who encouraged my interests and creativity. Those moments stay with you. Even little interactions can have a lasting impact on a child, so I’m always thinking about how we can make a program, activity or conversation feel just a little more meaningful and memorable for a family.
Summer break can be challenging for parents trying to keep kids engaged. How does GCM help families avoid the “summer slide”?
Anna Grulich:Summer is actually one of my favorite times at the museum because kids learn best when they’re genuinely excited and engaged. At GCM, we use play-based learning to keep kids creating, experimenting, storytelling, problem-solving and collaborating all summer long.
This summer, we’re especially excited about our Summer of Play programming, where families can explore hands-on art projects, story times, collaborative crafts and creative experiences inspired by weekly themes.
One of the biggest highlights is our ongoing junk journaling activity. Kids create journals from recycled materials and continue adding to them throughout the summer with new pages, memories, artwork and ideas. It’s creative, personal and a really fun way to encourage literacy, storytelling, self-expression and problem-solving all at once.
What about grownups? Is it ever too late to learn through play?
Anna Grulich: Never. I truly believe play is for everyone, no matter your age. One of my favorite parts of my job is giving parents and caregivers permission to jump in and have fun too.
We see grownups reconnect with creativity and curiosity all the time at the museum. Families are welcome to play together year-round, and this summer we’re even hosting “Grown Up Night: Crafter Hours on July 18” for adults who want to tap back into their creative side and rediscover the joy of making something just for fun.