Category Archives: Kids in Museums

All about bringing kids to museums, and what to do once you are there

They Aren’t Doing it Right

Exhibit designers and museum educators work very hard to create experiences. Everything that goes into an exhibit or a program is thought through to support the core theme and help learning take place. So, it is understandable that they get … Continue reading

Posted in Kids in Museums, Museum Education | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Can You Make Them Get Off Their Phones?

I had a chance to work with a stellar group of docents the other week. They are at a hands-on, play based, children’s museum and were brushing up on their skills for working with young children and their grown-ups Hands … Continue reading

Posted in Kids in Museums, Museum Education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Bathtub Museum

When your 2 year old has been constantly asking to go to a “bathtub museum” you get your museum educator brain going and figure out what might fill that need. Sure, lots of museums have A bathtub on display….but if … Continue reading

Posted in Cabinet of Curiosities-Updates, Kids in Museums, Museum Fun at Home | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You Doing It Wrong?

(Photos show a collage of pictures I took over the weekend at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Industry) Would you like to know a secret? Unless you are damaging the collections, or interfering with other … Continue reading

Posted in Kids in Museums, Museum Education | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Surviving a Blockbuster Exhibit

If you are in DC right now, the hot ticket to get is the Hirshhorn’s “Infinity Mirrors.” Just go on your favorite social media site and look for #infinitekusama, you’ll see what I mean. This is just one example of … Continue reading

Posted in Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Spooky House

This is the “Spooky House.” No, that is not its official title (embarrassingly I can’t find the notes where I wrote down its actual name) but it is what these two 4 year olds called the work. They spent ten … Continue reading

Posted in Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums, Museum Education | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rules are Rules

The hole was big, to kid eyes it was a crowning achievement. As we put the finishing touches on it a lifeguard walked by “You’ll have to fill that in” he said “it’s not allowed.” Slowly we started dumping sand … Continue reading

Posted in Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Informal Education Makes an Impact

It is early, and I’m pushing the double stroller through the rain. The baby is babbling in her seat and my son is keeping up a stream of chatter, mostly for his own benefit. I can’t catch all the words, … Continue reading

Posted in Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums, Museum Education, Museum Fun at Home | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

More Then “Please Touch”

With an ocean-obsessed preschooler, we have been visiting a lot of aquariums. At our most recent stop, my husband turned to me and said “This one is really different! There are so many things you can touch.” He was right, … Continue reading

Posted in Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums, Museum Education | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Museums and Schools: Common Ground

I led a workshop last weekend called “Everyday Museums: Re-imagining Classroom and Community Spaces.” It is a fancy title, but basically what I try to do is get early childhood educators to think of their classrooms as museums. This isn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Cabinet of Curiosities-Updates, Early Childhood Education, Kids in Museums, Museum Education | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment