The interaction between caregiver and child is one of the most important aspects of any visit to a children’s museum. Most museum programs and exhibits provide great opportunities for discussion and play with the child in your care. Let your visit be a chance to take a break from the “real world” and just have fun.
Here are some great ideas for ways to interact with a child in a children’s museum:
1. Ask questions!
Ask the child questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. Examples include:
What is going on here?
What is making that happen?
What do you think will happen next?
How do you think this works?
What do you see in this picture?
Why do you say that?
Why did you choose that?
2. Let the child lead the way.
Allow the child to pick the route around the museum. Let him or her choose what exhibits to visit and in which order. This gives the child a feeling of power and importance. They will also appreciate that you are letting them take control and be the tour guide.
3. Utilize all resources.
Many museums place “extras” within individual exhibit areas, such as books or small crafts. Make sure you are on the lookout for any of these items. Ask your child if they would like to read a story about the exhibit topic or ask museum staff members any questions. There are many resources available at children’s museums to learn more about exhibits and interesting topics. Check out all the options and offer choices to the child about how he or she would like to learn.
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| Having fun together at the Providence Children's Museum! |
A mom and daughter have fun at the Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine, California
I think your first two ideas--asking questions and letting the child lead the way--are ways to help you as the caregiver get a lot out of the experience as well! Asking questions makes you think of how you would answer and I find personally that trying to formulate a question often makes me think about a particular subject deeper than I even would answering a question about it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if the child is leading the way, you don't have to worry about picking somewhere interesting to go! Aside from keeping them from going somewhere dangerous (hopefully there would be nowhere dangerous in the museum anyway...) you can focus on the experience you're having together, rather than being "in charge."