loving art, science and creative kids

A Museum at Home

It is summer and children will need to find entertainment at home or on excursions while visiting friends and relatives.  Most adults don’t plan for the onslaught of vacationing children and as much as they look forward to their company, they also dread it. With a bit of preplanning, however, much can be done to make time spent at home (or at a family gathering) special. It is possible to organize household space to permit creative activities to occur without worry about cherished possessions being destroyed. 

Why not create a hands-on museum in your home. . .one that will go beyond computers and videos to stimulate curiosity and engage the attention of active children?  It is a good way to occupy energetic pre-schoolers and elementary school youth.  By thinking like a museum director, opportunities can be provided for housebound youngsters to enjoy creative, educational and thoughtful pursuits. For instance, it is common in hot weather for kids to spend hours outside splashing in water play in order to keep cool. 

With a bit of cleaver planning by adults, during play children can learn simple principles of physics and hydraulics. They might choose to  have fun by dressing in period costumes (studying culture and history), constructing forts and buildings (practicing engineering and architecture), putting together 3-D puzzles (fine tune spacial abilities and logic), coordinating puppet plays (developing imagination and writing abilities), making art (sharpening visual and small motor skills), and other activities involving physical movement and mental challenges. By providing educational opportunities during the summer, parents also have a chance to test their own ingenuity and creativity. The process will call on ingenuity while providing a great deal of enjoyment.  

When my children were young I was a frequent visitor to children’s museums and noted that the way they were organized permitted kids to roam freely in safe environments packed full of learning materials designed for their age level.  According to The American Association of Children’s Museums, “A children’s museum is defined as an institution committed to serving the needs and interests of children by providing exhibits and programs that stimulate curiosity and motivate learning.” They encourage parents to interact with their children while in the museum in order to make the experience more meaningful. That definition fits my family to a “T”  so, when I moved to a community without a hands-on museum, I decided that I would turn my home into one.

Maria Montessori was a great influence.  She was a 19th century physician turned educator who became involved in designing Casa dei Bambini, a school for low-income children. As she experimented with curriculum and classroom design, “she began to see independence as the aim of education and the role  of the teacher as an observer and director of children’s innate psychological development.” When my children were preschoolers I enrolled them in Montessori schools which I quickly realized were simply classrooms set up as mini-museums. They were organized spaces that permitted students to access materials when they wanted to do so. Manipulative were designed for problem solving, mastery, and use in surprisingly creative ways. 

Montessori believed that young children were sensitive to order, enjoyed doing activities repetitively and were happiest doing practical things. She even taught two year olds how to peel carrots. Her environment was kid-size with materials that could be easily reached and put away when completed. Over time very sophisticated components were developed for schools run by teachers specially trained in her methodology.

With Montessori’s approach in mind, I started my own in-home museum to be assembled on a shoe-string.  Taking time to  develop an organizational plan is part of the challenge that will eventually let children roam freely.  I began by selecting a dedicated area for my grand experiment.  It was a place devoid of objects that could be accidentally destroyed but could be filled with materials, supplies and educational toys to promote hands-on creativity and imaginative play. I wanted the children to be able to use all of their senses. 

I added shelving and assigned different locations to hold games, art supplies, and science toys. There were construction areas, a place with math manipulatives, a reading area with pillows and a rug, a craft station, and a puppet stage. Shelves were dedicated to puzzles and a variety of educational toys with a dress-up bin and mirror nearby.  I also built a music tree with clips to hold percussion instruments that the entire family enjoyed grabbing during musical gatherings. 

Before entering the play area children were given instructions for its use. The toys are not jumbled one on top of another as they would be in a toy box and are within easy reach. Children were told they could take whatever toys or supplies wanted but had to return them to their original location before selecting a new item. Training them to put toys away is not difficult if the rules are explained and there is consistent follow-up. Keeping the area clear for future projects not only makes a parent’s job easier but it makes the child’s space more accessible.

 When an item was new, I took the time to demonstrate its use, exiting the scene as soon as it was evident that the toy was mastered and they could continue with their own creations.  When there were lots of little parts I put them on a tray that the child could take to a table or the floor. This made the clean-up cycle easier.

Part of the secret of a successful home museum is to introduce toys (activities) one at a time. Once my child knew how to use the toy in its intended way, she or he was free to create variations in the way they played with it. The goals were for my children to master the activity, become inventive when possible,  and be independent of my interference. I wanted them to gain satisfaction from their successes, not worry about failures, and become motivated for the next challenge. 

A home-museum environment does take careful planning, but once operational the task becomes more routine because the child selects his/her own activity, enjoys the challenge, and moves progressively from one skill level to the next.   Older children will  often help younger ones.   Again, independence is the goal.

One last thought—a child of about two and a half years old is ready for your home-museum.  At first it is best not to have too many toys available so the child will not be faced with choices of items he does not know how to operate.   When the manipulative is successfully mastered then the next challenge can be introduced.  if several children use the space, each needs to understand which items they have earned the right to use.  This system provides motivation and works well for older children as well as preschoolers.  It often encourages older children to teach younger ones.

When I became a grandparent, I did not have a playroom available but I still wanted my grandchildren to enjoy a degree of freedom when visiting and of course, I wanted them to be engaged in meaningful pursuits.  I used a large buffet in my dining area for it contained shelving and doors. It was perfect for storage and when the doors were open, shelves held a neat, organized arrangement of fun filled opportunities. Toys and supplies were well positioned at child height with areas for books, puzzles, art supplies, construction materials, etc.  A separate box holding legos  served as a plant base when the children were not there.  Between meals, the dining table was covered with a protective cloth to avoid paint and clay spills. a wood floor permitted buildings to be constructed and small wheeled vehicles to be assembled from parts.   Even after my grandchildren graduated to more sophisticated electronic toys and computers, the cabinet was kept ready for visiting youngsters. I wanted to be prepared and not worried about them getting bored while I spent time talking to their parents.

Yes, children’s museums are fun because they are centered on the individual and permit freedom of movement. Exhibits are designed to allow learning to take place and are built to withstand use. Since a mob of children are not your concern, there are hundreds of toys on the market that will serve your purpose.  If you do decide to set up a museum in your home, I would love to hear back from you to hear about your success. What toys did you select? What problems have you encountered?

Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected].  View from a Bridge

 3-D image, Mixed-media, 32” by 22”, gold frame,$599. .________________________________________________________________________________

CELEBRATE! and learn about hands-on learning and the growth of art and science museums by naive but passionate directors from throughout the country.  Laugh and cry with them as you read their stories of trying to navigate the quagmire of running a non-profit organization.  

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