Kids In Museums Manifesto - Part One

This week, I wanted to look more generally at London’s museums, and the way they work with the lovely ideas promoted by the Kids In Museums Manifesto. Kids In Museums is “the voice of family museum visitors across Britain” and work alongside museums to help create places which are educational, safe, fun and entertaining for all types of families and all types of child. Their website is well worth a look when choosing a museum to visit, as more often or not, the museums which have signed up to support the Kids In Museums Manifesto have a wonderful attitude to helping make your visit with your preschooler as helpful, stress free and memorable as possible. They understand that toddlers don’t use museums in the same way as other visitors and, for me, knowing the museum staff appreciate this and aren’t about to glare disapprovingly or tell you off simply because your child wants to zoom around a gallery first before settling to look at it in more detail (a habit noted by many educational specialists as being essential to ensuring a toddler feels safe in a space, which is necessary to provide an effective learning experience), or because your child wants to chat to the gallery steward in a slightly louder voice than the average visitor.

So, below are the first 5 rules of the manifesto, and I have shared my thoughts on which museums fulfil them exceptionally well, and which would certainly be graded with a ‘could try harder’!

1. Tell tales together with children and families. Share each other’s stories. Listen. Families and museums each have their own expertise.

To really get a sense of this in the most literal sense, look for museums which are running events during the weekends or school holidays. Recently, The Natural History Museum hosted a half term event called “The Campsite”; and one activity encouraged children to share their stories through writing, drawing or narration. These stories were then stored away for posterity, and the pleased look on small people’s faces as their carefully coloured in drawings were put safely away was lovely. On days when there are no special events, make sure you communicate with your preschooler, and encourage them to chat with the gallery stewards. As a museum volunteer myself, I really enjoy talking with young visitors about our favourite exhibit, or sharing stories about our experience in the museum. With the exception of one steward at the National Gallery (more on him another week) I have yet to meet a museum employee or volunteer who hasn’t been brilliant at listening and talking with Yiannis.

2. Be welcoming and greet each visitor. Tell visitors what they can do at the door, don’t pin up a list of things they can’t.

Children like boundaries; they feel safe and secure knowing what they can and can’t do. Parents or carers with children similarly like boundaries – very little is as exhausted at constantly hissing at your preschooler “come back...I don’t know if we’re allowed in there!” Removing the uncertainty makes for a much more relaxing atmosphere. However, museums, if we are doing something naughty, like letting our toddler take a photo of something, please let us know politely. Telling us off gets our backs up, decreases the likelihood of spending in the gift shop and also, no toddler is able to frame a picture well enough to endanger copyright (although I do understand it’s frustrating if the flash can damage the object).

3. Play the generation game...Conversations between generations should be at the heart of what you do.

Chatting with your preschooler has been a strong feature in my previous posts. When museums can encourage this, either through set activities or ensuring the displays are visible to the smallest visitor, the visit is always far more entertaining and educational for you both. Also, please do leave feedback with the museum on how you found their provisions for preschoolers – only with an open conversation between carers, parents and staff can museums improve. The Natural History Museum and the Foundling Museum stand out as being particularly good at inviting and reacting to feedback.

4. Invite teenagers into your gang. Provide a place for them to hang out. Set up youth panels. Ask them how they want to be involved. Museums can lead the way in letting people know the contribution teenagers make.

Well, admittedly, this is one I don’t have any firsthand experience of, since being a teenager myself; but I do feel preschoolers and teenagers are sometimes viewed in the same bracket as being the more difficult non adult audience to cater for. A museum which is working well and providing for teenagers is likely to be a very friendly and open place, and willing to help provide a lovely day out for your preschooler. The Science Museum, the V and A and the Natural History Museum are all well versed at providing for a large range of visitors.

5.  Be flexible in your activities, events and family tickets. Families come in all shapes and sizes. Design your pricing and programmes with all sorts of families in mind.

Again, the big museums in South Kensington are particularly good at ensuring a range of activities and events, including those for toddlers and preschoolers. Others, such as The British Museum, whilst providing a number of activities during the school holidays, fail to look to the under 5s audience, which made Yiannis very sad. Furthermore, when we visited in February half term, to find a huge range of fascinating make-and-do events all around the central hall, we were told Yiannis was not allowed to take part, as he was only 2. This was almost the most unhelpful thing I have ever experienced in a museum (apart from that man in the National Gallery). Museums – just let the under 5s have a go! You don’t have to display their handiwork, but for goodness sake, just let them have a go at drawing!

Next week, I will look at the next 5 rules, and I may well tell the tale of the man in the National Gallery...