Another Question

Notes about purpose and privacy are in the first posting. Please read that one before you post commentary for this entry!

With the previous post I really want to explore what it is like in art museums with kids. But, with this post I thought I would switch it up a bit.

What is it like going to art museums without your kids? Do you ever do this? Why do you sometimes take them and sometimes not or why do you always take them? What was going to art museums like BEFORE you had kids?

Don't have kids? Then, what are YOUR experiences like? Have you ever gone to an art museum with kids in tow - perhaps neices and nephews or with a friend who has kids?

What are the differences in the experiences you have when kids are present and when they are absent?

What do you think of the idea of having adult only times at art museums or family only times at art museums? Do you feel that taking kids can interfere with your experience or the experience of others? Do you feel that having seperate times for families and adults without kids is a reasonable solution to the problem? Is there a problem at all?

Notes about purpose and privacy are in the first posting. Please read that one before you post commentary for this entry!

Families in Art Museums Survey Blog

The sole purpose of this blog is to collect stories from art museum visitors and non-visitors alike that relate directly to experiences (good or bad) involving families or children (0-18yrs). I would love to hear from parents, non-parents, grandparents, children - anyone who feels the have something to say on this matter.

This blog has been set up for the sole purpose of surveying people’s feelings about families in art museums. This survey is part of my masters dissertation. It is up to you to post anonymously or not, but your identity will be kept anonymous within the research paper itself. You will never be directly quoted. The exact location of your comments will not be included.
Please realize that this is a public forum and your comments, therefore, are in the public domain. You are not required to participate. Your decision to post is voluntary. If, after posting, you wish to withdraw your comments, let me know and I will remove your post from the website and my records.
Please, no commentary by individuals under the age of 18.


Should art museums be sacred, silent, contemplative spaces reserved for educated adults or should they be a democratic forum where all people are invited in?


Here is a very interesting answer to that question:

Museum visitors throughout the land have spoken and we are proud to present their suggestions in our 2010 Manifesto. It’s a practical and powerful tool to encourage and support museums and galleries around the country to make family visits more enjoyable.

Our 2010 Manifesto includes many new demands beyond those of last year, reflecting the ways in which museums are meeting the challenge and increasingly giving families fantastic experiences.

Click here Kids in Museums Manifesto 2010 or see below for the latest version of the Kids in Museums Manifesto - have a read and see what you think. We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions so that we can make sure the Manifesto keeps in touch with what’s going on and what needs to happen next. We believe it’s a really thought-provoking list of practical pointers for the future, and we hope it will spark debate.

Kids in Museums Manifesto

Be welcoming. Cleaners, curators, front of house staff and those in the café should all be involved in making families feel welcome. Consider different families’ needs, with automatic doors, wheelchair-user friendly activities and Braille descriptions.

Have flexible family tickets. Don’t dictate the size of a family. Families come in all shapes and sizes.

Give a hand to parents to help their children enjoy the museum. Sometimes it isn’t the kids who are shy. Parents need your support too.

Don’t say ssshhhush! Museums are places for debate and new ideas.

Answer kids’ questions – not just those asked by adults. Address them directly when you do so. You don’t have to be experts on everything, just enthusiastic and open.

‘Don’t touch’ is never enough. Say why. Use positive remarks like, ‘Isn’t that a great painting! Let’s look at it together from further back.’ Teach respect by explaining why some things shouldn’t be touched. Direct to something nearby which can be.

Reach out to homes and communities. Not everyone can come to you. Sometimes, you need to go to them first.

Use your website to encourage families to visit and give clear information. Be honest about what you can’t provide, so visitors come prepared. No one can do everything.

Don’t assume what kids want. They can appreciate fine art as well as finger painting. Involve kids, not just adults, in deciding what you offer.

Don’t forget toddlers and teenagers. Older and younger children are often left out. Every age brings fresh ideas and insights.

Be height aware. Display objects, art and labels low enough for a child to see.

Watch your language! Use your imagination with signs, symbols and words understood by all ages.

Be interactive and hands on, not only with computer screens and fancy gadgets. Dressing up and getting messy are as important as buttons to push.

Produce guides, trails and activities for all the family together, not just the kids. Encourage families to chat.

Have different sorts of spaces – big open spaces for children to let off steam. Picnic areas for families to bring their own food. Small quiet spaces where children and families can reflect. Provide somewhere to sit down.

Keep an eye on your toilets, and make sure they’re always pleasant places, with baby changing facilities and room for pushchairs. It’s the one place every family will visit.

Provide healthy, good-value food, high chairs and unlimited tap water. Your café should work to the same family friendly values as the rest of the museum.

Provide a place to leave coats, bags and pushchairs. It makes it far easier for families to move around.

Sell items in your shop that aren’t too expensive, and not just junk, but things kids will treasure.

Give a friendly goodbye. Ask families to describe the best bit of their visit, either in words or pictures. Respect these responses and act on them. Invite them back.

Please, share you stories, thoughts, concerns and ideas here!! I will be using some of the reponses in my dissertation which is about ways in which art museums can become more appealing to families as well as ways in which they can alter their presentation styles to fit the ways in which families learn together. This is public domain material - if you choose to post, you are giving permission for me to use your words. Even if you choose to share your name here, I will change it for the purposes of the study. It is up to you what you share and how you wish to share it.

Thank you!
Tanya Laird
Masters Program
College of Museum Studies
Leicester University, UK