From Preschoolers and Museums: An Educational Guide by Sharon Shaffer, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, © 1999. Reprinted with permission.
There are many types of museums and a wide range of collections that will suit the interests of almost everyone. Museums can help us learn about art, history, science, technology, or nature. Almost every museum has something valuable to offer teachers and children.
ART galleries or museums collect paintings, prints, and sculpture. These works of art were created by artists to communicate feelings and ideas. Not only do they create images that represent real things in our world, but they also use line, shape, and color to create ideas that exist only in the imagination. Children can learn to make meaningful connections with works of art as they develop skills to look carefully and use their imagination. Help children make a connection by asking them to tell you what they see or what they think is happening in the painting or sculpture.
HISTORY museums collect objects that tell a story about the people, places, and events of the past. Through exhibits, the curator chooses objects and organizes them in a way that helps visitors understand how our world has changed and what our world is like now. Children can compare the cooking utensils from Revolutionary times with the modern kitchen tools used in their homes or pretend to be an engineer on an old-fashioned train in the Transportation Hall. They can see a collection of favorite toys that belonged to children in the White House and understand that the president's children enjoyed playing just like other children. It is exciting to see how things have changed over time and compare the past with the present.
SCIENCE museums help children understand how things work in our world. Exhibits explain scientific concepts. Inventions are described in such a way that children see that there is more than magic behind the machine. Children can learn about levers and pulleys, how a bridge is constructed, or the way in which watches work. Many exhibits invite visitors to actively participate by pushing buttons or pulling levers, all to find out how things work. Planetariums and technology museums also specialize in scientific concepts.
NATURE centers and zoos are wonderful places to go to learn more about animals and their habitats. Many zoos are now beginning to emphasize the natural environments of wildlife, giving children an understanding of more than just the animals. Nature centers provide opportunities for children to see the beauty of nature as they learn about butterflies and beetles, frogs and lily pads, owls and birds.
MONUMENTS are public sculptures created to honor special people or events. They can also be created as an aesthetic display for the public. Almost every town or city has public sculpture or monuments that can contribute to learning.