CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH CULTUREMuseums and Galleries

as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage

1

Foreword/Introduction 1

Contents 2

Childrenengagingwithobjects 3-4

ContributingtotheEYFSthemes 5-6

Ourprojects 7-10

Inyoursetting 11-14

Goingtoamuseumorgallery 15-18

Involvingparents 19

Notesforparentsandcarers 20

Usefulresources 21

Acknowledgements 22

2

Contents

PHO

TO BY JO

EL CHESTER-FILD

ES/WH

ITWO

RTH A

RT GA

LLERY

ForewordItiswithgreatpleasurethatIwritethisforewordfortheMuseumandGalleriesbookletfortheEarlyYearsFoundationStage.AnumberofEarlyYearssettingshavebeeninvolvedinworkwiththeMuseumandGalleriesinManchesterandthefeedbackhasbeenfabulous.ChildrenfrominnercityareashavevisitedwithPractitionersandhavebeen fullofaweandwonderat theexperiences theyhavehad.Practitionershavebeendelightedbytheresponsesfromchildrenandhaveusedvisitsasthecatalystfordevelopingarangeoflearningexperiences.Visitstothemuseumandgallerieshaveenabledchildrentoaccessobjectsthattheywouldnothaveexperiencedbeforeandlittleoneshaveexplodedthemyththatmuseumsandgalleriesareplaceswhereyouhavetobequietandstill.Involvementofparentshasbeenkeytotheworkandaswellasinvolvingparentsinchildren’slearningatthesetting,familieshavereturnedatothertimestoenjoythemuseumIamsurethatyouwillenjoyreadingthebookletandwillgleanhelpfulideasfromitandfinally

–enjoyyourvisitsandlinkswithyourmuseumsandgalleries.

Pam Tideswell, Head of Sure Start, Manchester

IntroductionThisbooklet istheresultofmuseumsandgalleries intheNorthWestandSouthWestworkinginpartnershipwithEarlyYearspractitioners.Practitionerswereamazedathowmuchchildrengotfromtheirexperiencesinmuseumsandgalleries.Throughourprojectswefoundthatchildrenhadunusuallyhighlevelsofinvolvementandthattheirlanguageforthinkingandforcommunicationbenefited.WediscoveredthatmuseumscouldhelpsettingsdelivertheEarlyYearsFoundationStageinacreativeandexcitingway.Parentsandcarersweregenuinelyinterestedandmanycamealongtomuseumsforthefirsttime.Weandthepractitionersgotalmostasmuchfromourlearningjourneysasthechildrendidandwewantedtosharewhatwehadfound.

Wehopethisbookletwillhelpyouseesomeofthewonderfullearninganddevelopmentthatcancomefromyoungchildrenengagingwithobjectsandartworks.Thereispracticalguidanceonvisitingamuseumorgalleryandasheetinthebackcoverhelpingyouidentifythoseclosetoyou.Ourprojectsshowedusthevalueofchildrenstartingorcontinuingtheircloseencounterswithcultureintheirownsetting.Theactivityideasincludedhaveallbeendevelopedbypractitionersand

workwitheasytosourceobjectsaswellashistoricalones.

Virginia Tandy, North West Museums Hub Lead

3 4

Children engaging with objects

Children find objects interestingMuseumscollectobjectsbecausetheyhaveameaning.Theymaybethingsthat

belongedtofamouspeopleorcamefrominterestingplaces.Theymightbethe

firsteverofsomething,orthelastofsomething.Theycouldbeordinarythings

thathelpustounderstandaboutpeople’slivesinthepast.Thethingsallaround

usnowcouldonedaybeinamuseum.

Forchildren,being interested inobjects is justpartofbeing interested in the

worldaroundus.Objectscanbeusefulforsparkingoffworkinalltheareasof

learninganddevelopment.

Objects are relevant to young childrenSomepractitionersworrythatchildrenwon’tbeabletomakesenseofmuseum

objectsandwillquicklybecomebored.

I would have been wary of taking very young children to the Museum because it might not be interesting to them. Now I wouldn’t hesitate to take them.

Childminder

Infact,childrenoftenbecomefascinatedwithobjects,especiallythingsthatare

unusualorslightlydifferentfromtheireverydayexperience.

Keanu was interested in the paintings of the sea with the ships on the rocks. He spoke about this when we got to the lighthouse

saying: “crashing into stones.” Keanu’slearningjourney.Keanuis2

Objects encourage active learnersTheEarlyYearsFoundationStageidentifiesactivelearningasthe

keytoearlysuccess.Itsays:activelearningoccurswhenchildren

arekeentolearnandareinterestedinfindingthingsoutforthemselves.

Activelearninggiveschildrenrealchoicesanddecisionstomake.Whentheyare

exploringobjectschildrencanbecomehighlyabsorbed,spendinga lotof time

investigatingindifferentways.Theygainasenseofsatisfactionfromfollowing

theirowninterestandinvestigatingtheirownquestions.

Objects prompt language for thinkingTheEarlyYearsFoundationStagedetailshowchildrendeveloptheirlanguagefor

thinking:fromearlycuriosity,tousingtalktoorganisetheirthoughts.Successful

young thinkers demonstrate all kinds of thinking skills, frombeginning to think

aheadandspeculate,tofinding,processingandrecallinginformation.Investigating

objectshelpsthemusetheirreasoning,andtheirimaginationstakeflight.

A group of 4 year olds is handling a cannonball. Child: I think it’s made out of rock. It’s really, really hard. Child: I think it might make your arm ache.

Jenna drew a fox at the drawing table, referring to the stuf fed fox. Then she went to paint a fox in the painting

area. She was self-resourced and created her own space to work. She made up a verbal story about a fox, asking the adult to scribe for her. Then she read herself the previously read fox story, turning pages, pointing at words and carefully looking at pictures and interpreting them.

Jenna’slearningjourney.Jennais4.

Objects develop language for communicationPractitionersoftenfinditdifficulttoencouragechildrentoasktheirownquestionsand

totalktogether.Aschildreninvestigatenewobjects,questionsseemtocomenaturally

andinterestingtopicsofconversationoftenemerge.

Children were asking their own questions and answering each other’s. The words came tumbling

out. They were almost falling over themselves in trying to

get their ideas out.EarlyYearspractitioner

InvestigatingInvestigating comes first. Children

ask questions and gather

information using all of their senses.

CommunicatingChildren begin to express their ideas

and feelings through words, sounds

or signs. They listen, apply their

reasoning

and offer explanations.

RepresentingChildren quickly move to

representing their ideas. They might

choose to draw or make, to play

imaginary games, sing songs or

make up stories about an object.

RecallingEncounters with objects can provide

potent memories for children to

recall and share. A museum visit

can produce plenty to talk about,

and objects back in the setting can

encourage exploration to continue.

5 6

A unique childChildrencanhavetheirownuniquewayof relatingtodifferent

objects.There isa lotthat isnotknownaboutmanyobjects

andhastobeimagined.Eachchildcandecidehowimportant,

interesting or beautiful something is and opinions will vary.

Many museums have world culture collections that could

strikeachordwithchildrenfromawiderangeof communities.

Objects from thedistantpastcan introduceakindof living

equallyunfamiliartoeveryone.Investigatingobjectsinthisopen-endedway,wherethere

arenowronganswers,canhelpbuildchildren’sconfidence.

A child with English as his second language was totally engaged with exploring an egg slice. He said something in Russian about it and when his mother arrived he went straight to her

saying: ”I did that by myself”. Practitionerobservation

Positive relationshipsInvestigatingobjectscaninvolveparents.Museumobjectscanformabridgetohome

experiences.Olderrelationsmayownsomethingsimilarorrememberwhentheyused

one.Childrenconnectobjectstothingsthey’veseenathome.

A child aged 4 investigated a bottle opener. He talked about home and the kitchen and his mum. “My mum has one of those. That takes the lid off beer”.

Enabling environmentsMuseumandgallerybuildingscanprovidenewenvironmentstoexplore,stimulatingchildren

andbringingasenseofaweandwonder.

The children explored the museum space carefully by shining their torches on the walls, ceilings and floors. “Look at the state of that up

there”. Molly,aged4.

Objectsandartworkscanhelpmakethelearningenvironmentmore

stimulatingandexciting.Theymightsparkoff investigationsindoors

oroutdoors.Inonesetting,exploringamuseum’swoodlandcollectionledtoanoutdoor

adventurewithsofttoys.

The children spent a lot of time thinking about where the animals could live. They wandered about placing them under the trees, on branches and in various dens.

Learning and development Objects,artworksandstoriesareagreatresourceforchildren’sactivelearning.Whether

theyareincorporatingthemintotheirplay,representingthem,exploringthemortalking

aboutthem,childrencandevelopattheirownpaceandintheirownway.

Macion is touching a tapestry.Macion: It’s soft!

Adult: Yes, it is soft, it’s made of wool.Adult picks up toddler so she can touch it too.Adult: It’s soft Grace. Grace:(smiling) Aahh!Macionaged2.5yrs,Graceaged17mths

Izzy loved it. She told my gran all about the animals and the Exeter

Puzzle Jug. Parentof childaged3

Contributing to the EYFS themes

Our projects

7 8

AcrosstheNorthWest,MuseumsandGallerieshavebeenworkinginpartnershipwithavarietyofsettings,earlyyearsprofessionals,artistsandparentstodeveloppracticeandresourcestoengageyoungchildrenwiththeirbuildingsandcollections.Muchofthispracticehasbeendevelopedthroughsmallprojects,whichhaveincluded:

•exploratoryandchildinitiatedactivities

•regularvisitstomuseumsandgalleriesandoutreachvisits

• documentation of children’s learning journeys through observation, video footage,photographsandworkbackintheirsetting–someofwhichareinthispublication.

Within the projects children were highly motivated and excited about theirexperiences. The children developed their skills for active learning, languagefor thinking and language for communication. The outcomes from the projectsdemonstratetheintensityofthelearningthatcanbeachievedthroughengagingwithmuseumsandgalleriesandthebreadthoftheareasoflearninganddevelopmentthatcanbecovered.Thesecasestudiesofgoodpracticeformthefoundationsofthisdocument.Thefollowingpagesgiveanoverviewofsomeoftheprojectswehavebeenundertaking.Not allmuseums, galleries or settings can takepart inprojects like these,butmanyhave resources theycouldcontribute,peoplewhocouldcometoyoursettingorinterestingbuildingsandcollectionstovisit.Pages16and17givesomeideasofexcitingthingsyoucoulddowithyourchildreninamuseumorgalleryeveniftheydon’thaveanytargetedprovision.

Bolton Museum and Art Gallery / Clarendon Primary School

TwonurseryclassesspentadayvisitingBoltonMuseum,AquariumandArchive.

Thechildrenhadtheopportunitytovisitthedifferentbuildingsand

areasof thecollection. In theAquarium, thechildren lookedata

varietyoffishfromaroundtheworldandparticipatedinthefeeding

session. Their communication, language and literacy skills were

developedthroughplayfuldiscussion,storiesandrhymes,whilstsat

onanimaginaryblueocean.ThechildrenalsousedtheirNumeracy

skillswhencountingandplayingnumberrecognitiongameslinked

totheirnewexperiencesoftheAquarium.

Afuntimewashadbyall,withmanyopportunitiesforthechildrentoexperience

different learning styles and engage in varied activities. The Nursery class

teachersareeagertotakepartinfutureearlyyearssessions.

Manchester Art Gallery / St Peters Children’s CentreManchesterArtGalleryhavebeenworkingwithchildrenaged3-5.The

projectisstillunderway,butisexploringwaysofworkingtogetherto

supportchildren’screativityandreachparents.

Theaim for thegallery is toencouragechildren to returnwith their

parents.Theprojectishelpingshapethedevelopmentofnewactivities

andresourcesforfamilieswithunder5satthegallery.

Asaresulttheywillbeabletoenjoyaspeciallydesignedfamilyart

clubwhenitlaunchesinMayandredevelopedactivitybagswhich

willbecompletedlaterintheyear.

The Manchester Museum / Gorton South Sure Start Children’s CentreSix children aged 2 to 4 years, visited the Manchester Museum regularly over a

periodofsixweeks.Thechildrenexploredthedifferentspacesandobjectswithin

themuseumusingtorchesandmagnifyingglasses.Theyenjoyed

followingatraillinkedtoPolarBearPolarBearandriflingthrougha

treasurechestlinkedtothegallery.Thestaffuseddigitalcameras

andobservationstodocumentthechildren’slearningjourneys.The

childrenwereenthusedandinspiredbytheirvisitsandinresponse

a ‘Story Room’ was developed back at the centre. A magic key

allowschildrentoentertheroom,andintheretheycanreadand

listentoarangeofstoriesandexplorethemovementandsoundof

theanimalsusingdifferentmaterials,toolsandinstruments.Thechildrenhopethe

polarbearfromthemuseumwillvisitthemsoon!

People’s History Museum / Higher Blackley Children’s CentreParents and children have worked together to create

a mixed media map of the journey to the museum’s

temporaryhomeattheMuseumofScienceandIndustry.

The children will explore the galleries recording their

experiences with a disposable camera. The group will

thenhavetheopportunitytorespondcreativelytotheir

experiences. We hope that the project will encourage

parentsaspartnersintheirchild’slearningandencouragevisitstothemuseum

inthefuture.Mostimportantlywehopethateveryoneinvolvedwillhavefun!

ThePeoplesHistoryMuseum is temporarilyhousedat theMuseumofScienceand Industry while it is being redeveloped. The partnership has provided anexcitingopportunity todevelopourpracticesand influence the redevelopmentofthemuseum.

The Whitworth Art Gallery / Slade Lane and Broom Avenue Children’s CentreTheprojectbeganwithan initial visit to theGallery,with twelvechildrenaged

2-4 years and some parents. Children were given torches and cameras to

recordtheirdiscoveriesaroundthegallery,exploring

sculpture, textiles, wallpapers and paintings. It was

thephysicalspacehowever,thatreallycapturedtheir

imagination,inparticular,asmall,darkroom,playing

music. Inspiredbyanartwork theyhadseenearlier,

children decided that a dragon might live in such a

space. The three subsequent sessions, both at the

gallery and the centre, elaborated on this theme, incorporating den-building,

modelingdragonfood,story-tellingandartactivities.

Museum of Science and IndustryWhenworkingwithnewgroups,we like to

visit them in theirownsettingbefore they

visittheMuseum.InthisprojectwithaSure

Start Carer and Toddler group, we were

able to visitMerseysideMaritimeMuseum

aswell!Thechildrenwerefascinatedbythe

water, boats and creatures. After visiting

Xperiment, our hands-on science centre,

thecarerswantedtodevelopsomeinteractivesonthethemeofwater.Thenext

fewweeksinvolvedlotsofwaterycraft,investigations,singing,andboatbuilding

whichresultedinthecreationofawonderfulunder5’sareainourCommunity

Exhibitiongallery.Theactivitiescreatedopportunitiesforthechildrentodevelop

their skills in language, exploration and observation and helped to improve

confidenceandraiseself-esteemamongsttheadults.

Preston Museums GroupMuseums across Preston, Lancashire, are working in close partnerships with

Children’sCentrestoprovideexcitingresourcesforearlyyearsandtheirfamilies.

Themuseumshavedeveloped‘TreasureBoxes’ofwonderfulobjectsandactivities

forchildrenandtheirfamiliestouseincentres.Activitytrailsarealsoavailable

foryoungchildreninmuseumsacrossthecity.

Tullie House Museum and Art GalleryThe ‘Artyfacts’ programme run by Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, was

developed in collaboration with the LEA Foundation Stage Advisory Team. It

comprises two elements – boxes and bags of activities

linked to pictures, objects and areas of the galleries

making the Museum more fun and friendly for the 3-5

yearagegroup.Activitiesincludediscussion,observation

and interaction with the objects, paintings and related

areasandsuitableactivitieslinkedtothethemesofthe

sessionwhichincluderivers,trains,owlsandbutterflies.

WealsorunTullieToddlers,aregular,fortnightlyopen-sessionforunder5’s,which

providesauniqueopportunitytointroduceyoungchildrentotheMuseumthrough

hands-onactivitiesinafriendly,accessiblespace.

Children’s First Forum MerseysideNationalMuseumsLiverpoolleadstheMerseysideChildrenFirstForumwhichis

amulti-agencypartnershipapproachtoengagingyoungchildrenwithmuseums,

galleries and other arts and cultural venues. The forum aims to share and

celebratethevarietyanddepthofchildren’screativeandculturallearningacross

Merseyside,strengthenitsrootsandbuilditslegacy.Theforum’sworkinvolves

developingprojects aimedat improvingaccess togalleries andcollections for

very young children and their families. It also provides CPD opportunities for

EarlyYearspractitioners-www.liverpoolmuseums.org/learning/childrenfirst/.

Our projects

9 10

In your setting

Thethingsyoucanseeinmuseumsorgalleriesareusuallymore“aweinspiring”than

theeverydayobjectsaroundus.However,a lotof theskillsneededtounderstand

objectscanbedevelopedinyourownsetting,usingobjectsloanedfromamuseum

orthingsyou’vecollected.

Where do I get objects?•fromyourlocalmuseumorschools’loansservice(seeinsertinbackcover)

•atanantiqueshop,carbootsale,onebay,orevenyourloft

•askchildrentobringthingsfromhomeorfromolderrelatives

•theresourcespage(p.21)hasideasonwheretobuyreplicasorinvestigationtools

Remember to riskassesseverythingyougivechildren to investigate.Nameand take

careof anythingloanedtoyoubychildren’sfamilies.Thisisagoodopportunitytoshow

childrenhowtocareforotherpeople’sthings.

What are the learning outcomes?Objectsfromthepastandpresentareanimportantsourceof informationforus.Children

needtheopportunitytoinvestigatethem.Aschildrennoticethematerialsthingsare

madeof, theybegin tobuild theirunderstandingof theworldaroundthem.As they

explore how objects work, they develop a sense of simple technology. As they hear

storiesaboutobjectsandmakeuptheirown,theybegintounderstandtheconnections

anddifferencesbetweentheirlivesandotherpeople’s:pastandpresent.

Throughobjectschildrencanstarttodevelopasenseof time,findoutaboutmaterials,

develop observation skills and learn to sort and group things. They investigate, ask

questionsandbuildcommunicationskills.Theycanmakeconnectionswiththeirlives

outsidethesettinganddeveloptheircreativityastheyimaginewhatanobjectis,does

orwhoitbelongsto.Thinkingaboutspecialobjects,memoriesandfeelingscansupport

personal,socialandemotionaldevelopment.

Activities to tryUsethefollowingactivityideastointroducechildrentoobjectsorchangethewaythey

think about them. Museum visits, or objects brought into your setting, can fire the

imaginationsobepreparedforchildrentohavesomeactivityideasof theirown.

How does that work?Learning outcomes:interestedandmotivatedtolearn•languageforthinking•exploration

andinvestigationskills

You will need: asetof safeobjectstoexploreandthingstodowiththem:e.g.kitchengadgetssuchaswhisks,eggslicers,bluntknivesandforks,arangeof spoons,sieves,mixingbowls,mortarsandpestlesandherbs,oats,lentilsetc.

Younger children: observe children investigating the objects independently, e.g arangeof differentmaterialandsizeof spoon.Givethemfurtherobjectsormaterialsdepending on their interest. Tins and pans if they are keento explore sound, bowls and safe materials like home-madeplaydoughif theywouldliketoexploremixingorstirring.

Older children: handaroundobjectsatcircletimetointroducechildren to them. Ask children what they think about eachobject.Listentotheirideas.Whatquestionsdochildrenwanttoask?Letthemexploretheobjectsindependentlyandhelpthemfindoutaboutthemif asked.

Telling TalesLearning outcomes:intestedandmotivatedtolearn•creativethinking•interactingwithothers•speakingconfidently•respondingtostoriesandmakinguptheirown

You will need: ‘It’sTheBear’byJezAlborough(oranotherfavouritestory),relatedprops,e.g.Mum’shat,apicnicbasket,alargeboxtohidein,asmallteddy.

Younger children: readthestory,butpauseatcrucialmomentstoletchildrenjoinin.Letchildrenwearthehat,oropenthepicnicbasket,connectingstorypictureswith3D,concreteexperiences.Youcouldwearthehatorcarryteddyyourself tobringMumorEddytolife.

Older children: whatwillMumsaywhenEddysayshedoesn’twanttogointothewoods?Letdifferentchildrenputon thehatandpretend tobeMum.What’s in thepicnicbasket?Letchildrenpeepinsideandpretendtoseethepicnic.

Take it further:Havea‘storythings’boxorevena‘storyroom’.Includeobjectsthathavelinkstofamiliarstories,likethethreebears’woodenbowlsorabasketthatcouldhavebeenHanda’s.Addthingslikeanoldwoodenbox,alargekey,anoldshawloralargecookingpot.Encouragechildrentousethingsfromthestoryboxintheirimaginarygamesortellstoriestoeachother,ortoaskanadulttowriteforthem.

11 12

In your setting

Treasure HuntLearning outcomes: creativethinking•problemsolving•similaritiesanddifferences

You will need: abasketor‘feely’bag,asetof smallobjects,asetof picturesof the

objects,pegs.

Askchildrentopegpicturesof objectsaroundyoursetting,indoorsandoutdoors.Ask

otherchildrentochooseanobjectfromthebasketorfeelybag

andtakeitroundtofindthematchingpicture.Otherhuntsmight

include:plasticanimalsandpicturesof animalsfromamuseum,

oldandnewversionsof theobjects,orobjectsthemselveshidden

andpicturecluesastotheirwhereabouts.Olderchildrencould

useadigitalcameratomakethepictureclues.

Imaginative PlayLearning outcomes: imaginative language • language for organising ideas • creative

thinking•reflectingonexperiences•interactingwithothers•designingandmaking

You will need: whatyoumakedependsonwhathasinspiredchildrenontheirvisit,

for example a kitchen with old-fashioned cooking equipment, a clock maker’s

workshop with tools and bits of clocks, children’s own art gallery with picture

frames,aprehistoriccavewith‘dinosaurbones’andcavepainting,oranimalsin

theirhabitats.

Followingamuseumvisit,givechildrenthechancetorevisittheirexperiencesand

buildonthemcreativelytogetherthroughyourroleplayareaoroutside.Involve

childreninchoosingwhattoputintheareaandinmakingpropsandcostumes.

Mini MuseumLearning outcomes: asenseof familyandidentity•otherpeople’scultures•otherlives

pastandpresent•understandingmemoriesandfeelings•languageskills

You will need: children’sobjectsfromhome,displayspaceandmaterials,yourowninterestingobjects,e.g.somethingfromanoverseasholidayoranotherculture,naturalthingslikealargeshelloroldthingslikeagameoroldphotos.

Askif anychildrencouldbringinaninterestingthingfromhometomakeaminimuseum.Havesomeof yourownobjectsreadytomakeupnumbers.Letchildrendisplaytheobjects,workinginpairsorgroupsif possible.Writeoutanylabelsthat

childrenmightwanttoadd,explainingwhyeachobjectisinteresting.

Make ConnectionsLearning outcomes:interestedandmotivatedtolearn•reasoningskills•creative

thinking•similaritiesanddifferences•materialsandtheirproperties.

You will need: objects such as keys, natural things like fir cones and shells, unusual

kitchenutensilslikemortarsandpestles,eggwhisks,potsorplatesmadeof different

materials,e.g.plastic,enamel,wood,stainlesssteel.

Younger children: letchildrenusetheirsensestoexploretheobjects.Groupthings

togetheryourself, explainingyour reasonsandwatch tosee if childrenmakeany

connections.Givechildrenanobjectandseeif theycan‘findanotheronelikeit’.

Older children:Encouragechildrentosortandgroupobjectshowevertheywantto

andinlotsof differentways.Whatgroupsandconnectionsdotheymake?Youcould

offerarangeof containersorspecialboxestosupporttheirsorting.Putdifferent

colouredpaperontothetabletoptosuggestsorting,orletchildrenuseittomake

labels.Offerchildrenmirrorsandmagnifyingglassestoexploretheobjects.

Take it further: takephotosof children’sobjectgroupsandletthemdictatealabel.

Encouragechildrentotalktogetheraboutthegroupseachchildmadeandtotell

parentsandcarersabouttheirthinking.

Shadow Play Learning outcomes: creative thinking • problem solving • reasoning skills • interactingwithothers•materialsandtheirproperties•respondingtostoriesand

makinguptheirown.

You will need: Adarkenedspace,anoverheadprojector,whitescreen,

board or pale wall, coloured cellophane, torches, objects that cast

interestingshadows,instruments.

Younger children: Let children handle the objects, then give themtorchestoexaminethem.Useyourtorchtomakeashadowonthewallandpointitoutif childrendon’tnotice.

Older children: Ask children to find out how to make their object

shadowsbiggerandsmaller.Try layingcellophaneontheoverhead

projectorsurfaceandthenaddingobjects.Makeupstoriestogowiththeobjectsand

useinstrumentstomakethestorysounds.

13 14

Objectsandartworksinmuseumsandgalleriesareusuallybiggerandmuchmore

exciting than anything that could come to a setting. Many museum and gallery

buildingsareamazingplacesthatchildrenfindfascinating.

Avisitisagreatopportunitytoinvolveparentsandcarersandtogetchildrenout

exploringtheirlocalcommunity.

For many, coming to a museum environment was a new experience. It fired their

imagination and developed their confidence.Nurserycreativecollaborator

Getting thereCheck out your nearest museum or gallery.

It may be within walking distance or a short

bus rideaway.Even the journey itself canbe

excitingforchildren,asthisjourneymapdrawn

bya4year-oldillustrates.

If travel really is impossible, contact a local

museumorgallerytoseeif theycancometo

you. The sheet at theback of this bookwill

helpyoufindwhatisnearby.

16

Going to a museum or gallery

Planning the visitThemuseumorgallerywillwanttohelpyou.Getintouchandseewhattheycan

offer.Somemuseumsandgallerieshavespecificprogrammesforyoungervisitors

suchashands-onexperiencesorstorytelling.Someonemaybeabletohelpyou

planyourtrip.Manymuseumsarefreebutsomemaycharge.

Bringingasmallgroupcanbeeasierandcanhavebenefitsforthechildren.Itmay

alsomeanchildrencanmakemorethanonevisit.

Being a small group had benefits – it was a quality experience with individual support for

each child. We were able to follow the interests of the children within the galleries due to

the adult: child ratio. Practitioner

Planning exciting things to doEven ifamuseumorgallerydoesn’thaveaspecificEarlyYearsprogrammeor

resources,there’splentyyoucandotoensurethatanymuseumorgallerywill

beaplaceofwonderandexcitementforchildren.

Whynot:

• takealong torches,magnifyingglasses,mirrors,evenaccessories likecapesor

hatsandaskthemtobeexplorers

• give them digital cameras to photograph the

mostinterestingthingstheysee

• givethemphotosofobjects,artworksorparts

of the building to find. Older children may be

abletomatchphotosofsmalldetailsorunusual

viewsofobjectsorpaintings

•givethematrailthatasksthemtofindthescariestthinginonearea,thelargest

inanother,thefunniest,prettiestetc

•tellchildrenthebarebonesofastorythattakesplaceinthemuseumorgallery.

Ask themto findoutmoredetailsoyoucanmakeup thewholestory together

whenyougetback

•providedrawingequipmentandletchildrenchoosewhatinspiresthem

15

PHO

TO BY JA

N N

ETTLETON

/MA

RTENSCRO

FT SURE STA

RT CHILD

REN’S CEN

TRE

PHO

TO / RO

YAL A

LBERT MEM

ORIA

L MU

SEUM

, EXETER.

Exploring the buildingRememberthatchildrenwillbejustasinterestedinthemuseumorgallerybuilding

as they are in thedisplays, sowhynot include a structured chance to explore.

Asimplemapwithphotosofoneortwothingstospotineachspacecouldhelp

childrenbegintofeelathomeinthenewenvironment.

Youcould:

•getadulthelperstoaskchildrenwhattheylikeabouteachnewspacetheyenter

•encouragechildrentomoveindifferentwaysondifferent floor surfaces or in different spaces,e.g.tiptoeonthetiles

•usethepatternof‘goingonabearhunt’toexplorethedifferent‘rooms’andarchitecturalfeatures

•givechildrendigitalcamerasandencouragethemtotakephotosfromunusualvantagepoints,

e.g.balconies,lookinguphugestaircases

•useastorylike‘Peepo’toencouragechildrento

lookaround.Youcouldevengivethemcut-out‘Peepo’holestouseastheyexplore.

Before you goMost organisations encourage planning visits. These are often free, even if a

museumorgallerycharges.Onyourplanningvisit:

•askstaffifyoucantakephotostohelpwithyourplanning,toturnintoactivities

ortouseastalkingpointswithchildrenaheadofthevisit

•checkoutthefacilities.Wherearethetoilets?Istherespacetoleavecoatsor

haveasnack?Aretherestairsoristherealift?

•doariskassessment,stafftheremaybeabletohelpwithyourpaperwork

•askifsomeonefromthemuseumorgallerycancomeandmeetthechildren.

Makesureyouhavephotopermissionsinplaceandpackadigitalcameraontheday.

At the museumWhattoexpect:

•excitedfaces

•timetoadjusttothenewsetting

•lotsofexploring,talkingandquestions

•somequieterchildrencomingoutoftheirshell

It’sagoodideatotrytonotedownthethingschildrendoandsayonavisit.If

adulthelpersareconfidenttheycouldbegivennotepadsoracamcorder.These

recordsofthevisitaregreatforassessinglearning,informingplanningandcan

beausefultoolinhelpingchildrenreflectonandrevisittheirexperiences.

Museums and galleries can of fer the resources that ‘spark’ the imagination of

young children and encourage their enthusiasm to extend their learning whilst

having fun together in an exciting venue. Children’sCentreManager

Back in your settingGivechildrenthechancetotalkabouttheirexperiencesatthemuseumorgallery.

Letthemrepresentthethingstheywereinterestedinthroughdrawing,painting,

modellingandimaginaryplay.Challengechildrentobuildamuseumorgallery

withblocksandusesmallworldfiguresasthevisitors.Makemapssochildren

canshowwheretheywentinthebuilding.Usetheinternettohelpanychildren

whowanttofindoutmoreaboutthecollections.

Whynotmakeascrapbooktosharethechildren’slearningjourney?

•putinpicturesofchildreninthemuseumorgallery

•addphotoschildrentookonthevisit

•writeinthingschildrenremember

•sendpostcardshomeforparents’/carers’memoriesandthenstickthosein

Ifyouhaveaninteractivewhiteboardorcomputeryoucouldmakearollingpresentation

andshareitwithchildrenandfamilyadultswhocouldn’tmakethattrip.

Whenyouevaluateyourvisit,thinkaboutgivingfeedbacktothemuseumorgallery.

Theywillfinditreallyusefulindevelopingtheirservices.

18 17

Going to a museum or gallery PH

OTO

BY STEVE DEVIN

E/THE M

AN

CHESTER M

USEU

M

Involving parents

Goingtoamuseumorgalleryisagreatopportunitytoinvolveparentsand

carers.Togettheminterestedincomingalong,whynot:

•exploreintriguingobjectsinyoursettingsothatchildrentalkaboutthemathome.

•makesurefamilyadultscomeacrosstheobjectswhentheydropchildrenofforpickthemup

•arrangeforsomeonefromamuseumorgallerytocomeandtalktochildrenandfamilyadultsbeforeaskingforvolunteersforavisit

•letparentsandcarersknowwhateveryonewillbedoingonthevisit.Reassurethemnoexpertknowledgeorexperienceisneeded.Tryaposteronyournoticeboard.Thepageoppositeisdesignedtobephotocopiedforparentsandcarers

The visit to the Museum was a real adventure and it was wonderful to see parents and children working so closely together, harvesting the children’s language and

observations. Children’sCentreSeniorTeacher

At the museum or galleryEncouragefamilyadultstoreallygetinvolvedwiththeirgroup.Askthemto:

•listentochildren

•encouragechildrentotalktogether

•noticewhatchildrenareinterestedinandchataboutitwiththem

After the visitMakeabookaboutyourvisitbackinyoursettingandaskparentswhocameto

contributetheirthoughtsaboutthetripandanyphotos.

We made a museum book back in the centre. Children wrote detailed, super sentences

as captions for pictures. This then sparked interest at home and many children visited

the museum with their parents. It also encouraged conversation and sharing experiences. Children’sCentreManager

Askthemuseumorgalleryiftheyhaveinformationforfamiliesthatcouldbesenthome.Whynotinvitefamilyadultstoaminimuseum,anexhibitionof

children’sartorapresentationaboutthevisit?

Notes for parents and carers

It’sgreatthatyou’vevolunteeredtocomeonthisvisit.Whatshouldyoudowhenyou’rethere?

Herearethreetoptipsforhavingasuccessfultrip.

Keep children safeMakesureyoukeepaneyeonchildrenyouarelookingafter,

eveniftheygotothetoiletsortheshop.

Theymaywanttoexploreandfindthingsthatinterestthem,

somakesureyoudothatasagroup.

Chat with children

Museumsandgalleriesareexcitingplacesforchildren.

Theywillbefullofcommentsandquestions.

Listentoalltheirideasandchataboutthethingsyousee.

Youdon’tneedtobeahistoryorartexperttohavesomethinginterestingtosay.

Enjoy yourselfJoininwithchildrenastheyexplore.Getinvolvedintheiractivities.

Enjoyhavingsomespecialtimetogether.

20 19

Stockists and suppliersMINDSTRETCHERS-www.mindstretchers.co.uk

Agreatsourceofmulti-sensorymaterials,investigativetools,naturalresourcesandobjects.

EARLYEXCELLENCE-www.earlyexcellence.com

Readymadetreasurebasketsandinterestingwoodenobjectsareavailablebymailorder.

EARLYYEARSRESOURCES-www.earlyyearsresources.co.uk

Aneducationalsupplierwithagoodrangeofinvestigativetools.

TOBAR-www.tobar.co.uk

NotjustforEarlyYearsbuttheyofferawiderangeoftraditionaltoys,investigativetoolsand

interestingobjects.

TTS-www.tts-group.co.uk

TheirEarlyYearsresourcesarefantastic!LookalsoattheirICTresourcesandinvestigationtools.e.g

‘Explorer’setand‘Easi-Speak’robustMP3recorder.

PUPPETSBYPOST-www.puppetsbypost.co.uk

Afantasticrangeofpuppetsofallsizes,includinganimalsandfigures.

SCRAPSTORES-www.childrensscrapstores.co.uk

Foranationwidelistofstoresyoucouldjoin.

TryhighstreetstockistslikeAUNATURAL,IKEA,CARGO,PIERandLAKELANDfortreasure.

baskets,chestsandinterestingobjectse.g.kitchenutensils.

ResourcesTHESTANDARDSSITE-www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk

InterestingcasestudiesonwaystouseICTinEarlyYearssettings

THESURESTARTSITE-www.surestart.gov.uk

Excitingcasestudiesondevelopingchildren’screativity.

LTSSCOTLAND-www.Ltscotland.org.uk

LotsofsharedpracticeforEarlyYearssettings,includingideasforactivelearning.

SIGHTLINES-www.sightlines-initiative.com

TheUKcontactpointfortheReggioChildrenNetwork.

THELITTLEBOOKOF...series,verypracticalanduseful,especiallyonroleplay,propboxesforrole

playandinvestigations.ISBN:1904187668

Lotsofstorybookscanbeusedtopromptexplorationofamuseumorgallerybuilding.‘Katie’

bookse.g.KATIE’SPICTURESHOWISBN:1843623978•HARRYANDTHEDINOSAURSATTHE

MUSEUMISBN:0140503846•GOINGONABEARHUNTISBN:0744523230.

Useful resources

ThispublicationwasdevelopedandwrittenbyJoGrahamfromLearningUnlimitedandeditedbyJo,ElaineBatesandAmandaShorefromManchesterMuseum.

Wewouldliketothankthestafffromthefollowingvenuesfortheirinvolvementincreatingthispublication:

ManchesterArtGallery GortonSouthSureStartChildren’sCentre

Museumof ScienceandIndustry MartenscroftNurseryandSureStartChildren’sCentre

PeoplesHistoryMuseum SaintPetersChildren’sCentre

WhitworthArtGallery HigherBlackleyChildren’sCentre

ManchesterMuseum SladeLaneandBroomAvenueChildren’sCentre

BoltonMuseumandArtGallery ClarendonPrimarySchool

PrestonConsortiumof Museums

TullieHouseMuseumandArtGallery

Children’sFirstForum,Merseyside

Wewouldalsoliketothank:

TheEarlyYearsSteeringGroupfromTheNorthWestHub

TheSouthWestHubMuseums

TheEarlyYearsTeamfromTheSouthWestHub

JaneFletcherNorthWestHubEducationDevelopmentManager

PamTideswellHeadof SureStart,Manchester

StephanieMetcalfeChildren’sCentreTeacher

SueGoodPrimaryPhaseConsultant,MuseumsandGalleries

SarahMurrayFoundationStageConsultant

TerryGouldFoundationStageConsultant

VirginiaTandyNorthWestMuseumsHubLead

Acknowledgements

21

museums for changing lives

MUSEUMS LIBRARIES ARCHIVESN O R T H W E S T

Formoreinformationandfurthercopiesofthisreport,pleasevisittheRenaissancepagesoftheMLANorthWestwebsite:

www.mlanorthwest.org.uk/museumslibrariesarchives/museums/renaissancenw

PublishedbyRenaissanceNorthWest,March2008.

RenaissanceistheMuseums,LibrariesandArchives(MLA)Council’s£150millionprogrammetotransformEngland’sregionalmuseums.Forthefirsttimeever,investmentfromcentralgovernmentishelpingregionalmuseumsacrossthecountrytoraisetheirstandardsanddeliverrealresultsinsupportofeducation,learning,communitydevelopmentandeconomicregeneration.Anetworkof‘Hubs’hasbeensetupineachEnglishregiontoactasflagshipmuseumsandhelppromotegoodpractice.AlongsidetheHubs,MLARegionalAgenciesandMuseumDevelopmentOfficersareprovidingadviceandsupport,SubjectSpecialistNetworkshavebeensetup,andnationalmuseumsaresharingtheirskillsandcollectionstoensureRenaissancebenefitstheentiremuseumssector.Renaissanceishelpingmuseumstomeetpeople’schangingneeds-andtochangepeople’slives