Another article

This time from Time Out Chicago, bemoaning the current focus on kid-friendly exhibits. I am of two minds about this. On one hand, I can understand that adults, especially those without kids, might feel left out of current offerings at museums. But on the other hand, I think too often adults feel like they "should" learn a certain way. They forget that they can also learn by playing. Of course, maybe working so long in a children's museum has warped me. :)

Adult Education in Museums?

The venue’s current grown-up–geared exhibit is a beautiful melange of antique space trinkets called “Planetary Machines.” Mechanized 18th- and 19th- century models of space along with pages torn from ancient encyclopedias let you peek into the minds of Enlightenment-era elites. Difficult to dumb down, texts bestow large chunks of information... it’s refreshing to, quite simply, observe an artifact and read about it.

See? Why do we insist that all adults want to do is read big ole text panels about objects? I mean, I love the idea of this show, but I would want to play with the orrerys, maybe even try to make my own. I am not a child (although I am rather child-like) but that doesn't mean I don't want to play.

I think there has to be a middle ground here. We often refer to it as the "Looney Toon" ideal. Watch an old Bugs Bunny cartoon with a kid sometime. Or The Muppet Show. Or Shrek. The reason these programs are so successful is that they appeal on a broad level. There are jokes that a 3 year old can get. And there are jokes that are clearly targeted at adults. We should be striving to build our exhibits to suit everyone.

We are currently working on a refresh of our winter exhibit, Jolly Days. One thing the team is pushing for is something for the grown ups. Even something small, but something that makes them laugh, smile, or better yet, learn something! I think we generally do a good job of creating exhibits that have something for everyone, but we could always do better. Our "something for everyone" sometimes translates into "something for preschoolers, and elementary age, but probably not older." Given our audience, its understandable, but even something small can help make the experience better for everyone.