Archives for June 2010

DO YOU LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD?

When I was in design school, we were given an assignment to design a Children’s Museum.                             

Since this was a class project, we didn’t have an actual client, meaning it was the perfect opportunity to pull out all the stops and let our imaginations – and our inner child – run wild.

I decided to have some fun.

Being the daughter of a museum curator does have its advantages, since I was able to visualize this museum project from the viewpoint of a child who was taken to museums probably from the time I was old enough to walk.

I admit, I didn’t always go willingly. Cause, let’s face it, a big stodgy old building, as most older museums tend to be, aren’t exactly a child’s idea of a good time. It can be downright boring.

I know this from experience.

Plus, I’m now a bonfide museum docent who tours school children young and old, and I can tell you things haven’t changed.

Entertaining kids in a museum can be a challenge, but it can also be a joy.

For my project, I decided to give the children an exciting, hands-on experience, without the usual “Do Not Touch” approach. In fact, in my museum, touching was not only encouraged, it was the whole point of the experience.

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