National Children's Museum Offers Tips for Sightseeing with Kids

NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OFFERS TIPS FOR SIGHTSEEING WITH KIDS

Child-centered museum offers advice on how to enjoy cultural institutions as a family

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Children’s Museum, scheduled to open in 2012 at National Harbor in the Washington, DC region, is offering families tips on how to make the most of their trips to museums and other cultural institutions this summer. The Museum encourages caregivers to use the school break as an opportunity to visit such organizations for a fun and educational family experience, and has advice on how to engage even the youngest of tourists.

“Sightseeing and exploring various cultural institutions can be a wonderful way to enrich the lives of children and for families to create lasting memories together,” said Kathy Dwyer Southern, CEO, National Children’s Museum. “As our nation’s children’s museum, we know such excursions can sometimes be overwhelming for kids, which is why we are offering a few guidelines for parents to follow to ensure their family has meaningful and memorable experiences.”

The National Children’s Museum has compiled the following tips to consider when sightseeing with children:

1. Limit your Choices

Almost every cultural institution has something valuable to offer children – lessons in art, history, science, technology, nature, and more. While it can be tempting to visit a variety of venues in one day, kids do best when they visit just one attraction at a time, whenever possible. Limit your experience to about 2 hours to allow children to really absorb the content of that particular environment, so they can learn more and better remember their experience.

2. Let your Kids do the Planning

If your child is old enough, allow her to tell you what SHE wants to see and do for a change. Kids are likely to be more interested, engaged, and excited if they get to help call the shots and create their own experience.

3. Focus on a Specific Area of Interest

Before heading to your destination, choose a specific subject on which to focus during your visit. For example, if you are headed to the Museum of Natural History, you may choose to focus on learning about dinosaurs. Take some time to read up on the subject with your child in the days leading up to your visit, and discuss it on your way to the museum. Then head straight to Dinosaur Hall. Focusing on one area gets children excited about what they will see, and enhances what they already know.

4. Use Past Experiences to Connect your Child to the Museum

Building on past experience is critical to a child’s learning. To understand a new concept your child might encounter at a museum or monument, try to connect it to a concept that he is already familiar with. For example, if you know you will look at a sculpture that depicts a person throwing a ball, bring your child’s own ball with you and encourage him to use it in a similar way.

5. Create your own Special Activity

Allow your child to be actively involved in the learning process during your visit. Bring a notebook or sketchbook and crayons, and encourage your child to count objects, record what he liked most about his favorite exhibits, or sketch his own version of what he sees during your visit. Or before you head to the museum, take an online tour, and create your own “Treasure Hunt” or other hands-on activity where kids have an opportunity to see, touch, taste, and listen, or act out their impressions of what they experience.

6. Be an Engaged and Interested Parent

Make it clear that your museum visit is a treat – a special time for you and your child to share together. Your level of enthusiasm, interest, and excitement is contagious. Be a learner along with your child and share the experience that learning is fun!

For more information about the National Children’s Museum, visit www.ncm.museum.

About the National Children’s Museum

Scheduled to open in 2013, the National Children’s Museum (NCM) will be a world-class cultural and educational center dedicated to engaging children and empowering them to make a difference. The mission of NCM is to inspire children to care about and improve the world. Through its interactive exhibits, online community, and unique national programs and partnerships, NCM is transforming the concept of a traditional museum by becoming a catalyst and forum for a national movement to inspire and empower kids to speak up, take action, and get engaged in their communities. Through 2013, NCM is operating as a Museum Without Walls, participating in a variety of community events and working with other arts and cultural organizations to develop creative partnerships that benefit kids and families.

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