Joyce Wilson
Retired Teacher
Creator of teacherspark.org

Museums provide people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn and explore different cultures. These spaces offer a unique view into worlds that are either long gone or can’t exist with future generations, and they allow visitors the chance to experience things they would otherwise only see on paper or on a screen.

Museums also offer children of any age the chance to learn interactively about a particular subject, which enhances their drive to take an interest in it. These spaces can be invaluable for parents and educators because simply talking about a time period in history pales in comparison to actually showing artifacts and artwork from the era; most children would much rather see a gigantic dinosaur skeleton in person than read about it.

Children can benefit the most from museums because they are at a unique advantage to see things with a sense of creativity and inspiration. These spaces can foster a sense of wonder and boost self-esteem when paired with interactive learning exhibits that teach kids about leadership, sharing, and doing things for themselves.

“Museums offer a dynamic opportunity to expose children to experiences and explore new things in a rich and educational environment. Through interactive exhibits and hands-on play, children have the ability to take ownership of their own learning and develop and explore their own curiosities. This unique exposure provides the foundation for creativity, critical thinking, and connection to the world around them,” says Sara Choi of the Zimmer Children’s Museum.

Not only that, they also offer visitors a glimpse at some of the most marginalized voices in history. Kids can learn the importance of other cultures, see and hear what it might have been like for children their age during the Civil Rights era, and learn about women’s fight for the vote.

Museum artifacts can help figures from history come to life as visitors glimpse clothing, tools, furniture, and replicas of home life for people who lived many generations ago. Seeing those things in person allows us to connect with the figure in a way that’s difficult to do within the pages of a book.

In today’s tech-conscious world, museums are making more of an effort than ever to connect with visitors by allowing them to take selfies, interact with augmented reality, use apps to plan museum routes and learn more about the exhibits, and find out more about art and history. These advances are critical in getting younger audiences to appreciate what they’re seeing and get them excited about learning. You can add to this tech focus and help drive home what your students learned on their trip to the museum by assigning them a project to create their own website on the most interesting fact they learned while at the museum. You might even be able to get the museum website to link to the students’ sites once they’re finished. It will be fun for the kids and a great community connection for the museum.

One of the best things about most museum spaces is that they offer something different on every visit as they change out exhibits, and some even have traveling exhibits that allow people in different cities access they wouldn’t normally have.

Museums give us a chance to look into the past as well as the future, to see where we’ve been and where we might go. Without them, many important pieces of history would be lost or shielded from public view by private collectors. It’s imperative that we continue to support these establishments and foster a sense of community, a love of learning, and a feeling of gratitude in today’s youth when it comes to visiting museums.

About Joyce Wilson

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