You can play in a museum! And you don't need any special knowledge or toys for that.
In this note I suggest three simple games that are suitable for children aged 3–7 in any museum. No special preparation is required — the main things are the parents' desire and willingness to engage the children, as well as a good mood. We played these games with my older son Sasha, who is almost 6 years old, at the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Before the museum visit
Sasha and I regularly go to museums; I try to choose ones that have exhibits related to my son's current interests. This time we chose the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic because Sasha loves the snowman story, and we often talk together about how great it would be to one day travel to the South Pole.
A couple of days before I told Sasha that we would go to the museum and that we would play new games there. He was excited. This is an important point: create a positive mood before the visit. I also looked through the museum's website in advance and checked the opening hours. There were no tips for parents on the site, so I relied on my student memories of the exhibition. I remembered that there are taxidermy animals there that interest my children. Otherwise I decided to rely on my museum experience and act according to the circumstances. We went to the museum as a group of four: two children and two adults. The younger son is 2 years old; he is active and curious and is not yet ready for such games. So I asked my mother to take care of the little one while I played and explored the museum with Sasha.
Museums have certain rules of conduct and restrictions: usually you can't run, touch the exhibits, talk loudly or make noise. What are the possibilities then? You can look and read. That's exactly what I decided to emphasize in the games, because Sasha is currently learning to read and also likes to count and search.
I suggested three games that can be played at home, outside, and in the museum. Each game is connected to one skill.
As soon as we entered the museum, Sasha began asking when we would start playing. I'm glad his interest only grew over the couple of days.
Game One: Let's Count the Steps
Museums usually have stairs. We missed the first one leading to the museum entrance because I was carrying a stroller, but once inside, on the way to the cloakroom, we saw a staircase together and agreed we'd count the steps on the way to the exhibition. After taking off our coats and leaving our things in the cloakroom, we started counting the steps. I suggested that Sasha remember the number and count again on the way back. That's what we did. In the photo — another staircase that we went down on our return.
Game Two: Searching for the Biggest Exhibits
At the Museum of the Arctic and Antarctic this game was quick. Already at the entrance, while standing in line at the ticket office, we saw an airplane right above us. A stuffed polar bear also caught our attention. In some museums you can look not only for the largest but also for the smallest items. Such a game trains attentiveness and reveals what the child focuses on.
Game Three: Looking for Objects of Specific Colors
Sasha and I chose four colors: blue, yellow, red, and white. We looked not only at exhibits but also at furniture, signage elements, and also paid attention to our own clothes.
Conclusions and an Unexpected Surprise
We spent about 40 minutes in the museum. These games alternated with looking at display cases and exhibits that momentarily caught the children's attention. When it was time for us to leave, I intrigued Sasha by saying that somewhere in the museum the kitten Findus was hiding — a character we know well from the Pettson books. How did Findus end up in the museum? I had seen a soft toy in the cloakroom but didn't mention it right away; I decided to save it 'for dessert.' It paid off! Sasha was delighted to see Findus, and that final touch made a pleasant ending to our visit.
On the way out of the museum we discussed what we had seen and continued searching for objects in the colors we had chosen. This game became Sasha's favorite, and now we play it on walks.
Play as a method of learning about the world is a universal and accessible way to introduce children to museums. By playing, we get to know the space and layout of the museum, pay attention to details, and compare what we see with familiar stories and situations.
The child gets used to the idea that you can go to museums with your parents; it can be engaging and unusual, and in this way we form a positive image of the museum that they'll want to return to.
По пути из музея мы обсуждали увиденное и продолжили поиск предметов нужных нам цветов. Эта игра полюбилась Саше больше всего, и теперь мы играем в неё на прогулках.
Игра как способ познания мира – универсальный и доступный способ познакомить детей с музеями. Играя, мы знакомимся с пространством и устройством музея, обращаем внимание на детали, сравниваем то, что видим, с привычными нам сюжетами и обстоятельствами.
Ребёнок привыкает к тому, что в музеи можно ходить вместе с родителями, это может быть увлекательно и необычно, таким образом мы формируем позитивный образ музея, в который захочется возвращаться в дальнейшем.
