How to find these programs, how to take part, and what experiences a child can have
In previous articles we talked about how the main source of information about a museum's events is its website. But how do you choose which museums to visit? For example, you can use the 'Let's Go to the Museum' portal's 'With Children' selection and then study the museums' websites.
After talking with museum colleagues about available programs and events for children aged 3–7, and after reviewing museum websites, I came to two conclusions:
1) finding information about children's programs is not always easy; sometimes it's simpler to call and speak with a staff member;
2) many programs are available only by advance booking and/or on the condition that you form your own group.
The second point surprised me most. I have two children (5 years and 1 year 7 months), and from my own experience I know how difficult it can be to get ready and travel to a museum... And what if you also have to organize several other families to reach the minimum number of participants... The idea can seem unrealistic. If you go only with your own small group, the cost may turn out to be quite high. In short, a case where the museum is not as accessible as one would like.
How to prepare to participate in a museum program
If this is the child's first visit to a museum, you should explain what a museum is as a space, what rules of conduct, restrictions, and features there are. It's a good idea to arrive a little early to get settled and find out where the program will take place.
Check with staff about the event's duration, whether you can accompany the child, and whether there are any recommendations you might not have considered.
An important detail: change of footwear. In some museums you need to wear shoe covers (even in summer), which may be less comfortable than the child's usual shoes.
Also make sure the child comes to the program fed and not overly tired. Usually drinking is not allowed in the exhibition areas, so ask about that as well, especially if it's hot outside.
Support the child, create a positive impression of the whole event. And don't force them to stay until the end if you feel the child is uncomfortable or finding it difficult. It's important that the museum becomes associated with something engaging and interesting so they'll want to return.
What kinds of programs are available in museums for children aged 3–7
These are usually classes in small groups of 5–10 people lasting 45–60 minutes, which include active listening and elements of a workshop. Some sessions take place in the exhibition space, while others are held in specially equipped rooms.
Sessions are most often led by staff from the educational department—museum educators.
Below I will show a few activities that colleagues told me about. Descriptions were taken from museum websites.
At the museum you can take part in workshops suitable for children aged 3–14.
For example, at a workshop in the children's center, children together with their parents will make handmade keepsake souvenirs using a variety of craft techniques and will play with a children's toy railway.
In the session 'Visiting the Locomotive' children will go on a journey through the locomotive's 'home', look into the history of railways, learn about the 'biography' and mechanics of a steam locomotive, 'visit' the first railway in Russia, learn to distinguish locomotives and their 'names', listen to railway music, and imagine the future of transport. The session is suitable for children aged 5–10.
Advance registration is required. The museum's website lists program descriptions, prices, and a phone number for booking.
The museum offers a variety of themed programs dedicated to health. For example, for children aged 3–5 there is a session called 'Entertaining Hygiene'. The kids help a sick, naughty little bear named Mishutka, and together with the She-Bear and the forest doctor they explain why it's important to be clean and tidy, practice personal hygiene, do physical exercises, harden the body, and eat properly. The session lasts 70 minutes. The schedule of sessions is available a month in advance, and tickets can be purchased online ahead of time.
Session 'Entertaining Hygiene' for children aged 3–5, Military Medical Museum, Saint Petersburg
The museum offers creative sessions for children aged 3–5. By inventing wonderful stories, children play with colors, shapes, and materials, finding new combinations and uses. Why? To create several small works or one large piece, and then play again with what they've just made. And what do parents do at that time? They stay close by and also invent, play, and experiment; they learn something important about themselves and their child, discovering new creative ways of exploring the world. It's convenient that the sessions take place every Saturday at the same time.
Session 'Color. Form. Material' at the Arsenal
The sessions take place in the 'Archaeology' space in the Museum Quarter of Tula. This is the interactive exhibition '10,000 Years Before the Tula Kremlin', where visitors can get acquainted with archaeology. The exhibition is intended for family visits. One of the available sessions for children aged 7 and up is the Young Archaeologist School. The October schedule is available on the museum's website. For younger children the museum offers workshops, for example, in ceramics. Interestingly, children will not only be able to see but also hold fragments of ancient pottery that are several thousand years old. In October–November workshops and sessions will take place almost daily; times and prices can be found by phone.
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