Gef mér ráð fyrir

Yesterday three experts in American style children's museums came by to look at Vikingaheimar. They had all sorts of ideas of things I could do, ways to make space for kids activities, etc.

One of the ideas we batted around was whether or not each section of the exhibition should have something specifically kids-friendly. The upstairs already has that, but the downstairs does not.

There are really cheap, simple things a person can do to make a museum kid friendly. Put up a big piece of paper and ask the kids to draw a Viking ship. Put a big box full of dirt and let them dig for fake artifacts. Hang magnifying glasses next to cases, so kids are encouraged to look closely.

The problem is striking a balance. Because these things are cheap and simple, it can be tempting to go overboard with them. Plus even one or two of these threatens the ability of the museum to be taken as an authority on a subject, which is why children's activities are often confined to one space.

It is not as if we want to give the impression that the museum is only a place to play games and run around. It should also be a space for adults to be able to reflect on their own world and their own place in it, a place to think and interact with their friends and family.

Comments

Lissy said…
Just realized I neglected to explain the title. Ég gef mér ráð fyrir that there is always going to be things like this happening, as long as I'm here.
October 11, 2009 at 5:45 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dett í, ofan á, úr, út

I´m not sure if someone had dett í (gotten drunk), or if það bara dett ofan á (it just sort of happened), or if some dett úr (forgot), but at any rate, my household goods dett út (have disappeared). Let's review the chronology here. Early August packers from the shipping company arrive at the apartment in Moraga. They load my 4 large plastic containers and 8 cardboard boxes, plus one baby crib, into their truck. I watch my things depart. In September, I ask the friendly girl (Magie is her name) if she happens to know when I might expect my stuff. Late September she tells me. I am most impressed. Extremely so. Mid October rolls around, and I have not gotten a call. And it occurs to me that I am going to be traveling through November. Hmm. So I call again. Well, yes, she tells me, looks like your shipment should arrive on the 31st of October. Now here I admit that maybe I was a little lacks. I had a lot to do before my trip, and so when they did not call me, I did not follow ...
Read more

On Icelandic doctors

My friends and family here in Iceland were very enthusiastic about me going to the krabbameinsfélag for an exam. I was really impressed how easy it was to get an appointment--booked online even! And when I got there this afternoon, the efficiency continued: they have a well oiled operation in place there, all very organized with computers asking questions and keyed lockers to keep one's personal belongings in. Then when it came time to see the doctor, well, that lasted all of 2 minutes. And I paid 3420 kroner. So I was overall a little disappointed. When I mentioned to the front desk clerks that I was wondering if it was possible to actually get an appointment where I could speak to a doctor, I was given a variety of phone numbers. None of the ones I called had appointments within the next 6 weeks. In the United States, when I want a doctor's appointment, I can usually get it within a week of calling, though sometimes I have had to wait 10 days or so. The highest co-pay I hav...
Read more

Cultural tourism in Iceland

I just finished writing a chapter of my dissertation, which resulted in a much larger discussion of cultural tourism in Iceland than I had intended. But the fact is, this is an issue I have been extremely interested and concerned about for at least 15 years, if not 20. I have never, ever liked the way Iceland is marketed to tourists in the U.S. Everything from the unspoiled nature to the crazy city life in Reykavik. It has always left the part of Iceland I loved--the simple joy of being in a relaxing and lovely place with my family--completely out of the picture. In 2001, I went to Hvollsvöllur to examine the Saga Centre as part of a study commissioned by the National Park's service to look into cultural landscapes as heritage tourism. I thought that endeavor might represent a change in how Iceland was presented to tourists. But in the last 10 years, and especially while working at Vikingaheimar, and at meetings with the Saga Trails Association, I came to see just how completel...
Read more