You've gotten some great responses and advice so far! I definitely second Mr. Shepard's suggestion of connecting with local early childhood educators. They can give you some really good insight on things that work well and don't just "look good" as well as connect with funders, help you with theory questions etc.You can look to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc.org) to help you connect with programs in your area that have gone through a rigorous accreditation process.
Dr. Shaffer also brings up a great point of putting authentic museum artifacts in the space. I have been able to assist with some planning at the National Museum of American History for an "under 5" space and that is one of the things I was most excited about. Spaces like this are more then just a place to shuffle kids off to one side, it is an opportunity for them to learn about the museum in an age appropriate way!
Content/mission/activities/programming are key, but when you are planning you also want to give serious thought to what the physical space will be. When you are thinking of the physical space, you will want to keep sight lines in mind. If adults are there with more then one child they will be trying to (literally) keep an eye on multiple children at once. Being thoughtful about how things are placed will alleviate some anxiety on that front! Stroller access/parking can also be one of the biggest challenges and what bathrooms/changing areas are in/near the area. Bringing up that you are thinking about all of these things will show you are being thoughtful about the physical needs of the family!
A quieter area (like the reading nook you described) can be great for nursing mothers, children who need some "space" or a place with less sensory input. Once again, by framing these spaces as both access to literacy opportunities and a way to address the needs of families with young children shows you are thinking about the whole family.
One last thing to consider, do you have space for babies/crawlers or young toddlers? Planning a space for the youngest learners is sometimes left out of the "children's areas" and could really set a space apart!
As you can tell, this is a topic that I can speak to on end! Please let me know if I can support you in any way, I love hearing about museums thoughtfully incorporating young children into their spaces.
Sincerely,
Sarah
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Sarah Erdman
Consultant
Washington DC
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-01-2015 09:58 AM
From: Charles Shepard
Subject: Children's Education Complex renovation advice
Hi Kristin,
A few bits of advice - if you haven't already, it helps with funding and overall community buy-in if you can augment your own expertise with that of local education leaders. Later on these folks can be great contacts to help you jump-start programming, and often they have existing relationships with funders.
Take a peek at what we did to our children's gallery (click on the Early Learning Center tab) a few years ago here: http://www.fwmoa.org/PreK-12
Although ours wasn't a major renovation, we put great emphasis on giving this area a specific focus: Fostering the beginnings of visual literacy education through activities to which 0-6 year olds respond. Having this very specific "mission" in mind helped us define the area, be efficient in our planning, and give something to the community that wasn't there before. That's another important concept: what's missing in the community in terms of education outside the schools? What can you do to your space that makes it a unique destination?
Best of luck to you,
Amanda Martin
Deputy Director
Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Original Message:
Sent: 04-29-2015 05:15 PM
From: Kristin Martin
Subject: Children's Education Complex renovation advice
Hello,
My museum is currently in the early pre-design stages of planning a new Children's Education Complex into our current building. Our current children's area consists of a few scattered toys, coloring pages, and some tables for educational activities. I am looking for any words of wisdom on designing, planning, and funding a major renovation that will include a library/reading space, hands-on interactives area, and learning center/classroom area.
Thanks in advance!
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Kristin Martin
Education Director and Volunteer Coordinator
Museum of World Treasures
Wichita, KS
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