ABSTRACT

Working with Young Children in Museums makes a major contribution to the small body of extant research on young children in museums, galleries and heritage sites.

Bridging theory and practice, the book introduces theoretical concepts in a clear and concise manner, whilst also providing inspirational insights into everyday programming in museums. Structured around three key themes, this volume seeks to diverge from the dominant socio-cultural learning models that are generally employed in the museum learning literature. It introduces a body of theories that have variously been called new materialist, spatial, posthuman and Deleuzian; theories which enable a focus on the body, movement and place and which have not yet been widely shared or developed with the museum sector or explicitly connected to practice. This book outlines these theories in an accessible way, explaining their usefulness for conceptualising young children in museums and connecting them to practical examples of programming in a range of locations via a series of contributed case studies.

Connecting theory to practice for readers in a way that emphasises possibility, Working with Young Children in Museums should be essential reading for museum practitioners working in a range of institutions around the world. It should be of equal interest to researchers and students engaged in the study of museum learning, early childhood education and children’s experiences in museums.

chapter 1|12 pages

Introduction

part I|62 pages

Thing-ness and the power of objects

chapter 3|7 pages

The power of objects

Little things please little minds?

chapter 4|7 pages

The thing-ness of wood chips

chapter 5|12 pages

Bright and Shiny

Infants, toddlers and contemporary art at the Ipswich Art Gallery

chapter 7|9 pages

For the love of small stuff

Materialising theory in an early years artist residency

chapter 8|4 pages

Commentary on Part I

On fire

part II|58 pages

Museum spaces

chapter 10|8 pages

Leaving room for learning

University of Cambridge Museums’ nursery in residence

chapter 12|9 pages

Young children explore Sewerby Hall

chapter 13|9 pages

Climate, landscape and landmarks

Providing spaces for belonging

chapter 15|2 pages

Commentary on Part II

Places along lines of flight

part III|65 pages

Time, new experiences and repeat visits

chapter 17|7 pages

Transport Tots at Streetlife Museum Hull

A familiar and unfamiliar space

chapter 21|6 pages

Complicating the narrative

Preschooler-led museum field trips

chapter 23|8 pages

On What Grounds

chapter 24|3 pages

Commentary on Part III

The lived materialities of the museum – a new research agenda