The author gratefully acknowledges the photo courtesy of and copyright © by Carrol A. Grimes. freerangestock.com/
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” ~ Maya Angelou
Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World By Linda Davis-Kyle, MA
The wonderful learning treasure storehouses of the world are certain to enchant your youngsters, foster their development as they grow and change, and enhance their love of learning as they develop into young adults. Young learners will be over the moon in many of the grand repositories—the wonderful museums and art galleries of the world—where they actually are invited to examine artefacts, touch art, and feel sculptures treated to withstand wear and tear. Abundant hands-on activities and a host of physical exercises create indelible understanding with a favourable result that echoes the Chinese proverb, “Tell me, and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.” Or, similarly, as Mark Twain’s words amusingly suggest, “If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you cannot learn any other way.”
Exploring Museums and Art Galleries In about 350 museums around the world, young learners can engage in hands-on opportunities like sketching what is before them or drawing from their own imaginations, writing stories, painting, throwing pottery, carving soap, making paper, baking bread, panning for gold, digging for fossils, planting trees, petting animals, and even more physical activities like running relays, climbing rockwalls, slithering like snakes through special tunnels, flying like birds, or wearing costumes to become different characters. These activities can help carry children through their own unique metamorphosis like the growth of tiny caterpillars into magnificent butterflies. For children build not only stamina, but also they can discover their own uniqueness and beauty as they learn to share and work with others. Planning Your Family’s Adventures Count yourself lucky if your city boasts sparkling treasure storehouses that offer incredible learning opportunities, action-packed activities, and much more. Some such facilities are open seven days a week, and admission is free or costs very little for the great wealth of information and recreation they share so exquisitely. Others are closed part of the week. To make your family’s visit a memory to cherish, be sure to find their current phone number and call ahead to learn their regularly scheduled hours, if there is an admission cost, and to get answers to any other questions you may have. To prevent disappointment, you even may wish to call the day before your designated visit date to make sure the museum of your choice is not suddenly closed for some unexpected reason or for some special renovation. If your city is fortunate to have several awe-inspiring museums, you even can have alternate plans in the event of an unexpected closing. Navigating Your Online “Learning Treasure” Preview A modest sampling of fine museums and art galleries from around the world follows. You can click on the active URL links for a quick online visit, if you would like. If the URL does not cooperate, then you still can read about the museums of your choice by merely putting their names into your favourite search engine or by using the URL provided. In addition to the tiny random sample group shared here, you can use the search engine you like most to locate museums and art galleries of interest near you. Or you may decide to travel far away to visit the ones that intrigue you most for all the fun learning pleasures they can offer your entire family. One of the supreme goals of many such institutions is to honour the talents of young and mature alike and to encourage family bonding.
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Introducing a Mere Handful of Wonderful Museums and Art Galleries A red check mark √ appears before the museums and galleries included that provide hands-on exhibits, interactive projects, and even take-home art of your children’s own creations and yours. Also for your convenience, a bit of information is supplied about each facility to give a glimpse of just which masterpieces of nature, science, history, art, literature, music, or other wonders of the world they so proudly present. The institutions follow in alphabetical order by country and then by name and by state and name where applicable. Sources of the specific information included about the facilities shared here are acknowledged by their URLs following their addresses. ARGENTINA √ Museo de los Niños Abasto Avenida Corrientes 3247 Shopping Abasto de Buenos Aires Capital Federal Buenos Aires 1193 ARGENTINA www.museoabasto.org.ar The Abasto Children’s Museum caters to youngsters ages 3 to 12, offers delightfully fun hands-on exhibits that also teach young learners, and welcomes the whole family.
AUSTRALIA √ Heide Museum of Modern Art 7 Templestowe Road Bulleen Victoria 3105 AUSTRALIA www.heide.com.au/ Activities at the Heide Museum of Modern Art near Melbourne “range from tours and art-making workshops to intensive forums with artists and other arts professionals.”
√ Museum Victoria 11 Nicholson Street Carlton, Victoria 3053 AUSTRALIA museumvictoria.com.au/
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Museum Victoria oversees the cultural and scientific collections of the state and provides activities and events for visitors at the Melbourne Museum, Immigration Museum, Scienceworks, and the Royal Exhibition Building.
Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Scienceworks, 2 Booker Street, Spotswood, Victoria, Australia Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens, Victoria, Australia AUSTRIA √ Frida and Fred Graz Children’s Museum Friedrichgasse 34 - Graz - A-8010 Graz AUSTRIA www.fridaundfred.at The Frida and Fred Graz Children’s Museum opened in Augarten Park in 2003. The museum’s motto is “Minds-on—Hands-on.” The Frida and Fred Graz Children’s Museum emphasizes creativity with hands-on themed activities to encourage participants to use all their senses to explore and experiment to develop a deeper understanding of how their world works, its diversities, and its complexities. In addition, the museum concentrates on guiding young people to interact thoughtfully with others and to appreciate their environment to become strong, responsible citizens. Also, the museum provides a place where parents can feel at home and delight in the love of learning. “Dialogue in the Dark” at the Children’s Museum in Graz introduces visitors to the world of those who are blind to help sighted persons learn more about their senses of smelling, tasting, touching, and hearing.
√ ZOOM Kindermuseum Museums Quartier Museumsplatz 1 A-1070 Vienna AUSTRIA www.kindermuseum.at/ The motto of ZOOM Children’s Museum is “Hands on, minds on, hearts on!” At ZOOM, children are free to question, to see, smell, listen, touch, and really to feel the exhibits to learn with all their senses and make the world their own. At ZOOM, children are encouraged not only to explore and interact with the displays but also to discover their uniqueness and their own abilities and to be excited to gain new knowledge on their own terms.
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BELGIUM √ Scientastic Boulevard Anspach 72-73 1000 Brussels BELGIUM www.scientastic.com Scientastic, a paradise for children and adults, is brimming with more than 100 handson, interactive science exhibits that invite youngsters to use their five senses to experiment with and learn about light, optics, sound, and the world of illusions. In this museum, visitors can “fly like a bird “ using a special mirror, make their voices “sound like an alien,” enjoy “upside down illusions,” and much more. To learn about all Brussels Museums, you will be happy to discover the portal— www.brusselsmuseums.be—that includes information about all of them from “the smallest to the biggest, from the most classical to the funniest, from the artistic to the scientific … .”
BULGARIA Blagoevgrad Regional Museum of History √ Houses the First Interactive “Children’s Corner” in Bulgaria Varosha Quarter Blagoevgrad BULGARIA In September 2010, the Regional Museum of History in Blagoevgrad opened the first interactive “Children’s Corner” ever to be established in Bulgaria. If you would like to offer your support or learn more about helping with the Bulgarian Museum Revolution, you may wish to read Chief Instigator Paul Orselli’s review at www.exhibitfiles.org/childrens_corner complete with photos.
CANADA √ Winnipeg Art Gallery 300 Memorial Boulevard Winnipeg, Manitoba CANADA RC3C 1V1 wag.ca The Winnipeg Art Gallery was established in 1912 as the first civic art gallery in Canada.
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The Winnipeg Art Gallery Family Sunday and the new StoryTime and PictureTime programmes provide children with “art adventures” to match the themes of current exhibitions. The weekly Art for Lunch presents artist and curator talks, exhibition tours, and art videos. The gallery shares an abundance of Manitoban art. WAG proudly exhibits the most complete collection of Inuit art in the world with more than 10,000 pieces.
CYPRUS The Cyprus Museum (The Archaeological Museum of Nicosia) 1 Mouseiou Street Nicosia CYPRUS www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/projects/museums/team6/museum.php?langId=2 The Cyprus Museum, also known as The Archaeological Museum of Nicosia, fills 14 rooms with its collection of artefacts and specimens arranged chronologically and thematically. Exhibits include tools, stone vessels, and figurines from the Neolithic period. Two full rooms display pottery of the Early Bronze Age and hundreds of clay figurines and statues that originally were found in the Archaic sanctuary at Agia Irini. An outstanding bronze statue of the Emperor Septimus Severus stands before visitors. An exhibit of jewellery, silver artifacts, vessels, and glass objects interest some visitors. The evolution of writing in Cyprus is depicted in Cypro-Minoan script, specimens of Cypro-syllabic script, and finally the alphabetic script. Currently, the museum does not have hands-on activities for young learners, but still they can enjoy viewing its many historic offerings.
FRANCE √ Musée du Louvre Palais Royal 75001 Paris FRANCE www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp Musée du Louvre, founded in 1793, is one of the largest and most visited museums worldwide. The Louvre displays 35,000 of the “most stunning art works in the world” as permanent collections in an area of more than 60,000 square metres.
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The Louvre Museum exquisitely presents eight departments: Egyptian Antiquities, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, Near Eastern Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculptures, Paintings, Prints and Drawings, and Decorative Arts. The grand palace dates back to the 12th century, and for almost 700 years the buildings constituted one of the principal residences of the kings and emperors of France. At the Louvre, many popular lecturers, local artists, curators, and academic professors present workshops and classes some of which include lectures and others include handson activities.
√ Musée Les Secrets du Chocolat rue du Pont du Péage 67118 Geispolsheim Strasbourg FRANCE www.musee-du-chocolat.com The
Chocolate Museum is divided into distinctive thematic areas. It has a conference room, a museum, a demonstration workshop, a tearoom, and a “shop dedicated to the world of chocolate.” A film about cocoa and chocolate welcomes visitors in the conference room. The Chocolate Secrets Tour starts with the history of cocoa beans from the Aztecs and brings it up to the modern day and its importance in world trade. The enchanting story of chocolate is conveyed through animated scenes. During the amazing story of how the cocoa bean is transformed into chocolate, visitors experience the thrill of being “plunged by a machine into the heart of the chocolatemaking process.”
GERMANY √ Deutsches Museum Museumsinsel 1 80538 München GERMANY www.deutsches-museum.de The German Museum for Children focuses on nature and physics and is described as “heaven for young kids,” because “this museum is for touch.” Young and mature alike are encouraged to “experiment” and “push the buttons” in small exhibition chambers to make discoveries. The museum is the perfect place for young scientists-in-the-making. One real life exhibit includes a real airplane. The German Museum for Children exhibits 28,000 items from 50 science and technological fields.
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GREECE √ Greek Reptile Center Antonis Tristis Environmental Education & Sensitization Park 23 Spyrou Moustakli 13121 Ilion Athens GREECE www.erpeta.org The Greek Reptile Center is the home of one of the largest collection of reptiles in all of Europe. The Greek Reptile Center cares for live snakes and lizards from all over the world and houses “six kinds of pythons, some of which are six metres long, three varieties of boa constrictors, seven types of rattlesnakes, six kind of cobras and king cobras, black mambas, anacondas, iguanas,” and a great many other kinds of reptiles. Vipers, the only poisonous snakes in Greece, also are exhibited. An expert with more than 30 years’ experience studying and caring for snakes educates children on the topic of snakes.
HONG KONG √ Hong Kong Museum of History 100 Chatham Road South Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon HONG KONG hk.history.museum The Hong Kong Museum of History—housed next to the Hong Kong Science Museum — maintains five additional museums Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence at Shau Kei Wan, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum at Sham Shui Po, Law Uk Folk Museum at Chai Wan, Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery inside the Quarry Bay Park, and Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum at Mid-levels in Central.
INDIA The Nehru Children’s Museum 94/1, Chowringhee Road Kolkata - 700 020 Kolkata INDIA www.nehrumuseum.org
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The Nehru Children’s Museum — A Project of National Cultural Association — has as its goal to educate youngsters in ways that naturally please and encourage spontaneous learning in youngsters brimming with curiosity and a natural desire to explore and experiment. The National Cultural Association serves families and children in numerous ways beyond informal schooling, for it provides vocational training, job-oriented computer training for youth without sufficient funds, those who may be physically challenged, and scholarships to diligent students who are in need of funding. Their programmes and exhibits are geared thoughtfully to help make the young generation culturally aware, both nationally and internationally.
IRELAND √ Imaginosity, Dublin Children’s Museum The Plaza, Beacon South Quarter Sandyford, Dublin 18 IRELAND www.imaginosity.ie/ Imaginosity, Dublin Children’s Museum is designed for adults and children to visit together, and the adults and children must abide by the house rules that one adult must supervise—at all times—the young guests for which they are responsible. Each adult can bring along no more than five children. Imaginosity’s strict visitation policy is “No children without adults, and no adults without children.” Their goals are not only to entertain but also to educate youngsters by encouraging their imaginations, enhancing their sense of place and self, fostering their self-confidence, selfesteem, and helping them to recognise their potential and self-sufficiency. Children enjoy projects that require thinking and planning to build strong minds and physically exercising to build strong bodies. Imaginosity also supports family bonding and works to empower youngsters and their families to become an integral part of a healthy, vibrant community. In all their activities, Imaginosity provides hands-on practical experiences using props that propel children’s imaginations.
MEXICO √ Papalote Museo del Niño Avenida Constituyentes, 268 11560 Mexico City MEXICO www.papalote.mx/
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The Papalote Museo del Niño has been described as “the largest and most technologically sophisticated ‘touch and do’ museum in the world.” The Papalote Children’s Museum houses more than 200 interactive exhibits that focus on science, art, and technology that appeal to youngsters. An IMAX theatre features awe-inspiring films on archaeology and Mexican culture among other topics of interest to young learners. Mexico City has more than 150 museums. For additional information, please visit AllAboutMexicoCity.com.
NEW ZEALAND √ Sarjeant Gallery Queens Park Wanganui NEW ZEALAND www.sarjeant.org.nz The Sarjeant Gallery houses more than 5,500 works of art that span 16th century European art through 21st century New Zealand art. The Sarjeant Gallery also holds one of the most complete surveys of New Zealand art history. At this gallery, visitors can experience hands-on “colourful adventures in painting.”
NORWAY √ Det Internasjonale Barnekunstmuseet Lille Frøens vei 4 0371 Oslo NORWAY www.barnekunst.no/en/ The International Museum of Children’s Art shares children’s art in the form of drawings, paintings, and sculptures from 180 countries and works to collect, protect, and promote children’s art around the world. Children and adults alike are invited to enjoy activities such as singing and painting.
ROMANIA √ Muzeul National de’Arta al Romaniei Calea Victoriei 49-53 Bucharest ROMANIA www.mnar.arts.ro
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The National Museum of Art of Romania exhibits galleries of Romanian Medieval and Modern Art and European art. It shares the international art collection of the Romanian royal family. It offers interactive opportunities to delight visitors about art and the world in general. The National Museum of Art of Romania is associated with three satellite museums—The Art Collections Museum, Pallady Museum, and K.H. Zambaccian Museum.
SINGAPORE √ National Museum of Singapore 93 Stamford Road SINGAPORE 178897 www.nationalmuseum.sg/ The National Museum of Singapore features Show & Tell for 9-12 year olds and introduces various themes and craft activities. The museum presents Story and craft activities for 5-8 year olds to enjoy. The museum includes the 2,800-square metre Singapore History Gallery that educates visitors about Singapore’s history from the 14th century to the modern day. It also includes Singapore Living Galleries such as Film & Wayang (Shadow Puppet Plays), Photography, Food, and Fashion and much more.
SPAIN Museo de Cera de Madrid* Paseo de Recoletos, 41 28004 Madrid SPAIN www.museoceramadrid.com/ The Madrid Wax Museum exhibits more than 400 wax replicas of historical figures and popular, contemporary celebrities. * This museum is a favourite of youngsters, but you will need to check the on-site rules of the wax museum to be certain what can or cannot be touched.
SWEDEN √ The National Museum of Science and Technology Museivägen 7 Box 27842 S-115 93 Stockholm SWEDEN www.tekniskamuseet.se Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World by Linda Davis-Kyle [Revised & expanded January 2012]
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The National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm shares with its visitors an exhibition of Christopher Polhem, the great Swedish inventor, known not only for his ingenuity to complete and repair of the medieval astronomical clock, but also his incredible foresight to automate and mechanise mining operations, and to help with the early work on the Göta Canal that eventually would connect the East Coast with the West Coast of Sweden. Among other fascinating exhibits are The Mine, where youngsters can observe how mining has evolved, Ferrum — Swedish Iron and Steel through the Ages, The Model Railway, The Energy Game to teach children about climate, The Play Lab where young learners can experience the mechanics of light, sound, and time, and Teknorama, an exciting science centre, where young ones can enjoy experimenting. In addition, The Inventions of Women displays more than 80 inventions, Inspiration—Imitation teaches children the difference between inspiration and imitation and how to protect their ideas, Now, then comm takes information from its beginnings to today, and the Beloved Telephone shows not only some of L.M. Ericsson’s renowned Swedish telephone models but also acknowledges Sweden’s influence on the technical and functional design and aesthetics of the telephone.
SWITZERLAND √ Kindercity Chlirietstrasse 12 8604 Volketswil Zurich SWITZERLAND www.kindercity.ch Kindercity, a 6,000-metre area, is the largest Edutainment Center in Switzerland and serves families whose children are still pre-teens and suits activities to their age range. Kindercity offers numerous fun-filled activities to delight and to enlighten children as they engage fully in opportunities to observe, participate, experiment, analyse, and summarise. At Kindercity teachers and parents are invited to join the youngsters as they explore and to encourage and support their curiosity and eagerness to learn.
TAIWAN √ National Museum of Natural Science One Guancian Road Taichung TAIWAN 404 www.nmns.edu.tw/
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The National Museum of Natural Science of Taiwan covers an area of 22 acres. This museum includes the Space IMAX Theatre, Life Science Hall, Chinese Science Hall, Science Hall, Botanical Garden, and Global Environmental Hall, to name a few. It has more than 30 exhibition areas which cover subjects such as astronomy, ecology, tropical plants, and gems and minerals.
UNITED KINGDOM √ The British Museum Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DG UNITED KINGDOM www.britishmuseum.org The British Museum presents an astonishing collection of more than seven million works of art and artefacts that come from contributors worldwide, and it serves all citizens of the world not only on site but also through its generous lending programmes and partnerships with many other countries.
√ Natural History Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD UNITED KINGDOM www.nhm.ac.uk/ The Natural History Museum features “Investigate,” a science laboratory especially for children 7-14 years old. In the “Earth Lab” young learners can hold and inspect geological treasures. The Natural History Museum provides guides to inspire youngsters 5-11 years old to explore the museum to learn about topics compatible with their schoolwork. At the Natural History Museum children have the opportunity to draw, ask questions, answer questions, discuss their own ideas, and evaluate information as they tour the galleries. There are six guides—three for ages 5-7 and three for ages 8-11—who share information about dinosaurs, mammals, rocks and soils.
Reiterating the Purpose of The Preceding Selection of Museums It is hoped that this tiny handful of wonderful museums around the world will ignite your interest to visit online now to read in greater depth and also to find additional museums that might intrigue you in each of these countries and other countries, as well, and then enjoy visiting and exploring them for a grand adventure with your family.
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Now, for those possibly interested, I have included my other article that takes you to a handful of United States museums presented alphabetically by state and then by name. Once again, the purpose of the article is to draw your attention to the grand wealth of museums at your fingertips. You can read more about them online, then someday you may wish to visit, explore, and support your favourites. UNITED STATES √ Birmingham Museum of Art 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods, Jr. Boulevard (formerly 2000 8th Avenue North) Birmingham, AL 35203 USA www.artsbma.org/ In the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Hess Education Gallery, inspired by a 1790 Creek Indian village, offers “touch-and-feel stations,” videos, and music so that children and adults learn about Creek culture.
√ Heard Museum 2301 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004 USA www.heard.org The Heard Museum offers three hands-on galleries—Every Picture Tells a Story, We Are! Arizona’s First People, and Home: Native People in the Southwest. Each of these especially invite children and adults alike to participate in make-it-yourself creative learning activities for take-home fun. In addition, it provides numerous other galleries for the viewing pleasure of its visitors.
√ Explorit Science Center 3141 5th Street Davis, CA 95618 USA www.explorit.org/ The Explorit Science Center provides hands-on science exploration to encourage basic science literacy to help “individuals and politicians to make informed choices.…”
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√ Exploratorium The Palace of Fine Arts 3601 Lyon Street San Francisco, CA 94123 USA www.exploratorium.edu The Exploratorium of San Francisco offers hundreds of explore-for-yourself exhibits, workshops and day camps, creates programmes for educators, shares its exhibits with museums around the world, and currently is instrumental in creating new methods to teach science.
√ Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University P.O. Box 208118 New Haven, CT 06520-8118 USA www.peabody.yale.edu George Peabody founded the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in 1866 “at the urging of his nephew, Yale’s O.C. Marsh, the first professor of paleontology in North America and the museum’s first director.” At the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, its visitors can learn about more than 11 million specimens from anthropology, botany, entomology, ornithology, zoology, paleontology, and about the historical scientific equipment displayed. Marsh’s most famous finds—Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and ‘Brontosaurus’ are exhibited. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History also is the home of Rudolph Franz Zallinger’s famous murals The Age of Reptiles and The Age of Mammals.
√ Phillips Collection 1600 21st Street NW Washington, DC 20009 USA www.phillipscollection.org The Phillips Collection opened in 1921. Duncan Phillips founded what has come to be called “America’s First Museum of Art.” The Phillips Collection features splendid art works ranging from masterpieces of French impressionism and American modernism to the art of today. The Phillips Collection is nearing 3,000 pieces not only by American artists such as Calder, Homer, Hopper, O’Keeffe, Stieglitz, and Whistler but also Dutch artist van Gogh, French artists such as Bonnard, Braque, Cezanne, Degas, Gauguin, and Matisse, Latvian artist Rothko, Spanish artist Picasso, and Swiss artist Klee, to name a few great masters.
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The Phillips Collection’s educational programmes include interactive art projects for young learners.
√ Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC USA www.si.edu/ The Smithsonian Institution features 19 museums, 9 research centers, and has more than 140 affiliate museums worldwide. Only a handful of the Smithsonian facilities in Washington, DC, follow. All the Smithsonian galleries located in DC are free throughout the year.
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum Smithsonian American Art Museum Smithsonian Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
√ Art Institute of Chicago 111 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60603-6404 USA www.artic.edu/aic/ The Art Institute of Chicago is pleased to present a Touch Gallery that provides “specially treated and durable works of art” and invites visitors to “feel sculptures with their hands, which fosters understanding of form, scale, and texture.” Children can learn from their impressive “no touch” art, as well.
√ Children’s Museum of Indianapolis 3000 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716 USA www.childrensmuseum.org/ Founded in 1926, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis concentrates on children’s interests, has a very hands-on approach to educate and entertain, and is the largest of any institution of its kind worldwide. The Dinosphere brings the Cretaceous Period of 65 million years ago to life for youngsters so that young learners can enjoy a “world-class collection of real dinosaur fossils.”
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The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a 400,000 square-foot facility that allows exploration of everything from the ocean to ancient civilizations.
√ Lied Discovery Children’s Museum 833 Las Vegas Boulevard North Las Vegas, NV 89101-2059 USA www.ldcm.org/ The Lied Discovery Children’s Museum offers 100 hands-on exhibits about science, arts, and humanities that teach as well as entertain.
√ American Museum of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street New York, NY 10024-5192 USA www.amnh.org/ The American Museum of Natural History is the world’s largest natural science museum. The Discovery Room offers hands-on displays.
√ Museum of Modern Art 11 W 53rd St New York, NY 10019 USA www.moma.org The Interactive Space for families at the Museum of Modern Art is a user-friendly place that encourages young and mature alike to “explore, engage, and create.” Its visitors also can listen to some of the artists whose works are included in The Museum of Modern Art and ask questions about the art that intrigues them.
√ Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street) New York, NY 10128-0173 USA www.guggenheim.org/
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The permanent collection at the Guggenheim Museum contains more than 7,000 works of art. It has on permanent exhibit from Justin Thannhauser’s generous collection works by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Vincent van Gogh. Also at the Guggenheim Museum, children will discover hands-on galleries and even can enjoy hands-on art lessons.
√ Toledo Museum of Art 2445 Monroe Street Toledo, OH 43620 USA www.toledomuseum.org/ The Toledo Museum of Art, founded in 1901 in two modest rented rooms, now has expanded to about 36 acres and fills seven buildings. It displays more than 30,000 works of art from American and European artists, Asian and African artists, and also includes works from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Toledo Museum of Art remains a non-profit, privately endowed institution.
√ Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals 26385 NW Groveland Drive Hillsboro, OR 97124-9351 USA www.ricenorthwestmuseum.org/ Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals is a quiet, hidden “treasure” in Willamette Valley preserved in the dream home of the late Richard and Helen Rice. Theirs is the first ranch style home in Oregon to be listed on the National Historic Registry.
√ North American Museum of Ancient Life Thanksgiving Point 3003 N. Thanksgiving Way Lehi, UT 84043 USA
www.thanksgivingpoint.com/museum/ The North American Museum of Ancient Life holds the world’s largest display of mounted dinosaurs.
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√ Experience Music Project
√ Science Fiction Museum at Seattle Center 325 5th Avenue North Seattle, WA 98109 USA www.empsfm.org/ The Experience Music Project (EMP) offers both interpretive and interactive exhibits with the most up-to-date technology so that its visitors not only can feel how the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll evolved from jazz, soul, gospel, country, and blues music, but also they can recognize how rock influenced hip-hop, punk, and other music forms. In addition, visitors can “ experience the creative process by listening to musicians tell their own stories.”
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM)—the first museum in the world dedicated to appreciating science fiction literature—also hopes to inspire in its visitors new visions for humankind. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame pays tribute to renowned sci-fi artists, authors, publishers, and filmmakers.
√ Pacific Science Center 200 2nd Avenue N Seattle, WA 98121 USA www.pacificsciencecenter.org Among its many educational offerings, check out their Scientist Spotlight at the Pacific Science Center where scientists perform experiments and explain their results in downto-earth language their visitors can understand.
√ The Wyoming Dinosaur Center & Dig Sites 110 Carter Ranch Road ~ PO Box 868 Thermopolis, WY 82443 USA www.wyodino.org/ The Wyoming Dinosaur Center & Dig Sites, recognized as a world-class dinosaur museum, fills 12,000-square feet of display area to show off more than 200 exhibits. It chronologically displays fossils and life forms from earliest geologic time. The Wyoming Dinosaur Museum houses the mounted full-size skeletons of more than 20 dinosaurs. It exhibits 60 identified dig sites in a 500-acre area.
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Delighting in Observing Your Children Learn Joyfully You may delight in observing your young adventurers as they, on occasion, find a loud ring of truth in the words of Dr. Seuss, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” With hands-on activities and interactive practice with materials and fellow explorers, they often may discover simple answers to what had seemed to be complicated questions. Activities as simple as helping to mix, knead, and bake delicious French bread and then sampling it can enhance thinking. Or having the opportunity to help measure and blend wholesome ingredients to make ice cream using an old-fashioned hand-crank ice cream maker and then sharing it can set in motion problem-solving skills. If these activities seem too mundane, then they, of course, may choose—through illusion—to “fly” to the moon or “swim” to the ocean floor. Or perhaps, in the future, they can fly to the moon or swim the ocean floor. But for now, imagination can take them everywhere, to paraphrase Albert Einstein, who said, “Logic can get you from A to B. Imagination can take you everywhere.” Delving into the treasure chests stored in the museums around the world is one wonderful way to foster those amazing imaginations of their young creative minds. Brimming with knowledge about the wonders of the universe and the galaxies beyond and being able to share their thoughts with you empowers them and encourages their articulation. Sometimes, though, just sitting quietly and “being” nurtures their imagination and offers inspiration. When you can help your young learners cultivate their imaginations, sprinkle in good solid information, and let them know that you adore them, they just may sometimes be able to sit quietly and contemplate the world. They also may see their world as wonderful and that they do have power. Then, when some others, who have not had their benefits, may judge them harshly and inappropriately without consideration for their feelings, your children may barely hear the negativity, brush it away, and proceed with self-esteem intact and self-confidence to go forth and conquer their own next amazing goal. Taking On-the-Spot Notes & Engaging in the Moment
If your young art lovers are inspired to think about what they hope to learn at the museum or art gallery, it can greatly increase their learning pleasure. If you feel that your young explorers might like to jot notes of their most memorable moments in their favourite museums or galleries while they are in the midst of the full atmosphere of these learning treasures, be sure to take along a small notebook for them so that they can enjoy recording their impressions and revelations. In the museums and art galleries, read together the descriptive labels of the items or art. Then ask your young art critics to decide how well the label and title describe the images. Ask them what the art reminds them of and why. Ask your young art enthusiasts to talk about the colours and surmise about the kinds of brushes and other tools the artists used. What kinds of textures do the art works seem to have?
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Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World by Linda Davis-Kyle [Revised & expanded January 2012]
Reviewing The Moments with Learning Treasures
You even may go as far as to ask them to imagine what the people or animals in an art work might say to each other. Encourage them to share their wonderfully imaginative thoughts. During the next weeks ahead at your home, you might invite them to write little stories about the characters in the painting. On their own they may begin drawing their own imaginative characters and writing stories about them. You even may enjoy composing stories together. Such wonderful times will help you to bond as you share different viewpoints about the characters you create. These are times you will long remember, and your young learners never will forget the times you shared with them in such a fun way. Remember to engage them in lively conversations about the museum exhibits and artefacts. Encourage them to think about how the ancient artefacts may relate to today’s world by comparing and contrasting the characteristics of the items to some possessions in your home or some games or sports they have played. You may be amazed at their incredibly inventive comparisons and contrasts. Remember to give genuine praise to bolster their self-esteem. Writing about Their Exquisitely Happy Adventures
You also may want to encourage your young learners to pick up some brochures to take home to share with their friends or relatives. In doing so, you can help them practise their reading skills. Ask them to compare the presentations in the brochures with what they recall from their own observations. You may interest your young learners in purchasing books available at the museum on history or space exploration or the lives of great artists or some other topic of interest to them. In addition to finding wonderful reading materials, your young explorers might love writing about what they liked most. They can practise their writing of good solid sentences complete with subject, verb, and predicate, careful spelling, correct capitalization, and proper punctuation just like you and their teachers have been instructing them. As they write well-crafted sentences, they expand their learning processes and boost memory. Then they can relish every minute of remembering their hands-on gallery experiences and every second of writing e-messages that they may share with their friends about their museum explorations. And the next time you plan a museum or art gallery outing, you may be taking along not only your own young learners but also all their friends eager to share a glorious expedition in fun learning. Enjoying the Abundant “Learning Laboratories,” Too
I often have encouraged students I have taught—and parents I have helped—to think of supermarkets, hardware stores, or office supply stores, for example, as “learning laboratories.” While these businesses are not nearly as spectacular as fine museums and grand art galleries, they, nevertheless, truly accommodate hands-on learning. Not only are such vendors brimming with an enormous assortment of goods, but also many of them display vibrantly coloured, bold-faced, large-lettered signs—sometimes even in multiple languages. These make fine, fun “reading boards” for your young readers. Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World by Linda Davis-Kyle [Revised & expanded January 2012]
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Making Every Day a Fun Learning Day
Because these businesses are available daily, your young explorers may enjoy visiting these “learning laboratories” with you. As they see the words hugely displayed and feel and hold the objects that the words name, they build both spelling and reading skills. The more fun learning adventures they experience—from the magnificent grandeur of the finest museums and art galleries to mere modest shopping trips—the more they learn. Watch for the beautiful sparkle in your children’s eyes and the sweet smiles on their faces as they learn more, recognise and appreciate their own uniqueness, and gain greater confidence to conquer the challenges that come their way.
About the Author Linda Davis-Kyle, MA in English, ACCET certified to instruct English as a Foreign Language, and writer, whose general interest and educational articles have been published in a dozen countries on five continents, is the primary author of The Writer’s Friend, Fun Foods for Kids & Grownups, and Change Your Life with Martial Arts. Davis-Kyle also edits professionally, gives parenting seminars on safety and nutrition, and teaches writing composition to guide aspiring writers of all ages to make their dreams to write and to be published come true. Most recently, Davis-Kyle worked some magic to help make Ready, Set, Action! An Entertainment Fun Book for Parents of Dyslexic Pre-teens: Adventures in Writing & Performing [release date Spring 2012] come true for David Carlson, whose dream is to help other dyslexics like himself. About the Photographer Carroll A. Grimes, Photographer. Wings of Love Photo Courtesy of and Copyright © Carrol A. Grimes. Photo ID: 7296 Gallery ID: 29. Grimes, owner of A Touch of Class Photography in Sacramento, CA, USA, has been a professional freelance photographer for more than 30 years.
The author gratefully acknowledges the photo courtesy of and copyright © by Carrol A. Grimes. freerangestock.com/ Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for General Reading Only. WritingNow.com, BlueberryPress.com, and the author and editor thereof shall not be held responsible or liable under any circumstances for any damages resulting from the use or inability to use the information within. The author has no affiliation with any of these institutions, receives no compensation from any of them, and is not responsible for the information or materials presented on their websites or in their facilities. The active links are provided to readers merely as a convenience. First published October 2011 by the American Dyslexia Association www.dyslexia.me as “Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World.” Revised and expanded, January 2012. Copyright © 2011-2012 by Blueberry Press and WritingNow.com.
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Exploring Treasure Storehouses of the World by Linda Davis-Kyle [Revised & expanded January 2012]