Ever wonder how the world’s biggest and best children’s museum creates such extraordinary exhibits and programs that are as compelling for adults as for children? Well, the museum uses a host of criteria we call “Criteria for An Extraordinary Family Learning Experience.” These include:
- Rich content across the arts, sciences and humanities
- Relevant
- Inter-generationally appealing
- Audience appropriate
- Developmentally appropriate
- Entertaining, fun, and safe
- Unique
- Collection/object-connected
- Compelling
- Fundable
- Production/operations friendly
- Linked to other media/content creators and providers
At the museum, ideas for exhibits and programs can come from anywhere, and frequently do! Our best exhibits typically involve a team comprised of an exhibit developer, exhibit designer, family learning and interpretation expert, collections curator, marketer, operations expert, etc. For the museum’s larger permanent exhibits, the process from idea to funding to production and opening can take five years. For our international traveling and temporary exhibits, the museum can create and produce these exhibits in 1 to 2 years.
What ideas do YOU have for permanent or temporary exhibits at the museum?
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Two of my passionette favorite ones at this time and have been for a few years are a mock hospital..partner with Riley or Peyton Manning Children's hospital, to make a place where kids can learn about healthcare and be in a non-threating environment. Also, having inegrated aspects with their bodys and perhaps asthma and other areas. Seriously, I was thinking just the other day I would LOVE to sit down and express these ideas in person with someone at the musuem. Much easier than email! :)
Second exhibit would capitolize on the Indy 500! My 6 year old has an amazing fasicination with racing and this past fall took 2 shelves of books from our local library on racing! I did not realize how much science goes into racing! WOWZERS!!!