Families are a critical audience for art museums and museums use many
different strategies for reaching families, such as special family days
and festivals, workshops, special tours, family backpacks and gallery
guides, in-gallery materials or demonstration carts, and specific family
galleries. Here is a practical guide based on research that helps art
museum educators understand the role and value of spaces designed for
families and helps them to create dedicated spaces for intergenerational
play and learning. This book features insights, best practices, and
lessons learned from years of experience in creating dedicated spaces
for families in a wide range of art museums. Through case studies,
in-depth stories, and engaging graphics and images this book identifies
key issues that museum professionals need to consider when developing
family spaces in museums. This book is a how-to guide to creating or
updating an interactive family space. Everything you need to know, soup
to nuts, from understanding your audience to hiring a designer and
opening your doors to the public is here. Each section is situated
within groundbreaking visitor research findings and how museum educators
have used those findings to better understand the family audience and
develop fun, safe, inclusive, spaces that inspire wonder and curiosity,
as well as places for meaning-making and family bonding, all in the
service of creating loyal and committed museum visitors.
