In a previous
post we discussed the value of observing children playing and interacting in the Museum. When you sit back and watch your child interacting with materials and other children in the Museum, you may delight in a growing understanding of his ever-changing development, both cognitively and socially.
Observing first before interacting may not always be an option. If you brought your camera to the Museum, you have another tool for finding out what your child can do. You can look at your photos after your visit and discover something you may not have observed earlier. Let's take a look at some pictures and see what they tell us:
These children look as if they are
discovering that air blowing through the tubes is keeping the ball (and the attached ribbons) suspended above the tube. The exhibit in
AirWorks offered these children multiple opportunities to
experiment in ways that may have
surprised them. Their obvious enjoyment of the activity looks as if it's keeping their interest. If these two children don't know each other, you may have also discovered your child's interest in sharing the experience with another child.
Looking at this picture together, after a visit, offers opportunities to continue discovering what your child learned. Your child may offer comments about what she thinks about air or how she discovered the surprise of the ribbons standing straight up in the air.
Extend the learning by going outside on a windy day and predict what the air outside can do with balls.
In this picture, taken in our
WaterWays Neighborhood, this child is exhibiting good
concentration as she pours the water into an opening on the top so that the water
wheel below will turn. She may be
experimenting with how pouring fast (or slowly) affects how fast (or slowly) the wheel turns. We are definitely reminded about how concentration plays a role in
learning and completing a task. I wonder what this child is thinking when she's experimenting with water. Perhaps she's making a connection to something she saw outside.
Further investigation can happen when caregivers and children look at photographs together.
So the next time you're in the Museum, take time to observe what's happening. Use your photographs to learn more about your child's growing interests and extend learning opportunities for yourself and your child!
Most of our young visitors are of the mindset, "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine too!" Some of our grown up visitors may get upset when they see their two-year-old not sharing something in our Museum. You can facilitate your child's understanding by, first, understanding what they are capable of and, secondly, creating an environment that helps children become aware of other children and each other's boundaries.
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