Engaging Families

What are they?Backpacks of activities designed around a

museum or an exhibitIntended to engage children with collectionsTypes of Activities

Hands on ObservatoryMemory Visual/art

V&A Magic Glasses Backpack

Photo from V&A Website

Benefits Engaging

Children with museum exhibitsFamilies

“Museums can be very one dimensional - … it can be quite difficult for a child to be absorbed….. if you've found ways like in these activity bags to make the actual artefacts [..] come to life, then [children] will remember them.” - mother at the V&A

ObjectivesPromote an active learning experience for

children & their parentsDesigned to engage the museum displaysBring Families into the museumContents will ignite children’s creativity and

inquisitivenessIncrease time spent in the exhibitsProvide positive museum experience that

will encourage future visits – a relationship with the museum

United StatesOriginal idea started in the late 1990s in

the U.S. Colorado and MassachusettesBaltimore, Maryland

“The idea behind the packs is to promote active learning, involving children and parents with art,”

“… they stayed at many of the exhibits longer than they had at any of our previous museum [visits]”

United KingdomFirst used at the Victoria and Albert Museum

in London, in early 2000s. A staff member had seen the backpacks in a

visit to the U.S. After the success of the Backpack

programme at the V&A, many more institutions throughout the UK have begun to implement their own Backpacks.

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

A Museum of Decorative Arts

Award winning backpack programme

Focus on museum exhibits which are not immediately interesting to children

Using a Backpack at the V&A

Photo from V&A Website

V&A - 6 different Backpack themes

Fancy Furnishings – 18th century British furniture

Emperor’s Party – 16th century IndiaChinese Treasures – Chinese Decorative Art Metal Detector – Decorative IronworkAntique Detective – Victorian Decorative ArtsMagic Glasses – Decorative Glass

Fancy Furnishings InstructionsActivities include

Period Music and period Manners“personality pots” (personification)Finding animals in period furnitureFinding things in period patterns Design your own 18th century room

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford “Cabinet of Curiosities” style museum is an

artefact in and of itself.Backpack programme was winner of the 2005

Guardian Newspaper Family Friendly Museum AwardJudged by children

Fashion Museum, Bath Backpack programme implemented in

September of 2007Handbags exhibit backpack

Silhouette matching gameFabric pattern matching gameHandbag fabric dominoesChildren’s story book on themeDescribe the bag activity

Handbag on display at Fashion Museum of BathPhoto Fashion Museum website

Fashion Museum ResultsChildren’s and parents’ Comments One child liked finding the patterns, “It was

like solving a mystery”

“…like[s] things to look up and investigate.

Appreciated, “Anything that focuses them on the detail.”

Fort Frances Museum Discover History BackpacksFort Frances Museum

Small town museum Small budget

Backpacks are an attempt to generate more community engagement with the museum

Entice more visitors and increase time spent in exhibitions.

5 ThemesFur TradeLoggingFirst NationsPioneerCommunity

Fur Trade Instruction Booklet5 Activities

Silhouette matching game

Dress upGuess the object

bagsChildren’s bookMemory

Silhouette Matching Game

Dress Up

Children’s Book

Guess the Object

Memory

Fort Frances Test LaunchResponses:

“Enables us to go at our own pace and learn more than on a quick tour”

“Lots of chances for involvement.”

“Handling cards…[show] you items you may not notice otherwise”

“Good way to examine the display closely”

Engaging families on a budget

Activity Backpacks do not require a large budget

Do not necessarily require backpacks, activity ‘kits’ can be held in various holders

Budget determines the presentation, but not necessarily the content or the efficacy

Trial & Error

Instructional guides are key component

Instruction should be a clear and concise as possible

Labeling very necessary and should be very clear

Key points Should be free of additional charge

Many large museums require a deposit or another form of security

Does not directly generate revenue, but intended to entice repeat visits by local visitors

Activities should designed to reach different age groups