The Magic of Museums: Making Memories with Grandma and Grandpa
My husband is a historian, and I'm a museum freak. We both will visit any museum we can find when we travel. We are using our passion with our grandchildren. Granted, many school groups visit museums through their schools, but when you have 30+ kids running through a museum, there is no real quality time with each exhibit, nor is there any context into what they are seeing. They have check-off lists. Did they see a duck? Did they see an ancient coin? It may be a fun scavenger hunt for the kids, but how much information do they retain? And there is no context.
This is where grandparents come in. A trip to the museum with grandparents is more leisurely; the kids don't need to return to the bus in an hour. And grandparents can embellish what the placards tell about the exhibit and interact with their grandchildren, asking what they see and think the exhibit is about and how they feel about it. This is an excellent opportunity for grandparents to put on their storytelling hats. These interactions are not available for the 30+ kids' school trips.
Most of us are not experts on dinosaurs or insects (except knowing how annoying mosquitoes, gnats—in the south, and flies can be). I get that, but many young children don't understand that dinosaurs predate humans and that the lifecycle of many insects is fascinating. Time in the past is a fundamental concept. Many young children don't know what the word 'past' means. They live in the now. Their past is gauged in days, not millions of years. This is our opportunity to fill in the gaps their school field drips don't cover. Granted, you may not be an entomologist, but discussing an insect's lifecycle based on what the placards are presenting is a great way to get a dialog of questions and answers going. Ask your grandchildren what they think about these various lifecycles. This will open their minds to becoming more inquisitive.
You have your grandkids for the weekend and suggest everyone visit a local museum. The kids say, "We've been there." Don't be deterred. Like above, they may have been there but have no context about what they saw. Here is your opportunity to provide a deep understanding of their life experience.
We had one of our granddaughters for a week, and my husband wanted to make sure we took her to some of our local museums. We went to Fernbank Museum in Atlanta. I hadn't been there in years. Yes, we walked through the dinosaurs, but when we got to the natural history of Georgia, my husband enhanced her experience with personal information about the animals and flora in south Georgia, where he grew up. She was enthralled with his dialog. Something she would never have gotten from a school trip and a check-off list. Unlike my husband, I also learned a lot since I am not from South Georgia.
Distract your grandchildren from their cell phones when you get home by asking questions about what they saw and what they thought and where to go online (Google) to find more information. And then follow up with questions that they need to research. Sit down with your grandchildren at their computer and look up information together about what they experienced at the museum and learn with them. Talk with them. Encourage them to learn more about what they saw. Start a new habit for them by teaching them how to research topics instead of letting them view TikTok videos that are automatically generated for them. All interaction with your grandchildren is priceless.
So, if you haven't taken your grandchildren to a museum yet, seize the opportunity and create a cherished memory that will last a lifetime.
