3 Design Lessons from Children’s Museums
by Sneha Shrestha
Children’s museums are some of the most exciting and inviting spaces. They make learning fun — for kids and adults alike! Whether in the form of colorful exhibits or tunnels you can crawl through, museum spaces provide engaging and creative learning experiences. How might we learn from museum spaces to make classrooms just as exciting and engaging? Today, we draw three design lessons from children’s museums.
Magical Murals
The 2,400 square-foot Children’s Art Museum of Nepal sits in the heart of downtown Kathmandu. It was designed to be a versatile learning space. All the furniture and shelving units are movable, allowing the space to transform to accommodate a variety of events, from interactive art exhibitions and workshops to jazz concerts for kids. The space also boasts a 10-foot tall mural wall that changes seasonally. It’s not uncommon to see kids — and adults — with their jaws dropped and necks craned to admire the artwork. Each mural gives the space a different flavor of the season, allowing visitors to interact with the space differently each visit.
Spruce up your classroom in a simple way by painting an accent wall a bright, bold color. Even better, invite a local artist to come in and paint a wall with the kids. Changing up the decor with the season brings a sense of renewal — even for yourself.
Art exhibits
Interactive art exhibits create unique learning moments. While a full-blown gallery space with installations might not be possible within a classroom, why not create a designated corner in the classroom for revolving exhibits? A different group of students could be given the chance to share their work and projects every month. Framing the work adds respect to student work and creates a museum-like feel. Having a dedicated space to exhibit student work might inspire your students to slow down, put care into work that they feel proud of, and seek inspiration from others’ works.
Inside-Out!
The Boston Children’s Museum connects beautifully to the Charles River waterfront via a children’s plaza. Here, kids can be seen making art projects, dancing, or simply playing, while soaking up the sun.
When designing a learning environment, it’s always important to think about connections to the outdoors. Beyond the playground, think about where you might be able to conduct your lessons or have students work outside. If your school has an underutilized space, could you convert it into an outdoor classroom? This could be a fun project, especially to collaborate on with your fellow teachers!
Inspired? Try out a hack this month, and enter the #HackYourClassroom design competition! We are inviting ALL teachers to submit your most fun and creative hacks to make space for your students. Enter now for a chance to win $200 for your classroom, and receive mentorship from some of the nation’s brightest architects.
Sneha Shrestha is an educator, social entrepreneur and designer. She established Nepal’s first Children’s Art Museum and has seven years of experience in designing learning experiences for children. During her time at Harvard, Sneha interned at the MIT Media Lab and conducted a study at Harvard’s Project Zero on cognitive and social dimension of learning in and through the arts. Sneha recently graduated with a Master’s from Harvard Graduate School of Education where she focused on leadership, entrepreneurship and technology. Currently, Sneha is designing curriculum for Learning Labs, Nepal’s first education technology camp for children.
