Signage Sparks Learning: Insights from Our Director of Education

A recent survey I read indicated that signage is often overlooked by museum guests. That caused me to reflect on our signage in both museum locations. We constantly work to balance how much signage we put out and for what purposes.

Some signs are for safety, like this one:

Signs like this Art Studio option help to direct you when a staff person is not available:

Some signs provide support and can guide your experience, like our Exhibit Guides and Stop for Baby signs:

This kind of signage will be helpful in different ways at different times.

If you have visited the museum often and are looking for ways to make the experience fresh, take another look at our exhibit guides to think a little differently about how you support your child’s play.

If you are visiting with a very young child, some activities will not yet be appropriate, so some signage is not a help…yet!  But as your child grows, their skills, interests and curiosity change and you can tailor the experience to meet them where they are each time.

Transform Each Museum Visit into a New Adventure

It is important to recognize that while the exhibits may not change much from visit to visit, your child is changing daily. So each time the museum experience is a new one to them. Even old favorites can have a new flavor with a new question or twist suggested by you. They may notice new things, be able to use new skills or have a new interest in something they have seen or done often. Keep in mind that young children learn best through play and repetition is a key part of their growing mastery of themselves and their world.

Use the signs throughout the museum to help you be the guide for a rich learning through play experience each time you visit CMoR! I invite you to observe how your child interacts with exhibits each time you visit and level up as your child’s abilities grow!