Kids do have a short attention span but that doesn't mean that they never
enjoy what they see.  I remember going to the Natural History museum when I
was a kid for two reasons and two reasons only.  First, in one exhibit they
had beads hanging from the ceiling.  When you walked through them they made
bubbly noises and running water sounds.  I could have stayed in the beads
all day.  However, I do not recall why they were there.  The other exhibit
that I loved was very educational.  There was a replica of a space capsule
that they allowed the kids to climb on.  I used to love to get inside while
my parents explained what the astronauts did.  I am sure that hanging on the
ropes and smearing candy on my face was also a favorite activity.  I don't
remember but I am sure my parents do.  However, I think that that is exactly
the point.  I don't remember all of the "bad" stuff that I did but I do
remember the educational things.  While the beads and the space shuttle are
what originally got me to go to the museum I remember having fun with the
"whispering walls" and being amazed by the dinosaur bones as well.
Saying all of this I think the person who posted this message just thought
it would be funny.  After all, who hasn't gone to a museum and noticed a kid
more distracted by a spider crawling on the wall than the really big one in
the tank, or a child that is more excited about the "exapandable in water"
dinosaur in the gift shop than the real one in the museum.  The comedienne
who wrote this short essay was correct and I for one enjoyed the humor.

>From: "Panza, Robin" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: What our visitors REALLY think of us...
>Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 11:58:02 -0400
>
>I guess all those oohs and ahs are coming from *really* short adults.
>Coulda sworn they were kids.  Oh, well.
>
>Robin
>
>Robin K Panza                         [log in to unmask]
>Collection Manager, Section of Birds          ph:  412-622-3255
>Carnegie Museum of Natural History       fax: 412-622-8837
>4400 Forbes Ave.
>Pittsburgh  PA  15213-4008  USA
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Brittney Forman [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>
>This is why we need more museums for kids without velvet ropes.  Maybe Ms.
>Poundstone should frequent some of the exceptional Children's Musuems
>around.  I'm sure her kids would enjoy it, even if she wouldn't.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Dillenburg, Eugene <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > In this week's LA Weekly, comedienne Paula Poundstone writes:
> >
> > Every year well-meaning parents and summer camps tragically waste
>millions
>of dollars taking kids to museums. Kids hate museums. No matter how
>high-tech or how interactive the museum, kids hate them. We're busy showing
>them spectacular things - "Look! Over here you can actually see a real baby
>dinosaur come out of its egg!" "Look! Here's an actual surgery, and you can
>help stitch up the aorta!" "Come here, honey. If you're above this line you
>can fly to the moon for an hour!" - and still kids couldn't care less about
>anything in any museum except five things:
> >
>1. They want to hang on the velvet ropes until they fall and get hurt, no
>matter how long it takes.
> >
>2. They want to hold the map. Not one of my kids can read a map, but they
>each have to have a map to hold in any kind of museum so they can leave it
>on the floor of my car, hence establishing some weird psychological
>advantage over me.
> >
>3. They want something from the vending machine that will melt and/or
>stain.
> >
>4. They want to use the public restroom and open the door to the stall that
>you are in.
> >
>5. They want to each get something from the gift shop that they cannot
>share. My kids would each get their own tug-of-war ropes. There may be
>nothing among the exhibits in the most brilliantly designed museum that
>catches the eye of any of my kids, but there's nothing in the gift shop
>that
>doesn't. We could go to the National Museum of Manure and my kids would
>want
>to stop by the gift shop and beg me to buy something for each of them.
> >
>
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