According to Francine Millman:
>
> I am writing to the list to inquire any advice any of you might have
> who work in a children's museum.  How do you keep up with the cleaning
> and constant need to put things away after visiting children have used
> the props in role playing and other activities?  Also is there any
> advice for how to keep role playing clothing lice free?  Or rather
> what to tell parents who ask about the clothing and different
> precautions we should be taking?  I have only been working in the
> museum a week, but to tell the truth I don't know how the exhibits are
> going to last with the amount of visitors we have been getting in the
> museum and the roughness of the children.  How do you control these
> kinds of situations?
> Thanks,
> Francine
> Worldways Chidldren's Museum
> St. Louis, MO
>

Our children's museum has been open in its current location for
6 years. We wash the dress up clothing periodically when it
seems to need it, and rotate items in and out of storage. To
avoid lice problems we never use hats or any headgear. It has
not been a problem to our knowledge.

We pick up nonstop through the day, one of the functions of our
floor volunteers and gallery staff. At the end of the day we do
a big cleanup, and we vacuum each morning before we open. It's
far from a sterile environment, but probably cleaner than most
homes and schools!

If you are already worried if your exhibits will survive, you
may need to rethink your exhibits or how you allow visitors to
interact with them. Our rules of thumb are that you can't
overbuild an exhibit; and that despite "interactivity" there
are still appropriate ways to use our exhibits and
inappropriate ways. There are rules, in other words!

I'd be happy to discuss these things more off list if this
isn't of general interest. There is a children's museum list as
well, CHILDMUS, for further contacts.

Carol Ely
Education and Exhibit Coordinator
Virginia Discovery Museum, Charlottesville