Hand to Hand
Fall 2000
Hand to Hand is a quarterly of the Association of Youth Museums 

The Funny That Makes You Think
Humor in Children’s Museums

“[Three] is the age when a child’s imagination begins to take fire. ...With 
all this bubbling imagination, two new attributes appear. A sense of humor is 
likely to surface, and a child’s ability to show empathy for others will 
become apparent. ...These two traits are important as I assess children this 
age for flexibility in their own personality and for evidence of a good 
self-image. ...The richest source of humor, empathy, and compassion is the 
child’s imagination and all of the rich experiences that her fantasies 
provide her.” --T. Barry Brazleton, MD, Touchpoints of Development.

With Jeanne Vergeront as guest editor, the fall issue of Hand to Hand will 
explore the uses of humor with children in museums. How can humor be used as 
a tool for learning? Laughter can be an indicator of “I got it!”, a sudden 
and joyous opening of the door to understanding. What are the ways in which a 
“climate of gentle humor” can energize a museum? Sharpen an exhibit? How does 
sharing a laugh strengthen bonds among families and all museum visitors? How 
is humor used in exhibit design, signage, or architecture? Is humor 
universal? Are there cultural, regional or international differences in humor 
perception? And finally, in hopes of not burying all the humor under heaps of 
analysis, what are some of the great funny moments that happen with children 
in museums?

We look forward to hearing from anyone with stories to share or interested in 
participating in the assembly of this issue.

Jeanne Vergeront, Guest Editor 
and
Mary Maher, Editor
Hand to Hand
609 East Market Street
Suite 102A
Charlottesville, VA 22902
804 295-7603
Fax 804 295-5045 

“Humor, fundamentally, is a game of double perspective, and helping children 
take new perspectives is an important part of their intellectual 
development.” --George Forman

========================================================Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).