>Hi,
>I am designing a children's guide for a Chinese exhbition of ceramics and
>textiles.  This is my first time writing a children's guide and I need to
>know if there are any specific things I need to consider (Some do's and
>don'ts perhaps?)


Ms. Cagonot:

I've been collecting and experimenting with children's guides for a few
years now, and though I don't profess to be an expert I have discovered a
few things.

Make explicit objectives for this guide:
-is it for children to use *in* the gallery?  or at home?
-will children use it by themselves?  or with an adult?
-what is the purpose of the guide? (to understand the exhibit?  to enhance
the exhibit?)
-what age group(s) is this for?  (you can't create one children's guide for
K-8th grade; if you want to cover them all you may need to do a few for
different levels of development)
-figure out what things kids will be interested in about this exhibit and
develop your guide around a related theme

Make it brief and easy to understand
-this is especially true for in-gallery activities.  people won't spend a
lot of time trying to figure out what to do with it; it should be obvious
when they see it.

Make it fun.
-kids like games, clues, exploring, surprises, and even rewards or souvenirs

Use larger type (at least 14 point)

Include pictures or photos for interest

Prototype and test it before you send it to the printers
-even if you make some photocopied drafts, set them out, and watch for an
afternoon it will help you.  If you talk with kids (or families) that use
them it will help you even more.


I went through several prototypes of a kid's guide to a permanent exhibit
about energy and the environment.  Our final guide is a laminated activity
sheet called the "Green Street Fact Finder".  Kids (often in pairs or with
their parents) need to use the exhibits to find answers to six questions.
The laminated sheet has answer blanks and check boxes that they fill in
with the attached wax pencil.  They then take their completed activity to
the exhibit's lab where a staff person checks the answers, corrects any
incorrect ones, and gives them a souvenir "Green Street Fact Finder" button
(that we make ourselves) and has them sign the Fact Finder Log Book (which
if done correctly is a built-in evaluation tool).  It's a full color guide,
with these words at the top:

Win a Green Street Souvenir!
1. Try this fact finding journey.
2.  Take your finished sheet to the lab.
3.  For finding the right answers, you win a souvenir!

We don't expect everyone to use it, and we actually have to put them away
when school groups come through (a case of a few kids spoiling it for the
rest--some like to try to color the whole sheet black with the wax
pencil!).  Our goal was to create an enhancing activity that would
encourage kids to look a little deeper.  You can't answer the questions
just by reading the labels, you have to explore a little, look around, and
use the interactive exhibits.  I'd be glad to photocopy our guide and send
it to you if you're interested.  I'd also be willing to try and answer any
further questions you may have.  Let me know.

Sincerely,
Bill Stirrat

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William H. Stirrat  (Bill)
Evaluator/Market Researcher              ? !
Our Minnesota Science Hall                  o
Science Museum of Minnesota          /( )\
30 East 10th Street                                    /\
St. Paul, MN  55101
612/221-9442
[log in to unmask]

As always, opinions expressed are my own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bye!