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).
|