Make time for a story

On the eve of National Storytelling Week I thought I'd tell you about some of the storytelling we get up to at Eureka!.

Although we use traditional and well-loved stories a lot of the time, (my favourite being ‘The Gruffalo’), we also tell a different kind of story; a story without a book. I love this kind of story as it allows me, as the storyteller, to really become part of the story. The basic story is the same but every narrator tells it in his or her own way.

‘The glow-worm who couldn’t glow’ written by Ben Healy, one of the enablers here, is based around a set consisting of a tree, some grass, some rocks, a few flowerpots and a watering can. I was amused the other week, when I came to tell the story, by the reaction of one young boy. I had previously delivered a science busking session, which he had obviously attended. Apparently not being familiar with the concept of multi-tasking, he enquired of me in a voice filled with equal amounts of suspicion and confusion “Is this ‘a story’ or is it … ‘an experiment’?” (I still wonder what experiment he thought those particular pieces of equipment might have been used for!)

Children of all ages love the story of little babyglow, who can’t go to a party until she learns to glow and sets out to find the wise old millipede to find out how. She meets many friends along the way – and a very mean earthworm! The story has a nice moral (that friends make you happy and that if you’re mean you end up having no fun) but it is also filled with lots of little nuggets of information. Take the following extract for example:

Babyglow has got stuck in a spider’s web and the spider appears and asks in a menacing voice...

SPIDER: Are you my dinner?

BABYGLOW: Ooh! I hope not!

SPIDER: Well, let’s find out; do you have big boogly eyes?

BABYGLOW: No, my eyes are quite small.

SPIDER: Well, do you have 6 spindly little legs?

BABYGLOW: No, I don’t have any legs.

SPIDER: Do you have wings?

BABYGLOW: No, no wings at all.

SPIDER: Then you’re not my dinner, you’re not a fly.

BABYGLOW: Do you only eat flies?

SPIDER: Yes, lovely crunchy flies – but spiders are a bit short sighted so I couldn’t tell what you were.

So, that tiny extract tells us that spiders eat flies and are quite short sighted and also gives some of the typical characteristics of a fly. It’s surprising how much children can learn without realising, just by listening to a story. I think storytelling can be a great educational tool. I leave you with words credited to a Native American proverb:

“Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

What stories do you like to tell your kids? Or what are your favourite stories from childhood?

Jill Ward is in the Front of House team at Eureka!

An alternative to despair

During times of crisis we are reminded of the important and serious role play has in people's lives. 

As people in Haiti recover from the recent earthquake, stories are emerging of the techniques used by survivors to assuage the panic and anguish they felt as they waited to be rescued. We found this moving article about a survivor who used his imagination to take him to a violin concert where he was the lead musician. 

And Plan UK, a child-centred community development organisation, is working in Haiti right now, to give children valuable play opportunities, helping  them gain a sense of normality among the chaos.  

As Stuart Brown M.D., a contemporary American psychiatrist says

"Play allows us to develop alternatives to violence and despair; it helps us learn perseverance and gain optimism."

Image from Plan UK 

Do adults really play?

Last week Eureka! bore a striking resemblance to the Marie Celeste! The snow and ice kept most visitors safely in their homes and only a few intrepid souls turned up; there were times when the galleries were completely empty. I looked out at the snowy landscape and my attention was grabbed by a sight that proved that at least someone was having fun in the snow. There were two of them, running around throwing snowballs at each other and then they lay down in the snow and made ‘snow angels’. That’s the great thing about working at a children’s museum – children are so good at throwing themselves completely into play at any time. The even better thing is that you don’t need to be a child – the two people I was watching were both Eureka! staff.

I remember attending a training session where a play specialist made the statement that adults “don’t really play”. My immediate thought was “come and spend a bit of time here and see if you still believe that”. My opinion was reinforced a bit later when we were sent off into the galleries to do ‘a task’. It was night time so there were lots of dark nooks and crannies around. I can’t remember exactly what the task was but I do remember lots of laughter as the irresistible opportunity to hide and jump out at people was taken up by many of us non-children. In the words of Garry Landreth:

“Play is a fun, enjoyable activity that elevates our spirits and brightens our outlook on life. It expands self-expression, self-knowledge, self-actualization and self-efficacy. Play relieves feelings of stress and boredom, connects us to people in a positive way, stimulates creative thinking and exploration, regulates our emotions, and boosts our ego”

When I read that I realise that the staff here that interact with the children are lucky, as we are given lots of opportunity to play (most mornings we start the day with a game – even before any visitors arrive). So, in conclusion, it seems clear to me that not only can adults play but, in my opinion, they should. To come back to that quote from GB Shaw; which is displayed in our entrance foyer:

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

What is family friendly?

We were really pleased to be recommended as a great example of a family day out at the launch of the 2010 Kids in Museums Manifesto in London last week by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Talking at the launch on Friday 15 January, Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said: “Museums play a vital role in bringing learning to life for young people and Eureka! is a great example. All families, whatever their shape or size, should be able to enjoy the magic of museums and galleries together. Museums have come a long way to become as family friendly as possible, and Eureka!, displaying the world from a child’s perspective, shows just how to do it.”

Kids in Museums is an independent children’s charity which, over the last seven years, has brought together the opinions of parents and families to lobby the museum industry. Their manifesto asks museums to make a number of changes including displaying exhibits at heights accessible to children, becoming more interactive and hands on and providing activities for all the family to do together – things that we all know Eureka! has been doing since opening in 1992.

Have a read of their latest manifesto. Have they missed anything? What do you think museums should consider when catering for families and children?

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcsfgovuk/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Well, it's been a cold and snowy start to 2010 with lots of opportunities for outdoor play - we hope you're enjoying it! Members of staff at Eureka! have certainly been enjoying the snow, despite the disruptions; the image above shows Liz putting the finishing touches to a snowman.

How have you been playing in the snow?

To start the year here's a very seasonal poem about play in the snow by Winifred C. Marshall...

Little January

Tapped at my door today.

And said, "Put on your winter wraps,

And come outdoors to play."

Little January

Is always full of fun;

Today we coasted down the hill,

Until the set of sun.

Little January

Will stay a month with me

And we will have such jolly times-

Just come along and see.