Our sessions typically start with a walk around the museum and a visit to a particular artefact. The collection includes a replica of Nelson's Ship and the jacket he was wearing when killed at the battle of Trafalgar, and a gallery devoted to polar exploration.
Today, we are focusing on the optic (lantern) from the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Scotland, which was built by Robert Louis Stevenson. It stands on the second floor outside the gallery and slowly rotates, reflecting and refracting the light. We climb up a big flight of stairs or take the lift to reach it. I chose the lighthouse optic as a focus because lighthouses have a cylindrical shape and a tall tower, as well as the potential for playing with light and dark. In terms of more conceptual thinking, safety, protection and warnings are ideas associated with lighthouses that may resonate with toddlers and pre-schoolers. We admire the optic and do some Sustained, Shared Thinking (Siraj, 2018). Some children observed that it is going round and round and looked for the wheels. Some children know that the lenses are made of glass, others spot the light that it casts onto the walls. Lots of conversations about disaster and rescue are initiated.
ACTIVITIES
Back at the learning space, a circle of cushions is arranged around a tuff tray that has some rocks and a mini lighthouse in it. We had a quick group time, singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat, and shone torches onto the lighthouse. The children take turns pouring sand onto the rocks through the torch beams. After this they can flow between a number of options:
- Playing with sand, rocks and paper boats: pouring, filling and emptying, stacking.
- Exploring torches and acrylic prisms: observing light reflection and refraction illuminating objects and faces.
- Loose parts and heuristic play (Goldschmeid, 1994) with cardboard tubes, paper boats, curtain rings and jar lids.
- A book corner with soft mats and sea-themed books.
- Open ended crafting/mark-making with blue and white card, and masking tape.
Despite all of the planned opportunities, one of my favourite moments was when a child stacked all of the floor cushions into a tall tower. He worked for a long time, showing great focus and determination. I praised his work, asked him to tell me how he had made it and made comparisons to the form of a lighthouse.
AIMS
My primary objective is for all participants to feel included, safe and stimulated. SEND children are very welcome. I use some Makaton during the session and activities can be moved to table, wheelchair tray or floor for accessibility. I do not expect everyone to sit for circle time as this may be too much pressure. Babies can access heuristic and sensory play opportunities and older children can use the open-ended materials in a way that is more developmentally appropriate for them.
PLANNING
I don’t aim to teach museum-related facts in these sessions, or link the sessions to particular EYFS areas of learning. I want them to be exploratory and child-led. Much as I am not a traditional teacher, I take a lot of guidance from the EYFS and understand that opportunities to interact with materials and experience their properties, to sort and categorise, label and discuss are rich learning experiences. As the children and parents play, I am able to divide my time between them, modelling Serve and Return (Harvard University, 2022) and other responsive interactions. I have found methodologies such as Simon Nicholson's Theory of Loose Parts (Nicholson, 1972) and elements of the Reggio Emilia Approach (Reggio Children/Project Zero, 2001) to be very effective in a museum setting, in terms of creating accessible environments that welcome everybody.
NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM, GREENWICH
- Number of visitors: 111,082 visitors between 2019 and 2020
- Collection: Artefacts, which include Nelson's ship, relating to Britain's maritime history.
- Early years offer: ‘Play Tuesdays’ – 45-minute sessions delivered weekly in term-time, four times per day, for children aged six months to five years.
- Dedicated children's spaces: AHOY! Children's Gallery for birth to seven-year-olds including: polar exploration, pirates, interactive boatyard.