Visitor Engagement

I started my internship not knowing much about aviation or any of the exhibits. On my first day my supervisor took me on a tour around the place and gave his spiel about a selection of the items. The next week a group of kids came and I tagged along to help and learn from my supervisor as he gave the tour. I took notice of what he focused on and how he explained it. I also noticed what the kids were interested in and what seemed to pull their attention away.

When I gave my first independent tour a few weeks later, I was nervous that the visitors would be know more than me or ask questions I couldn’t answer. However, it went pretty well with my sheet of notes from the tours I had shadowed previously. Kids are sometime difficult to control but they ask great questions and it’s so fun to see them excited about learning at the museum. I felt more comfortable with each tour I gave. I needed the notes less and less and I told the kids more and more. I found it interesting how even a few years in age difference could really change the tour. (For example, most 6th graders are much more patient, attentive, and knowledgeable than 4th graders.) By the last tour I gave, I no longer used my notes, I was able to answer questions well, I felt very comfortable, and I had lots of fun too. I think that’s the best of both worlds when you can have fun giving a tour to kids who are having fun learning from you. It was exciting for me to see the growth in myself, my knowledge, and my confidence.

One of my original goals was to make an interactive activity for children visiting the museum. I found out later there was already a sort of scavenger hunt card available but I made a photo bingo sheet for slightly older kids to take around the museum. It features 25 close-up photos of objects or exhibits we have. If they find five in a row they would earn their pilot’s wings and blackout would be an extra prize. I took the photos, arranged them in diverse rows and columns, typed the instructions, and made an answer key. Kids working on this bingo activity get to discover many different parts of the museum and have an incentive for doing so. Hopefully this will be an interactive way for kids to stay engaged.