Play, museums and cultural organisations by Play Wales

Play, museums and cultural organisations

This information sheet is to support museums, galleries and cultural organisations working with children and families to broaden their understanding of play, and find ways to incorporate play into their day-to-day work and service provision. It aims to explore:

• Why play is important for children, families and cultural organisations • Practical ways to plan for play

• Ways to accommodate playful behaviour in cultural settings, using examples and ideas from museums that have improved their provision for play.

Why do we need to consider play? Children play instinctively whenever they are given the chance. But, in museums, families and children may sometimes feel uncomfortable or feel that they don’t always have permission to be playful. Children and teenagers consistently say they want to have more free time to play and to be with their friends, and places to be together and to play1. In Wales, 30 percent of non-museum visitors say they don’t visit because there is ‘nothing of interest’.2 Coupled with English data that the proportion of 5 to 15 year-olds visiting museums has been static for nearly a decade3, this suggests there is a need to explore new approaches to engagement. Play may be one approach to involve more children, teenagers and families in museums. There are some key benefits of play which relate to the unique context of the cultural sector: •

Well-being

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Visitor engagement

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Doing good business

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The creation of lively, social spaces that can cultivate the conditions for attracting increased visits, and for play and engagement to emerge.

Play and well-being Enhancing the well-being of visitors is a priority for most cultural settings, and so understanding the value of play to the well-being of children

and to adults alike is imperative. Play is fun, and in play, ‘the production of joyful states creates a sense of optimism in the present and near future, where life is worth living’4. Playing and its associated negotiations, rule-making, choices, failures and fallings-out enable children to learn to work things out and to cope with the demands of an uncertain world.5 Children experience much of the world through play, and as a species, humans are born with an innate playful disposition which drives them to seek out playful opportunities in daily life. ‘Play does not wait to be expressed at the end of the journey in a pre-designated area; it is how children experience their lives and how they express themselves and their agency in the public realm.’6 In play, children learn about the world and themselves – imagining, creating and learning whilst playing. Children respond to the people and places around them in play, trying new things, testing social and physical limits, experimenting and finding things out, sometimes alone, and sometimes alongside others. ‘All cultural processes within a civilisation are likewise born in play and nourished on play. From poetry to music, from ritual to philosophy, and everything else besides, all owe key aspects of their original existence and form to certain patterns of play.’7 If play can be seen as our in-built mechanism for learning and for being and staying well, providing for play should be central to how museums support children’s well-being in the here and now.

Enhancing the staff and visitor experience Museums, heritage sites and visitor attractions may be significant sites for heritage and art, but they are also social spaces that generate engagement with their collections in the broadest sense. If we take time to observe incidental behaviour, we will observe playful movements and expressions through and within sites and galleries, potentially generated in part by the stories told throughout the spaces, unique objects or architecture.

‘Families want to be going out and making memories together and sharing experiences and sharing things to add to their own mental family scrapbook. Visitor attractions, museums and galleries provide the backdrop for people’s happiest memories. I think that we almost provide a sort of parallel NHS for the mental health ... for the public to come to these really important places, emotionally resonant places ... to recover and heal and repair and breathe.’ Bernard Donoghue, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

Places that support and accommodate play have the potential to help visitors feel welcomed, overcome barriers to visiting and to change how families feel in museum spaces. This enables visitors – children and families in particular – to be more relaxed and to worry less about doing something wrong. ‘It’s more relaxing. If they are happy, we are. [Play] improves the experience of the visit for us.’ Parent comment at Chester Zoo8 ‘Inviting play and playfulness into our building has changed our museum for the better! When my post started we made some changes to the Museum to encourage more family interaction with the museum. The Front of House team has been amazing in getting on board. I think there was some hesitancy to start off with as they had

been told certain rules in the past about things, but all can see the impact on the museum it has made and taken new ideas on board.’ Participation Curator, Parc Howard Museum Play is also good for staff well-being and job satisfaction. Being able to be more relaxed and playful in their jobs helps staff feel more at ease, and happier in their interactions with visitors.9 Play can help staff tackle what might otherwise be serious or difficult subject matter and can help generate creative or critical thinking. ‘Play is disruptive. “What if’s” can help people experience ideas for the future. Only play can take us out of business as usual.’10 Play creates a safe frame for making connections, building relationships, and can also enliven our imaginations, helping us to develop our ability for empathy and understanding.11

Museums can support children’s right to play In the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC), play is identified as a basic human right. Cultural organisations which provide space, time and opportunity for creativity, exploration and play are helping to support Article 31: ‘The right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities’12. Settings which consider play also help to support the legal requirements of local authorities to deliver the Play Sufficiency Duty13 included in the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. Staff working in cultural settings with and for children can consider themselves part of the play workforce. There is a role to support the local authority to account for and plan for children’s play similar to those in roles such as town planners, teachers, architects, youth workers and childminders.

Play is good for business Museum managers and cultural leaders consistently pinpoint play as the reason for increased footfall and repeat family visits. In a recent post-covid play project with UK museums, 60 percent said that their new play activities

helped them to attract new audiences, and that their audiences reported having a better experience as a result of the playful activities.14 The Play-Work, Exploring the art of working with playing children exhibition which re-created an adventure playground staffed by local playworkers in Wrexham, recorded almost 40,000 visits over three months – a significant increase on usual visitor figures for the same period.15 Audience segmentation terms – such as ‘funseekers’ and ‘knowledge-seekers’ – used by visitor researchers indicate that fun and exploration is high on the list of needs for a family visit.16 Through pleasure and enjoyment also comes attachment to place, and attachment to the people that are part of the visit.17 Good relationships with staff and settings not only builds customer loyalty, but generates recommendations, as well as attachment to the aims or mission of an organisation.18

Encouraging play – practical ideas

Everyone can take small steps towards making museums and visitor attractions more play-friendly. Focus on play: Museums and the

cultural sector is a useful tool for advocating for strategic and policy change in museums. The following ideas are based on national and international examples and provide easy, achievable ways to start making your setting playful, or to build on what you already do.

Key principles When developing opportunities to play at their places, including the 50 things to do before you’re 113/4 programme, the National Trust in England, Wales and Northern Ireland found four key principles invaluable19: •

Sociable spaces for people to relax or be playful

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The journey – a network of places to go, things to play with on the way and planned interventions to travel through and on

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Giving invitations – children will find their own stories if you let them

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Loose parts, which can be changed and controlled with multiple outcomes.20

These principles can equally be applied whether planning for play indoors or out. Inviting children to find their own stories and determine their

own way through museum content promotes engagement and soft learning outcomes. This enhances rather than detracts from the outcomes museums may set through playful, or other, learning opportunities.

A starting point – the value of observation Settings working well with the key principles above first take time to notice and discuss what play is happening, and where it happens. Observations help determine existing points of attraction and from this point onwards, invitations can be enhanced and new interventions created. Importantly, taking time to notice and share observations of play affords all staff the opportunity to discuss their values and feelings about play, as well as agree ways of supporting play and ways to message playful permission.

‘We observed play on board the ship and had some interesting discussions about play and realised that so much was already happening! We worked out that for us, designing playful prompts for families to follow was needed to encourage more play in some of our really big spaces where we didn’t have gallery staff or enough resources or exhibits to play with. It’s worked really well and we’ve had some great feedback from families. One day I hope we won’t need prompts. People will just know they can play here.’ Claire Hargreaves, National Museum of the Royal Navy

At Manchester Museum and the V&A in London, drawn out hopscotch, wiggly lines and footprints on the floor have provided invitations to hop, jump and follow. Lines and markings were made according to the context and specifications of the site or gallery, including using masking tape, chalk, floor paint or floor vinyl. At Whitby Abbey, English Heritage staff took this approach outside, strimming grass pathways around the site, and hiding boxed resources and clues to find, creating low-cost new playable spaces that could be changed. At Rugby Art Gallery & Museum, a playful trail incorporated the whole museum and used existing interactive exhibitions and displays. The museum also added new temporary playful activities and interventions: ‘We set up a toy car race on the gallery landing, held a rock paper scissor challenge with children and our museum staff, invited children to make shadow drawings and do window painting in our galleries, all as part of our playful trail. We were fully booked and now plan to do more, and bigger and better each time.’ Rachel Coldicott, Rugby Art Gallery and Museum At Tŷ Pawb – Stryd Pawb (Everyone’s Street) – a temporary roadway network marked on the floor throughout the centre allowed for both social distancing and play. With lanes, roundabouts, child-size road signage and more, the intervention promoted permission for visitors to play in the entire arts and community centre.

Introducing playable stuff Wayfaring and journeys Finding different methods to enhance opportunities for the way children might move between one space and another creates additional novelty and interest within the visit. Numerous venues, including Chester Zoo, Tŷ Pawb, The V&A, Rugby Museum & Art Gallery and Manchester Museum have tried and tested different methods. Examples include the introduction of a skipping lane and a puddle jumping trail in the expansive spaces between the enclosures at Chester Zoo.

Museums and galleries have also embraced using playable stuff or loose parts within their on-gallery provision, adding a layer to the experience and journey. Manageable during the COVID-19 pandemic, where resources can be quarantined or recycled, venues have found them an asset that has helped add play alongside the exhibits. At Manchester Museum, plastic hoops and carpet tiles invigorate long gallery spaces enabling children to move and shape the routes in and around the fossils and skeletons, safely tucked behind their glass cases. At Coventry

Transport Museum, Trunki ride-on luggage containers filled with creative materials and den-making opportunities with child-size road signs and cardboard boxes are often set out.

‘We just keep spreading out to more and more galleries now, we started small and now we are confident we can use the resources alongside the displays and families are having an amazing time.’ Anja Keitel-Campsall, Coventry Transport Museum

Creating a sociable, playful feel

In addition to loose parts, the general feel and atmosphere of the social museum environment creates the conditions for relaxation from which play can emerge. From the point of arrival and welcome, playful use of the space outside, promotional signage or relaxed light-hearted conversation directly with children, all helps to enliven the atmosphere and create the frame for play. Pointing out playable spaces, resources or unique stories or objects before the visit gets going creates a sense of anticipation that play can be both discovered and realised. In the Reading Room at The Wellcome Collection, a relaxed feel has been created that truly caters for difference and promotes space and time for engagement. A range of small and large gathering spaces are set out, with tables, chairs, varied lighting and comfortable seating, including beanbags. Books, stories, objects to touch and board games for all ages are provided relating to different themes in the collection subject areas. Messaging in the space (and online) clearly indicates that people wanting to study should use the library instead.

Final thoughts Cultivating the conditions for play in your venue takes time, consistency, support and commitment. In this final section, contributors share their key learning to encourage you to keep experimenting and learning with how you plan and provide for play. •

Be open to what happens, unexpected things may emerge – this is good!

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Involve staff as much as possible in planning, especially visitor assistants and managers – this helps alleviate concerns and builds trust and support.

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Re-purpose existing equipment such as handling gloves and costumes – affordable and sustainable fabrics can be washed easily.

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Be confident with risk assessments for play – approach this in the same way as you would a learning activity or general visitor risk assessment. Focus on the benefits of play alongside controls for possible risks.

Further resources and links •

Case studies for a Playful Museums Project in 2020 by Kids in Museums in partnership with Penny Wilson, Assemble Play and Charlotte Derry, Playful Places

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Welcoming Families to your Venue – a training film by Kids in Museums and Museum Tales

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Case Study for Stryd Pawb at Tŷ Pawb, Wrexham, by Ludicology

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Rules for a Playful Museum, a guide for museums, written by visitor staff at Manchester Museum

Make the most of your staff – create invitations or reasons for children to interact with staff.

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Re-use cardboard packaging and materials that other teams might throw out.

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The Happy Museum webpage for The Playful Places Network

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Ask local businesses to donate loose parts.

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Provide clear guidance for visitors (given verbally or using playful signage) – it allows families to relax knowing what’s permitted where (or not). This creates more self-assured staff, able to navigate the needs of playing families, along with the needs of other visitors, collections and the building.

Playbook – A resource about play, art and creative play and collections, produced by The Baltic

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Suggest simple games such as hide and seek and possible places to play it.

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Be mindful of access needs in all of your planning.

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Nonsense and fact can and do work together. Jokes, prompts and stories using stuff in the collections are really memorable and enjoyable. Use collections, objects and rooms to inspire you – Look for wow’s, disgust, humour, popularity, accessibility, novelty, and let your imagination go.

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Be mindful of different ages and use appropriate activity and language that respects age and interests. Teenagers and adults play too.

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References Information taken from www.gov.uk/government/ statistics/taking-part-201920-annual-child-release/ museums-taking-part-survey-201920 and from interviews with children conducted for research for Russell, W., Barclay, M., Tawil, B. and Derry, C. (2019) Children’s Right to Play in Wales, Six years of stories and change. Cardiff: Play Wales; Research, author’s own.

Information taken from www.gov.uk/government/ statistics/taking-part-201920-annual-child-release/ museums-taking-part-survey-201920.

Data taken from Arts, heritage sites, libraries and museums (National Survey for Wales): April 2017 to March 2018.

Hopkins, R. (2019) From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want. Chelsea Green Publishing.

United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC (2013) General comment No. 17 (2013) on the right of the child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (art. 31). Geneva: Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Welsh Government (2012) The Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2012. Cardiff: Welsh Government Crown Copyright.

Data collected during a pilot play in museums project run by Kids in Museums funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund; Research, author’s own, care of Kids in Museums.

Sutton-Smith, B. (2003) referenced in Lester, S. (2020) Everyday Playfulness. London: Jessica Kingsley, p.98.

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (2010) Children’s Right to Play: An examination of the importance of play in the lives of children worldwide, Working Paper No. 57. The Hague, The Netherlands: Bernard van Leer Foundation.

Ludicology (2018) A place to hop, skip and jump about. A study commissioned by Chester Zoo.

Marsh, J. (2019) Curator, Tŷ Pawb, Speaking at The Art of Playwork Conference, Wrexham, 2019.

Segmentation terms used by the National Maritime Museum, Sydney, shared at the Playful Museums Conference, Sydney, 2019.

Lester, J. (in press) Rhythms of Resistance in the Adventure Playground of Life, in Russell, W., Derry, C., Fitzpatrick, J. and Handscomb, B. (eds) Stuff and Nonsense: Thinking differently about children’s play. Cornwall: Gwelan Tops Adventure Playground.

Ludicology (2018) A place to hop, skip and jump about: A Study commissioned by Chester Zoo, p.21.

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (2008) Play for a Change Play, Policy and Practice: A review of contemporary perspectives. London: National Children’s Bureau, p.96-97.

Smith, S., Head of Conservation Education, Chester Zoo, in conversation with the author about the value of promoting play to the zoo mission for conservation.

Lester, S., Strachan, A. and Derry, C. (2014) A more playful museum: exploring issues of institutional space, children’s play and well-being, International Journal of Play, 3, 1, 24-35.

The National Trust principles were developed with Michael Follett, OPAL Outdoor Play and Learning through an internal National Trust consultancy report. Source provided by Anita Stevens, Visitor Experiences Consultant National Trust.

Stevens, A. and Lewis, R., consultants for the National Trust, speaking at the Playful Museums Conference, Sydney, 2019.

John Michael Borman, Director of Biotopia, speaking at Museum Next Conference, Sydney, 2019.

Author: Charlotte Derry

Charlotte is an independent play and museum consultant working in schools and the cultural sector. She is a trainer and facilitator, delivering projects and training for museums, schools and local authorities and for sector support groups. Charlotte is also a mentor for the OPAL Primary Programme and the Happy Museum.

www.playwales.org.uk

Play Wales is the national organisation for children’s play, an independent charity supported by the Welsh Government to uphold children’s right to play and to provide advice and guidance on play-related matters.

Registered charity, no. 1068926