Ever wonder why families actually walk through your museum’s doors? In this episode of the Modern Museum Education Podcast, I dive into the core frameworks of how to foster family engagement in museums. By understanding that parents and caregivers use museums to excel in their roles as parents, museum educators can shift their design focus toward intentional and meaningful intergenerational connection.

Listeners will learn how to identify the three primary family visitor motivations, how to successfully scaffold gallery experiences to make grownups feel like the experts, and how to leverage key threshold moments at the start and end of a visit. I also break down actionable strategies like utilizing inquiry-based dialogue games to foster natural, collaborative family learning without burning out your staff.

For the full show notes and resources mentioned in this episode, head over to modernmuseumeducation.com to access the show notes, learn about custom museum-ready materials, or join the Engagement Lab.

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode

• Join the Engagement Lab: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/lab
• Find out how to partner with Rachel to improve your museum programs
• You can find all the books I recommend on this podcast on my Bookshop.org Podcast Recommendations & Resources List, including the ones mentioned in this episode:
  • The Value of Museums: Enhancing Societal Well-Being (2022)
  • Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience (2009)
• Academic Articles Referenced:
  • Analyzing family group decisions to visit museums (Taiwan)
    • Wu, K.-L., Holmes, K., & Tribe, J. (2010). ‘Where do you want to go today?’ An analysis of family group decisions to visit museums. Journal of Marketing Management, 26(7–8), 706–726. https://doi.org/10.1080/02672571003780007
  • Study on the National Day of Families (Italy)
    • Borrione, P., Friel, M., & Segre, G. (2021). “Kids, today we’re going to the museum!” Discriminating factors in museum visiting for families with children in Italy. International Journal of Arts Management, 23(3), 21–31. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48650702
  • How to play the Juicy Question Game (and more on family learning)
    • Gutwill, J. P., & Allen, S. (2010). Facilitating family group inquiry at science museum exhibits. Science Education, 94(4), 710–742. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20387

Related Episodes and Blog Posts

• Episode 5: The Social Context of a Museum Visit
• Episode 22: How to Design Museum Programs That Work for Kids and Adults

Ways I Can Help You

• Custom Made Museum Education Program Materials: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/museum-ready-materials
• Museum Education Professional Development: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/frontline-focus-workshops
• Museum Education Program Evaluation & Design: https://modernmuseumeducation.com/full-program-design

Connect with Rachel

• Email: rachel@modernmuseumeducation.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelegibson/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/modernmuseumed
• Website: www.modernmuseumeducation.com