Preschoolers’ Museum Activities – Having a good trip. Playing and learning in the world of museums

Abstract

A museum, a pedagogical session at a museum, can “open up the world” to the child: they can gain new experiences, ask questions, and get answers, and last but not least, they can learn a culture of behaviour to follow. My study presents the museum learning of preschoolers through the pedagogical programs for preschool children at the Hungarian Museum of Natural History and the Hetedhét Toy Museum. By looking at the possibilities of a wide variety of activities for kindergarteners in museums, the aim of the study is to become acquainted with the pedagogical work in the Hungarian Museum of Natural History and the Hetedhét Toy Museum through empirical research. The focus is on exploring the possibilities of museum pedagogical programs and exhibitions organized by museums, and examining factors necessary to ensure the museum learning of preschool children. In particular, I attempt to highlight the importance of museum pedagogy and museum visits in the development and learning of preschool children. I seek answers to the questions raised by observing museum pedagogical sessions and by the opinions, experiences and perspectives of museum educators, museologists and kindergarten teachers who volunteered to take part in the research.