Parent Perception of Play: Wed. 4:30 - 5:45

4:30 – 5:45 Parent Perception of Play

Lauren Rose – Please Touch
Kimberley McKenney - CM of Tacoma
Debbie Kray - Children's Museum of Tacoma

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What are parents perceptions of play?
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Synopsis:

I give it a B.

Lauren Rose stepped in for Stephanie Downey from Randi Korn associates to review the results of a research study in the Philidelphia Please Touch Museum on the Parents perception of Play. This study took place two years ago under a past president. Yet another presentation to review once it is posted on ACM site. Lots of detail in this survey - interesting to see what questions were asked.

Bottom line - not all parents understand their role as a first teacher, that play should be child driven and they should support not direct. The museum decided that the only way to deal with parent perception was to focus on staff training and their response to the parents and visitors.

Tacoma talked about an outreach project that will sound very familiar. An offsite parent child workshop called "Play to Learn". It is an hour an 30 minutes with two staff leading focusing on school readiness with preschoolers and parents. They do unstructured play stations, songs, stories, and an art station. They conduct these workshops off site at churches and libraries to save money and collaborate with first five on grant funding and providing resource specialists who will come to workshop in kind.

There was a great interest from audience in this workshop and at least 25 minutes of discussion was devoted to what this workshop was, how funded, what materials, staffing, etc.

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Notes:

Randi Korn asked to do a study with adult visitors on their perception of play. Please Touch – 35 years old, 2008 moved to 150,000 sq. foot space in Philadelphia, 2 floors of exhibits. Collections museum, display older toys – hopefully bringing discussion. Staff models play at museum. Completed strategic plan and focused on parents and role.

Staff belief of play – met with Randi Korn several times. Play is open ended and child driven, process oriented. Please touch believes play does wonderful things. DO parents see the same way?

In depth interviews – 73 caregivers – audio transcribed (open ended questions)
Standardized quetionaires 409 caregivers (random sampling)
Standardized observation 75

50% interviewed – play “fun, hands on, be a child”
35% I – “build abilities” – no connection was made that these abilities connected to school readiness
School skills is part of a campaign for importance.
All exhibits (Howard Gardner and State curriculum) – one sheet matrix for all exhibits.
Further school exhibits.
How “one sheets” are established.
More than entertainment – bridge gap between entertainment and play.

48% - opportunity for fun
27%- - healthy brain development
13% - contributes to academic achievement

Please touch wants to work on -
53% role with parent in museum is to play and have fun
41% role is direct and guide activities and play
We want child driven play – parents don’t want to be directed how to play with children.
Visitor services – trained to interject.
Opportunities for role play, parallel play.

36% played with
64% supervised, watched, redirected children

Exhibits must be designed with parent child interaction as goal. Signage is in museum – but often overlooked. QR codes – video pop up – something to explore.
Further questions for Randi or museum - please contact

Play to Learn community Outreach Project
Debbie Kay – Education Director

Describe program, audience, and assessment. Free community program, ages 6 and under target age range, ffn (family friend and neighbor) provider. 5 days a week, 8 locations, 6 sessions. (0 minute program, no registration, drop in.

Play to Learn: The Audience
Childrens Museum of Tacoma
Race, reflective of county
7 % below poverty level, 38% low income
80 % parents, 20% caregivers
Replacing preschool for many
85% repeat
18% attended 30 plus classes

Play activities that will help children be school ready.
What is age appropriate – parents get embarrassed if child is not sitting
2 instructors – 1 does activity, one engages adults, helping them to navigate through that
What does it mean to be school ready
Activities can do at home
Connect adults with other resources in the community

Slideshow will download ACM
93% playing at home and using activities
89% play more with children

Program impact
“I feel more competent as a parent” “I’ve seen my child learn things I would not have been able to teach them at home”

Assessment tool
Zipcodes, age, who with child, military family?
Partnered with Portland and Belvue museums

Debbie –

First five group (united way, head start, etc) as a team raise the bar. Age appropriate, lifelong love of learning, empower them to know they are the child’s first teacher. Be respectful of why people visit museum – if they just want a break.

Strong investment to have staff trained to engage adults as well (teens/college may not have). Voyager is new space.

Discussion:

More elemental approach when design (sensory play, water play) – frameworks for play that will easily change (this is the x for the child)

First time employees – Lauren – have large book with specific examples, ex. Child in vehicles, where are they going is it far? Do they have anything with them? These are jumping off points. Parent sees museum staff doing it, simple, encourages them. Don’t want parents to feel scolded. Mix seasonal staff with well trained staff. Manager on duty can come out and help (parent on phone and child is unruly). Nature of part tiem staff. Exhibit guides and signs spell out benefits of play, what child is learning. Take photos of children in space and explain what child learning. Play guide can always talk to parents about (concierge approach) – here are books about what your child is loving. Put parents in observer scientist role.

Grant funded or out of pocket – play to learn program. First five fundamentals – learning coalition, helped to get program up and running, largest funder.

Space – play to learn workshop – churches, libraries no pay, In kind service from providers, in time program team, want to see neighborhood based co leaders in building community involvement

Open ended – preschool base – crafts, look at what school requirements are , developed program content, curriculum for class, work with libraries for books to check out, hand outs for parents. Program is an hour and half.

Study was done because museum moving to a new space.See what was working. Study done two and half years ago. Results returned 6 to 8 months after. More work to be done. Change of leadership when president retired. Most important parts of data to address – museum staff, and making sure parents know what is going on – on the floor and that children are learning.