Understanding adult play and wellbeing in children’s museums

Authors:

• Gillian Cobb, Museology Graduate Program
• Chair: Meena Selvakumar
• Jessica Luke
• Amanda Wilkening

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Abstract:

Play is a powerful learning agent for children, and many children’s museums are built around this belief. While play has proven health benefits for adults, it is still understudied and underutilized. This study looks at the influence of adult and family play in children’s museums on adult wellbeing. Using the University College London Museum Wellbeing Measures Toolkit, adults at two children’s museums in the Greater Seattle, WA area were asked to rank their wellbeing during a time of play at the museum. Findings suggest that a majority of adults were able to engage in play during their experience and that their play experiences did generally have a positive influence on wellbeing. These findings suggest that by successfully fostering and facilitating play and family engagement, children’s museums can positively impact adult wellbeing.