Journaling in Museums: Young Children at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Abstract

This paper articulates the need for hands-on experiential learning for young children in traditional museum settings. Consideration of developmental stages and milestones is important when designing guided learning tools. The theory of constructivism provides a framework for the creation of a museum journal targeting 5 and 6-year-old visitors to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Constructivism places learners as active participants in the construction of their own knowledge as they interact with their surroundings. The benefits of journaling with young children are explored, and a compilation of activities to be included in a Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum journal are presented.