Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-29
THE CHILDREN'S
MUSEUMS
By Frederic J. HaSkin
VIZ ARLINGTON, D. c., May ia
Nh A middle-aged Irishwofnan
WV was hustled by q proud son

into the Children's musician
in Boston the other day.
,"see, mother" he urged in an ax-
found in Mikes back yard. and it
has my name by it,
The mother admired the bit of
rock, and then was hauled MpfdK
around to see the butterflies,
J 5aPanese en1 village and other II
son lovingly described.
Then Mrs. Finn must meet 1.-The
lady" So she was dragged putting
to the desk Of the director. By the
time she left she had absorbed
Sure" she told "the lady" this
is foine thing for the Children.
It's lot they need to learn in the
world besides an iducation."
According to the director. Miss
the routine of the Boston Children's
sum up the function Of the museum
so aptly hs did Mrs. Finn.
The need for boys and girls to-
learn In other ways besides through
formal schooling is more and more
realized, we are told by museum
officials attending a convention here.
In this connection, they say, the
chtldren'S museum is coming to be
regarded as an important means of
cities here and abroad are planning
collections for the children, either
in the form of independent mu-
seums, or in connection with schools,
libraries, or other institutions. These
museum officials predict that to flu
will be as familiar as children's
libraries Or Fairgrounds.
Three Now in Operation
There are now three Well-estab-
II c-I1n hill Il 1.
country, and a number Of variatio
of the idea. The first one was start
ed in Brooklyn, New York, twenty
years ago. There is another in Bos-
ton, six years old, and one was
started this winter in Cambridge,
Mass.
The idea of a museum for boys and
girls first came up when house was
Willed to the Brooklyn Institute of
Arts and Sciences. The house was
taken for a storage place for extra
exhibits. Then curator cleared out
one room and fixed it up with shells,
flowers, and birds for the be left Of
children visiting the main exhibit.
Word of museum just for children
spread through schools and play
popular that the whole building was
given over to a regularly organized
museum for school children.
Some years later the public school
teachers Of Boston were complaining
that it was impossible to teach nat
ure study in bugless and plantless
sections. of the city, and to children
who had no personal experience with
plant and animal life. To meet this
situation the Boston children's mus
cum was established out of funds
from the public school system and
private subscription.
A real children's museum is place
arranged entirely for boys and girls.
The exhibit cases are low enough so
that 81 --year-old can examine COM
fortably everything in them. 1 a
bells are in god print and plain Eng
fish, with no dry technical descrip-
tions but lots Of really interesting
facts. The curators are always
watching to see if the labels are sat
isfactory to the children. If a feroc-
ious-looking beetle is not accompan-
led by information showing whether
he will bite and what he does with
his horns, and the children seem in
terested in these points, the label. is
revised to include them. Then, the
chairs in the lecture hall are chill
dren's sizes, and the books in the Ii
brary are on low shelves and right
where a young scientist can refer to
them without stopping t1resome
formalities.
The children like to share their
information and thrills. Thus one
very little girl was heard describing
the model of dtnosaur to little
boy.
Sarah Simpson is a very strong
minded woman, If you don't believe
it ask her husband.
''Now, Samuel, remember! If that
man Johnson offers you anything to
drink you will refuse"
Samuel sighed as he agreed to her
| edict.
Later as they started for home,
Sarah eyed her spouse with gloom
in her face.
When Mr.. Johnson made that pc
! cu1iar sign to you," she began, "and
! shortly afterward you both hurried
from the room, where did you go,
Samuel?"
"Oh-er-yes, my dear! He mere
ly asked me to step into his, study
recently: You know I have a taste
| for books"
Eyes, Samuel, and from what 1
| heard, your taste-for bOoks-Was
highly gratified. You forgot to
a smacking Of lips and then you
exclaimed: ;Ah, that's the stuff