Archival Material

Date Original: 2013

Description: In Birth of Playspace, Chapter 3 of Boston Stories, author Jeri Robinson negotiates the gap between her vision and the museum's in carving out a place and program for preschool children and their caregivers.

Creator(s):Jeri Robinson, author

Keywords:

Date Original: n.d.

Description: The cover of the book, "Activities for Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: A Children's Museum Activity Book". Authored by Jeri Robinson it was an activity book specifically for the Boston Children's Museum.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum, publisher; Barbara Bruno, illustrator; Jeri Robinson, author

Keywords: child tailored activities; tangible education; interactive learning; book; Jeri Robinson

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A group of children and a parent enjoy the giant crib within the Before You Were Three exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; entertainment as education; tangible learning; interactive exhibits

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Kids lift doors to reveal the baby pictures of famous people such as Julia Child, Muhammad Ali and Mr. Rogers.Visitors then had the ability to check their guesses and see if they had the right answer.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: visitor resources; instructional activities; experiential learning; family activities

Date Original: n.d.

Description: Two boys enjoy the Before Your Were Three exhibit at Boston Children's Museum.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: interactive exhibits; tangible education; photo; visitor retention

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A group of young children investigate the interactive Before You Were Three exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: interactive exhibits; tangible education; photo; entertainment as education

Date Original: n.d.

Description: The cover of the book, Before You Were Three: How You Began to Walk, Talk, Explore and Have Feelings, by Robie H. Harris & Elizabeth Levy, with over 100 photographs by Henry E. F. Gordillo. A sort of accompanying piece to the Before You Were Three Exhibit, this book was a versatile addition to BCM.

Creator(s): Delacorte Press, publisher; Henry E.F. Gordillo, photographer; Robie H. Harris, author; Elizabeth Levy, author

Keywords: photographs of exhibits; exploring child development; tangible learning; interactive education

Date Original: November 2005

Description: Elaine Gurian talks about making exhibits specifically for parents, in which the children could enjoy the exhibits, but parents could interact as well. She discusses the thought process behind making sure a group of strangers interacting could be safe, yet inviting and educational all at the same time. (4:03)

Creator(s): Elain Gurian, interviewee; Carol Yourman, ideographer/interviewer

Keywords: civic responsibilities; stranger interactions; learning from others; middle class

Date Original: 1995

Description: This interview with Eleanor Chin, an administrator at BCM, in which she describes her experience working for a experiential learning museum. She also describes how her own daughter continually helped to teach her about working for a Children's museum.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum; Eleanor Chin, interviewee

Keywords: discovery museum; experiential learning; repetitive behaviors aiding learning; Playspace

Date Original: May 21, 1995

Description: This interview with Eleanor Chin, an administrator at BCM, in which she describes her experience working for a experiential learning museum. The same interview is also uploaded, but this copy has markings and notes for areas of interest.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum; Eleanor Chin, interviewee

Keywords: discovery museum; experiential learning; repetitive behaviors aiding learning; Playspace exhibit

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A cover for a brochure with tips for patrons on how to explore BCM with children under the age of five. Many of the exhibits at BCM had specific target ages, making some exhibits potentially more fun than others for children under five.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: brochure; interactive resources; visitor connection; target demographics; audience awareness

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A page with hand drawings showing examples of some of the exhibits at BCM. The ones shown are, in particular, good for children under the age of five.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: experiential learning; visitor interaction; age specific exhibits; audience rentention; tangible education

Date Original: 1975

Description: Jeri Robinson conducts a workshop for parents to show them how to assemble "Kits for Kids." Kits for Kids were activity boxes that used ordinary household materials to create learning experiences for families at home. Jeri was the integral person that developed the Playspace exhibit at the Museum Wharf BCM location of which the Before You Were Three exhibit was a part of.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: Jeri Robinson; Playspace exhibit; interactive learning environment; age tailored exhibits

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: Jeri Robinson, pre-school teacher turned member of the Community Services Department at BCM, talks about her work particularly involving the Playspace exhibit. Geared towards children under five, and what it was like developing materials and a sense of community for the exhibit.

Creator(s): Jeri Robinson, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: community engagement; staff workshops; teaching for different cultures; providing a learning environment

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: Jeri Robinson, who came to BCM in 1973 after being a preschool teacher, discusses how she spent most of her time in the beginning outside of the museum as a resource person. She talks about how that played a part in leading her to initially become motivated to create an exhibit for preschoolers, which eventually became the Playspace exhibit. 1:46.

Creator(s): Robinson, Jeri - interviewee; Spock, Mike - interviewer; Yourman, Carol - videographer

Keywords: community service department; preschool community; push towards wider audience incorporation; head start

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: In this interview excerpt, "Jeri's Own Educational Experiences," Jeri Robinson, creator of the Playspace exhibit, she talks about her reaction to the new location at the Museum Wharf. She continues about she thought a place like BCM was great because learning could happen from interaction, not just repeating facts. 2:08.

Creator(s): Jeri Robinson, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: education not just learning answers; interactivity over repetition; different learning environments; tangible education

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: In the excerpt, "Not Testing," Jeri talks about the issues in some classrooms where the teachers are not allowed to be more free in their teaching lessons for the sake of focusing on standardized test scores, and how that affects children and their desire and motivation to learn and enjoy learning. (1:16)

Creator(s): Jeri Robinson, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: disenfranchised teachers; lackluster motivation for children; capturing good learning through BCM; consuming learning

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: In this excerpt,"Creating Spaces for Young Families," Jeri Robinson talks about how the museum could be, and she wanted it to be, seen as a safe meeting ground for parents and their families. In this excerpt she talks about how BCM wanted to open up the question if strangers could meet in a common ground and open up in a safe environment. (1:58)

Creator(s): Jeri Robinson, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: quiet revolutions; lack of fanfare; imitation is the best form of flattery; community space

Date Original: January 18, 2006

Description: Jeri Robinson, creator behind the Playspace exhibit, talks about all the different children she liked to see come to BCM and how she likes to develop and create exhibits to help them enjoy learning and interacting. She discusses how BCM developed to be such a productive place for parents and children. (1:38)

Creator(s): Jeri Robinson, interviewee; Mike Spock, interviewer; Carol Yourman, videographer

Keywords: respecting audiences; BCM developing for specific ages; interactive museum exhibit choices surprising parents; BCM staff collaboration

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: This activity, titled "Lunchbox Traveling Kit" is for the redesign of a metal lunchbox into a traveling kit for kids. Descriptions on how to do the activity and what materials will be needed are included.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: instructional activities; experiential learning; discovery museums; Resource Center

Date Original: n.d.

Description: The Parent Resource Room at BCM worked in conjunction with the Resource Center to provide materials and kits to parents and their children. With easy access to materials, visitors were able to easily connect with the museum.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: interactive resources; visitor connection; tangible learning; photo; Resource Center

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A dad and his child in the Parent Resource Room at BCM. Informational pieces of literature can be seen in the background, available for parents.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; Parent's Room; informational literature; visitor resources

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A grandfather and young girl enjoy exploring the giant crib portion of the Playspace exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: experiential learning; photo; age tailored exhibits; interactivity; playspace exhibt

Date Original: n.d.

Description: A young boy plays with one of the objects at the Playspace exhibit at BCM.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: experiential learning; photo; age tailored exhibits; interactivity; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A young child "pumps gas" into the Playspace car.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: child tailored activities; tangible education; interactive exhibits; Playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A young girl and boy explore the lockbox within the Playspace exhibit. Catering specifically to children under five there was plenty to enjoy and play with in this exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; entertainment as education; tangible learning; interactive exhibits; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: An overhead view of the Playspace exhibit at BCM.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; entertainment as education; tangible learning; interactive exhibits; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: Kids and parents join Jeri Robinson in the Playspace exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: experiential learning; photo; age tailored exhibits; interactivity; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A wide shot of the Playspace exhibit at BCM. Catering for those under five, this exhibit had plenty of interactive features to keep young ones entertained.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; entertainment as education; tangible learning; interactive exhibits; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A group of children and their parents play together in the Playspace pit exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: photo; entertainment as education; tangible learning; interactive exhibits; playspace exhibit

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: A photo of the stroller parking area outside of the Playspace area at BCM.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: interactive resources; visitor connection; BCM; photo

Date Original: July 15, 1977

Description: This 7 page report details ways that BCM in its new location and the new Visitor Center could provide resources and program services for early childhood development. The last 3 pages on this upload include a brochure on what is titled "The Early Childhood Project", which includes discussion on the development of Jeri Robinson's Playspace exhibit.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum; Jeri Robinson, author

Keywords: family learning environment; parent resource room; funding proposals; childhood development

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: Toddlers take over, an early childhood specific program at BCM with movies, stories and slides shows all geared towards toddlers with resources for their parents. This page of the flyer shows that this program/event is in its 5^th year at this point!

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: visitor resources; instructional activities; experiential learning; family activities

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: Toddlers take over, an early childhood specific program at BCM with movies, stories and slides shows all geared towards toddlers with resources for their parents. This program was supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: visitor resources; instructional activities; experiential learning; family activities

Date Original: 1963

Description: Several children climbing up the manhole in the What's Inside? exhibit.

Creator(s): Ed Fitzgerald, photographer

Keywords: exhibits, visitors, audience, interactivity

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: Instructions for a fun activity called "wiggle worms".

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: instructional activities; experiential learning; visitor interaction; tangible education

Date Original: 05/24/1995

Description: Jeri Robinson, the main creative mind behind the Playspace exhibit area at BCM. She was the person who not only first thought of the idea, but worked diligently to help make it a reality. In this interview she describes a few stories in particular to help explain her love of BCM and its role with families in the Boston community. This copy also includes editor notes in the margins.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: community development; family friendly paradigms; building a museum for teachers; childhood development

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: On the first page of this brochure explaining the new workshops for parents and their preschool-aged children, it goes into detail for each of the workshops. Included pieces of information are date, time, how often the workshops are put on, and what the family will be doing.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: community development; childhood development; family workshops; tangible education

Date Original: To Be Entered

Description: This brochure put out by BCM announces a new set of workshops for parents and their children to explore in the new (and much larger) Playspace exhibit. Since the Playspace exhibit was generally geared towards children under 5 years of age, so too are the workshops.

Creator(s): Boston Children's Museum

Keywords: community development; childhood development; family workshops; tangible education