During the summer of 2012, I had the privilege of interning at the Austin Children’s Museum. The museum was founded in 1983 and settled into its current downtown location in 1997. Since then it has enriched more than 800,000 visitors, striving to create valuable learning experiences for children and their families.
As the Early Childhood Programs Intern, I was responsible for the development of the Baby Bloomers and Cub Club curriculum. Baby Bloomers is a special time where babies can play freely without the worry of older kids running around. Cub Club is the Saturday morning version of Baby Bloomers. Along with developing the curriculum, I was able to lead the activities and direct volunteers that helped with the programs. I became a master at entertaining toddlers and had no fear in shaking my sillies out during sing along or waddling like a penguin during Story Time. In the past, interns had only developed detailed curriculum for a span of three or four months. Instead of planning specific activities for specific days, I created a year-long program schedule.
I was also responsible for assisting with guided tours catered to summer camps and daycares. A group could be from anywhere between 5 to 30 kids in grades ranging from Pre-k to 5th. I guided groups and explained the exhibits in a way their age group could understand and engage in.
Because the museum is a non-profit organization, they rely on the help of experienced and supportive volunteers. One adult volunteer I had the privilege of working with and learning from was Dr. Candra Thornton, an accomplished researcher on the developmental benefits of young children’s play. Working with her provided great insight to why my internship was important as well as providing an anthropological subject, play, to analyze during the summer.
One of the reasons I was so interested in landing this internship was the opportunity to encounter the influence of play on child development. In Dr. Kerrie Lewis Graham’s course Comparative Juvenile Behavior, we learned that play benefits growth as well as social behavior. One could observe many different types of play throughout the museum floor. The role of play in a child’s life can be underestimated by those who consider it a frivolous act, however, it not only aids in the development of physical and social growth but in the development of neurological growth. Play is an important part of who we are as a species. It is with this train of thought that play, whether it is at the ACM or anywhere else, should hold a spot in the study and discipline of anthropology.