Here’s a great piece by Nina Simon regarding adult participation in interactive experiences.  We carry certain cultural assumptions about what adults do in a museum or science center.  These assumptions influence our behavior even when they don’t reflect our motivations and interests.

“The common museum knowledge on this issue is that adults are timid, that we have lost some of the wonder, impulsiveness, and active creativity of childhood days. But I don’t think that theory holds up. Major research studies by the NEA and others demonstrate that adults well into their 60s are highly motivated to participate actively with cultural experiences. They’re playing instruments, painting pictures, and cooking gourmet meals in record numbers. They’re going to trivia night. They’re playing video games. It’s possible–likely even–that today’s adults are more motivated by interactive experiences than generations past.”

On a somewhat-related note, we spent some time in the Visitor Center this morning to work on the placement of the wave tanks.  Large sheets of butcher paper stood in for the tanks, and I borrowed one of our wheelchairs to get an initial feel for the accessibility of the layout.  We should have more pictures of this process soon.