June 20, 2023
Shortlist Nominees for the Children in Museums Award 2023
Celebrating Excellence: These are the Shortlist Nominees for the CMA 2023 In today’s rapidly evolving world, the role of museums extends far beyond showcasing artifacts and preserving history. Museums have become engaging spaces for learning, exploration, and inspiration for people of all ages, especially children. Recognizing the vital importance of fostering
February 22, 2023
CONFERENCE 2023: October 25-27 Europe’s largest conference on science education and children in museums will be about rethinking learning opportunities and designing stimulating challenges in museum work for children. From October 25-27, we will create an environment where we experiment with exhibitions and themes, and constantly invent new forms of outreach. Let’s explore innovative practical
November 9, 2022
Apply for the Children in Museums Award 2023
Good news everyone, The Children in Museums Award applications 2023 are now open! Enter with your innovative exhibition project for children and win 5000€. Deadline: 15 March 2023 About The Children in Museums Award was established in 2011 by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It recognises excellence
October 3, 2022
Celebrating the First Decade of the Children in Museums Award
The Children in Museums Award: The first decade The challenges we face nowadays, living in this fast- changing world, demand flexible people with curious, creative minds that are open to explore and take initiatives. Museums can be important places to develop these skills, even from an early age. With this publication, Hands On! International and the
September 9, 2022
Winner Announced: Children in Museums Award 2022
Creaviva Children’s Museum, Bern and Leeds Museums & Galleries joint winners of the 2022 Children in Museums Award On Friday 9 September, in a ceremony during the European Museum Academy Conference in Luxembourg, the results of the 2022 Children in Museums Award were announced. 13 museums took part in the competition from 13 countries, with
May 2, 2022
Participate in Survey on Children’s Museums
Help us collect data on children’s museums! The following survey is designed as part of the LOODA project, aiming to improve the skills of children’s museum operators in order to better know the social context in which they operate and therefore be able to measure the impact that their activities produce; in fact, children’s museums
December 21, 2021
HANDS ON! INTO THE FUTURE 09-12 November 2021 As part of our strategic Creative Europe EU-Project ‘21st Century Children‘, together with organisations from all over the world, we have formulated a vision of the future for our sector over the past year. This is why we had the unique opportunity to embed a novel training
November 25, 2021
Winner Announced: Children in Museums Award 2021
Dutch Open Air Museum, Arnhem, The Netherlands At a virtual ceremony which took place on the evening of Friday 12 November at the 13th Hands On! Conference hosted by the FRida & FreD Children’s Museum in Graz and the ZOOM Children’s Museum in Vienna, the results of the 2021 Children in Museums Award were announced. 34 museums took
September 1, 2021
Apply for the Children in Museums Award 2022
Good news everyone, The Children in Museums Award applications 2022 are now open! Enter with your innovative exhibition project for children and win 5000€. Deadline: 15 April 2022 About The Children in Museums Award was established in 2011 by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It recognises excellence
July 23, 2021
A global vision for children-focused museums
HANDS ON! MINDS ON! HEARTS ON! A global vision for children-focused museums In order to illustrate the overall development of the self-conception of the sector’s role in and for society, we use a generation model inspired and loosley based on ideas of Gail Dexter Lord (1st & 2nd Generation), which was developed further as part
July 6, 2021
Free Corona Vaccine Guide for Children!
A curious guide for courageous kids After the international success of the Coronavirus Guide for Children, comes the highly anticipated sequel: The Vaccine Guide! When lockdowns started world-wide in March 2020, we teamed up with the Italian children’s museums to share their free downloadable corona virus guide for children world-wide. Through a peer translating call,
June 10, 2021
Online Conference, 9-12 November: Hands On – Into the future Hands On! Conference 2021 Welcome to our first online conference! Hands On! is an international network of museum professionals. We aim to make all museums and science centres meaningful places for children, to professionalize the (children’s) museum field, and to share our expertise. Every
April 16, 2021
EU funding for museums explained
Our friends from NEMO-Network of European Museum Organisations have prepared a free toolkit on successful EU-funding. Written by Children in Museum Award Judging panel chair and museum expert Margherita Sani, this resource explores the benefits of international cooperation and the existing funding schemes. This step-by-step guide is designed to help museums and museum networks
March 2, 2021
Children’s Museums & Cultural Democracy
CHILDREN’S MUSEUMS AS PIONEERS OF CULTURAL DEMOCRACY Reflections on the current discourse about ICOM’s museum definition In the past children’s museums already took on the roles of pioneers, by starting the audience-orientation movement of the museum sector. The wide range of low-threshold interactive, hands-on exhibitions and educational programmes we today consider state-of-the-art in museums all
January 2, 2021
Apply for the Children in Museums Award 2021-call closed!
The Children in Museums Award applications 2021 are now open! Enter with your innovative exhibition project for children and win 5000€. Deadline: 1 March 2021 About The Children in Museums Award was established in 2011 by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It recognizes excellence and innovation in
December 11, 2020
Summary Report: Children in Museums HUB
SUMMARY REPORT Imagining the future vision for 21st Century children in museums and marketing it ABOUT: 11., 18., 25. November & 9. December 2pm-5pm (14:00-17:00) CEST The children in museums HUB training series is part of our Creative Europe co-fundedongoing 21st Century Children project. The over-all objective of this project is to showcase and to
November 6, 2020
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Nurit Shilo-Cohen on 30th October. As former board member and CMA judge she was an avid supporter of our network and will be greatly missed among the Hands On! family. ‘When I first met Nurit, I was only recently joined the children’s museum scene. In the meantime,
October 17, 2020
Free online training series: Children in Museums HUB
11., 18., 25. November & 9. December 2pm-5pm (14:00-17:00) CEST Join our free online training series led by an international marketing and branding specialist! Open to all professionals eager to explore how to re-position children-centred museum work as meaningful education resources and social hubs for families. Together we will co-create the first global label of
September 14, 2020
New set of Members Online Meetings!
Good news everyone, After a summer break we kick-off the next edition of member online meetings. Now on Thursdays! For our members we have designed drop-in sessions offering a digital way to keep you connected and collaborative during these challenging times. All conversations are moderated by the HO! team & staff. We offer an input
August 29, 2020
Report: Reopening hands-on museums
Good news everyone, The final summary report of our recent survey is now available for download. For our members an extended version featuring first-hand quotes and best practice examples by survey participants is available in our member zone (subpage: post-pandemic museum) The report is focused on providing data on operations and programming in relation to
July 2, 2020
Best of: 20 Inspiring Posts to Remember
Good news everyone, As our Facebook page has recently reached 2000 Likes, we want to celebrate by compiling the 20 most successful posts of the past years. Enjoy! 20. Talking to children about tricky topics such as climate change 19. Pediatricians say play is the medicine our kids need 18. ICOM announces the alternative museum
July 1, 2020
Cancelled: Children in Museums Award 2020
We confirm with regret that the 2020 Children in Museums Award has been cancelled as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many thanks to all applicants, our panel of judges, partners, sponsor, and award directors, for all efforts put into the this year’s award edition. We are looking forward to join forces with you again
May 18, 2020
Join our Members Online Meetings!
Good news everyone, For our members we have designed drop-in sessions offering a digital way to keep you connected and collaborative during these challenging times. All conversations are moderated by the HO! team & staff. We offer an input as conversation starter and then the floor is open for your discussions. Members can join via a
May 13, 2020
Participate in Survey: Reopening hands-on museums
Share your strategies & questions! The current situation is posing a serious threat to children-centred and hands-on museum work. Given their unique methods these hybrid organisations of early learning facilities and museums are dependent on their interaction with visitors. As international association we are dedicated to gathering strategies and practical examples of interactive museums tackling
May 1, 2020
Statement of Support during COVID-19
Play-based and interactive museum settings are currently on the verge of extinction, due to the lack of genuine support measures by leaders of culture and education. Statement on children-centred museum work during COVID-19 Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums expresses solidarity with every organisation and individual affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the
March 16, 2020
Coronavirus Resources and Tipps for Museums
Corona: What now? Hands On! International is committed to advocate and support all children-centred museums in order to ensure these circumstantial closures do not threaten their existence. In recognition of the global response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), we recommend the following resources to help children-oriented museums navigate this dynamic situation. We strongly encourage all museums
March 11, 2020
Free Corona Virus Guide for Children!
A curious guide for courageous kids As international measurements to control the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic affect public life in more and more countries, the Italian Children’s Museums have teamed up to create a comprehensive guide for children. Even though many children-centred museums have to remain closed for the next weeks, they remain devoted to their
March 1, 2020
Touring exhibitions by Emotions Museums
Looking for children’s exhibitions about emotions ? The Emotions Museum in Greece is a unique interactive museum about emotions! It uses interactive exhibitions, play and fairy tales, in order to encourage children and teenagers to explore their emotional world, to learn more about themselves and others. Moreover, it sensitizes adults, parents and teachers on subjects
February 4, 2020
Excerpt: 21st Century Children
‘ENFANTS LUMINOUS’: 21ST CENTURY CHILDREN Excerpt: narrative for developing the label of quality for children-focused museums The voices calling out about the unsustainability of human civilization have grown much stronger in last years, children among them calling the loudest. They cannot be ignored any more. Alberto Villoldo, a psychologist and anthropologist, trained in the medical
January 3, 2020
Watch Conference Sessions Videos 2019
All videos are available for free! As part of our capacity building project 21st Century Children, we want to make our conferences more accessible. All inclusive! Museums as places for ALL children The 12th edition of our biennial conference took us to Frankfurt. Together with more than 60 speakers, we explored the latest developments
December 3, 2019
ZOOM Children’s Museum has a new director! Andrea Zsutty follows the longtime director Elisabeth Menasse-Wiesbauer and former HO! board member, who has been successfully leading the ZOOM since 2003 and is now retiring. Until her appointment she headed the Department of Art Education at the Bank Austria Art forum. In the Institute of Cultural
November 30, 2019
Summary Report: 21st Century Children Training Courses 2019
SUMMARY REPORT 21st Century Children Project Kick-off and and first activities ABOUT: 22.-26. October 2019 at Junges Museum The 12th edition of our biennial Hands On! conference took us to Frankfurt. Together with more than 60 speakers, we explored the latest developments in the field of children’s education in museums, children’s museums and science centers.
October 25, 2019
Children in Museum Award Winner 2019
KerImagiNation, Dakar, Senegal During a lively ceremony on 24 October, in the prestigious Kaisersaal Frankfurt, the winner was announced! ‘Through its exhibitions, programs and play spaces, Ker ImagiNation promotes a culture of critical thinking and impacts how children perceive themselves and their abilities to contribute to the economic and social well-being of their culture and
October 21, 2019
21st Century Children Industry report & brainstorming
Good news everyone, As part of our 21st century children project which is generously supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, we are launching our children in museums industry evaluation during this conference. Throughout the conference participants will help us map and evaluate our sector in order to brand museums as places
October 18, 2019
Good news everyone, A free live brodcoast will be available during the conference. Timetable: Tue, 22 October 2pm-7pm Wed, 23 October 9am-5pm Thu, 24 October 1:30pm-4:30pm Fri, 25 October 9:30am-12:00 &5:30pm-7:45pm STREAM NOW!
September 26, 2019
Last chance to register for the Hands On! Conference 2019
Be part of Europe’s only children-focused museum conference! There are only a few tickets left! Register until 9 October! AboutEvery two years, Hands On! organizes Europe’s only children-dedicated museum conference in order to explore the latest developments in the field of children’s education in museums, children’s museums and science centers. We aim to learn from
September 3, 2019
Apply for the Children in Museums Award 2020
Good news everyone, The Children in Museums Award applications 2020 are now open! Enter with your innovative exhibition project for children and win 5000€. Deadline: 15 February 2020 About The Children in Museums Award was established in 2011 by the European Museum Academy and Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. It recognises excellence
September 2, 2019
Invitation to annual General Assembly
Good news everyone, We cordially invite our member to join us at the annual General Assembly during the 12th Hands On! Conference in Frankfurt! The meeting will take place on 24 October, 8:30-10:00. We will warm-up with some catching up over some coffee. The official act starts at 09:00am. Members are entitled to add items
August 27, 2019
Call: Shortclip Children in Museums
Children in Museums – Light, Camera, Action! For the 12th edition of the international Hands On! Conference, hosted this October by the Young Museum Frankfurt in Germany, we are looking for your insights into children’s ideas on museums. For a short film we ask you to interview your young visitors: “Tell us three things children
August 21, 2019
ICOM announces the alternative museum definition that will be subject to a vote
After years of us and our partners lobbying an updated museum definition to better reflect the diversity of institutions of informal cultural learning, there now is a new official proposal for a universal museum definition. Following an open brainstorming call, through its standing committee on Museum Definition, Prospects and Potentials (MDPP), the Executive Board of
August 21, 2019
10 Reasons to Attend the Hands On! Conference 2019
10 Reasons to Attend the Conference Find out why you can’t miss out on this experience.
July 11, 2019
Good news everyone, We have released the programme for our upcoming conference! Europe’s only children focused museum conference will take place 22-26 October 2019 in Frankfurt. Theme: All inclusive: Museums as places for ALL children. The conference will focus on museums’ roles as places of social inclusion. We would like to discuss how to
June 20, 2019
Hands On! awarded Creative Europe Grant for new project!
Good news everyone, We are thrilled to announce that Hands On! has successfully applied for a Creative Europe project fund! This will allow us to offer our members additional services and boost the visibility of your work. A quality seal, along with a universal catalogue of criteria for high quality children’s programmes will be established
June 18, 2019
Hands On! Conference 2019 Registration open now!
Good news everyone, The Registration for the 12th edition of our biennial conference is now open! To attend the Hands On! Conference 2019 in Frankfurt you must register online. After submitting your personal and payment details you will receive a confirmation email. DOWNLOAD FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
June 17, 2019
2019 Children in Museums Award Short List announced
Good news everyone! Our judges have decided on the Children in Museums Award nominees 2019. We thank all applicants for their inspiring and high-quality projects. CMA short list 2019 Join us for the award ceremony at the 12th Hands On! Conference, 22-24 October 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany!
June 17, 2019
25 years ZOOM children’s Museum Vienna 44 interactive exhibitions 75 children’s lectures 82 workshop programmes …and many more to come! ZOOM children’s Museum is a place where Kids can inquire, touch, explore, feel and play as they please. On 1600 square meters, ZOOM offers four different areas for young visitors up to the age of
January 2, 2019
Apply for the Children in Museums Award 2019-expired!
Good news everyone! The call for applications for the Children in Museums Award 2019 is open until 15 February 2019. Apply now!
December 3, 2018
New touring exhibitions by V&A
Still looking for an exhibition for 2019 or 2020? The prestigious Victoria & Albert Museum – one of the world’s leading museums of art and design has published their new international touring exhibitions catalogue . Browse through a great variety of exhibitions about video games, fashion, food and literature. We are particularly happy to announce that Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic,
November 20, 2018
Winner of Children in Museums Award 2018 announced!
The Keppel Centre for Art Education National Gallery Singapore takes the prize!
October 17, 2018
Good news everyone! We are delighted to invite all our members to our annual general assembly. Join us on 17 November 2018, 12:45 in the Mediterranean Conference Center, Valletta, Malta. Help us shape the future of our association and connect with fellow members. Don’t forget: All Hands On! members receive a 20% for the NEMO conference
September 10, 2018
Call for solidarity: National Museum of Brazil
Statement regarding the loss of Brazil’s National Museum to a devastating fire Hands On! International would like to express our sorrow regarding the fire that devastated the National Museum of Brazil on 2 September. While we are relieved, nobody was injured, we mourn the loss of the largest natural history collection of South America and other
July 27, 2018
Save the Date: Hands On! Conference 2019
Good news everyone! Mark your calendars: Our next conference will take place 22.- 26. October 2019 in Frankfurt. We are already busy working on putting together an inspiring program for you. Visit our conference page for more information. In the meantime, check out our brand new reading corner or browse through last year’s conference pictures.
July 18, 2018
NL factor- publication out now!
Reading recommendation on Dutch children’s programmes.
January 22, 2018
Looking back Warsaw conference, December 2017
Looking back: Why do we need children’s museum conference Warsaw Warsaw, Poland / December 2017 Thanks to polish organization Artanimacije and Agnieszka Rudzinska from the Adam Mickiewicz Institute for organising a great conference in Warsaw (December 16-17 2017) which aimed to support the opening of a private children’s museum in Warsaw. Colleagues from European and American
December 22, 2017
Looking back on the 2017 Conference
A letter from President Jeorg Ehtreiber Dear participants, speakers, members and staff of the 11th Hands On! Conference, First and foremost, I would like to thank you! Thank you for being part of this vibrant community, thank you for enriching the past conference with your participation, your knowledge, your professional experience and your dedication to
July 10, 2017
Good news everyone! The application for the Children in Museums Award 2018 is open now. Deadline: 31st March 2018. For further information please download the Children in Museums Award 2018 application form
February 23, 2017
In memory of the late Dick Bruna
Dick Bruna, the famous Dutch artist, children’s book illustrator and writer passed away on February 17th, 2017. Adults and children from all over the world mourn his death. Miffy is one of Dick Bruna’s most famous characters and stands for openness, curiosity and child friendliness. Each year the winner of the Children in Museum Award, the
December 20, 2016
The Children in Museums Award 2017
Call is closed! Hands On! is looking for the most exceptional and excellent children’s exhibition program for the Children in Museums Award 2017 The Children in Museums Award is a joint venture between Hands On! and the European Museum Academy. EMA cooperates with HO! supplying judges and offering expertise as regards to content. The judges
September 19, 2016
Reflecting on the Hands On! pre-conference workshop
Hands On! International wants to be vital and relevant to members, even in years when we do not organize a conference. This year an exciting collaboration with Ecsite, the European network of science centers and museums, allowed us to do exactly this. In June we hosted a pre-conference workshop in Graz, Austria, during the annual Ecsite conference.
June 10, 2016
Winner Announced: Children in Museums Award 2016
GeoFort in The Netherlands takes the Prize! At a lively ceremony which took place on the evening of Thursday 9 June at the ECSITE Conference in Graz, Austria, the results of the 2016 Children in Museums Award were announced. 17 museums took part in the competition this year, with a short-list of nine finalists listed
April 30, 2016
Participate in children-focused Hands On! pre-conference workshop at 2016 Ecsite conference
This special pre-conference workshop, open to all, is run by the Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums. Hands-on! and Ecsite are partnering up for the first time in 2016.
April 14, 2016
The European roots of museum education Pilsen 26-27 April 2016, Czech Republic
Learn more about the main trends in the Czech and foreign museum pedagogy, collaboration capabilities between the Czech museums and galleries with foreign institutions and presentation of the newest projects in the field of school education.
March 6, 2016
We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Elisabeth Limmer, who championed children in museums for more than twenty years.
March 6, 2016
Read the Amsterdam conference evaluation report
The official conference evaluation report is now available.
November 26, 2015
One of the lessons we take away from the conference in Amsterdam is to focus on the future. Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde argued that museums can increase their societal relevance by looking to the future, not the past. Roosegaarde believes we should stop making excuses and “look for the missing links”. Gail Lord, president of
November 26, 2015
Joerg Ehtreiber, Hands On! president, outlines his vision for the next two years
Dear Hands On! member, As you may know our new board was elected at this year’s General Assembly during the Hands On! Conference in Amsterdam. I am delighted to officially welcome our new board members: Susanne Gesser, Marianne Grymer Bargeman and Tereza Dobiosova. It is an honor to preside this board as new president of Hands On! Together
November 26, 2015
Farewell from Annemies Broekgaarden
Dear members of Hands On! After serving you for twelve years as Hands On! Board member and for the past five years as your President, I have to say goodbye. As co-organizer of the 10th Hands On! conference, I enjoyed saying my farewells in such a wonderful atmosphere surrounded by colleagues who also strive for
November 26, 2015
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of long-standing member of Hands On! Sally Goldsworthy from cancer this past June. Sally had worked in the field of children’s art and theatre for many years. Most recently Sally worked as Chief Executive of Discover Children’s Story Centre, London’s only children’s museum, which
November 7, 2015
Hands On! Conference 2015, a great success!
Thanks to all who participated in the Hands On! Conference 2015 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. With almost 400 participants from 38 countries, this was our biggest conference yet! 
October 29, 2015
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Sally Goldsworthy from cancer in June. Sally was a long-standing member of Hands-On! and had worked in the field of children’s art and theatre for many years, most recently as Chief Executive of Discover, London’s only children’s museum, based in Newham, one of the city’s most deprived and diverse boroughs.
October 20, 2015
Study tour at Dutch Resistance Museum
The Dutch Resistance Museum The Dutch Resistance Museum focuses on how the Dutch reacted to the WWII occupation, the choices they made and how the resistance developed over time. Their goal is to engender empathy and critical thinking. Some facts and figures The museum recently acquired a new building, which is attached to the already
October 20, 2015
Tuesday afternoon Parolado sessions
Gabriele König – Kinder Akademie Fulda The Kinder Akademie Fulda (Germany) exhibits very familiar elements, like numbers 1 to 10 and eggs and chickens. This allows children to experience well known concepts in various ways in order to get a different sense if the concept. The museum tries to provide them with alternative views. Every
October 20, 2015
Positive Digital Content for Children, Remko Pijpers, Astrid Poot
Remko Pijpers Kennisnet Apps for children: dust or magic Mister Pijpers explains how apps can either be dust or magic. He and Astrid Poot wrote a book on it, Positive digital content, which is collection of best practices. It’s accessible via www.mijnkindonline.nl/poscon. Among other things it includes a chapter on how the BBC developed their
October 20, 2015
Thursday afternoon Parolado session Sandra Goos – The value of children’s book characters In The House of Aristotle (Netherlands), young children encounter enlarged 3D versions of illustrations. Illustrations of well-known characters are printed on cardboard to the size of young children and become 3 dimensional life scale versions of their hero’s. Children able to
October 20, 2015
Keynote Panel Daan Roosegaarde, Bert van der Els, Wim Pijbes
Small town visionaries discuss their ideals for museums and their ideal museums Daan Roosegaarde: “Be the happy infiltrator of the system.” Artist An infiltrator of the system As a child I used to live in a typical Dutch, concrete house. I very much enjoyed nature and the world I lived in felt a bit
October 20, 2015
Dr. James M. Bradburne Editor-in- chief of Museum Management and Curatorship Ideas in play A quasi autonomous museum Mister Bradburne speaks about the fruit of the work of 8 years in the Palazzo Strozzi, Italy. The museum was declared autonomous just this year. It is now quasi autonomous in the sense that it
October 20, 2015
Develop the unique talent of every Child “Schools are not good places. I wish all schools were museums.” Professor Yong Zhao Director of Institute for Global and Online Education at University of Oregon (USA) Stop getting children ‘ready’ Professor Yong Zhao works with schools. He starts his lecture by saying: “Schools are
October 20, 2015
Dom under is situated in Utrecht and focuses on the archeology research into the area under the main square of the city: Dom square. Some facts and figures Dom under opened just over a year ago and was fully booked throughout this whole year. Dom under still has to turn away people who have
October 20, 2015
Parolado with Dutch Culture Three projects of international collaboration were presented: Villa Zapakara – Amsterdam àSurinam In this project exhibitions which had been on display in the shipped to Surinam. Here, the exhibitions were displayed again, with slight alterations. FOAM – Amsterdam + Brooklyn FOAM undertook a project with pupils from a school in
October 20, 2015
21st century skills in an after school programme Deborah Carter has set up an after school technology education academy in which she brings children into contact with the technology concepts behind gadgets and devices. Here, the focus lies on 21st century skills like critical thinking, collaboration, communicating, creativity and problem solving. It aims to induce
October 20, 2015
Awards ceremonies of the Children in Museums Award and the Dutch Museum Education Award
“Therefore… all of us deserve to win a prize.” Stijn Schoonderwoerd opens the award ceremony by reminiscing on the very first exhibition of the Tropenmuseum: it was also about Marocco and it was quite different from the one that opened Friday the 17th of October. Museum education has developed immensely over 40 years and it
October 20, 2015
Jet van Overeem – Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
A rare case: a permanent exhibition for children in an art museum Jet van Overveem starts her talk by asking three questions: 1) Who works in an art museum that 2) has exhibitions that are especially devoted to kids or families which 3) are permanent? It turns out that just a few Hands-on! attendees are
October 20, 2015
Marianne Grymer Bargeman – National Gallery of Denmark
“Do children and their parents do what we expect in our exhibitions? Not quite.” How do visitors, including children, experience the ‘Home’ exhibition? The exhibition ‘Home’ Marianne Bargeman and her colleagues researched how the visitors of the National Gallery of Denmark experienced their exhibition, which focused on the theme ‘Home’. The home exhibition is
October 20, 2015
Leslie Swarts – Boston Children’s Museum
“We’re no longer just for children.” Leslie Swarts starts her talk by saying that Gail Lord set a wonderful framework and that her museum forms a case study that fits right in. A community focused museum Children between 0 and 10 years old and their care givers are the main visitors of the Boston Children’s
October 20, 2015
Google – Clemmentijn Verwoerd Treinen
Clemmentijn Verwoerd-Treinen presents 3 aspects of Google which could be beneficial and inspiring when connecting kids and museums: 1) Google Cultural Institute, 2) Leveraging tools for non profit organisations and 3) the project Codestarter. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful to everybody. Google Cultural Institute Google
October 16, 2015
Winners Announced: Children in Museums Award 2015
TWO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS! Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, USA ZOOM Kindermuseum, Vienna, Austria The results of the 2015 Children in Museums Award were announced at a lively ceremony at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam during the tenth edition of the Hands On! Conference, organized by the Rijksmuseum and
October 8, 2015
With only a few days left before we welcome you in person at the Hands On! Conference we would like to inform you that, as of now, we have closed our online registration system. This means that it is no longer possible to register for workshops and lectures online. We strongly advise you make use
October 1, 2015
Pre-Conference Registration and Meet Up
Pre-Conference Registration and Meet Up Register on Monday 12 October so you don’t have to wait in line on Tuesday morning!
September 30, 2015
Cancellation of your ticket for the Hands On! Conference is only possible via a notification by email to handson@rijksmuseum.nl For every cancellation we will deduct 100 euro’s excl. VAT from the ticket price for administration and handling fee. In case of a cancellation we will refund: 100 % of the registration fee (till 15 June 2015)
September 15, 2015
10 Reasons to Attend the Conference
10 Reasons to Attend the Conference Find out why you can’t miss out on this experience.
August 14, 2015
Lecture: Cooperation between Children’s Museums and National or City Museums Dr. Claudia Haas, Executive at Haas:consult + Dr. Elisabeth Menasse, Director of Zoom Children’s Museum (Austria) More and more National and City Museums develop programmes for children in cooperation with Children’s Museums. How can we organize the joint work of institutions with different cooperative cultures
June 6, 2015
Programme Now Online Discover our lecture, workshop and museum sessions.
May 3, 2015
Be Inspired by International Speakers Children’s museum directors, innovative educators and game-changing designers share their expertise.
April 13, 2015
Marianne Grymer Bargeman is head of the Children & Youth Department at SMK, The National Gallery of Denmark, where she produces exhibitions for children that incorporate works of art. This year, SMK has started a new research project to learn more about how children experience these exhibitions. During her lecture at the conference she will
March 20, 2015
Dear Hands On! members, Hands On! International Association of Children in Museums will present its 10th conference in October. The board of the organization has decided that this year, the biannual conference will take place in The Netherlands. The Rijksmuseum and the Jewish Historical Museum are the main organizers. The National Maritime Museum, Science Center
March 5, 2015
Join Hands On! in Amsterdam 2015
Join museum professionals from across the globe at the Hands On! Conference in Amsterdam. Be inspired by the latest developments in children’s education in museums.
March 4, 2015
Visit the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag website. As sector head Education and curator of the Gemeentemuseum’s special children’s gallery and other exhibitions, Jet van Overeem is responsible for the development of new concepts in art education. During her lecture, learn about Wonderkamers, a permanent exhibition space (1400m2) that offers a fresh introduction to art for ages 9 to
March 3, 2015
Conference Registration Instructions
To attend the Hands On! Conference 2015 in Amsterdam you must register online. After submitting your personal and payment details you will receive a confirmation email.
March 1, 2015
Meet the Speaker: Nina Lim-YusonNina Lim-Yuson, President of Museo Pambata in Manila, the Phillipines, discusses reaching marginalized children with educational programmes.
February 24, 2015
Would you like to become a Hands On! advocate in your country? We are looking for new Ambassadors to help Hands On! grow. As an Ambassador you actively involve colleagues and museums in your regional and/or national network, inform them about our activities such as the biannual conference and the Children in Museums Award. Also,
February 24, 2015
La Le Luftschloss in Graz Children’s Museum
La Le Luftschloss (La-Le- A Castle In The Air)
February 24, 2015
Featured Exhibition: Explore the Art! Painted Landscape
EXPLORE THE ART! PAINTED LANDSCAPE – interactive exhibition in BIBIANA, Bratislava, Slovakia. Landscape is a style that looms large in the history of art. Like the other styles, such as portraiture and still life, landscape has its own specifics and conventions, that reflect the artist’s point of view and knowledge of the world and time
January 1, 2015
Hands On! welcomes participants from 35 countries worldwide at the conference!
Hands On! is happy to welcome participants from over 35 countries worldwide!
November 20, 2014
Hands On! is a dynamic organization. We aim to keep our members and friends up to date on all our upcoming and latest event. Read all about our recent developments and news.
November 13, 2014
Inspiring Board meeting in Graz, Austria
The Board met from 5-7 November 2014 in Graz. It was the first meeting in our new office!
October 5, 2014
Has your museum developed an excellent exhibition or programme for children? Apply for our Children in Museums Award!
September 22, 2014
Our members: from around the world
Hands On! has members from all over the world: (children’s) museums and science centres from Slovenia to Italy, from France to the United States, from Austria to Portugal, the Netherlands and the Phillipines. Read more about our members, their vision and their mission on their customized member-pages.
July 13, 2014
Meet the people behind the website!
In november 2014 the brand new website of Hands On! finally saw the light! Meet the two people behind the design and the technique: Marit van der Meer and Michiel Vergunst. We asked them about this special project.
January 16, 2014
Become a member and join us today. Find out more about memberships here.
Become a member and join us today. Find out more about memberships here.
December 22, 2013
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December 22, 2013
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December 21, 2013
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December 16, 2013
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