What age for African American History Museum?
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Anonymous
| If you’ve taken your kids there, what age would you recommend taking? Are some parts more appropriate/meaningful for younger elementary age kids? |
Atlantic626
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I have been a bunch of time. I’m sure that they have child interfaces but I didn’t look for them because I wasn’t with my daughter. However, I would say 10-12 because there is so much great history focused on great areas of interest - the military, economics and wealth, emmitt TIL, and pop culture. The museum also takes longer that a day to view so I would try to break it up and have a plan if you want to keep your kids focused and see specific exhibits
Spend time in the basement. The museum is curated to be viewed from the lowest to highest levels. |
Anonymous
| I took my daughter opening weekend. She was six at the time. Not sure if it matters, but because we're black I feel like it was important to take her as soon as possible. She'd already been to the Air and Space as well as the "American" History Museum on school field trips, so it was nice to supplement that with "And here are people who look like you who also contributed to American history." We didn't spend too much time on slavery, Tulsa, and Emmett Till, (I didn't want to traumatize and depress her) but we went through it first before finishing on a high note with the stuff upstairs. |
Anonymous
| I took my daughter (non-Black POC) when she was maybe 4, then closer to 6. We talk about history and race a lot so she seemed to get a fair bit out of it. We did not go into the Emmett Till room. Maybe when she is a little older— 8 or 9 at least? |
Anonymous
| I would say at least middle school because there is a lot to read. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you for the replies. You are getting at what I was wondering - whether a 5-7 year old could develop some appreciation of the history and see something positive (people’s strength and determination) without being overwhelmed by the brutality in so much of that history. |
Anonymous
| Also, if there are any other local sites that might be good for younger elementary students to learn about African American history, please share. |
Anonymous
Yes OP I think you can do this. Obviously you'll go faster through the exhibit than you would with a middle schooler. The museum uses a system to flag the most violent images (a red border around the photo) so you can plan as you enter each room, and manage the experience with children. |
Anonymous
| Do you still need to reserve tickets/passes in advance? Is it hard to get tickets? |
Anonymous
Frederick Douglass House https://www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm |
Anonymous
| I have a 10 year old and she has been many many times. Little kids can go to the upper two floors at any age. I would say 10 for the bottom levels. |
Anonymous
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AA kids, as soon as you want to take them
White kids- middle school at the earliest. Have never seen white kids younger than that behaving or showing any interest or treating the museum with respect. |
Anonymous
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I first took dd at the age of six. She liked it, and continues to get more out of it each time we go.
At that age, patience for reading is short, but the exposure is still worthwhile. We haven't done the Holocaust museum yet, though. |
Anonymous
PS we are white. I don't think we were disrespectful. |
Anonymous
Harsh but fair imo (although I know a few-- VERY few-- for whom this is or would not be true). But agree-- don't take your kids if they aren't willing to be pretty reverent and you don't discuss race or black history with them otherwise. |