Evaluation study of a snack box for children designed to prompt discussion about natural heritage at museums

Abstract

Using food in a museum café to engage visitors with its content is a relatively unexplored area for museums. A specially designed snack box could create a suitable context for discussion about natural heritage for school children in museum settings. The prototype Snackbox was designed and produced for children with the aim to teach them about a natural history topic. An evaluation study of the Snackbox consisting of four group sessions with children (age 6) was conducted together with a session facilitator at a preschool. The study looked at whether a) the learning activity in the snack box stimulated discussion about the chosen natural heritage topic. b) the activity needed a facilitator to drive the discussion and engage the children with the topic. Lastly, it looked at the benefits and limitations of using food in combination with a learning activity. The Snackbox created a social environment for the children to discuss the questions and answers of the learning activity. The facilitator played an important role in bringing focus to the natural heritage during the discussion.