Lead by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mapping Children’s Play in Museums and Libraries aims to 1) investigate how practitioners conceptualize and operationalize their approaches to play in museum and library spaces, and 2) co-design and implement professional development materials that focus on equity, assessment and advocacy for use in museums and libraries implementing play-based programs and spaces for children and families.
Project activities are planned across three phases. During Phase 1, the project team conducted a literature review of play in museums and libraries along with a content analysis of museum and library websites to analyze messaging about play. Also in Phase 1, we conducted interviews with 15 children and their caregiving adults to learn about their perspectives on play in their communities.
In Phase 2, we convened three Communities of Practice across Wisconsin, bringing together museum education leaders, children’s librarians, and local community partners to engage in reflective conversations about their play-based practices. We also engaged a consultant to begin co-developing a tool to help play practitioners assess their play-based offerings for considerations of belonging and inclusion.
| Phase 1 August 2024-July 2025 | Phase 2 January 2025-September 2025 | Phase 3 October 2025-August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Literature review and website analysis. Interviews with children and caregivers about play. | Convening communities of practice in Wisconsin. Developing Diversity Audit tool. | Nationwide Communities of Practice. Project dissemination. |
While project funding was interrupted in April 2025, the project has been reinstated and is continuing into Phase 3. The project plans to convene multiple Communities of Practice based on the model tested in Wisconsin, as well as disseminate project findings through conference presentations and practitioner and scholarly publications.