“Kids label”, a new way for the National Museum to introduce collections to children

The National Museum of Indonesia has introduced a new approach to familiarising children with its collections through “kids labels” in the numismatics exhibition, launched to coincide with the museum’s 248th anniversary celebrations.

This initiative has been developed as part of the museum’s efforts to become more family-friendly, particularly for visitors aged 5 to 12 years, who dominate weekend visits.

Sabila Duhita Drijono, Expert Staff at the National Museum of Indonesia on Kids and Family, explained during a Media Gathering in Jakarta on Friday that the “kids labels” go beyond simplifying information; they are designed to spark interactions between children and the collections, as well as with their parents.

In the numismatics gallery, the children’s special labels are composed in simple language with prompting questions. One example is found in the collection of early Republic of Indonesia currency. Children are invited to imagine the value of money in the past, such as the function of a one-rupiah denomination, which is no longer relevant for everyday transactions today.

This approach simultaneously introduces basic economic concepts like inflation in a more easily understandable way. Children are encouraged to discuss with their parents, creating a two-way learning process during the visit.

Additionally, the “kids labels” guide children to observe visual details in the collections. On some banknotes, for instance, children are asked to find images representing Indonesian societal life at the time, such as flora, fauna, and daily activities.

Rather than repeating information from the adult labels, this approach emphasises visual exploration and imagination. Parents can still access the main labels placed nearby and then explain the context to the children.

The programme is still in the development stage and will be expanded to other areas of the museum. The museum is also preparing worksheets as companions to enable children to interact more actively during visits.

Meanwhile, the numismatics exhibition is one of two exhibitions launched in the commemoration of the National Museum of Indonesia’s 248th anniversary, along with the “Pendar: Kilas Terang Meretas Bayang” exhibition, which displays lamp collections from various historical periods.