"Laboratories of Patriotism"

In two old houses in Brooklyn is the oldest museum of its kind in the world. Unlike most museums, it invites its patrons to handle its exhibits. It is stocked not with fossils or old masters but with jigsaw puzzles, stuffed birds, insects, rocks. Each day it swarms with 1,000 visitors, who come not to look but to work.

This institution, the Brooklyn Children's Museum, has had nearly 9,000,000 visitors since it was opened 40 years ago. Today there are some 50 imitators in the U. S.. Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Japan.

Last week 250 U. S. grownups met solemnly in Manhattan to ponder the significance of the children's museum movement. All of them hailed it as a step forward in progressive education. Dr. William G. Vinal of Massachusetts State College called them "workshops in democracy . . . laboratories of patriotism."

In Brooklyn Children's Museum, youngsters learn about the earth, minerals, birds, animals, plants, insects, geography, history. They observe families of mice, model in clay, peer through microscopes, take apart models of flowers under the supervision of adult "docents.''* Patrons may borrow exhibits to take home. Only rule is that they must handle them with clean hands. The museum provides soap and water.

Many a youngster has grown up in the museum, become a learned member of its science club. Recently a little girl brought in a medal and asked whether it was made of gold. A 9-year-old boy determined its specific gravity, answered that it was not.

* "Docent," from the Latin meaning teacher.

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