Learning Curiosity through Play: Exploring the Role of Games and Interactive Design in Museums

This paper investigates museum educators' perceptions of play, games, and learning, as well as their approaches to designing and implementing interactive experiences. Through a thematic analysis, we found that museum educators tend to favor games and hands-on learning due to the strong association between learning, play, and curiosity. This connection often drives educators to integrate games and interactive elements into museum experiences. Key challenges in the design process included limited resources, time, and skills, as well as more contextual tensions. These included balancing 'fun' versus serious learning objectives and addressing discomfort that may arise from certain learning experiences, with the recognition that not all games need to be designed solely for fun. Our paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how educators incorporate game-like and playful learning in museums. We also offer a design considerations in the form of a checklist to guide other museum educators in developing effective play-based learning experiences.