Little FarmHouse Summative Evaluation Report

A Mixed Methods Evaluation of an Early Childhood Informal Learning Exhibit

The present study was conducted to evaluate the dedicated early-childhood exhibit space at Creative Discovery Museum. The previous early childhood space, known as Little Yellow House, closed in the Fall of 2022, and the renovated Little FarmHouse (LFH) space opened in Spring of 2023. This study aims to clarify the effect of renovations on visitor experience for those families with children from 0-5 years old.
Specific evaluation questions included:
1. What kind of attention are the areas and elements of LFH receiving from children
five and under and their families?
a. How does it compare to the pre-renovation Little Yellow House?
2. How does engagement within the exhibit vary by participant demographics and
time of data collection?
3. What types of behavioral indicators of learning outcomes are observed in LFH
and at which specific elements do they occur frequently?
4. How do caregivers feel about the new space?

To accomplish those aims, the following methods were used: 100 timing & tracking of children with accompanying behavioral observations, 20 timing & tracking of children in the new-and-non-walker area specifically with behavioral observations, as well as 50 caregiver interviews.