The Western Development Museum (WDM) announced the launch of its reminiscence kits earlier this year, when the ‘Senior’s Time to Reminisce’ event was held at the museum. Following the Sept. 23 event, a trial program with the WDM allowed the kit to be rented out to groups interested in bringing younger and older generations together in the spirit of discussion and reminiscence.
The museum has just announced the launch of a new feedback period, during which time the kits can be rented out free of charge in exchange for visitor’s feedback.
This feedback period has launched Nov. 15, and will continue until Feb. 1, 2024.
The goal of this feedback initiative, according to Alexis Jones, the museum’s program and volunteer coordinator, is to use visitor’s feedback to help improve the kit as well as other museum programming.
When the trial feedback period has concluded, the kits will once again rent for the original fee of $75.
The kits are targeted toward adults over the age of 65 and are intended for use in a social setting. According to the WDM, the public program is best utilized by nursing homes, retirement residences, senior’s associations, civic clubs, libraries, and other museums.
The reminiscence kit program takes place by participants renting out the mobile kit and sharing it at their own location. The kits are not intended to be used in the museum itself.
Inside the kit, participants will find an assortment of artifacts from the 1950s through to the 1970s. This is suitable for today’s seniors, as the window includes a time when most seniors were children and young adults.
The artifacts inside the kit include fairly common items that would have been used in daily life and helps give an understanding of what life was like in the past. Artifacts range from newspapers to toys, popular movies to fashion, and even a rotary phone.
As an added bonus, each artifact in the kit can be handled and examined by participants.
To facilitate a nostalgic sense of discussion and reminiscence, each artifact in the kit has an affiliated artifact card to help participants navigate the program. On each printed card participants will find historical information on the artifact, as well as relevant background information describing its place in Saskatchewan’s history.
These cards also contain sample discussion questions in an effort to facilitate conversation around each artifact. Participants are invited to share their stories, talk about their past experiences, and to reflect on how far technological innovation has progressed in recent years.
“Also with your grand kids, (you can discuss) ‘how I got to school versus how you got to school,’” Jones said in an earlier statement that provides an example of what participants can expect with the guide.
Through the discussions brought on by the kit, participants are asked to record their feedback in exchange for the use of the kit during the free trial period. A few good points to report include personal experiences, additional background information on any given artifact, and insights into how commonly a given item had been encountered in the region.
Additional feedback could include a few suggestions for other commonplace or influential artifacts to include, as well as any suggestions to improve the delivery format for the kit program.
To learn more about the museum’s reminiscence kits, visit wdm.ca/reminiscence/.
To request a booking, a request form is located on the museum’s website under ‘How to Book.’
For more information about the museum’s kits or any other programming, contact Alexis Jones at 306-693-5989 or email her at [email protected].
The Moose Jaw branch of the Western Development Museum is located at 50 Diefenbaker Drive.
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