Children's perceptions of natural history museums: Insights from the "Young Naturalists" program in Portugal

Children and adolescents are a key audience for scientific and cultural outreach and literacy. As future citizens, voters, and taxpayers, their education-carried out in formal, informal, and non-formal contexts-is crucial for societal development. In this context, scientific culture is decisive, and museums offer a particularly enriching environment. However, there is limited literature addressing young people's ability to define the purpose of museums as infrastructures. Using an educational program developed at the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (Portugal), the "Young Naturalists" program, a study was developed aiming to fill in this gap. "Young Naturalists" engages participants aged 5-15 in thematic workshops, guided visits, and hands-on activities that replicate the everyday work carried at a natural history museum. Sessions are led by specialized staff from fields ranging from archaeology to science communication. The program's emphasis on authenticity and access to backstage spaces aims to empower participants to engage with museum spaces, collections, and practices, fostering a deeper understanding of the institution's mission and core activities. A qualitative methodology was adopted, consisting of three focus groups with a total of 21 participants. The study explored young people's perceptions of the functions of museums, their attitudes towards museums, and the program's impact on these dimensions. The findings indicate that children and adolescents primarily perceive museums as spaces for learning and heritage preservation, placing less emphasis on exhibition and display. Museum visits are associated with enjoyment and discovery, and participants value opportunities for active involvement, as well as diversity and technology-enhanced forms of engagement. These results can inform the design of participatory and age-inclusive programs that strengthen young people's sense of belonging to natural history museums.