As any grandparent knows, it can be challenging to engage a 9-year-old during a visit to a history museum—especially one illustrating such complex issues as global politics and the decisions of war and peace.

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, however, has found a way to change that. Early in May, the museum debuted its new Family Guide, a 14-page booklet that sends children on a scavenger hunt through the museum's collection.

The publication is designed to encourage children to examine the museum's artifacts carefully and record their observations. Activities include a scavenger hunt, a maze, discovery challenges, and a section for keeping a journal. The Family Guide covers a variety of topics about the Great War, including aerial combat, life in the trenches, insignia, propaganda, and the role women played in the war.

The publication is available without charge to all families who ask for it at the Museum Store.

National World War I Museum at Liberty Hall
100 W. 26th St., Kansas City, MO 64108
816-784-1918; www.theworldwar.org