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A Visit to the Art Museum

Most people don't think of taking young children to an art museum. Children like to be active, so how could they possibly enjoy standing around and looking at paintings? With a shift in thinking and some advance planning, parents can find lots of excitement for their kids within the walls of an art museum. Lynda Hannan reports, "We had a nice visit to the art museum. I was surprised that at the kids' ages (4 and 1 1/2) it went as well as it did.

By Barbara F. Backer

Most people don't think of taking young children to an art museum. Children like to be active, so how could they possibly enjoy standing around and looking at paintings? With a shift in thinking and some advance planning, parents can find lots of excitement for their kids within the walls of an art museum. Lynda Hannan reports, "We had a nice visit to the art museum. I was surprised that at the kids' ages (4 and 1 1/2) it went as well as it did. This activity was fun for John and me because we rarely are able to do something more adult like this with the kids."

Keep in mind that children learn through their senses and through interaction with their world. Then plan an interactive experience for them. Choose from any of the following activities, or create some of your own.

As you walk into a room in the museum, scan the paintings and sculptures. Then use a variation of the I Spy game: "I spy a boat." "I spy something red." Your children will look carefully at the art work while they try to find your item. Four-year-old Jack Hannan liked this activity the best. His mother reports, "After we asked him to find a few things, Jack got into the game. He started asking us to find things he saw first. We also asked him to find certain colors, and he thought that was fun." Often children will find items that you didn't realize were there! That can expand your museum experience, so take turns spying and searching.
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