Visiting Museums with Kids. It can be done!

If you love museums and want to teach your kids to appreciate art at an early age, please read on.

I hear all the time (from friends, families, and readers)that taking young children to museums can be a daunting task. I've even heard a family member say that she will not step into a museum until her kids are teenagers. Well, by that point, it's too late, you might as well forget about it. Kids need to be exposed to various situations in order to learn appropriate behavior as well as an appreciation for things other than the Internet, Facebook, and Twitter.

Download my Museum Scavenger Hunt FREE!

Kids CAN go to museums and actually enjoy them. Kids SHOULD learn to appreciate art and to behave according to their surroundings when they are still young. I think parents' big mistake is to shield kids from these places and experiences out of fear. Instead, both parents and kids would benefit from this exposure. Parents will take pride in the fact that their kids are well behaved and well rounded individuals with multiple interests.

Explore

All of that said, I strongly believe that kids need guidance and structure when visiting places like museums.

Both of my daughters love art and visiting museums; I've been taking them since they were two years old.

Inspire

Here are some tips to make a museum visit an enjoyable experience for parents and kids alike:

• Plan ahead
• Get the kids involved (it makes them feels important)
• Talk about the place you'll be visiting and what they'll be seeing
• Do some research and choose a few of the art works on display to show the kids while still at home (this will get them excited for the visit)
• Talk about artists (this can turn into a mini lesson!)
• Take along a scavenger hunt (this gives kids purpose and they'll be excited when they find the items on their list) Print mine free here! or make up your own
• Stop by the museum store BEFORE the visit and let your kids pick out a post card or two of art work. Then tell them they have to find those in the museum.
• Know your kid's limit; if you see they are losing interest or getting antsy, it's time to leave
• Bring a drawing pad and pencil and encourage your child to observe a favorite picture and draw it
• Ask pointed questions about some paintings(this gets kids thinking)
• Check with the museum if they offer their own scavenger hunt or other kid activities(many museums do). We recently visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and they had a short guided tour just for kids with a hands on activity at the end. My daughter loved it.

Encourage



Envision

I have created a museum scavenger hunt that can be used in almost any museum! Print it here FREE.

Do you visit museums with your kids or are you afraid they'll be bored or misbehave? Share your opinions here!