Visiting an Art Museum with Children

Are you afraid to take your children to the art museum? Don't be! Children are curious, and nothing nurtures that sense of wonder and creativity like a trip to the art museum. With careful planning and preparation, a day trip to the museum is not as difficult as you might think, and the rewards are tremendous: recent Guggenheim-sponsored research indicates that looking at art helps youngsters build important critical-thinking and literacy skills, plus it's undeniable that art helps children better understand the world we live in. Here are some simple steps to help get your family on its way.

Planning Your Visit

• Before the big visit, talk with your kids about what they will see. Even better, show them pictures on the museum's web site. This will help set expectations (they won't be seeing dinosaur bones at a contemporary art space, for instance) and build excitement (ah, but there is an Ancient Egyptian temple for us to walk through).

• Explain to your children that the works housed in museums are treasures and every effort must be made to keep them safe. Go over the rules: speak in calm voices, look with your eyes and not your hands, and always stay with an adult.

• Do your own homework! Research the museum to find out what will be on display during your visit. You know your child's interests best, so hit those potential hot spots first. Also, confirm the store and cafe hours, and learn the museum's layout and general policies. Knowing in advance there are no bathrooms in the American Art wing might mean you visit that area before lunch.

• Plan to visit during the week when it's less crowded. Go when the kids are fresh and well-rested.

• Check in with the information desk on the day of your visit to see what family-friendly programs are running. Many museums include family activities or facilities right in the general admission cost.

• Be prepared to take breaks! Don't expect your kids to spend the entire day in the museum ... plan for snacks, bathroom, and general sanity breaks. (After an hour and a half indoors, I bet the kids would love to see the museum's outdoor sculpture garden!).

• Pack a sketchbook and a pencil so your children can record their reactions to the art work. Another fun idea ... ask them to draw what they see.

• Keep the conversation lively! Ask these questions: What do you see? What do you see in the art that makes you say that? It's also fun playing "I SPY" or asking your children to name the colors, shapes, or even materials used in the art work.

• How did the art work inspire you? Encourage your children to create their own art after the museum visit.

• Keep learning! Go to your local library to find out more about a new favorite artist or a piece of artwork that your children enjoyed.

• Start collecting! Rocks, dolls, Pez dispensers -- anything goes -- just think about how to display your own collection and whom you'd want to share it with.