Three Reasons to Bring Your Child to a Modern Art Museum
When you live in the city, and you have kids, it can be difficult to come up with a day trip that is neither too expensive, nor too taxing for yourself or the kids. Movie prices remain ridiculous, and most kid shows will drive any adult insane. One affordable and fun option that most people never consider is to visit NYC museums. Modern art museums are a particularly good choice for kids, and as an added bonus, children usually get free admission.
Here are three reasons to try a modern art museum with your kids. Spoiler alert, abandoning them there is not one of the reasons.
- Programs for families.
- Art they will enjoy.
- Learning opportunities.
The modern art museum in NYC, more commonly known as MOMA, is not only one of the “big five” museums for modern art in the United States. MOMA happens to have special programs designed especially for families, and you can sometimes find help from the staff in the form of free activity art cards, audio guides, or suggestions for gallery games. Whichever museum you choose to visit, call ahead of time and find out what special family programs they are offering.
Any museum in NYC is bound to have spectacular art, but will it be appropriate for your kids? The MOMA has a list of art picks just for kids. You can always go to a museum ahead of time, pick out pieces you enjoy, and give your kids their own personal tour when you go back. Art museums often feature odd sculptures, strange pictures, and paintings that look like they came out of the mind of a child in the first place. Out of all the art museums, modern art may be the most naturally suited to the preferences of children.
Not only is bringing your children to a museum a great chance to teach them about proper etiquette, and how to look at artwork with an open mind, but it can also be a learning opportunity to discuss color, shapes, and culture. Use the visit to an art museum as an opportunity to encourage creativity. You can play “I Spy” with your kids, picking certain colors, shapes, and objects for them to identify in the artwork around them, or bring paper and pencil to practice sketching. Another way to encourage creativity is to have your child imagine the conversation that might occur between two characters in a painting.
When browsing the best museums in NYC, consider one with contemporary or modern art. Whatever your NYC museum of choice is, remember that bringing your children to one will offer numerous learning opportunities, enjoyable experience for the kids, and a chance for you to connect with them over culture.