Adults enjoy museums because we appreciate art, history and learning. We know that you cannot know where you are going unless you know the history of where you came from. We appreciate the skill put into creating works of art and the craftsmanship to make a porcelain mug hundreds of years ago. Especially when my kids seem to break a glass a week! Children appreciate candy, playing and having fun. Kids don’t know much about museums and art galleries.
The finer merits of museums is something kids may not understand and appreciate at first. With patience and guidance they can make connections between what they see and their lives. You will foster a love of learning and experiencing new things.
Here are a few tips to make museums fun for kids… and hopefully tolerable for you when you bring your kids with you.
Enjoy visiting museums yourself!
I love museums and learning, my partner does not. This means when we go as a family, I have two little children and one big child that I need to entertain and make interested in what we are doing.
As much as I try to get my husband into enjoying museums it just isn’t his thing. He once pulled up to castle, looked at it without getting out of the car, turned to me and said, ok where next? I wanted my children to enjoy the arts and history, so one thing we did to spark children’s interest in art, history and science is to expose them from an early age. We display artwork in our home. To be honest it’s my favorite! Every year for Mothers day my daughter makes me a family portrait and my son writes a poem or story. I place each one in a frame where it sits for the year until it is replaced with the next version.
My husbands favorite museum!
With my husband I came to realize he didn’t like fine art, but he did enjoy historical aspects of museums. Try this with your children, encourage them to experience different types of art or learn about particular aspects of history or science they can relate to. For Christmas holidays take the time to visit an art installation or a historical museum where they can see the holidays in past time.
Be Realistic
For some kids they may never enjoy spending time in museums or art galleries. They may however like more interactive museums like the children’s museum of Boston where they can run and play and have fun. Or if it is linked to something they are learning, like my son who learned about early Canadian settlers and then got to go see Chateau Ramsay museum which is actually located in one of the oldest houses in Quebec. He got to write with a quill pen, make bread and try on the clothing of early settlers. You know your child best and what they can handle and process. Nothing can ruin a day than having to haul your kids out of a museum because of a whining child.
Sometimes you have to be realistic with yourself too. When we visited the Smithsonian National Zoo I really wanted them to get the most out of the visit. But they (and my husband) were tired of walking and we had to leave without seeing the Amazon exhibit. At first, I was upset that we had come all this way and not gotten to see the entire zoo. But we still had a great day, so we chalked it up to having a reason to come back and visit again.
Bring snacks
This rule goes for everything you do with kids. While you have perspective and a realistic concept of time when in a museum your children may not. I have taken my kids to a museum, gotten inside and after looking at the first thing, they start asking to leave. Many museums understand it is a long process and are tolerable to kids having a quick snack. Some places even provide a specific snacking area. For those who do not, we sneak into the bathroom (especially if there is a family one) and snack there. Remember, children are like wild animals, when they are well fed they are less likely to attack.
Personalize it
Reading about the Hope diamond
Find an interest or hobby of your child’s and a way to tie one item/exhibit to that interest. My daughter was learning about famous artists in grade 4 and she asked to go see fine art to learn more. If you are on vacation, perhaps agree that they go see one museum you want and then one they pick like a sports or children museum.
One way to personalize it is to print off a map of the exhibits. Highlight with difference colors what each child is interested in seeing. For the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History we didn’t have a lot of time. Each kid looked online and picked one thing they wanted to see. This was also a great help in getting them prepared for what they would see. If they want, they could even learn more in advance if they want. If you’re not able to print them in advance, get a map when you arrive and allow the kids to navigate you to their favorite thing.
Be prepared
Boy scouts must make the best parents. It seems for any parenting endeavor to succeed you should be prepared. For museum visits I find learning a bit about what you are going to see helps to engage your children. Even knowing the history behind one specific item can help engage and connect your children to what they are seeing. Have your kids think about what people in the exhibit or the artist was thinking or trying to relate. This is especially powerful for museums that revolve around historical aspects.
Also be prepared in general for when you go. If you are visiting during school time, go in the afternoon because mornings are usually full of school groups. Same goes for toddlers and babies, try to schedule the visit around naptime, either so they are not cranky, or so the baby sleeps during you visit and you can enjoy.
It’s also a good idea to call ahead to see if there are any shows or special events taking place that my interest your children. If you are visiting a bigger museum like the Louvre which has big lines you may want to splurge for skip the line tickets which can save you hours.
Bonus tip: Turn it into a Game
Many kids don’t know museums, but they know games. Many museums, or even large hotels have treasure hunts or learning games that families and children can do while visiting. Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City has a great treasure hunt throughout their hotel that highlights a variety of areas and historical landmarks.
Check out local museums websites to see if they have interactive games or printable activities like treasure hunts to make it more accessible to children before or during your visit.
If there isn’t a game provided, make up your own. For a museum, pick one item per room your child would like to see in your house. For more refined art have your child bring a sketchbook and see if they can draw like any of the artist. Have your kids try and find resemblances of their friends, family or pets in the art they see. Another fun thing my kids like to do is take their own photos of whatever they are seeing. It’s surprising to see their angle or perspective and has resulted in some great shots.
I know it’s not art or history, but when we went to Universal studios, one of my kids wasn’t into Harry Potter as much as the other. Instead of them being bored we found a treasure hunt form We3Travel. They played it and even those who didn’t like it had fun and wasn’t fussy.
Can ADHD kids enjoy museums?
ADHD kids who have difficulty behaving in a particular way or kids with anxiety the stress of new places can make museums and galleries difficult. These tips and especially the games are a great way to tap into the additional creativity ADHD kids have and engage their minds.
Remember, your goal isn’t to create art critics or museum enthusiasts. Your only objective should be to teach your children how to slow down and experience any museum or art gallery. Hopefully these tips will help them get a better understanding and connection to whatever they are seeing, and worst case they allow you to survive next time you bring your kids to a museum!
