FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
Wherever Awards

Making Art Museums Fun for Kids

by Teresa Bitler

Sep 3, 2019

Photo: Teresa Bitler

Age Specific / Kids

Want to get your kids excited about visiting art museums? These strategies will have even hard-to-please kids begging to spend the day exploring the nearest one.

 

Use Museum Resources

Before you visit any art museum, check its website for kid-friendly programs, such as family days, drop-in art studios and story hour for toddlers. Some even have online resources to help you plan your trip. On the Art Institute of Chicago’s website, for example, families can plan a custom itinerary and print out activities through its JourneyMaker program.

 

Similarly, #metkids guides kids through the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. By clicking on highlighted objects on the interactive map, kids can learn cool facts about the piece and watch videos. Prompts also encourage them to use their imagination or create art inspired by the piece they are viewing.

Art Museum Exhibit.

Art Museum Exhibit. Photo: Teresa Bitler

No time to visit the website before you go? Stop by the information desk when you arrive. Many art museums have guides or activities to help engage kids. At the Dallas Museum of Art, for instance, you can check out a family tote or pick up a family guide (in English or Spanish) for Little Bookworms, Dog Lovers, Cat Lovers, The Flower Child and Music Lovers.

 

The information desk can also tell you about museum highlights families won’t want to miss. At the Milwaukee Art Museum, staff would tell you not to miss the Kohl’s Art Generation Open Studio, where kids can sculpt, paint or write a story inspired by art in the museum.

 

Arrange a Guided Tour

Some art museums offer special tours for families. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City conducts family-friendly tours on the second Sunday of the month. In Paris, the Louvre hosts family tours every weekend, including the My First Louvre tour, held at 11 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

Art Museum Exhibit.

Photo: Teresa Bitler

If you don’t see any family tours, ask about them before you go. Some art museums, like the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., offer private tours catered to your needs and interest.

 

Not to mention, tour companies sometimes offer family-oriented tours and activities at popular art museums, like the Louvre. For example, That Museum creates treasure hunts at the Louvre for tweens and teens. (For a slightly higher fee, they’ll design a challenge for those ages 5 to 13.) Check with the museum before you go to see if local companies offer similar activities in their art museum.

 

Play Games

You don’t have to rely on museum resources or tours, though, to keep your kids engaged at an art museum. Make viewing art a game. Have your child study a favorite piece for several minutes, turn around and ask them questions to see how much they remember. Or play 20 questions by having them select a piece and letting you ask 20 questions to guess which one they chose.

Art Museum Exhibit.

Photo: Teresa Bitler

Or, before you go, Google “art museum scavenger hunt” to find free printables that have your child search for a “painting with clouds,” a mask and other common pieces during your visit. Similarly, you can purchase postcards in the gift shop before you enter the galleries and encourage your child to search for the artwork featured on the cards.

#WhereverFamily

Insta Feed
Slideshow
Apr 17, 2025

6 Egyptian Tomb Sites for Family Travel

It’s time to start dreaming of your next family trip. Here’s some destination inspiration for you. Take a visual journey through these Egyptian tomb sites with us.

Madrid: A Destination for All Ages

However one is traveling, what matters is having fun and creating unforgettable memories. Among many ways to travel, multigenerational trips — on which grandparents, parents and children get to spend quality time together — are gaining popularity. Setting out on this sort of adventure? Madrid has something to offer everyone!

Destinations / North America
Apr 16, 2025

4 Interactive Wildlife Conservation Experiences for Earth Day

Calling all animal-loving family travelers! This Earth Day, consider a visit to one of these destinations offering interactive wildlife conservation experiences.

Destinations
Apr 16, 2025

5 Places Around the World to See Holy Week Observances

Holy Week, the period between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, is observed in a variety of ways throughout the world, often with colorful pageantry mixed with solemn reminders of the week before Christ’s crucifixion. Tourists are welcome at most observances, some of which take on a festival air, especially on Easter Sunday. Here are some places family travelers might consider traveling.

Destinations / North America
Apr 16, 2025

North America’s First National Park City Named

The National Park City Foundation just designated Chattanooga, Tennessee, as North America’s First National Park City, and family travelers will quickly discover why. Already named Tennessee’s Most Scenic City, Chattanooga takes a new title thanks to its appreciation of all aspects of outdoor life, from preserving lakes and forests to being stewards of native plant species.

Destinations / North America
Apr 15, 2025

This Underrated San Diego Neighborhood is a Gem for Families

Families heading to San Diego often look for big-ticket thrills like Sea World and San Diego Safari Park, but sometimes it’s the neighborhoods that let you get the most out of a visit. It’s how you get to discover the personality of San Diego.