Making Museums Fun for Children

Does the idea of going to a museum make your child go into a rant of the "I don't wanna's"? Do your children think that museums are dull and full of things they don't want to look at? There are ways you can get your children interested and engaged in going to a museum so they enjoy the experience and will want to do this again.

You can probably best find information about current exhibits either by calling the museum or visiting their website. Most museums nowadays have a website. Some exhibits are year-round and others are only at the museum for a short time. Pay attention to the dates that an exhibit will be there. If you go on the first or last weekend of an exhibit it will probably be more crowded than other times.

Learn a little about the museum first. What type of collections do they have? If you have a boy, they might be interested in seeing suits of armor or fossils of dinosaurs. A girl could be interested in these things as well - but she might be enraptured by an exhibit of dollhouse miniatures or paintings of animals. There are many different types of museums with various exhibits that will please your children. Check out the museum on the internet to see what the museum has first, or if you have time - consider visiting the museum first to see what your children would find most interesting.

Plan your visit for a short time. Parents don't have to be told that most children have shorter attention spans than adults. It is probably best that you plan your visit to the museum for an hour to an hour and a half. At the worst, your children will ask to stay longer and then you can decide to stay a little longer. But the best result will be that they will have a good time looking at things that interest them, but they won't feel trapped there for hours and hours.

Make visiting a museum fun. If you are visiting a well-known museum and you know the paintings, sculptures or other exhibits you will see - you can do a little research and talk about the exhibits with your children before you actually see them. Try reading a book about dinosaurs before doing to the American Museum of Natural History. Or have your children try to find things in the paintings. See who can find the orange flower, the blue shoes, and the king's crown. Play counting games; have them read the cards that accompany every piece in the exhibit. Learn about the artist and tell them a bit about the artist's life or about the historical period. At this point so much information is available on the internet that you could do this with a couple of mouse clicks.

Consider also visiting children's museums. Children's museums are developed specifically for the enjoyment of children. Many exhibits are for children to touch or otherwise experience with their senses in a fun way. You can see if there is a children's museum in your area by visiting the Association of Children's Museums (website listed in resources).

At the end of your visit take your children to the museum gift shop and let them pick out a postcard of their favorite piece. Postcards are relatively inexpensive and this postcard will help them remember their favorite work. The more art they see, the more they will appreciate.