If you think back to your childhood, chances are a day spent with your folks at a museum was among your happy memories. Read on to discover what tips and tricks can make taking your child to the museum an enjoyable experience for all involved. How to Visit Museums with Children.
How To Visit Museums With Children:
The first step is to determine if your child is of an age where they’ll understand and appreciate a trip to the museum. Behave like the trip is a treat and a privilege for them. As soon as you treat the trip as a chore, children pick up on the mood and are guaranteed to start misbehaving, ensuring no one ends up happy.
Planned Trip:
Keep in mind the time of year you’re taking your child out. If your trip is planned during summer, you don’t want them to carry on about missing the pool/beach/sunshine. Fall and winter tend to be better times for these trips.
Once you’ve decided your child is old enough, pick which museum you’ll visit. Some suggestions include a planetarium, a natural history museum, an art museum, or even a toy museum.
Set some ground rules for your day out, such as establishing how long you’ll be staying in the one museum, what they should expect upon arrival, and bringing a small bribe such as their favorite packed lunch. Those who think bribes are wrong view this as one way to make the day even more special for them and more worthwhile for them if they behave. I.e., they’re getting a trip and their favorite lunch.
Though you may want your kid to see every single item at the museum, this can be a bit overwhelming for them. Limit the time you’ll be there to prevent them from tiring out at the get-go. This can also prevent a hatred for museums from developing.
Chosen Museum:
Now you’re at the chosen museum, take note of which exhibits the little one is drawn to. Ask questions such as why they like that exhibit, what about it is their favorite part, etc. Suggest similar pieces in the museum, or offer your opinion on why it’s such a great piece. It could be the texture, brushwork, idea behind it, etc.
Discuss The Common Elements:
Discuss the common elements reflected in various works, and note what is still relevant today. If you’re at an art museum, a piece showing a family picnic can be related to a family picnic you’ve had. Now that you’re at the chosen museum, take note of which exhibits attract the little one. For planetarium trips, teach them the different constellations and star-gaze together.
If their attention starts to wander, games such as I-Spy can help make things interesting again. Alternatively, it might be a good time for that lunch or snack break.
Buy postcards when you leave, preferably with a picture of the exhibit your child most enjoyed. This way, they can take a part of the experience home or take it to school for show and tell.
There is no right or wrong way to approach this, so ensure that regardless of what happens while you’re out. Keeping the atmosphere light and fun ensures their first museum trip is a memorable and soon-to-be-reported experience.
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