Metropolitan museum of art with kids

My 8 year old is asking to go, anyone able to give some pointers for which exhibits would appeal best to an 8 year old and 2 - 6 year olds?

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Have not been recently, so I'm really not sure... but I think it's awesome that your 8 year old is asking to go, that's not something I think of as being a big request from 8 year old kids.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Check their website for family programs.

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

We go with my kids ALL the time... It's their fave! Mine are 14, 9, and 5.

The areas that are the biggest hits with my kids are:
-Arms and Armor
- Egyptian art
-Medieval art hall
-the Greek and Roman statues
- the part of the Lehman collection where you walk through the rooms of all the different time periods
- the European Renaissance art

And every trip my son insists on getting a pic in front of George Washington Crossing the Delaware. LOL

Also, we never do any of the programs. I don't like being herded around a museum like a sheep. I prefer to wander at my leisure, even if that means I don't see quite as much. Just a matter of personal preference, I guess.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Definitely
--Arms & Armour
--Eqyptians
and depending on the kid-

Musical instruments
Asian art
Islamic art (these have a lot of decorative objects, not just paintings)

Period rooms in the American wing (it's really cool--you walk to a building inside the museum, go up to the top & them follow the #s along to the different rooms.

Also, you can go to the website with your daughter & see what temporary exhibits are there when you are going she is interested in.

Right now there is an exhibit on the Plains Indians that kids might like (I haven't been)
And there is a huge mural from the 1920s that take up a whole room that was saved from the New School

also- there are tons of paintings & sculptures that you will pass along the way to things.


You can also just look a the map on-line & ask her what sound interesting.

It is a big place, it is good to have a plan.

Message edited 3/9/2015 4:18:40 PM.

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

My daughter and I went last year when she was 7. She loved the Egyptian wing because she had studied that at school. She also loved the cases with all the furniture and home decor items and all the restored rooms. We also looked for the Faberge eggs, which we both liked.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

I have taken my kindergartener twice. He loves it.

The things he loves are the instruments, the knights, egypt and the American wing.

Message edited 3/9/2015 4:35:04 PM.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

I apprenticed there one summer and worked in the education department. I suggest checking out their website and see what special exhibits are currently there.

I suggest:
Knights and armour
Egyptian area (mummies, temple of dendar, etc)
If there is a costume exhibit try that
Impressionism (upstairs) European art...my kids like the Renoir paintings of kids and the degas ballet dancers.
There is an asian courtyard
Sometimes the modern art can be fun to walk through.
My kids loved the huge "top" (canopy) bed and some of the rooms are interesting to walk through.

Does your child like dragons, clowns, birds, animals, etc. mine love Unicorns. On their site you can look up things currently on display. There is a painting in the American wing (in the area with paintings and objects in cases) they did a hunt for the unicorn painting.

They usually have handouts for families. They used to have family art hunts (I wrote a few) but you can make your own. I know they have some things for families bc my kids did a hunt and found things in the armour area.

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

You can borrow passes from your library so that you can go for free. My kids always loved going there. I'd sometimes have a little one in a stroller.

I'd move quickly through the rooms with paintings, stopping at one or two to look at them but not lingering long enough to bore them. I'd make it exciting by pointing out things - "Look at the amazing lace collar on that man. Can you imagine Dad wearing one now?" We had a great time and they always wanted to go back.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Everything that the girls mentioned above and also: they have family events during school break, fun lectures and hands on things for kids. We go to those a lot. The group gathers downstairs under the main hall (take the stairs down next to the Greek rooms on first floor) and then take the kids around the museum. You can find the info on their website!

Have fun!

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

I used to want to spend entire days in the Temple of Dendur when I was a kid! The period rooms are also really cool.

Now I want to go to the Met!

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

I heard from a friend, then saw in the Times, that it has an extraordinary Native American exhibit right now.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Metropolitan museum of art with kids

I went from age 4 , all the time. Don't just do what you assume is kid friendly. Introduce them to the whole museum. You never know what a child might connect with.

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

Re: Metropolitan museum of art with kids

No we usually bring it walk to the zoo. There is a cafeteria in the basement we ate at last time. It had kids meals but was expensive.