How to get more out of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Kids

NYC kids have the opportunity to enjoy one of the foremost art museums in the world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is right outside our doors, but a love of art museums doesn't just grow naturally. It has to be nurtured. Dragging kids to the museum because we think it's the right thing to do isn't going to make them cultured by itself. We need to help children to experience the museum, to create art lovers who will be hooked on this wonderful institution as they grow up.

We've put together some tips on visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, how to help kids enjoy their visit, and some books and other information that will help them learn how to look at art and find the magic of The Met for themselves.

The obvious place to start a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with kids is the Egyptian collection. With mummies and pyramids it's a surefire hit with kids. The Knights and Armor exhibit is also easily digestible for children. That's the easy stuff, but what after that? If you stop there you're really missing out on a lot of wonderful museum. The question is how do you get kids through all those galleries of paintings without it turning into a whine-fest?

Your first stop before you visit the Met should be their MuseumKids site. It lists events, has information about audio or printable family guides to the museum, answers to the frequently asked questions kids have about the museum, and has games that let kids interact and learn about the art they can see in the museum.

When it comes to kids and art, familiarity builds appreciation. Kids love to recognize works of art that they saw online or in one of their picture books at home when they are at the museum. The following books that are specifically about the Metropolitan can even be used as a kind of guide for the museum. You can take the book along and try to find the pictures that are in the book throughout the museum. This helps children keep moving from room to room without getting bored.

You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum is the story of a little girl who is visiting the Met and has to leave her balloon outside. The balloon escapes and the rest of the story juxtaposes the adventures of the balloon as it explores the sites of NYC with the artworks that the girl is seeing in the museum. A wonderful tribute to NYC and introduction to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum., while trying to give children a first lesson on how different paintings have different energies.

Another children's book about the Met is Inside the Museum: A Children's Guide to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This near-encyclopedic book is jam-packed with information, not just about the works of art at the museum, but also about the behind the scenes work that goes into keeping the museum running and caring for the art. An excellent resource and an interesting read.

For older children, the chapter book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a classic story about two kids who run away from home and hide in the Metropolitan Museum in New York only to find themselves in the middle of a mystery. It's a wonderful story that celebrates the magic of the museum and has turned many children into museum lovers.

For another kind of art museum mystery, pick up a copy of Art Fraud Detective: Spot the Difference, Solve the Crime! The story reproduces art works and readers have to use keen observation to figure out which ones are the real paintings and which ones are the forgeries. It's a very clever way to get kids to study art works and kids (and adults) will love the challenge.

The Art Book For Children is not specifically about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but is an incredible book that exposes children to some of the great works of art and helps them to engage with it and learn how to look at it.

Visiting the Art Museum is a story about a family that somewhat reluctantly goes to visit a museum and discovers what a wonderful thing it is.

Toddlers will enjoy the Sesame Street video, Don't Eat the Pictures where Jim Hensons' creations take us to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and teach, as only they can, the littlest children to love art. It's a classic - so much so that it's only available on VHS.

Any of these resources are sure to inspire a great trip to the Met, and if you don't make it to the museum, cuddling up with a good book filled with great art or snuggling up with big Bird and crew might just be a good enough substitution for today.

Find more great activities like this in our Indoor Activities Guide.

Find more tips for NYC art and kid shows in our Culture Guide.