First offered by the museum in 2013, Art Splash made, well, an immediate splash—and has become more popular every year. The museum estimates more than 40,000 visitors dropped in to take advantage of last year’s slate of exhibitions, performances, and hands-on art activities, and they expect that number to grow this year. The theme for the 2018 edition of Art Splash is “Bright Lights Little City,” put together in conjunction with the museum’s current featured exhibit, "Modern Times: American Art 1910-1950." Inspired by modernist trailblazers like Georgia O’Keefe and Frances Criss, the museum has designed an impressive range of games, events, and activities to help kids imagine the modern city—as it is, was, and could be.

The heart of the action is the Splash Studio, located on the Great Stair Balcony on the second floor of the museum’s main building. The studio offers a series of art-building activities aligned with work from the Modern Times exhibit. Each activity invites young museum goers to make connections between the art they see on the walls and the work they can create in the Splash Studio. The first unit, which wrapped up June 15th, was called “CurioCities” and invited participants to build their own mini cities with a diverse assortment of materials. Next up is “Color me Modern,” exploring the connections between colors and emotions. All told, the Splash Studio features five different units, with the museum offering a new unit every two weeks up until September 3rd.

Playing at the photo studio. Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Timothy Tiebout

These art-making tables come with a view as well—and plenty of other fun diversions for young art lovers. The massive windows on the second balcony offer a brilliant view of the city itself, and the space by those windows has been converted into a reading nook for kids. There is a LEGO model of the museum that visitors can add on to and a range of other toys for kids to play with, including a magnet wall. The helpful staff direct families through the activities at the main tables and, all told, there is enough to occupy by children of all ages for some time. Lucky parents may even manage to sneak away and contemplate some modern art on their own.

The Splash Studio is not all that Arts Splash has to offer. Stroller tours, gallery walks, art workshops have been coordinated to provide additional ways for families to engage with the work in the “Modern Times” exhibit throughout the summer. The events calendar is full of special events, musical performances, toddler playtimes, and more for families looking to bring art to life.

Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Timothy Tiebout

Best of all, Arts Splash is accessible and affordable. Families can drop in between 10am-5pm most days, and the event runs during the museum’s extended hours on Wednesday and Friday nights. It’s Pay What You Wish every Wednesday, from 5pm-7pm at the museum, and on the first Sunday of every month. An added perk: Kids under 12 are always admitted free.

So when it’s all said and done, the question really is not whether or not you will visit Arts Splash this summer but how many times you will visit before they close up shop for the season.

If you're looking for a place to eat while visiting the Art Museum, check out our post of nearby kid-friendly restaurants.