ART — Art Museums Are For Babies Too! — by Guest Mom Burgin Streetman

As the daughter of a museum director dad and a painter mom, I started going to museums the moment I came out of the womb. Somewhere I read once that you shouldn’t “drag” kids into an art museum until they are older, and I think that sentiment is total baloney. My son was propped up in a stroller the first time he visited the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, and though we stayed only 35 minutes, I’ll never forget the moment he looked at Jackson Pollock’s White Light and screamed “Look at all the pretty colors Mom!” He then went on to tell me Christina in Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth looked like our neighbor Mary Ann. When it came time to pick out something from the gift shop, he selected postcards of both paintings. Awwww. (Museum gift shops are the best places to shop for awesome kids’ stuff, and the MOMA Design Store is worth a trip to NYC all by itself.)

The key to taking kids’ to art museums is to let them take it on their own pace. Don’t go expecting to see everything. Choose one exhibit and stay as long as the child feels comfortable. Ask your child to tell you about what they see. Engage them in the full experience. Talk about the colors. Count the shapes. Most museums encourage kids to come in and have a look see. After all, they are the next generations of patrons (and donors). On a recent trip to Santa Fe, we visited the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and the admissions provided us with a copy of the children’s book My Name is Georgia and pointed us to a bench to read before taking in the show.

I find that memberships make the experience much more enjoyable. They allow you to stay five minutes or 50 and really feel comfortable letting your kid set the pace. Even going a handful of times over the course of the year can earn your money back, plus you often get invited to member exclusive events that are kid-centered. Your local museum should be a place your child feels comfortable. A place he or she can call his own. It shouldn’t be looked at as a treat to be enjoyed only once a year on a school trip.

I know going to museums seems like a luxury, and those on a tight schedule and budget can feel overwhelmed. However, it’s these little moments with your family can build a lifetime of cool memories and expand your little one’s world view. Plus, maybe you’ll learn something along the way.

Still not convinced to make the trek out? One of my favorite museums as a child — The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC — has a super cool interactive Website for kids where they can mix and match classical paintings, create a work of abstract art, or build a virtual mobile ala Calder.