Kids love roller coasters, waterparks, and amusement parks. That’s a given, but what do you do with them to enrich their sense of history, art, and culture? Since NYC is a hub of art and culture, it’s a great place for kids to be introduced to museums, art galleries, and more. Here are more than a few sites that should be on your kid’s culture tour.
The Museum of the City of New York
People all over the world know about NYC. Why is it such a loved city and on many family bucket lists? Kids below the age of nineteen are admitted for free. If your son or daughter is a native, they’ll want to know about the city’s rich history. If they’re a visitor, they’ll get plenty of perspectives to take away from New York City’s past and present.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
As mentioned, kids love water. It’s the reason the Children’s Museum built a new water station. However, the site is not just another place for kids to get drenched. The exhibit draws attention to the importance of clean drinking water and how gallons make their way from the Catskills to water faucets in NYC. Another chance to for kids to make a connection to their culture. Ask them how they think people who live in rural or tribal communities get water.
Whitney Museum
Step out of the New York Fairfield Inn by Marriott and head to The Whitney, which is right off the Highline in the meatpacking district. The building itself is a bit of an engineering marvel and serves as an opportunity to discuss functional art with kids. Moreover, the museum is stocked with exhibits using all kinds of media. Some kids just think of paintings or sculptures when ‘art’ is mentioned, but allow them to discover multiple forms of it.
Sugar Hill Children’s Museum
The target audience here is kids that are under the age of 10. All of the art is placed on the walls or dangles from the ceiling with the height of kids in mind. The museum offers a storytelling slant, so be sure to check times and titles before you go. The 17,000 square foot art space is placed within a housing complex in Harlem.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
A short walk from Brooklyn Bridge Park, kids can enter the massive museum that adopts a hands-on philosophy. Kids can build and rebuild with blocks, foam pads, Magnatiles, and more. Another section of the museum is deemed an art studio, where kids can take advantage of fresh supplies. There’s plenty of opportunities for the kids to meet new friends as well as parents who can schedule ‘play dates.’
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Go online and check #Metkids, a digital feature made for and by kids. Since there are a lot of people who may not know all of the family features at the Met, the museum has published a handy family map. You’ll find all the family-friendly places to go inside as well as have prompts and questions to ask the little ones to further stimulate them on their journey.
