Taking children with you to the museum is supposed to be fun. After all, it’s a great learning experience. However, without knowing what you’re getting into, children can also add stress to your museum experience. Here are 8 tips that every parent and grandparent should know before visiting a museum with children.
1. Plan your trip. Every museum, whether large or small, has multiple exhibits and possibly even multiple buildings for you to browse through. Call the museum ahead of time or look on the museum’s website to see a layout of the museum so you can make your plan of attack.
2. Visit on a weekday for smaller crowds. For as few people as possible, come on a weekday morning. That also tends to be a great time for kids too, because they’re not tired or hungry like they can be in the afternoons and evenings.
3. Talk about what you’ll see before you get there. Bedtime stories are a great time to introduce concepts like dinosaur skeletons, animals and even airplanes. Then your child will be more interested when they see the displays.
4. Wear appropriate clothing. If your museum requires a lot of walking, wear comfortable shoes. Bring a stroller with you too, just in case you need it.
5. Visit the museum’s information center when you arrive. The staff at the desk can help you plan your itinerary.
6. Visit the exhibits that most interest the youngest visitors first. They have a short attention span and may start to lose interest before you arrive at the exhibit if it takes too long to get there.
7. Look for exhibits that allow hands-on discoveries and experiments. Interactive computers are another great stop to make at your museum. Try to mix these in with regular exhibits to keep kids fresh and to maintain their attention.
8. Take as many breaks as you need, especially with young children. A quick bathroom break can help remove the distractions and help a child focus.