TIPS & TRICKS: MUSEUM TRIPS WITH KIDS

Going to museums with kids can prove to be the worst of times and the best of times. Tipping the scale in favor of the “best of times” category can be within your grasp with a couple tips and tricks.

• Bear Necessities
  Make sure your child is well fed and well rested for the adventure. Nothing will put a grinding halt to a fun day at the museum then a child's essential needs not being in place. Make sure you have a nice stash of snacks and fluids in easy access.
• Rules of Conduct
  Before you open the museum door review the rules the museum has in place as well as your own family rules of behavior...no running, ask before touching, etc.
• Bribery 
  Bribery has gotten a bad rap. It can be a useful strategy if used correctly! Make sure very clear expectations are communicated as to what your child will need to do or not do in order to get a special treat. Clear expectations communicated as in “you need to do X, Y and Z and if you do you get …a gift, an ice cream cone, etc…" Please remember to follow through and if your child does not keep their end of the deal than (painfully) no treat is coming their way.
• Save the gift shop for last ...or don’t even go into it.
  Gift shops are usually wonderful places to look at after a nice visit to the museum but with kids not so wonderful. Unless a gift from the gift shop is has been promised best to avoid.
• It is only a Game
  Most museums now have special kits for kids. These kits have games, fun facts and quizzes. Pick one up as you walk in.  Additionally you can create your own museum games with your kids. Museums are made for the game “I spy” or keep track of how many people say a certain word or are wearing a specific color.
• Timing is everything 
  Set expectations for how long you will be at the museum. Keep checking in with your kiddos to let them know how much longer you will be staying at the museum. It can sometimes be hard for kids to have a sense of time so try comparing the time left to something they may know such as “one full episode of Arthur ( or fill in their favorite cartoon or kid show).”
• Lay of the Land
  Give a heads up to the layout of the Museum. Easy to do by simply looking at the museum’s web site and photos. This will not only give them a “feel” for the museum but get them excited for the exhibits.
  
  
  
• Time Out
  Not the naughty kind of “Time Out” but a time out as in a quiet safe place to take a breather. Every museum has a place. My oldest use to hate the crowds of the Science Museum and we would periodically go to the museum’s library and just sit and look out the window. My middle son found refuge in a hallway between exhibit halls and the elevators. Any place can work.
• Know your child
  It goes without saying that every child is different. You know what your child can and cannot do. Make sure to keep your expectations for the activity in check. Make sure your child is the type of child that can handle the potential crowds and noise. If not wait or gradually ease them into the experience.

Have fun!