Art Museums in DFW with Kids

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has some distinguished art museums.   They are often discounted as a place for children, but here are some reasons why you SHOULD be taking your kids with you.   These museums have gone out of their way to be family friendly and offer fun and education to “artists” of all ages. Dallas Museum of Art The Dallas Museum of Art has three different Family Audio Tours.   Arturo, the Museum’s Mascot leads the tour geared for 5-11 year old children.   The tours are available at the Visitor Services desk and are free. DMA hosts Late Nights, (We)ekends at the Museum and Family Films.   For the younger children, The Dallas Museum of Art offers Arturo & Me.   3 “5 year olds and a favorite grown-up will work together to look at works of art, read a related story in the galleries, and do an art-making activity in the museum studio.   For the even younger kids they offer Toddler Art.   2 and 3 year olds and a favorite grown-up will participate in art-related activities and play in Arturo's Nest, the Museum's kid-friendly space. Meadows Museum at SMU The Meadows Museum hosts Family Days which include gallery games, hands-on activities, and performances highlighting the temporary exhibitions at the Meadows Museum.   There is also a series of Drop-In Art experiences on select Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. “2:00 p.m.   More information about both these Meadows Museum events can be found on their website. Kimbell Art Museum The Kimbell Art Museum has new family gallery guides focusing on masterpieces in the Kimbell's permanent collection. Picture cards for each artwork provide fun facts and discussion questions that encourage children and adults to explore new ideas together. This free Kimbell family resource at the Information Desk to enrich your next Museum visit. The Kimbell also hosts summer camps, school break camps and workshops for kids along with Family Festivals that include hands-on activities and film programs, along with storytelling and other performances. Amon Carter Museum The Amon Carter Museum has a series of guided tours for all levels of participants.   Advance reservations are required for a specialized tour.   The other thing that this museum provides is quite a few online learning resources.   These might come in handy for school projects or at home adventures. Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art The Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art offers Wonderful Wednesdays which is a free gallery program for families is designed as an informal introduction to the collection and special exhibitions.   It is offered once a month and consists of a focused tour and is accompanied by a gallery project designed by the Modern's education staff.   Admission is free for participants of the program. Due to popular demand, the Modern is starting a new series this spring for teens age 12 to 16 age of 12 about Andy Warhol.   Andy Warhol:The Last Decade,   is designed and led by the collaborative efforts of the Modern education staff. The program includes tours, group discussions, and gallery projects and concludes with a studio project. The Modern will again host summer camps in 2010 for young artists – ages 5 through 13.   These camps emphasize learning through direct observation of art and thoughtful art activities inspired by the current exhibition. This introduces students to some of the complex and challenging concepts and practices behind modern and contemporary art.   Activities will include everything from art making in the traditional sense to interdisciplinary exploration. More information on all these programs can be found on each museum’s website. Have I missed anything fun? Please add it to the comments below and I will update the article.