Are preschoolers and art museums an accident waiting to happen!?!

My friends and I are always looking for interesting things to do with our kids, and living in Nashville gives us lots of great options. But this time of year the weather is still a little unpredictable, so finding indoor activities guarantees a great day for everyone. We try to do a monthly activity for our playgroup, and since this month is my turn, I’m choosing the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown! What kids don’t love drawing and painting, and what better place to give them some fun mixed with some great culture than an art museum? You might be thinking, “Preschoolers and art museums are an accident waiting to happen!” But if I plan well, I think it will be a great day for all of us.

First, I need to check and see what special exhibits are available and if they might be interesting to the moms and the kids. We might just opt for enjoying the regular museum exhibits if the special things aren’t overly kid-friendly. Second, we need to agree on an amount of time that meets everyone’s needs. We’ve got a few different ages in our play group, so choosing a time period that isn’t too much for the youngest and too little for the oldest is important. We don’t want the older kids getting bored while the younger ones are ready for a nap.

Then it’s important to pick a time of day when everyone is rested and ready for a new experience. I’m thinking maybe 10:30 in the morning. It’s a little while before lunch, but if I feed my kids a snack before we go, they’ll be good for at least a few hours. On the way to museum we’ll talk about the things we’ll see, how to look at art with our eyes and not our hands and good manners in the museum. It will be a great way to spend a few hours and then grab lunch together someplace where the kids can run around and get their energy out before an afternoon nap.

I’m really looking forward to this outing with my friends and their kids. Sometimes the Frist center has special children’s activities throughout the museum, so I’ll definitely be calling ahead. I want to try and schedule our day when some hands-on things are there for the kids to do. We may be really tired when we’re finished, but I think it’s OK to let the kids have fun and learn something great at the same time. Wish me luck!