Art is invigorating. Transporting. Inspiring. It allows us to see things differently, consider new perspectives and feel ways we couldn’t otherwise — all things we’d love our kids to experience.
Of course, a trip to an art museum requires tactics based on your child’s age. We can’t think of a sweeter way to spend an afternoon than strolling past masterpieces with your baby in a carrier on your chest. And just imagine the conversations that could be sparked if you toured a thought-provoking exhibition with your teenager.
We’ll admit it — wiggly toddlers aren’t the best art museum companions. But chill preschoolers and elementary-aged kiddos are worth giving a chance. The trick is injecting some fun into the excursion. Play an artistic version of I Spy, keeping a lookout for, say, the color red, or birds, or silly faces or even nudity (heehee). Or simply ask your children what they’re seeing and liking in a painting.
Major art museums are scattered across the state. Admission is free at many of them, making a pop in for some art-viewing a low-commitment activity. And all offer programs, activities or kits that prompt kids to engage with art.
With more than 20,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and other works, this University of Wisconsin-Madison museum represents a huge swath of historical periods, geographic locations and artistic styles. Kids love walking over (or sprawling out on) the translucent yellow bridge on the third floor set near vibrant contemporary works. And family days often pop up on the museum’s events calendar. (Admission is free.)
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
This visual and performing arts center in downtown Sheboygan highlights contemporary American art, with a special focus on craft, folk traditions and self-taught artists. Exhibitions are eclectic and always changing. Stop by the ARTery, the free drop-in studio, to make a masterpiece to bring home. (Admission is free.)
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
Best known for its annual Birds in Art exhibition, this Wausau museum focuses on art of the natural world year-round. Exhibitions change with the seasons and extend outdoors into the sculpture garden. And a wide range of kids’ programming is merely one way the museum makes itself accessible and welcoming to the community. (Admission is free.)
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Set right in the heart of State Street in a stunning Cesar Pelli-designed space, MMoCA showcases modern and contemporary art in a variety of galleries, including a rooftop sculpture garden. Exhibitions are thoughtful and ever-changing, and major shows include activities for children. And for adults and kids alike, climbing up the see-through stairs is like stepping into a work of art. (Admission is free.)
This downtown Milwaukee museum, set on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a masterpiece in its own right, with three buildings designed by legendary architects. Together, the 341,000-square-foot museum boasts more than forty galleries over four floors, showcasing works from antiquity to the present day. (Don’t miss the German Expressionism, Haitian art and Georgia O’Keeffe collections.) ArtPacks, multimedia tours and drop-in activities are just the start of the ways kids can make the most of the museum.
Considered one of the top museums of regional art in the country, MOWA in West Bend focuses on contemporary and historic work by more than 350 Wisconsin artists. The sleek wedge-shaped building, which opened in 2013, sits along the west bend of the Milwaukee River, with both permanent collection and temporary exhibition spaces and programs and activities for youngsters of all ages.
Kids might think you’ve taken them to a castle when you pull up to this 1920s mansion in Oshkosh. Take in landscapes, portraits and decorative objects from late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as interesting temporary exhibitions. The Family Discovery Gallery offers hands-on exhibits, and the estate’s gorgeous gardens are perfect for a stroll.
Housing the largest contemporary craft collection in North America, RAM is an incredible showcase of ceramic, fiber, metal, glass, paper and wood art. The museum hosts rotating exhibitions that highlight top craft artists and draw from the nearly 10,000 items in its permanent collection. It also holds drop-in art classes for families and children, plus a variety of kid-focused community programs.
Located right in the action of Appleton’s College Avenue, this museum is small but mighty, representing works of art from Europe, Asia, Africa and America made over four hundred years. The museum regularly brings performing artists to the space to present for audiences of all ages, while the Family Studio provides creative classes and drop-in art-making opportunities.