Children’s Museum of Art in New York City
Between the super hot New York City Summers and with cold, snowy Winters, I feel like I’m often looking for somewhere indoors to take my kids. The awesome Children’s Museum of Art is one of our favorite spots to spend a few hours either away from the cold or the hot.
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Trip to Children’s Museum of Art
The Children’s Museum of Art is a space built to encourage and inspire creativity in our youngest children.
It is tucked into the South Village District of Manhattan and bursting with color and ideas.
Before the Field Trip
Before you go, map out your route. Whether you’re trying to find parking or taking the subway, one of the only downsides of this museum for us was getting there. Check their directions page and double check their somewhat odd schedule before you head to the museum.
During the Field Trip
There is a lot to do at the Museum of Art, but it is still doable in a morning or afternoon. When you first arrive, I recommend signing up for a spot at the Clay Bar immediately. Those are timed reservations and working there is a fun, unique art experience. It is a slightly odd system, feel free to ask the staff if you need help, but it is worth the little wait in line and oddity.
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It is also helpful to know that there are no strollers allowed. If you’re bringing a baby, pack a carrier to hold them while you move around the museum. If you’re with a toddler – no worries. The space is not huge. They will manage fine without the stroller. Note: you can park your stroller in coat room.
This is the under 5 space – super crowded during weekends and days off, but also a perfect space for little creatives. My advice is to get there early. When they get to capacity they turn people away – this is actually true for whole museum.
My kids LOVED the stop motion film making area. This was something they had never tried and they loved playing around with the combination of creative loose parts and technology.
These big blocks are found in the creative building space. I love that large muscle art is included in the museum. The space is a little small but my kids both this too.
Our absolute favorite part of the museum was the main over 5 art studio. For our observation they do not turn away younger kids, but it is geared towards older artists.
We spent the most time here. There were painting easels for tempera paint and watercolors. There were also two large tables with projects and lots of supplies for creating.
Good things to know about Children’s Museum of Art
- Your kids will probably come home with a little paint or art supplies on them – so dress accordingly.
- The museum is small, so I would recommend avoiding it on weekends and public school vacation days if you can. Regardless – get their early.
- Pret A Manger is down the block for an easy and healthy lunch or snack option. They have dairy free options and allergens are well labeled but you need to hunt a bit. My son had the chicken noodle soup.
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Afterwards
I think it is impossible to walk away from this museum without feeling the need to create more. I would recommend having some collage and/or painting supplies on hand for further explorations over the next few days.
