Here’s a holiday gift any parent can appreciate: a membership to the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s the gift that keeps on giving in my opinion, and I can attest to its benefits first hand. My BFF gifted my young daughter with a family membership last Christmas and we’ve had a ball making the most of our visits.
Most people would question gifting a young child a membership to such a serious “adult” art establishment, but you’d be surprised by how many child-centered exhibits the Art Institute houses. In addition to its awe-inspiring collections from masters, such as Monet, O’Keeffe, and Warhol, the Art Institute also caters to kids through its Ryan Education Center. Formerly the Kraft Education Center, the area recently underwent a major renovation and is now twice its original size. It also has a new home in the museum’s Modern Wing where it hosts art classes for kids of all ages. The center also features a “touch gallery” that teaches children the importance of form, scale, and texture by letting kids rub, snuggle, feel and hold sculptures. Museum staff members also host special interactive treasure hunts that help kids learn about all the Art Institute has to offer. For younger children, the museum also boasts the Fatt Vitale Family Orientation Room, which features blocks, picture books, and other kid-friendly distractions.
If you live on the East Coast, then you might consider gifting your favorite youngster with passes to New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. Known as the world’s largest natural science museum in both size and scope, the massive building is home to life-size dinosaur skeletons, a 34-ton meteorite, and monstrous dioramas, including a gigantic 94-foot model of a blue whale. Kids will have a blast in the museum’s Discovery Room, which features hands-on exhibits and a host of other kid-centric offerings.
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