I have learned that an art museum is NOT just for art enthusiasts. My experiences with my kids at the Crocker Art Museum have taught me that looking at and learning about art is good for all ages and personalities. Not only is it good for us in so many ways…but it is really FUN!
The mission of the Crocker Art Museum is to promote “an awareness of and enthusiasm for human experience through art. To fulfill its mission, the Crocker collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets outstanding works of art that are the product of human ingenuity and creativity. Through youth, family, and adult public programs, the museum provides aesthetic and educational experiences that foster self-awareness and personal inquiry as well as an understanding of and respect for community traditions and values.”
Maybe you’ve thought about taking your kids to a museum, but hesitate because you’re afraid your kids will get bored at just walking, looking at art, and not being able to touch. This program was made for you!
Wee Wednesday = Gallery-based Play Date
Every Wednesday at 10:30 and 11am, 3 to 5-years-old kids can participate in Wee Wednesday.
We have gone to Wee Wednesday in the past, but this if the first time we’ve experienced it in the New Crocker with its new format. After paying admission, everyone met up right past the front desk by the gigantic ocean painting. Each child received a name tag and met the director of our activity, the enthusiastic Ms. Emma. Then we took the elevator upstairs to a beautiful gallery with large windows and sat down preschool-style.
At Wee Wednesday, a new theme is explored every week. When we visited, Ms. Emma talked about LINES and how we see them everywhere. The little ones were delighted when she passed out giant colorful pipe cleaners and talked about how lines can bend. Then it was time to go look for lines in art! We followed her through the museum and stopped at paintings that she knew would interest the kids…like the ones of delicious slices of pie!
While standing in a beautiful gallery surrounded by art, Ms. Emma had the kids connect their pipe cleaners together to demonstrate how lines can combine together to form shapes. She showed them a pear and then we were off to hunt for a pear in art. My son was so excited to discover there was a painting full of pears!
We looked at a sculpture and the kids had all kinds of different ideas of what it could be…a rock, an egg, a seal. The idea was that we don’t always have to know what something is but can use our imaginations and appreciate it.
After we toured the museum, we ended up in a quiet gallery of large, colorful paintings to do an art project. Right there on the floor, the kids taped various shapes of colored cellophane to a poster board. They were so pleased that when it was completed it looked like a work of art.
It puts a smile on my face when my boys now get excited about going to the art museum. This outing is the perfect way to introduce kids to the wide and wonderful world of art!
Ages: Kids ages 3-5 and their caregivers (If you have a baby, you can bring them along in a stroller or carrier.)
Price: Wee Wednesday is free with regular admission – Adults $10.00, Kids 6 and under are Free. So you are only paying for yourself!
Parking: Quarter meters and debit card machine meters are available right outside the museum. Plan around $2-3.00 to be safe.
Tips: It is recommended by the museum that you get there by 10:00am to put your name on the list. It is no longer an RSVP event like it was in the past, so it is okay to show up the day of the event.
The program is set up for individual families, so if mommy groups or daycare groups are interested in coming, they should make a reservation to have their own session. Group reservations can be made by calling 916-808-1182.
The museum opens at 10am, so I recommend arriving there early, putting your name on the list, touring the galleries on your own first (you might be surprised at how fun the kids think that is!), eating a snack in the cafe or on the patio and then meet up at 10:30 or 11am.
Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.808.7000
Written by Keilah Woodard
My love for exploring and creating experiences with my three kids led to the founding of SacramentoSidetracks.com in 2009. I realized that Sacramento has so much to offer and I was excited to share my findings with other parents. Besides simply having fun, these are the other positive side effects of taking my kids on outings that I’ve discovered: we have quality time together away from the distractions at home, we cultivate our curiosity, learn new things, conversations are triggered by what we see and do, we connect and bond as a family, and we create new memories. Ready to get sidetracked, too? Let me be your guide!
