When school vacation is in full swing, entertaining the little ones becomes a full-time job. After a week long trip to visit family, and a handful of play dates and park visits, we were still left with a rainy afternoon to spend. It has already been a long winter here in Boston and we wanted to explore somewhere new. We were looking for an indoor activity besides visiting a children’s museum, aquarium, indoor play area or the library.
We decided for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
I had been wanting to visit the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston to view “Matisse in the Studio” – an exhibit of Henri Matisse’s personal objects that inspired the artist along with some of his major related works. Most of these were publicly exhibited outside of France for the first time, and I definitely didn’t want to miss this opportunity to see them for myself. A visit to the MFA with the girls had been pending for quite some time and I thought this was the perfect chance to create a meaningful cultural experience and visit the exhibit together.
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Due to the school vacation week, the museum had several kid-friendly activities going on and the girls were excited to tag along. Our first stop was to create our own artwork inspired by Matisse’s famous cut-outs.
Each one of us picked a sheet of colored paper and sat down with a pair of scissors and a glue stick to create our own masterpieces.
We then proceeded to see the actual exhibit. At ages 5.5 and 4, the girls weren’t quite ready, and understandably so, for a leisurely art tour so we had to be quick (I am going back with a friend to get my fix). We talked about the colors and shapes they enjoyed, and they were clearly more drawn to the artist’s cut-outs. They now remember the name of the artist, where he is from, and a few of the names of his famous paintings like the “Purple Robe.” The girls also got a chance to see some of the older kids drawing and mimicking the artist’s work.
After the exhibit, the girls were ready to run around and explore the unique indoor lobby areas at the museum and create some more of their own art before a turkey and cheese sandwich break.
It was a short and sweet two-hour trip to the museum – just enough time for the little ones to gracefully enjoy. We decided we will choose one piece of artwork created by each of the girls to frame and appreciate later. I am so happy to have been able to share a “grown up” art experience with the girls. The exhibit itself was spectacular and I look forward to revisiting it soon. Art has always been present in our home and I hope to create more culturally enriching experiences with them as they grow up.
Thank you for sharing this family afternoon with us dear Surabhi. Would love to see the exhibit as well.
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