Museums That Offer Classes & Workshops For Kids

Editor’s Note: For more on museums in New York City see our 2014 Guide to Museums For Kids

Brooklyn Children’s Museum: The Museum Team afterschool program at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a free, year- round afterschool program available for grades K-12. Kids can participate in educational workshops, field trips, and service learning opportunities. brooklynkids.org

Brooklyn Museum: The Brooklyn Museum offers gallery and studio courses for children of all ages, ranging from sound and movement for the youngest artists to special effects and modern art for the older crowd. Join professional artists in the youth and family programs for free film screenings and performances. brooklynmuseum.org

Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA): Children as young as 10 months can enroll in CMA’s WEE Arts classes until age five. Young artists ages 5-15 can attend the afterschool program, which offers classes in a range of mediums. Those seeking a quieter setting can take private lessons for one-on-one men- torship. cmany.org

Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM): Those with little ones ages 14 months to 2 years can take Parent and Child classes at CMOM, before enrolling them at ages 2-3 in Gentle Separation classes in preparation for preschool. Kids 3-5 can take classes exploring all kinds of scientific wonders. cmom.org

Guggenheim: The Guggenheim’s afterschool program offers it all, from painting to drawing to sculpture to collage. Kids ages 8-11 can also take in the museum’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. guggenheim.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Museum members can choose from classes for ages 3-14 that are all about exploring and investigating artistic concepts, including painting, sculpting, and drawing. For non-members, the museum also offers free teen programs for ages 11-18. metmuseum.org

Museum of Arts & Design (MAD): The whole family ages 6 and up can learn from professional artists in MAD’s monthly Studio Sundays. For just $10, attendees will be able to explore the galleries and participate in a hands-on workshop inspired by objects from exhibitions. madmuseum.org

Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): Lead by trained guides, MOCA’s tours take you outside of the museum and into the streets of Chinatown, where you’ll learn all about the city’s past and present. Each trip encompasses 8-10 different sites, landmarks, and historic streets. mocanyc.org

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): You and your family can participate in gallery talks, where lively discussions are encouraged throughout the galleries. At the Art Labs, families can play, experiment, and create as they find connections between works of art. Lessons on techniques in modern and contemporary art are also offered during workshops. moma.org

Museum of the Moving Image: The afterschool program here is divided into two parts: animation and video game design. Tasks include creating hand drawn flipbooks, making Claymation videos, and producing computer animations. movingimage.us

New Museum: New Museum First Saturdays for Families offer special, hands-on programs designed for families with children ages 3-10. Families will be able to explore the museum’s exhibits through lively conversation, and make art of their own in related creative activities. newmuseum.org

Rubin Museum of Art: This museum of Himalayan art has programming for all ages, from a morning program for tots that’s full of storytelling and community building to Saturday art labs with a specific theme, all including a hands-on project. rmanyc.org

Whitney Museum of American Art: The family programs at the Whitney offer interactive tours, workshops, and special events for four different age groups, ages 0-12. Special stroller tours for parents with babies are even available. whitney.org