How to Take Your Father to the Museum, Part 1

The Wonders Within

Last year Child voted New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art the second most kid-friendly museum in the country. Not only does it have family guides for the galleries designed to make the content understandable to kids, but it offers classes where children can make things of their own and discover the riches of art history.

But here's why I think the Met should be number one. Unlike many museums, it's a wonderful place for small children even if you don't get into all the programming designed for them. Parents may not know this at first. But the research for my survey was done by my 5-year-old daughter, Kate, and while I did bring her and walk her around with a little guidance, the opinions are hers. You may be surprised that none of her favorites are part of the Met's efforts specifically to reach out to kids -- we haven't even done any of that yet. They are just things in the museum itself that have always been there that make the Met more kid-friendly than maybe it knows. Wander around and you will find them. The point of my story is that we saw things my daughter would enjoy because I stopped thinking like a parent and just walked in with her so she found them. Here are some highlights of a 5-year-old's recent visits to the Met. Since it's the right time of year, walk with us to...

The Christmas Tree

If you are lucky enough to be in New York City at Christmastime you know about Rockefeller Center, the Tiffany & Co. window displays, and the illuminated trees on Park Avenue. But here's the best of it: Every year since 1957 the Met has displayed a collection of Baroque Neapolitan angels and creche figures around an enormous 20-foot Christmas tree, which is like nothing else in the city. It's astonishing, full of majesty and vivid detail. The figures are 18th-century, made in Naples at a time when wealthy families vied with each other for extravagance in their Christmas displays (the same thing goes on in Queens today, though I'm not sure the museum exists yet for the ornaments; it will). Equally beautiful is the architecture at the base of the tree, with models of Roman ruins for the manger. Some of my first awareness of architecture came from looking at this tree, and the modeling of the animals -- camels, sheep, and donkeys of fantastic beauty -- is as lovely as the people are. Kate was particularly fascinated with the Three Kings, one of whom sits astride a black horse rearing up in wonder at the moment of seeing the Christ child. You will know how he feels. As you take in this world of treasures, bathed in holy light, you might realize that for a child it's like being inside an 18th-century painting. It teaches kids how to relate that kind of imagery (the drapery, the frozen expressions) to reality. But mostly it's just beautiful and fun.

By David
Originally published on CHILD.com
Photos courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art