Art Museums and Toddlers. Anyone would be quick to say these two don’t mix – and shouldn’t. But I am a firm believer that they can and should. When we moved to Belgium it was a stretch to get me, a grown up, to concentrate in art museums. So I didn’t hold out much hope for my busy toddler to appreciate them one bit. But as with art, toddlers sure can surprise you! Our daughter, Connor, grew through her early life stages in Europe’s finest art museums. What a rare and beautiful blessing for her and for us. It was not always peaceful or easy, but the collective experience is a textbook lesson in patience, creativity, and looking within art to see the unexpected.

Here are my top 10 recommendations for viewing art masterpieces through the eyes of a toddler and enjoying it!

1. Recognize your child’s current life stage and relate art accordingly. Initially, Connor loved animals so we made games out of hunting for the “cows” and the “horses” in artwork. You would be amazed at how many animal friends the masters painted. Art museum animal scavenger hunts can be a barrel of fun. Similarly, when Connor was potty-training we had a ball finding and pointing out all the “ladies who forgot their big girl pants!” in the Realist nude works. And then peeling into laughter over that forgotten underwear.
2. Smile at the docents. They might follow you skeptically and nervously from room to room, fearful of little fingers and loud noise. Which in turn will make you nervous. But we always had Connor say a hearty “Bonjour/Hola/Ciao!” to each one in every room and went about our way. If the docents see you engage your child in the art that will help everyone relax.
3. Have your child identify emotions within art. As Connor has grown more aware of fear, sadness, and joy we have been able to spot those same feelings within art. I cannot think of a more rewarding way to learn about what smiles, tears, and goose bumps are. A thoughtful ‘Mona Lisa’ or a happy ‘Girl with the Pearl Earring’ are fun adjectives to assign with a little one in tow. Or take it one step further and discuss with children what the artist must have been thinking or feeling to paint a particular subject or style.
4. Connect your travels or springboard itineraries from art. We live in Europe for goodness sake! Smack dab in the heart of where these masterpieces were painted and inspired. We found several Impressionist paintings of France’s Etretat coastline in the Musee D’Orsay just weeks after running along the real beach. Visiting Monet’s Giverny home in conjunction with seeing his Water Lilly collection at Paris’ Orangerie Museum could not make a more perfect match.
5. Find your favorite. We make ‘finding our favorite’ painting or sculpture a game in our family. It gives a reason to tune in and pay attention to art. Connor has to make a decision and we talk about why she preferred her favorite. Then we go to the gift shop and locate the corresponding postcard. What a simple 50 cent way to engage your child – while also avoiding the more expensive shop toys and gadgets. We tape our postcards all over the walls in our toilet room. Connor spots her favorites every time she is in there and inevitably asks if we remember “the Dancers, the Kiss, or the Scream.”
6. Seek out Bible Stories. Connor and I have completely fallen for the many reproductions of “The Adoration of the Magi” all over Europe. Adam and Eve, Noah, Mary, David and Goliath. They are all out there, along with the ever present Baby Jesus. I am elated that Connor is learning her Bible stories through artwork. Stories and connections of all faiths and beliefs abound.
7. Reproduce your favorite pieces at home. My Connor is still a little young for this project, but as a child, my art teacher would show us a Van Gogh and have us duplicate our interpretation. To this day Starry, Starry Night feels more alive because I painted it with my own color and style.
8. Laugh together at the absurd. The Brussels’ new Magritte Museum in the Musee des Beaux Arts is open and free the first Wednesday of each month. That is where you will find us after naptime. Connor thinks Magritte’s Surrealist style is hilarious.
   “An apple on a man’s nose, that’s silly!”
   “Houses stacked atop each other, that’s silly!”
   I may think Magritte’s work bizarre and confusing. But my daughter thinks it could not be funnier.
9. Expect some tantrums. As with all things toddler, meltdowns happen. Just a fact of life. I try to be prepared with snacks and drinks. And to identify toilet locations first on the museum maps before venturing in. Sometimes bathrooms can be quite a hike through the gallery halls. Also stroller rules at museum can be unnerving. Sometimes they are allowed and sometimes not. Distract and negotiate as it seems necessary, but art museums will not always be a fit. Do not let one bad experience keep you from trying again.
10. Build your rhythm. Art is important! The more art museums we go in the more familiar Connor is with what to expect. How to act. And our routines. Many museums have child-friendly maps or treasure hunts; just ask at information desks and let your child be your guide. We also have found the setting of these museums can be as rewarding of the art itself. The Louvre is in a historic castle. Museums can be modern with fun angles such as Bilbao’s Guggenheim or more religious by being within mighty cathedrals, like the Vatican Museum in Rome. The arts are vital to our children. Through them they learn color, emotion, and interpretations of history. Here’s hoping early exposure will help our budding artist appreciate all the world has to teach and inspire in her.

Here are some of our favorite European art museums:

The National Gallery, London
The National Museum, Oslo
The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
Belvedere, Vienna
ModeMuseum, Antwerp
Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, Albi
Guggenheim, Bilbao
Musee de l’Orangerie, Paris
Uffizi, Florence
Musee Magritte Museum, Brussels
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Musee Unterlinden, Colmar
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Mauritshuis, The Hague
Vatican Museum, Rome