Outings: Museum 101

Museum visits are a great way to have fun with your child, as long as you don’t think of them as Introduction to Art 101. Don’t plan to spend the entire day or even more than a couple of hours, because no kid can handle that. Go when your child is rested, and leave before he’s bored. If he gets tired, have a treat in the restaurant, visit the gift shop, or leave.

To avoid crowds, go during the week, especially when a museum first opens or an hour before closing. Avoid weekend afternoons, particularly rainy ones, and the first and last weeks of blockbuster exhibits. You’re more likely to visit a museum when you have a membership, and memberships allow you to make frequent, short visits.

You’ll be bored before your child if you:

• Follow your child’s lead. Ask where you can find things that interest him.

• Don’t lecture. Ask him to describe what he sees. Ask “What animal is that?”, “What shapes or patterns do you see?”, or “Does that man look happy?” Ask your child to imagine what would happen if a piece of art came to life. Guess which picture is each other’s favorite. Tell stories about the paintings.

• Do detective work. Play “I Spy”. Go on a scavenger hunt to look for pictures with specific items like flowers, hats or horses. Buy postcards or magnets with art your child likes, and look for the originals.

• View it differently. Look at the art from different angles, including close up, upside down and from the floor. Let your child imitate a work of art by posing like it.

• Nurture his inner artist. If he likes to draw, bring his sketch pad. Encourage him to do art projects at home inspired by art he likes.

Many museums offer programs and classes for children between the ages of 5 and 10, and these are sometimes free with museum admission. The programs offer kid-appropriate insights into art — through gallery talks, tours, art workshops and projects, story times or discussions of works. Check our Calendar of Events or museums’ websites for specifics.

Following is a subjective sampling of museums with exhibits parents and kids will enjoy and information that will make visits enjoyable for the whole family. Before you bring a child to an art museum, you may want to talk about never touching the art, using an inside voice, and not running.

Forbes Galleries

62 Fifth Avenue, at 12th Street www.forbesgalleries.com Admission: Free

Children love:

Toy boats and soldiers Antique board games, including early versions of Monopoly A diorama of a sick child’s bedroom with toys arranged around his bed

Watch out for/avoid:

Nothing — it’s a fun little place to visit, especially if you’re in the neighborhood.

Museum-going mom tips:

The display cases are sometimes too high for a child to peer into, but stools are available in the galleries. Look around for them — they could be in another room.

Stroller policy:

Enter at the 62 Fifth Avenue entrance where there’s a ramp. Strollers aren’t permitted in the galleries and must be left at the security desk.

Eating options:

None at the galleries.

The Intrepid Museum

Pier 86, 12th Avenue & 46th Street www.intrepidmuseum.org Admission: Adults, $16.50; children ages 6-17, $11.50; children ages 2-5, $4.50; under 2 are free.

Children love:

Pretending to pilot aircraft and captain ships Interactive audio visual displays and videos throughout the museum

Planes on the Flight Deck The Captain’s Bridge

Climbing on staircases to get to the Flight Deck

Watch out for/avoid:

Nothing — the museum is very easy to manage with a child. Children who are too young to understand the ship’s history will still have fun — they’ll consider it to be an enormous play space.

Museum-going mom tips:

You can’t bring a stroller up the stairs to the Flight Deck, so either put a rambunctious toddler in a back carrier or take an elevator.

Stroller policy:

The Intrepid Aircraft Carrier is very easy to get around with a stroller, but strollers aren’t permitted on the Concorde. The Aircraft Carrier’s stairs can be avoided with elevators.

Eating options:

A McDonald’s is within the museum.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street

www.metmuseum.org Admission: Children under 12 with an adult are free. Adults: $15 suggested