I tried to remember what we did with O. when he was three. He often liked bringing a toy or stuffed animal to “tour” through the gallery. It gave him a little job — showing the animal around the gallery — that kept him more involved than just looking. And it kept his hands occupied.

Venturing outside the gallery might also be a good time. My kids love the sculpture garden at the Walker — that’s a great place to look at art and run in circles and yell.

Also, sometimes alternative, community art spaces can be kid-friendly (though some are not). In Minneapolis, the Soap Factory, an exhibition space in an old, only slightly-rehabbed factory, was fun for O. because the building was so interesting. The space was pretty raw — so you had to keep an eye out, but that also made it a little bit of an adventure for him.

What can I get out of experiencing art with kids that I don’t get looking on my own? is an interesting question. After years of looking at art on my own, and then the past few years with kids old enough to respond to work, I think that the two experiences are just fundamentally different. On my own, the experience is more intellectual – making connections – personally, historically and perceptually. With my daughters, it is a much more montessori-like experience. The conversation is more based on my kids’ visual perception than on a memory bank of existing works and historical references – it is more immediate and spontaneous. Their experience of the work operates outside of the context I often find myself bringing to / imposing upon art – which is wonderful.

I hear your frustration. We (the education staff at the Walker) have tried to create ways in which young visitors can connect with our collection and still follow the art center’s rule of “ looking with our eyes and not with our hands”.

One of the more successful tools is our WAC Pack or Garden WAC Pack, they’re child-sized backpack containing print materials and hands-on activities that give children and adults the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas, and look more closely at the artworks together. The WAC Pack is designed to help kids and parents navigate our permanent collection and make them more accessible and fun. The Garden WAC Pack is very similar in design but it was created for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, one of the largest urban sculpture gardens in the country, is located right next to the Walker. One of my favorite parts about the Pack is that they do have samples of the materials artists in our collection use to create pieces. So your child gets to experience the artwork in a more tactile way.

Another simple way to engage your child is to pick up a kid’s sketchpad and pencil. This is a very easy and immediate way to focus children’s attention on looking at and engaging with art.

Next time you visit the Walker make sure you ask at the visitor desk about these two resources, they are both free! To check out a WAC Pack or Garden WAC Pack you will need to leave your license or a credit card with the staff.

If you get a chance to try them please let us know what you think.

kids are honest and have wonderful imaginations… My kids have helped me so much they are brave and inventive, they have painted on alongside me on my work, helped me with design, sculpture etc