Visiting The Norman Rockwell Museum With Kids

Visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum with Kids is a lot of fun!

Recently, Lola and I had the chance to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum! Special thanks to both the Highland Street Foundation and the Norman Rockwell Museum for facilitating today’s post. 

“Norman Rockwell Museum is dedicated to education and art appreciation inspired by the legacy of Norman Rockwell. The museum preserves, studies and communicates with a worldwide audience the life, art and spirit of Norman Rockwell and the field of illustration.”

Toddlers and fine art museums are not exactly the type of words that you think go together. BUT, Lola and I recently visited the Norman Rockwell Museum where it surprisingly well! I, of course, loved taking in the iconic art and learning more about the life of Norman Rockwell. Lola loved going from piece to piece, pointing out the items within the piece I asked her to look for. This technique made it fun for the both of us- I got to linger and marvel… she got to play her own personal game of seek and find.

Outside, we had just as much fun exploring the beautiful grounds of the museum. The grounds are picture perfect. Behind Lola in the photo below is Norman Rockwell’s artist loft… a place where he painted, worked, and dreamed. It is available and open to the public. When we went inside, it felt sacred and special to know that he once stood there too.

Tips! Visiting Norman Rockwell Museum With Kids

1. Take the museum at the pace of your children’s age ability. Lola is two, so our time spent there was as long as her attention span. I know that as she gets older, she’ll have more self control and we’ll be able to stay longer.
2. Make it interesting for them by getting them to engage with the art. Ask them questions… What do you see? What color is that? What are they doing in that one?
3. Explore the grounds. The grounds at the Norman Rockwell Museum are beautiful. And there is plenty of space to run, skip and jump (unlike indoors where I wanted to keep little feet quiet).
4. Spend time in the children’s art room by coloring and drawing there. 
5. Take advantage of the volunteers and staff, who are a wealth of knowledge and information about the life and art of Norman Rockwell. 

You can visit the Norman Rockwell Museum for free on August 26, 2016 as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays! program. Here is the full schedule below for summer 2016!

Connect with the Norman Rockwell Museum: Website / Facebook  / Instagram 

Connect with the Highland Street Foundation: Website / Facebook / Twitter