as a part of our summer of art activities *art week* we visited a wonderful local museum called Grounds for Sculpture. it is one of my favorite places, a fabulous outdoor sculpture garden, over 42 acres and something like 270 sculptures, with three indoor changing exhibits. it’s very kid friendly. many sculptures are interactive including one that involves banging together bits of metal and a whole exhibit area that is more like a maze through art with stepping stones over water. there are also live peacocks wandering the grounds, which is very entertaining considering they always seem to be quite cranky. we have visited a few times and the boys always have a good time running around and rolling in the grass. I was hoping, however, for our art week to help them notice the art a little more. so I created a little game…a sort of museum scavenger hunt. actually, that is hyperbole. really, I just drew a rainbow of colors on two pads of paper, gave them each a pad and a marker and told them to hunt for the colors. pretty simple. 
they really liked the feeling of carrying around a notepad, and I am just crazy for the cuteness that oozes out of them when they feel ‘all grown up’. look at these serious faces! squeal! I didn’t offer any other restrictions, they just needed to find all the colors. 
{artwork by marilyn keating}
the scavenger hunt did draw them into the museum in a different way, they were closer observers of what was around them.
{sharon engelstein‘s amazing bulbous forms made of fabric!}
at least, in the beginning. after a little while they lost interest and just wanted to run around, explore and play. fine by me, I was happy with that. it got them observing art in a different way for a little while but they are still crazy kids after all! (do all kids move constantly? they boys move CONSTANTLY! I swear, they would prefer to jazzercise while eating dinner.)
of course, C couldn’t go without completing his game so he included a green sign posted in the bathroom as the ‘green’ item on his notepad. score one point for thoroughness! I wonder where he gets that strong desire to complete even an unnecessary task? certainly not me!?
see. no notepads anymore. but happy boys in full view.
I am sure we will do this again, this winter, in an indoor art museum. possibly over the holiday break. it’s a great way to make a trip to the museum a little more fun and involve fewer bursts of “don’t touch that!!” from mom and dad. at least for a while until you hit that green sign in the bathroom and the game ends.
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