I love introducing my 3-year-old little preschooler, Eva, to different art programs and story times. Especially when I can be a part of it! It had been a long time since I visited the Taft Museum of Art, and I was blown away by the fun programs they have for families. Eva experienced the fun and interactive Taft Jr. program which occurs the first Thursday of every month through May. Specifically, we joined in on the Learning through Colors program.
Right away, we were pulled in by a story time about a bunny rabbit who jumped in various buckets of paint. The idea was to teach kids about what colors you can mix together to make another – or their primary colors – which will a play a significant role later in their lives as they learn about art. This wasn’t just a typical story time – we were surrounded by the Taft’s lovely art and sculptures. For an added bonus, they already had their Antique Christmas exhibit setup, so we got a sneak peek! I loved that we learned about colors while using real works of art!
Immediately we were introduced to mixing colors. Their little artistic minds were racing, as they were asked questions like, “Eva, do you see something in this room that is green?” She turned to a large painting on the wall and pointed to the green dress in the portrait. I was so impressed on watching her creative mind work!
Following the story time, the kids got colorful glasses which helped them explore colors throughout the museum. We were guided up and down the historical halls, and then in and out of the museum’s many galleries. This was a fantastic way to get them up and moving and keep their attention – Eva loved it!
For the grand finale, we headed downstairs to the art room to create our own art to take home! The Taft’s staff demonstrated, and right away, the mini Picasso’s picked it right up! They now knew that red and yellow make orange; blue and yellow make green; and blue and red make purple! I couldn’t believe how quickly they learned about primary and secondary colors! My eyes popped as Eva dipped a cotton ball into the blue paint, dabbed it on her little canvas, then mixed it in with red and said, “Mommy, look! It’s purple!”
We explored the Taft’s other galleries, walked the halls and checked out the family-friendly dining hall while we waited for our colorful canvas to dry. What a day! The next Taft Jr. is their Holiday Fun Taft Jr. Thursday, December 5, 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. You don’t want to miss this one!
The Taft Museum offers other exciting programs for the whole family including their 3rd Sunday Fundays, Workshops, Family Art Adventures and MORE!
For more information and to find out what other festive events are taking place at the Taft Museum of Art this season, go to taftmuseum.org.