Activities for Kids

NYC’s Newest Kid-Friendly Art Exhibits: Doll Dioramas, LEGOs & More

From graffiti art to Italian Futurism, these seven new kid-friendly exhibits will leave you pumped and ready for the springtime.

By Alice Perry March 5, 2014

If the gray winter slush and sludge have left you saying, “Ewww,” every time you go outside, fear not. A surefire way to inject some color and fun back into your family’s life is to check out one of the many new kid-friendly museum exhibits around the city. From graffiti art to Italian Futurism, these seven exhibits will leave you pumped and ready for the springtime.

“City as Canvas” at Museum of the City of New York

The Art: Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that graffiti is an art form. And the Museum of the City of New York wholeheartedly agrees. “City as Canvas” relives those days back in the ’70s and ’80s when renegade artists like Lee Quiñones and Keith Haring spray painted any public space available with curlicue tags and cartoon images.

Fun with Kids: Kids will love the bold, in-your-face colors and the contagious energy of the art work. Some upcoming family programs include designing your own tag in a flipbook and helping to create a large-scale mural at the museum.

Insider Tip: Sure, you don’t want to encourage your kids to deface public property, but most of the artworks here are canvas paintings and sketchbooks -- not subway doors (although there are plenty of photos documenting them).

Museum of City of New York

1220 Fifth Ave., Upper East Side

Phone: 212-534-1672

Exhibition Dates: Now to Aug. 24, 2014

Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cost: Suggested admission: $10/adults, free for kids under 12.

Image courtesy of Alice Perry