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.

“Cabinets of Wonders” at Children’s Museum of the Arts

The Art: Hoarders get such a bad name nowadays. But Children’s Museum of the Arts has elevated collecting and sorting to an art form. In “Cabinets of Wonders: The Art of Collecting,” artists take common, everyday objects – like leather shoes or locust thorns – rearrange them to create intricate, fascinating assemblages.

Fun for Kids: From Pokemon cards to loom bracelets, kids love to collect and match, and your kids will get a chance to do that at this show. At one end of the exhibit, kids become art curators where they're prompted to group like items together in trays, from broken watches to colorful necklace beads.

Insider Tip: Does your kid already have an unusual collection of objects? Then he or she may be able to display it at the museum. Contact the museum or download the entry form. One young artist’s collection here includes flip-flops he found at the beach.

Children’s Museum of Art

103 Charlton St., West Village

Phone: 212-274-0986

Exhibition Dates: Now through June 1, 2014

Hours: Mon. & Wed., 12-5 p.m.; closed Tues.; Thurs. & Fri., 12-6:00 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Cost: $11/person; pay what you wish on Thurs., 4-6 p.m.

Image Courtesy of Alice Perry