Take Your Child to Art Museums

I have always taken my children to art museums in addition to most any kind of museum.  It has always been thought that arts increase thinking skills but there was never any real proof.

I read an article in The New York Times on Nov. 24. 2013 by Brian Kisida called, "Art Makes You Smart".  A study was done in Arkansas where students were able to visit museums by lottery.  This museum was set up by the daughter of Sam Walton and is 50,000 square feet and has an endowment of over $800 million.  Over 11,000 students and 500 teachers participated in this study.  The benefits were higher for minority, low income, and rural students.

"Visiting an art museum exposes students to a diversity of ideas that challenge them with different perspectives on the human condition.  Expanding access to art.. should be a central part of any school's curriculum."

Here in California, where the budget is tight and classrooms are overflowing, museum trips are sparse.  So as a parent, take your child to museums and explore together.  This beats watching a TV show together.

Google Learning in Museums to start finding resources that will work for you.
http://www.mylearning.org

http://www.imls.gov/about/learning_labs.aspx