First Steps in the Museum | 1.5–3 years

What can you do with a little one in the Museum?

How can you introduce them to the magical world of art? We invite parents and caregivers who would like their child to begin an adventure with art. The classes are intended for children from one and a half to three years old. They take place twice a month on Tuesdays; each meeting is devoted to a single theme. We will spend the first part in the gallery and the second in the education room, where parents together with the child will make a work inspired by the viewed artwork.

• Details:
  - Term: Tuesdays, 10:15 and 11:45
  - Meeting point: Main Building of the National Museum, Main Hall
  - For whom: children 1.5–3 years with caregivers
  - Duration: approx. 60 minutes
  - Participation rules: child admission ticket 25 zł, caregiver admission ticket 25 zł; tickets available at the box office and online from Tuesday two weeks before the event from 10:00
  - Event accessibility: no architectural barriers; noise-cancelling headphones; induction loop in the education room

Before deciding to participate in the educational classes, please read the regulations — participation in the classes constitutes acceptance of them.

Schedule:

• 10 February — Little detective on the trail of a painting
  A museum investigation? During the classes we will turn into detectives and conduct a museum inquiry into the case of missing paintings. The meeting will also be full of sensory games — we will check how our senses work: touch, smell, hearing and sight. Our investigation will finally lead us to discover a special treasure.
  Tickets available from 27 January.
• 24 February — The colorful dragon and other wonders
  Together we will set out to find fantastic creatures that have hidden in the museum galleries. We will look at paintings with dragons, unicorns and cheerful little monsters. In the art section each child will make their own colorful creature.
  Tickets available from 3 February.
• 3 March — Blue as the sky, red as an apple
  We play with colours! We look for things in the museum in different hues, talk about what they remind us of and try to name them. At the end each child will create a simple colour book full of favourite shades.
  Tickets available from 17 February.
• 17 March — What is photography?
  During the classes we will learn what photography is and how it differs from painting. The classes will begin with a walk in the 19th Century Art Gallery, where we will look for interesting frames. We will also stop in the Photography Cabinet to look at old photographs. Then in the education room we will create our own photo album.
  Tickets available from 3 March.
• 14 April — At the royal court. The world of princesses and knights
  Once upon a time — in a castle lived a king and a queen who carried heavy crowns. Would you like to become knights or princesses even for a moment? We will fight a dragon, defend a unicorn and dance at a special ball. With the help of a magic wand we will travel back in time to experience a day at the royal court.
  Tickets available from 31 March.
• 28 April — In the world of plants
  The heroes of the meeting will be plants. In the 19th Century Art Gallery we will look at their depictions, especially flowers. We will try to smell scents, and then — using an educational game — we will learn how to care for a home garden. Then we will decorate our pots and plant flowers in them. Each participant will take home a game that allows further play with the discovered painting.
  Tickets available from 14 April.
• 5 May — Daily rituals. How does a day pass?
  We talk about how we spend the day: what we do, what brings us joy and what is difficult. In the galleries we will look at paintings showing everyday activities and see how artists depicted the passage of time.
  Tickets available from 21 April.
• 19 May — What is a landscape?
  Landscapes painted by artists can be so realistic that you can feel the scent of flowers or hear the rustle of leaves. Walking through the museum galleries, we will look at beautiful lands preserved on canvases, remember the most wonderful views and compose our own original landscapes from memories.
  Tickets available from 12 May.
• 9 June — Museum excavations
  Who is an archaeologist? Is it easy to find a real treasure? We will answer these questions in the Faras Art Gallery by doing sensory and dexterity exercises. In the second part each participant will become an archaeologist and try to find something special; at the end we will decorate the finds.
  Tickets available from 26 May.
• 16 June — What sounds are in the museum?
  What might sound in a museum? We will listen to sounds of nature and the city, and then look for paintings that match them. We will check how the wind rustles, how birds sing and how an elephant's steps rumble. At the end we will play instruments and create a small museum orchestra.
  Tickets available from 2 June.

Coordination: Barbara Kaliciuk / Education Department