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Children's Museum of the Arts
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: SoHo
182 Lafayette St
Fl 4
(between Broome St & Grand St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 274-0986
182 Lafayette St
Fl 4
(between Broome St & Grand St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 274-0986
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St-Lafayette St (6)
Canal Street (J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6)
Grand St (B, D)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
6 reviews for Children's Museum of the Arts
I intern at this museum and I LOVE it.
It reminds me of my old job back in California at Kidspace ( you can check out that review too).
This quaint little museum prides itself on an open-ended approach to creating art. There are plenty of classes and open workshops available for walk-up guests throughout the week from Wednesday-Sunday. And although the environment might seem a lil "dingy" it's only because children and adults have been so busy "at-art" (instead of "at-work") that it may seem overwhelmingly messy at times.
Many Wee Arts class grown-ups testify to the open-endedness of the program. They testify day in and day out that the reason they enjoy the class so much is because it's so child-driven and process oriented instead of adult-centered and product oriented.
It's also amazing that you walk in and you're surrounded by children's artwork from ALL over the world.
I'm a museum snob (particularly children's museums) and it's rare to find one that actually has as diverse a COLLECTION as CMA does.
Come check it out, because at CMA, ART HAPPENS HERE!
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
CMOA is a nice place to bring your little one on a rainy day. Do not, under any circumstances, come here dressed your best. In fact, my advice is to come in clothes that you may soon be throwing away because this place is the kind of place where getting messy is a good thing. So leave your Prada flats and Seven jeans at home (you would be surprised at the way some of the moms were dressed) Same goes for jr.
The museum is a colorful little place. On the first floor there are several work stations where there's a different art project going on at each table. The first one is usually just markers, then there's clay, and at the back there are several painting stations (they do provide smocks). The last time we were there, one of the art projects was a paper fan and the other was a cardboard plane. There was also a small place where you could make bookmarks and a tub where they had a silly putty type of thing to play with. It's best to do the painting first and let the paintings dry and then move on to the other sections. Sometimes, the in-house artists will do a guided workshop during the open hours.
Downstairs is their "party room" that you can reserve for ridiculous amounts of money for birthday parties. There's also a ball pen, but unlike the usual ball pen where there are lots of tiny little balls, here the balls are huge (they're the yoga balls) and the kids have a blast floating over them. Next to that is a little theater and dress up area where the kids can see themselves on the tv screen above.
It's probably better suited for young kids and isn't that great for little toddlers although I was surprised how much J enjoyed himself.
In the mornings, they have actual classes. You can sign up for the weekly classes and then your kid's spot is reserved or you can drop in to the late morning classes. The classes are guided by an artist (never done this, though). It's $20 for you and up to two kids (for the drop in classes). For an additional $5, you can hang out at the museum when it opens up to the public.
The hours are not great since they are only really "open" during the afternoons (unless you take the classes in the morning). Entrance fees are $8 per person. On Thursday afternoons (4-6pm) it's pay as you like. They do NOT have a reciprocal partnership with the Children's Museum of Manhattan, although they are part of the ACM network.
It is a nice little place, with wonderful children's art from around the world hanging on the walls. It's not the greatest place on earth and I don't think my son would want to be a regular, but I'm glad it exists and we definitely make use of it once in a while.
People thought this was:
- Useful (7)
- Cool (4)
Established in 1988, this is a place where children between the ages of two and ten are encouraged to be wildly creative at spaces stocked with drawing, sculpting, and materials for making costumes and puppets. Live performances and interactive entertainment programs are frequently scheduled. An admission fee of $8 for anyone under age 65 unfortunately makes this an expensive proposition for parents with several kids and nearly impossible for low-income families.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Cool (4)
A few years ago, it was a bit shoddy...
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
I was babysitting this one time and the kids were really, REALLY unmanageable...so I brought them here through the advice of a friend from a panicked phone call. And they were totally into it.
If you have children, siblings or a cute little child you like to hang around, do take them to this museum. Many Museums may bore children but this one comes to their level. Children are encouraged to touch and get creative. The staff work so well with children and there is a cool Zebra at the entrance that they will enjoy.
