Enjoying Art Museums

Here's a great idea for helping young children learn to enjoy the pleasures of visiting art museums and other "educational" field trips. My children are almost all grown now, but I made a game out of going on such adventures when they were younger. 

I treated it like a visit to a toy store or an amusement park. When we went in, I said "No matter how much fun you are having, we can stay only 10 minutes (or whatever) unless you can persuade me that there's a good reason for staying longer. They would beg and plead for "just five more minutes" and of course I would always relent. 

It must have worked because my children all love art; in fact my middle child is graduating from The University of Georgia as a sculpture major. My older son has been an art teacher in summer camp. 

I know it worked for me!