The Met with kids: a short route, games and practical tips

A 75-minute route designed for kids

1. 1

   0:00 · Ground floor · Egyptian Wing

   Walk into an Egyptian tomb

   You can walk inside the Mastaba of Perneb. Challenge: find hieroglyphs and animals in the reliefs.

2. 2

   0:20 · Ground floor · Sackler Wing

   Temple of Dendur

   A temple over 2,000 years old inside a museum. Ask the kids why they think there is water around it.

3. 3

   0:35 · Ground floor · Arms and Armor

   Knights and horses

   Full suits of armor for people and horses. Let each child choose a favorite.

4. 4

   0:55 · Floor 2 · European Paintings

   The boy in red and the three cats (Goya)

   The cats stare at a magpie tied by a string. Ask what they think will happen.

5. 5

   1:10 · Floor 2 · American Wing

   Washington Crossing the Delaware

   An enormous canvas for talking about history: how many soldiers are in the boat?

Practical tips for families

• Children under 12 are free, but adults need tickets.
• Leave large backpacks and strollers at the coat check if it's busy.
• Take a mid-visit break at one of the museum cafés.
• The museum is huge: choose three areas with the kids before going in and forget the rest.
• Before you go, let the kids choose 3 artworks on your phone; finding them in the museum turns the visit into a game.
• With the AnyArt app they can point at any artwork and hear its story, handy for the endless "what's this one?".