Must do: Family Day at the IMA

Looking for a fun way to introduce your child to art that doesn’t involve getting sucked into the Pinterest wormhole? I know we were. So we stepped away from the electronics and ventured out into the amazing display of artists presented at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

On occasional first Saturdays of the month the IMA hosts a “Family Day” with activities specifically geared towards kids ages 3-10.

We didn’t want to wait until our daughter turns 3 so we decided to load up the car and check it out with her 5 year old cousin – report: They both had a blast!

The day started as every Saturday should – cartoons and cereal. This wasn’t just your average Saturday Morning Cartoon, though. They were showing some amazing shorts from the New York International Children’s Film Festival -Best of the Fest: Kid Flix Mix Mini Film Fest. I had to look them up as soon as I got home because they had all of us laughing in the theater. But most IMA Family Days coincide with the ongoing Cereal Cinema experience where for $5, visitors receive entry to a classic children’s film and a cereal buffet for breakfast.

Once our bellies were full we headed over to check out the scheduled activities for the day. The theme last Saturday was SMASH, BOOM, POW: ANIMATIONS & COMICS DAY. Our first stop was learning how make a movie using cel painting. Everyone painted a picture of a flying crane, as they photographed and played the cels in order, the crane appeared to be flapping his wings. It was awesome how people of all ages, from 2 to 60 were painting one cel that became a fully animated film.

We also checked out how to be a cartoonist and how stop motion claymation works. The girls favorite thing was doing Yoga in the Galleries which is held every Family Day. Sprinkled throughout the museum they also had Hold It! booths where kids could learn about different cultures through tangible cultural art pieces. We weren’t able to go on any of the family museum tours this time but have it in the books for next time!

No trip to the IMA would be complete without a little creating in the Star Studio. The Star Studio is the perfect place to take your younger kids if they’re having one of those ‘can’t sit still’ type days. The Star Studio is open during the IMA’s normal operating hours and is a nice area for kids of all ages to build, draw, and use their imagination dressing up in the photo booth.

Family Day is included with price of admission to the museum. Cartoons and breakfast start at 10am and the rest of the activities begin at 11am. We hope to see you there {possibly in overalls and a straw hat!}. Watch for the rest of the 2016 Family Day lineup here.

MORE INFO: Family Day takes place every other first Saturday of every month at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Museum is located at 4000 Michigan Rd, Indianapolis. General admission fees are required; members get in for free. Themes vary from month-to-month. Call {317} 923-1331 or visit imamuseum.org for more information.

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Shelly Bergman is a freelance writer who began writing in 2013 after the birth of her daughter. After being away from Indiana for 6 years, she has brought her family back to the place her heart belongs. In her free time, she enjoys exploring Indy, working on projects for her new home, or planning yet another Disney vacation. Above all, her deepest passion is her family. She loves adventuring with her travel sidekick Sophie (2), playing board games with her husband Jeffrey, and enjoying the park with her dog Lexi. When she’s not crafting or writing for her blog DIY Mama she is working as a personal home organizer. Follow along in her adventures at @shellybergman onInstagram or @shelly_bergman on Twitter.