Museum Scavenger Hunt

Twelve things to look for on a museum visit, each next to its own checkbox under a green title banner: a painted portrait, a statue, an animal in a painting, something made of gold, a painting of the sea, an old map, someone wearing a hat, art from far away, a museum guard, a bench to rest on, the museum floor map and your favorite artwork. Most of them turn up in an art museum or a history museum alike, so the same sheet works for either.

Pick up the floor map at the entrance first and tick it straight away; it is on the list, and it helps you plan the rest. Portraits, hats and the sea are easiest in the painting galleries, while gold, old maps and art from far away usually sit in display cases. Leave "your favorite artwork" for the end, once your child has seen enough rooms to choose.

The list keeps young visitors looking closely instead of walking past everything: to find "someone wearing a hat" a child has to study the people inside the paintings, not just glance at the frames. Reading the little label next to an object to learn where it came from turns "art from far away" into a geography question.

Print one per child and bring a pencil and a clipboard; many museums allow only pencils in the galleries. Back home, ask your child to draw their favorite artwork from memory on the back of the sheet.