The second half of the summer can bring about a bit of boredom when it comes to your children. The newness of being out of school has worn away, the 4th of July festivities have come and gone and now we are stuck with very long and very hot days until school starts.
What can we do to spark creativity, keep cool and entertain our little ones during this summertime lull?
This morning, I decided that I would dress up in a pretty peasant shirt and heals with a dash of make up and put my daughter in her pretty floral blouse and her fancy pink "clippy" and pink pants. We both put on our over-sized sun glasses loaded up in the car and headed off to the Art Gallery for lunch, a tour of the French Impressionist exhibit and then a stroll through their beautiful gardens.
We did not just go to the museum, we made a day of it. Dressing up and being silly and girly was a fun break from the regular pool dates we have.
We had a lunch of egg and olive salad and fruit with a poppy seed dressing. Fancy water with lemon and of course croissants. The server was kind to Millie and catering to her two-year-old whims. All the ladies of the Memphis Art Society doted on her and kept saying "oh isn't she such a doll" in old southern tones.
After lunch we went and looked at all the beautiful work from the current exhibit. Dark French Impressionism is truly my favorite. Millie was enthralled with all the different colors and textures on the walls. She kept asking me to pick her up so she could get a better look. Somewhere in my wanna be artist's soul this made me extremely happy.
We finished with a stroll in the gardens. Smelling flowers and cooling off by the sprinklers. It was such a perfect day. And for us busy parents that are always looking for different ideas for bonding and entertaining with our little ones, a day at the museum is just perfect!
Cheers!
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| Millie running through the gardens |
Wow, what a wonderful day. :) What is your secret for Millie's appreciation of art? I know it a born in trait for a child like her, but in all of the museums I have taken Conner he doesn't seem to even appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteWith Millie, I started taking her to art gallery openings, wine tastings and museums from birth. (seriously, birth). I bet that has something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteIf I were you, I would make an "event" of it. Start by giving him some picture books of artists. Have him pick his favorites and then plan a trip to the museum.
When you get there, see if he can see anything that resembles the art he liked in the books. You can talk about what the artist was like and if he had any common traits as your little one.
Also, take a special sketch pad that is just for him along for the trip. He may feel inspired to draw.
Then take him to lunch or a treat afterwards and talk about what you saw and learned. It is a special day for the both of you.
Those are some great ideas! I will have to do these.
ReplyDelete