Families at the Smart
The Smart Museum offers a suite of free family programs and fun resources designed to inspire children to think about and respond creatively to art.
Free family programs
The Smart offers a variety of drop-in family programs featuring hands-on art activities, gallery games, and other fun projects.
Family Days
Join in the Smart's free family activities on the first Saturday of every month! Each drop-in program features hands-on art activities and tours that encourage children and parents to engage in some creative looking. See what the fun is all about and view photos of our family days on Flickr.
Saturday, May 5, 1–4 pm
Family Day: Drawing Inspiration
Join us for an afternoon of sketching activities. Learn to draw quickly, using line and shading to capture the form of three-dimensional shapes.
Saturday, June 2, 1–4 pm
Family Day: Wright Here, Wright Now
Get inspired by glass works by Frank Lloyd Wright and then create a "window" with paper and transparencies.
Saturday, July 7, 1–4 pm
Family Day: Bright Lights, Big City
Create pastel paintings inspired by landscapes and portraits on view, using light and dark colors to evoke brightness and shadow.
Saturday, August 4, 1–4 pm
Family Day: Play with Korean Clay
Make pottery inspired by traditional Korean stamp ware called buncheong that is decorated with images of nature.
Saturday, September 8, 1–4 pm*
Family Day: Art Monsters!
Get inspired by mythic beasts from Europe and Asia and then create your own monster mask.
* Note: because of the Labor Day holiday, September's family day will be on the second Saturday of the month.
For more information about family programs at the Smart, e-mail Breck Furnas or call 773.702.2362.
Family programs at the Smart are free and open to all. Art-making supplies and other materials are provided. Family programs are best for kids 4–12. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Family programs are supported by the Harper Court Arts Council.
Creative resources
Use these kid-friendly, creative resources to explore the ideas and techniques behind the art on view in our galleries.
smARTkids website
Be an art detective and hunt for visual clues about an artwork, go on a studio visit with an artist, learn about art terms, and explore art materials and techniques on the interactive smARTkids website.
Artwork of the Month
Follow up on a visit to the Smart with one of our Artwork of the Month activities. The at-home projects are simple, inexpensive, and make use of easy-to-find materials.
Gallery Guides
Grab a kid-friendly gallery guide and wind your way through the Smart while learning about the artists, techniques, and works on view. Ask for a gallery guide at the Smart’s information desk or download one here in advance.
Plus, check out some of our past gallery guides:
Now on view
Discover how artists have transformed the simple act of sharing food and drink into a new kind of art.
Feasts in the Ancient World
Friday, May 25, noon
Archaelogist Geoff Emberling discusses feasting traditions in ancient Mesopotamia and explores connections to the culture of the Middle East today.
