National Gallery of Art - PROGRAM AND EVENTS
Family Activities
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Events will be added as they are scheduled. Please check back regularly for the most up-to-date calendar of events information.

Events By Type
Image: Try the interactive features related to NGAkids 3-D Twirler.Image: Try the interactive features related to NGA Classroom: Cake Maker. Decorate cakes in the art bakery.Image: Try the interactive features related to NGA Classroom: Ancient Arcade. Become a myth-master with this game of gods and symbols.Image: Create a tropical jungle filled with tigers, monkeys, and other exotic creatures.

You may also be interested in Children's Films, Teen Programs, Children's Video Tour and the Children's Audio Tour.

Program cancellation is rare, but in cases of inclement weather, please call (202) 789-3030 to check the status of a program.

Family Workshops

(ages 12–14) The winter Family Workshops are designed exclusively for "tweens," participants ages 12-14. Taught by artists and museum educators, each two-and-a-half-hour workshop includes an interactive tour in the galleries followed by a hands-on studio session. See the complete listing below for topics, dates, and times. All workshops begin in the Education Studio, located on the East Building Concourse. Participants must be dropped off and picked up by a designated parent or guardian. Workshops are free, but preregistration is required.

Registration for all winter workshops begins at noon on Wednesday, January 9. A link to the registration page will appear here at that time. If you do not see the link, remember to refresh your Internet browser.

Color, Line, Light: Watercolor Techniques
January 27 from 1:00PM to 3:30PM
February 3, 10, 17, 24 from 1:00PM to 3:30PM

Explore the special exhibition Color, Line, Light: French Drawings and Watercolors from Delacroix to Signac and be inspired to create your own series of watercolor sketches. Participants will learn how French artists used watercolor to depict a variety of subjects, while experimenting with watercolor materials and techniques in the Studio.

All workshops are full. Please complete the online registration form to be added to the waitlist.

Winter Drop-In Programs

Our winter programs are organized into two series—Stories in Art (ages 4–7) and Artful Conversations (ages 8–11)—designed to engage children and adults with works of art in the galleries.

These free drop-in programs are designed for individual families, and we cannot accommodate groups. Space is limited. There is no advance registration; participation is on a first-come, first-served basis. As a courtesy to the group, we will only accept sign-in for children in the age ranges listed. Program times, dates, and topics follow. For information, call (202) 789-3030.

Stories in Art

(ages 4 to 7) This series of programs uses storytelling to introduce children to works of art. Led by museum educators, each program includes reading a children’s book, looking at one work of art in the galleries, and completing a simple hands-on activity. The winter series explores works in the East Building while the summer series features works in the West Building. Approximately 60 minutes.

Sign-in for the Winter Stories Series will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays and at 11:00 a.m. on Sundays, and will continue until all spaces are filled
 

Winter Story Series: Investigate Modern and Contemporary Art

How do you investigate a work of art? Learn to make careful observations, analyze artists' choices, ask questions, and use your imagination while exploring works of art in the East Building. This winter, three imaginative stories are paired with three selections from the collection. After examining each artist’s technique, you will experiment with diverse media to create your own works of art. You will receive a notebook to accompany the Winter Story Series and a stamp for each program attended. Collect all three stamps to receive a prize!

Investigate: Pablo Picasso
January 19, 26 at 10:30AM, 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM
January 20, 27 at 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

When Pigasso Met Mootisse by Nina Laden

Explore the geometric shapes and bold colors of Pablo Picasso's cubist paintings.

Investigate: Romare Bearden
February 16, 23 at 10:30AM, 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM
February 17, 24 at 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey by Jeanne Walker Harvey, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Discover how Romare Bearden pieced together his creative works of art using everyday materials with strong patterns and textures.

Investigate: René Magritte
March 16, 23 at 10:30AM, 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM
March 17, 24 at 11:30AM, 12:30PM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM

Magritte's Marvelous Hat by D. B. Johnson

Step inside René Magritte's imaginative world and explore the art of creating illusion.

Artful Conversations

(ages 8 to 11) Designed for children and adults to participate in together, this series of programs uses observation and discussion to explore works of art in the collection. Led by museum educators, each program looks at one work of art in the galleries, accompanied by activities such as sketching, writing poetry, or making connections between works of art. Approximately seventy minutes.

Sign-in for Artful Conversations will take place in the East Building Atrium, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and will continue until all spaces are filled.

Artful Conversations Winter Series
Many museum visitors spend only seconds looking at a work of art. Find out what you can discover when you spend an hour exploring one work of art! Bring your observation skills, imagination, curiosity, and creativity to these guided discussions that delve deep into masterpieces from the Gallery's collection. Children who attend all three programs will receive a prize.

See-Wonder-Sketch
January 12, 13 at 11:30AM, 1:30PM
See-Wonder-Haiku
February 9, 10 at 11:30AM, 1:30PM
See-Wonder-Connect
March 9, 10 at 11:30AM, 1:30PM

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