One of our favorite activities at an MFA vacation week was a weather-vane project, where my “avant-garde” 4-year-old made a dog weather vane with a spiraled, yellow pipe-cleaner attached to show the dog peeing 😂😍🎨 The museum educators facilitating the activity were wonderfully supportive of him and even suggested art styles his creation would fit right into. The child has a sense of humor!

Another time we made Polynesian stick charts after looking at a Navigation Chart from Micronesia. This was right around the time the Disney movie “Moana” was big, and my kids really enjoyed an activity relevant to something they loved.

Now, I know as homeschoolers we don’t usually like to go places during school vacation weeks, there are just so. many. people. But I do make an exception for the MFA’s vacation week activities because the quality of the activities is very good and very kid-friendly. The activities are also more low-key and free-form compared to Artful Adventures. Giving my kids a positive experience with art, history and museums is something I highly value, and can usually accomplish at the MFA!

This year’s December Vacation Week Activities are focused on the solstice and light, and runs Thursday, December 26 to Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

From 10am to 4pm everyday, you can visit these activities:

• Reflected Light – Features a Persian mosaic with mirror pieces and a mosaic making activity.
• Light from Above – This activity invites kids to look for the rainbow in a painting called Blue Niagara and to see if they can find rainbows in other paintings. The connected art activity is to make your own picture with colored pencils focused on water and light.
• Light of the Sun – After visiting the Ancient Nubia Now exhibit to see how the Nubians used gold to represent sunlight, kids can make their own jewelry.
• Infinite Light – Kids can look at a bronze Altarpiece with Amitabha and Attendants, and then make their own mixed-media sculpture as they “imagine a special place filled with endless light.”

On Monday December 30, 2019 at 11 am only, you can visit this activity:

• Riley the Museum Dog Book Signing and Scent Training Demonstration – Meet the MFA’s canine volunteer who helps sniff out bugs hiding in the museum that could damage art works. There will be a demonstration of his skills and a book signing.

The MFA full-price admission isn’t cheap, but you can get passes for $10 admission for 2 people at most area libraries. Children 17 and under are free whenever school is not in session. An EBT card will get you $3 admission per person.

Have you gone to any of the MFA’s vacation week activities in the past? What did you think of your experience? Leave a reply below 🙂