Kids Museum Night Den Haag, 2018
Kids Museum Night Den Haag is one of my favorite yearly events. Museums around Den Haag open late at night and are filled to the brim with kids activities and events. The workshops and activities are aimed at kids aged 4-12.
Last year Jeff went with the Big Little and a family friend and her dad. They went to the Gemeente Museum for the evening and enjoyed a variety of presentations and fun. (Read about Museum night 2017 here.) This year, with Jeff out of town with the Middle Little. I took the Big Little with the Little Little in tow. The same friend and her mom luckily joined us. Things are always more fun in a group.
We opted to take the kids to the Mauritshuis, home to Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring painting. We honestly thought we might hit several of the museums in the center of Den Haag, but ended up being overwhelmed by the activities offered at the Mauritshuis.
Our Kids Museum Night experience started with an over-crowded craft table in the lobby. We urged the kids to come back to this activity but they insisted on starting it right away. They were each provided with a paint “scribble” that they turned into animals. There were ample art supplies to work with.
When they were done we asked each kid to tell us about their painting. The Big Little had transformed his squiggle into a mythical creature.
Something Extra from Delft (where we had our Dutch Valentine’s Day photos taken) had set up a little photo studio in the lobby where you could have your photo taken in a painting. Our Littles were not interested in putting on the costumes but dutifully stood for a photo.
Next we headed up to the cafe to grab a bite to eat. We should have thought ahead and made reservations! Luckily it was a short wait to get a seat to order dinner. There was a special kids Museum Night dinner which kept the service moving fast. Our food was good and everyone was pleased. The kids even got popsicles after the meal.
The kids headed upstairs to get a spot in a Kids Museum Night painting workshop. They were each given a painting from the Mauritshuis and a magnifying glass. They were to find one element and paint it on their mini canvas.
The kids were so into the assignment. I honestly think it was the little easels and real supplies that made them feel like they had to take it seriously.
They were able to experiment with mixing paint and creating a composition.There was plenty of staff around to provide guidance and support as well.
The Big Little chose grapes in his picture to paint.
In the end the painting was inspired by the grapes in his selected painting. Then he added himself standing near the grapes in a house.
There were plenty of drying stations so that you could easily take your painting home. No need to come back later to pick it up.
They had little bags ready for everyone to bring their art home. Perfect!
The rest of our evening was spent on a Kids Museum Night scavenger hunt through the gallery. The kids had to find particular paintings with hidden animals in them. This was a great way to get kids to look closely at many of the paintings in the gallery.
They were adorable and took it all quite seriously. In the end they were rewarded for their efforts with flashing Kids Museum Night badges.
Kids Museum Night is also held in several other cities around the Netherlands. It is a wonderful way to get kids into the museums and introduce them to arts and sciences in a new way. It was so fun to explore the museum without worry that we were being too loud or disturbing anyone as the kids asked questions and searched for hidden animals.
Kids Museum Night is very popular and requires a ticket. They regularly sell out so it is best to reserve your ticket in advance. The best way to know about ticket sales is to follow the Kids Museum Night Den Haag Facebook page.
