The Only Magazine for Children's Art
Nov 10, 2026
'Story Time', Surrealism and a film inspired by Chagall
Like the Whitney, New York's venerable Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has made a concerted effort to make kids feel welcome, with its ongoing Heyman Family Programs constantly surprising in their creativity and educational vitality. This November, especially, there is much to be excited about for budding young artistic minds.
Arguably its most accessible series, 'Family Story Time' invites pre-schoolers to spend any Wednesday morning being riveted by enthusiastic readings from books that are themed around art, with the chance to explore the museum's collections afterwards, and be even further inspired. It should be stated here that from our experience, kids have some of the most startling and astute reactions to art, especially when it comes to abstraction, from Cubism to Abstract Expressionism and beyond.
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And speaking of 20th Century art movements that changed the way we see the world, this month's 'Family Art Making' sessions - every Saturday from 11am to 4pm - will give kids the opportunity to create books inspired by the current MoMA exhibition 'The Surrealist Book: Tomorrow Lives in Mirrors'. Just imagine traveling back to the Paris of the 1920s/30s/40s, to share ideas with such icons of the movement as André Breton, Max Ernst and even Salvador Dalí. The Surrealists themselves insisted that books "are doors," and that whomever opens them "is immediately thrown into a higher realm.” Not a bad undertaking, then, for an autumn weekend in New York.
Bigger kids get to test their art knowledge on Saturday the 21st with 'Family Gallery Talks'. Ages 4-10s swap insightful observations with museum staff, with this particular session focused around 3D art; while on the same day tweens follow MoMA educators on an interactive tour titled 'Exploring Architecture' - which will surely prove enlightening, as the museum's curatorial commitment to architecture and design dates all the way back to 1932.
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But surely affirming the museum's dedication to enriching young minds is the upcoming (November 14, 2pm - 3pm) event 'Family Films: Let's Pretend', which will introduce a new collection of original video shorts, constituting a mini film festival of sorts. Notably, current MoMA exhibition 'Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio' (on view through February 2027) provided the inspiration for one of the films, and Marc Chagall's iconic goats find their way into the Sarah Cowan directed 'Once Upon an Artwork: A Trip to the Upside-Down World' for the latter.
Other highlights include 'Sketches on Ice', in which Frosty-like, a snowman suddenly comes to life; and the Yali Herbert directed 'Me and My Shadow', which explores the expanse of a young boy's imagination. Both Herbert and Cowan will be on hand for a Q&A following the screening.
It is recommended to book ahead on MoMA's website for all events.
(For families without geographical proximity to New York City, MoMA has amazing video content on their YouTube channel that is both entertaining and educational - including the aforementioned film 'A Trip to the Upside-Down World' - which you can enjoy together as a family at home.)
