Museum Monday: Rijksmuseum

M and I recently visited the Rijksmuseum.  The museum is in a massive building, but because of a renovation only a small portion of the collection is currently on display.  This worked to our advantage, since M's attention span for museums is about 45 minutes.

The Rijksmuseum has some cool programs for kids.  I thought that M would be a good candidate for the "Family Treasure Trail," but when we inquired we were given "Gordon the Warden."  Gordon is supposed to be for kids 6-9, but with a little help M was able to do most of the activities.  It highlighted about 5 works and asked questions to engage children.

The first work was a model of a 17th century sailing ship.  After that we moved on to a 17th century doll house, then Jan Steen's The Merry Family and finally The Night Watch.  After our visit, and thanks to the booklet, M was able to recall:

1. The boat was powered by wind
2. A long time ago doll houses were for grown ups, not children, 
3. The Night Watch shows a very noisy, active scene

I wish all museums had self-guided tours specially designed for children.