Preschool Programs

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PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

The Speed Art Museum offers a number of programs for early learners to enjoy and explore the museum. From tours to workshops to Planet Preschool, there is something for every preschooler!

 

Preschool Drop-in Tours

Second Sunday of the month (Starting with January 13, February 10, March 10)
2:15 pm, Meet in Atrium
Bring your preschooler (ages 3-5) to the Speed Art Museum for a fun and educational tour designed specifically for early learners! A variety of different tours are available to appeal to your little one’s interests. Encourage your child’s inner art lover with a memorable experience at the Speed! Free with museum admission.

Upcoming Dates

Five Senses Tour
Sunday, December 9, 2 pm
Explore the Speed’s collection using your five senses! Imagine what you would touch, see, smell, hear, and taste if you could climb inside our artworks.

Story Time Tour
Friday, December 14, 10:45 am
Join Speed Art Museum educators for a literary adventure around the museum! This tour will link favorite children’s books with works in the museum’s collection to encourage language development and spark lively conversations.

Feelings Tour
Sunday, January 13, 2:15 pm
On this tour, we will look at portraits in the museum’s collection as a starting point for understanding our own and other’s feelings. We will explore different types of emotions and think about what makes us feel a certain way. Designed to promote social-emotional development, which is crucial for school readiness, this tour will encourage compassion, communication, and empathy in early learners.

Texture Tour
Sunday, February 10, 2:15 pm
Enjoy this tactile tour that gives young learners an appropriate way to explore the museum environment through their sense of touch. Using a variety of props, this tour will help children match, sort, and describe textures in artworks while developing their vocabulary.

Storytime Tour
Sunday, March 10, 2:15 pm
Join Speed Art Museum educators for a literary adventure around the museum! This tour will link favorite children’s books with works in the museum’s collection to encourage language development and spark lively conversations.

 

Preschool Workshops

Prototype Lab
Looking for something new and interesting to do with your preschooler? Early learners (ages 2-5) will enjoy exploring the Museum and expressing their creativity. Each workshop begins with a tour of the Museum’s galleries, followed by a hands-on art making activity. A parent or guardian must register with the child and remain with them throughout the workshop.
$10 member parent + child / $16 non-member parent + child

Colorful Connections
Saturday, January 26, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Search for different colors in artworks and learn about how artists use color while exploring the museum’s contemporary art collection. Then create a colorful masterpiece of your own while learning about color mixing!
RESERVE

My Five Senses
Wednesday, March 20, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
We use our five senses to learn about the world around us, and this exciting workshop incorporates all of them! We will explore the galleries and imagine what we would see, touch, taste, smell, and hear in different artworks then complete an art-making activity that engages our senses!
RESERVE

Preschool Programs

Museum Playdate: Baby Bonanza
2nd Wednesday of the month (Upcoming dates: January 9, February 13, March 13)
10:30-11:30 am, See Guest Relations for Location
Ages 0-12 months
Free with admission
Get out of the house and come to the Speed for a morning of interactive play with your baby! Each month we will set up in a different gallery to look at art and engage in related hands-on play. Join us for the whole hour or stop by for a few minutes and enjoy some social time with other families at the Museum.

Museum Playdate: Toddler Takeover
2nd Thursday of the month (Upcoming dates: January 10, February 14, March 14)
10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Pick up Activity Map from Guest Relations
Ages 12-36 months
Free with admission
Bring your toddler to the Speed for a fun, laid-back Museum experience. Drop in for a quick visit or stay the whole time – it is up to you! A variety of activity stations will be set up throughout the Museum for you and your child to explore at your own pace.

 

Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators

Professional development opportunities are available for early childhood educators who work with children who have not yet entered kindergarten. Workshops can be scheduled at the museum or at your early childhood center. These workshops are led by a certified trainer and count towards annual training requirements. Topics range from how young children learn through art to best practices in early childhood art education and can be customized to suit your needs. Discounts are available for teachers who serve low to moderate income children.
Questions about Early Childhood Professional Development or Preschool Programs? Contact Lucy Kacir at lkacir@speedmuseum.org

Support for early childhood programming is provided by the PNC Foundation.