FAMILY ART WORKSHOPS: MUSEO THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA

If you live in Madrid, or if you are just spending a few days in this vibrant city, you cannot miss a visit to The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, one of the leading cultural institutions in Spain.

The museum’s Education Department organizes different activities throughout the year for families, with the aim to bring the art world closer to children.

This Christmas we booked our tickets for a family workshop (“White over white”) at this prestigious art Museum, and we enjoyed a 2-hour guided visit through the extraordinary art collection, focusing on just 6 artworks, as well as a workshop that combined participation and experimentation. Our route was based on the search for multiple access routes through our senses, in order to delve deeper into the works of painters like Gauguin and Kandinsky.

We loved that the workshops for children have been developed as a workshop for the whole family, as adults are required to accompany children. Through the activity, families are encouraged to communicate and reflect on art history together.

The routes available are divided in accordance with the theme and the age of the participants (from 3 to 6 years old and from 7 to 12 years old). Tickets can be acquired from the Museum’s tickets desks but booking them online in advance is desirable. Families should register and secure their admission tickets before the start of the program.

Most of the tours are in Spanish, but the Museum also offers “Family Thyssen“, a weekend activity that aims to introduce families with children (aged 6 to 12) to the world of art in English. Family Thyssen takes place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am in English, and consists of a tour around the galleries in the company of one of the Museum’s educators following a route entitled The City for Traveling Families. Participants embark on a journey through the paintings in order to discover different cities around the world and learn about different issues relating to the depiction of the city and travel in art.

At the end of your visit, you can access the fabulous gift shop at the Museum. Their art book collection for children is truly fantastic!

(If you are interested in art education, you might be interested in our article about art books and ideas for children. )