"As we go upstairs, we're going to look for the color red.  Who can already find something that is the color red?"

A few toddlers in our group point to things on the Family Activities Cart next to us; several more point to museum teacher Liza's red sweater.  No matter what, she's got their attention, even before we arrive in the European art gallery on the second floor.  There, carpet-squares are set out before a 15th century Flemish tapestry fragment showing "an allegory of Hope".  We're about to hear Liza read Caps for Sale and then do an art project. The toddlers find their squares, and the parents (and all of our gear) carefully line the periphery. It's Sunday morning at the Philadelphia Museum of Art - "pay what you wish" day, and family programs are free.

The reading has them all entranced - "Monkeys!" one boy shouts.  My daughter and [...]More