there will be education through entertainment

In museums it is usually forbidden to shout, listen to loud music or touch the exhibits! But the Metropolitan Museum of Art has decided that rules are made to be broken, and this weekend will open the 81st Street Studio, where you NEED to touch everything, have fun and make noise, writes Time Out.

81st Street Studio – a play space on the first floor of the Met (1000 Fifth Avenue) dedicated to art and science. It is aimed at children aged 3 to 11 who want to explore the world. Children can touch and smell different types of trees, look through a microscope, play huge musical instruments and play digital games. The best part is that admission to 81st Street Studio is completely free for children and their parents or guardians.

The opening of the studio is scheduled for September 9 – on this day there will be a bright one-day children’s festival.

81st Street Studio The 3,500-square-foot (325 sq. m.) facility features digital and analog exhibits and games designed to encourage creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among children. You can walk around the studio on your own or join group classes that take place there during Metropolitan Museum of Art opening hours (schedule here).

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Located in a former library building, 81st Street Studio includes several quiet reading areas as a nod to the building’s history. Visitors will find books in dozens of different languages, as well as in Braille.

Exhibitions in the studio will be dedicated to various natural materials (wood, paper, metals), as well as music, which has a special place in the 81st Street Studio. The large music station includes a huge guitar, a wall of castanets, an organ and a marimba – all created by the music professionals at Yamaha. This company has created a “bird bell” that will play sounds to mark important moments of the day in the studio. Musical components will help children understand how materials affect the sound of instruments. Plus, they are a lot of fun for kids of all ages.

Families who want to explore further after leaving the studio can receive the Met Field Guide, a toolkit with instructions for adventures in the museum and Central Park. For each adventure, children can earn stickers and badges.