Creative Moments for Families to Connect: Spring Break at the Carter

With spring break upon us, kids everywhere are rejoicing while parents are double-checking the calendar because wasn’t it just winter break?

This coveted weeklong reprieve from alarms, homework assignments, and single-file lines is the stuff of dreams for any student but isn’t exactly a reprieve for the adults and caretakers who are suddenly expected to curate a schedule of exciting activities that will provide constant entertainment for five straight days. Well, fear not, grown-ups, for the Amon Carter Museum of American Art has you covered for at least four of those days.

Alli Rogers Andreen
Photo courtesy of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Spring Break at the Carter is back, returning after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, with programming specifically designed to engage all ages. In her role as Manager of Family Programs at the Carter, Alli Rogers Andreen creates opportunities that “help families connect with the museum and with one another.” The way Andreen sees it, there is no age limit when it comes to appreciating and immersing oneself in art. So, with that credo in mind, she and her team are excited to welcome families to a week filled with gallery games, wearable art, campfire stories, poetry, and special guests (I hear a bus named Barb will be making an appearance). And since every good party has a theme, the Carter is dedicating the week to powerful voices- “hearing inspirational stories, getting creative, sharing our ideas, and speaking up on things that matter.”

If it’s surprising to you that a museum is encouraging fun and play, then you likely haven’t visited this one. The Carter offers free family programming and amenities year-round for infants (Itty Bitty Art), toddlers (Toddler Studio and Carter Play Date), children and tweens (Art Tales), all with the intention to encourage, inspire and create. Andreen, an artist herself and former preschool teacher, says one of her favorite aspects of her job is the buzz that comes from the museumgoers of all sizes. “It’s a pleasure to see how people get excited to learn, play and create in the museum walls. The best thing to hear is the sound of footsteps slapping on the floors and giggles happening.” She frequents the informal learning space located on the second floor just to see what masterpieces parents and children leave behind on the coloring tables. It’s in these little creative moments where families can really connect and Andreen is happy to facilitate.

Photo courtesy of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art

“It’s incredibly important to provide playful opportunities and a chance to talk about more serious things- how we feel, how we express ourselves, how we move through the world. There’s a lot we can learn about ourselves and each other when we are in that creative space together. And the goal of family programming is to meet those needs,” said Andreen.

Spring Break at the Carter takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. beginning Tuesday, March 15 and running through Friday, March 18. As always, admission is free and open to the public. For more information on the week’s schedule of events and other fun family programs, visit the museum’s website at www.cartermuseum.org/events/family-events.

Although she prefers burnt orange to purple, Hannah Bush is happy to call Fort Worth her new home. She began freelance writing a few years ago to break up the monotony of her 9 to 5, and to prove to her parents that she’s making good use of her journalism degree. When she’s not hanging out with her cat, Hannah can likely be found on a patio with her husband, talking about her cat.