Children's Box at the Kirchner Museum Davos: Experiencing art anew with children

The box is part of the family-friendly program and is aimed at primary school children. Each edition is developed to complement the current exhibition, thus providing fresh approaches to art.

Simply borrow it at the ticket counter – and off you go: With creative cards and playful tasks, children explore the exhibition in their own way. Kirchner's favorite cat, «Boby», accompanies them through the rooms.

The tasks include developing their own little stories or even a film – for example, by choosing different works as the beginning, climax, and end. The success of this approach is immediately apparent in the experience: Children «don't just look, they connect with their creativity», says Sara Smidt, Head of Art Education. «In the end, they are intuitively more familiar with Kirchner's works, have an enriching experience at the museum, and hopefully will want to come back again.»

What emerges from this often leaves a lasting impression: «One child – already a little tired – started to sparkle when they invented a story for a film. Oscar-worthy!»

The visit also becomes a shared experience for families. Many tasks can be solved together – «the children develop a puzzle, the adults go on a search, or vice versa», says Smidt.

And last but not least, the Children's Box opens up a new perspective on art: «Seeing becomes play. But it's never too late to see through children's eyes again and to play with art.»

Currently, the Children's Box complements the exhibition «Kirchner. Picasso», which is on display until May 3. The box can be borrowed free of charge on site or purchased for 14 Swiss francs.