All Family Studio activities in the Koret Education Center are free; no museum admission required.
If you want to purchase tickets to see the museum during your visit, remember that children 18 and younger are always free!
Circus Animals
Alexander Calder was a huge fan of the circus and made many artworks inspired by them. Make your own bendable circus animals using wire and other fun materials!
Enjoy hands-on art making and creative exploration for the whole family! We believe in the joy of making, so come ready to relax, experiment, and enjoy yourself.
Every Family Studio includes the following free activities:
Plus, if you choose to visit the museum during your visit, make sure to ask about our printed family guides, check out our Art Goggles audio tour, and enjoy kids menus at Cafe 5 and Jane on Third.
At these drop-in workshops designed and led by educators from SCRAP, ordinary materials transform into extraordinary make-and-take art projects. The workshops make use of supplies from SCRAP’s creative reuse center and are inspired by SFMOMA exhibitions.
Founded in 1976 by Anne Marie Theilen and based in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, SCRAP works at the intersection of the arts, arts education, and the environment. SCRAP’s mission is to make the materials and methods of art making accessible to everyone, helping people transform everyday objects into creative projects that fuel the human spirit, support community vibrancy, and reinforce environmental awareness. At the time of its founding, Theilen oversaw a program that placed professional artists in schools. Unfortunately, there was no budget for materials, so the artists struggled to find supplies. Meanwhile, many local businesses were filling landfills with perfectly usable materials like paper with incorrect logos, fabric samples, industrial discards, and product overruns. Recognizing an opportunity to solve two problems with one solution, Theilen founded SCRAP in 1976. She teamed up with Ruth Asawa, who became the organization’s first board president. Each year, SCRAP’s programs serve over 33,000 people — all while diverting over 200 tons of waste from landfills.
Check out our For Families webpage for information about visiting the museum with kids, additional family events, links to at-home art projects, and more!
Lead support for Family Studio is provided by the Koret Foundation.
Presenting support is provided by Penny S. and James G. Coulter.
Major support is provided by the Hearst Foundations.
Meaningful support is provided by the John & Marcia Goldman Family Free Sundays Endowment Fund and Geoffrey and Priscilla Weber.
Additional support is provided by Kevin Perkins and Maggie Rothschild.