Is it safe to take my kids to a museum?

A visit to the museum these days looks a lot different than it did in the "before times," before COVID-19 upended just about every aspect of our lives. Now, you'll need to buy or reserve tickets for timed entries. Some exhibits may not be open for extra cleaning or because the high-touch activities aren't particularly COVID-friendly. And for all of us, ages 5 and up, masks are required.

"The consistent message for parents to consider is that, at this point, with COVID still being pretty prevalent in our community, that going out and interacting with other people is not going to be a no-risk situation," she said. "They should approach it as something that has some risk associated with it and that control measures that we have help reduce the risk, but it doesn't eliminate it."

Some families are fine holding off on a trip to a local museum, but for others, these local destinations are an important part of their kids' childhood and they have truly missed the exhibits and opportunities there.

"Museums are wonderful places for kids to learn and to play and to be a kid, and so if going to a museum is something that is important for your family and your child and is something you want to do, there are steps you can take to reduce their risks," she said.

Here's what you can do.

Museums with outdoor spaces where air can easily circulate are better than indoor spaces. And museums with big open spaces inside — where there is plenty of room to socially distance — are preferred to those with smaller spaces, Sickbert-Bennett said.

Masks are a must when inside, but also when you're outside around a lot of people. Make sure that the mask covers both your nose and your mouth, Sickbert-Bennett said. And while state law requires everybody age 5 and up to wear a mask, Sickbert-Bennett recommends them for those ages 3 and up.

One benefit of a mask: The mask doesn't just protect us from virus particles that others may be spreading as they talk, laugh or cough. It's also a physical barrier that makes it more difficult for kids to put their hands in their mouth.

Each museum that is reopening has new sanitation practices to keep exhibits and spaces clean. They also have placed new hand sanitizer stations in exhibit spaces and galleries. But Sickbert-Bennett said parents also should be mindful of what their kids are touching and bring their own hand sanitizer as well, especially for those with young children who might be more likely to put their hands in their mouth.

Be habitual, she said, about putting on hand sanitizer or washing hands, especially before they stop for a snack.

"If you're going from area to area inside a museum, just get into a routine," she said. "We're leaving this exhibit, we're leaving this room, let's clean our hands before we go to the next room."

Museums may be open, but that doesn't mean we can go back to visiting them just like before, Sickbert-Bennett said. A year ago, you might have been able to visit every single corner of the museum. No longer. These days, you'll want to avoid exhibits that are particularly crowded or may be in smaller, enclosed spaces, for example.

"Maybe as a starting place, as a way to notch the dial a little bit, let your child know we're going to go and stay for only an hour or visit two favorite exhibits," Sickbert-Bennett said.

Museums are requiring that families and parties stick with each other and stay socially distanced from others. That's an important way to protect each other.

"Stay with your household," Sickbert-Bennett said. "This is not a time to make new friends, unfortunately."

"Be really vigilant," she said. "It may sometimes lead to disappointment and a change of plans, but it is really important that people who are not feeling well are not going out."