Teaching artist Jane Askren, who has more than 20 years of experience spanning early childhood and elementary education, leads a session of Museum Babies & Toddlers.
Posted September 22, 2026
For more than 40 years, the Vero Beach Museum of Art has positioned education at the forefront of its mission. Its engaging exhibitions, lectures, events, classes, workshops, and outreach programs are widely attended by Vero Beach and Indian River County residents.
Recognizing that well-rounded learning experiences are also critical for fueling the growth of our community’s youngest residents, Vero Beach Museum of Art also offers three foundational early childhood learning experiences that collectively serve thousands of children and families each year. These programs help children grow their creativity and intelligence, along with their social and physical skills.
A recent report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services supports this undertaking. It notes that during the first five years of life, children are learning new skills at a remarkable rate. These formative years shape exactly how and what they learn—on social, emotional, physical, and cognitive levels.
“Families are a very important part of our audience, especially the littlest of our visitors!” shares Sara Klein, director of education and visitor experience. “Having dedicated programs and spaces where parents and their babies and toddlers can see, wonder, and create together is crucial for cultivating intergenerational learning and nurturing the next generation of artists, creative thinkers, and museum patrons.”
Offered monthly, Museum Babies & Toddlers focuses on children ages 4-years-old and younger. Caregivers and their little ones participate in art viewing, sensory experiences, and playful learning. After spending time in the galleries, children create art projects.
Each Wednesday, VBMA offers two themed sessions of Museum Stories—one for children 0 to 24-months-old, the other for 2- to 4-year-olds. Featuring creative connections to the exhibitions on view, participants enjoy listening, learning, singing, dancing, sharing, and making art as they nurture their love of art and reading.
Open daily, the Art Zone is an innovative and interactive space for children, connecting objects in the permanent collections and exhibitions with engaging ways to play, learn, and create.
Together with Museum Studios family programs, Holidays at the Museum, and the Children’s Art Festival, Vero Beach Museum of Art serves more than 20,500 children and families annually. The future Museum building and expanded campus will further this tradition of creative learning, offering 13 galleries, an expansive education wing, and an interactive kids’ Art Zone—all of which promote creativity, spark curiosity, and support learning.