The weekend is often a time to let loose for children, but this Saturday, Athens families will have the opportunity to unleash their energy in a new kind of playground — The Georgia Museum of Art.

The Museum is hosting a Family Day this Saturday, Jan. 21, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in honor of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative.

The Georgia Museum of Art will host a Family Day as part of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative. FILE/The Red & Black

The Museum is located on East Campus Village at the University. The event will be held inside themuseum itself and it is free and open to the public. Though children are the focus, all ages are encouraged to come.

Curatorial Assistant to the Educational Department Melissa Rackley began considering incorporating Lets Move! into one of the monthly family day events six months ago. The Lets Move! Initiative is First Lady Michelle Obama’s project to decrease obesity in the U.S. through encouraging healthy eating and being active.
Much brainstorming led to the idea of focusing the event around animal-themed art and activities that would attract children and get them involved. With the help of Hillary Brown, director of communication at the museum, Rackley was able to coordinate and organize the first on campus event that works in conjunction with Lets Move!

“I think it is really important that we be a presence in our community,” Rackley said. “We want to find ways to be of service to the children and families in our community. I think, often times, art museums can be overlooked in things like that so this was a great opportunity to show families that an art museum can be a place to have fun and connect with the art that you are seeing.”

This particular day will give families a chance to connect visually and emotionally with the art as usual; however, they will also be able to connect physically through yoga.

Graduate student in educational psychology Sarah Whitaker has done yoga for ten years, and has been an instructor for almost as long. Whitaker will be leading children in poses that will highlight animal paintings shown in the gallery during the event.

“There will be a lot of playful and imaginative poses,” Whitaker said. “Kids will be able to learn the rooster pose, dog poses, fish poses and even bird-related moves.”

In addition to yoga, art galleries depicting different animals will be on display, and there will be clay provided so that families can learn to sculpt together. Also, families will be able to take home a garden-planning packet including seeds provided by Keep Athens Clarke-County Beautiful. In order to encourage healthy eating, local farmers will bring vegetables of different shapes and sizes for children to taste while they enjoy the day.

“The farmers who are coming are going to give stickers to kids who taste the food.” Brown said, “so I’m looking forward to seeing my one-and-a-half-year-old eat vegetables.”