Family Itinerary for Children Ages 5 on up: A Visit to Egypt

If the Metropolitan Museum is so big to you that it seems a continent, then how about seeing it one "country" at a time? Start with Egypt! And use this itinerary as a handy "guidebook." Plan on an hour for your journey. All the stops on this itinerary have family audio messages, too, to make your trip more fun. Some advice: be sure to bring paper and pencils for sketching! And before or after your trip to Egypt, visit the Museum's Nolen Library, dive into picture books, and rev up your imagination!

Tour stops (8)

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    The Temple of Dendur

    This 2,000 year old building stood near the Nile River, surrounded by a wall that no longer exists. But you can still peek through the gateway. Whose "house" is this? It's not for people. It's for gods. Can you identify them? They face out. A king faces in, bringing offerings. He is shown again and again.

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    Sphinx of Hatshepsut

    Here's one of several sphinxes that guarded the entrance to a temple, each with the head of a female pharaoh. Don't let that beard confuse you! Besides the pharaoh's head, the sphinx is made up of parts from another powerful creature. Can you identify it?

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    Crocodile Statue

    Nile crocodiles used to be plentiful in Egypt—even catching people from time to time. The oldest could live up to 100 and reach 18 feet in length. The stone is hard, just as the crocodile's skin might be hard, too. But do their colors match?

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    Statue of the Goddess Sakhmet

    Fourteen hundred years ago, hundreds of these probably stood near a temple's sacred lake. Sakmet, "the powerful one," is no pussycat! How does the artist show her power? She could bring violence and war, but she could also protect and heal if the circumstances were right.

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    Time to Sketch!

    Settle down for a few minutes, pick something in this gallery, and have fun drawing it. Enjoy the chance to look carefully as you create your own sketch. You'll be surprised at how much more you notice, thanks to exploring art by sketching.

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    God Horus Protecting King Nectanebo II

    Why so big? Why so small? And what do they have in common? Try to explain the connection between this bird and man. Their poses, their sizes, and their headdresses tell us a lot about the relationship between the king and the gods.

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    Meketre Models

    For the ancient Egyptians, these magic models helped a man named Meketre to have all the things he needed in the afterlife. A fleet of boats is designed for travel, ritual, and pleasure—maybe even a picnic including bread, roasted poultry, beer, and soup. Which one provides delights for the stomach?

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    Coffin of Khnumhotep

    Yes, there is a mummy in there. The painting on the side of the coffin reveals its position. How do we know? If you needed to look out, you would find some eyes to make that possible. What direction would you look? Look to the east to see the sun "reborn" everyday as it rises.

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