Budapest’s Hungarian National Gallery is rolling out a lively season of kids’ programs at Szent György Square 2 (Szent György tér 2.), mixing playful tours with hands-on workshops that swap dry lectures for real discovery. Educator-guides lean into storytelling, drama, animation, and nature themes. On request, gallery visits can shift into studio mode, where kids lock in the day’s topic by trying out manual techniques of their own.
“Recolor It!” Workshop: Hunt for Tihanyi’s Secrets
Three Thursdays in January—January 14, 21, and 28 from 16:00 to 17:30—turn the gallery into a puzzle field for the Recolor It! club. The halls are riddled with clues, and only the sharpest young detectives will crack the case. Together, kids track a towering painter: Lajos Tihanyi. They’ll pore over dozens of his works, scanning for hidden details that matter. If they nail it, the fragments fuse and the riddle opens. Making stays central: they “forge” paintings, build a composite sketch, and play with photo alterations as part of the sleuthing toolkit. Children attend independently, without a guardian; staff escort the group back to the information desk between 17:30 and 17:40. Age range: 6–12. Maximum 15 participants. Program fee: 2,500 HUF (about 6.90 USD). Meeting point: information desk. The Creative Studio posts a fresh theme monthly; sessions stand alone, so families can jump in any time.
Toddlers, Lace Up: Snowflake Dance
On January 13 and January 27, 16:00–17:00, tiny visitors slip on the softest mittens and warmest snow boots for a winter mini-adventure in the National Gallery. They’ll watch the forest dress in white and spot the colors hiding in snowy landscapes. Then it’s sing, tell, and dance—swirling with snowflakes. Recommended for ages 2–4. Maximum 12 children. Duration: 60 minutes.
Toddlers Go Masquerade: Venetian Carnival
On February 10, 16:00–17:00, families are whisked to Venice, city of elegant masked balls and stately parades. Kids dive into carefree fun: take a turn on the carousel, dance, and try out different roles. They’ll craft the essential carnival accessory—a decorated mask—to take home. Recommended for ages 2–4. Maximum 12 children. Duration: 60 minutes.
January Highlights: Tihanyi Takes Center Stage
Beyond kids’ programs, January stacks up with guided tours, talks, and creative sessions orbiting Lajos Tihanyi. Mark your calendar:
– Jan 13: Tipegők – Hópihe tánc (Snowflake Dance)
– Jan 14: Színezd újra! – múzeumi műhely gyerekeknek (Recolor It!)
– Jan 15: Mama, nézd! – A csend beszél (Look, Mom! – Silence Speaks); TIHANYI 140. Curator tour by Mariann Gergely (Gergely Mariann)
– Jan 16: Az ember a paletta mögött (The Person Behind the Palette) with Gergely Barki (Barki Gergely); Visita guidata in italiano
– Jan 17: Betonba hímezve (Embroidered in Concrete) – author Rita Halász’s subjective tour (Halász Rita); Rebellious Forms, Bold Colors – Tihanyi’s Art (Lázadó formák, merész színek – Tihanyi Lajos művészete); Create! – Abstract Experience Painting (Alkoss! – Absztrakt élményfestés)
– Jan 18: Turn-of-the-century Nude Sculptures (Aktszobrok a századfordulóról); Tihanyi tour
– Jan 21: Mental Fitness – New Year, New Style (Szellemi fitnesz – Új év, új stílus); Recolor It!
– Jan 22: Online Tihanyi tour
– Jan 23–25: Multiple Tihanyi tours, including a sign-language interpreted session on Jan 25
– Jan 24: Adventure in the Gallery – Strange Faces (Kaland a Galériában – Különös arcok); lecture by Gergely Barki on duplications and gaps in Tihanyi’s oeuvre
– Jan 27: Snowflake Dance
– Jan 28–31: Recolor It! and further Tihanyi and author-led tours
February Preview
– Feb 1: The Eight (Nyolcak) – scheduled tour
– Feb 5: Look, Mom! – The Beauty of the Body (Mama, nézd! – A test szépsége); Lajos Tihanyi, the Restless Charmer (Tihanyi Lajos, a nyughatatlan sármőr) with Nóra Winkler (Winkler Nóra) and Tünde Topor (Topor Tünde)
– Feb 6: Budapest–Berlin–Paris. Tihanyi’s road to abstraction with Rita Halász (Halász Rita)
– Feb 7–8: Adolf Fényes tour (Fényes Adolf); Create! – Naked Reality (Alkoss! – Meztelen valóság); multiple Tihanyi tours; Building Walk – From Crypt to Dome (Épületséta – Kriptától a kupoláig)
– Feb 10: Visita guidata in italiano; Tipegők – Velencei Karnevál (Venetian Carnival)
The organizers reserve the right to change programs and times.
