A trip to the museum can be more than a stroll through the halls and a trip to the gift shop. With some planning, your child can also enjoy the anticipation and lasting memories of a wonderful museum experience. But this is no last-minute present. Start early to make a Christmas experience full of memories that will last a lifetime.

*Make It Personal

Choose a museum that piques a child's interest in a new subject or builds on his or her existing understanding of a favorite subject. Natural history museums, aquariums, art and history museums with or without special children's areas can expand an interested child's experiences. Special events in living museums present exhibits and experiences of past and future days, which can excite, enlighten and inspire children to not only reflect back but look forward to the future.

In choosing the museum, whether nearby or as a destination experience on, for example, a family trip, carefully consider what you know of your child's interests, learning ability and energy level. Plan for breaks, take along comfort items and decide whether this would be best as a visit with you and just one child or as a family.

*Plan Ahead

See where the exhibits are located in order to time the length of your visit, considering the age of your child (and any grandparents who might be participating). You may want to focus on one or two areas of a very large museum for a more relaxing, in-depth visit, especially for younger children. For example, a natural history museum highlight could be the mammals, or ocean life, or dinosaurs, or a special traveling exhibit, and leave the rest for another visit.

Find out if children are allowed to carry small backpacks in the museum. Collect, or print out at home, brochures, handouts and postcards.

Check out the museum gift shop. Children love gift shops, but they can be expensive. To avoid disappointment, be sure to understand the monetary needs for a gift shop visit.

Consider picking up or ordering a DVD featuring the museum and/or highlight exhibits. The brochures, stickers, pins, DVD and any other items collected or ordered online will go into an actual gift box for Christmas morning.

*Make a Gift Box

Other than the experience itself, this is the most fun part of the preparation. Create a gift box presenting the museum visit as your gift, and include any or all of the following:

-- An invitation to the visit or museum event using the museum brochures, handouts, logo, etc.

-- A T-shirt to wear on visit day, either from the gift shop or hand-decorated using iron-on decals, logos and letters from your local craft shop.

-- A coloring book about the museum and a new box of crayons. Everybody loves a new box of crayons!

-- A small, inexpensive toy, book, pamphlet or puzzle representing the museum.

-- A favorite theme-related snack, such as fish crackers, dinosaur fruit treats, teddy bear grahams or astronaut ice cream.

-- A journal or notebook and stickers for observations, questions and sketches. Design a pamphlet as a passport with places to attach stickers or stamps as you move through the exhibits. This is a fun way to help keep children on track.

-- A simple map of the museum and exhibits so the whole experience becomes a treasure hunt.

-- Instant cameras labeled for each person. Try to keep cellphones tucked away.

-- Money for listening stations, experiential stations, feeding stations and the gift shop.

-- A small backpack, if allowed, to hold items needed for the museum adventure -- water bottle, snack, instant camera, outdoor exhibit items such as sunglasses, hat, magnifying glass or binoculars, etc. If the museum doesn't allow backpacks, it can still be used in the car.

-- Related DVDs and movies for introduction to the experience, as well as for reminiscing once you're home again. Rainy days are wonderful opportunities to revisit your museum experience with your instant camera photo album and museum DVD.

-- Wrap the box and attach a gift tag with a sticker, sketch or short notation indicating the special surprise inside. Always keep a gift recipient guessing!

*Want More?

Many museums now offer day camps, age-appropriate one- to two-hour exhibit experiences and even overnight sleepovers for adults and children. Check out local and state museums in your area. Very large regional and national museums such as the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., offer a wide range of experiences for family events with advance reservations.

*About the Backpack

Managing belongings is a skill children can easily learn early and use for life. A right-sized backpack holds the essentials, doesn't weigh a child down and fits a child's frame without causing back, neck and hip strain. (See "Backpacks 101" on the Illinois Times website to learn how to find the perfect backpack.) In addition, children can learn to organize items in the pack, keep track of it and not depend solely on you to carry their things. This fosters independence when you're there and for when they're on their own.

All children enjoy the anticipation and experience of a shared event, and special mementos that remind them of their visit. A museum experience that builds brainpower and family bonds is worth every minute of your preparation to make it a success.