Conference moira::parenting_v3

>  What age kids are these museums appropriate for?  

If I had the time I'd go to the Science Discovery Museum by myself.  My 
favorite exhibit  is a huge table on which you can make drawings (the 
mathematical term is Lissajous figures) using harmonic motion (the pendulum is 
2+ stories tall!).  I get in line with the kids if the line isn't too long.
(If the line is long, I just use my elbows  ;^)  ).

It's best to go early in the morning, just after they open, or on good weather 
days.  They are very busy Saturday afternoons, and on school vacations, 
particularly if the weather is bad.

My son is 7 and he's pretty much outgrown the Children's Museum, if that
helps you.

Clay

    They're both a lot of fun - my 7-year-old still enjoys both places.
    The Science Discovery Museum is intended for kids 6 and up, and is
    more "exhibit" oriented.  The other is for younger kids, but I
    think is more fun.  One problem is that older kids may run right
    over the toddlers.
    
    There's also the Children's Museum of Portsmouth in Portsmouth, NH,
    to which my son and I went this past weekend.  More low key than
    either the Acton museums or the one in Boston, this one is "let's
    play and have fun, and maybe we'll learn something too."
    
    			Steve

    My three-year-old loves the Children's Museum (haven't tried the
    Science one yet). It's in an old house, and each room is a different
    kind of experience. Our favorite is the ball-slide room. The kids 
    climb up in a crow's nest and start the balls rolling, which then
    follow a number of different paths all over the room and eventually
    end up in a trough on the floor. Another room is for water play,
    another for things-that-stick-to-other-things (Legos, Colorforms),
    etc. There are a lot of nice touches. 
    
    The one drawback is that when it's crowded, the adults can have a
    hard time getting out of the way. They do restrict attendance to 
    a certain number at any one time, though, which helps.
    
    Lucy 

    |We went to the children's museum with a 13 mon. old, an almost 3 yr.
    old, and a 4 3/4 yr. old. All had a trmendous time...I would be hard
    pressed to say which one enjhoyed it more...they all did in different
    ways. Although the science one is geared to 6 and over, most folks I
    know who've gone say a bright 5 yr. old would also enjly it a lot.
    There is separate admission to each museum.
    
    The best part is, you're not always saying "don't touch!". They can
    touch as much as they want! Only thing we noticed, was that in the
    safari room, there was a cord kind of draped along the wall and stuck
    in an outlet. There was no plug cover in the exposed hole, and the cord
    seemd to draw kids to it (not just mine!). Several yanked the cord out,
    which could really be dangerous...particularly if they then tried to
    plug it back in. We did mention it to the front office on the way out,
    so hopefully it's been taken care of by now!
    
    --dave--

    Thanks, that's just what I wanted to hear!  I'm thinking about taking
    Marc (13 mos.) there during Christmas week.  Now that he's walking, he
    might have fun.  But it'll probably be _super_ crowded there that week,
    yes?

  This is sort of off the topic but I have found another place similar
  to the Childrens museum that I like to take my kids.  It is called the
  Tot Stop in Arlington, MA.  It is an old school that has been redone
  into sort of an indoor playground.  There is a music room and a block
  room and a big area for the kids to ride bikes in.  There is an infant
  and baby area, a sandbox room, a ball room and a housekeeping area.  
  They seem to have every toy invented for kids under 6 to play with.

  There is an eating area where they sell refreshments and lunches.  They
  don't allow you to bring in food(although I have seen people bring food
  every time I have been there) because of some state law, but you can
  leave at lunchtime and come back later if you want. The cost is $4.50 per 
  child and under 6months are free.  

  The best thing is the building is spacious and there is lots of room for 
  busy tots to run around.  It is on Foster St. in Arlington, MA.  The 
  worst thing is sometimes(rarely) it gets too crowded.

    While we're discussing other museums...
    
    We'd like to go to the Boston Children's Museum after the holidays. 
    Any pointers on when to go?  Are weekends too crowded?
    
    Can Digital employees still get a discount there?  Personnel here in
    MKO1 (Merrimack, NH) has a book of discounts and that wasn't in there.
    Anyone in Mass. seen forms for discount tickets?
    
    

You may also want to check with your local library for free tickets to
museums.  I know that the Northboro, MA library has tickets for several
museums in Boston and Worcester.


- Terry

    I recently ordered discount tickets through Employee Services and
    Recreation (in CFO, I believe, Concord Mass). They were $2.50 apiece
    regardless of age. You get a form from personnel and send it 
    with a check to ES&R and they send back the tickets (which are 
    open-ended, by the way).
    
    As for the best times to go, I suggest calling the Museum. For one
    thing, there is one time every week when it's free (mayber Friday
    nights?).
    
    Lucy
    

    ... since we're on the subject of "Children's Musuems's"...
    
    Last Thursday, I went to the "Children's Playground/Musuem of Worcester" on
    Stafford Street in Worcester.  I saw an advertisement for it in the
    Worcester Parent's Paper.
    
    It has similiar activities that are available at other children's
    attractions - Chuckie Cheese, Sudbury Enrichment Center and the Acton
    Discovery Musuem - all under one roof.
    
    As you walk in, there are round tables and chairs adjacent to a snack
    bar.  The snack bar serves ice cream, pizza, beverages (juice, too!),
    hotdogs, and probably other items, but I don't remember.  The pizza was
    pretty good -- 3.75 for a 10" pizza.
    
    Nearby the tables are assorted token-fed rides.  Tokens cost 5 for
    $1.00.  There were about 20 "rides" such as, mini-merry-go-round,
    horses, cars, elephant, giraffe, helicopter, mini-single-ferris wheel,
    trucks, etc....
    
    At the back of the Playground, there was the "museum".  The cost was
    $2.00 per child.  Adults and children under 1 are free.  
    
    The "museum" featured a two-story castle complete with towers,
    escape/trap doors, tunnel and look-out points.  Also featured were:
    
    .  A ball pit (the kind the kids jump in) with an exit slide
    .  Several rooms each with a "theme"
       .  A television studio where kids "anchor" on a video monitor
       .  A grocery store with fruit, veggies, can goods with 3 or 4 
          shopping carts
       .  A hospital/doctor's office
       .  A water room 
       .  A two story house with kitchen
       .  A McDonalds
       .  A free-for-all toy room  
       .  Maybe a couple others   - but I didn't go in/don't remember
    
    .  There were also several ride-on toys, that were scattered about.
    
    
    Outside of the musuem there are also pin ball machines, video games,
    ball targets, etc for older kids, but I didn't really pay any attention
    to them!!
    
    My first impression was that the place was a bit "tired" and "used" -
    not as freshly painted and bright as the other places I've been to. 
    Although I questioned how clean it was, I'm sure it as good as any
    other places that have alot of hands-on activities/toys for kids.
    Then I figured, that was my own impression, and it wouldn't have an
    affect on the children - I was right.  They loved it!!
    
    We arrived at 10:30 am and left at 1:30.  It was practically empty -
    maybe a dozen children.
      
    My 3 year old and 15 month old enjoyed themselves alot!!
    
    I'll try to get the directions if others are interested...
    
    Laurel

    *YES*, please post the directions!
    
    Sue

    I just went to the Peabody Museum in Harvard Square with my 7 year
    old.  We both loved it.
    
    There are various rooms.  One has exquisite rocks.  Another has
    flowers made out of glass, which as supposedly beautiful but we
    missed that room (assumed the moldy fruit made out of glass was
    the glass exhibit), another is whale bones, dinosaur bones, stuffed
    birds, stuffed mammals.
    
    But by far the most spectacular was an entire room full of beatles.
    The beatle exhibit is temporary.  Beatles are incredibly beautiful, and
    come in a mindboggling variety of sizes shapes and colors.
    
    Incidentally, my daughter (10) refused to go with us.  She said she'd
    been to the museum for a class trip and "there's nothing to DO there",
    so it depends on the kid.  As I said, my son was totally blown away,
    and only was willing to leave because 1) the museum was closing and
    2) I promised to take him back soon.  (We were there for 4 hours and
    didn't get to all the rooms.)
    
    Radia

    
    
    I am trying to find out the name of the childrens activity
    center (museum) located in Worcester???  Also I will be needing
    directions.  We will be taking our 17mo. old this weekend.  
    
    
    Thanks in advance
    -Nadine

    I love that museum. It smells like the musty old museums of my
    childhood (mostly because parts of it have been untouched since 
    before my childhood). Some of the taxidermy is getting a little
    tatty, which adds to the charm. The glass flowers are stunning.
    The anthropology section has been completely redone and has a lot
    of great dioramas and artifacts. Don't miss the gift shop (by the
    Divinity Ave. entrance). The main entrance to the Peabody is on
    Oxford St. Cost is reasonable.
    
    Lucy
     

    OK, here's another one...  What kind of stuff do they have in the
    Boston Children's Museum?  Again, what age kids would enjoy it?
    
    Also, we went to the Boston Science Museum on Saturday (not
    specifically for Marc, some relatives were visiting).  I'd forgotten
    about the Discovery Room they have there.  Most of the stuff is for
    school-age kids, but Marc liked the lifesize stuffed beaver, and
    making small plastic disks stick to a large magnet.  He also, amazingly,
    seemed to like the electricity demonstration and the IMAX movie.
    But the best thing was anything that had buttons he could push!
    
    BTW, are there any hands-on type children's museums in New Hampshire?

    Very briefly described, the Boston Children's Museum is sort of like a
    combination of the two Acton museums: the Children's Discovery Museum
    and the Science Discovery Museum (assuming you're familiar with them!). 
    It is large and diverse enough to appeal to quite a wide age range.  If
    you go, adults and older kids might also want to visit the Computer
    Museum (originally started by Digital, at MRO2) which is right next
    door.
    
    A few replies back someone plugged the Peabody Museum at Harvard,
    without mentioning the large Anthropology section.  Many of the
    exhibits are rather old and unspectacular, but a completely redone hall
    on North American Indians was opened about a year ago, and should not
    be missed.  There is enough there to keep interested adults and older
    children fascinated for hours on end, and younger kids would probably
    enjoy a somewhat shorter visit (even those not turned on by bugs,
    rocks, and flowers!).
    
    		- Bruce

    re a few back, the libraries will offer free passes to many places, our
    as I believe Northboro is, is plugged into the Worcester County Library
    system, so the passes are pretty much standard whichever town you
    reside.  My only complaint about this free pass system is that 1) you
    can only take one pass per day, which is lousy if you want to spend a
    day in Boston and see say chilren's and the Aquarium  and 2) you have
    to pick them up the day you plan to use them, not the night before, and
    have them back by the end of the same day.  Kind of puts a time crunch
    on your adventure!  We have managed to see the Science Museum in
    Worcester, the Boston Aquarium and a couple others.
    
    Out town (Oxford, MA) latest offering is for the Higgins Armory Museum
    in Worcester, has anyone been there?  Is this age appropriate for my
    about-to-turn 4 year old. (on January 2).
    
    Happy Holidays!!
    Lyn
    

    We took Marc to the Discovery Museum in Acton the day after Christmas,
    and he had a great time!  The sign out front says "especially for kids
    under 6".  As someone mentioned earlier, the museum is in a 3-story old
    house.  Each room in the house is a different activity, like dinosaurs,
    water table (we had a lot of trouble getting him to leave that one!),
    shapes, ball rollercoasters, legos (an entire roomful of legos - even
    the walls were legos!)).  The 3rd floor is set up like a sailing ship.
    
    Surprisingly, it wasn't very crowded.  We'll definitely go back and let
    him spend 2 hours playing with the water if he wants to!

re: .18 Children's Discovery Museum/ Science Discovery Museum

If you're planning on being a repeat visitor, you might consider a membership, 
which entitles you to repeat admissions.  In terms of number of visits, the 
break-even point, compared to paying each time, is pretty low.

And even if you don't break even, you are contribuiting to IMO, a very 
worthwhile institution.

Clay

    p.s. to .19
    
    . . . and Digital will add a matching contribution to your membership
    fee.
    
    			- Bruce

    
    Re: 17
    
    I went with my son's Transition class to the Higgins Armory.  It is
    very interesting.  It has displays of different armor.  A guide
    explained the development of armor, (e.g. chain link, variations in
    armor from different countries, times, etc.).  Touching, I believe, in
    some areas is discouraged, however.  There is an activity room where
    the kids can try on different costumes, make rub drawings, and play
    games. This might be the most fun for your child. 
    
    I do believe some of it maybe a bit much for a four year old.  I know
    one of the 6 six year olds I had, had to be watched quite a bit.  
    Hope this helps.
    
    					Darlene  

    Re: .20
    
    Also, as a DEC employee, membership is discounted.  On top of that,
    you are credited your admission price if you join before you leave.
    
    Don't forget to send them a matching gift form (if you can find one,
    that is!)
    
    			Steve