Childrens Museum

If you live in the area and haven't taken your kids then you are missing out. The first Fri. night of every month from 6-10 is free admission to the public. My sister and I took our kids and we had so much fun! I could hardly contain Autumn. She loved every minute of it. When we decided to leave she was very upset and mad at me. I am definitely taking her back in Aug.

These pictures aren't great quality, I thought I had left my camera at home (only to find out when I got home that it was in my diaper bag all along!) and so I took pictures with my cell phone.

We headed straight up the 3rd floor where there was a room for 3 and under. What was so nice about this room was no over 3 was allowed in, except for parents and guardians. It drives me nuts when I take Autumn places to play (like the splash parks, or the play areas in the malls) and there are BIG kids (tweens) running and climbing all over everything and running into all the smaller kids... so I loved this room! There was so much to see and touch and explore. It was totally mind stimulating for these little kids. And NO SHOES were allowed, something Autumn was thrilled about!

The first thing Autumn found to play with were puzzles, one of her favorite things!Then where the puzzles were was this little area with balls and mirrored walls (also Autumns favorites)

Autumns cousin (my nephew) playing in the same ball area.Weston, hanging out just outside where Autumn and her cousin are, showing off his mad crawling skills.Over in an opposite corner of the room (this room was HUGE) was all these tumbling mats. Autumn had a lot of fun running and jumping on them.Weston, checking himself out too. (The room was friendly and appropriate for all kids under 3)This was a bunch of ping pong balls on string, hanging from the ceiling, at first this is what Autumn did with it.Then she did this! This is much more fun and makes a lot more noise!Weston, hanging out. There are these elevated chairs, which a bean bag type cushion in them.I don't know any other way to describe this area of the room, but to call it a "tree house" It sits just off the ground, you have to go up a few steps or a ramp to get up to it. But it has a bridge, and slide, and clear circles in the floor to see to ground. It was a lot of fun for Autumn and her cousin.You can look through these circles to the floor below. Where there is stuff to play with too.Going down the slide to get out of the "tree house."This is under the "tree house" there are all sorts of toys attached to the wall.In the corner of the tree house is this metal man hole looking thing. It was so much fun for Autumn once she figured out what it did. When you stand on it, it senses weight and blows air up on you. Above her head is streamers and stuff hanging from the ceiling that blow around in it too.Autumn kept getting off it, standing back on it, getting off, and going right back to it.Talk about fun!Right before we left the room she sat down and looked at a book. With all there was to do in this room I was shocked, but some down time is always good for Autumn.On our way out (this is on the main level right by the gift shop and entrance) we thought we should let the kids play in here too. There was music blaring, a hula hoop contest going, a dance contest...it was a room for ALL ages. I was super hesitant to let Autumn play in here, for fear of losing her somehow (the room was very crowded and very busy) but she had a blast and because of the holes in the stretchy material of the tunnels I could follow her and watch her very easily. She would climb in and out of the holes in the tunnels. The tunnels met in the center where there was a tent like entrance. Autumn enjoyed crawling around in there and climbing on it, and in and out of it.Autumn also found (where the teenager area of this room was) a machine that shoots ping pong balls out of plastic shoots. You put the balls in this hole and it vacuum sucks it all around these tubes and shoots, and depending on where you turn the knob depends on where the ball will shoot out. Autumn loved trying to follow the ball in the clear shoots with her eyes and then having to run after the ball to put it back in. Autumn loves to be stimulated, and this place did it for her.