Summer time is a great time to be outdoors, but it’s also fun to take advantage of local discovery centers and children’s museums. You can go during the week when there are smaller crowds and really take time to enjoy the exhibits. If you take a family vacation stop by a discovery center or children’s museum along the way or visit one in your destination city.
Discovery Centers are a great way to spend time as a family and learn something in the process. Discovery centers are targeted to kids. They help make the world of science come alive. They are places where “you don’t just read about science, you see it, touch it, hear it and do it.”
Discovery Centers often rotate their exhibits yearly. So just because you’ve been before doesn’t mean you’ve seen the latest exhibit. Most major cities have a discovery center and the cost is relatively low, for example the Boise Idaho Discovery Center is only four dollars for adults and two for kids.
Children’s Museums have different themes but they all center on children. Children’s museums feature exhibits that center around art, reading, science, music, and social science. Children’s museums combine learning with fun. Some feature exhibits with popular characters or shows like the Minnesota museum’s Magic School Bus or Manhattan’s Dora the Explorer exhibits.
The difference between Children’s Museums and adult museums is not only the content but that most children’s museums exhibits are interactive. For example children’s museums feature places where children can create their own art, play giant musical instruments, shop at a market, discover dinosaurs, explore water or a sailing vessel, and much more. Each museum features different exhibits so check out the museum’s website to see what they offer. We’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of children’s museums and my children have loved it. Cost is usually less than $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
Families.com father’s blogger T.B. White wrote about the opportunity to join one of two hundred Association of Science and Technology Centers and receive free admission to the other centers. He and his family joined and had a lot of fun visiting science museums. Of course this is best when there are a number of centers within driving distance.
But whatever you do just take advantage of local discovery centers and children’s museums and get out there and explore!