Even though we were well into September, the forecast predicted 106 degrees and sunny for the upcoming weekend. We were in the middle of a heatwave, and wanted to head west to escape a few degrees of of this typical early Fall weather. Destination: Downtown San Diego. Only blocks away from the ocean, downtown can provide an alternative to the beach when the idea of packing hats, sunscreen, towels, and umbrellas just seems like too much.
According to redtri.com, The New Children's Museum was offering their Target Free Second Sunday admission. Entrance to this amazing museum is free once a month. This very urban building is filled with hands on activities that give it more of a science center feeling. Get ready to climb, paint, draw, and read your way into a learning experience. Hands-on does not come close to describing the types of activities provided. A better description would be hands and feet on. In addition to offering amazing activities to educate and engage your children, friendly staff were extremely helpful and were more than willing to get down on the children's level to help with an apron or a paint brush. Although we decided to bring our own snacks, a cafe was onsite for food and drinks. The area in which the museum is located also has other restaurant options available.
One reason to avoid downtown is the parking situation. Street parking is often difficult to find, and parking lots and structures can be quite expensive. This is just one more reason why the Second Sunday trip is amazing: street parking is mostly free on Sundays. Always double check the signs, but in general meters are not enforced on Sundays and certain holidays. We were able to easily find free street parking one block from the museum. The museum is also stroller friendly. Our toddler walked in holding our hands, while our infant enjoyed his spot in the stroller. This made the street parking situation much easier as we were able to keep our children safely with us and away from cars while walking in.
The museum is in a perfect location: close to the trolley stop, next door to a children's park, and within walking distance to many restaurants. It offers amazing activities for children with all types of interests. It even has a reading area in the basement for quiet reading time with plenty of books and comfy floor pillows. The museum would be great for the nursing mom, as chairs are located throughout.
A few notes to keep in mind when planning on visiting the museum:
1. The building is very raw-industrial, and has open balconies on every floor, allowing children to explore inside as well as in the fresh air. Because of this, there was no air conditioning in the building. A few floor fans were set up, but we were all sweating by the time we left. Dress appropriately, and bring water to stay hydrated as you would if you were outside.
2. Painting, clay, bubbles, etc were available to play with when we went. Make sure your children's clothing can take a stain or two.
3. A few of the play areas were shoe-free. If being barefoot grosses you out, bring some socks for yourself and your littles as you play in these areas.
4. Children's Park caddy-corner to the museum was a nice area to spend some time in. There is a fountain area that from far away looked like an awesome place for toddlers to play... it's a duck pond, and not clean water. There were also a few homeless persons around, so if that bothers you, you may want to walk elsewhere. It is very pretty though, and a nice place to wait and watch the trolley roll by.
Mark your calendars for the second Sunday of the month, and come downtown to The New Children's Museum. Chances are, you will have just as much fun as your little ones.
No comments:
Post a Comment