Monday, May 5, 2008

The Magic House

On Thursday, we visited two fun places. The first was the St. Luis Zoo. The second was the Magic House.

Remember the City Museum that was NOT a museum. The Magic House is not a house full of magic. It actually IS a museum. Figure that one out. A Children's Museum to be exact.

We pretty much live at the Children's Museum here in Grand Rapids and we visit one wherever we go. They are just so much fun. The Magic house was a bit different from any other one we've ever been to.

For starters, most children's museums we have gone to are usually housed in warehouses of some sort. This one was in a house. As we were going through, I was actually spending time imagining how I would make this house a home if it were mine.

They had all the standard exhibits...

The water table (for the daddies AND the boys)















The kitchen play area (which Kira LOVED)














Downstairs there was a Lewis and Clark Expedition that had tents, tee pees, and dress up clothes. There was also an actual expedition area that Noah was the only one old enough to go through.














Noah's favorite exhibit was also the one I thought was the most creative. First they went fishing with fishing poles (for fish lures with magnetic ends)



















Then they run across to the other side of the room














Drop it in the pond















and watch it "swim" back across the ground to the original location. They had a plexi-glass type cover so you could actually watch your lure return to the pond. Noah and Odin spent a lot of time with this exhibit (while the daddies were playing with the colorful bunnies nearby














Some of the other favorites I couldn't get a picture of. There was yet another three story high winding slide that both the boys loved. There was a shadow room that was cool because you stood in front of a big green screen, made a body pose and a camera took a picture. You step away and your shadow pose is still on the wall. Very cool.

I know I am starting to sound like a page from the St. Louis Tourism Council but this is really another place that you HAVE to see if you ever go. There were a lot of exhibits just for the little kids (like this light table and the sand area that Aaron and Kira enjoyed).














so I recommend it for all families with younger kids.

7 comments:

Courtney said...

The fish thing looks pretty cool. Loved the picture of him following it back.

Mom Knows Everything said...

that looks like such a fun place to take kids to.

www.frogparenting.blogspot.com said...

I love hearing about all the different places to go, what a wonderful tour guide you are! LOL!

Deb said...

That looks like an awesome museum! I so wish we could afford a trip somewhere this year. Maybe next year... :(

My mom's doing ok from what I can tell - I put an update on my HoT post from yesterday. I tried calling you back last night, and left a message on your phone after I got back from Meijer. :)

I've got an idea for something I want to ask you about tonight when I bring the garage sale stuff over...

Lindy said...

That fishing pond is soooo cool -- my kiddos would LOVE something like that! :)

Megan@SortaCrunchy said...

How FUN!!!! I wanna go, too!!

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

They must switch things out. I don't remember a couple of those things. That would make sense though. Who'd want to go back if it was always the same. Did they still have the static room where your hair stands on end?