MUSEUMS ARE REALLY FUN FOR KIDS!

By Golda Turner

Spring has finally arrived with its warm, sunny days and fresh air. The trees have started budding, and the first flowers have raised their colorful heads towards the clear blue sky.

And of course, if spring is here, then Pesach and other vacation days are not far behind. Soon we will hear the all too familiar refrain “What are we doing today? Let’s go somewhere--- I’m bored at home! Yanky and Suri are going to …..”

Yes, you have a house full of books and games, a backyard playground, bikes, balls, and everything else a kid could keep busy with for hours on a sunny day. But guess what? You were once a kid, too. And you also yearned to spend quality time with your family visiting many interesting places near and far. Those shared experiences became part of your family’s memories, to be cherished forever.

As parents, we want to give our children experiences that are not only fun, but educational, too. The best learning can be done on family trips, where parents can encourage discussion and share their own experiences.

I clearly remember my childhood visits to places like the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan with its huge whale dangling from the ceiling. And of course, who can forget the adjoining Planetarium with its exhibits on heavenly stars and planets. Though many of the exhibits were certainly more interesting to adults than to a little girl, a few were quite memorable, and helped develop my lifelong interest in nature and the heavens.

Today, there are many museums developed specifically with children in mind. Children’s museums and science museums abound, along with specialty museums such as the Jewish Children’s Museum and the Math Museum. They do not have the staid exhibits hidden behind glass walls such as those of my childhood memories. These venues have been developed with interactive exhibits that encourage children to learn and explore while having loads of fun. Even many “adult” museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, now have special sessions and art workshops for children.

Children’s Museums

Here are some of the many popular children’s museums that would make a perfect family trip on Chol Hamoed or at any time:

Brooklyn Children’s Museum---(718-735-4400) This was the first museum in the USA to cater specifically to children. Explore the role of the objects in people's lives and the clues they offer about individuals, cultures, and history. Enjoy art workshops, touch tanks with sea creatures, and much more.

Boston Children’s Museum---(617-426-6500) Boston Children's Museum has lots of hands-on fun exhibits designed for children and families. Exhibits focus on science, culture, environmental awareness, health & fitness, and the arts.

Garden State Discovery Museum---(856-424-1233) An exciting and fun-filled interactive museum for children ages infant to ten years located in Cherry Hill NJ. It features more than 20 exhibits, live animals, outside play area, and theater.

Jersey Shore Children’s Museum--- (609-641-5726) The Jersey Shore Children's Museum in Mays Landing NJ is a hands-on discovery center dedicated to stimulating curiosity and awareness in the areas of science, technology, history, and culture. Programs and exhibits encourage children (of all ages) to explore the world around them by providing an environment that stimulates creativity, imagination, and learning through interactive play.

Long Island Children’s Museum--- (516-224-5800) Located in Garden City, it features 12 interactive exhibit galleries, creative projects in workshop studios, and professional theater performances on weekends.

The Strong Musem--- (585-263-2700) The Strong Museum  in Rochester NY is America's second-largest children's museum. Devoted entirely to play, it contains the world's largest collection of dolls, toys and games. Kids can step into Berenstain Bear Country, explore life-size pop-up books, and walk through an indoor garden with free-flying butterflies. Parents can relive happy memories at the National Toy Hall of Fame, with "inductees" including Lincoln Logs and Play Doh. The whole family will have fun on the carousel or the Strong Express - an indoor passenger train.

Science Museums

Science is best learned hands-on rather than in a textbook. Here are some of the popular children’s science museums:

Boston Museum of Science---(617-723-2500) This large museum contains over 700 interactive exhibits, an 180 degree IMAX Dome theater, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, the Theater of Electricity, the Butterfly Garden, and many other interesting activities.

Buffalo Museum of Science---(716-896-5200) An interactive museum with over 700,000 artifacts and specimens in its science studios. Featuring a 3-D National Geographic Cinema.

Liberty Science Center---(201-200-1000) Liberty Science Center in Jersey City is a world class science and technology museum containing hundreds of hands-on exhibits and a huge IMAX theater showing numerous travel or science related films which change on a regular basis. They feature many traveling exhibitions, so you will enjoy no matter how many times you return. Indoors and wheelchair accessible.

New York Hall of Science---( 718-699-0005) Located in Flushing, Queens, this museum offers a hands-on approach that explains science, technology, engineering, and math programming to children of all ages. Their permanent exhibit, Connected Worlds, is a fully immersive, digitally rendered, interactive display. Visitors explore the interdependence of six environments and interact with creatures, trees, and plants within each atmosphere. Through gestures and movements, visitors learn the core principles of sustainability and see the impact of human decisions on the environment.

Children’s Museum of Science and Technology--- (518-235-2120) This museum in Troy NY is specifically designed for kids and their families to explore, discover and imagine the world of science together. CMOST inspires young minds to engage in a lifelong exploration of science and technology, instilling a sense of wonder and discovery.

Specialty Museums

Here are some specialty museums which may interest you and your family:

Jewish Children’s Museum---Located in Crown Heights, this is a unique institution where children and their parents – from all segments of the community – can explore Jewish history and heritage in a stimulating and interactive environment. Exhibits focus on Jewish holidays, biblical history, the land of Israel, contemporary Jewish life and more. Special activities are scheduled for holiday seasons, and are free with museum admission. Wheelchair accessible.

Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum---Older children will certainly enjoy this unique museum, located on a decommissioned battleship in New York Harbor. Located at Pier 86, the complex boasts authentically restored aircraft, USS Growler submarine, a British Airways Concorde, and the Space Shuttle Pavilion, featuring Enterprise. Enjoy flight simulators and tours of a real submarine. Not wheelchair accessible.

Corning Museum of Glass---(607-937-5371) Though families with small children may want to pass on this one, the Corning Museum is a fascinating window into the world of extraordinarily beautiful things that can be made of glass. See glassblowing demonstrations and interactive exhibits highlighting the many features of and uses of glass. Wheelchair accessible.

National Museum of Mathematics--- (212-542-0566) Want to encourage your kids to love math? This museum in Manhattan has innovative exhibits that will stimulate interest in the wonders of mathematics. Special programs are geared to 4^th through 8^th graders.

Do you have a specific interest that you would like to share with your children? If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is the real thing worth? There are museums on just about any topic you can think of, from history to nature to science. They will help you transmit knowledge of the wonders of our world to the next generation.