children's museum of the arts

Last week we took advantage of the pay-as-you-wish hours to [finally] visit the Children's Museum of the Arts. I'd been hearing great things about this place, which is a hands-on introduction to the creative arts, for quite a while, and have made several attempts to go, but 'til now none of them ever panned out. It was well worth the effort to keep trying, though -- the boys loved it! And we only saw one small part of the museum! Most of our time was spent in the WEE Arts Studio where the boys painted, colored with chalk, played with flubber and sand, glued collages, and printed with block stamps. They had a blast.

After having a little run-in with another boy his age, Garrett, with a little encouragement, took the high road and tried be his friend. The two hit it off surprisingly well, given their first impressions of each other, and before long they, along with Caleb, were sitting at the block table building things and chatting away. Their conversation, usually initiated by Garrett, was hilarious. Here are a few of Garrett's better conversation starters:

"You remember when it was snowing? I was really worried about that."

"What did you make? The tri-state area?"

"Remember Hurricane Sandy? That was really scary."

(Obviously our recent weather here in the tri-state area and the way it's been reported in the news has made quite an impression on him.)

After the fun they had in the WEE Arts Studio, I wasn't sure any of the rest of the museum, after we finally broke away, would capture their attention. But I was wrong, and I have the Ball Pond to thank.

Now, most of you remember those germy ball pits from fast food restaurant playgrounds. This is not one of those. Created out of large, bouncy, exercise balls, this Ball Pond is far grander and more akin to some sort of bubbly trampoline. Garrett and Caleb bounced and tumbled in here until the museum closed and they were forced to go. It was a great way for them to get some of their excess cooped-up-indoors energy out.

Meanwhile, Matthew watched the action from both mine and Grandma's laps.

So this museum is a keeper. I wouldn't be surprised if we find ourselves back again sometime this winter. I do, after all, live with two budding little artists with an excess of energy to unload. They might as well do it here where jumping is allowed and I don't have to clean up the mess.