travel

The Shy (or Cautious) Kid’s Guide to Disneyland

January 31, 2014 by danawyyc 5 Comments

Going to Disneyland seems to be every kid’s dream, but it can overwhelming for especially for kids who tend to be a bit shy or cautious. Here are a few tips to help make their experience a great one.

1. Prepare them Ahead of Time

One of the best things you can do is make Disneyland familiar to your kid before you even go. Talk about the kinds of experiences they might have, show them Disney DVDs so they recognize the characters and songs. Show them pictures of Disneyland and show them what the characters look like with other kids, and look up videos on Youtube. You can also order a Disney vacation planning DVD that will include some video of the park.

2. Choose Your Rides Carefully

If you’ve already taken your kid to a fair or amusement park, you may already have an idea of what kinds of rides they might like. If you are not sure how your kid will react to the rides, I recommend starting with gentler rides and build from there. Disneyland does a great job of not making their less thrilling rides seem babyish. Many of the rides in Disneyland also have a experiential component that can make a fairly tame ride quite spooky, like Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion. It’s also important to note that the height requirements are there for safety reasons and may not indicate how age appropriate a ride is.

3. Be Prepared for Different Reactions to Characters

It can be hard to predict how your kids will react to the characters in the park. Some kids are scared of them, particularly the large animal ones like bears. Others like to see them, but don’t want to pose for pictures. Some can handle the characters that look like people but not the ones in full costume. Gordie found the fairies to be the most disconcerting because they were a lot bigger than they are in the movie. He is usually pretty outgoing but rarely wanted to pose for pictures. Nicky on the other hand is usually quite shy but surprised me by giving hugs and posing for pictures.

4. Be Flexible and Involve Them In the Planning

Being on vacation takes kids out of their typical schedule and routines which can make them feel like things are out of their control. Involving your child in deciding what to do can help them feel more secure. At the same time, be willing to deviate from your plans for the day and take advantage of something that has them excited.

5. Let Them Be the Photographer

If your kid is interested in meeting the characters but doesn’t want to get their picture taken with them, let them take pictures of the characters instead. Then when you come home they will still have a picture to remember meeting the characters but don’t have to pose for a photograph. This is something I really wish I had thought to do with Gordie while we were still at the park.

6. Try a Character Breakfast

Disneyland has a character breakfast at a restaurant in each of the two parks and one at each of the Disneyland Hotels. These can be a great way for your kids to meet some of their favorite characters in a lower stress environment. The characters at the restaurants walk around and visit each table. You can get a little more interaction from the characters instead of just a posed photo and you don’t have to stand in line. Each character breakfast has a different set of characters.

7. Use an Autograph Book to Break the Ice

Another strategy you can use with the characters is an autograph book. It can help break the ice by giving your kid a job to do and a conversation starter. You can also sneak a photo of your child with the character even if they won’t pose for a picture. This worked great for Gordie. He posed for almost no photos with the characters but was more than willing to ask for the characters autographs.

8. Check of the Other Things Disneyland Has to Offer

Disneyland has a lot to offer beyond rides and characters. For instance, you could watch a parade or enjoy the fireworks.

Take in a musical performance.

Or try pin trading.

9 . Have Some Down Time

Allow your kid to have some down time if they need it. Find a spot on a bench and watch the crowd go by, have a long lunch, watch a theatre show or take a ride on the train or the Mark Twain Riverboat.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

January 27, 2014 by danawyyc 14 Comments

Is It Worth It?

After taking our two kids to Disneyland, the short answer is yes.

I think people have three main concerns about taking their kids to Disneyland when they are little:
1. There won’t be enough for their age level,
2. It will be a lot of work to take them and
3. They won’t remember going.

I can say without a doubt that there is a ton for even toddlers to do in Disneyland. Nicky loved meeting the characters and there were a lot of rides we could take her on that she loved. It is a lot of work to take little kids to Disneyland but that’s true of taking them pretty much anywhere. I found the hardest most exhausting part for me was the plane ride. Gordie is old enough so he will probably remember a little bit about going to Disneyland for the first time, but Nicky won’t. But that’s true of wherever you take them when they are small. If you are only planning on taking them once, it might make sense to wait but otherwise, there is no harm. I totally enjoyed the experience of taking little kids to Disneyland and they had an amazing time too. Everything is so magical when they are little and no one does magical better than Disneyland. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

Even if your preschooler doesn’t normally need a stroller anymore there is a good chance that you will find one helpful in Disneyland. Disneyland is big and you can end up doing a lot of walking in a day. Being able to put your preschooler in stroller can also make it quicker to get from one place to another and save more of their energy for doing fun things instead of walking from place to place. Unless you really need it, I wouldn’t recommend a double stroller though because it’ll make it hard to get through the crowds. Depending on the type of stroller you have a Stroller clip or carabiner can be useful.

What worked for us is taking a smaller stroller (we used the Baby Jogger City Mini) that in a pinch both kids can sit in with the seat reclined and a couple of baby carriers. Gordie was under the weather for part of our trip so he ended up using the stroller even more than we had expected. I was really grateful to have the baby carriers (I had an Ergo and a wrap) that I could use with Nicky. They also saved my arms from having to carry Nicky around the park when she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

2. Don’t Rush

There is so much to see and do in Disneyland you can easily find yourself hurrying through the park trying to do as much as you can. As tempting as that can be, your kids won’t thank you for it in the end. No matter how efficient you try to be, you are going to leave with things you’d like to do still on your list. You and your kids will have a better time if you leave some breathing room in your day. Stop and try on some silly hats, hang around on main street enjoying a treat or let your kids push all the buttons they can find in Toontown. Going a bit slower also opens you up to seeing musical performers or characters that pop up around the park that you would miss if you were rushing through.

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

Even if you are staying at one of the Disneyland hotels, going back to the hotel for an hour nap is going to take more than twice that amount of time out of your day. On top of that, your little one may not fall asleep as quickly as they do at home (or even at all). Plan to have your child nap on the go – a stroller that reclines with a large sunshade is helpful for this or a carrier that you can comfortably wear while they nap. Even if your child only naps at home, they will likely fall asleep at some point during the day – probably a bit later than usual. Nicky has only napped at home for months but still had a shortened nap every day we were in the park either in the stroller or the carrier.

At the same time, don’t be afraid to go back to the hotel for a rest if your kids really need it. Even the nearby non-disneyland hotels are close enough to take a mid-day break if necessary.

4. Say Yes Sometimes

You are inevitably going to spend a lot of time in Disneyland saying no – toys, treats, and more are everywhere. Saying no is necessary but don’t forget to yes sometimes too. Go the ride for a second time, change your plans and do something that caught your kid’s eye on the way, buy a silly hat or get them a ridiculous light up toy that you would never buy if you were at home. It’s okay to indulge them a little and it can be a lot of fun too.

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

At some point during the day your kids are going to crash. Especially if you only have a day or two in Disneyland this my be long before you were hoping to leave the park. Try to recognize when they have had enough and leave wanting more instead of doing one more thing.

6. Let Them Walk in Line

Your first instinct may be to try to contain your kids while they are in the line, but letting them walk for as least some of the line can help make the wait go faster. Obviously you don’t want them to be disruptive, but you are not going to be the only parent dealing with restless kids. Disney recognizes this too – newer lines often have different things to look at and a lot of room to move around without having to worry about your kids getting lost. The Pixie Hollow line is a great example as you go through the line you can look for all the different fairy statues.

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

The food at the Disneyland Resort isn’t cheap but the items with the highest mark up is the snacks and drinks. There are lots of fountains throughout the park where you can refill water bottles. Having snacks and drinks on hand can help prevent hangry (hungry angry) children, save time and save you money too. If you do need to buy snacks in addition to the treat carts they have carts with healthier options, like fruit and hummus and crackers. They have also recently improved their menu to include healthier options and less fried food.

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

The height requirement of the rides in Disneyland are there for safety reasons. The rides may still be more thrilling or spooky than is appropriate for your child. For instance the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride and the Haunted Mansion both have no height restriction. Babies and toddlers may not have a problem on these rides but they may scare preschoolers. We took Nicky (21 months) and Gordie (4.5) on Pirates of the Caribbean and he declared that he did not want to go on that ride again ever. Not ever.

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

Each ride and attraction with have a sign out front telling you the expected wait time. In general they are pretty accurate although sometimes they seem to over state a ride’s wait time. Expect the character greet wait times to be accurate even if the line seems short. The lines go slowly – they let you take your time with the characters and don’t rush you.

Wait times can range from 5 minutes to over an hour. If you see a ride or attraction that your family wants to go on with a less than 20 minute wait go on it right away. If you come back later the line may be longer. I found that my kids could handle a line with a maximum wait time of about 40 minutes. If the line was longer than that we just moved on and I chose carefully for which rides or attractions we were willing to wait that long for.

10. Talk to Cast Members

Finally, don’t forget to talk to the cast members. They can help you find the closest washroom, nearest place to buy a new shirt and help you decide whether a particular ride is right for your child. Even if you don’t need something specific, you might stumble on a great experience that you would have otherwise missed just by striking up a conversation.

11. Dress for the Weather

Disneyland can be quite warm and sunny even in December so don’t forget your hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. However, it cools down a lot when the sun goes down. This was around 5pm when we were there in late December/Early January. Think about bringing along light jackets and a blanket even if you won’t need them for most of the day. You can also buy all of these things at the park if you forget something.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

The National Mall – Washington, DC with Young Kids

May 25, 2013 by danawyyc 1 Comment

The National Mall is the centrepiece of downtown Washington. It is an open air National Park and it and many of the features within it and near it are run by the National Park Service. The National Mall runs from the Washington Monument to Capitol Hill at the East end and the Memorial Parks (sometimes referred to as the National Mall West area) runs from the Lincoln Memorial to The Washington Monument. Many other cool things are right near by including the National Archives, the White House and the Capitol Building.

I’ve already reviewed many of the features of the National Mall and Memorial Parks such as the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other National Park Service features, the Smithsonian Museums with in depth reviews of our favorites, the Air and Space Museums and the Natural History Museum. But there were a few more aspects that I’d like to highlight that we enjoyed with our kids that didn’t fit into any of my previous posts.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Unlike most of the Museums and Galleries along the National Mall the National Gallery of Art is not run by the Smithsonian Institute. We didn’t make it inside the Gallery, but they also operate the sculpture garden located between the National Gallery of Art and the Natural History Museum. The Sculpture garden opened in 1999 and surrounds the pre-existing fountain that doubles as a skating rink in the winter months. The sculpture gardens features contemporary art sculptures and is a great place to introduce kids to art.

The great thing about outdoor art galleries for kids is that it’s okay to be loud, and it’s okay to run around. Although you can’t climb on the art, it’s a lot less stressful to take your young kids through a sculpture garden than an indoor art gallery.

When I heard that you could rent skates and skate around in the middle of the sculpture garden, I was enchanted with the idea. Gordie had never been on skates and Nicky still couldn’t even walk so we didn’t end up doing it but I still think it’s really cool that you can.

Surrounding the skating rink are many different large sculptures.

There are also gardens. I imagine those would be prettier in warmer months.

I love how this sculpture is echoed in the crane in the background.

Gordie was amused running around the gardens but was still a little young to to appreciate the sculptures themselves.

This house was one of my favorite pieces. It’s only made up of 3 pieces (2 wall pieces and a roof piece), but the way it’s constructed it looks like it is actually house shaped. If you look at the bottom of the house in this picture you can get an idea of what it really looks like.

United States Botanic Gardens

http://www.usbg.gov/ The United States Botanic Gardens was another place we enjoyed taking the kids. It’s open all year round and there’s a large indoor conservatory so you can see some rich green colors even in the winter. A couple sections including the children’s garden are closed during the winter but there is still a lot to see. Oh, and like so many DC attractions, it’s free too.

The Botanic Gardens are located to the South East of Capitol Hill. They are the oldest continually operating gardens in the United States and is

home to almost 10,000 plants, some over 165 years old.

It was cold the day we went here (actually that pretty much described every day on our trip) so it was a really nice break to be able to walk through the warm indoor gardens.

Gordie has always been fond of flowers so we were pretty sure he was going to enjoy our visit too.

And there were some really interesting flowers too.

We let Gordie use our pocket camera so he could take some picture too.

Inside the main room there there a couple of bridges which Gordie loved walking over and terraces along the walls that you can go up and see the gardens from a different perspective.

There are a number of smaller themed rooms including dessert plants, and medicinal plants that you can access off the main room.

There is also a room that talks about the the countless ways in which plants enrich human life. There’s also a lot of opportunities to smell different kinds of plant derived fragrances. Gordie thought that was a lot of fun, and the display with all the metal flowers was really pretty too.

Smithsonian Carousel

In the middle of the National Mall, in front of the Smithsonian Arts and Industries building you can find the Smithsonian Carousel. The Carousel brings a bit of whimsy that you really don’t find any where else in the National Mall. The original Carousel was installed in 1967 and was replaced by the current carousel in 1981. The current cost to ride is $3.50 per person and it is open almost every day of the year.

When Gordie saw the carousel as we walked towards it he was super excited to ride it. Even if it was snowing a little bit.

The horses are beautiful but Gordie elected to ride in the little ice cream cone shaped seat.

So you can’t even see him. In warmer months, you can even find popcorn wagons, outdoor puppet and musical performances. That wraps up our trip! I am so happy that we were able to go, I can hardly believe how many cool things we saw. I had always wanted to go to Washington, DC but never thought I would actually end up going. Now that we’ve been I really hope to go back with the kids when they are a little bit older.

Where have you always wanted to go? Do you think you’ll end up going?

US National Parks and Memorials – Washington, DC

May 23, 2013 by danawyyc 6 Comments

The US National Park Service operates many historic sites, monuments, parks and national memorials in the Washington, DC area. The National Mall itself is operated by the US National Park Service. At most visitor centres and ranger stations you can collect National Park Passport Stamps (cancellation stamps) – there is no area in the United States where you can collect more of these stamps than at the National Mall.

I was really looking forward to seeing all these things that I’ve seen so many times on TV. How many times have I seen the Washington Monument? Or the US Capitol Building? Well now we’ve On the East side of the National Mall is the US Capitol Building. Although tours are available I’m not sure if Canadians are able to get tours because that seemed like no fun at all with two small kids.

Look, there we are! In real life!

Stepen told Gordie to walk back to Mommy. So he walked backwards going ‘beep beep beep’.

This is the Navy Memorial On Pennsylvania Avenue just off the National Mall

The Washington Monument is the Centrepiece of the National Mall. It was being repaired after some earthquake damage so we weren’t able to go up.

To the North of the Washington Monument is the White House. We had intended to go see the area around the White House but this was as close as we got.

We were in Washington, DC in February and it was unseasonably cold. And windy. We had hoped to walk the National Mall on a warm day, but we ended up trying to walk it on a cold and windy day as there were no warm days coming. We didn’t get to explore the whole area as much as I had hoped but I’m really glad we were able to see what we did.

This is one of the two National Parks Buildings – this one is to the SW of the Washington Monument, the other is just to the East of the Monument. The one above is the one you want to go to. I should have taken a picture of all the cancellation stamps you can get here, but I didn’t. It is a lot. For the National Mall area, it is your one stop for passport stamps.

The World War II Memorial with the Lincoln Memorial in the background

World War II Memorial

Walk towards the Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin

That was as far as we got before it just got too miserable with the kids. I hadn’t realized just how windy it was and Nicky’s hat wouldn’t stay on so we just couldn’t keep going. There were also lots of tears at this point. Stephen ran ahead and the kids and I hid in the nice warm bathroom until he got back. Well, after a well meaning park ranger made me feel bad because it was cold and Nicky’s head wasn’t covered.

The Korean War Memorial

Reflection of the Memorial soldiers in the wall

The reflecting pool with the Washington Monument and Capitol Building in the background

The Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial

Stephen had a friend who lives just outside DC who took us on a tour of Washington, DC at night. So the kids and I were able to see the Western area of the National Mall after all.

The Vietnam War Memorial

I had seen pictures of the Vietnam War Memorial before but I was surprised to see what I low profile it actually has. It looks like a scar in the Earth. It has the names of all the US soldiers that died in the war and there are books that you can use to look up people you know.

Vietnam War Memorial

US Capitol Building at night

The Einstein Memorial which is just across the street from the Lincoln Memorial was really cool to see too. If you stand just in the right spot there is a cool little trick too. If you are ever going to be in the area, let me know and I’ll give you a hint.

Lincoln Memorial – Lincoln up close

View of the Washington Monument from the Lincoln Memorial at night

I was thrilled to be able to see these landmarks in person and I hope to return one day so I can see the whole area when the weather is a bit nicer.

Visiting the Smithsonian with Young Kids – Washington, DC

April 15, 2013 by danawyyc 15 Comments

The Smithsonian has always been kind of mythic for me. Something that I had always wanted to see, but never really thought that I would. Even thought I’ve been getting The Smithsonian Magazine (which I totally recommend) for a few years now, I hadn’t really realized that it wasn’t a museum. The Smithsonian Institution consists of 19 museums/galleries, 9 research centres AND a zoo in Washington, DC, as well as some additional facilities elsewhere, and has 168 Smithsonian affiliate museums.

It was established in 1846, with funds from British Scientist James Smithson, who had never actually been to the United States. He had left his estate to the United Sates to found, “at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian Institution is now the largest museum and research complex in the world.

The institution was originally housed in what is now the Smithsonian Castle located along the National Mall. The Castle now contains the Smithsonian Visitor Centre with information about all of the different Smithsonian Museums. It would be a great place to start when you get to Washington and is one of the things that I left wishing we had managed to make time for. We only visited a fraction of the Smithsonian Museums on our trip – 5 to be exact. I’ve already reviewed 3 of them, so I’ll just mention them briefly before moving on to the 2 I haven’t mentioned before.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

This was the museum that I had always wanted to go to. It’s perfect for kids – with exhibits featuring dinosaurs, insects, butterflies, mamamals, giant squid, rocks and minerals and much much more, you’d be hard pressed to find a kid who didn’t love something at this museum. You may also be interested in seeing my full review of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History)

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums

The Air and Space Museums were two of the most impressive places we visited while we were in Washington. The Air and Space Museum along the National Mall is full aviation history that you aren’t going to find any where else. They have the original Wright Flyer, the Mercury spacecraft in which astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, a real lunar module (that didn’t go to the moon), the Apollo 11 capsule that brought the first astronaughts back from the moon and so much more! The exhibits are well displayed with lots of interactive features and things you can touch. And you can even touch a piece of the moon!

The Steven. F. Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum is located near the Dulles Airport (one of the three airports that serve Washington, DC – 45 minutes from downtown Washington). It’s definitely worth the trip if you have a big aviation fan in your family or if you are flying in or out of Dulles. The museum is less polished, than it’s downtown counterpart, but it’s inventory is stunning. The main attractions are SR-71 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle Discovery. You may also be interested in seeing my full review of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museums).

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Location http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/
Address: National Mall – Washington, DC

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “The art is made of funny things”

Day Pass Cost: Free!
Food Services: None.
Age Range: 5+.
Stay Length: Probably only an hour or two if you’re going with kids.
Worth the Trip?: This would be a great pick if you were looking to introduce your kids to art.

Overall: The Hirshhorn is features contemporary art – you may not like the art that is displayed, but it’s hard to accuse it of being boring. We had a little extra time one afternoon so we stopped by. The museum itself is a work of art, it’s shaped like a doughnut and raised off the ground. Outside the Museum is a sunken Sculpture Garden.

We didn’t see much of the garden, but I really liked this sculpture. There is something perfect about a rubber stamp sculpture in Washington, DC.

The feature exhibit while we were there was ‘Ai Weiwei: According to What?’. Ai Weiwei is a contemporary Chinese artist whose work at this exhibit included sculpture, photography, installation, video and audio work. Not all of it made a lot of sense to me (and I didn’t have a lot of time to figure it out going through with two little kids) but some of it was really beautiful and other works were really interesting.

This installation work featuring the animals of the zodiac was outside the museum in the centre court yard.

The exhibit was fun to take Gordie to because the art was made up of so many different kind of materials. He enjoyed figuring out what the art was made of. He was a little younger than I would probably recommend the museum for, especially if your kid may be a little impulsive – there were a lot of things that kids may want to touch that they are not allowed to.

The hole in the log, made of wood reclaimed from destroyed temples, is in the shape of China.

This artwork was composed of a number of rectangular boxes. It wasn’t really much to look at, from a distance, but if you look through the holes you can see all the phases of the moon. Really cool.

The art in the front is a pile of crabs, the one in the back is a pile of rebar.

This was one of Gordie’s favorite sculptures.

Smithsonian National American History Museum

Location http://americanhistory.si.edu/
Address: National Mall – Washington, DC

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “I liked the train”

Day Pass Cost: Free!
Food Services: There is a Cafe and a Cafeteria serving sandwiches, American barbeques, soups, salad bar, burgers, pizza and desserts.
Age Range: 5+.
Stay Length: A couple hours to half a day depending on how many exhibits you want to see.
Worth the Trip?: Maybe. It has some cool pieces and some exhibits you’re not going to see any where else. It’s also undergoing significant construction at the moment.

Overall: The American History Museum wasn’t on our must see list either, but after our failed walk to the Lincoln Memorial (it was so windy and cold!) we decided to pick a few exhibits to see there instead. As compared to the other Smithsonian museums that we visited, this one felt more set up for school groups than the general public. The museum was undergoing renovations and we only had a couple of hours so we only saw a handful of the museum’s exhibits. Many of the exhibits pose questions to try to get you to think about a topic and consider the societal and cultural impacts of what’s being displayed.

The most impressive was seeing the Star-Spangled Banner Flag. This is the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812 inspiring Francis Scott Key to write what later became the US national anthem. It’s very fragile and no photos are permitted.

The next exhibit we went to see was FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000, I thought it was a really interesting topic but it was primarily presented with text and graphics so it didn’t hold my son’s attention for very long.

I thought it was really cool to see Julia Child’s kitchen though.

If you are going to the museum with younger kids, the America on the Move exhibit is probably a good pick because there’s lots to look at that would be of interest to them. Gordie and my husband really liked the section on ships.

The Dolls’ House is also usually a hit with kids.

The last exhibit we saw was American Stories exhibit uses different artifacts to examine the interplay between objects and stories, culture, politics, and economics, science and technology have shaped the United States. This exhibit poses many questions and asks you to reflect more than presenting information like in a more typical history exhibit. They have some really interesting pieces in this exhibit like Kermit the Frog and the ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz.

Do you have a favorite Smithsonian Museum? Which one would you like to take your kids to?

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History – Washington, DC

April 5, 2013 by danawyyc 10 Comments

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Location http://www.mnh.si.edu/

Address: National Mall – Washington, DC

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “I liked the dinosaurs”
Nicky’s Review (11 months): (signing) “Fish!”

Day Pass Cost: Free!

Food Services: Cafeteria/Cafes that focus on focus on local, all-natural, organic, sustainable, made from scratch food.
Age Range: All ages.
Stay Length: Expect to spend at least 2 hours, depending on your level of interest you could easily spend all day.
Worth the Trip?: No question.

Overall: There are going to be few kids who aren’t going to find something they’d love to learn about at this museum. This was the museum I was really looking forward to seeing. This was the museum that to me was the Smithsonian. So my expectations were unrealistically high. This is a great museum, but it is not all the best museums ever of all time rolled into one. Ifi you are looking for a great museum to learn about dinosaurs, bones, early humans, animals and much much more, this is a great place to go.

Gordie was most excited to see the dinosaur bones. If you’ve been to the Tyrrell Museum or the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, you may find it a little underwhelming. There is absolutely no shortage of bones at the Natural History Museum but only one room features dinosaur bones.

There is a nice variety and Gordie was suitably impressed. We went through the entire museum and this was hands down Gordie’s favorite thing.

Gordie (below) signing dinosaur.

There is a number of other rooms featuring prehistoric animals though and even one featuring prehistoric plants.

My favorite exhibit was the Ocean Hall. It was really well done with lots to look at, tons of information if you had time to stop and read, but even if you are going through with small kids, you feel like you’re getting something out of seeing the displays. It was also beautiful to look at and had some interactive features that Gordie really liked.

This exhibit also had the wow factor for me – they have a giant squid on display! There is not many places that you are going to see one of those.

More giant squid!

I love the lighthearted approach to some of their information signs too – “Why Do So Many Larvae Look So Weird?”

Seeing the deep sea explorer robot was pretty cool too.

They have an aquarium that looks like it is right out of Finding Nemo with clown fish and… dory fish and sea anemones. The kids were both so captivated that we ended up taking them to the Baltimore Aquarium just before we went home.

Look it’s Dory!

The Human Origins section was well done too. Gordie realized that the displays had things on them that we could learn, and he loved that he could lift, roll or slide something at each display and then make me read what it said. It did make him worry about death and dying which I wasn’t really prepared for though.

Gordie wearing his new explorer hat and learning.

The Hall of Mammals is pretty but I could have skipped it. There animals are grouped by region and well displayed if you are interested in looking at that though. It kind of felt like going to a zoo where the animals don’t move.

Upstairs they have a whole hall of bones which we basically ran through. The displays are pretty minimal -it might have been interesting to look at if we didn’t have kids with us.

The Insect Zoo was really cool. They had lots of different insects that you could see and even a few that you could touch managed by volunteers. Nicole was enthralled by seeing the grasshopper on the man’s hand (shown in the picture above). Gordie was nervous about going into the exhibit but in the end he let a caterpillar crawl across his hand.

Although most of the museum is free, a tour through the Butterfly Pavilion is not. Timed tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for children. On Tuesdays (when we happened to be there), it’s free of charge but you still require a timed ticket. Nicole LOVED the butterflies. Gordie was a little nervous so I was carrying him, and a butterfly kept flying around and landing on my shirt. He thought that was pretty funny but a little scary too.

We didn’t see much of the Gems and Minerals halls but we did see the Hope Diamond.

The Discovery Room had a lot of hands on things for kids that is open for them to explore. There are boxes with shells and bones you can touch, costumes, books and more. This is one area I wish we had been able to spend more time in. If you have kids with you I definitely wouldn’t miss it.

Outside Washington, DC – Baltimore and National Harbor

March 27, 2013 by danawyyc 3 Comments

While we were visiting Washington, DC, we also took a couple side trips. Although Washington has a ton to offer, the weather wasn’t particularly nice while we were there this February and we wanted to make sure we found some places where the kids could play freely. Early on our trip went to the Children’s Museum in nearby National Harbor. In addition, our return flight was from Baltimore Airport (one of the three airports that serves Washington, DC), so we decided to spend the day there just before we headed home. We visited two attractions in the Inner Harbor area – Port Discovery (Baltimore’s Children’s Museum) and the Baltimore National Aquarium.

National Harbor, Maryland

(20 minute drive south of Washington, DC)

National Children’s Museum

Location http://www.ncm.museum/

Address: 151 St. George Boulevard – National Harbor, MD (10 miles from downtown Washington, DC)

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “I liked the car ramps. And the crane.” Nicky’s Review (11 months): toys!

Day Pass Cost: $10 for children over 12 months and adults. Seniors $8, under 12 months are free.
Food Services: None. No outside food is permitted.
Age Range: under 8 years old.
Stay Length: 2 hours to half a day.
Worth the Trip?: Your kids will definitely have a good time.

Overall: The National Children’s Museum is the closest Children’s Museum to Washington, DC and had recently opened (Dec 2012) just two months before our visit. On top of it being very very new, we also ended up going on a Sunday during a long weekend. This was definitely not ideal planning. When we got there in the morning, the museum was at maximum capacity, but they offer timed tickets so we wandered off to have a snack and returned at our time 45 minutes later. It’s worth noting that the line-up had disappeared by this point. If you are going on what might be a busy day, I’d recommend going in afternoon if you can.

The 3 & Under area is designed for kids under 3 feet tall. There is a climbing structure that toddlers will love, a food truck perfect for pretend play, and tons of small toys, like trucks and building blocks. There’s a infant section too that is in the separated by a low soft wall to help keep the little ones from being run over. Nicole found it a little overwhelming while she was in there because it was so busy. Gordie actually loved it, he thought the food truck was really fun to play in and loved that they had a bunch of cars to play with too. He’s older than the intended age-group so I think it would be unlikely for your kids to lose interest in this area before they get too old for it.

The rest of the play space is is designed for kids 3-8 years old. It’s split up into two sections – Our Town and Our World.

Our Town

This section is set up for kids to learn through play using familiar city themes. Gordie loved the firetruck set – it has costumes, a play set that looks like the front of the firetruck and even a little window that goes ‘on fire’ complete with a fire alarm.

They also have a cargo loading area with a crane that Gordie thought was awesome. He talked about this days afterwards.

There are a number of other different centres in this area – a store, a pizza parlor, an election area/post office and a bunk bed quiet area.

Our World

This section has different centres to help kids explore the differences in how people around the world, live, cook, travel, and dress.

The What we Eat section has different kids of cooking equipment set up along the wall. This was really popular – the kids loved pretending to cook.

This section also had different puzzles set up that show different kids of meals from around the world.

Gordie’s favorite area was the travel section. They have different cars you can put together and then try to run down the different types of ‘roadways’. The only problem with this is that it’s really only designed for the cars to roll down the tracks and Gordie really wanted to be able to play with them and drive them back up. This wouldn’t be as big of a problem on a less busy day.

The also have a building section about different types of housing and building materials, and What We Wear has dress up clothes featuring special occasion clothing.

Baltimore

(1 hour drive NE of Washington, DC)

Port Discovery – Children’s Museum

Location http://www.portdiscovery.org/

Address: Inner Habor – Baltimore, MD

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “I liked the climber.”
Nicky’s Review (11 months): toys!

Day Pass Cost: $10 for children over 12 months and adults. Seniors $8, under 12 months are free. Re-entry is allowed if you leave your bracelet on. Food Services: No food or drink is permitted in the exhibit area but there is an area where you can eat a bag lunch.
Age Range: 0-10 years.
Stay Length: 2 hours to half a day.
Worth the Trip?: Your kids will definitely have a good time.

Overall:

Port Discovery is ranked as one of the top Children’s Museums in the US. It’s the biggest Children’s Museum I’ve been to – we only saw about half the exhibits before we had to leave for dinner. Some of the exhibits look a little tired, but others are brand new.

In the centre of the museum is a 3 level climber – Kid Works which is designed for kids 5 and up. The climber is pretty cool – Stephen took Gordie up and he loved it. The one problem with taking little kids, is that it has a number of exits onto the different floors so it’s pretty easy to lose your kids if they are not old enough to roam around alone.

On the main floor, they have a gas station and grocery store which provide great opportunities for pretend play.

On the 2nd floor they have a wooden train that you can pretend to drive with a crane that you can use to load cargo from the shops just above it. There’s nothing really spectacular about it, but it was definitely Gordie’s favorite part. (what else would you expect from a little train fan?)

On the third floor, they have a diner where kids can pretend to make and serve food. Gordie thought this was pretty fun too. A couple times he’d pick up the ‘olden days phone’ and take an order for the train for sandwiches and then go to the kitchen to make them. Tot Trails is one of the best toddler areas I’ve been too. It’s beautiful throughout with ocean and forest themes. They have a soft area for babies and a spot with ramps and small steps to challenge crawlers and early walkers. On the other side, they have a Mountain Trail, where toddlers can climb in and around – it looks great but it is hard to photograph. They have a little interactive ‘pond’ which Nicky found captivating and a spot where you can catch little fabric ‘butterflies.

They also have a neat block area, a quiet area and a spot for sand play too. There are a number of other exhibits that we didn’t even get to (a number of which were aimed at school-aged kids). If you are looking to do something with the kids while you are in Baltimore, this would be a great pick.

Baltimore National Aquarium

Location http://www.aqua.org/visit/baltimore

Address: Inner Habor – Baltimore, MD

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): What was the best part? “Seeing all the fish!’
Nicky’s Review (11 months): “fish!” (signing)

Day Pass Cost: $30 for adults, $21 for ages 3-11, under 3 is free.
Food Services: There are a few cafeterias.
Age Range: all ages.
Stay Length: 2 hours to half a day.
Worth the Trip?: Maybe. The cost is high but if your kids are interested in fish, dolphins and sharks, there’s plenty to see.

Overall: The kids loved the little fish tank at the Natural History Museum so much I thought that it would be fun to take them to the aquarium. I’d heard some good things about it and it really is huge, they have everything you’d want in an aquarium. I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed. I had been to the Georgia Aquarium when it first opened, and they have a lot of large ecosystems set up that you can along by or even under. I wasn’t expecting much and was really blown away. At the moment, the Baltimore aquarium is more of a traditional aquarium with smaller separate aquariums. There are currently doing some renovations on one of the levels – black tip barrier reef will be coming summer 2013.

It does have plenty to offer though, and tons and tons of fish and other water creatures. In the main part of the aquarium, each floor represents a different kind of habitat and geographic location.

They have lots of little eco-systems set up for the different fish to swim around in. One of the things I thought was really neat is how they have it set up so part of the ecosystems is below the water but they also have the above water area visible as well.

The top floor has a rainforest area complete with tropical birds. They even have a section with a number of different sharks including ones that look like Bruce from Finding Nemo. The dolphins, Jellies Invasion and the Discovery Centre are in a 2nd area down a corridor. I’d suggest checking when the dolphin shows are going to be when you get there so you can plan your trip around it and don’t miss out like we did.

If you are planning on going it’s important to know that you can’t bring a stroller. If you don’t have your own carrier, they have front and back carriers that you can borrow when you check your stroller. Since we had two little kids, I found this limited the amount of time we were able to spend at the aquarium and so we missed the Australian glass pavilion completely and didn’t manage to catch the dolphin show. We had a good time, and the kids both loved seeing all the fish.

Have you ever been in the Washington, DC area? Did you take any side trips?

Smithsonian Air and Space Museums – Washington, DC

February 28, 2013 by danawyyc 2 Comments

The most impressive museums we went to while we were in DC last week were the two Air and Space Museums. It wasn’t a surprise that my husband felt this way – he’s been a subscriber to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Magazine for years, but I was surprised to feel the same way.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Location http://airandspace.si.edu/

Address: Washington, DC

Gordie’s Review (3.5 years): “I liked going in the airplanes! Why did the monkey go into space?”
Nicky’s Review (11 months): (signing) “Airplanes!”

Day Pass Cost: Free!
Food Services: McDonalds.
Age Range: All ages.
Stay Length: Expect to spend at least 2 hours, depending on your level of interest you could easily spend all day.
Worth the Trip?: Absolutely

Overall: Even for someone without a major interest in airplanes, there is a lot to wow you right from when you walk in the front doors. Inside the main hall is their Milestones of Flight Exhibit.

They have the Spirt of St. Louis in which Charles Lindbergh made his solo trip across the Atlantic, the Mercury spacecraft in which astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. became the first American to orbit the Earth, the Bell X-1, the first airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound and much, much more. They also has a small piece of moon rock that you can actually touch. You can touch the moon!

Seriously, how mind blowing is that?

They also have a real lunar module – it didn’t actually go to the moon, but it could have, it was the back up for the one that did. And the actual Wright Flyer (not a reproduction), world’s first successful flight of a powered, heavier-than-air flying machine. The exhibits (and there are many!) are well presented too. If you have the time and inclination there is a lot there for you to read and learn, but if you are instead going through it like I was with two small kids, you can still get a lot out of it by just walking through. They also have a number of features throughout the museum that really makes it great for kids. More than anything Gordie (3.5 years) wanted to go inside the airplanes. There were a number of opportunities to do walkthroughs including the backup Skylab above and airplanes like the one below. The exhibits also feature interactive elements that really help keep kids engaged. One of the exhibits is even specifically aimed at kids. It is filled with hands on elements that help explain How Things Fly. We spent hours at National Air and Space Museum. I would highly recommend that anyone in the Washington, DC area at least take a quick look through the Milestones of Flight area.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center – Air and Space Museum

Location http://airandspace.si.edu/

Address: Chantilly, Virginia (roughly 45 minutes outside of Washington, DC)
Day Pass Cost: Free!
Parking Cost: $15 per car
Food Services: McDonalds.
Age Range: 7+
Stay Length: Expect to spend at least 2 hours, depending on your level of interest you could easily spend all day.
Worth the Trip: If you have the time and any interest in airplanes, you’ll be happy you went.

Overall: If you are a big aviation fan, you are also going to want to check out the newer Udvar-Hazy facility. This museum houses the larger items in their collection (as well as many smaller ones).

The two headliners are the SR-71 Blackbird and the Space Shuttle Discovery.
They are both really cool to see.

There are tons of other aircraft including a Condorde and an F-14.

The displays are a lot more similar than at the National Air and Space Museum. It is very much like a whole bunch of cool airplanes have been put in a giant hanger.

There is a lot less specifically geared towards kids and very little hands on.

There was one plane (a Cessna) that you could take a turn at using the controls. It doesn’t run all the time as a volunteer has to be there to man the plane. Gordie really enjoyed that.

We spent a couple of hours at this museum, which was about the limit with our two small kids. My husband easily could have spent all day there, but there just wasn’t enough to keep Gordie engaged for a longer period of time.

If someone in your family is a real airplane fan though, you won’t want to miss the Udvar-Hazy Centre. It’s right near the Dulles airport so it would be a good stop if you have an morning flight into DC or a evening flight leaving DC. If you can only go to one, I’d recommend going to the National Air and Space Museum. It’s easier to access for most people being right along the National Mall and has more to offer for kids.

If you went to both of these museums in two days you could see You could say that in 2 days you can see the first heavier than air, powered plane, a space shuttle and touch the moon

Badlands National Park

July 10, 2011 by danawyyc 1 Comment

The Badlands weren’t in our original itinerary. We squeezed them in at the end of a very long day (after seeing the Devils Tower and Mount Rushmore) and unfortunately the lighting wasn’t great by the time we got there and we didn’t have a lot of energy left to get out and walk around.

Nonetheless I’m really glad we went. If you have made it to Rapid City it is only 88 more miles to get to the Badlands and the Highway 240 Loop Road through the park only takes an extra 60 minutes if you don’t stop.

Passport Stamp: Inside the Visitor Centre mid way through the park.
Accommodations: There are campgrounds inside the park as well as Cedar Pass Lodge (located by the visitor center). Rapid City is the closest large-ish city.
Approximate Time: 60 minutes – half a day.
Worth the Trip: Absolutely.
Jr. Ranger Program: Available in the Visitor Centre give yourself about an hour to complete it
Admission: $15 for 7 days.

If we were to go again, I’d try to make sure we had enough time to get out and do a few short walks.

It’s amazing how fast the scenery changes while you go through. Similar to Drumheller in Alberta, this area is also a large fossil bed. It is considered to be one of the richest mammal fossil beds in the world.

There are two stops (one on each end of the loop road) that I would also recommend.

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is on the Badlands Loop and is located south of I-90 at exit 131. It closes at 4:30pm so it unfortunately wasn’t open while we passed through. At the site is a underground launch control centre and a missile silo from the cold war. The visitor centre gives you some insight into the cold war period and gives information about what the missile sites were really like as opposed to what you see in the movies.

You can see the Missile Silo May 2 – October 31 with no reservations. You can also get a tour of the launch control centre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they offer short tours in the morning for the first 200 visitors. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday and Saturdays you can get a formal tour but you need to make reservations in advance. See the Minuteman Missile website for more information.

You can also get a stamp for your passport book at the visitor centre and they offer a Junior ranger program for kids 7 and up.

The 2nd stop is located in Wall South Dakota at the West end of the Badlands Loop. It’s pretty hard to miss Wall Drug. There are billboards along the way starting miles away. Offering things like free ice water, homemade doughnuts and 5 cent coffee. By the time we saw our 50th sign, we knew we had to go see what it was. It was pretty much what we had expected. It’s a large building complex that feels like a cross between a flea market and a mom and pop store. This was our last stop of the day.

They have a lot of souvenir areas, as well as a kids play space, a large western art gallery along the walls of the cafe and half a T-Rex up on the wall that moves and roars a few times an hour. Gordie was not fond of the T-Rex. If you have a kid would might also find it scary, I would suggest taking a look at the map and being very careful going into the back building. We we at the opposite end of the building and it still made Gordie burst into tears. You can find more about Wall Drug at http://walldrug.com

If you missed Mount Rushmore, the Devils Tower,Yellowstone or my tips for taking kids to National Parks/Monuments be sure to check them out too.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

July 1, 2011 by danawyyc 1 Comment

We stopped in at the Mount Rushmore after leaving the Devils Tower. They are relatively close to each other (okay it’s about 2.5 hrs) and neither should require more than half a day each, so together they make a really great travel day.

Passport Stamp: Inside the Visitor Centre.
Accommodations: You can stay at nearby Rapid City, SD. Rapid City seems to have every kind of tourist attraction you could think of, Waterslides, Minigolf, Petting Zoo etc.
Approximate Time: 30 minutes – half a day
Worth the Trip: It is definitely something to see
Jr. Ranger Program: Available in the Visitor Centre (you will need approximately 1 hr to complete it)
Admission: Admission is actually free but you need to pay for parking ($11) which is not covered by any National Park pass. This is good for all year.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect at Mount Rushmore. I asked my husband along the way whether it was going to seem majestic or kitschy. In the end, it wasn’t either. The view of Mount Rushmore you typically see is in the picture above. That had always given me the impression that it was the mountain. But as you can see in my first picture, it’s actually quite a bit smaller than I had expected. It’s still huge, but it is only carved into a small part of the mountain. So it didn’t seem tacky, but it didn’t have the overwhelming presence that I was expecting either. It is really an amazing feat of human engineering, but I can’t say that I really connected with it. This I suspect was due to, as a Canadian, it just doesn’t represent part of my history.

We didn’t spend a long time at Mount Rushmore, we were trying to get to the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site and Badlands National Park later that day, so we missed all of the museum areas, walks and kids exploration area. We did stop for lunch and a woman there asked to take Gordie’s picture and then offered to take one of our family for us. I’m glad she did as it ended up being one of the few with all of us in it. Gordie looks a little suspicious 🙂

If we were to go again, I think I would save it for later in the day and get there just before dark. I don’t know if you could get a full appreciate for it without seeing it during the day. But in the evening they do a lighting ceremony which includes a ranger talk, and a film and concludes with the lighting of the sculpture. It starts at 9pm May 8th to August 13th and 8pm August 14 to September 8th.

Stay Tuned for our trip to Badlands National Park. If you missed the Devils Tower, Yellowstone or my tips for taking kids to National Parks/Monuments be sure to check them out too.

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travel

1. Prepare them Ahead of Time

2. Choose Your Rides Carefully

3. Be Prepared for Different Reactions to Characters

4. Be Flexible and Involve Them In the Planning

5. Let Them Be the Photographer

6. Try a Character Breakfast

7. Use an Autograph Book to Break the Ice

8. Check of the Other Things Disneyland Has to Offer

9 . Have Some Down Time

Is It Worth It?

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

2. Don’t Rush

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

4. Say Yes Sometimes

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

6. Let Them Walk in Line

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

10. Talk to Cast Members

11. Dress for the Weather

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

United States Botanic Gardens

Smithsonian Carousel

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Smithsonian National American History Museum

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Location http://www.mnh.si.edu/

National Harbor, Maryland

National Children’s Museum

Our Town

Our World

Baltimore

Port Discovery – Children’s Museum

Baltimore National Aquarium

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center – Air and Space Museum

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