When I mentioned to a friend that we were planning a trip to the Mariners Museum in Newport News, she told me that the little kids might find it a bit boring, or over their heads. But because I'm curious and because admission is only $1 during the summer months (!), we went anyway, and I'm so glad we did! Either we are boring or the Mariners Museum has changed, because it has been one of our favorite outings of the summer so far.

The exhibits in the museum cover all things having to do with sailing, navigating, naval wars throughout history, boat building, even the intersection of the space program and the sea. There is enough information given in each exhibit to satisfy the nerdiest adults but also tons of kid-friendly parts of each exhibit as well. There were ships to go in and climb on, barrels of seafaring goods to poke around in, wheels to turn, ropes to knot, and all sorts of hands on fun.






Anouk's favorites from the trip were: the computer games that simulated a sea battle and allowed her to trace trading routes around the globe, the exhibit on Polynesian voyagers (more on that in another post), the model of the ironclad USS Monitor and all of the information on that wreck and the artifacts that were brought up from it. Gus loved: the rooms of model ships (from the Titanic to ancient Egyptian barges), pressing the buttons in the WWII submarine, the spinning globe in the navigators library, and climbing in the wooden play boats in the small park outside.

We ALL enjoyed the exhibit on the America's Cup race, and all of the technological innovations that go into making these sailing yachts lighter, faster, and more aerodynamic. There were a ton of things to touch and play with, and seeing the catamaran that won the race hanging from the ceiling (it's so big!) was really cool.

We spent two hours plus at the museum and still didn't see everything. So we'll have to take advantage of the dollar deal and go back before Labor Day!


 

Woof! That's Gus's latest word. And Woof to Wolf is the latest of the changing exhibits at the Virginia Living Museum. So of course we had to spend some time there when we stopped in last week.

Wolf to Woof is based on a book of the same name, which explores why dogs of all the animals became man's best friend? The exhibit follows the evolution of the wolf from wild animal into man's best friend, and gives information on other canines (foxes, coyotes), as well as dogs depictions throughout history, from ancient times to modern pop culture. There are stations in which you can explore the way a dog's senses are different from a humans by seeing an image sharpen when seen through a dogs eye, or tracing scent molecules as they make their way through a human nose versus a dog's nose.







Part of the exhibit features dog skeletons and taxidermy animals, which lead to some interesting conversations with the three-year-old in our group ("Why aren't those dogs...MOVING?") But it didn't seem to matter to our just walking toddlers who loved testing out their dog-spotting skills. They also enjoyed climbing around the "avalanche" like a search and rescue dog.

Admission to the VLM is pricey, at $20 per adult and $15 per child. Considering this, is Wolf to Woof worth a visit for its own sake? After some thought I'd say no -- unless you really have a dog-loving little one or a budding scientist on your hands. But if you're already a member, or if you already have a visit planned, I'd be sure to stop in.

Wolf to Woof runs through May 14. On April 8, the VLM will feature an Extraordinary Dogs day, with service animals and K9 units on hand to give demonstrations. Read more about that here!

The weather has been getting warmer, which means we can get back into hiking, one of our favorite family pastimes. Our old go-to hiking spot ahas long been First Landing State Park, but recently our new favorite place is Newport News Park, which features 30 miles of hiking and biking trails (among many other amenities).

Our favorite kid-friendly trail at the park is definitely the Twin Forts trail, a small .7-mile loop trail that takes you over mostly flat ground by the Lee Hall Reservoir. Not only does it start with a beautiful walk down the wood bridge that takes you over the reservoir, it then leads you past some pretty amazing Civil War fortifications left over from the Battle of Yorktown.
Besides that, the trail is teeming with wildlife -- while we were there we saw swans, ducks, frogs, turtles, and what we are pretty sure was a couple of beavers splashing around in the water. And it's just a very pretty walk all around.

There are longer hikes for older kids -- and some that would be fun for parents, too -- click here for a complete map of trails.

Just to switch things up a little, we've been trying to visit playgrounds lately that are outside our normal beat. This is what led us to Fort Fun in Newport News a few weekends ago. I'd heard great things about the recently renovated (in the last couple of years) playground, which is located in Huntington Park, on the James River. The renovations replaced a wooden structure with one that was designed to reflect the history of the area, with a wooded forest and pirate ship to climb around in.

Besides the 15,000 feet of play space, the park features a small children's pier jutting out into adjacent Lake Biggins. We saw fish jumping and turtles sunning themselves (and several junior fisherman casting their lines out into the freshwater lake).

Huntington Park also features a full-sized fishing pier on the river, a beautiful rose garden, and Vietnam War and Holocaust memorials. And it's home to the only public beach in Newport News, on the banks of the James (read our reviews of area beaches here). It's going to take us more than a few visits to experience everything the park has to offer, so stay tuned.

Things have been a little quiet here lately since the summer has been in full swing, but I'm still posting over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads! Lately I've written about free outdoor music at Mariner's Park in Hampton and also some free movie nights around town. Don't forget to check them out!

 World Cup fever in our house! Neither James and I are soccer fans but Anouk is suddenly all about it. 

The Virginia Living Museum was one of my favorite places to go growing up, the absolute best field trip destination. While I always loved the zoo and the aquarium, there was something special about the VLM. The animals weren't exotic but native to my home state, ones I could, theoretically encounter in my backyard. And yet at the museum, I had a chance to see them up close in their own habitats, not bounding away or freezing in fear but doing the kind of things they do in their daily animal lives.

I was excited to share it with Anne. This is a kid who loves all things outdoors and animals of all stripes. She's a Virginia girl, too boot. So J and I hit the museum on a cloudy day last week with high hopes of initiating her into the tribe.

But we ran into trouble early on. Surprise tantrum -- hit the deck! I think it was prompted by the fact that we wouldn't let her take her coat off. Oh, almost two...you are a delight.


Still, despite a few squalls, we ended up having a great time exploring the VLM (which was nice, because after paying over $30 to get in, we weren't looking forward to 1-2-3 Magicking our way out before we'd seen everything). The interior exhibits, featuring plants and wildlife from different geographical regions of Virginia, were punctuated by interactive discovery centers where kids can piece together fossils, climb through tree trunks, and examine brightly-painted butterfly wings. We especially loved the Coastal Plain aquariums and the World of Darkness gallery, and seeing all of the animals that have so creatively adapted to life without light.

But the real highlight of the trip was a stroll over the elevated boardwalk that spans Deer Park Lake to see the big stars of the museum: coyotes, foxes, eagles, deer...  My favorites were the crafty (and slightly neurotic?) raccoons, James liked the wolves, and the playful otters made A. laugh out loud. Not an easy task on this particular day, but those otters are seriously charming. Even the most crotchety of toddlers cannot resist.

Have you been to the VLM lately? What was your favorite exhibit?

At long last, spring is beginning to spring in earnest, and Anouk and I are saying a temporary goodbye to some of our favorite indoor play spaces in favor of some old -- and new -- outdoor ones. Our goal for the warmer months this year is to try to hit up a new park at least once a week (hopefully we can make this happen). We started our new project with Deer Park, in Newport News, over the weekend.

Deer Park is special for a few reasons. It's located adjacent to the Peninsula museum complex, which makes it a nice place to have lunch/run off a little steam after a morning of museum-going. There are walking trails that wind throughout wetlands and flower gardens (the azalea garden was just beginning to bud the day we went), a picnic area large enough to accomodate big groups, and plenty of waterfront access to Deer Park Lake. A. had a blast poking around in the mossy water with a big stick, and waving to a few ducks and to one beautiful blue heron who was sunning himself (herself?) on the opposite shore. It's the same view you'll get from the Virginia Living Museum, on the other side of the lake, only at 0% of the cost.

But the truly exceptional thing about Deer Park is the playground, which is a Boundless playground, meaning it was specially designed so that children with and without disabilities can play together. Many of the swings feature harnesses and neck supports, the rubber-and-mulch surfacing allows wheelchairs to roll easily over the ground, and each of the large play structures has ramps and wide openings to allow children who might need help getting around to access them. It reminded me a lot of Clemyjontri Park, which we visited frequently when we lived in the DC area, and loved.

We didn't have very long to spend at the park the day we visited, but in the short time we were there, A. did manage to tire herself out enough for an extended nap time, and we both got a ton of much-needed sun and fresh air.


Look at all that light! Have I mentioned that we love Daylight Savings Time?

Baby A. and I met this badassed rooster (and a whole bunch of other animals) at the Peninsula SPCA petting zoo last week. Click on over to My Active Child to read all about our visit!

(I love this photo, btw. I think it sums up my focus for the new year. Sometimes you gotta climb on the fence, who cares what they say?)

I think Anouk and I found a new favorite place today. It just happens to be the Hands on for Kids Gallery at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, a veritable Aladdin's Cave of creativity featuring (among other things) a chalkboard wall, light table, bins of blocks and Legos, and an art station stocked with everything from yarn to colored pencils to crayons, scissors, silk flowers, and googly eyes.

All of this by itself is pretty rad, but it gets EVEN better because Tuesdays and Thursdays are Paint Days at PFAC! If you stop by between 10 AM and 4 PM, you can don a smock and take your place at one of the easels to create your masterpiece (with very washable tempera paint) (thank goodness).

At home, Baby A. is usually kind of ambivalent about her crayons and paints but today she turned into a whirlwind as soon as we stepped through the door into the kids gallery, determined to touch and experiment with every. single. thing. in the room, from the tiniest Lego block to the googliest eye. I don't know if the unfamiliar surroundings made everything seem new and fresh and exciting, or if the space is just conducive to creative action in a way that our kitchen table is not (probably the latter). Either way, we (both) had a blast.



A few other things to remember if you're visiting PFAC:

• Admission is $7.50 and $4.00 for children older than 6, but discounted admission is available if you are a student, teacher, Triple A member, and a few others (I forget!) Be sure to ask & bring pertinent cards/IDs/etc when you visit to take advantage of this.
• Save your admission ticket: it will get you back into the museum for a whole week after you visit! 
• Don't forget to stop by the Biennial 2012 exhibit, especially to check out 'The Story of Numm," a show by husband-and-wife team Rebecca Davis-Kelly and Kevin L. Kelly that's very steampunky and thought-provoking and cool.
• And don't forget to exercise your own creativity muscle while you're there: