Check back every Monday through Thursday for ideas to have more fun all summer long. On Mondays and Wednesdays I will offer ideas for anyone, almost anywhere. Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for Houston-area fun.
Need more ideas? Try this one to get you set for anytime boredom sets in…
On with today’s idea…
The Children’s Museum of Houston
1500 Binz (in the Museum District)
Houston, TX 77004
713-522-1138
If you live in or near Houston, have you visited the Children’s Museum of Houston lately? If you have not been to the one in the Museum District since March, then, well, you haven’t been to the Children’s Museum!
In all honesty, I must admit that at one point in my life I was paid to tell people how fantastic the Children’s Museum was. And it was. But now I don’t even work there and I cannot contain my excitement over the expansion. The place has doubled in size!
It’s better for babies and tots up to three, as they have their own, even-better massive dedicated space complete with a padded courtyard of their very own.
It’s better for older kids, too-Just a few weeks ago my friends had to drag their 12 year-old BOY out of there under his protests. He was playing light dodgeball in Power Play and ‘arresting’ people in KidTropolis.
My kids dig the massive, multi-level climbing structure, the all-new-and- even-improved water play outside (oh, yes, they’re gonna get wet!), all the crazy games in Power Play, and zooming balls on all sorts of tracks in Motion Commotion, but I think their favorite (and mine) is the new Invention Convention, which is tucked away downstairs.
Oh My Goodness!! In Invention Convention you can design and build Lego cars and race them down tracks (Yep, they even have Duplos for the younger ones.), build paper airplanes or rockets and launch them on machines that give them a boost, design and build floating things and see how they fare in a wind tunnel or just get crazy building anything you like will all sorts of things.
And, I feel quite at ease in this section because there is only one way in and out of the space…and all 3 of my kids (boys and girl, ages 3, 5, and 7) typically spend about 45 minutes in there before I break in and convince them to try out another part of the museum.
The Children’s Museum of Houston has all sorts of programming that is included with admission: live performances, silly (and educational) workshops, craft activities, and ideas you can take home and try again and again. Earlier this summer we made our own ice cream in a plastic bag and brought home the recipe to try for ourselves.
Members have special members-only hours each month and every Thursday evening admission is absolutely free.
Check out the Museum calendar on the website. And prepare to spend 3-4 hours of true fun (and even education!!).
PS. Plan to stay for mealtime and feel free to bring your own lunch or buy snacks or lunch in the museum’s café. The are serving up some yummy, and even healthy, stuff in there.
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