Children's Museum of Houston

I visited the Children's Museum of Houston on Wednesday, June 9th along with my 7 year old daughter, Peyton, and my husband, Jarrod.  We had so much fun, the quick visit we originally planned turned into a 5-hour long adventure!

   

It's been several years since I've visited the museum and a lot has changed.  The first stop I made was at the Parent Resource Library.  The small library, located near the entrance, was opened in 1999.  The cozy library offers parents and teachers information about child development in the forms of books, DVDs, and the Internet.  The library also contains lists of local organizations and other resources for additional support.  Patrons with a Houston Public Library card are welcome to check out materials.  While there, a young lady was reading a book to a small group of children while adults lounged in comfy chairs. 

There is so much to do and see at the Children's Museum.  From an educational view, the different activities encompass every subject area.  As I watched my daughter play, I was constantly thinking about all the math and science she was doing, totally to her unaware.  She sorted objects, worked with molecules, created waves, designed roller coasters, and worked with simple machines.  A lesson in social studies took place with a visit to a small Mexican village, complete with a school and market.  And, a little bit of physical education took place at the PowerPlay exhibition.

 

My favorite exhibit at the museum was a new exhibit called Kidtropolis.  Kidtropolis is like a real city with its own bank, vet clinic, city hall, news center, market, diner, and more.  At Kidtropolis, kids get jobs and make money that can be used in the city.  Visitors engage in financial literacy, social interactions and civic activities.

Peyton LOVED this exhibit!  She spent a lot of time working as a veterinarian.  When we finally were able to tear her away from the vet center, she had fun pretending to be a weather person and shelf-stocker at HEB.  When it was time to cash her check, she visited the bank where children working as bankers were happy to help her.  She used some money for a photo booth at HEB, but deposited most into her checking account using an ATM. 

It was so much fun to see kids just stepping into the different roles and interacting with each other.  The details used at the exhibit were just awesome!  Everything is so realistic and the technology used is so sophisticated yet simple to use, making it easy for children to figure out on their own.  Kidropolis is a fun exhibit that children could visit every day and never get bored, experiencing and learning something new on every trip.

I definitely enjoyed my time at The Children's Museum of Houston and recommend it to families with children of all ages.