3 MUSEUMS IN ONE WEEK!!!

In trying to find things to do this week I took the kids to some museums that are close by and some of them free (which is always a bonus in my book). They were all very different, but very interesting (of course I would have learned more if I wasn't with three kids), the best thing is that they all had kids areas.

THE MARITIME MUSEUM: as the name of the museum indicated it is all about things in the water, boats, submarines, etc. We didn't spend much time here to be honest - the kids moved through it pretty quickly. We could have paid money to go out on some ships, a pirate ship being the one of interest to the kids - Cooper was sad when I told him that I wasn't going to fork over the money.

THE POWERHOUSE MUSEUM:

this museum was all about science and industry. They had many stations around the museum for kids to stop and play. There was one for music with a huge keyboard you could play music with your feet on. Madi was pretty good at following the lights to play waltzing matilda. One of Cooper's favorite parts was the huge trains. There was one at the entrance and another on another floor. He was in heaven!! He would have been even happier had he been able to climb on them - it was against the rules, but he tried. They had another section about science and it's uses all around us - I love science so I enjoyed this area (the kids were not as excited as I was). The hit was Zoe's House for the kids.

The first time there they spent half hour - and then we went back and spent another half hour. It was a room full of foam blocks of all sizes to build a house. The frame is what is in the picture. There are also trolleys (train carts) which went on a track and under a boom gate, as well as wheelbarrows for moving the "bricks" all around the room. There were cranes and levers and so many fun things to do. They had to wear a hard hat and vest and they had the time of their lives. On our first trip into Zoe's House, however, there was another little boy there with his father and mother. His father was standing next to the track and Cooper wasn't paying attention and ran right into his leg with the trolley. He immediately limped over to a chair and I asked if he was okay, to which he responded "NO! I am not!!" I felt so bad and wasn't sure what to say to that. He then told me that it was okay and his wife was a nurse if he needed help. She didn't seem to worried about his condition and kept talking on her phone. When she was off she said not to worry he just didn't have enough fat on his bones. I kept apologizing and he told me that really he was going to be fine and that he was a stay at home dad and that it comes with the territory. We left soon after that, but ran into them again (not literally this time) at the playground outside. He seemed fine then. Besides the accident it was a fun day and the kids really enjoyed it. We stopped for an icecream cone on the way home - which is always a nice way to end a day.

THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM: we met us with Kev's friend Jessica and her daughters (Jasmine and Lisa) for the morning at the museum. We have actually done this with her one other time and she gave us her membership card to the museum since they are moving to Singapore in a few weeks. On Thursdays they have a family day and in "Kids Spot" they read stories and have a craft to do. Cooper and Madi also like to go to the bone room (it is full of bones from all different animals) and the discovery room (they have computers and hands on stuff to do) as well as Kid's Spot (which is all hands on and for kids up to 5 - yes Madi is just barely too old, but she goes in to help Cooper so it is okay). This is her creation of play dough - if you can't tell it is a snowman family (apparently she is missing the snow already - there is something wrong with that I think). After the museum we met Kev for lunch at Hyde Park - the museum is right by his building and the park.