If
you are planning a trip up to Saratoga this time of year, the weather can be a
bit unpredictable. And if you are
traveling with children, you definitely want to make sure you have a plan for
indoor and outdoor activities. When the
temperature is too cold for a lovely hike on many of the city’s trails, or not
cold enough to enjoy outdoor winter activities, such as snowshoeing, skiing, or
sledding, take the kids indoors to one of the many businesses our town has to
offer. We will be reviewing perfect arts
and crafts and kid friendly spots over the next couple of weeks, but for today,
let’s take a look at The Children’s Museum at Saratoga.
Located on 69 Caroline Street in the
heart of Saratoga Springs, The Children’s Museum offers a unique look at the
Spa City. There are two stories of
exhibits that will delight children of all ages as well as their parents. There is a trolley, a tree house, a music
pagoda and a huge bubble maker all on the first floor. All of these exhibits are hands-on and
provide learning experiences about animals, music and the environment. After you have had enough fun on the first
floor, head upstairs and marvel at the small city they have on display,
proportioned for small children. There
is a diner, a market, post office, bank and a school. They also have a fire truck with jackets and
helmets and a building block room. All
of these spaces are filled to the brim with kid friendly accessories and items
that allow kids to feel they are experiencing the real thing. You will be amazed at how quickly time passes
while you are here. You can spend hours
and still have not played in every exhibit.
In
addition to all of the wonderful exhibits available, the Museum also has
special events each day. Sunday
afternoons, you and your child can learn all about famous artists and then make
your own creations in Artrageous!
Tuesdays, your children can enjoy Tuesday for Tots, a special time for
their littlest visitors. Play dough, arts & crafts and building materials
are all a part of this weekly theme-based program. On Wednesdays your child will learn about a
new letter of the alphabet through crafts, games, stories and songs with
Alphabet Soup. This multidimensional
experience is a fun way to reinforce early literacy in preschoolers. On Thursdays in December the Museum has Silly
Science in which kids explore the different ways science is all around them. Topics include water, forces, seasons,
animals and much more. On Friday, you
can stop by to experiment with movement and music in the Wiggle and Giggle
program. Children can walk on a balance
beam, crawl through a tunnel, toss bean bags and try out new instruments. All of these programs are free with the price
of admission.
The Museum is open Tuesdays though
Saturday from 9:30am to 4:30pm and Sundays from noon to 4:30pm. The cost of admission is $6 per person and
children under one year of age are free.
You can find out more by visiting their website at cmssny.org or by calling 584-5540.
Visit Mamatoga.com for the
Children’s Museum event calendar and more for families in the Saratoga
area. Next week, find out where you can
bring your budding artist!