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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39085","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","alt":"Blog mash up"}}]]This post was written by Children's Museum Blog Ambassador, Samantha Cotten.
Follow Samantha's posts on the blog or follow her on Twitter @samanthacotten.
Like many moms of toddlers, I spend the majority of my day locked in my own living room. The trick to surviving a full day alone with my extremely mobile daughter, I've learned, is to contain her, her toys and everything she could possibly need for the day in one baby-proofed room. In all seriousness, my husband and I should probably buy stock in the baby gate industry because our house could easily be mistaken for the Cotten Correctional Facility.
Dorothy and I were beginning to feel like prisoners of our home until we made our first official visit to The Children's Museum. Ladies and gentlemen, we have busted out of Baby Jail and there is no turning back!
We headed straight for the Playscape; an obvious choice based on the exhibit's focus of sensory play and exploration for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. My daughter tends to be overwhelmed by new situations, specifically loud environments and crowded rooms, so I was a little nervous about how our first visit would go down. Playscape's bright natural light and ample space to play was not only perfect, but welcoming for our little mommy-daughter playdate.
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Safely inside Babyscape, we played for hours. Remember that time I said she had the attention span of a gnat? Not here! The baby gates were gone and we were both free to explore and learn (I say "we," because this momma had just as much fun as her baby in the Playscape!). We crawled up and down stairs, ramps and slides in The Treehouse. We pressed every button, flipped every switch and we splashed to our heart's content. No toy was off limits, and everything was within reach; I believe that's the official definition of Toddler Heaven.
Beyond the fun, I love that Playscape has everything we could need for the day. For example, the gigantic family restrooms and hand dryers proved useful when Dorothy discovered The Creek... and mom discovered she forgot a change of clothes. Pro tip: Locate the baby ponchos before your kid finds the splash zone. ;)
The best part? We only discovered a portion of Playscape! The exhibit features new activities every day, like music and art classes, and will only grow with our family. Since our first visit to the museum, Dorothy has become more of an explorer within our own home. What was unnoticed or unexciting before, like light switches and ceiling fans, have suddenly become a daily discovery. Let me tell you, there's nothing cooler than turning on the lights in the morning when you're 10 months old!
We laughed, we played and we even had an elusive car nap. I'd say our first visit to The Children's Museum was a success!
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[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"39168","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","alt":"Samantha"}}]]
