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Throughout the year we'll hear from eight bloggers as they share about their family's time in the brand-new Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience® and how it inspires them to explore these sports back at home.
This post was written by Children's Museum Blog Ambassador Jeanine Bobenmoyer. Follow her posts on the blog and follow her on Twitter @themomista.
I know, I know—rain, rain go away. After a brutal winter that just didn’t want to disappear, the lovely, warm-weather, definitely not snow-packed, Spring has stormed through with “an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.” {To use the words of football great Jim Harbaugh.}
Well Spring rain, we’re over you at the Bobenmoyer household.
We’re dying to get outside and play.
And hike.
And run.
And tennis, hockey, race car, baseball, basketball, football, track and mini golf our days away at the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience®.
Yes I know those aren’t exact verbs, but when you set foot inside the sports experience, they certainly transform into some!
But be that as it may, April continues to surprise us in the weather department. So this month it seemed only appropriate that we devise what every parent needs:
A game plan for rainy days at the Sports Legends Experience. Here are the how-tos and to-dos for a rainy “experience” at the sports experience:
- First, the good news: The sports experience is open rain or shine. I devoured The Children’s Museum FAQ Facebook Live videos when they first posted earlier this winter. One of the key things I learned was that not only is the sports experience open weather permitting, the museum has their very own weather expert and tracking tools to keep visitors playing safe! This helps staff gauge daily weather needs and allows the museum to immediately react to drastic weather changes impacting visitor safety {lightning, storms, etc}. So rain or shine, the sports fun lives on. Plus visitors can have the peace of mind to know if something shifts, their safety is a top priority.
- Just go and enjoy. This is where the whole "rain or shine" fun comes into play—embrace the sprinkles and enjoy your visit anyway! All exhibits are open to roam and experience regardless of rain. The exception is if certain surfaces are too slick to safely play on; then those specific areas will close temporarily until they're dry and safe for play. If your kids are anything like mine, a little rain just adds to their ambiance—I can already envision them jogging the Dr. Cory SerVaas Fitness Path and Jane and Steve Marmon Run-Walk Experience track in their rain coats. Hot tip: There are some dry spots "sprinkled" outside, including the Kohler Pavilion by the Pete and Alice Dye-designed Camferdam Golf Experience in case you need a little break!
- Dress accordingly. I know you know this but hey, it’s a good mention. If rain is in the forecast and you do decide to go, bring umbrellas, keep your wet-weather gear handy, and pack a dry pair of socks and change of shoes for post-workout. When the weather clears up, the museum has plenty of lockers in the Welcome Center to store your goods for the rest of your visit.
- Wait out the rain until later in the day. DYK the museum actually holds late hours Thursdays-Saturdays? So if the morning meteorologists are predicting rain, consider delaying your visit until afternoon/evening hours on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays when visitors are welcomed until 8 p.m. BONUS: Come Summer {May 26-September 3}, the sports experience will be open every day until 8 p.m.!
- Take some shelter from the rain at the indoor sports experience exhibits—all exhibits in the Efroymson Pavilion provide loads of informative fun! History of Hoops is a must-stop for our fam {possibly because Hunter is convinced he can recreate Reggie Miller’s 8-points-in-9-seconds in considerably less time – ha!}. We love peeking the walls at the National Art Museum of Sport. And Hunter + Emerson couldn’t resist testing their skills as newscasters in the ready-made broadcast booth in The World of Sport. In fact, heads up to all news anchors of Indianapolis, Hunter + Emerson are ready to start their broadcasting internship any day now…
Hopefully this game plan puts you in the right place for your rainy day visit to the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience®. If your kiddos need any help finding the largest puddle to splash in, rest assured Hunter + Emerson will be there to help.
