If you haven’t yet taken your kidlets down to the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, you should hightail it there the next chance you get! It’s well worth the trip, even if you don’t live down in the area. I myself am not a huge museum fan in the general run of things, since if I’m going to stand around and stare at pretty things I’d rather do so in an H&M or Charlotte Russe store (I know, I know, I’m such a materialistic philistine for a lit teacher). However, this museum is practically FUN!
Just like the name advertises, the Hands-On Museum is exactly that—Hands On. Five floors of science experiments and interactive displays get children and adults of all ages involved in the wonder of how the world works. There’s something for everyone: the water room and play area for tots, a real ambulance to explore, a climbing wall, and of course countless try-it-yourself science displays. The first time I went with my boys (who are both under the age of four) we practically had to drag them out after two-and-a-half hours. And we weren’t leaving because I was bored. There were times when I had to remind myself to keep my eye on the kids because I was so involved in everything to do and see!
Membership is well worth the expense. For $75 a family (parents, children, AND GRANDPARENTS) has unlimited access to the museum for a year, along with free or reduced admission to over 300 other science institutes (including the Cranbrook Institute of Science) all over Michigan, other states, and around the world.
Members also get access to special members-only events, such as the Backyard Bugs event this Wednesday night, August 19, from 6 to 8 p.m.! Attendees will explore and learn about monarch butterflies from museum expert David Stapp. There will be prizes, refreshments, and of course, hands-on activities.
So check out the Hands-On Museum, help your kidlets learn about the world in a fun and interactive way, and (if you are a member or can pull that off right quick) check out the bugs! It’s a wild world in there…
TeacherMommy is a 31-year-old mother of two and a high school English teacher somewhere in a northwest suburb of Detroit. She spends her time at work quelling teenagers with her patented glare and threatening to deposit them in a pottery jar labelled “Ashes of Obnoxious Teenagers,” and occasionally she manages to teach them something about literature and writing. At home, she alternates cuddling two small boys and tearing her hair out over their latest antics. TeacherMommy also occupies way too much time online reading blogs, Twittering, and practicing her writing skills on her own blog, Diapers and Dragons.
