Children's Discovery Museum

There are many different ones to choose from depending on where you live and what you want for your kids to do. In Maine there are three - our favorites are Bangor and Portland, though there is also one in Augusta. What's special about them is the range of "fun" activities which also allow children to learn while exploring and playing!

Gabi wanted to go back to the one in Bangor - it had been just over a year since she'd been there. And, the great excitement, there was a whole new section. I don't know exactly when it opened up, but it was new for us and provided tons of fun (especially for Jeremy).

There was, of course, the first floor: filled with "animal" habits to explore, microscopes and tanks to look at, and a water section which allowed the kids to explore the "flow" of H2O - pumps, blocking shields, and even a water wheel. Aprons are provided for anyone trying to keep their little one from being too wet!

The second floor was my favorite - it's the "storybook village" of sorts. There is the farm where Wilbur is along with a special Web for kids to arrange words and thus become "Charlotte". There is a motorcycle, a lobster boat and a lighthouse - just for exploring and climbing all over.

A puppet theater is complete with numerous puppets (and bean bag chairs to lounge in) while adults can watch the show from the other side sitting in chairs provided. I always love to listen to the kids are the create their own imaginary tales.

Across from the puppet theater is the "library" complete with two computers - each set up with a different program to play/learn. One was an ASL program and Peter just couldn't get enough of that! And, what would a library be without books... shelves of books.

But that wasn't all... there was also a closed in section perfect for little ones under 5. Unlike in Portland where it's a huge climbing thing in the middle of the floor so parents can watch other kids running around and doing other things (which I loved about Portland's one), this one is a little room with a half door. It has building blocks, a "fireplace" a couple of chairs and a little house... not just any house, mind you, but the Three Bears' House. Peter loved stacking the blocks and every time Grandma Nielsen would hand him another he'd say "Thank You" - Lynne said it must have been 30 or more blocks and it never failed that he'd thank her for every one. Peter's like that - he loves to say thank you, and means it.

As if all that weren't enough, this is also the floor with the "addition" - hand drums, a lounge area with a hammock, a giant cargo ship complete with control room, deck and storage area. Plus packages and a crane for the kids to "load' the ship . This is where Jeremy wanted to stay. He didn't care about anything else once he saw that crane - something about levers and pullies, not that he realizes that yet.

In the addition was also a pasta shop, a large world map with interact game, and a delivery truck.

There was still another floor - the third floor is a neat science area. There is the human body - you get to make the blood pump around the heart, see how eyes work, lay in a mouth full of teeth, crawl through veins, and sometimes (though not when we were there) there is s section for "playing doctor and vet".

A small "planetarium" which was neat because the kids were all "glowing" - they thought that was cool, though Peter wasn't fond of that much dark. Also a couple of "slopes" for racing balls. And little air blowing tubes with ping pong balls (try to make a basket). Plus a place to go in and make "shadows" that stick around for a while.

On the other side, there is a place more suited for younger kids - panels of those heat pads (you know, the kind you stick a hand on and it shows different colors based on the heat coming from your body), a giant light bright, some gears, and other little things. A craft room was there, but busy with a summer camp. Also in that area is a Hyrographic "machine" - kids could choose two or three colors and makes these silly pictures just by pushing the board.

A "dance studio" which shows the image of movement in various colors, a song board arranged by specific singers and you press a button to get them to sing, a "recording studio" where you could sing karioki style.

This floor was also where Peter learned the fun of gravity with one of those coin wheels things. It was also Gabi favorite floor - go figure, the science kid!

All in all they had a wonderful time and played well. It was nice to go and not be on the "school time schedule", but our own and to be able to gauge it by the kids. We were there nearly five hours - they had a lot of fun!