Noah's Ark at Skirball

Today's activity was the Skirball Museum, a Jewish cultural museum. The kid's area, Noah's Ark, requires advanced reservations, which I made a few days ago for 10:30am (to visit Noah's Ark on Thursday, when admission is free, seems to require reservations months in advance). The trip was worthwhile, but we were tired enough after Noah's Ark, a Wildlife on Wheels show and a visit to the Art Studio that we didn't end up seeing the main part of the museum or the archeological dig. Noah's Ark started with a brief introduction before we got around to playing. Then we were able to go into the play area which consisted of 4 rooms decorated with whimsical creatures and containing a variety of hands-on activities. The kids' favorite activity in the first room involved loading animals on the ark (see photo). The second room had some small houses (one had a sunroof that Benjamin enjoyed opening and closing) and stuffed animals. The third room was their favorite because they could climb to a second level. It also had a cooking area with play food and accessories. The fourth room had fewer things to play with, but the kids enjoyed the large ark and animals (see photo).

We spent about 1 1/2 hours in the Noah's and then went outside to eat lunch and see the Wildlife on Wheels show, which included a spider monkey, alligator, and bald eagle. Then we made woven baskets in the art room and spent a few minutes in the superhero exhibit before heading home. I had hoped that we would be able to see some of the regular exhibit, but that will have to wait until next time.

(Dave here) Benjamins favorite things was the eggs. He would collect them, put them down the chute, come down the ladder and collect them again. He also like the Noahs Ark animal train, where he would collect the animals, put them on the chute, roll them to the top and collect them again. If only he would collect his laundry with such energy!

Joshua liked weaving at the art activity. He showed all the kids how to weave (but Benjamin already knew how). Then Daddy tied handles to the baskets they made.

Daddy's favorite was the animals, especially the African porcupine.

(Joshua here) Joshua's favorite part of the Wildlife show was the toucan, especially the poem. "One Can saves toucans".

Week at the Science Museum

Thursday morning (July 16), we went to the main Pasadena Library to see the storyteller Karen Golden. Before the show started, the librarian advertised the summer reading program w/prizes, so during the whole show, the kids were mostly thinking about the summer reading program bag w/prizes. The show was about a girl who goes on an adventure around the world on a paper boat. The boat docked several times and each time she heard a new story. Karen Golden kept the kids interested by having them join in with sound effects (perhaps Laura was a bit young for this program). After the show, Grandma helped the kids sign up for the summer reading program. The program ran later than I thought it would, so we were late to meet Daddy at In 'n Out Burger for lunch and then the kids were late for camp.

While the kids were in camp, Grandma, Laura and I explored the Natural History Museum and the Butterfly Pavillion. Benjamin brought home the planets project that he made in camp and said that he launched a rocket today and he caught it. Then he showed us a paper rocket that he used. I assume the paper was taped to a container and then a vinegar-baking powder solution or something like that was the actual rocket. Joshua was thrilled to leave camp with a couple of ladybugs today. We were discussing whether or not ladybugs can come on the airplane home (I would like to see them survive until then in captivity!).

Today (Friday), I wanted to take the kids to see the dinosaur show at the Natural History Museum. So, we dropped Grandma at the bus station so that she could go exploring downtown and headed to the museums. We got to the Natural History Museum early enough that we could see the Dino Lab and the birds and rainforest exhibit first. The bird and rainforest exhibits were really impressive! We felt like we were walking through a piece of an actual rainforest. We rushed through these exhibits so that we wouldn't be late for the dinosaur show. The kids were nervous around the baby Tyranasaurus Rex. Joshua still bravely volunteered to check out the dinosuar's teeth. Joshua got picked to check the T-Rex's teeth because the performer was the instructor from Benjamin's camp last week and he recognized us. Then the dinosaur chased Joshua in little circles up on stage, which was really funny! Finally, we had to go back to the science museum to eat lunch and drop the kids off for camp.

While the boys were in camp, Laura played with the toy exhibit and we went to see the butteryfly pavilion. We met up with Grandma at camp pickup time and then ventured back into the museum. Benjamin wanted to show us the air and space section of the museum, but it was closed. When we went into the main building, Joshua first wanted to try rock climbing, which he did very well. Then we went to see the communication and structures part of the Creative World exhibit before I dragged everyone back to the car to leave. Benjamin enjoyed building on the earthquake table and Joshua enjoyed the exhibit that "blinks if you are close enough to someone".

Joshua here to tell us about camp. "They gave us ladybugs on the fourth day and they also gave us stuff for our ladybugs to eat. We made ladybug gliders. We made ladybug shapes and ladybug wings and colored them and we paperclipped them together and then we flew them. Oh yeah! We got our ladybugs on bird day. We started bird houses. We just talked about birds, took a break, we started our birdhouse, and then we got our visitor--a tarantula and a snake and a lizard with no legs. A few lizards have no legs. Some people mistake them for a snake. We touched the tarantula. It felt soft. On the last day, we finished our birdhouses and got birdseed. We touched a guinea pig. We fed the guinea pig."

Benjamin "I saw Joshua fly his ladybug from the megatower. I flew my helicopter from the megatower."

3-2-1 Blast-Off and Creature Feature Camps

Benjamin has been really looking forward to his camps at the California Science Center! This week's, 3-2-1 Blast-Off sounds really cool. Joshua has the Creature Feature program this week. Perhaps he will either learn how to catch lizards or teach him that trying to catch the ones in our backyard is almost futile. Monday morning (after the kids were done fighting over sidewalk chalk), we spent exploring the science museum. We saw the temporary Science in Toyland exhibit first, which was fun, but not all the displays worked well. The kids had trouble getting the car to go all the way around a track with a loop and the dominoes exhibit took lots of patience. The sailcar and the building exhibit were really fun! Then we spent a few minutes in the 'Identity, an exhibition of you' special exhibit and the Transportation section. They loved the moving the light around to power the solar car. Finally, we headed to the World of Life and the Discovery Room because I thought that the live animals would be fun to see. The kids also enjoyed making butterflies, but we will have to return to check out the non-computer activities in the tech room.

Then we went outside for lunch, and I dropped the kids off at camp. Laura was not happy again about not going to camp herself. I promised her camp after Grandma leaves (it starts on Aug 3 and Grandma is leaving on Aug 2). Benjamin said that his group visited the Air and Space exhibit, learned about galaxies and saw a movie about a sun exploding. Joshua saw a gecko and learned about habitats by visiting the World of Life exhibit.

Tuesday morning we saw a magic show, Illusions by Allen, at La Pintoresca branch library in Pasadena. The show was very impressive, and the library was packed with kids. After the show, we played outside in the best playground we seen so far with a web climbing area that Joshua and Benjamin liked (Laura was too small) and a water play area. I gave the kids lunch while sitting in the park so that Benjamin and Laura might be able to dry off a bit. Then it was time to drop the kids off at camp. They were all anxious to pickup Grandma at the airport after camp. During camp, Joshua identified creatures in a pond in the education building and decorated his camp t-shirt. Benjamin brought home projects about the moon phases, constellations and asteroids and comets. After camp we headed to the airport. The kids loved watching planes landing and taking off as we approached it, but seeing Grandma was the highlight of the day!

Joshua here--On the second day of camp, we painted fish habitats on the back of our t-shirts and then we looked at the pond to see how many mosquito fish, crayfish, red eared-slider turtles, and bullfrogs there were. There was only one red eared-slider turtle and one bullfrog, but we found a rare crayfish with spots.

My favorite thing was finding habitats (on Monday in the museum). We found chicks habitat on a farm. (Laura calls a habitat a 'tat'). And we found fish in a kelp forest habitat. And we saw a bug garden habitat.