mom a la mode

Visiting Liberty Science Center could not have come at a better time for us.  Between being off from pre-school for the past week and nursing a nasty cold that kept us cooped up, my 2 ½ year old was ready for some much-needed time to run, explore and play outside of the four walls of our house.

My husband was the one who initially called my attention to Liberty Science Center’s “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious” Exhibit, which is running thru 5/12/13, and thought it would be good for our son.

Nana, Roc & Daddy excited to see Curious George

Good is an understatement.  It was Great!

Our little monkey was totally in his element and his insatiable curiosity for all things tactile was celebrated as he operated wheels and pulleys, tried his hand at a few rounds of mini golf, and zoomed down the Rocket Ship Slide many, many times.  All while hanging amongst two of his favorite storybook and TV characters – Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat.

We visited on a Sunday, arriving at 1pm.  Mom a la mode Facebook Fan, Lana K. warned us about a 40-minute wait to enter the Curious George exhibit at the museum, so we felt somewhat prepared.  But thankfully, we only waited about 15 minutes (they stagger admittance due to the highly interactive nature of the exhibit.)

Based on the familiar characters in H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic stories published by Houghton Mifflin, the immersive exhibit environment is set in the neighborhood where Curious George lives with his friend, The Man with the Yellow Hat.  And we easily recognized familiar characters (like Chef Pisghetti!) and places featured in the classic stories and TV series.

My son’s favorite activities by far were the slide, mini golf and produce stand – complete with functioning cash register and play money! While my husband, mother and I loved the “museum within the museum” where we got to learn about the colorful history of Curious George (Fun Fact: Did you know that H.A. and Margret Rey’s classic story first starred a giraffe?  The monkey character was initially named FiFi and played a supporting role in their stories.)

My mother, an elementary school teacher, thought that the exhibit was especially perfect for children ages 4-7, as they would get the most out of exploring the science elements like cause and effect using wind power, windsocks and whirligigs in the Farm portion of the exhibit.  But there was still plenty for our toddler to do, as previously mentioned.  He also loved interacting with the full-size Curious George in the City Park and playing with the busywall activities.

Dee Dee, Curious George and my little monkey

It was great to get back to Liberty Science Center because I had not been in over a decade, when I first visited with my former company’s community outreach program.  Frankly, I didn’t think there would be much for my toddler to do there, prior to learning about the Curious George exhibit.  And it seems like Liberty Science Center management is looking to change that, based on what I read in the press packet:

“LSC has increased our offerings for families with kids under 7 by adding new educator-led programs, movies and exhibit experiences just for them – and we’re getting great feedback from guests,” says Paul Hoffman, LSC’s President and CEO.

My little Curious George and me

So load up the family into the car – or take the ferry/train – and spend part of your weekend with your favorite monkey in an interactive adventure. Curious how to get (2) free passes??  Enter mom a la mode’s Liberty Science Center Giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

oxox

-mom a la mode

{I was not compensated for this post. I received a complimentary blogger pass for me and my family to the Liberty Science Center for review purposes of the Curious George Exhibit.  All opinions expressed here are solely mine.}

{Giveaway info: No purchase necessary.  Open to U.S. residents age 18+ only.  Contest open for one week from date of publish. Full contest rules on Rafflecopter widget.}