Austin Children's Museum Fun for Little Ones

The Austin Children's Museum has a new exhibit that is the most exciting yet. "Ready, Set, Roll" is an elaborate and interactive exhibit where children can learn about gravity, motion, and physics. Previous exhibits, such as Dinosaur Days were interesting, but not as fun as the current exhibit.

I frequently take my 18 month old toddler to the Museum for their special program called "Baby Bloomers" which is held every Monday from 9am to noon. There is a story time at 9:30, usually geared for the younger crawlers, and a music and parachute time at 10:30 for all ages, and at 11:30 there is usually a puppet show. Baby Bloomers is for children age 0-3 years old and the museum is closed to older children at this time so that there is a special time for the younger kids to explore without being trampled on. This is so nice. On Baby Bloomers day you can also get in for a reduced admission price of $3 per person instead of the full admission which is $4.50. Children under 12 months are $.50, and they have a special corral with appropriate and motor skill stimulating activities for the very little ones that they can play safely without being stepped on by the bigger kids.

There are ongoing exhibits at the Austin Children's Museum that are very unique and educational. They have recently updated and improved their dairy cow exhibit. There is a life size cow that is hooked up to a mechanical milker, where children can get a grasp of how the milk comes from the cow, then its put on the truck that drives it to the plant to be pasteurized, and then the children can actually take the fake milk and package it and send it through the conveyor belt, where it is stocked in the toy grocery store. At the toy grocery store there is a toy cash register where the children can purchase the "milk" and take it home to drink. If you can't imagine how cool this is for kids, you'll have to go there yourself and see it, it's amazing. Some of the other permanent exhibits include a bat hanging station, a water play area, a music production room called Austin Kiddie Limits, and a conductor booth where children can pretend to drive trains.

In the main room the newest "Ready, Set, Roll" exhibit is spread out with all different types of contraptions that look similar to a mini golf course. There are loop-to-loops, spirals, hills, plastic tubes, pulleys, tracks, and weigh stations all for children to explore what physics can do. All of these experiments use golf balls you can imagine what happens when you get a museum full of children and golf balls together. Get used to hearing, "heads up!!!" This new exhibit is the most fun we've had at the Austin Children's Museum. They will be running "Ready, Set, Roll" until October 15, 2005 and I'm sure we will be back several times before it ends.

I am also looking forward to the next exhibit, "Japan and Nature" which will be opening in October. It sounds nice, too, but still don't miss your chance to see "Ready, Set, Roll", it's so much fun.

The Austin Children's Museum is located downtown at 201 Colorado St. There is no free parking provided by the museum, but you can park for free at our new City Hall Building which is only one block away. There are meters you can pay to park near the museum. Bring $2 in change for 2 hours of parking if you choose to park at a meter. The nearest and dearest place to eat after a day at the museum is also one block away, a place that is a historic Austin Tex-Mex restaurant called Las Manitas. They have daily lunch specials and delicious frescas. It's not the most child friendly restaurant, only because it gets so crowded at lunch time, due to its popularity and location, but you won't regret it, the food is so good. And you will be hungry after visiting the museum. There is a lot of activity there.