Magic House

Kristen and I took the niece and nephew to the Magic House this morning and into the afternoon.  I hadn't been there since the MAJOR additions/renovations... in fact, I hadn't been there in about 15 or 20 years!!!  It was a lot of fun though, and actually somewhat educational.  They had a lot of hands-on stuff for the kids, which was perfect for my 2-year-old niece, but they also had a lot of brain-stimulating exhibits for my 5-year-old nephew.

The new place is cool.  If you remember it as I did - the small actual house with a few fun things, a big slide, and an electromagnetic ball that makes your hair stand up - then you wouldn't be disappointed because all that is still there.  Instead, they have just added an incredible amount of new spaces and features, including a museum shop and cafe.  My favorite exhibit of course was the construction area.  They had all these half-built things and a lot of stuff for the kids to do.  They got to dig gravel and scoop it into a concrete hopper and Nathan even got to sit in a REAL Bobcat (the machinery, not the feline)!!  They had a room built like a construction office and in there were some architectural drawings, so I was able to show him what his uncle does for a living.

They had several other learning exhibits - a Senate legislation auditorium, a forensics lab, and said construction site.  Some of this stuff was a little advanced for my little toddlers, but they got a kick out of it anyway.  They had a little kid area that Bella just loved!  They had sand, a grocery store, and a kitchen.  Nathan played in the sand also, and he was allowed to play in the water area since the smocks fit him.. haha.  There was a fishing area that Nathan liked also.  Another one of my favorites was the bubbles area which is just like it sounds.  You could pull up these chains and it would make bubbles in different shapes, you could blow air into a tub and make a giant bubble, you could lift up a bubble "wall" and blow into it, and, finally, you could pull a rope and lift up a tube-shaped bubble around you... this was anticlimactic as it bumped into your leg and burst about half-way up your body so you couldn't surround yourself inside a bubble like the sign said.  The last cool thing for Nathan was a Lewis and Clark expedition where, besides walking in front of an Asian kid getting his picture taken, he ran through this dark, enclosed obstacle course where we had to locate a badger (painted on the wall), all while negotiating a rope swing, rope bridge, and log bridge.  

We were about to finish our trip when I remembered the electromagnetic ball.  Nathan went up by himself, but his hair is so short that he didn't get much of a reaction..... but then it was Bella's and Aunt Kristen's turn... that's when hilarity ensued.  They got their long hairs raised up pretty well, but of course Kristen was disappointed that her hair didn't stick up long enough.... haha.  Regardless, the photo was worth buying and we later had it made into a magnet....  that was Bella's souvenir.  So, to the souvenir shop we headed.  Nathan picked out a couple of super balls.... he said one was for him (it had a rocketed space shuttle inside) and the other was for Bella (it had butterflies in it).  Later when he got home he changed that last one to the butterfly ball being for his mommy and he apologized to his dad for getting him nothing... haha!  Kids say the darndest things.

When we left the Magic House we hit up McDonald's for a late lunch.  The kids had McNug happy meals.  When Nathan was finished he played in the Playland.  Bella was content laughing at him and screaming "brother".  After lunch we dropped the kiddies back off to very welcoming and grateful parents.  All-in-all it was really a great day and I'm so glad we took them.  ALL of us had a blast, not just the little ones.  They were so well-behaved and it was really a breeze to be with them - it didn't feel like babysitting or a hindrance or anything.

Can't wait for our next outing!!  Maybe in Chicago ;)...