• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
/
February 17, 2009

Fun Day at Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

President’s Day in New York City.  To some this was a day when most parents were off from work to care for their children who were beginning a week long mid-winter break from school. Aside from my husband being home from work, I saw this as another day, another opportunity to seek out adventures for her family to enjoy together.

Today we sought to adventure into Crown Heights, Brooklyn and introduced our children and myself, to the newly renovated Brooklyn Children’s Museum.  I was curious about visiting the first green building in the city and children’s museum in the world (founded in 1899), which had gone through some renovations before reopening in September of 2008 after completing an $80 Million expansion project.

The boys love visiting museums, but the 11-year-old was a bit skeptical of what he would find there. Other visits to museums focused expressly on children often leave him feeling a bit bored and left out. But because the family belief is that one never knows what a family adventure will bring, he was hesitant to stay home and potentially miss out.

We took their car for a quick ride over the Brooklyn Bridge, though commuting to the museum by train is also an easy task on the A, C or 3 trains. Parking nearby was not a hassle at all, which was nice since the museum does not offer private parking. We arrived to the museum located on a quiet neighborhood block, and entered to find a wide, colorful lobby, bustling with the sound of children at play.

img_22681

Before my husband and I had removed our coats the little ones had escaped and ran into the museum’s Totally Tots play area. This amazingly fun, colorful play area caters to toddlers and their curious and playful personalities. The first stop the younger boys made in this area was at Water Wonders, where they played with handles that made water sprinkle or bubble or squirt into the large pond full of toys and water. They climbed in and out of a tunnel which led them to the middle of the pond, and watched the water as it trickled down a small waterfall which they could control by moving the various panels. The 2-year-old refused to wear the readily available smocks to protect the him from getting wet and within minutes his Spongebob shirt was drenched. He was so busy having fun and playing that it seemed the only one uncomfortable with it was me. So, I decided to ignore it and let him play.

img_2166

img_2168

img_2171

Soon after, the boys moved on to the Sand Play area, where the kids found blue sand, a few shovels, small containers, and other tools to carry, move, and spread sand on the toddler height sand box. From there they moved towards the playful Toy Town, creative Little Theater, musically fun Sound Around, and artistically inclined Art Studio. One missed spot was the Reading Nook and the Baby Hub (for 18 months and younger).

img_2257 img_2261

img_21811

img_2259

img_2215

img_2198

img_2213

img_2210

The kids were able to participate in the Lincoln’s Log Cabin activity, in honor of President’s Day.

img_2204

Another one of my favorite exhibit was World Brooklyn. Here I watched as my little ones played in the international grocery store, where they shopped for all sorts of foreign delicacies and even pretended to check things as they moved along the belt by the register. Other Brooklyn area favorites displayed here were Don Paco Lopez Panaderia and L&B Pizzeria allowing the kids to play, interact with other children, and even make their own pretend pizza.

img_2244

img_2250

img_2253

The kids also enjoyed Neighborhood Nature, where the kids played with a pebble pond, looked for bugs through a magnifying glass, participated in one of the museum’s scheduled activities at the Touch Tank, did some imaginary gardening, crawled through a tunnel under an aquarium, and listened to the sounds of nocturnal birds and insects.  Whew!

img_2226

img_2232

img_2230

img_2235

img_2263

The museum has tons of other activities and exhibits that we didn’t manage to get to before the little ones started to show signs of exhaustion. The library on the 2nd floor is well stocked with books, with plenty of comfortable reading corners to relax and read to your child. Also on the 2nd floor, the permanent exhibit, Collections Central, showcases cultural artifacts and natural science specimens. The boys did look around here and also were intrigued by all they touched and saw there!

img_2187

img_2191

Needless to say, definitely a place where the hours can go by without notice.  Even my 11-year-old son thought the museum was the coolest place ever, “even if for a children’s museum”.

We managed to get the kids out, no fits, no fuss, just plenty of promises that we would be back to play soon. A promise I will be happy to keep.


Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008
1 Comment
  • Natalie
    February 17, 2009

    Love this blog…wish I had gone =P

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Free Day at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Next Post
Sights and Fun on the Staten Island Ferry Ride

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, N A perfect little roadtrip idea: Clifton Springs, NY to explore all the good reads available at the cutest little bookstore, @sulfurbooks. 

With its airy feel, with cozy reading nooks and friendly vibes, I could’ve easily spent hours here. Instead, I walked away with some new reads and excitement for my return.

📍Clifton Springs is a 45 min drive from Rochester and a little over 30 mins from Penn Yan, NY. 

#fingerlakes #smallrownny #newyork #roadtrip #booklover
And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain And the mural is complete! This year, @travisjcain was invited to participate in MuralFest hosted by @communityartselmira. His theme was in honor of the Seneca Indigenous culture and their remaining influence on the Finger Lakes and so much of North America. 

In the mural you will see depictions of a turtle at center, which is sacred and is believed to be the protector and nurturer of life. The 13 moon cycles is the traditional lunar calendar. Also depicted are long houses, traditional foods such as corn, and an eagle, which serves as a messenger to the Creator and a protector of the Haudenosaunee.

The mural is already marked by the impact of all the rain we had since he started, but today he, @liamcain._ , and @toniiocain worked throughout the day in this very hot sun to complete it. And I couldn’t be prouder or love it more! 

If you want to see the mural in person, it is located on the railway wall along Washington Ave. and Lake St. in Elmira, NY across from the old Big Lots parking lot. 

Congratulations to Travis and all the artists!

#murals #streetartist #elmirany #artist #muralist
Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu é Mi gente Latinx e inmigrante : tu felicidad, tu éxito, y tus esperanzas y sueños positivos hacia el futuro también son expresiones de revolución. El propósito es crear desesperación, confusión, intimidación, y tristeza. Y sí, existen. Sufrímos con nuestras familias, amistades, y comunidades. Pero, coño, nuestra gente somos resiliente y capaces de más de lo que se imaginan. Movamosnos adelante con la cara alta, dignidad, y coraje. 
…………..

My Latinx and immigrant people: your happiness, your success, and your positive hopes and dreams for the future are also forms of revolution. The purpose is to create despair, confusion, intimidation, and sadness. And yes, they exist. We suffer with our families, friends, and communities. But, above all, our people are resilient and capable of more than you can imagine. Let us move forward with our heads held high, with dignity, and courage.

#latinx
Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on th Things that make me happy: the sound of rain on the metal roof. So calming. 

#countryliving #fingerlakes #newyork
A moment in this little life I’ve created and lo A moment in this little life I’ve created and love so much. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #lakelife
Today’s morning was fueled by one of our fave sp Today’s morning was fueled by one of our fave spots in Geneva, NY - @monacoscoffee. We found this spot a few years ago, before we moved to the area full time while at a rental nearby and immediately fell in love with its community and cozy vibe, and delicious coffee. 

It’s even cuter than when we first visited while all the reasons we love it remain. Always worth a stop when in Geneva. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #genevany #coffeelover #coffeeshop

Copyright © 2025 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice