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.... featuring New York area weekend trips with James and his Mom as they search for fun, excitement and learning adventures! ....

Stepping Stones Children's Museum

Waterscape fun...

What James Says : This weekend, we went to the Stepping Stones Museum for Children' in Norwalk, Connecticut. My whole family went and we had a great time. Each area has a theme.

When you first walk in there is this really huge, interactive, ball structure, the Color Coaster.

Waterscapes is this really cool water table room, with smocks to put on so you stay dry but we still got really wet. I would definitely bring a dry shirt.

In the Rainforest Adventure, there is a pulley system on the wall, very cool, so you can sit in a seat and pull yourself up the wall, like a scientist climbing a tree. And you can learn about the rainforest environment.

I Spy Connecticut is a transportation area. There you can control model trains, make Lego racecars and race them, sit in and pretend to fly the helicopter or play in the submarine space.

In the Works is a gadget area and was my favorite. There was a suction tube that went from one end of the room, across the ceiling to the other side of the room and you could send messages back and forth. You can put together ball tracks to see how far you can get the ball before it falls off the wall. You can make an electric bulb work by completing the circuit. Lots of cool things to do.

Oh yeah, my little brother's favorite part is the little kids room, Toddler Terrain, where only the little kids can play and do crafts. This place is really a lot of fun but I think I may be getting a little too big for some of the stuff. My sister and brothers could have stayed all day!

What Mom Says : This is a great day out for the family. As you enter you get the feeling that this is all about kids having fun; big open spaces, clean, bright and colorful.

First thing you see is the Color Coaster, a 27-foot kinetic sculpture designed by artist George Rhoads, it is fascinating and interactive. Depending on the weather, you could save the Waterscapes for last or go ahead and dive right in. The kids do tend to get very wet. I would definitely bring a dry shirt for older kids and full change for the little guys.

Spying HUGE bugs through the glass floor.

Toddler Terrain is specifically for kids 3 and under. It is a soft play space where crawling and floor play is safe for little ones. The other three sections, Rainforest, I Spy Connecticut, and In the Works are all about independent investigation and hands on manipulation. The outdoor Courtyard is open seasonally.

If you are doing lunch, they have a full service lunch counter and cafeteria style seating, or you could eat out in the courtyard (weather permitting).

James is right, he is growing out of some of the activities. He did still have a great time, although with no where near the enthusiasm of the three younger kids. He began to get bored after a few hours. The younger ones could have spent the entire day.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children is located at Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850, Phone: 203 899 0606.

The museum hours (Memorial Day - Labor Day ) are 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on holidays. They open at 9:00 a.m on Wednesday and Thursday mornings for museum members. Admission is $8 per person (children under 1 free) and $6 for seniors.

They offer free admission on the last Thursday of every month from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. School and group tours are available at a discounted rate. Admission is free with membership card from Stepping Stones or from one of over 100 children's museum in the reciprocal program.

About the authors: James is the oldest of 4 kids. Mom is their Mother, a children's writer, educator & photographer. They live in New York with their Dad and pet dogs, cats, geckos, and turtles.

also see in Travel -> Connecticut Tourist Attractions