5 Ways to Make Museums, Zoos and Aquariums More Fun
Who wants to go to a museum? If your family is like mine, you might get a mixed reaction to this question. One child may jump up and down shouting, “ME, ME” while the other child says, “Okay” and another child says, “No thanks.”
Visiting a museum, zoo or aquarium is a fun, educational way to entertain your child. It can be challenging, though, if your children are different ages and have different interests. Once you get to an attraction, you may encounter long lines or crowds which can cause your kids to lose interest or become frustrated. One way to engage all of your children with different personalities and developmental levels is to play a game. Here are a few games that I have found helpful to make museums, zoos and aquariums more fun for everyone.
1. Scavenger Hunts:
A great way to involve all your kids at a destination is to offer them a scavenger hunt. I first saw this used when I volunteered to go on my child’s school field trip to Plimoth Plantation. The teacher gave a scavenger hunt list to all the students. Even though I have visited Plimoth Plantation many times, I learned new things from participating in the scavenger hunt and the kids loved it. It was a way for them to learn and have fun at the same time.
To design your own scavenger hunt, before you visit the museum, zoo or aquarium, go to the website. Most websites have information you can use to create an appropriate scavenger hunt based on your child’s age and interests. Write a list of items your child needs to find while visiting the spot. For example, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History website has historical information and pictures. An item on the list could be as simple as “find the Hope Diamond.”
2. Passport Stamps:
Everyone loves to get their passport stamped, right? I have seen this idea used at the Boston Harbor Islands and Disney World. My kids love getting a stamp and then they feel a sense of accomplishment when their book is filled with stamps at the end.
Similar to creating the scavenger hunt, you can visit the attractions’ websites before you visit. Create a passport book by stapling together some white pages of paper. On each page write either a place to visit, such as, “see the lions at the zoo,” or a challenge or questions such as, “Who flew the “Spirit of St. Louis” hanging in the National Air and Space Museum?” When your child has completed the task on the page, give them a stamp (you can bring one with you).
3. Bingo:
My kids love playing bingo and they have played it almost everywhere. This game is easy enough for young children to play, and also entertaining for older children. By using the game at an educational location, you are helping your child to interact with their surroundings.
Before you go to the site, create bingo game boards for the whole family. Each square could be either a picture or a written word of something you plan to see during your visit. For example, if you are going to the aquarium you could have pictures (you could even print pictures from the website or online) of a shark, octopus and sea turtle. The first person to spot the shark marks off the square using a pencil with the shark in it. You win bingo when you get five squares in a row.
4. ABC Game:
The ABC game is when you write down all the things you can think of that start with a particular letter in one minute. Start with A. If two people come up with the same word, that word gets crossed out. Whoever gets the most words wins. You then go on to the letter B and so on. This is a fun, easy game you can play anywhere; you only need some pens and paper (or you could use the notepad on your electronic device).
You can play this game in the car if you are driving a long distance to the place you are visiting, and try to think of topics related to the place for each letter. Or you could modify the game at the location by getting everyone to look for something that starts with the letter A – whoever finds one first wins one point, then continue to B, etc.
5. I Spy:
Even though my twins are 12 years old they still like to play I Spy. And the great thing about this game is young children are able to play it as well. This is a fun waiting game, if there are long lines or if you have to wait to get into an exhibit. You can also play I Spy while you are at the museum, zoo or aquarium. This game will increase your child’s observation skills while they still have fun.
How do you help make places fun? What are some games you play?
Related
Parent’s Favorite Places to Take Visitors in the DC Metro Area
