Children's Museum of Winston-Salem NC Offers Hands-on Active Fun

W-S Children's Museum Review & Pictures ©Katrena

The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem, NC in forsyth county has a great variety of activities that appeal to toddlers and older kids as well. I've taken my three kids to this children's museum many times in the past few years, and it has always been a hit with them.

Fun Family Activities in Winston-Salem NC ©Katrena

As soon as guests enter the front door of this children's museum, the place looks exciting with lots of color, rooms, and displays. My kids love to climb, and this children's museum features two large climbing areas that have netting around the edges for safety. My kids could probably spend all day in these two areas alone.

Educational Family Activities - Beanstalk Climber in NC ©Katrena

The kids can even climb the beanstalk, complete with green beans hanging on the sides, up to the second floor! Actually, the adults can try their hand at the beanstalk climber as well, or they can meander up the stairs that travel up with the exhibit as they watch their little ones going higher and higher. I'll admit I've been up the beanstalk. I wasn't sure that my youngest would be able to make it to the top without getting scared. Honest.

Creative Ways to Play in the Piedmont - Light Box Blocks ©Katrena

Builders will enjoy the downstairs Build It! exhibit that offers lightweight building supplies that are a bit larger than the ones at home, to put it mildly. They also have a pulley system, and even a lighted box for arranging different colored shapes.

How to Make Learning Fun - Cool Magnets at W-S Children's Museum ©Katrena

If you can manage to keep the kids out of the beanstalk long enough, under the stairs are some very cool magnets. Few people notice them, but when my kids did, they were mesmerized and played with them quite a while.
They also have a small outdoor area with a sandbox and all sorts of supplies for playing in the sand. The kids have done crafts outside on occasion, and a bench out there has a pretty butterfly shape on the back. Several rooms upstairs are opened when they have crafting opportunities that are themed for special programs.

Story Time at Children's Museum of Winston - Encourage Literacy ©Katrena

The library is also downstairs. They offer story times and special programs in this area, from children's yoga to hearing singers. The library is packed with books and other fun things like dress-up clothes and a large chess/checkers set. Special programs are sometimes offered "Under the Stars" in the multipurpose room as you first enter the museum.

Encourage Group Play Activities - Fancy Nancy Day at W-S Children's Museum ©Katrena

My daughters loved the Fancy Nancy themed day where they got to walk the runway and have a fancy tea party. They recently had a day related to starting school, and my girls thought it was really cool to get to go inside the bookmobile.

Hands-on Kid Friendly Fun - Enchanted Forest at Children's Museum in Winston ©Katrena

My youngest absolutely loves the Enchanted Forest room upstairs. This area is all about nursery rhymes, and there are lots of little rooms where the kids can find special treasures like the three bears and their beds. There is also a secret passageway into that room. Visitors can check out a huge cow or stomp over the bridge reminiscent of Billy Goat's Gruff. You might even find some stuffed goats hiding under there. One of my daughters loves to weave, and they have a huge vertical loom with neckties for weaving.

Fun With a Purpose at Children's Museum ©Katrena

Children can ride a boat, climb in the bathtub, or prepare some food in the mini kitchen. Puppeteers can find loads of fun puppets along with a stage designed like a castle. My youngest heads for the forest babies nursery area so that she can be the little mama while she explores. As the kids play, take a look around. A lot of time went into the beautiful details of this area, from the carvings at the entrance to the murals on the wall.

Time to Make the Doughnuts at W-S Children's Museum in Forsyth County ©Katrena

My oldest child loves to make the doughnuts in the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Factory. Put on an apron, grab a tray of plastic doughnuts, and get to work right away in this area. This factory requires more than one set of hands and a little bit of teamwork. Someone turns the huge wheel while someone else loads the doughnuts that travel up to the ceiling and drop down to the next area.

Drive Krispy Kreme Truck at Winston Children's Museum ©Katrena

When you get a group of kids working together, they might even work up a sweat as they try to beat their score on the huge timer at the top. They have boxes for the kids to place their finished products and load into the truck. I usually find my youngest pretending to drive the Krispy Kreme truck while holding the baby doll from the Enchanted Forest if I forgot to mention that she needed to put it back!

Food Lion Shopping at Children's Museum in Winston NC ©Katrena

Learn Life Skills at Children's Museum ©Katrena

My middle child enjoys the Food Lion shopping area. She wants to fill her shopping cart to the brim! I only wish I had that much fun shopping for groceries. They have two mini cash registers and kids may think it's really cool to be the checkout clerk. The parents might have to provide a few beeps at this point or the kids might think their register is broken. Behind the cash registers is a fun spice rack where you can smell the spices.

Children's Museum in Winston Features Traveling Exhibits - Clifford the Big Red Dog ©Katrena

The Animal Alphabet room may change from time to time. They may have the huge ABCs together in this upstairs room, but I've also seen the alphabet scattered throughout the museum if they have a traveling display. The alphabet is quite unique and most are taller than an adult with a nice variety of objects associated with each letter. The traveling displays have been a lot of fun too. We have seen themes based on Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, and other characters that my kids have seen in books. One theme was focused on communication, and all have been interactive.

Learn How Circulation Works at Children's Museum in Winston ©Katrena

Circulate It lies along the back wall of the Animal Alphabet room. This area is filled with large tubes that snake up and around the wall. Place a scarf in the hole and watch it shoot through the pipe and out a hole! The kids can turn a lever to adjust the flow, so just as the kids think they know where the scarf will come out, they may be in for a surprise. As my older kids are shooting scarves, my youngest one will be hunting an animal in need of attention in the veterinary clinic nearby.

Enjoy Beautiful Architectural Elements at W-S Children's Museum ©Katrena

Children's museums can be great fun, and the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem offers loads of variety with activities for the youngest kids as well as the older ones. I enjoy how they have areas for the older and younger kids close together, which makes it much easier on a parent who is trying to keep the herd together but still having fun.

In addition to daily rates, they offer family memberships and memberships for the grands for those interested in visiting several times. The Children's Museum web site lists dates when they offer Friday evening discount admission. Birthday party facilities are also available at this oh so cool fun family place packed with indoor activities.

Visit the Travel NC With Kids site map for additional ideas for fun family activities and more great pictures!