Travel NC With Kids: Children's Museums – Great Choice for Winter Fun with Kids

Encourage Imaginative Play at Children's Museums

The children are all nestled....well, maybe not. The children just might be jumping on the furniture and decorating themselves with markers. Yep, that's more like it. The winter blahs can be challenging for a parent, especially when temperatures do not allow for many outdoor activities.

Hands-on Learning Opportunities at Children's Museums

Children's museums can be a great option to keep the kids entertained while they learn. These museums are not the kind where kids can look but never touch. Exploring with the senses is encouraged, even expected, at children's museums!

Indoor Play and Opportunities for Kids to Create

Our family has visited several of the children's museums in North Carolina. Each offers different learning opportunities. Some feature traveling exhibits that change at regular intervals. Many have so many exhibits that we tend to see something new every time we have visited. Each of the museums has been fun, interesting, and entertaining.

Creative Ways to Encourage Kids to Read

I particularly like how each children's museum encourages literacy. The kids have the opportunity to read about blue blood in horseshoe crabs in Statesville or see huge letters taller than many of the adults visiting in Winston-Salem or deliver and read mail in Greensboro. Many children's museums have libraries packed with a variety of books that beg the children to curl up in a bean bag or snuggle in a lap and enjoy a story or perhaps puzzles, puppets, games, and more.

Explore Careers at Children's Museums

Role-playing reaches a new level at children's museums. Kids might act on stage, complete with costumes, lighting, and sound effects controlled by other children; ride in a jet or train; or climb onto a fire truck. Careers might be born in a children's museum as little ones practice being a dentist, doctor, build a huge tower, conduct surgery, or make a batch of doughnuts. Budding physicists can learn more about laws of motion as they see those laws up close and personal while future parents might cuddle a baby doll and tuck it into bed.

Active Indoor Play at Children's Museums

Those with climbing kids in the family may find a children's museum that offers a huge beanstalk, a climbing wall, slides, or try other opportunities to explore vertically. I feel your challenges if you have a climber in the family – I have two who fit that bill and know it can be difficult to find fun, safe activities for them to enjoy.

Fun Places for Kids to Play Inside in NC

The decor is warm and kid-friendly, and many have rooms with areas designed for different ages, which can be very helpful for an adult who is entertaining different aged children. Architectural elements might be particularly inviting with bright colors and unusual elements for those who notice details. If you have older kids who aren't exactly thrilled at the children's museum, you might encourage them to take some pictures with a digital camera and create a scavenger hunt or you might snap a few challenging shots for the older ones to discover while the younger ones play.

Kids Who Like to Climb May Love Children's Museums

Some children's museums offer special programs with a variety of themes. Birthday parties can also be a lot of fun as kids explore a museum with their friends. Those concerned about the cost may be pleasantly surprised that some offer discount nights – these are often quite popular. Those who plan to visit several times a year may wish to ask about becoming a member – some facilities may offer reciprocal privileges at other museums, which could be a great indoor idea to consider when traveling.