Sweet Summer Fun - Part 7

Summer is winding down and we are in the home stretch until school begins. These past 2 weeks have been wild cards and anything goes. Camp is over and each day is a new opportunity to find something to do to keep the kids entertained and busy.


On Monday, August 23rd, my friend Beth and her two kids joined us for an adventure to the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum in Winchester, VA. It takes a little more than hour to get there (1 hr, 11 minutes to be exact) and I wasn't sure what we were going to find. I had asked around and even put an inquiry on one of my mommy message boards to find out what it was like and if it was worth the trip. No one responded and most people didn't know this place even existed. I was very skeptical because when you look at the picture on their website, the museum is not a stand-alone building. It is just a small looking space in the middle of a strip of stores and restaurants.

Fortunately Beth is always up for trying something new, was willing to drive us all in her car (got to love that!) and had the great attitude that anywhere you go can turn into a fun experience for the kids if you put the right spin on it. This is why I surround myself with friends like her.

What a wonderful surprise when we got there and discovered this place was awesome. It was quite narrow, but the space went on and on and on. The discovery museum utilized every square inch of wall and floor space with something the kids could create, touch, or pretend play. It wasn't cluttered or over-crowded with stuff, but well organized. Admittedly, the place needed new carpet, but everything else was in good working order and appeared clean. Sam and Kyle, who are 2 years old, had just as much fun as Ian and Haley, who are 5 years old. And older kids who were there had a blast too. There was something for everyone. Some of the exhibits included: A play hospital (with stretchers, diagnostic machine, x-rays, dr lab coats, wheelchair, crutches, cast), a simulated ambulance, fish aquarium/snake aquarium, play house complete with 2nd story loft for the kids to climb, rock climbing wall, a room to build a race track, with oversize tracks including loop-de-loops, pulley and conveyor belt with apples, buckets, pipes set-up like an organ to play music using flip-flops. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

I do have to say that one of the reasons I think this was so successful was that Ian and Sam each had a friend. In my opinion it helps for them to have someone to check everything out and play with.

Once we had been there for a couple of hours, we were ready to venture down the cobblestone street in historic Winchester and find lunch. The area was filled with all kinds of restaurants and we easily settled on Union Jacks. They had a front patio with outside seating, No humidity, a tasty-looking menu for both adults and kids, and four extremely well-behaved kids who exhausted themselves from playing and discovering something new -- this is what makes for one FABULOUS ADVENTURE!