Great Museums

I have know for years that the Boston Museum of Science was a great place. Here are some things I learned this year.

• The dinosaur is "big, big, big". It also has a name I can't remember and wears a red and white scarf in the winter.
• It takes the opportunity to touch the fur of New England animals to get one glove off a small child
• Getting the other glove and the coat takes even more interactive activities - like creating dragons on the computer and "releasing" them to fly on the animated big screen. [This was VERY cool.] (Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids (Temporary Exhibit)
• Looking at X-rays is fun and apparently, so is listening to the stories of people who had X-rays taken.
• Baby chickens are cute but it is more fun to play the computer game to find the cancer in the mouse. (Human Body Connection)
• Swings in the winter are even better when no coat is required. (Science in the Park)
• The Discovery Center (between the cafe and the IMAX) is a great place for young children to take a break from the stimulation of the museum and do regular preschool like things. The staff is wonderful. We learned about rocks that start fires, are used to make toothpaste, and are heavy or light. We held the bones of a big bird that does not fly (ostrich). We learned the dance of the honey bee. We read books. And yes, the price is part of the exhibit hall ticket.
  
• The virtual fish tank is even more fun than the flying dragons.
• Even with the help of a child it is not always possible to find Waldo.
• The Discovery Center also has a great list of "exhibits that are enjoyed by children 8 years of age and younger" which was very helpful and very accurate.
• Mondays in mid January (just after school resumes) is a nice quiet time to go the museum.
• It will take more visits to see all the spectacular things.