North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
North Pole - various times
Go Out on a Limb at the Brooklyn Children's Museum
My 2 ½ year old son was addicted to acorns last year. Luckily, he only wanted to gather them. He preferred ones with “tops on them” and loved trips to the park to beef up his collection. This year, he’s more into sticks, leaves and tree stumps. I knew the exhibit Out on A Limb: Adventures in Nature and Art at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum would be right up his alley (and a great way to spend a rainy day!).
From what I’d read about Out on a Limb, I expected a bunch of tree-like structures that kids could climb with actual houses to play in. Once we entered the exhibit, I realized I hadn’t used my imagination enough. Tree-houses were clearly the inspiration, but Out on a Limb takes their meaning to a new, more whimsical level.
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The exhibit features a series of beautifully constructed make-believe trees; beneath them are what could be described as “exploration stations” with various materials, such as blocks, wooden sticks, magnets, noise makers, lights, and paper that encourage visitors to build, decorate, make, study, and draw.
There was one tree tower that my son was able to climb up, through and underneath. But it also had a periscope, a talking tube, a bucket on a pulley, an abacus with seeds, a magnetic board with laminated leaves and a booklet that helped us identify each one. Some of our other our favorite “exploration stations” included:
The fort-maker: Using wooden pieces that resembled branches and tree limbs, canvas material, and plastic connectors, we were able to make our own mini forts.
The leaf blower: With a tube situated over a fan, this tree let us experiment with how leaves blow in the wind; my son loved raking them up.
The forest jam: We had a lot of fun making forest sounds with rain and thunder sticks, bird whistles, electronic drumheads and a keyboard.
The gnome home: Sitting on mini tree stump stools, we used blocks, branches and driftwood to make homes for forest friends.
There was also a big wooden table with note cards that we wrote on and hung from a tree, as if they were leaves, and a reading nook with a wooden bench and a basket of books.
Fun and educational, Out on a Limb would appeal to kids of all ages. Older children could easily sit for awhile at each station, exploring and learning about nature. Younger children will be mesmerized by all there is to see, touch, feel and hear.
We went on a Tuesday morning at 10:30am and had the exhibit to ourselves for the first half hour or so. It got busier by 11am, but with lots of space to spread out and explore, it never felt too crowded.
Admission to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum is $7.50 for adults and children over 1, and includes access to the exhibit, plus the permanent collections. The exhibit runs until January 2, 2011 and is located on the 2nd floor of the museum, next to the cafeteria (where you can buy food or bring your own).
Brooklyn Children’s Museum (this site plays music)
145 Brooklyn Avenue
718-735-4400
For more museum fun check out our Culture Guide.
