A Day of Exploration

Today we set off on an adventure -- we took Daniel to the Garden State Discovery Museum. It's not possible to find this place by accident. Located in Cherry Hill, the museum occupies the former Courier Post building in the middle of a nondescript industrial park. My friend Rachel told us about it and encouraged us to check it out. It was the perfect place for Daniel to explore on his own. The museum was small, not at all crowded (certainly in comparison to the Camden Aquarium, which was our second choice destination), and very accessible to a newly-walking 15-month-old. The exhibits were laid out in open spaces, where everything could be touched, manipulated, or climbed upon. Perfect for Daniel! He was in awe of the car exhibit pretty much right away. Typical boy!


Daniel sat in the driver's seat, put his hands on the steering wheel, and let his imagination run wild! Another favorite was the animal habitat -- a hollow tree with multiple levels through which the kids could climb. Peter accompanied him inside, while I tried to predict which hole he'd emerge from.

I got to live out a fantasy of my own in the news studio. Peter manned the camera while Daniel and I did our best Jim Gardner/Lisa Thomas-Laury impressions. Actually, we were more like Anchorman Ron Burgundy and Veronica Morningstar! Watch your back, Cecily Tynan!

Perhaps the museum's highlight for adults was a large pseudo-Lite Brite wall with plastic pegs. Daniel got a kick out of moving the pegs from hole to hole, but Peter and I enjoyed the sheer nostalgia of the exhibit. I tried not to think about how many sticky little hands had touched the pegs before us.
Other exhibits included a veteranarian's office, a construction site, a malt shop, and a fairy tale castle. Daniel was definitely too young for some of the interactive aspects of the museum, but he still enjoyed roaming around and exploring with his hands and feet. I'm sure we will return in the not-too-distant future to continue the adventure!