Kidseum

Kidseum - Free every first Sunday

How should I explain this museum for kids? This is a hands on experience museum for kids. They have various activity corners. What I like about this museum is that it is in an one enclosed space where you can let you children play but at the same time you get to keep an eye on them at all times.

1. Home center – this area has all kinds of plates, bowls, pretend food items, little dining table, children’s’ chairs. My daughter’s daycare has a similar corner and they call it “home center” so that is what I’m calling it.

2. Carriage – They have a pretend carriage where kids can pretend to steer (I’m not sure if this is the correct way to describe it but…) the horses on a carriage.

3. Masks – there is a section where there are masks from literally all over the world and kids can try on all of them. They have animal masks to African masks.

4. Instruments – These are mostly percussion instruments from various parts of the world.

5. Dress up – No, this is not your traditional, “I want to be a Disney Princess’ dress up corner. This corner has dress/shirts/skirts/pants/hats/shoes from different countries and kids can try them on.

6. Puppet theater – They have a small puppet theater with quite a selection of puppets. You and your children can make up a story and act it out. One of my favorite puppets there is the big red dragon. My daughter is scared of it.

7. Craft corner – They have arts & craft on weekends from 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM.

8. Story time – They have a story time at 1:30 PM -2:30 PM on Saturdays. Somebody from South Coast Storytellers Guild tells the story.

My tips
- Pack lunch. Kidseum has a picnic area where you can eat. Just ask the staff. If it is raining, ask them if you could eat in one of the rooms that they keep locked. Promise to keep the room clean and please keep your promise.

- This place is great for wondering young children since it has a "big one room" structure. You can always keep an eye on your child.

- There are no food places. However, there is a Togo’s and El Pollo Loco near by. There is also a Baskin Robins ice cream too……which is my weakness.

- This museum is a "hands-on" museum. If you are not comfortable with your kid touching stuff that other kids have touched and sharing germs, this place is NOT for you.

- If you get bored, go to Bowers Museum next door.

- Every first Sunday of the month is free for both Kidseum and Bowers Museum. We usually go to Kidseum by 11AM right when it opens, play for an hour, eat lunch, and then walk over to Bowers Museum for cultural festivals (Chinese, African, Italian and etc) starting at 12:00 PM.