My family and I have a membership to the Children’s Discovery Museum. The pass not only gets us into the CDM for free but allows us free or discounted entry into over 500 participating ASTC (Association of Science-Technology Centers) and ACM (Association of Children’s Museums) museums as well. The Staten Island Children’s Museum is part of the ASTC network, so my kids and I spent a day at the museum for free back at the end of January. Founded in 1974 and located in a historical setting on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens, the Staten Island Children’s Museum offers 40,000 square feet of interactive exhibits for young children.
If you want, you can use New York City public transit to get to the Staten Island Children’s Museum, but I decided to drive because parking for the museum was free. If you are driving to Staten Island from the north or east, you can easily get to the museum without taking any expensive toll roads or bridges. If you are coming from the west, the easiest bridge to take costs $15 plus you have to take a few toll roads. I drove to Staten Island from the west but then left towards the east to avoid taking the expensive toll bridge twice. If you are coming from the Manhattan or Bronx areas, you can also take the Staten Island Ferry and then catch a bus to the Staten Island Children’s Museum.
Once my kids and I got to the Staten Island Children’s Museum, we headed for the bottom floor and then worked out way up. Both kids really like the Block Harbor room in the basement. My daughter loved running around the huge pretend boat and curling up in the swinging nest seat. My son loved crawling up and down the ramp and steps. He also enjoy stacking the different types of wooden blocks.
After playing in the Block Harbor room for a bit, my kids and I headed to the café room for lunch. The Staten Island Children’s Museum sells food during the middle part of the day and also offers vending machines with snacks and drinks. You can also bring your own food and use the tables in the café area. I opted to bring my own picnic lunch for me and my kids. The museum also provides a few high chairs, which was a much appreciated perk. My son could sit at the table with his sister and me, so he was much happier than had I left him in the Boba while I ate.
For the rest of the afternoon after lunch, my kids and I explored the rest of the Staten Island Children’s Museum. The Great Explorations exhibit offered a nice range of activities for babies through older kids. Both kids like the rolling boat bridge across the pretend river. My daughter liked the climbing room in the arctic exhibit, and I appreciated the soft baby area filled with stuffed snow and ice. My crawling toddler could safely explore on his own while I helped my preschooler daughter on the climbing wall.
Another favorite room at the Staten Island Children’s Museum was the Big Games hallway. My son loved playing with the bowling ball as my daughter and I played a huge game of Connect 4. Both kids and my son in particular love the humongous Lite Brite. My son spent quite a long time putting the colored pegs in and out while my daughter played on the fire engine in the Ladder 11 exhibit.
Of all the exhibits at the Staten Island Children’s Museum, my kids probably liked House About It the best. The room was filled with construction displays and activities. My son loved digging in the rubber chips with his hands and filling up the big Tonka trucks. My daughter had a blast playing with real toys and wood. Her papa would have been proud to see her screwing a screw into a piece of food.
If you ever find yourself in the Staten Island area of New York with kids, I highly recommend the Staten Island Children’s Museum on the grounds of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens. My kids and I spent a good five hours exploring all the exhibits. Admission is reasonable at $8 per person over the age of 1, and you can get in for free if you have a membership at another ASTC network museum.
For more information, visit the Staten Island Children’s Museum website.
Image Credits
Family Fun in New York City: Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Block Harbor at Staten Island Children’s Museum 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Block Harbor at Staten Island Children’s Museum 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Great Explorations at Staten Island Children’s Museum 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Great Explorations at Staten Island Children’s Museum 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Great Explorations at Staten Island Children’s Museum 3 © 2016 Heather Johnson
Baby Area in Great Explorations at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Climbing Wall in Great Explorations at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Big Games at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Ladder 11 at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Giant Lite Brite at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
Bug Room at Staten Island Children’s Museum © 2016 Heather Johnson
House About It at Staten Island Children’s Museum 1 © 2016 Heather Johnson
House About It at Staten Island Children’s Museum 2 © 2016 Heather Johnson