Play With Me…Way to Play Days at Pretend City Children’s Museum

It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.

Leo F. Buscaglia

Play with me…I love those three little words that my son says over and over again each day. Kids need to play..plain and simple.  It’s a vital aspect of their development.  A little over a week ago, I took my son to Pretend City Children’s Museum.  This is a museum I’ve been wanting to visit since I first learned of it’s opening last year.  I’ve been to many children’s museums, but none with the amount of resources available at Pretend City.  The museum aims to “build better brains through whole-body learning experiences, educational programs and over 15 permanent exhibits that empower children to learn about and meaningfully connect with and expand their world.”

On any given day, you’ll find my 2 1/2 year old making eggs in his kitchen or talking to his trains.  Pretend Play is a vital aspect in a child’s development.  Pretend City allows children to “pretend” to be adults.  They can shop for groceries at the “Ralph’s Fresh Fare,” have a meal at the cafe, or build at the construction site.  The museum is actually quite large and houses over 15 exhibits in a 15,000 square foot space.  My son’s favorite was the marina.  Not only did he try to climb in the water (ok…he DID climb in!), he would. not. leave.  I literally had to bribe him to get him out of there…sopping wet. And if you’re wondering how all that water play is benefiting your child’s brain, just visit their site which will give you that information for each exhibit. Here is a little video, from their site.

The museum is highly interactive and allows for open-ended play.  There are a wealth of educational and developmental resources available both at the museum itself and on their website.  The day we visited was a “Way to Play” day where the museum features special activities for children and caretakers to engage in that support their child’s development.  Way to Play days are offered on the second Friday of each month.

While we were at the museum, we had an opportunity to learn more about their newest initiative, Good To Go From Head To Toe, which aims to educate the community and parents about the importance of having children receive regular developmental screenings with their well child check-ups.  The programs, trainings and special events are available “to help parents and caretakers understand how their child’s behavioral, social, motor, and thinking skills are developed through play.”  While we were at the museum, my son received a free dental screening by a dentist (hooray for no cavities!). The museum is offering free screenings and classes in conjunction with this initiative and will host a Wellness Fair on Saturday March 13, 2010.  Here are the details:

Good To Go From Head To Toe Family Fun & Wellness Fair: Sat., March 13, 2010 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This resource fair is free to the general public and will take place in the parking lot at Pretend City Children’s Museum. Activities and resources will include, but are not limited to: Language, dental, vision and speech screenings; educational classes for caretakers and children; live music, face painting and games for kids; book readings and book giveaways; special museum giveaways and appearances by Anaheim Ducks Wild Wing and street team.

If you’d like to check out the musuem, there are three offers you might want to consider.

1.  Receive 2-for-1 admission to the museum on Way to Play Days.

2.  Complete a free Ages & Stages Questionnaire with your child and mail it (in prepaid envelope provided) to our partnering agency Help Me Grow to redeem your one (1) free guest pass by mail.

3.  Participate in the screenings at the fair on March 13 for one free admission to the museum.

Admission to the museum is $10 (for adults and kids).  Hours are as follows:

For more information, just visit their site.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  I received admission passes as part of this event.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

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