Nearby in Acton is one of my favorite spots to visit with my kids. The newly renovated museum has been open for a little over a year, and it’s really great to have both the science museum and children’s museum under one roof. We’ve had a membership for many years so we’ve been more times than I can count, but each time the kiddos (ages 7, 4, and 17 months) seem to find something different!
Our first stop is usually the water area that explores the concept of Laminar Flow. We love to watch Smarter Everyday on YouTube and he LOVES Laminar flow. Here the kids love to play with the water and use the different tools to change the water flow and discover what a ball will do in the water vortex. My four year old loves the station where water propels a ball into the air!
My oldest always finds her way to the Da Vinci’s Workshop where she can let her creativity run wild and use different materials like coffee filters, old postcards, fabric, and other recycled materials to create anything she wants!
The little kid area (children 3 and under) has a variety of play spaces including a climbing structure and a small slide, and an infant area with many options for sensory play including sequins which were a big hit for us! There are also some dolls and animal figures which are also popular.
There are good sightlines throughout the museum so when the children are at different stages of exploration like mine, I can stand in a central location and have eyes on them.
The Discovery Woods is a special place and fun for a change of scenery. The Treehouse has nature exhibits and crafts and down on the ground you can swing or climb the spider web, or pretend to live in a house made of sticks. My daughter was making tomato soup!
There is a new area called Adventure Hill near the slide where kids can climb rocks and play in a tunnel.
I love going after lunch when it’s a little less crowded. The museum is really popular between 10 AM and Noon. They are working on extra parking!
Here are a few extras that I love:
There are water fountains throughout the museum where you can refill your water bottles with filtered water. I love this!
There’s a special room in the little kid area with a comfortable chair for a mother to feed or comfort her child.
The Discovery Museum is a gem for this area and a great way to spend an hour or spend a day! The Museum is free on Friday nights during the summer or you can check to see if your local museum has passes available.
The Discovery Museum
177 Main St (Route 27)
Acton MA 01720
978-264-4200
Website: http://www.discoveryacton.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoveryacton/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discoveryacton/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDiscoveryMuseums
Twitter: https://twitter.com/discoveryacton
Leslie Howard is a stay at home mom of three (ages 6, 3, and 5 months) and owner of Kissacook Hill Crafts. In her “free” time she likes to dance, craft, sew, read, write, and explore. She lives in Westford.
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