Last week, I took advantage of my first-ever blogging perk, and took the boy to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. I hadn't been there in years, and it's an impressive place. Big thanks to Jersey Moms Blog for setting this up!Effin' Daddy couldn't make it, so my brother and sister-in-law met me with my niece, the Divine Miss M. The Divine Miss M had been here before and assured me that it was "really fun especially the blocks because you can use your imagination and I like to use my imagination and build stuff and when are we going to play with the blocks?"
First of all, this place is big. Crazy big. Get a good night's sleep and wear sneakers, because there's a lot to see. When we walked in, the boy was immediately taken with the funky lights on the ceiling. Everywhere we looked, there was something stimmy to check out. My niece loved the Hoberman Sphere, which expands and contracts over everyone's heads. It's very cool.This is a very family-friendly place, complete with family bathrooms and wide staircases. The café sells ice cream, which is an absolute necessity with our family. It's very colorful and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. If you've got a sensory-seeking kid who likes to touch all of the things, this is your place. There's even a special section for kids age five and under where they can play and explore without fear of being trampled.
The boy liked the Adventures with Clifford exhibit. It's very cute--it's like the kids have been dropped into one of the books. My niece LOVED the Block Party, where she could build with big interconnecting foam blocks. They both loved the Wildlife Challenge, which is a really cool outdoor obstacle course with a dinosaur.
I'm going to be honest. The way the boy has been lately, this place was too much for him. He's generally been a sensory-seeking kid, but with the summer schedule thrown off, he's been a bit fragile. The high ceilings and the other kids shrieking for Clifford the Big Red Dog put him over the
edge, and we didn't see as much as we'd have liked. The boy was in sensory overload. He kept crying for his daddy, so maybe we'll come back with my husband, maybe on one of their special-needs days.
I want to go back to the animal exhibits. They have something called "Eat or Be Eaten," which just sounds like my cup of tea. I want to go back and see an IMAX movie. And you know what's cool? They have a theater there with 3D films that are shorter than the IMAX movies, so the kids might stay put. Warning: My brother took the Divine Miss M to the thunder and lightning show, which he thought was cool, but made her cry. She's six.
My brother wants to go back without any kids, but maybe that's just him.
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| How amazing is this view? |
Disclaimer: As a Liberty Science Center Blog Ambassador for the day, I have been provided with vouchers for my visit. All opinions are my own.