Review: Macy's 2nd Monday at the Henry Ford

Today, my daughter and I went to the Macy's 2nd Monday activities at the Henry Ford Museum with friends. These events, sponsored by Macy's, are held the second Monday of each month and are geared for young children. Admission is free for museum members and children under 5. Admission for adults is $15. We have a companion membership which allows me to bring in a guest. Since my daughter is 4, I was able to bring in one of my friends (her kids are also 4 and under). My other friend also has a companion membership so we could have brought one more with us. The companion membership is a great deal.

This month, the emphasis was on wheels and wings with an activity for Valentine's Day and Black History Month. They had a scavenger hunt for 8 wheels or wings throughout the museum (they gave pillar post positions to help you find them). At each spot, the child received a valentine picture they could color. If you returned to the start table, they had crayons and hearts with glue to assemble them. We finished late so we took the pictures home to color.

They were also playing Red Light, Green Light after which each child received a glider airplane. At registration, each child received a frisbee and for Black History Month, they made a crown with civil rights leaders.

In addition to the special activities, my daughter loved racing her K'nex car, doing crayon rubbings at different exhibits, driving the train, exploring the cabins of different airplanes, being a hot dog, flying a paper airplane.

We packed our lunch and ate in the Wienermobile Cafe seating area along with many other children and parents. I had planned to buy a drink, and one of my friends had planned to buy a little extra food, but the cafe was not open. I was surprised that this cafe was closed on a day with a lot of young children since it is very child friendly. The Michigan Cafe was open, but we had already settled at tables before we realized the cafe was closed. Plus, the Wienermobile Cafe was near the exit and we were leaving after lunch.

Of the four children in our group, two had been to the museum one prior time, and the other two were on their first trip. As such, they were more excited by some of the exhibits than they were in the scavenger hunt. However, if they had been more familiar with the museum, they may have been less distracted. Since we just started our membership on New Year's Eve, I foresee us returning a few more times, at least through the spring. In the fall, my daughter will be in school on Monday afternoons which may make attending trickier.

I learned a few lessons for our next visit on Macy's 2nd Mondays. The Henry Ford has a nice coat room, so I do not have to worry about carrying coats through the museum. I will bring a bag of some sort to hold things - camera, crafts, maps, give aways, etc. Also, I will make sure to bring my own lunch.

Review of Disney on Ice: Amazing Show

We went to see Disney on Ice last night at Lucas County Arena in Toledo. That show was Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. The show was lots of fun with great costumes and props. You could definitely tell which seats were less expensive as they had a higher occupancy rate than the more expensive seats.

We had a wonderful time. Disney on Ice returns to the area at the end of February with the Let's Celebrate show at The Palace at Auburn Hills. Information on tickets (including a discount code) can be found on our website. Since my 4 year old daughter enjoyed the show so much, we are planning to attend the Let's Celebrate show as well. The Let's Celebrate show has characters from much of the Disney Universe (Princesses, Tinker Bell, Buzz Lightyear & Woody, Mickey, Minnie, etc) celebrating holidays throughout the year. My daughter loves holidays so I think this show will also be a big hit.

You can read a more extensive review of the show on my Life with a Preschooler blog.

Review of Hands On Museum Member Night

This evening we attended the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum Member Night. There are typically 3-4 member nights per year and each is centered around a different theme. Tonight's theme was Hands On Winter Games to coincide with the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Gymnasts from Gym America were there to help the kids do some gymnastics (bars, beam, somersaults, etc). Godai Ninpo Association was there to teach some martial arts moves. David Harlock of the 1994 Silver Medal Canadian Ice Hockey team was there with his silver medal. The kids were each given a mini gold medal, had the opportunity to have their picture taken with him, and see his medal (my daughter even got to hold it). Unfortunately, I did not bring my camera and only have a cell phone quality photo.

Bob the Builder - Project: Build It is still at the museum through March 14. Bob himself made an appearance at the event. My daughter was completely freaked out by Bob the Builder, she would not even stay in the same area as him, so we moved through this area fairly quickly (plus she has already seen the Bob the Builder 3 prior times).

As you arrived, there were bags of popcorn available. During the course of the day they gave away two door prizes. Also, in the Science Works laboratory, they were providing a snack including bottles of water.

There were several activities setup in the second floor Legacy Gallery teaching kids about balance, muscles, lungs, and speed. My daughter had a great time turning the water from blue to yellow by blowing bubbles in it, using a rubber band and strings to lift blocks to build a tower, coloring a balancing gymnast, and running a race.

They have also replaced several of the exhibits in the All About You Gallery. Many of the old exhibits have been non-operational for 2 years, so this has been a long time in coming. We moved through this area fairly quickly so we did not get to test any of them out.

We love the member nights and try to make as many as possible. The next member night is May 5: Michigan Wonders.

Ann Arbor Area Events February 3-February 7

There are lots of upcoming events in the next few days to take advantage of. Recurring events include story times, play times, gym times, and tot and public swimming. We went to the tot swimming at Mack Indoor Pool last week and had a great time. We were at Tot Open Play at Meri Lou Recreation Center in October.

Special Events include Member Night tonight at the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum tonight and Kinder Concerts at the Downtown Library on Friday. Saturday brings Calling All Winter Warriors in Downtown Ann Arbor, Drum Me a Story at the Downtown Branch of AADL, and Wild Winter African Adventure at the Detroit Zoo. The Wild Winter African Adventure at the Detroit Zoo continues on Sunday and Hollander's will host Mother Goose Story Time at their Kerrytown Store.

AAHOM's Member Night celebrates the upcoming Winter Olympics with the Hands On Winter Games from 6-8p Wednesday, February 3. Representatives from Gym America and Champion's Fitness Club will be there providing activities. This event is only open to members of AAHOM. We love our membership to the AAHOM (it probably helps that I am an engineer and my husband is a biochemist). We have also used it while traveling which can be a great money saver. Member Nights can get crowded as a large portion of members attend.

The Downtown Library will be hosting Kinder Concerts with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra on Friday. You can learn about the trumpet from Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's Jason Bergman, hear a story from Gari Stein, and dance to music performed by Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's Guest Pianist Kathryn Goodson. This event will be held at both 9:30 and 10:30 in the Multi-Purpose Room.

Head to Downtown Ann Arbor on Saturday. Prove that you are a Winter Warrior by dining OUTSIDE at select Main Street Area restaurants between noon and 6p. Specials include hot beverages will be just $1, draught beers (for the adults) will be $2. You will receive a stamp which is redeemable for merchandise discounts at select downtown retailers. While downtown, head to the downtown library at 2 to warm up and see Wild Swan Theater Presenting "Drum Me a Story".

If you are looking for more outdoor activities, head to the Detroit Zoo for Wild Winter African Adventures.

If you are looking forward to summer and finding summer activities for the kids, head to Briarwood Mall. Metro Parent Magazine is hosting its 21st annual Super Summers for Kids Camp & Activity Fair.

On Sunday at 2, Hollander's in Kerrytown will present Mother Goose Story Time.

Finally, there are several shows in the greater Ann Arbor area. Disney On Ice: Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo is February 3-7 at Lucas County Arena in Toledo and Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb is at the Fox Theater in Detroit. I bought tickets for Disney on Ice this week and we are looking forward to attending. We attended Sesame Street Live at the Fox Theater last year and had a great time.

Finally, I just heard from the Henry Ford that Members can now buy tickets for Day Out With Thomas in April/May.