{Around Town: Perot Museum of Nature and Science}

A couple of weeks ago my parents came to town. I had planned to write about their visit in one post, but we did so many activities while they were here! I'm afraid if I attempted to put together a single blog entry it would be so unbearably long that no one could actually get through the whole thing. Instead, I've decided to let myself wax nostalgic and blog about their trip in multiple posts. 

Our first outing was to the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science, which boasts five floors of hands-on learning experiences. Judging by the sheer number of school field trips present, the Museum is a welcome addition to all K-12 curricula in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Despite the crowds, we managed to have an excellent time, and Anders was perpetually entertained.

On the main floors, his favorite exhibits were the T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall and the Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall. The former included all things dinosaur related while the latter supplied ample opportunities to send ping pong balls through ready-made chain reactions and steer remote controlled cars.

The real magic for Anders was discovered on the lower level, however, which houses the Moody Family Children's Museum. Anders had so much fun that we are considering a family membership to the Museum simply to return to this area over and over again.

The delivery truck was part of the Dallas Farmers Market exhibit where kids could pretend to be vendors or customers, making sales or grabbing groceries. 

When I finally managed to pry his fingers from the delivery truck's steering wheel, Anders filled a shopping basket with apples (I think a bell pepper snuck in there, too).  I have to admit, I would buy anything that sweet face tried to sell me at a Farmers Market.

The Children's Museum has construction ramps and a giant water table.

Working on site. Future architect or engineer? You decide!

Anders absolutely loved the water table, and I loved watching him in that adorable apron. It was so fun to watch the concentration on his face as he carefully poured water from container to container.

There were sand boxes for digging fossils and rock walls for climbing.

There are actually a number of attractions in the Children's Museum that we didn't even get to see during our visit.  We can't wait to return and explore the rest!