We are trying to plan our upcoming anniversary. we'd like to take our son (7 months old) with us somewhere during the day. But not sure what would be appropriate. Is he too young for the zoo or aquarium? He can look at the animals (and the people. He's a big people-watcher) Are there children's museums that have appropriate activities for a child that young? Really, he has an attention span of no more than 2 hours so I'd like to find something that has activities he can be intimately involved with. Hands-on, teething, etc. But not needing a lot of comprehension.
We ended up going to the aquarium in downtown Seattle. It was quite a pain getting there because of all the steps (and it was REALLY cold). But he loved the aquarium itself. We could get up close to all the exhibits. And the fish seemed as interested in our son as he was in them. So they hovered near the glass, considering him. He only lasted two hours until, after eating, he pooped out for a nice long nap. So he didn't get to see the otters. But it was a fun day. Thanks for the help!
My daughter LOVED the aquarium at that age. It was really fun to watch her absorb all the light, sounds of people, etc. I remember reaching her little hand out to touch the seastars (starfish)...Or how about just going to the park and people watching? Or the beach so he can roll around in the sand? Do you have a scenic train ride near where you live? That could be fun for mom and dad, too... :)
Good luck and blessings!
Take him anywhere you go, expose him to everything, it's amazing what they pick up and you never know where it came from. We took all of our kids to the zoo, aquarium and the Science Center from the time they were tiny. Don't worry about the attention span, because there are so many different things to catch it again. And if they are social babies, they even enjoy shopping! We would take them to antique malls with Grandma, etc. You can still get some adult interaction and they have an outing which is all they care about at 6 months.
Bellevue Eastside?
I picked up a book when my girls were babies - Things To Do In Seattle With Kids (I think that was the title!) and it breaks the city down by region. There are kid-friendly restaurants, places to go (indoors and out) and gives an idea of the appropriate age ranges.
Go to your local bookstore & check out the local section - there will be hiking books, etc as well, but I'm sure you will find at least 1 "what to do with kids" kind of book (we have a few!)
As for Children's museums in the area, we like the one in Everett the best. It's a BIG purple building, and it has a small section just for the under 2 age range, but everything is close together and if you have more than 1 kid you can keep an eye on them in different areas. THe Seattle one is nice too, my kids just prefer the other one.
This is a great age to begin to open their eyes to the world around them!
Have fun!
J.
OMSI has a great "toddler room" - kids love it! There is sand, water play, play house, grocery store, animal and science areas...just a blast. You can walk around and look at the exhibits, then go to the toddler area whenever he gets restless. OMSI also has a cafe and an area where you can eat a brought in snack or lunch.
My son is 7 and still loves the toddler room at OMSI.
Hi S.....
I tend to agree with the last response. If you have family that is close, see if they would be able to watch baby forthe day/evening. If not, then someone close like a good friend that you trust. It was really hard for me when my oldest was 7 months. I didn't have that connection with anyone yet.
Are you on the Eastside - Bellevue/Redmond/Kirkland area? At 7 months old the Pacific Science Museum is a bit old, except maybe the butterfly exhibit. Any of the Children's museums with water tables, sand rooms, textures and sound exposure would be good. The one at Factoria Mall is really neat! We live on the north end so we go to Imagine Children's Museum in Everett.
And of course the zoo and the aqaurium would be great. The aquarium completed that big addition/remodel and it is really amazing. If anything you could go downtown for the day. Lunch, aquarium, shopping, etc. Could be a lot of fun. Your son will get to smell the salty air, and see/hear the seagulls and see LOTS of people. I remember taking my daughters on a ferry boat ride. They LOVED it, even at 6 months old.
I wish you lots of luck! What's important is that you will be spending quality time together as a family. That's what will make the biggest difference to your son and also to you and your husband.
Take care
A.
My 2 year old son's first trip to the zoo AND the aquarium was at TWO months old! (We were visiting grandparents!)
Both were fun! Your son would probably love the zoo; the new surroundings, being outside, AND the stroller ride. Since the zoo has much LARGER exhibits than the aquarium, that may be the better choice. Have fun whatever you do! :)
Babies are never too young for the zoo. We have a membership and our girls love it. The children's museum has a baby area too. OMSI is good. If your baby's not crawling and just along for the ride, then the zoo or OMSI would be great. Lots of great stuff to look at!
zoos and aquariums are great I personally thing that the aquarium is better because of the under water exhibits they can be so fascinating to the young mind they love to watch fish swim around and the sounds of the water are soothing the zoo can also be fun but just remember that focusing at a distance can still be hard for your little one so it might not be as fascinating until a little older but it sounds like most of your ideas are really good already
We took my son to the zoo when he was 6 months old and he was all smiles looking at the animals - especially the monkeys. Also, OMSI has a play area on the second floor that is just for children 5 and under. There is even a "crawl" area for 1 and under. We ended up getting a membership at OMSI because my son enjoyed going there so much. We also live on the East side of Portland and found OMSI was pretty convenient to get to, compared to the Children's Museum by the zoo.
There is a new lodge in Washington that looks awesome for families. It has an indoor water park and all kinds of fun stuff for the whole family. Your son is a bit young to go on the water slides but my daughter loved being in a swimming pool when she was a baby. They even have a spa for mom! I have not been to this place but I have heard its great. www.GreatWolf.com/Grandmound/
we've had a family pass to the zoo since my daughter was 5 months. She loved it then and enjoys it even more at 2 years. If your nursing the movies aren't a bad idea either, it's dark and my daughter will just nurse herself to sleep if it's not a movie specifically for her.
S.,
Do you have any family that you could leave your sweet baby with? The best thing you could do for you and your husband is to spend a little anniversary time by yourselves!!!! If not, start looking for a babysitter you can start training for the future! That way 4 years will turn into 20 before you know it, and you won't feel like strangers when you get there! Good luck!
YES!!!!Check out the childrens musuem in portland great hands on for the younger ages.. lmc
The Childrens museum (next to the zoo) in portland has a neat baby area and lots of kids to watch. The library also has passes that if you reserve yours ahead of time you can go for free. Its called a cultural pass. The baby area is seperated by a little gate from the bigger activities. there are mirrors, little slides, and lots of things to pull up on, and soft squishy stuff. He would also probubly love some of the other activities such as the water play area (with your help).
The zoo is fun too because there are lots of people as well as the animals. Its super crowded on Saturdays though as we discovered and its hard to get close to see any of the animals unless you want to push through a crowd.
I agree with the others though that you should do what you can to get alone time with your hubby for an evening to celebrate your anniversary. Its really important to get a date out alone.
Have fun, Jen
I'm glad someone mentioned the the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport--I think admission is still free and they have a "touch tank". The zoo has a petting zoo (make sure you wash your hands). Not sure about your baby's vision, but other closer exhibits at the zoo include the indoor elephant viewing area (there is usually one inside so you can look pretty close), the lorikeet landing (birds flying around you), and the bugs. Mine just likes the peacocks! On rainy days the monkeys often go inside too, where they are easier to see.
At OMSI don't miss the Gravitram, which is in the corridor where the doors to the planetarium are. It's like a little roller coaster sculpture. My baby loves to watch the steel balls ride up and roll down through all the tracks.
We have a zoo membership, and have taken our daughter there since she was a few weeks old. She is nine months now and the last time we took her she did look at the animals, but is still more interested in the other people around her. I took her to the children's museum a month ago. It does have an area designed just for babies to crawl around in, but I wasn't impressed. I was a little too nervous about germs to really enjoy it. We just went to the dinosaur exhibit at OMSI last weekend and she was pretty interested in the moving dinosaurs. OMSI also has an area for kids 6 and under called the science playground. They have some activities that babies can enjoy.
Have you ever tried a Gymboree? My husband and I were looking for a weekend activity that we could do with our almost 1 year old son when we stumbled across one of these play places for babys/toddlers/kids. They seperate the kids in different age groups like level 1 is 0-6 months, level 2 is 6-10 months, etc. You get a free trial session to see how you like it. Our son was 10 months old and in the level 3 group. We really enjoyed it. There must have been 9 other babies in that range with their parents/grandparents and we all sat around and played music together and games, then there was a 20 minute free play time where all the babys got to interact with eachother exploring the mats, tunnels and play area. They all really seemed to enjoy it! The lady was really great too (At the Lynnwood Gymboree) She sang songs and was really intune with everyone. Its definitely something we plan on persuing, especially in the winter months. It was nice to be able to expose him to new playmates. Maybe you could do a trial session there? I think their program is like 45 minutes so perfect amount of time for wee ones! Make sure to call in advance to find the times for each age group! Its a great alternative on a rainy day!
Gymboree Link:
I don't know where you are planning on going, but OMSI has a great area for babies and toddlers. Also, you would be surprised how much babies enjoy aquariums, especially if there are big tanks. In Newport, at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, there is the "hands on" area. I'm sure the baby would love that with some supervision, of course. I don't think the starfish would like being used as a teether! lol
The zoo would work, but the animals are mostly kinda far away and sedentary, so he might not notice most of them. An aquarium is a great idea because he can touch the tank and they come close and are constantly moving. The Children’s Museum (CM2) has a baby area that my son loves, but that may cost too much to be worth what he would get out of it. OMSI has a hands-on baby section as well as a hands-on section for young kids that he would enjoy. I personally would probably do OMSI.
Both OMSI and The Children's Museum have special spaces for babies 24 months and younger. So not only do they get their own stuff to crawl on etc.. but you don't have to worry so much about the older kids bopping into them.
S.,
The zoo sounds like it would be good. All the children's museums are for older kids.
Good luck
S.,
As already mentioned OMSI has the toddler room, which has a fun little infant section. The children's Museum up by the zoo is fun. Remember that at this age your son will love anything that you do as long as you do it with him! We took our 7 month old to the art museum last week. We went during a weekday that we had off so it would be less crowded. Then we walked around with him in the carrier and told him about all the paintings. He loved the interaction. Other ideas we have tried:
The pool (he LOVES THE WATER)
The mall (lights people)
The zoo (don't miss the petting part)
Downtown Portland (We have gone on several outings there. He likes the lights, people, the river with boats)
Saturday Market
PYP Concert (We went to one in the afternoon, that was meant for kids)
Have a great anniversary. Ours was in December and we all went Christmas light watching. It was so much fun to have a little one to celebrate our marriage and family with.
