I have 10 weeks left with my 4 year old until the big kids come home for the summer. And you know what happened next fall? My baby goes to kindergarten. So in an effort to make some memories with him, I am instituting #101PreschoolDates Follow along as we count down this list and find some really cool places in the Austin area to take your preschoolers!
5 Tips for Your Next Trip to Thinkery
1. Afternoons are the Best! If you can, go to Thinkery on a weekday, just after lunch time. Why?? Because it’s NAP time! And if your little dude or dudette is past the napping stage, this is a great time to be there. We didn’t have to wait for anything and at times, felt like we had the museum to ourselves.
2. Bring Extra Clothes! The upstairs water room and outside garden stream are SO much fun. And no matter if you put the rain gear the museum provide you on, there is a strong chance your child’s clothing will get wet. Just be prepared for it and let them enjoy it. Where else can you play London Bridge with water?
3. Let them decide how long they want to play. We arrived at Thinkery at 11 am, among 3 – 4 field trips and lots of little ones. We ping-ponged around until lunchtime, never really staying in one area due to the crowds. After lunch, we headed straight to the Dark Room and proceeded to remain there for the next hour. You see, the boys thought the Shadow Room was the BOMB. And they wanted to play over and over and over – you could hear their giggles all the way to the front of the museum. Who am I to stop that fun? Nope. I watched and giggled along myself.
4. Bring a Sack Lunch. Thinkery has an indoor lunch spot with tables and chairs to eat a lunch at. And they just brought in a Food Truck – Snap! – for you to get lunch at!! If the weather is nice, you can eat at the park across the street. Make sure to talk to the check in folks before leaving so they can rather give you a stamp to come back in after lunch.
5. Talk to the Employees. My son is not shy. And doesn’t hesitate to ask for help. So when Mom could;t help building in the main room, he asked the nearest employee, Charles. Not only did Charles help him build a track on the wall, he continue to hale them build and play for another 20. Yet another perk of being there in the afternoon – time to play with the “pros”.
My son loves Thinkery – I imagine we will try to get another visit in before school is out for the summer.
Follow along all our dates on our social media channels with the #101Preschool Dates.
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
101 Things to Do with a Preschooler in Austin
Pet Sounds at Laguna Gloria & Mayfield Park
I was sad to see the old Austin Children’s Museum close down, but I will admit that the Thinkery is a truly great museum. We can’t wait to go back. (And how I miss those preschool days.)