Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Continued from Staten Island Ferry Ride, NY…
NYCity Mama and the boys waited for the bus to the Staten Island Children’s Museum. The last time Mama had tried to do this was ages ago. She, her 11 year old, (then only 5) and her husband, stood on a similar platform, not sure what bus to ride that would take them to what they had read was one of Staten Island’s best pizza places, Joe and Pat’s, and since rated by Zagat. But they never made it. Unsure of what bus to take, and not getting clear directions from the restaurant, they gave up and went home. But this time, Mama was determined to see her plan through, and luckily it was pretty easy. Except for the fact that the 3.5 year old was starting to act up and thus, waiting of any kind, was not something he easily did.
The bus arrived quickly, and the boys immediately sat, looking out the window, full of anticipation. It was a short ride along the river. Mama was happy to see the boys behaving themselves, because it gave her a chance to take in the sights. She doesn’t know much about Staten Island and was excited to be here. It always irks her that there are some many places she has yet to see in a city that she has lived most of her life in.
The driver indicates the stop. They get off the bus, and right there, across the street, the entrance to the museum grounds. Despite the mudding grounds, and leafless trees, Mama couldn’t help to feel a sense of awe as she passed the arch stone entry that united the tall iron fences on both sides which enclosed the area. It is an incredibly beautiful place, and she can only imagine how much more beautiful in warmer seasons when the maple trees are in full bloom, hovering over the grounds with the Austrian pines. Even the little ones stood in silence as they looked at the Greek Revival building in front of them. The sense of something historic was intense, and she loved it.
Turns out they had just ventured onto the grounds of the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, which in addition to the Staten Island Children’s Museum, happens to also be the home to the Staten Island Museum, The Noble Maritime Collection, and The Art Lab, a school of fine and applied art founded in 1975 by professional artists.
They slowly made their way to the building that housed the children’s museum with the boys stopping to look at this or that, all three wrestling each other onto the muddy ground, “sword fighting” with broken sticks they found as they walked along. Such is the life with boys, at least, with Mama’s boys.
The boys reached the building before Mama did, and when she got closer she saw all three of them standing in front of a 12-foot-high praying mantis sculpture in front of the building. The boys played around a few other sculptures in the lawn of the building before they all went inside. The fee for entry is $5.00 for anyone 1 and over, but no fee for coat check, for there, right next to the entrance is a coat hanging area where people just find a hook for their jackets and leave whatever carry ons on the metal shelf underneath.
In the same room is the Ladder 11 exhibit, with a huge, red fire truck that children can climb into and play in. Next to that a cubby for firefighter gear that kids can where, a pole to slide off of and a life size firefighter mannequin in full gear. The 2 year old loved this!
Meanwhile the 3.5 and 11 year old ran into The Big Game exhibition area, where there played with huge domino pieces, checkers chess, connect four, and other board games. It is a great bright room, gleaming from the sunlight outside.
The boys also loved the Great Explorations exhibit, which took them through a rain forest, the ocean floor, and the icy environments of igloos and snow sleds.
The boys spent quite some time pocking around, playing and looking at everything on this side of the museum along. But eventually they were ready to explore more.
They went upstairs and found a Walk-in Workshop. It was a classroom with crayons, markers, scissors, clue, ink and stamps, and other materials for arts and crafts, and tables that wrapped around the center of the room covered with brown paper to allow the kids to freely sit and draw and create whatever art project they desired. Free!
While Mama’s 11 year old drew pictures with the 2 year old and tried to keep him from putting the ink pads in his mouth (to somewhat success), the 3.5 year old started getting fidgety. So Mama decided to go back downstairs with him.
And it was there, somewhere on the way back to Portia’s Playhouse, the theater where kids can where the available costumes and put on a theatrical show, that Mama’s 3.5 year old threw a huge tantrum. And though when traveling with toddlers one has to expect that maybe in one of those travels a tantrum or two would be inevitable, Mama had hoped that it hadn’t happened so far from home.
He screamed and yelled, and threw himself on the floor, while people walking by started as if the sight of a toddler throwing a tantrum was foreign to them. ”He looks tired,” said a nanny watching over her 6 year old. ”How old is he?” asked a mother carrying her less than 1 year old? But really there was nothing she could do. She had to calm him down before they left because the ride home was not a short one.
Oh the horror. But the lady at the front desk tried her hardest to engage him, which Mama really appreciated, and with a little extra coaxing Mama was able to lead all her boys down to the lower level which turned out was a play sanctuary. The Block Harbor, a room full of wooden blocks, with a large ship, bell, telescope and navigational wheel included took the boys breath away and put a huge smile on her 3.5 year old’s face. He quickly ran to the top of the ship and with his older brother pretended to be pirates in search of gold, while the youngest one headed straight towards the building block area and began the task of building. Mama sat alongside the other mothers, and relaxed as she sipped on the cold drink she had purchased at the Cafe at the lower level. She doesn’t know how long they were there, all she remembers is looking at her watch and realizing they had been at the museum for 4 hours!!
She began to gather up the boys to start making the trip back home. But they didn’t leave without one more tantrum from her middle child. This time Mama took him outside, and they sat on the outside steps of the museum as the colder breezed cooled them off. She ran back in and got all three boys an ice cream treat. And she watched them as they sat there, enjoying their ice cream, making a huge mess of themselves, but quietly.
Though they missed several of the other exhibits and activities at the museum, and didn’t even get a chance to play in the outdoor Sea of Boats play area, Mama didn’t mind. It was gorgeous here and she loved having the excuse to come back soon. They sat there for awhile, as the museum closed andthe sun began to set.
Later, on the ferry ride back home, the boys cuddled up to their mother. Tired, but quiet and content, they watched as the sun set behind Lady Liberty, it’s orange-yellow light gleaming off the wonderful buildings of her beloved city. Despite the tantrums and distance it really turned out to be a wonderful all-day adventure. Maybe next time they’ll be able to get that Zagat-rated slice of pizza!
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Everyday I read your old posts and I love every post you have ever written. I love the way you write too. I’m so glad I found your blog
You’ve also given me so many ideas on what to do with my kids.
Thanks and take care chica!!