Habitot Children's Museum

In an effort to find fun things to do with Lily that are inexpensive and nearby, I discovered (through google...I love google) a place in Berkeley called Habitot Children's Museum. Now, the word "museum" in the name of the place is a bit misleading. It is more of an interactive play area. But it was still fun. I don't think it was worth the $22 we spent to get it (they made Ernie and I pay to enter, as well as pay for Lily, which I thought was a little ridiculous), but it was still fun. I wouldn't go back every week, but I would definitely go back.

There is a wiggle wall, a toy riding area, a play store/restaurant, an art room, a baby play area, a water sensory area, and a reading room. We stayed for about two hours and could easily have stayed another two hours. When we finally did leave, Lily was not happy about it.

Lily loved this little toy, ride-on train thing. Although, you wouldn't know it to look at the serious expression on her face, but she couldn't get enough of it.

I'm thinking of getting her something similar to play with at home. I think it would be a big hit. But considering we only just barely finished with Christmas, I'd better wait a while.

Her favorite area was most definitely the art room. And when we move into a bigger house, I definitely want one of these. It is a giant dry-erase board set up with water color paints. She can paint to her heart's desire, and when she is done you just spunge it down and start the whole process all over. So simple, yet so ingenious. And I want one sooo badly.

They also had these adorable smocks for the kids to wear...

Doesn't my little burgeoning artist look adorable in her smock?

This picture reminds me of Sweeny Todd, for some reason. But I still really like it. Is that strange? Hmmm...best not follow that thought too closely.

The water sensory area was, by my estimation, the most disturbing of the entire museum.

And here is why. See that table behind Lily? Well, it is full of naked baby dolls. And not just any naked baby dolls, anatomically correct baby dolls. I found it disturbing, but the kids all seemed to love it. And Lily didn't want to let her baby doll go. Even looking at the picture with all the limbs in the background gives me the willies.

So, while we had fun watching Lily run around, I think I would have felt better if we had just had to pay the $7 entry fee for Lily, and not the $8 entry fee for each of us. But it was definitely worth exploring and we will most likely come back. Even better than the museum, and somewhere we will definitely return to, was Tilden Park. But I will save that for my next post.