Children's Museum: Storyland [Part I]

There is a new exhibit at the MN Children's Museum: Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites. It runs from September 10th [2011] through February 5 [2012].

Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites brings children and adults into the world of seven beloved picture books. From the gardens of The Tale of Peter Rabbit to the urban snowscape of The Snowy Day and the tropical island of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Storyland engages visitors in early literature adventures. In the exhibit's immersive environments designed for children from birth through eight years old, families discover that it is never too early to develop a love of reading. [mcm.org]

The seven featured books are:


The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter



The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats



Where's Spot? by Eric Hill



If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff



Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault



Abuela by Arthur Dorros



Tuesday by David Wiesner

I am really excited for Where's Spot. It focuses on babies [and young toddlers] and also teaches adults tips on pre-reading skills.

I plan on taking E in the next two weeks and will report back with [Part II] our experience!

Story Time at Wild Rumpus... with LIVE chickens!?

Wild Rumpus is an independently owned children's bookstore in Minneapolis that is a must-see! The first unique thing you'll notice is that the big purple door you use to enter the bookstore, has a smaller door cut into it, just for children to enter [and that alone can be worth the trip]!

Once you step inside, it's enchanting. The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with children's books immediately brings comfort and coziness. Soft, worn chairs are placed about in corners for cuddling up and getting lost in Goodnight Moon or The Runaway Bunny. And don't forget to watch out for the chickens running wild around the store!

I didn't notice the theme of this when I was first there, but the tunnel in the back of the store is a "haunted hut" where all the "scary" books are kept. This is also where you can find the rats. Yes, rats [but don't worry, the rats are safely caged, unlike some of the other animals].

And some of those other animals that call the Wild Rumpus home include spiders, birds, chinchillas, and an African lizard. While these animals are nicely caged to look at from a distance, there are chickens and some [naturally] tail-less cats that can be found roaming the store.

The animals create a fun adventure for the little ones every time you visit. Also every Monday @ 10:30, Wild Rumpus hosts "tail time" [story hour]. However, I would not recommend visiting the store at this time with your baby. It was extremely crowded with no room for grown ups to sit down [which also included mama's with babies strapped to them, aka me.] The host of story time was more soft spoken and because it was geared for children of all ages, the books were a little over E's short attention span. While the story teller was great with the bigger kids, singing songs and getting them involved, I don't think E even realized we were at story time. When you're bringing your little babe to this store to soak in the captivating environment, I think it would be better when the store was a little quieter. I was a little overwhelmed and ready to leave by the end.

The bonus is that Wild Rumpus is in a great neighborhood [Linden Hills]. So you can make a morning or afternoon out of it. Who can resist some great shopping for your baby? Check out: Creative Kids Stuff, Oscar & Belle or Wonderment, all within walking distance. Hungry? Stop by Great Harvest Bread Co. and sampled some homemade bread or [what I thought was] the world's biggest chocolate chip cookie. Looking to cool off? Try across the street & get some of the best ice cream you are going to taste at Sebastian Joe's [and they have a fabulous back patio too]. The options are endless!

Baby Story Time at The Red Balloon Bookshop

Story time is a great event to take your baby to, no matter what age! "Reading will help build your child's vocabulary, stimulate his imagination, and improve his communication skills." [BabyCenter.com]

And you are in luck, because no matter where you live, story time is a popular activity to find. Try checking out your local libraries, big chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble and local book shops. Which brings me to my post today about story time at The Red Balloon Bookshop on Grand Avenue-- a personal favorite of mine.

Let me be the first to say that if you haven't been to The Red Balloon Bookshop, this could be an outing in itself! Focused on children's book, you can spend hours with your little one reading new books in the renovated house turned bookstore. And if you're like me, it's hard to leave without at least buying one new book, which is why it's great that they even have a "secret" lower level dedicated to bargain books.

If you're budget doesn't allow for new books every week, I bet it allows for a free story time!? Every Tuesday morning from 10:30AM -11:00AM, Sara Waters transforms The Red Balloon into an interactive baby story time adventure. Come early, because by 10:29AM the store is packed with moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, nannies.... and BABIES!!! Baby story time focuses on children 0-24 months, but older siblings are more than welcome and even encourage to participate.

I don't know how Sara does it week after week, but she is always there with loads of energy and a smile on her face! And she brings the energy that babies LOVE and I even find myself singing along to the silly "Dingle Dangle Scarecrow" song!

It's a great mix of stories, singing, musical instruments [sara plays the violin!] puppets, playtime, education and fun--all wrapped up into a short thirty minute session, just perfect for little ones with short attention spans! It's also great for learning new songs and games to play back at home with your baby.

[NOTE: Sara will also be at The Red Balloon Bookstore this Saturday, August 6th for Baby Story Time ENCORE for a new take on the old game of peek-a-boo.]

Hope to see you all at the Red Balloon!