Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose

Baby MacBean went on a fieldtrip to the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose last week. We had so much fun! Madison and Ryan loved exploring all of the new and exciting exhibits where they could touch, explore, and experience so many new things! Here are some photos and videos of their adventures:

Madison is closely examining the bug collections.

Ryan & Madison enjoyed the play kitchen.

Madison loved snuggling into the enormous dragon chair
 to read a book.

 Madison and Ryan LOVED the sand table!

Ryan's favorite was all the different shapes and sizes of funnels at the sand table.

One entire wall in the museum is covered in a mural with different textures. Madison spent a long time running her hands along this wall. She loved it!

 This large wall lets the kids paint to their hearts content, then is easily washed clean with a built-in hose and drain tray. Baby MacBean will be installing one of these Spring 2010.

 

 
 

 In the Painting Room, Ryan and Madison were able to let their creativity fly!

All Aboard!

Claudia surprised the babies with an early present = a train table, complete with waterfall, airport and the Golden Gate Bridge!

The train tracks and buildings are glued to the table, but we left all the street signs, trees, cars, airplanes and trains untouched so the babies can exercise their little fingers and practice their dexterity as they play.

 

Perfect Gifts for Small Hands

Montessori Services presents For Small Hands, a website dedicated to developmentally appropriate toys and games for newborns to 6+ years old - over 450 child-size items! The website makes it easy to find age-appropriate gifts with buttons in the left column to jump to different age groups, or to

sort by price (lots of gifts under $5 and $10, too!)

If you purchase any items off this site, let us know how your child likes it so we can share the tips with other parents. :)

More Holiday Gift Guides for Toys

• http://www.littleones.com/2009/11/17/perfect-holiday-toys-for-children/
• http://www.littleones.com/educational-playtime/parents-grandparents-gift-guide/

UN-Safe Toys - check these sites before buying anything from a regular toy store or toy website 

• http://www.toysafety.mobi/unsafetoylist.html
• https://www.uspirg.org/issues/toy-safety

Halloween Party

Parents and their little ghouls and goblins were invited to a children's Halloween party in Benicia last Tuesday (10/27). They had such a fun time seeing all the other kids dressed up in their costumes, playing games, decorating cookies and going through the Haunted Maze (not too scary, though!). So glad some of you could make it and can't wait until next Halloween!

Here are some photos from the party:

Storm Trooper

Jedi Knight

Little Bo Peep's Sheep

Woodland Nymph and Little Fairy

Little Bo Peep and Sheep

Little Bo Peep and Sheep

King Arthur's Knight

Little Bo Peep, Little Fairy, and Storm Trooper